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View Full Version : Improved League Cup and, derbies and bigger league.



Spike Mandela
25-03-2012, 11:16 PM
Well what do you think........

http://www.scotsman.com/news/fans-groups-seek-parity-via-return-of-league-cup-1-2195593

BroxburnHibee
25-03-2012, 11:31 PM
Not perfect but more ideas like this need to be considered.

One thing is for sure - the status quo will kill the game.

Diclonius
25-03-2012, 11:47 PM
Who else would be in our group? Falkirk and Livingston?

Also I'd imagine that whoever is paired with Celtic and Rangers, especially if an SPL team, will have some issues with never again progressing to the quarter finals.

marinello59
26-03-2012, 06:01 AM
Utter madness. One of the major strengths of the League Cup is that the ties are one offs decided on the night. The section format was binned before because fans got bored with the meaningless turgid fixtures it threw up. If you are going to look backwards at least look at something that didnt end in failure.

Beefster
26-03-2012, 06:11 AM
These guys get taxpayer funding and that's the best solution that they can come up with?

Phil MaGlass
26-03-2012, 08:36 AM
Utter madness. One of the major strengths of the League Cup is that the ties are one offs decided on the night. The section format was binned before because fans got bored with the meaningless turgid fixtures it threw up. If you are going to look backwards at least look at something that didnt end in failure.

what he said...

HibeeMG
26-03-2012, 09:22 AM
I have said for years that to make the League Cup more exciting it needs to be paired with the English one at the Quarter Final stage. Our trophy doesn't carry a European place anyway.

Purple & Green
26-03-2012, 09:33 AM
Utter madness. One of the major strengths of the League Cup is that the ties are one offs decided on the night. The section format was binned before because fans got bored with the meaningless turgid fixtures it threw up. If you are going to look backwards at least look at something that didnt end in failure.

I tend to agree with you, but the league cup is dying and that's backed up by a drop in crowds over recent years. Regional groups provide two derby matches, to complement two league games rather than in addition to four league games - in fact, the league cup groups died a death very quickly after the Scottish Premier League was introduced. The Old Firm and others now treat it as a reserve competition in the early rounds.

The only decent sized home league cup crowd we've had in the last ten years or so? The derby. Method in the madness, perhaps?

Hibbyradge
26-03-2012, 09:46 AM
I don't like this idea.

As soon as one of the OF get knocked out, interest in the competition, from the media and sponsors, not to mention most of the population, will wane.

The group games between the two will be viewed as a 2 leg final.

A 16 team league is just a non starter.

MSK
26-03-2012, 09:48 AM
I tend to agree with you, but the league cup is dying and that's backed up by a drop in crowds over recent years. Regional groups provide two derby matches, to complement two league games rather than in addition to four league games - in fact, the league cup groups died a death very quickly after the Scottish Premier League was introduced. The Old Firm and others now treat it as a reserve competition in the early rounds.

The only decent sized home crowd we've had in the last ten years or so? The derby. Method in the madness, perhaps?Agree ..I would also add dropping the uefa cup didnt help matters either ..added a wee bit more incentive ...if that was perhaps included (doubt it will be though) then it just may prevent the old firm & others treating it like a reserve fixture ..

jgl07
26-03-2012, 01:33 PM
I don't like this idea.

As soon as one of the OF get knocked out, interest in the competition, from the media and sponsors, not to mention most of the population, will wane.

The group games between the two will be viewed as a 2 leg final.

A 16 team league is just a non starter.

A league of 18 would be much better or alternatively a league of 16 with end of season play-offs for European qualification and relegation.

In Europe, 16-team leagues are the most numerous (Portugal, Belgium, Norway, Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Bosnia, Sweden, Israel, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece). Some of the above incorporate end of season playoffs for relegation and European qualification (Russia, Belgium, Greece).

Four of the top leagues have 20 teams (England, France, Italy, Spain) while three have 18 teams (Germany, Holland, and Turkey). Turkey have end of season playoffs.

There are 14-team leagues in Luxembourg, Albania, and Cyprus.

12-team leagues are in Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan, Wales, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Georgia, Finland, Modova, Belarus, Iceland, Lithuania.

10-team leagues are in Faroes, Malta, Switzerland, Austria, Estonia, Slovenia.

Ireland is unique in having an 11-team league.. Latvia has 9 teams, Andorra 8. San Marino has 15 in a group of 8 and a group of 7.

alexedwards
26-03-2012, 09:51 PM
I have said for years that to make the League Cup more exciting it needs to be paired with the English one at the Quarter Final stage. Our trophy doesn't carry a European place anyway.

The English will have zero appetite for that.