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St.Kristopher
09-07-2012, 01:34 PM
The airwaves and the bandwidth has been taken up with chatter about where Rangers going to bide, while everyone has their own opinion - the good news is that we have at least a season without them. The other amazing thing that has come of all this situation, is the unity between the majority of football fans in Scotland. I would love to see more of this, as I for one dispise the hatred a vitriol that hangs around our game since the 80's and has then been continued by 14 year old boys (or people with a metal age around this). Though I digress...

If ensuring integrity in the Rangers situation was the catalyst and the banner that we have all been happy to march behind, we must find a larger common purpose that does not include the eventual resting place of Rangers. We must bombard our clubs with the same passion that we did in regard to Rangers. Though this time with ideas that will ensure Scottish football is rejuvenated. Some of these ideas will be at a club level (e.g. curfews for players during the season) others will be at a national level (e.g. 20 team league).

So in the words of Josiah Bartlett "thats all very well, but what's next". Well I would love if this thread or another could be place where people put forward their ideas for improvements at our club and for our national game. Then for people to take on the baton and start new threads to debate the ideas prosed (with surveys and smilies and everything we love).

So here are my 3 ideas:

- A 20 team league - rational: more exciting and more chance of people attending aways games. Personally there is no way I am going to inverness x2 a season, or x4 now Ross county are up. Why now? we no longer have the pressure for 4 old firm games season.
- Summer Football - rational: football is so much more fun on a sunny day. Secondly I am sure we could get more fans along and I am also sure that sky would be willing to pay more to fill the summer gap where viewing figures of sky sports drop.
- Players work for hibs at least 35hour per week - rational: The players knocking off at 1pm seems to be one of the biggest bugbears that fans have. I for one would like an explanation as to why there is not more that can be done in a day - either in visiting community projects or studying tactics, practicing set pieces etc.

Thoughts?...

NAE NOOKIE
09-07-2012, 06:46 PM
The airwaves and the bandwidth has been taken up with chatter about where Rangers going to bide, while everyone has their own opinion - the good news is that we have at least a season without them. The other amazing thing that has come of all this situation, is the unity between the majority of football fans in Scotland. I would love to see more of this, as I for one dispise the hatred a vitriol that hangs around our game since the 80's and has then been continued by 14 year old boys (or people with a metal age around this). Though I digress...

If ensuring integrity in the Rangers situation was the catalyst and the banner that we have all been happy to march behind, we must find a larger common purpose that does not include the eventual resting place of Rangers. We must bombard our clubs with the same passion that we did in regard to Rangers. Though this time with ideas that will ensure Scottish football is rejuvenated. Some of these ideas will be at a club level (e.g. curfews for players during the season) others will be at a national level (e.g. 20 team league).

So in the words of Josiah Bartlett "thats all very well, but what's next". Well I would love if this thread or another could be place where people put forward their ideas for improvements at our club and for our national game. Then for people to take on the baton and start new threads to debate the ideas prosed (with surveys and smilies and everything we love).

So here are my 3 ideas:

- A 20 team league - rational: more exciting and more chance of people attending aways games. Personally there is no way I am going to inverness x2 a season, or x4 now Ross county are up. Why now? we no longer have the pressure for 4 old firm games season.
- Summer Football - rational: football is so much more fun on a sunny day. Secondly I am sure we could get more fans along and I am also sure that sky would be willing to pay more to fill the summer gap where viewing figures of sky sports drop.
- Players work for hibs at least 35hour per week - rational: The players knocking off at 1pm seems to be one of the biggest bugbears that fans have. I for one would like an explanation as to why there is not more that can be done in a day - either in visiting community projects or studying tactics, practicing set pieces etc.

Thoughts?...

Its a good idea mate .... Just get ready for a bombardment of posts from folk telling you why none of the above will never work :greengrin

Scouse Hibee
09-07-2012, 06:53 PM
The airwaves and the bandwidth has been taken up with chatter about where Rangers going to bide, while everyone has their own opinion - the good news is that we have at least a season without them. The other amazing thing that has come of all this situation, is the unity between the majority of football fans in Scotland. I would love to see more of this, as I for one dispise the hatred a vitriol that hangs around our game since the 80's and has then been continued by 14 year old boys (or people with a metal age around this). Though I digress...

If ensuring integrity in the Rangers situation was the catalyst and the banner that we have all been happy to march behind, we must find a larger common purpose that does not include the eventual resting place of Rangers. We must bombard our clubs with the same passion that we did in regard to Rangers. Though this time with ideas that will ensure Scottish football is rejuvenated. Some of these ideas will be at a club level (e.g. curfews for players during the season) others will be at a national level (e.g. 20 team league).

So in the words of Josiah Bartlett "thats all very well, but what's next". Well I would love if this thread or another could be place where people put forward their ideas for improvements at our club and for our national game. Then for people to take on the baton and start new threads to debate the ideas prosed (with surveys and smilies and everything we love).

So here are my 3 ideas:

- A 20 team league - rational: more exciting and more chance of people attending aways games. Personally there is no way I am going to inverness x2 a season, or x4 now Ross county are up. Why now? we no longer have the pressure for 4 old firm games season.
- Summer Football - rational: football is so much more fun on a sunny day. Secondly I am sure we could get more fans along and I am also sure that sky would be willing to pay more to fill the summer gap where viewing figures of sky sports drop.
- Players work for hibs at least 35hour per week - rational: The players knocking off at 1pm seems to be one of the biggest bugbears that fans have. I for one would like an explanation as to why there is not more that can be done in a day - either in visiting community projects or studying tactics, practicing set pieces etc.

Thoughts?...

How many hours a week do the players work just now?

NAE NOOKIE
09-07-2012, 06:55 PM
Heres mine anyway.

For months and months before the recent fiasco I was banging on about why is it the case that there does not seem to be an overall body representing the different supporters clubs which could meet once a month to present the fans united voice for the changes we all agree we want in the game.

My main thought was to represent in a collective and professional way the fact that 90 odd percent of the fans wanted ... and still want, a bigger SPL with play offs etc.

Thats been the wish of the fans for ages now ... but have the various supporters clubs made any attempt to come together to form an umberella group to push our collective interests. No

So lets get the finger out on that one is my suggestion. FWIW

Hibernia&Alba
09-07-2012, 07:00 PM
I used to be against summer football but I'm coming around to it. Crowds would probably increase and it's never pleasant being frozen to death in midwinter. Rugby League made the change to summer and seems happy with it. It could be worth a trial run.

Jones28
09-07-2012, 07:11 PM
Sound ideas :agree:



It'll never work though :greengrin

Eyrie
09-07-2012, 08:02 PM
So here are my 3 ideas:

- A 20 team league - rational: more exciting and more chance of people attending aways games. Personally there is no way I am going to inverness x2 a season, or x4 now Ross county are up. Why now? we no longer have the pressure for 4 old firm games season.
- Summer Football - rational: football is so much more fun on a sunny day. Secondly I am sure we could get more fans along and I am also sure that sky would be willing to pay more to fill the summer gap where viewing figures of sky sports drop.
- Players work for hibs at least 35hour per week - rational: The players knocking off at 1pm seems to be one of the biggest bugbears that fans have. I for one would like an explanation as to why there is not more that can be done in a day - either in visiting community projects or studying tactics, practicing set pieces etc.

Thoughts?...
Three thoughts

1 - Good idea. Unlike most of the proposals for a 14 or 16 team league, this would mean 19 home games which is important given that gate money is our largest single source of income.

2 - Nothing to lose. Might have been pissing down the last few weeks, but is that any different to the heavy snow in January and December 2010?

3 - Agreed, although travel time on a match day would need to be factored in.

Mikeystewart
09-07-2012, 08:12 PM
2 leagues of 20 3 up 3 down with playoffs

even distribution of wealth over both leagues

SPL tv, sky can bolt

If we loose money from sky so be it, every team that gets relegated deals with it, so can the rest, if they cant they don't deserve to compete at a professional level. That includes Hibs

At Hibs: zero tolerance on alcohol during the pre season training and during the season. A contractual clause if needs be, 3 strikes your out the door with massive fine.

Hibernian Verse
09-07-2012, 08:29 PM
You must be having a laugh on curfews and alcohol bans. Have you never been on a work night out? Never been hungover at work? Never had a social life?

Players are people you know!

rcarter1
09-07-2012, 08:30 PM
2 leagues of 20 3 up 3 down with playoffs

even distribution of wealth over both leagues

SPL tv, sky can bolt

If we loose money from sky so be it, every team that gets relegated deals with it, so can the rest, if they cant they don't deserve to compete at a professional level. That includes Hibs

At Hibs: zero tolerance on alcohol during the pre season training and during the season. A contractual clause if needs be, 3 strikes your out the door with massive fine.

I like it all especially the bit in bold.

I also like the idea of the fans groups forming stronger links. This could be a real powerhouse of ideas and influence.

My idea would be to somehow enforce sensible wage structures (turnover linked?), internal auditing of tax payments and general financial transparency for all clubs as a prerequisite to membership to scottish leagues.

Bishop Hibee
09-07-2012, 08:39 PM
An 18 team First Division with teams playing each other twice. with regional leagues below as happens in England. Possibly Northern, Eastern and Western leagues. 3 up 3 down.

A pyramid system meaning the scrapping of the juniors and the integration of these teams into the regional system. They already play in a regional system as do the teams in the Highland League so no worries there.

The league to run from the middle of August until the beginning of May avoiding times when the majority of fans go on holiday.

Reinstatement of the reserve league but must have a decent quota of under 21 players in each team.

Given that Scottish football is run by Sky TV none of this will happen.

hibs0666
09-07-2012, 08:43 PM
You must be having a laugh on curfews and alcohol bans. Have you never been on a work night out? Never been hungover at work? Never had a social life?

Players are people you know!

Players are athletes we are not.

Baldy Foghorn
09-07-2012, 08:46 PM
I used to be against summer football but I'm coming around to it. Crowds would probably increase and it's never pleasant being frozen to death in midwinter. Rugby League made the change to summer and seems happy with it. It could be worth a trial run.

We have seen some amount of rainfall in the last 6 weeks or so, Summer football is not my idea of fun.....

offshorehibby
09-07-2012, 08:51 PM
Over all i think it's the start of a good idea. looking at the teams in the 1st at the moment i think most could give a good account of themselves.
I think 3 coming up from the 2nd division might be a bit much as they might just be cannon fodder in the top league. So 1 up 1 down and then a play off for one more.
There are currently 42 league teams at the moment so we'd have to have a 2nd division of 22 or 2 drop out. We could make a 2nd & 3rd division of 12 & 12 or 12 & 10.
We also need to think about giving none league and juniors the chance to play off with the bottom of the league just to mix it up down there.

hibs0666
09-07-2012, 09:35 PM
We have seen some amount of rainfall in the last 6 weeks or so, Summer football is not my idea of fun.....

Scottish football is being suffocated as it is in direct competition to the most commercially successful league in the world. It's summer football or die.

Waxy
09-07-2012, 09:55 PM
Good call with the summer football.
And NOW would be as good a time as any to do it.
What with everything thats happening.
They could delay the start of the season another 5/6 weeks then run the season through to June.
Dont think you could do July with World cups and Euro championships(Not that that really interests us Scots).

Hibernia&Alba
10-07-2012, 06:06 AM
We have seen some amount of rainfall in the last 6 weeks or so, Summer football is not my idea of fun.....


True, we wouldn't notice much difference at the moment. The under 20s match being postponed due to weather....in July!

lucky
10-07-2012, 06:36 AM
Scottish football is being suffocated as it is in direct competition to the most commercially successful league in the world. It's summer football or die.

100% agree. We have do something different. The reason our tv deal is so bad is they can show EPL or championship games to a wider audience . If go for it we could have a 4 week break for WCs or Euro championships. I also like a 20 team league with 3 up or down but would have end of season play offs for champions league and UEFA places as it would keep the season alive for more teams

St.Kristopher
10-07-2012, 08:36 AM
3 - Agreed, although travel time on a match day would need to be factored in.

I said 35 hours which is a very low hours per week in normal society. When I worked with RBS I used to get up at 5:00am travel down to Harrogate and work from 9-6pm - I never got paid for traveling time, it was just what was expected.

My 35 hour working week idea is maybe only the tip of the iceberg. The issue we have in todays football world is that, a high proportion of footballers lifestyles are so far removed from normal fans lives-so we really have nothing to identify with. In the case of the top players in the world this is ok as we can marvel at their tallent. In the case of Olympians we can instead just watch a marvel at their physique and what they have put themselves through. Though the issue have is the players we watch are neither that good or that fit.

They train for a few hours play on a Saturday and then do what they like for the rest of the time. In fact I would go as far as to say they read the red top papers and magazines, about what Rooney or Terry et al got up to at their end of season party and think that its part of their job description every weekend. We are left looking on with little or no respect for their talents or characters. The bottom line is football players especially at Hibs, have a massive rebuilding job to do in order for the fans to either connect or respect them again.

St.Kristopher
10-07-2012, 08:44 AM
Heres mine anyway.

For months and months before the recent fiasco I was banging on about why is it the case that there does not seem to be an overall body representing the different supporters clubs which could meet once a month to present the fans united voice for the changes we all agree we want in the game.


I wholeheartedly agree, this is a great idea. While it is difficult to get one united front from any club I think that there are some no brainers that we can start with and as you said a larger league is one of those.

Phil MaGlass
10-07-2012, 08:46 AM
rather than knocking off early after training players should be in classrooms learning tactics, positional play, how to eat the right food, dump the alcohol, then on to the pitch to practice, free kicks, throw-ins, corners, set plays etc.There should be nobody knocking off early to go to the pictures or bugger off tae the pub.
Always fancied summer fitba with regular 3pm KO,s, having a break for the EC and WC.
Only problem with summer fitba might be since the schools are on holiday families may well go on their holidays thus cutting the number of fans attending and ST,s being sold?

hibs0666
10-07-2012, 11:55 AM
Good call with the summer football.
And NOW would be as good a time as any to do it.
What with everything thats happening.
They could delay the start of the season another 5/6 weeks then run the season through to June.
Dont think you could do July with World cups and Euro championships(Not that that really interests us Scots).

The time to do it would be next season to coincide with a new TV deal.

jgl07
10-07-2012, 12:45 PM
Good call with the summer football.
And NOW would be as good a time as any to do it.
What with everything thats happening.
They could delay the start of the season another 5/6 weeks then run the season through to June.
Dont think you could do July with World cups and Euro championships(Not that that really interests us Scots).

The season already goes through to the middle of May. It was 19 May for last season and I think that was ended early because of the European Championships which ran from 8 June to 1 July. The SPL season is due to start on 4 August.

We already play summer football apart from June and July. A summer season would presumably miss out December and January. That would wipe out the lucrative Christmas and New Year fixtures. It would also not be able to run in June for two seasons out of four with World Cup and European Championships hogging all the media attention.

Very few countries run through the summer. Ireland, the Scandinavia Countries (not Denmark) and the Baltic Republics and that is about it. Even Russia have back to a conventional season (with a long mid-winter break).

Andy74
10-07-2012, 12:46 PM
The problem with 20 teams in our set up would be the number of teams who would have next to nothing to play for.

Most current SPL teams and the top of the current first would probably be clear of relegation with only 3 or 4 involved in title or European battles.

You would have 7 otr 8 largely meaningless games every week.

Summer is also for other stuff like holidays, family stuff and gardening. Winter is for the football. Man up or buy some decent winter gear!!