They're trying to force a ten team league again

[Eyrie]

They had Keith Lasley on sportsound as he’s on this league working group and there is no appetite for a 10 team league. 14 seems the only viable option if it’s to change from 12

And fourteen would be a mess.

The extra dates for the European games are needed in the first half of the season ie pre-split, which will mean trying to cram as many games as possible in after the split which presents a problem with the lower eight playing an extra four games. Those extra games will be during midweek as it's the only way to accommodate the Scottish Cup dates.

I can't see many walk ups on a dark wet Wednesday evening in February or March for a game featuring two teams whose ambition is to avoid relegation, and it will be even worse when it's two teams playing that are safe from relegation.

[Hibs Go Bragh]

Still one more week to go but as it stands going into the split 7th -11th separated by just 4 points! That is exciting, even more so the fact we’re nowhere near it! It isn’t always this close obviously but the split does work.

[theonlywayisup]

Dismissive Doncaster tells Scottish fans they don't really know what they want!

Doncaster said: "One of the problems we have in this debate is that what fans say they want is not the same as what fans will pay for a ticket to go to. What we know drives bigger attendances is tense, competitive, meaningful, exciting, dramatic matches where there’s something to play for. You get those with smaller leagues, not bigger leagues. So, the bigger the league you have, the more meaningless matches it creates."

Let me think about that Donkey Doncaster :hmmm:


At the moment, Celtic will win the league whether it's a 2-team, 10-team, 12-team or 16-team league.
This season, we have a battle for 3rd/4th/5th European slots, along with six teams who could potentially end up in the relegation play-off matches.
If we had a 10-team league, eight teams will start the season seeking to avoid being 9th or 10th in the league, rather than looking to achieve top-six.

[Since452]

How long before Budge starts saying a bigger league is best for Scottish football again? As soon as they fall to 11th?

Here's a novel Idea. Keep it as it is. It's actually working fine. The split is exciting and the relegation and playoff places are bang on. What's the need to change it?

[Bostonhibby]

How long before Budge starts saying a bigger league is best for Scottish football again? As soon as they fall to 11th?

Here's a novel Idea. Keep it as it is. It's actually working fine. The split is exciting and the relegation and playoff places are bang on. What's the need to change it?Mrs doctor Budge is working on a plan where teams with staircases that go nowhere and that have hotels with no windows get extra points every season, it's only fair.
She thinks it's probably best if they replace VAR officials with the BBC Heartsound team as well.

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[Wilson]

Still one more week to go but as it stands going into the split 7th -11th separated by just 4 points! That is exciting, even more so the fact we’re nowhere near it! It isn’t always this close obviously but the split does work.

It is working this season. Next season Celtic and Rangers could be out of sight with third also wrapped up. What of the split then? The excitement of three teams going for fourth? Just because it works this season doesn't mean the current set up is good for the long term for Scottish football.

All clubs would be better off if the game as a whole was stronger up here. Instead we persist with the greed is good model and want to revert back to the smaller model to benefit the few.

[Centre Hawf]

Dismissive Doncaster tells Scottish fans they don't really know what they want!

Doncaster said: "One of the problems we have in this debate is that what fans say they want is not the same as what fans will pay for a ticket to go to. What we know drives bigger attendances is tense, competitive, meaningful, exciting, dramatic matches where there’s something to play for. You get those with smaller leagues, not bigger leagues. So, the bigger the league you have, the more meaningless matches it creates."

Let me think about that Donkey Doncaster :hmmm:


At the moment, Celtic will win the league whether it's a 2-team, 10-team, 12-team or 16-team league.
This season, we have a battle for 3rd/4th/5th European slots, along with six teams who could potentially end up in the relegation play-off matches.
If we had a 10-team league, eight teams will start the season seeking to avoid being 9th or 10th in the league, rather than looking to achieve top-six.



I do think he's slightly correct in something he's touching on. The smaller league keeps the points/places all compressed and you can have that rush for top 6 but the immediate flip into the hunt for Europe or battle to avoid the drop. Making the league bigger would probably kill that off or at least dilute the action for some teams.

However to say that and have entertained the idea of a 10 team league that would kill the split just contradicts his point entirely.

[CentreLine]

Mrs doctor Budge is working on a plan where teams with staircases that go nowhere and that have hotels with no windows get extra points every season, it's only fair.
She thinks it's probably best if they replace VAR officials with the BBC Heartsound team as well.

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It’s not a staircase going nowhere, it’s the naughty steps. They just need more than most organisations

[Bostonhibby]

It’s not a staircase going nowhere, it’s the naughty steps. They just need more than most organisations[emoji23]

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[Smartie]

How long before Budge starts saying a bigger league is best for Scottish football again? As soon as they fall to 11th?

Here's a novel Idea. Keep it as it is. It's actually working fine. The split is exciting and the relegation and playoff places are bang on. What's the need to change it?

It seems to be an unpopular opinion but I also like it as it is.

It has eccentricities and it won’t be perfect every year but more often than not I think it’s a decent compromise to suit the quirky needs of Scottish football.

Funny that league reconstruction chat comes round again when Hearts find themselves on the wrong end of a quirk.

I never get the desire for meaningless games. Fans want to see competitiveness and for Scottish football to be interesting there should be interest in the title race, the chase for Europe and the relegation battle. The race for top six provides an added interest for most teams for most of the season. Young players need to be good enough to impact competitive games at the top level if they’re to make it - no use to anyone if they can only impress in end of season dead rubbers that almost nobody is interested in watching.

[NAE NOOKIE]

How long before Budge starts saying a bigger league is best for Scottish football again? As soon as they fall to 11th?

Here's a novel Idea. Keep it as it is. It's actually working fine. The split is exciting and the relegation and playoff places are bang on. What's the need to change it?

If it is to stay at 12 teams the only thing I would change is to make the premiership playoff final a one off game at a neutral venue, It's vastly unfair that a team who may already have played four extra games simply to make the final then has to play two further games, the second one away from home ... it gives a huge advantage to the premiership team. Unless that team is Hibs of course :greengrin

I could easily see a play off final of Ayr United v Dundee filling Easter Road, or Partick Thistle v Ross County filling Tannadice.

I would add that if the playoff final was at Easter Road or Tynecastle, that's a game I would happily attend as a neutral.

[LaMotta]

How long before Budge starts saying a bigger league is best for Scottish football again? As soon as they fall to 11th?

Here's a novel Idea. Keep it as it is. It's actually working fine. The split is exciting and the relegation and playoff places are bang on. What's the need to change it?

Spot on. Doncaster is right on what he's said IMO. Some people love the idea of a fancy big league without actually think through the realities of how boring it would become.

[CallumLaidlaw]

I also have no issue with the league as it is. Quite like the split and the playoff (even if we’ve been on the wrong side of both).

10 team is an utter no-no.

I do like the 14 team set up that’s been discussed and that could open up the playoff for the second bottom team to play 4th place in the championship before a final against 2nd/3rd.

16 is a non starter really due to the number of games it would produce and I don’t think you can do more than 16 teams in Scotland or it will really start to dilute the product.


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[JohnM1875]

No changes to top flight

https://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/11781/13176154/scottish-premiership-news-transfers-rumours-gossip-and-more?postid=9509949#liveblog-body

[JohnM1875]

Spot on. Doncaster is right on what he's said IMO. Some people love the idea of a fancy big league without actually think through the realities of how boring it would become.

Playing teams four times a season is torture. Sometimes a minimum of four times if you get drawn against them in a cup.

[Bostonhibby]

No changes to top flight

https://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/11781/13176154/scottish-premiership-news-transfers-rumours-gossip-and-more?postid=9509949#liveblog-bodyWhat about the bottom flight?

Asking for a family yam[emoji16]

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[Bishop Hibee]

Playing teams four times a season is torture. Sometimes a minimum of four times if you get drawn against them in a cup.

That’ll never change. Rantic and Sky want 4 OF derbies a season.

[HarpOnHibee]

Playing teams four times a season is torture. Sometimes a minimum of four times if you get drawn against them in a cup.

Or 6 times if you draw them in both. Who doesn't want to see their team face off against Kilmarnock 6 times in a season? :hyper

[ruthven_raiders]

Or 6 times if you draw them in both. Who doesn't want to see their team face off against Kilmarnock 6 times in a season? :hyper

Now look at retaining the current setup, 14 or 16, hoping 14 gets more support....

[cubehindthegoal]

It’s not a staircase going nowhere, it’s the naughty steps. They just need more than most organisations

This post, and comment you replied to, just made me choke on my cup of tea in laughter! I have an image of a staircase to nowhere now in my mind, with their past fair few managers sitting on its steps, looking grumpy and forelorn (the absolutely perfect opportunity to use that word, at long last, I have to say 😜).

Very good 👍

[Eyrie]

Playing teams four times a season is torture. Sometimes a minimum of four times if you get drawn against them in a cup.

Surely that depends on how competitive the games are?

I'd rather have four games against both Aberdeen and St Mirren than two against each and two against Morton and Queens Park.

[Keith_M]

Or 6 times if you draw them in both. Who doesn't want to see their team face off against Kilmarnock 6 times in a season? :hyper


Or in our case, six times against Celtc, four of which at Celtc Park.

[LaMotta]

Playing teams four times a season is torture. Sometimes a minimum of four times if you get drawn against them in a cup.

Yeah I get folk not wanting that, but the number of meaningless games that the league would end up with around this time would be terrible for the league overall.

[LaMotta]

Surely that depends on how competitive the games are?

I'd rather have four games against both Aberdeen and St Mirren than two against each and two against Morton and Queens Park.

:agree: