Hibs Must Seize The Current Opportunity To Save Scottish Football

[smurf]

I loved the way Rod Petrie spoke on BBC1 the other night.

Let's not forget that as Rangers were cheating they were desparately trying to get out of the Scottish game along with their bedfellows Celtic. They would have left not giving a second thought to the rest of the Scottish game.

And similarly they torpedoed the SPL TV channel.

The arguement could be that both were only guilty of looking after their own better interests.

Fair enough.

Well now is the time for the rest of the SPL to look after their own affairs. With the Huns on their knees (oh the irony...) the others need to get together and address the issues that are seeing others hemorrhaging support through boredom of the current structure.

They must only accept any new Rangers company preserving their SPL status, following the inevitable liquidation, by agreement of reform of the voting structure.

Just for starters....

[Mikey]

Absolutely. But the fans of the other 10 have to buy into it and back their clubs by turning up on match day.

[S.sct]

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I loved the way Rod Petrie spoke on BBC1 the other night.

Let's not forget that as Rangers were cheating they were desparately trying to get out of the Scottish game along with their bedfellows Celtic. They would have left not giving a second thought to the rest of the Scottish game.

And similarly they torpedoed the SPL TV channel.

The arguement could be that both were only guilty of looking after their own better interests.

Fair enough.

Well now is the time for the rest of the SPL to look after their own affairs. With the Huns on their knees (oh the irony...) the others need to get together and address the issues that are seeing others hemorrhaging support through boredom of the current structure.

They must only accept any new Rangers company preserving their SPL status, following the inevitable liquidation, by agreement of reform of the voting structure.

Just for starters....

And the free season ticket advertisement was brilliant

[smurf]

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Absolutely. But the fans of the other 10 have to buy into it and back their clubs by turning up on match day.

If supporters can see genuine reform I think they would.

When you think about it is there such a difference between how supporters of say Motherwell challenging for 2nd and us battling to safety feel about the state of our game?

Third place has completely lost its appeal.

Yes there will always be richer and poorer clubs with supporter base differences. However, this one hell of an opportunity to create a much more competitive structure.

[Onion]

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I loved the way Rod Petrie spoke on BBC1 the other night.

Let's not forget that as Rangers were cheating they were desparately trying to get out of the Scottish game along with their bedfellows Celtic. They would have left not giving a second thought to the rest of the Scottish game.

And similarly they torpedoed the SPL TV channel.

The arguement could be that both were only guilty of looking after their own better interests.

Fair enough.

Well now is the time for the rest of the SPL to look after their own affairs. With the Huns on their knees (oh the irony...) the others need to get together and address the issues that are seeing others hemorrhaging support through boredom of the current structure.

They must only accept any new Rangers company preserving their SPL status, following the inevitable liquidation, by agreement of reform of the voting structure.

Just for starters....

So why is the BBC reporting the meeting of the other 10 as "kicking the Gers while they are down" ? The reporting by the brown-nosing bluenose journos is verging on the ridiculous. They can't even pretend to be objective or rationale about the state that the Huns have got themselves into. They are so intent on playing up to the poor wee Rangers fans that they have lost all sense of proportion, reason, fair play and justice. They cannot bare to watch one of "their own" going to the wall. They cannot see - let alone understand - the complete disdain that the vast majority of non-OF fans have for the Old Firm.

At some stage, the media will be FORCED to wake up to the fact that the Huns are finished and there is a new game in town with different rules. The days of the gravy train free-bees from the Huns are over - welcome to the real world.

[Mikey]

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this one hell of an opportunity to create a much more competitive structure.

Yep, Rangers are pretty much powerless. No change and they don't get voted back in!

But as I posted on the PM board earlier today, like it or not they'll be involved, albeit hopefully in a lower league for at least one season. They can't be seen to have gotten away with it and MUST be punished in some way.

That's all dependent on them being reformed though. If someone chips in and throws money at them we're back to square one.

[Jonnyboy]

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So why is the BBC reporting the meeting of the other 10 as "kicking the Gers while they are down" ? The reporting by the brown-nosing bluenose journos is verging on the ridiculous. They can't even pretend to be objective or rationale about the state that the Huns have got themselves into. They are so intent on playing up to the poor wee Rangers fans that they have lost all sense of proportion, reason, fair play and justice. They cannot bare to watch one of "their own" going to the wall. They cannot see - let alone understand - the complete disdain that the vast majority of non-OF fans have for the Old Firm.

At some stage, the media will be FORCED to wake up to the fact that the Huns are finished and there is a new game in town with different rules. The days of the gravy train free-bees from the Huns are over - welcome to the real world.

Can you offer a link please? Article I read, by Jim Spence, doesn't have that flavour at all

[smurf]

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So why is the BBC reporting the meeting of the other 10 as "kicking the Gers while they are down" ? The reporting by the brown-nosing bluenose journos is verging on the ridiculous. They can't even pretend to be objective or rationale about the state that the Huns have got themselves into. They are so intent on playing up to the poor wee Rangers fans that they have lost all sense of proportion, reason, fair play and justice. They cannot bare to watch one of "their own" going to the wall. They cannot see - let alone understand - the complete disdain that the vast majority of non-OF fans have for the Old Firm.

At some stage, the media will be FORCED to wake up to the fact that the Huns are finished and there is a new game in town with different rules. The days of the gravy train free-bees from the Huns are over - welcome to the real world.

We need to let the media aware of how we feel.

We as paying supporters of our club were cheated by them.

They need to be punished. And if not punished fully as they should be, because they like RBS are 'too big to fail' they must be forced into giving major concessions.

Kicking them when they are down? They've been stamping all over the rest of us through CHEATING for over TEN YEARS.

[smurf]

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Yep, Rangers are pretty much powerless. No change and they don't get voted back in!

But as I posted on the PM board earlier today, like it or not they'll be involved, albeit hopefully in a lower league for at least one season. They can't be seen to have gotten away with it and MUST be punished in some way.

That's all dependent on them being reformed though. If someone chips in and throws money at them we're back to square one.

I fear the reality is that the punishment will be limited and there's no way they'll leave the SPL. Hope I'm wrong though!

For them not to get the ultimate deserved sanctions we need major concessions. And its us supporters through the other SPL clubs that need to apply pressure to our clubs to do so.

Though hopefully they are anyway!

One things for sure that in their opinion in the 'best interests of Scottish Football' the SFA and SPL hierarchy will be applying the maximum pressure to not punish and not force concessions.

[erskine-hibby]

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I loved the way Rod Petrie spoke on BBC1 the other night.

Let's not forget that as Rangers were cheating they were desparately trying to get out of the Scottish game along with their bedfellows Celtic. They would have left not giving a second thought to the rest of the Scottish game.

And similarly they torpedoed the SPL TV channel.

The arguement could be that both were only guilty of looking after their own better interests.

Fair enough.

Well now is the time for the rest of the SPL to look after their own affairs. With the Huns on their knees (oh the irony...) the others need to get together and address the issues that are seeing others hemorrhaging support through boredom of the current structure.

They must only accept any new Rangers company preserving their SPL status, following the inevitable liquidation, by agreement of reform of the voting structure.

Just for starters....

I would advocate that there is no way, if rangers go into liquidation, that they should be allowed to remain in the SPL.
As a new company/team they should have to work their way up from the third like every other small club.

[Mikey]

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I would advocate that there is no way, if rangers go into liquidation, that they should be allowed to remain in the SPL.
As a new company/team they should have to work their way up from the third like every other small club.

I can't see how a new entity can be allowed to play in the SPL next season. At best relegation to SFL1 or start out in SPL2. Either way they'll be back in a year, but in a league that 12 clubs control, not 2.

[Jonnyboy]

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I would advocate that there is no way, if rangers go into liquidation, that they should be allowed to remain in the SPL.
As a new company/team they should have to work their way up from the third like every other small club.

I agree but what if the SFL don't want them either?

[erskine-hibby]

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I agree but what if the SFL don't want them either?

[SurferRosa]

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Can you offer a link please? Article I read, by Jim Spence, doesn't have that flavour at all

IIRC, it was Alisdair Lamont on Reporting Scotland tonite that said it.

[Jonnyboy]

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IIRC, it was Alisdair Lamont on Reporting Scotland tonite that said it.

Ah right, ta. Didn't hear that.

[Togs91]

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We need to let the media aware of how we feel.

We as paying supporters of our club were cheated by them.

They need to be punished. And if not punished fully as they should be, because they like RBS are 'too big to fail' they must be forced into giving major concessions.

Kicking them when they are down? They've been stamping all over the rest of us through CHEATING for over TEN YEARS.

How are we going to manage this? SP and the tash had a go on national telly, spoke up about fans views etc and were pretty much shot down!

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Problem with the weegia media is IMO that they were all set to naff off with the OF as well and hang the rest out to dry.

[Onion]

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Can you offer a link please? Article I read, by Jim Spence, doesn't have that flavour at all

Sorry, it was the during the 6 o'clock news tonight. The studio cut to some glum-faced journo standing outside Hampden talking bout the meeting that's being arranged. He accused the 10 of kicking the Gers while they are down.

[Onion]

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Problem with the weegia media is IMO that they were all set to naff off with the OF as well and hang the rest out to dry.

you know it

[Hibs Class]

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So why is the BBC reporting the meeting of the other 10 as "kicking the Gers while they are down" ? The reporting by the brown-nosing bluenose journos is verging on the ridiculous. They can't even pretend to be objective or rationale about the state that the Huns have got themselves into. They are so intent on playing up to the poor wee Rangers fans that they have lost all sense of proportion, reason, fair play and justice. They cannot bare to watch one of "their own" going to the wall. They cannot see - let alone understand - the complete disdain that the vast majority of non-OF fans have for the Old Firm.

At some stage, the media will be FORCED to wake up to the fact that the Huns are finished and there is a new game in town with different rules. The days of the gravy train free-bees from the Huns are over - welcome to the real world.

Any journo who takes an anti RFC/OF stance will rightly be concerned that when they sign off their shift there will be a lynch mob waiting for them outside. They'll look at the violence refs have had to face, or that Lennon has been subjected to, and take the view that sycophancy is a safer option than honesty.

[erskine-hibby]

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How are we going to manage this? SP and the tash had a go on national telly, spoke up about fans views etc and were pretty much shot down!

I wouldn't say they were shot down Craig.
As always in these things they bring on all the OF sympathisers and apologists, but if the fans, all the fans, from outside the OF make a stance then it can be done. There is no way that any chairman could back it if it meant that there would be nobody at the games, after all how much do rangers actually add to our income or the income of the other clubs?? not much I would guess.
OK it may be harsh on your own club, but then again your club would not be supporting your views either.

[Onion]

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I can't see how a new entity can be allowed to play in the SPL next season. At best relegation to SFL1 or start out in SPL2. Either way they'll be back in a year, but in a league that 12 clubs control, not 2.

Let me ask. How do you think all the SFL clubs will feel about a newly formed football team - whatever their background - walking straight into the SPL? What justification can there be for that - big crowds, previous history of some related, but discredited company ? If I was a chairman of an SFL club, I would not sit back an take that - court cases and lobbying politicians would just be the start.....

[killie-hibby]

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I wouldn't say they were shot down Craig.
As always in these things they bring on all the OF sympathisers and apologists, but if the fans, all the fans, from outside the OF make a stance then it can be done. There is no way that any chairman could back it if it meant that there would be nobody at the games, after all how much do rangers actually add to our income or the income of the other clubs?? not much I would guess.
OK it may be harsh on your own club, but then again your club would not be supporting your views either.

Hibs gain £163,000 from Rangers two visits. Without them we would be better off by £4200. I posted the rationale for those figures on the Chick Young Blog thread.

[Dan Sarf]

From the TV programme, it sounds like Rod agrees with us. It's time for change.

But does anyone know how the other eleven SPL teams feel about insisting on a level playing field, now they have the chance?

Any guesses how they'll vote?

[Phil D. Rolls]

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So why is the BBC reporting the meeting of the other 10 as "kicking the Gers while they are down" ? The reporting by the brown-nosing bluenose journos is verging on the ridiculous. They can't even pretend to be objective or rationale about the state that the Huns have got themselves into. They are so intent on playing up to the poor wee Rangers fans that they have lost all sense of proportion, reason, fair play and justice. They cannot bare to watch one of "their own" going to the wall. They cannot see - let alone understand - the complete disdain that the vast majority of non-OF fans have for the Old Firm.

At some stage, the media will be FORCED to wake up to the fact that the Huns are finished and there is a new game in town with different rules. The days of the gravy train free-bees from the Huns are over - welcome to the real world.

For the sake of clarity, what colour are the journalists noses?

[superfurryhibby]

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Hibs gain £163,000 from Rangers two visits. Without them we would be better off by £4200. I posted the rationale for those figures on the Chick Young Blog thread.

Can you post that on here too?

I assume that the stats are from gate receipts?

[jgl07]

The issues that need to be discussed include the division of any TV and other collective commercial income.

At the time the SPL was formed the non-OF clubs were feared that Rangers and Celtic would up sticks and move to the English Leagues or elsewhere and they were given a very generous deal. We now no that was never going to happen as the EPL will not have then and UEFA would never permit it. Otherwise we might see the top Dutch sides moving to the Bundesliga and the top Portuguese teams moving to the Spanish League.

The (temporary) demise of Rangers would give the opportunity to even things up. The TV income (albeit reduced) could be spread fairly evenly over the SPL clubs.

With no deal and each club selling their home matches separately (as in Spain) this might be perceived to benefit the OF. But in practice most televised matches are away OF games plus Hibs-Hearts derbies. This is probably an accurate reflection of demand so maybe Celtic v Inverness would not be a big seller.

I think that this would afford an opportunity for the SPL to wean itself away from dependency on TV income. This has been a curse in the past when the Sky deal was scrapped and the BBC came in and later when Setanta went bust.

Expand the league and focus on improving the quality of football by restricting the fear factor of relegation. Bring back play-offs for promotion to the SPL. Introduce a league of 18 with two down and two up. One could be automatic and one via the play-offs. Make the league less lop-sided and more competitive.