What's the point/what can change?

**NAE NOOKIE** · 20-04-2025 06:10 PM

What needs to change is the financial playing field, but we all know it isn't going to. Even if a club did source a sugar daddy willing to pump in the millions it would take to compete with the Uglies on anything like a regular basis, as soon as that club sets foot into Europe their FFP rules would get it banned. And there is simply no chance that either the SFA, or on the bigger stage UEFA, are ever going to introduce a salary cap that would bring the likes of us closer to Celtic in Scotland, or Celtic closer to Liverpool in Europe.

The point is simply supporting your club and that already happens in some parts of Europe, particularly Germany. IMO that has become more of a thing here than it ever was, as witness the willingness of folk to turn out in big numbers to support Hibs. Hearts and Aberdeen even though they know, and have known for years, that their club has absolutely no chance of winning the league.

There's a load of things that could happen, like a breakaway league that excludes the Uglies. But we all know that if that happened two things would happen:

A) UEFA would exclude us from their competitions, because the clubs who dominate their leagues around Europe would pressure them to do it fearing similar happening in their own leagues.

B) Celtic and Sevco would worm their way into the English system, eventually leading to them dominating all of the football coverage in this country the way Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham do in Wales, making the domestic league a byline 5 pages into the back pages of all the papers and in the fullness of time every kid in the country supporting them as they work their way up the leagues.

**Since90+2** · 20-04-2025 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by NAE NOOKIE

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

What needs to change is the financial playing field, but we all know it isn't going to. Even if a club did source a sugar daddy willing to pump in the millions it would take to compete with the Uglies on anything like a regular basis, as soon as that club sets foot into Europe their FFP rules would get it banned. And there is simply no chance that either the SFA, or on the bigger stage UEFA, are ever going to introduce a salary cap that would bring the likes of us closer to Celtic in Scotland, or Celtic closer to Liverpool in Europe.

The point is simply supporting your club and that already happens in some parts of Europe, particularly Germany. IMO that has become more of a thing here than it ever was, as witness the willingness of folk to turn out in big numbers to support Hibs. Hearts and Aberdeen even though they know, and have known for years, that their club has absolutely no chance of winning the league.

There's a load of things that could happen, like a breakaway league that excludes the Uglies. But we all know that if that happened two things would happen:

A) UEFA would exclude us from their competitions, because the clubs who dominate their leagues around Europe would pressure them to do it fearing similar happening in their own leagues.

B) Celtic and Sevco would worm their way into the English system, eventually leading to them dominating all of the football coverage in this country the way Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham do in Wales, making the domestic league a byline 5 pages into the back pages of all the papers and in the fullness of time every kid in the country supporting them as they work their way up the leagues.

On your last paragraph, I'd say that's somewhat but not totally true.

The Welsh League doesn't have any clubs close to the size of Hibs, Hearts or Aberdeen.

Even the Dundee clubs, Motherwell, St Mirren ect are far bigger and have much larger supports than any club in that league.

The League of Wales is probably similar to Scottish League 1 in terms of attendance.

Without checking id imagine that Hibs alone have a bigger average attendance than the entire Welsh league combined.

***Viva_Palmeiras*** · 20-04-2025 06:31 PM

Cue Americans entering stage left…

But…

i was coincidentally thinking about this earlier. What can teams do given they don’t have the financial clout and with that in mind what about Hibs?

John Collins was ahead of his time and got it. Although the wheels came off the cart.

One thing you can compete on is fitness. Lack of fitness should NEVER be an excuse at Hibs with the embarrassment of riches we have in terms of facilities and sports scientists.

Be organised and execute game plans

Develops the right culture. Feed off and create an expectation and a “winning culture” easy to say difficult to achieve cos everyone can say that

Hire and develop players with the right character.

Develop the technical attributes of players.

Speed up the execution of patterns of play against the opposition. I’ve watched Arsenal and Newcastle at points this season and they are almost unplayable when they speed up their execution. That needs players of a certain calibre.

Just my logical conclusions in the absence of dosh

And if you look at what SDG has built you can see quite a few if not all of these elements are in place.

**InvertedFullBak** · 20-04-2025 06:33 PM

Nothing will change until we get rid of the Glasgow pair. We had the chance years ago but Aberdeen bottled it. We’d need all the clubs to stay strong and attempt to go it alone but they won’t.

***Viva_Palmeiras*** · 20-04-2025 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by InvertedFullBak

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Nothing will change until we get rid of the Glasgow pair. We had the chance years ago but Aberdeen bottled it. We’d need all the clubs to stay strong and attempt to go it alone but they won’t.

Which begs the question - what deal did Aberdeen cut to ensure the status quo remained?

**ancient hibee** · 20-04-2025 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Viva_Palmeiras

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Cue Americans entering stage left…

But…

i was coincidentally thinking about this earlier. What can teams do given they don’t have the financial clout and with that in mind what about Hibs?

John Collins was ahead of his time and got it. Although the wheels came off the cart.

One thing you can compete on is fitness. Lack of fitness should NEVER be an excuse at Hibs with the embarrassment of riches we have in terms of facilities and sports scientists.

Be organised and execute game plans

Develops the right culture. Feed off and create an expectation and a “winning culture” easy to say difficult to achieve cos everyone can say that

Hire and develop players with the right character.

Develop the technical attributes of players.

Speed up the execution of patterns of play against the opposition. I’ve watched Arsenal and Newcastle at points this season and they are almost unplayable when they speed up their execution. That needs players of a certain calibre.

Just my logical conclusions in the absence of dosh

And if you look at what SDG has built you can see quite a few if not all of these elements are in place.

Very good post and in an aside -if this was an 8 game league we would have walked it(while doing plenty of running of course.)

**ChicoM1875** · 20-04-2025 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by Viva_Palmeiras

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Cue Americans entering stage left…

But…

i was coincidentally thinking about this earlier. What can teams do given they don’t have the financial clout and with that in mind what about Hibs?

John Collins was ahead of his time and got it. Although the wheels came off the cart.

One thing you can compete on is fitness. Lack of fitness should NEVER be an excuse at Hibs with the embarrassment of riches we have in terms of facilities and sports scientists.

Be organised and execute game plans

Develops the right culture. Feed off and create an expectation and a “winning culture” easy to say difficult to achieve cos everyone can say that

Hire and develop players with the right character.

Develop the technical attributes of players.

Speed up the execution of patterns of play against the opposition. I’ve watched Arsenal and Newcastle at points this season and they are almost unplayable when they speed up their execution. That needs players of a certain calibre.

Just my logical conclusions in the absence of dosh

And if you look at what SDG has built you can see quite a few if not all of these elements are in place.

I agree with some of this. But John Collins was a terrible (man) manager so wasn't ahead of his time.

**ben johnson** · 20-04-2025 08:45 PM

[QUOTE=ChicoM1875;7941936]I agree with some of this. But John Collins was a terrible (man) manager so wasn't ahead of his time.[/QUOTE

I think John Collins tried to bring in train , eat , rest , train in afternoon
Not what the players wanted. I was told by a guy connected to
Hibs that the car park was a dangerous place to wander about after training finished at lunch. All heading out at pace.

**ChicoM1875** · 20-04-2025 08:50 PM

[QUOTE=ben johnson;7941938]

Originally Posted by ChicoM1875

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I agree with some of this. But John Collins was a terrible (man) manager so wasn't ahead of his time.[/QUOTE

I think John Collins tried to bring in train , eat , rest , train in afternoon
Not what the players wanted. I was told by a guy connected to
Hibs that the car park was a dangerous place to wander about after training finished at lunch. All heading out at pace.

Aye he probably tried to do the right thing... but he was a bit of a bell end and not a good man manager.