Thumper

The governing bodies exist solely to represent the interests of their constituent clubs (who in turn exist because of the fans). If the clubs themselves are willing to directly accept the financial hit, then the governing bodies should not be conspiring in secret to overrule them (which is exactly what is happening). The authorities believe that the game would bring in more revenue if it revolved entirely around the Old Firm. The clubs, for whatever reason, see the game as a competition, and are more interested in retaining the spirit of that than in maximising the numbers on the SFA's spreadsheets. The former are appointed by the latter. it's not their place to decide otherwise.

Right then, the goalposts have moved. There were plenty of people who thought that the newco should at least be allowed to apply to SFL3, but that option is no longer available (as question 2 is worded in such a way as to make it heads-you-win, tails-you-lose). The only remaining option is to lean on chairmen to vote no to question 1, and have no Sevco at all in the league: that's the only way to bypass question 2. This is the respective boards' doing, and on their heads be it.

Father Stone's doing a good job right now. Edit: a superb job. And fair enough, Falkirk are a model for how to go about adjusting from TV whoredom to self-sufficiency right now.

It's from January. Please to be checking the date of articles before posting them.

You've got to admire one thing about Traynor, which is that he's the fucking slipperiest lizard on the face of the earth. A chameleon with a cloaking field. If there werne't evidence to the contrary documented in staggering detail in places like this thread, you'd think he'd been a populist in favour of referm throughout this entire debacle from listening to him now.

He doesn't do walking away. Quite. They paid the market rate. It's the fault of those in charge of negotiating to do better. The most important thing is that there has been absolutely no evidence outside of the Hampden backrooms and Traynor's shitey sources that they're planning on cancelling what they already have.

Alex Thomson on what Doncaster asked him. Priceless.

I don't think McPherson has been that bad. He's hardly been a Sevco apologist. Cosgrove is doing his best to put words in his mouth.

I think the oddest thing that's happened in this entire endeavour is that Off The Ball is now an essential piece of listening.

Indeed. The reason they weren't liquidated is because had they been liquidated they'd have lost their history and league place. After the Leeds situation the rules were again tightened to prevent others from doing the same. Quite why any pro-Rangers person would want to bring up Leeds is beyond me.

If the newco end up in SFL3 you'll quite possibly find that they'll be the ones agitating for reconstruction, if indeed they can even fulfil their first season's fixtures.

"You're not Rangers any more" would seem to be the most obvious one. "Won f**k all and never will" will be a good one as well. Ironically, from most diddy clubs, is good enough, but Queens Park / Dumbarton / East Fife fans can bring cardboard cups with them to wave about.

No. They're just flat-out threatening to break the settlement contract. Anyone who takes that threat seriously is an idiot. Unfortunately the Stenhousemuir board are apparently that fucking stupid. So at the moment, it's one yes and three probable yes (Alloa, Falkirk, Partick Thistle). Still a bit short of 16.

Read the Clyde statement. SPL are willing to throw away the rulebook and renege on the settlement deal in any circumstances other than SFL voting newco into SFL1. A bald threat. Any other outcome will result in SPL again throwing away the rulebook to create a new SPL2, "demote" Rangers to it to placate FIFA, and promote them again next season.

Then you've "heard" wrong (unsurprisingly, as 100% of unnamed sources thus far have been total liars). If the SPL are forced to hold their own vote (through SFL either declining to take it off their hands, or saying SFL3) the SPL will "relegate" Sevco to the new SFL2, along with whatever gutless wonders in the SFL want to join. SFL and SPL will be completely severed.

So that's it, then. The SPL will break its binding contract with the SFL regarding the settlement agreement unless they accept newco in SFL1. They will continually defer their own vote until this has happened. Plain and stark. Doncaster is a fucking crook, but any SPL club willing to even stomach not breaking with this, publically, deserves all they get. The SFL should, indeed must, hold firm and see the SPL killed off for good.

Because they're thick fucking bigots who get all of their news from thick fucking bigots, or utterly uncritical nimrods like McLaughlin at the BBC.

Every team that split to form the SPL is complicit in the current situation. Every single one. If anything, this is more the SPL diddies' fault than anyone else's: they were the ones who based their business models on, essentially, playing for third place in a league that existed solely to ring-fence TV money from Old Firm games. That's how the SPL ended up with 11-1 and Neil Doncaster.

2500. Average SPL attendance next season.

Leeds United were "living within their means" while they were getting Champions League money every season. If St Mirren are "living within their means" by budgeting for bottom six nearly every season (and let's not forget that last year's splurgings were by a manager from the second division, to replace the second division players he'd brought with him) and relying on television money to stay solvent, then they were always going to be fucked in the long run. Pity they've chosen to live on their knees instead. Barring a truly momentous regrowth of testicles all round in the next nine days, my favourite outcome now would be for the SPL clubs to about-face now and let Sevco in tomorrow - and then for Sevco to promptly fold after running out of money, promptly arsefucking all the other clubs anyway.

f**k what would be good for St Mirren. They've been at the fucking basement end of the SPL ever since they came up. If budgeting for second-bottom every season still leaves them entirely dependent on sucking the old firm's tits for nourishment they should be wound up tomorrow.

Seeing as the SFL isn't in any position to vote on putting them in the SPL, was this journalist by any chance taking a show of hands from his comrades?

Steady on. He'd fit into a Tornado like I'd fit into a thimble anyway.

One of the three clubs "chickening out" is not west coast. So who is it that's joining Kilmarnock and St Mirren, Jim? What is the fucking point of being a journalist if you're going to keep everything private until it's been announced? Utter fucktard.

Just put it on ignore. Is FINANCIAL ARMAGEDDON Traynor urging cool heads? Lawl.