Guest Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I agree with him, except for the booze part. Going to the football is a family event now. Leave the 80s in the 80s. Tak' a drink ffs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Saw a bit of the interview on SSN yesterday. Hard to argue with a lot of what he says. He's a promoter, surely he would promote Scottish football better than the absolute gimps who run it just now, and the OF obsessed media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednyella Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/30324888 This is a great article and thank you Barry Hearn for actually lambasting a poor, miserable and lazy SFA and SPFL. I love the part he says 'even if your product is bad, act like it is good!' I currently live in the USA and an example of this is the MLS in the USA. For years it was degraded as crap. The traditional American population stayed away from it and only the minorities like Hispanics and ex-pats from other countries wanted to support it. In the last 5 years the MLS has jumped Ice Hockey as the #4 sport in the USA after Football, Baseball and Basketball. It is getting close to basketball in terms of popularity in some states. The team that has worked to create a great package for their fans and to bring new fans in. The product wasn't great but they now how to sell it! In fact the figures are so good in terms of attendence and TV viewing on ESPN and Fox that they are very cleverly expanding the teams in the league every 2-3 years. The standard has increased and more and more people watch it and are engaging in the league and the entertainment is getting better. Better players are coming and are being developed every year. It has been a success so far and it is affordable. Kids love it and 'soccer' is the fastest growing youth sport in the USA. Why can't we do this on a smaller version in Scotland? It is a disgrace that these cronies in the SFA have sat back and watched our football degrade as a form of entertainment in this country. They are so focused on the Old Firm and their issues that they forget what about the communities all over in Aberdeen, Dundee, Ayr, Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh who want good family days out at an affordable price. If Belgium and Portugal and the Netherlands can do it why can't we!? They should be fired and a young enthused and dynamic management brought in to rekindle and reform our dying game. Soon we'll have a league like the Irish or Welsh. Small crowds, little interest and people will be off enjoying other pastimes. Why aren't our clubs revolting against these morons!? Its time for reform and some real change people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednyella Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I agree with him, except for the booze part. Going to the football is a family event now. Leave the 80s in the 80s. I have to agree and disagree with you at the same time. With due respect, your comment is short sighted. The reason I disagree is your 80s comment. Here in the USA booze is sold at ALL professional sports (not college) and parents enjoy a beer while their kids enjoy drinks and food they can purchase legally. Those over 21 can even buy a cocktail. It is done in a family environment with little issue and the clubs make a fortune. Bud, Miller at $7 a pint and a hotdog, pizza, peanuts, candy etc...the clubs make money on ticket sales but they really make the dough on concession and merchandise sales. It's massive profit margins for them. The reason in the USA it is done so well is a. The drink culture is not fcuked up b. Security is massive. Any pleb gets out of line and he's removed and banned. People just don't get anti-social in the USA on booze like we do as going to SPFL games is more tribal. Where I agree with you is that unless we are willing as a nation to change our drink culture and prove we can secure our public settings, including sports arena's for those who are enjoying their pastimes, we cannot have alcohol in grounds. I hope we can achieve it and move forward in society with our anti-social booze culture but I am skeptical. In the U.S they have very little issue with it. Although they take drunkeness and any anti-social behavior very seriously and have zero tolerance on it. We'll see as I do think it would be a good move for clubs to legalize it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednyella Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Hugh Keevins, the fucking idiot that he is. Yeah i heard that also and immediately thought 'why are you specifically bringing up the OF?' I loved Hearn's response as an immediate 'No'. The fact is if the media and SFA continue to pander to the OF and don't recognize Scottish football as a whole and the league as a total product we will continue to fail. The OF in many ways kills our game as all those involved in marketing and media only push them as the only thing good about the game here. It's a shambles and a disgrace. I mean look at the attendences at Rangers and Celtic matches this year. Even their fans have given up. We need reform and leadership change ASAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednyella Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I honestly wouldn't care if Rangers disappeared tomorrow. Since Rangers were put into Division 3, there have been more winners of domestic competitions and the Scottish national team has dramatically improved as players like Andrew Robertson, Ryan Gauld and Stevie May have been allowed to flourish and move onto England and Spain instead of warming the bench at Ibrox and Parkhead every week. Your club and Celtic kill the Scottish game. Simple as that. You used to take everyones good players and bench them and not develop them, just made a SPL XI and beat everyone. You did not, and still do not, focus on youth development. And as for 'global development', like anyone cares - people want a good, competitive league which garners interest from Scottish people, not some Malaysians and Vietnamese folk who couldn't find Ibrox if they were dropped off in Govan but are 'die hard Bears'. Two big clubs ripping apart everyone to sustain their self-interest is not going to sell in the Middle East in China. For that to happen you need to have the best players in the world which Celtic and Rangers will never get. On topic: Barry Hearn couldn't change a thing, those running the game have made it so that for any dramatic improvements to be made, Rangers and Celtic have to vote for it first, so significant change to finances will never happen. Spot on! Scotland are so short sighted in regards the domestic game. We have too many who believe in only the OF and what they achieve, or don't in many cases. Hugh Keevins comments to Barry Hearn sums it up. We need a package that is inclusive of the whole countries game, development and we need someone who knows how to freaking market and sell it to Scottish community, never mind the global market. We are not England, Spain or Germany and we never will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Jag Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Family in the family stand. The rest of us, a free for all in the other three* stands. *Thistles, take note. This. I'm sick of hearing 'football is a sport for all the family to enjoy'. Well why can't a father and son enjoy a beer together at a match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rednyella Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 This. I'm sick of hearing 'football is a sport for all the family to enjoy'. Well why can't a father and son enjoy a beer together at a match? Because we are an "archaic"nation with little maturity apparently, and to be fair nothing shows me that this is not the case. I think it is sad that we as a nation can't be seen as responsible enough to enjoy a drink at a match or in a public arena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kildog Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Because we are an "archaic"nation with little maturity apparently, and to be fair nothing shows me that this is not the case. I think it is sad that we as a nation can't be seen as responsible enough to enjoy a drink at a match or in a public arena.Unless you're at the rugby or a music gig or a million other fucking events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 This. I'm sick of hearing 'football is a sport for all the family to enjoy'. Well why can't a father and son enjoy a beer together at a match? Because your son's six years old you mad b*****d. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Because we are an "archaic"nation with little maturity apparently, and to be fair nothing shows me that this is not the case. I think it is sad that we as a nation can't be seen as responsible enough to enjoy a drink at a match or in a public arena. The legislation belongs to a different era when there was a genuine problem that needed to be addressed. The change to all seater stadiums changed everything and that's the point when drinking should have been allowed again, because policing it is much easier in that environment, but none of the political parties wanted to take responsibility for the change. Overall I think Hearn's comments are spot on and it's good to hear an Englishman point out some home truths about Scottish football without coming across as being patronising and condescending in the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis pakora Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Donkeymaster et al should have been gone long ago. Spineless c**ts. That's the clubs own fault they hired the clown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mastermind Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Spot on from Hearn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis pakora Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Just read that whole piece on what Hearn said. Any chance we can draft this guy in and get Cockwomble and co out? contact your chairman he was one of the ones that appointed him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 contact your chairman he was one of the ones that appointed him. Firstly Doncaster was the only one who actually applied for the job. Secondly the people who appointed him were Aberdeen chief executive Duncan Fraser, Celtic director Eric Riley, Ralph Topping and Bill Darroch of Stenhousemuir. The other clubs had little to no say on who got the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-MAN Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Agreed. He is spot on. I think the SFA and SPFL should be ashamed at he job they've done in marketing and pushing football in Scotland. I know several football fans who have moved to support and go watch other sports as the state of the game is so bad and the prices have increased. Basketball, rugby are just two examples in Glasgow that are available. Also many just do other family activities. One of my mates family spent the money on a golf membership instead of a season ticket at the football for same price and they do that as a family. There is plenty of other things to get better entertainment and SFA has to wake up. I mean we can't even get a sponsor for the league. It's a joke. Have they actively looked for a sponsor ? Or would their jobs be untenable if they admit Armageddon never happened and we dont need a strong Sevco ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis pakora Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Firstly Doncaster was the only one who actually applied for the job. Secondly the people who appointed him were Aberdeen chief executive Duncan Fraser, Celtic director Eric Riley, Ralph Topping and Bill Darroch of Stenhousemuir. The other clubs had little to no say on who got the job. Was David Longmuir not in for the job? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Was David Longmuir not in for the job? He applied, but had literally no chance of getting it considering three of those deciding were already bestest mates with Doncaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis pakora Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 He applied, but had literally no chance of getting it considering three of those deciding were already bestest mates with Doncaster. so David Longmuir was probably the best person for the job but they gave it to this muppet because they are mates. fucking clowns the lot of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaz FFC Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 The match day experience in Scotland is atrocious. Go down to a premiership ground and copy what you are seeing (seen as we copy everything else anyway). Fans are flocking round the place for hours before KO Food kiosks, fan zones, bars, stuff for the kids. It's not just a 2 hour day it's a whole experience. Even inside the ground it seems so much better than up here. People seem better behaved in the ground with a pint than they do in a pub. Drop the prices and add more of an experience to the day. Get large bar areas in the stands showing the 12.30 game and see if people would stay for the 5.30 KO too. You may 1 day have punters at the ground for 7-8 hours instead of walking in at 2.59 and running back to the pub at 4.50. Stop seeing us as loyal mugs who will accept any old shite and give the customer an experience. All primary kids free and high school a fiver too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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