Coronavirus and the Scottish Championship

[vikingTON]

8 minutes ago, cmontheloknow said:

I agree, money is going to be a massive hurdle. But the clubs in the middle of the division are all ina 'there but for the grace of God' status when you consider who has gone down in recent times. Lessening the risk of relegation is an advantage. But yes, it may even be in Hearts' interest to campaign for no relegation. Though that SPFL have already said United are going up so not quite sure how that'd work.

The risk of relegation to a club like Motherwell - who haven't been in the second tier in my lifetime - is minimal and so lessening it does not even remotely balance the annual and guaranteed loss of revenue from an enlarged league. If it did then we would have had an end to this never-ending debate about league reconstruction years ago.

The aims of reconstruction for Scottish football clubs in the top tier, the second tier as well as the part-timers in the seaside leagues are all mutually exclusive and with an 11-1 margin required in the top flight it is unlikely that any proposal will satisfy enough clubs to be approved. This was true in January and nothing has fundamentally changed since.

Edited April 15, 2020 by vikingTON

[Pull My Strings]

15 minutes ago, bad chad said:

People keep saying that UEFA are going to have to cancel everything, as the seasons will be over. 

Do you not realise that several leagues have concrete  plans to re-start in the near future? 

There are teams returning to training in the next few weeks in places. 

No way they'll cancel the whole thing - they'll have to do it on a case-by-case basis. 

Plans are easy. There's no way that any league is re-starting in the near future.

[rainbowrising]

54 minutes ago, Speroni*1 said:

We got exactly what we asked for going by our club statements:

“The SPFL board has also committed to consult on possible league restructuring in time for season 2020/21 around an expanded Premiership model and has appointed Hearts chair Ann Budge and Hamilton Academical chair Les Gray to jointly lead a reconstruction task force.”

It's been played well by Nelms, but still plenty of time for it to all go to shit.

You could argue that it wont turn to shit even if it fails. The proposal is there and for all their 'we will sue' bollocks lo and behold Ann Budge will be a key figure.  Dees will say well guys here is the chance it's up to us all...or not.  

[rb123!]

You hate to see it.
Spoiler

 

Let the statements commence

[Pull My Strings]

9 minutes ago, DAVIDB69 said:

 

 

If UEFA threaten no Europe though then what , will we have two Scottish seasons starting at different times .

The general rule is big money leagues will call the shots small insignificant leagues do not.

 

 

Did you miss the bit about UEFA having to get real. All this shit about leagues running to a conclusion is just wishful thinking from leagues/clubs/governing bodies not ready to face facts.

It would be absolutely brilliant and I would be delighted to be wrong if everything were to return to normal in the next couple of months but it simply isn't realistic.

[Ludo*1]

Just now, rainbowrising said:

You could argue that it wont turn to shit even if it fails. The proposal is there and for all their 'we will sue' bollocks lo and behold Ann Budge will be a key figure.  Dees will say well guys here is the chance it's up to us all...or not.  

Exactly - As I said at the start of this, we'll be painted out to be daft, but we've done what we can. It's now out of our hands and up to the rest. There's a fighting chance of reconstruction now particularly considering who's been put in charge of finding a suitable proposal.

I still don't think it'll necessarily go through but it's the best chance we have IMO.

[Pull My Strings]

1 minute ago, Speroni*1 said:

Exactly - As I said at the start of this, we'll be painted out to be daft, but we've done what we can. It's now out of our hands and up to the rest. There's a fighting chance of reconstruction now particularly considering who's been put in charge of finding a suitable proposal.

I still don't think it'll necessarily go through but it's the best chance we have IMO.

FFS, give it a rest.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 minute ago, Speroni*1 said:

Exactly - As I said at the start of this, we'll be painted out to be daft, but we've done what we can. It's now out of our hands and up to the rest. There's a fighting chance of reconstruction now particularly considering who's been put in charge of finding a suitable proposal.

I still don't think it'll necessarily go through but it's the best chance we have IMO.

Why this assumption that reconstruction is intrinsically a good thing?

[Ludo*1]

Just now, Pull My Strings said:

FFS, give it a rest.

Give what a rest? It's only just beginning.

[rainbowrising]

5 minutes ago, Pull My Strings said:

Plans are easy. There's no way that any league is re-starting in the near future.

It was interesting that STVs Raman said that the insider feeling was that if Scotland went to UEFA and proposed ending all league seasons here UEFA would give it the nod.

[Spring Onion]

21 minutes ago, bad chad said:

People keep saying that UEFA are going to have to cancel everything, as the seasons will be over. 

Do you not realise that several leagues have concrete  plans to re-start in the near future? 

There are teams returning to training in the next few weeks in places. 

No way they'll cancel the whole thing - they'll have to do it on a case-by-case basis. 

Which leagues have concrete plans (please dont say England, again ), playing football isn't high on any governments list of problems to deal with. 

[Ludo*1]

Just now, Monkey Tennis said:

Why this assumption that reconstruction is intrinsically a good thing?

I've always believed in a 14 team league tbh.

But selfishly? No Hearts or United outspending us would make us a clear favourites for promotion next season. (We'd still f**k it up, but that's by the by)

[bad chad]

9 minutes ago, Pull My Strings said:

Plans are easy. There's no way that any league is re-starting in the near future.

I'll be the first to say I'm wrong,  but we'll see... 

[RedEd]

Just now, Spring Onion said:

Which leagues have concrete plans (please dont say England, again ), playing football isn't high on any governments list of problems to deal with. 

German authorities won't allow games (in the higher divisions at least) to take place before 31 August, although the possibility of 'ghost games' hasn't been ruled out. Yet.

But you are spot on, football is way down the list of priorities just now.

[TheScarf]

So currently there's 13 teams in the Premiership and 11 in League Two. This could get tasty. 

[Monkey Tennis]

5 minutes ago, Speroni*1 said:

I've always believed in a 14 team league tbh.

But selfishly? No Hearts or United outspending us would make us a clear favourites for promotion next season. (We'd still f**k it up, but that's by the by)

That's fair enough, but the tone of too many posts (not just yours) seems to be that restructuring is so self evidently necessary and beneficial that reasons don't really need given.

They do though, because benefits beyond those for a small number of clubs, are not clear at all.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Monkey Tennis

[Ludo*1]

Whether people agree or disagree on the fundamentals of this and what's going to happen going forward, I think we can all agree that this has been absolutely fantastic drama.

[SandyCromarty]

26 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

United and The Caley would obviously strengthen should they be promoted. They wouldn't be made to field their current teams. 

Hamilton would be just as likely to go down with more teams in the league. 

With Budge in charge I doubt there will be any relegation from the Premier and I can see a possible reconstruction to 14 with DU promoted and Caley taking the remaining spot. 

[rainbowrising]

2 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

So currently there's 13 teams in the Premiership and 11 in League Two. This could get tasty. 

Changes are only on paper   UEFA have a session at the end of the month and could scupper all of this.  I think Belgium have put on hold their season end until then. 

[101]

3 minutes ago, Speroni*1 said:

Whether people agree or disagree on the fundamentals of this and what's going to happen going forward, I think we can all agree that this has been absolutely fantastic drama.

You talk as if this is over, we aren't even at the end of act one