Celtic V Aberdeen

[Dons_1988]

6 minutes ago, Drew Brees said:

Nobody is surprised at, or expects you to change this stance.

[wastecoatwilly]

42 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

Nobody is surprised at, or expects you to change this stance.

Good luck M9,I'm in Aberdeen on the jobby this week if I see one man and his dog I'm sure it will you.

[wastecoatwilly]

55 minutes ago, Jinky67 said:

Wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference, most of what is posted about Celtic and Rangers these days doesn’t come from fans of either club. 

Every thread on there is about sevco M8,I'm sure there was a need for it at one time don't see a need for it now.

[10menwent2mow]

3 hours ago, VincentGuerin said:

This is where I've been wobbling for a few years, and I've pretty much made up the decision to bin the season ticket from next season. Had it since I was 8 and I'm pushing 40 now.

The Premier League and then Champions League have completely broken fitba, and the things that once made it amazing at the top level are now gone.

First I lost interest in the European leagues I used to love, then the European competitions I used to love, then the Premier League, and finally my patience with the Scottish Premiership has gone too.

VAR was the final push that I needed. I hate it and it's against everything I want from a sport I spend a fortune watching every year. But in reality, I've been fed up with it for ages. I'm going to Parkhead to watch Hearts in a couple of weeks. I know we'll get pumped, you know we'll get pumped, everyone knows we'll get pumped. So, what's the fucking point? It's 35 quid!

The Old Firm will win the league next year, and the year after, and the year after. So, what's the fucking point?

And for the privilege of watching this farce, I get to travel the country on Sundays for shite kick-off times etc? What a fucking idiot. This season I've had Sundays in Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Dingwall, Motherwell, as well as a derby and home games against St Johnstone, Motherwell, and Dundee United. Chances are that's life for the next few years. f**k that.

I love the fitba, but my local lower and non-league teams are going to be seeing a lot more of me from next season and eventually I'll settle on one. It's just better, and anyone who says otherwise doesn't know their arse from their elbow.

I'll go on a European trip (assuming Hearts make it) and I'll pop up for the odd game to keep in touch with mates, but I'm pretty much finished with spending a fucking fortune and loads of time every year watching a competition that is not a competition and will never again be a competition.

Good luck to those who can put up with it.

I'm pretty much where you are although I've not been a season ticket holder for a few years due to work committments. 

Will still make the effort for the odd away day to either Dundee or Edinburgh as they are good days out with mates but I think it'll be more highland league for me next season. 

As for England and the Champions League, genuinely don't care.  Ajax got to the semis a couple of years back they were the 1st since PSV in 04/05 not from a big 5 league. The fact that Chelsea spent over £300m in January just shows how far removed the game is from the average punter down there. 

It's strange that attendances are on the up in Scotland, which is probably to do with clubs doing well engaging with younger fans but my generation (approaching 40) are getting sick of it. 

[coprolite]

2 hours ago, Drew Brees said:

To be fair, this was me when you lot got a walk in goal in the third minute.

Celtic fans enjoy making babies cry. FACT.

[Jimmain]

1 minute ago, 10menwent2mow said:

I'm pretty much where you are although I've not been a season ticket holder for a few years due to work committments. 

Will still make the effort for the odd away day to either Dundee or Edinburgh as they are good days out with mates but I think it'll be more highland league for me next season. 

As for England and the Champions League, genuinely don't care.  Ajax got to the semis a couple of years back they were the 1st since PSV in 04/05 not from a big 5 league. The fact that Chelsea spent over £300m in January just shows how far removed the game is from the average punter down there. 

It's strange that attendances are on the up in Scotland, which is probably to do with clubs doing well engaging with younger fans but my generation (approaching 40) are getting sick of it. 

Live in Edinburgh and genuinely haven't bothered my erkie with an away game (even at Easter Rd/Tynie/Livi) for a couple of seasons. 

Going to local Level 5 and under matches now...few pints, chat, curry etc...no longer bothering myself about the pointlessness of the SPL. Genuinely feels like a waste of money for me.

[gannonball]

3 hours ago, VincentGuerin said:

This is where I've been wobbling for a few years, and I've pretty much made up the decision to bin the season ticket from next season. Had it since I was 8 and I'm pushing 40 now.

The Premier League and then Champions League have completely broken fitba, and the things that once made it amazing at the top level are now gone.

First I lost interest in the European leagues I used to love, then the European competitions I used to love, then the Premier League, and finally my patience with the Scottish Premiership has gone too.

VAR was the final push that I needed. I hate it and it's against everything I want from a sport I spend a fortune watching every year. But in reality, I've been fed up with it for ages. I'm going to Parkhead to watch Hearts in a couple of weeks. I know we'll get pumped, you know we'll get pumped, everyone knows we'll get pumped. So, what's the fucking point? It's 35 quid!

The Old Firm will win the league next year, and the year after, and the year after. So, what's the fucking point?

And for the privilege of watching this farce, I get to travel the country on Sundays for shite kick-off times etc? What a fucking idiot. This season I've had Sundays in Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Dingwall, Motherwell, as well as a derby and home games against St Johnstone, Motherwell, and Dundee United. Chances are that's life for the next few years. f**k that.

I love the fitba, but my local lower and non-league teams are going to be seeing a lot more of me from next season and eventually I'll settle on one. It's just better, and anyone who says otherwise doesn't know their arse from their elbow.

I'll go on a European trip (assuming Hearts make it) and I'll pop up for the odd game to keep in touch with mates, but I'm pretty much finished with spending a fucking fortune and loads of time every year watching a competition that is not a competition and will never again be a competition.

Good luck to those who can put up with it.

I would agree European football especially has totally distorted Scottish football. Since the millennium it has increased vastly and unfortunately when it was starting to do that the clubs (outwith Celtic Rangers) that would look to be European regulars were tightening their belt from the failed Setanta deal and haven't recovered really. Going ahead though  If the coefficient stays high I can also see Hearts putting a potential  gap between Hibs and Aberdeen in terms of finance.

Having said all that Im not pretending I don't fucking love going to Celtic park for a European game and the odd away game too. I would happily the money distributed more evenly though.

 

3 hours ago, VincentGuerin said:

The European comps for me used to be appointment viewing where you'd stay in or meet up with folk to watch etc. Haven't watched a Champions League game in years. Just completely uninterested.

 

Would also agree with this. Might be because I didn't have Sky growing up but often my highlight of the week as kid/teenager was watching the European game on ITV midweek but there's just so much football on TV everyday day of the week now it doesn't have that pull now. I think viewing figures have fallen a bit too which is why BT are pulling out. I still chuck on the goals show now but usually it's on in the background whilst I post nonsense on here 

[10menwent2mow]

Genuine question for Celtic fans. Would you rather another champions league campaign like last year and all the money that goes with it and be out of Europe by Xmas. Or go back to having to qualify with the safety net of a Europa League campaign and pretty much guaranteed to be in Europe by finishing top 3 in your Europa League group. Just a query. 

ETA. - I've no idea how the new CL format will affect drop downs to the Europa League after Xmas. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by 10menwent2mow

[gannonball]

21 minutes ago, 10menwent2mow said:

Genuine question for Celtic fans. Would you rather another champions league campaign like last year and all the money that goes with it and be out of Europe by Xmas. Or go back to having to qualify with the safety net of a Europa League campaign and pretty much guaranteed to be in Europe by finishing top 3 in your Europa League group. Just a query. 

ETA. - I've no idea how the new CL format will affect drop downs to the Europa League after Xmas. 

Normally I would say the latter but not for next year. People might laugh don't think our performances were that bad in the champions League this season as a whole. This team hasn't been playing that long together and seems to be getting better so would rather have another go next season and see if we can compete better against Elite and come 3rd in the group and go from there to the Europa latter stages with more experience playing against better teams.

Edited February 20, 2023 by gannonball

[Jinky67]

22 minutes ago, 10menwent2mow said:

Genuine question for Celtic fans. Would you rather another champions league campaign like last year and all the money that goes with it and be out of Europe by Xmas. Or go back to having to qualify with the safety net of a Europa League campaign and pretty much guaranteed to be in Europe by finishing top 3 in your Europa League group. Just a query. 

ETA. - I've no idea how the new CL format will affect drop downs to the Europa League after Xmas. 

It’s a tricky one because you see from the interim financials the impact of being in the Champions League even if you don’t progress at all and if we wish to get better we have to be playing against sides of this quality. The double edged sword is we need that money to do better but this also puts us further out of reach of everyone else domestically.

However it’s not much fun going out before Xmas either as we should be capable of so much more so for me I’d much rather be competing in the later stages of competitions even if that is the Europa but I’d much rather do that by finishing 3rd in the Champions League

The Champions League model is broken to ensure it benefits the elite in the same way domestically it feels broken to suit us, we probably feel the same pain in that respect. The multi tier super league proposition is an interesting one as on paper it could benefit a lot of famous old clubs who once done really well in Europe but now hamstrung because they don’t play in one of the big 5 however financially there has to be a larger cash pot or a larger % of the pot that is trickled down into the parent leagues. 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Jinky67

[AndyM]

5 hours ago, Dons_1988 said:

It’s the logical choice, and one I suspect I’ll eventually make. 

The Celtic fans can have a wee laugh at a ‘heads gone’ or call it boring but as you say, if you know the outcome before a ball is kicked then it isn’t sport, is it? Why on earth would you buy a ticket under the pretence it is. More fool me. 

 

@Dons_1988 @VincentGuerin

It's a choice many of my mates have made. We support different sides and are all late 40s/early 50s now and trying to rouse yourself for matches in a league you know is going to be won by Celtic (or Rangers once every 5 years)  is becoming more and more of a struggle especially when you have other more important  things in life demanding your attention. Certainly a number of my pals don't even bother going when the Old Firm come to Tynie/ER. A good long lunch has a lot more attraction and come April/May many of my pals are spending their Saturdays on the golf course..

I'd also add if you support Hibs/Hearts/Aberdeen getting charged £27 and up (HIYA LIVI! HIYA PALS!) for a ticket at an away game is not exactly enticing to the wavering fan who has to add on costs of transport food/bevvy etc as well.

 

 

[gannonball]

31 minutes ago, AndyM said:

@Dons_1988 @VincentGuerin

It's a choice many of my mates have made. We support different sides and are all late 40s/early 50s now and trying to rouse yourself for matches in a league you know is going to be won by Celtic (or Rangers once every 5 years)  is becoming more and more of a struggle especially when you have other more important  things in life demanding your attention. Certainly a number of my pals don't even bother going when the Old Firm come to Tynie/ER. A good long lunch has a lot more attraction and come April/May many of my pals are spending their Saturdays on the golf course..

I'd also add if you support Hibs/Hearts/Aberdeen getting charged £27 and up (HIYA LIVI! HIYA PALS!) for a ticket at an away game is not exactly enticing to the wavering fan who has to add on costs of transport food/bevvy etc as well.

 

 

Tbh I think once you start getting towards 40 I think alot of folk can't be arsed going to the football every week and it's hard to justify the cost with other commitments. I have no doubt having a bit of a closed shop is an influence for some but let's be honest it's not the overriding reason when your at that age. Its an easy excuse really to point the finger at something else.

[AndyM]

34 minutes ago, gannonball said:

Tbh I think once you start getting towards 40 I think alot of folk can't be arsed going to the football every week and it's hard to justify the cost with other commitments. I have no doubt having a bit of a closed shop is an influence for some but let's be honest it's not the overriding reason when your at that age. Its an easy excuse really to point the finger at something else.

I've been going since the 80s bar 4 years where I worked down south after University. Yes other things do cause you to lose the habit (having aging parents, kids, wives/partners, work etc) so I accept your point there to a degree. But if the football was genuinely competitive and you knew you wouldn't be witness to your club getting another boring and predictable steamrollering from Celtic/Rangers in a league where the financial disparity between the top 2 and the rest is borderline ludicrous then you would find a reason to be there. 

 

 

 

[Dons_1988]

1 hour ago, gannonball said:

Tbh I think once you start getting towards 40 I think alot of folk can't be arsed going to the football every week and it's hard to justify the cost with other commitments. I have no doubt having a bit of a closed shop is an influence for some but let's be honest it's not the overriding reason when your at that age. Its an easy excuse really to point the finger at something else.

 The mental gymnastics is outstanding. 

[gannonball]

4 minutes ago, Dons_1988 said:

 The mental gymnastics is outstanding. 

Of what exactly? I'm merely saying at that age that is when alot of folk stop going as much and I don't believe the lack of competition in the league is the main issue as to why people chuck it. You've genuinely lost the run of yourself here on this thread

[Dons_1988]

5 minutes ago, gannonball said:

Of what exactly? I'm merely saying at that age that is when alot of folk stop going as much and I don't believe the lack of competition in the league is the main issue as to why people chuck it. You've genuinely lost the run of yourself here on this thread

I think it’s fairly condescending when someone gives reasons as to why they’re not interested anymore and you say ‘nah that’s not the reason’.

And I really couldn’t care less if you think that about me. I’ve already explained why I’m so angry about the situation and you don’t agree or care. That’s up to you pal. 

[10menwent2mow]

I guess my old man was the same. He was probably about my age when he stopped going to Pittodrie regular which would've been the mid 90's. Although that was probably more to do with losing interest rather than the emergence of a Rangers monopoly as it was at that point. My old dear is still a season ticket holder and will be until she's not fit to go anymore, although she doesn't go to away games. 

It looks like clubs are doing well attracting young fans with the St Johnstone young lads and the same at Motherwell. Our own 'Red Shed' has definitely been a success. Cutting the ersecheeks allocation also appears to have been a good thing for St Mirren. Hearts and Hibs crowds are very healthy.  Go back and ask these youngsters in 10 years time though whether they can be arsed going and watching another doing from Rangers or Celtic and you may get a different answer though. 

[VincentGuerin]

5 hours ago, gannonball said:

I would agree European football especially has totally distorted Scottish football. Since the millennium it has increased vastly and unfortunately when it was starting to do that the clubs (outwith Celtic Rangers) that would look to be European regulars were tightening their belt from the failed Setanta deal and haven't recovered really. Going ahead though  If the coefficient stays high I can also see Hearts putting a potential  gap between Hibs and Aberdeen in terms of finance.

Having said all that Im not pretending I don't fucking love going to Celtic park for a European game and the odd away game too. I would happily the money distributed more evenly though.

 

Would also agree with this. Might be because I didn't have Sky growing up but often my highlight of the week as kid/teenager was watching the European game on ITV midweek but there's just so much football on TV everyday day of the week now it doesn't have that pull now. I think viewing figures have fallen a bit too which is why BT are pulling out. I still chuck on the goals show now but usually it's on in the background whilst I post nonsense on here 

The Setanta thing was a short/medium-term blow, but trivial in the long-term problem our league has. The Setanta deal could have gone fucking swimmingly and we'd still have an uncompetitive waste of time for a league.

The amount of fitba on telly is a factor, but it's not the main thing. It's the predictable nature of the tournaments, and the fact that the CWC is gone and the UEFA Cup has had a managed decline because a tournament that is perceived to be of even relatively even standard to the CL cash cow is now deemed unacceptable.

Fitba simply isn't run to be competitive anymore. Our league is awful for it, but the European comps are the same. The CL is now a tournament that exists for five countries.

[coprolite]

11 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

The Setanta thing was a short/medium-term blow, but trivial in the long-term problem our league has. The Setanta deal could have gone fucking swimmingly and we'd still have an uncompetitive waste of time for a league.

The amount of fitba on telly is a factor, but it's not the main thing. It's the predictable nature of the tournaments, and the fact that the CWC is gone and the UEFA Cup has had a managed decline because a tournament that is perceived to be of even relatively even standard to the CL cash cow is now deemed unacceptable.

Fitba simply isn't run to be competitive anymore. Our league is awful for it, but the European comps are the same. The CL is now a tournament that exists for five countries.

You ain't seen nothing yet.

That super league shite is going to happen eventually. 

[gannonball]

16 minutes ago, VincentGuerin said:

The Setanta thing was a short/medium-term blow, but trivial in the long-term problem our league has. The Setanta deal could have gone fucking swimmingly and we'd still have an uncompetitive waste of time for a league.

The amount of fitba on telly is a factor, but it's not the main thing. It's the predictable nature of the tournaments, and the fact that the CWC is gone and the UEFA Cup has had a managed decline because a tournament that is perceived to be of even relatively even standard to the CL cash cow is now deemed unacceptable.

Fitba simply isn't run to be competitive anymore. Our league is awful for it, but the European comps are the same. The CL is now a tournament that exists for five countries.

Aye some fair points there. Would agree too the Setanta deal itself wouldnt have bridged the gap but it stifled one of the other bigger clubs getting in on the European gravy train early doors and now can't usually qualify at all. You kind of need their money in the first place to have a good chance of qualifying for it if that makes sense.

3 minutes ago, coprolite said:

You ain't seen nothing yet.

That super league shite is going to happen eventually. 

It might work well for Scottish football though in a competitive sense. The superclubs will f**k off and so will a lot of the European TV money and make the gap not as big financially.