CoF Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 7 hours ago, GordonS said: 1) Belgium - 16 teams split after playing each other twice, then they half their points. The top 6 play each other twice more, the next 6 do the same but there's a European spot for the winner, and the bottom 4 play each other twice to avoid relegation (2 down, 1 in a play-off, 1 safe). Total of 40 matches for the top 12, 36 matches for the bottom 4. This one is making me feel seasick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurkst Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 29 minutes ago, hk blues said: Cash...and safety from relegation guaranteed. Hibs just missing out on the top 6 then being relegated backs this up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 It's not perfect, no league system is, but it suits our game fine. It's been in place for a good while now and I suspect it will for a good while more, doesn't seem to be any real appetite amongst the clubs for any kind of reconstruction. Of course apart from Hearts when they got relegated in 2020, reconstruction suddenly became very pressing issue to them then, funnily enough they've went strangely quiet on it since they got promoted. It has created a meaningless achievement for middling top flight clubs of 'top six', and I say this as a fan of one club who will probably 'achieve' it this weekend. We never used to celebrate getting top six before the split was invented and I guess it will stop being lauded when the split is finally done away with, but there's no harm in clubs aiming for halfway up the league, I suppose. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spikethedee Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 As mentioned above, the split is basically a way of saying that there will only ever be two winners of the league as a whole, so it gives others something else to play for. However, there is no doubt that it does create extra excitement at this stage of the season, and also increases the importance of the final 5 games when the bottom six are all playing each other every week. I don't think it has ever happened, but there is the remote possibility that the bottom 7 could only be separated by a couple of points at this stage, and one team would escape any chance of relegation by being 3 points clear with 5 games to go, but that's the only real disadvantage I can see. The only possible addition would be adding in a play-off if the top of the bottom 6 finished with more points that the last team that qualified for Europe through league position only. A one-off game at the top 6 team for the last Euro place, just so the team in 7th doesn't necessarily have nothing to play for and could down tools against teams fighting to avoid relegation/play-off place. It's a flawed system, but probably about as good as we can hope for... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennie makevin Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 Would be far more interesting if the league split after five games instead of with five games remaining. Otherwise it's a nonsense that says we're happy with crumbs from the Old Firm table and the fact that two clubs are vastly richer than the rest combined. Kick out the Old Firm, scrap the split and have two divisions playing each other twice. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Manhattan Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 1 minute ago, kennie makevin said: Kick out the Old Firm, scrap the split and have two divisions playing each other twice. ToO mAnY MeAnInGleSS gAMeS 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 4 minutes ago, kennie makevin said: Would be far more interesting if the league split after five games instead of with five games remaining. Otherwise it's a nonsense that says we're happy with crumbs from the Old Firm table and the fact that two clubs are vastly richer than the rest combined. Kick out the Old Firm, scrap the split and have two divisions playing each other twice. Don't think the format makes any difference to the Old Firm really. The previous one was a ten team league playing 36 games, this is two extra teams and we play 38 games. They still play each other four times every season and still finish 1st and 2nd almost every season. There's no change in format that could stop them running away with the league every year. Do agree with kicking them out though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clangers Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 4 minutes ago, kennie makevin said: Would be far more interesting if the league split after five games instead of with five games remaining. Otherwise it's a nonsense that says we're happy with crumbs from the Old Firm table and the fact that two clubs are vastly richer than the rest combined. Kick out the Old Firm, scrap the split and have two divisions playing each other twice. The 10 team championship is and has been the last decade the most exciting league, every game is important. In February we started one of the weekends in 9th and finished it 5th, we were in the relegation playoff spot and finished just one spot below the promotion one. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneteaminglasgow Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 The idea that having a different league system will make any fucking difference to the massive financial disparity or the OF winning basically everything is genuinely laughable. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 7 minutes ago, Clangers said: The 10 team championship is and has been the last decade the most exciting league, every game is important. In February we started one of the weekends in 9th and finished it 5th, we were in the relegation playoff spot and finished just one spot below the promotion one. That's a nonsense to be fair. The concept of a team finishing midtable in the league and being able to get promoted needs binned. At the most the playoff should be the winner of 2nd v 3rd to play 11th. Or, even better, just 2nd v 11th. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 The divisions as they are is a product of years of bad decisions. What they offer is tension, not excitement as such, and not entertainment very often. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pens_Dark Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 12 minutes ago, oneteaminglasgow said: The idea that having a different league system will make any fucking difference to the massive financial disparity or the OF winning basically everything is genuinely laughable. Pretty much. And why would they be up for changing it anyway? By having this system they get exactly what they want. Everyone outwith the old firm in the top league gets thrown the crumb of top 6 as a marker of success. Or, if you're really lucky, a shot at Europe. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 34 minutes ago, Doctor Manhattan said: ToO mAnY MeAnInGleSS gAMeS It's such a daft argument isn't it? How can games where you can finish higher up the table, gaining more prize money, and blooding in youngsters to gain vital experience, be meaningless? 'If we win today and results go our way we can jump up 3 places and finish 7th and get an extra £400k.' 'Aye but can we qualify for Europe or avoid relegation?' 'Nah just what I mentioned.' 'Ah fuck it then, I'm not going, it's meaningless.' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gianfranco Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 I like the split but obviously dislike having to play the same teams more than twice a season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 (edited) 2 hours ago, Lex said: That's a nonsense to be fair. The concept of a team finishing midtable in the league and being able to get promoted needs binned. At the most the playoff should be the winner of 2nd v 3rd to play 11th. Or, even better, just 2nd v 11th. In 16-17 Brechin finished 4th in League One, losing more games than they won and with a negative goal difference and they were promoted. And we all know how that turned out. On what planet should Brechin have been awarded for being so shite? 4th in a 10 team league is mid-table. Clubs finishing mid-table should not be getting the chance to get promoted. Edited April 2 by TheScarf 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Manhattan Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 6 minutes ago, TheScarf said: 'Ah f**k it then, I'm not going, it's meaningless.' It's funny how everyone seems to want a rare away day when the third round cup draw comes along, but is presumed to be just fine about playing Ross County or St Johnstone (or Motherwell, of course) four times a season. You seldom hear anyone saying, "Brilliant, it's Livingston again tomorrow!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 1 minute ago, Doctor Manhattan said: It's funny how everyone seems to want a rare away day when the third round cup draw comes along, but is presumed to be just fine about playing Ross County or St Johnstone (or Motherwell, of course) four times a season. You seldom hear anyone saying, "Brilliant, it's Livingston again tomorrow!" The top flight is shite and boring, but the tier below get a decent churn which makes them more exciting in terms of sides. You make the top flight 2-4 clubs bigger, then you end up with the top flight still having 90% of the same sides just recycling, but also pass that down to the second tier. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galajambo Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 If it was a level playing field then fair enough, it's a good system, but the fact remains that only Celtic and Rangers are guaranteed 19 home games and 19 away games a season, everyone else may have to go to Ibrox or Parkhead 3 times a season to make sure the uglies get their own way, this is the only proper criticism I have of the system and sums up Scottish football in a nutshell for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahemps Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 2 minutes ago, Galajambo said: If it was a level playing field then fair enough, it's a good system, but the fact remains that only Celtic and Rangers are guaranteed 19 home games and 19 away games a season, everyone else may have to go to Ibrox or Parkhead 3 times a season to make sure the uglies get their own way, this is the only proper criticism I have of the system and sums up Scottish football in a nutshell for me. Like the OF ends at Hampden. If only one of Hearts or Aberdeen win their semi but wanted to keep that end for the final they don't get a choice. Absolutely should be a coin toss and clubs pick what changing room/section they want to use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Manhattan Posted April 2 Share Posted April 2 21 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said: The top flight is shite and boring, but the tier below get a decent churn which makes them more exciting in terms of sides. You make the top flight 2-4 clubs bigger, then you end up with the top flight still having 90% of the same sides just recycling, but also pass that down to the second tier. Easily fixed. Fire Celtic and Rangers into a central African league (or the sun, either works for me) then have two divisions of 18, with 9 promoted/relegated every season. Well, a man can dream... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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