Is the problem with Scottish football?

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Is that they are far too many teams?

Something drastic has to be done, Summer football and a revamp of the league structure.

A good few of these clubs should be looking at the possibility of merging together. Yes some will disagree as they are history behind a lot of these clubs, but needs must. It's time to consider all options or we will always continue to go backwards.

[andydibb 0]

2 leagues of 16 and thats all imo .

[EuanC 0]

Too many clubs won't be prepared to give up their history.

[GovanFrontGers 1]

To mant teams and too small a top league, we play relagation football in the SPL from the first game of the year. No chance to bring on lots of young players.

[J-Maestro 13,596]

I dislike when peoples opinion on a 18 team league being bad on the basis a team like Arbroath could get to the top league, these smaller teams won't improve without money and a smaller team making it to the top league could be enough to sort out their training facilities and their youth programmes.

Unfortunately I can't see the league ever being expanded with it needing a 11 to 1 vote.

[Clemdog 39,389]

Im more entitled to say it's more modern football that has the problem, and Scotland are one of the losers.

Sure we need to adapt to it, revamping the leagues would be a start.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

That's what I meant with teams, the professional side to it.

A two league structure of 16, would be a start. With a pyramid system for Junior teams to made the step up.

Currently they are 42 teams in 4 leagues.

[AlCapone 7,678]

to be honest I think saying we need to reduce the teams to make things better is just lazy thinking, how would it make things better? I've never heard anyone give any evidence as to how it would make it easier.

Very few Juinor sides want a pyramid system as well.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Well for talking sake if Dundee Utd and Dundee merged, selling both grounds and building a new stadium with new training facilities, would both benefit Scottish football and pull in better sponsorship opportunities.

[AlCapone 7,678]

Well for talking sake if Dundee Utd and Dundee merged, selling both grounds and building a new stadium with new training facilities, would both benefit Scottish football and pull in better sponsorship opportunities.

Have to say I disagree DB, why would it make a combined Dundee team stronger? Aberdeens a bigger city and has one club, Do they offer more to the game than Dundee currently does?

football in this country is based on rivalry, By killing off both Dundee clubs all it does is drive away fans who support their current clubs which will take revenue out the game as they wont all follow the new club.. By combining say all the angus clubs you wont create a club that attracts more fans but what you do do is kill off rivalry and take away games at that level that draw bigger local derby crowds i.e Arbroath v Montrose draws bigger crowds than normal games in that league.

Reducing the clubs will NOT improve the game, the opposite will happen. If you close dpown say Arbroath how will that improve the SPL???

[deleteduser1 169]

Well for talking sake if Dundee Utd and Dundee merged, selling both grounds and building a new stadium with new training facilities, would both benefit Scottish football and pull in better sponsorship opportunities.

Good idea on paper but would the fans of both clubs be prepared to support the new club after 100 odd years as bitter rivals?

Personally I think the fans in the city of Dundee would eventually come around to the idea if they were to see a new , bigger, better stadium and were to find success on the pitch.

I would certainly like to see this happen and think it's the logical way forward for Scottish football.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Have to say I disagree DB, why would it make a combined Dundee team stronger? Aberdeens a bigger city and has one club, Do they offer more to the game than Dundee currently does?

football in this country is based on rivalry, By killing off both Dundee clubs all it does is drive away fans who support their current clubs which will take revenue out the game as they wont all follow the new club.. By combining say all the angus clubs you wont create a club that attracts more fans but what you do do is kill off rivalry and take away games at that level that draw bigger local derby crowds i.e Arbroath v Montrose draws bigger crowds than normal games in that league.

Reducing the clubs will NOT improve the game, the opposite will happen. If you close dpown say Arbroath how will that improve the SPL???

It would be hard at first... But once the shock was out the road with, and a new stadium with new training facilities were in place, and a new Dundee team emerged with some money behind them and a brighter future they would come back.

At the moment they are too many teams for the size of country we have, we are spreading ourselves to thin and suffering as a result.

[Graham 3,512]

Well for talking sake if Dundee Utd and Dundee merged, selling both grounds and building a new stadium with new training facilities, would both benefit Scottish football and pull in better sponsorship opportunities.

So if rangers and celtic joined up, you would follow the new team?

[AlCapone 7,678]

Put it another way, if an American took over Rangers and said he was merging us with the t*rriers to give us a better chance of success in the CL how would we feel? Why should we disrespect the smaller clubs in Scotland by suggesting this for them? It wont improve Scottish football in any way

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Good idea on paper but would the fans of both clubs be prepared to support the new club after 100 odd years as bitter rivals?

Personally I think the fans in the city of Dundee would eventually come around to the idea if they were to see a new , bigger, better stadium and were to find success on the pitch.

I would certainly like to see this happen and think it's the logical way forward for Scottish football.

They would be a few that would never accept it, but I honestly think most would welcome it and get behind a new team with brand new facilities and a better chance of competing against the OldFirm.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

So if rangers and celtic joined up, you would follow the new team?

Rangers and Celtic are a different situation, both are massive clubs with great attendances and facilities.

Dundee and Dundee Utd have poor facilities and a dwindling support, both clubs in there current situation are on a fast track to go nowhere.

[FatPirateHooker 141]

Alchohol and bammy youth culture is what's wrong.

[AlCapone 7,678]

It would be hard at first... But once the shock was out the road with, and a new stadium with new training facilities were in place, and a new Dundee team emerged with some money behind them and a brighter future they would come back.

At the moment they are too many teams for the size of country we have, we are spreading ourselves to thin and suffering as a result.

as I said earlier Aberdeen is a bigger city than Dundee and how has having one team in Abedeen improved Scottish football compared to two teams in Dundee? One team in Dundee will challenge Rangers no more than Aberdeen currently do. If you kill off Raith, Cowdenbeath and East Fife will Dunfermlines crowds go up? No, but you take 1500 fans a week out of the game that currently attend games at the other three clubs which means more money leaves the game. If you merge clubs you WILL take money out the game

[McBoyd 355]

The problems with Scottish football, in my opinion, lie with two things.

Firstly, the fact that our neighboring countries league was, at the time, bravely boosted with a ton of money from Sky, in the hope the league would improve. It worked out, in a way, and our lack of investment has left us very poor in comparison, and unable to compete in a money sense.

Secondly, as De Boer said last year, after Scotland lost their final qualifying game, the coaching and youth system. As it has been repeated many times on here, the 'big lads' are chosen over the skillful players. Of course, some large, hard defenders are great, but 11 of them in a team, against 11 Messi's, and you're pretty buggered.

I think another thing that is wrong with all football, is the modern kids lack of playing football outside, I mean, I'm only 23, but I remember every lad in my school would be out playing football until it was pitch black most days after school. Walter Smith himself mentioned something similar a few months ago, stating that the children spend too much time playing Virtual football that they don't have the natural ball skills that they once did from simply kicking a ball around a street/wall for hours upon end.

[McBoyd 355]

The problems with Scottish football, in my opinion, lie with two things.

Firstly, the fact that our neighboring countries league was, at the time, bravely boosted with a ton of money from Sky, in the hope the league would improve. It worked out, in a way, and our lack of investment has left us very poor in comparison, and unable to compete in a money sense.

Secondly, as De Boer said last year, after Scotland lost their final qualifying game, the coaching and youth system. As it has been repeated many times on here, the 'big lads' are chosen over the skillful players. Of course, some large, hard defenders are great, but 11 of them in a team, against 11 Messi's, and you're pretty buggered.

I think another thing that is wrong with all football, is the modern kids lack of playing football outside, I mean, I'm only 23, but I remember every lad in my school would be out playing football until it was pitch black most days after school. Walter Smith himself mentioned something similar a few months ago, stating that the children spend too much time playing Virtual football that they don't have the natural ball skills that they once did from simply kicking a ball around a street/wall for hours upon end.

[McBoyd 355]

Double post fail.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Put it another way, if an American took over Rangers and said he was merging us with the t*rriers to give us a better chance of success in the CL how would we feel? Why should we disrespect the smaller clubs in Scotland by suggesting this for them? It wont improve Scottish football in any way

Something drastic has to happen in Scottish football, or they will be more clubs heading into the history books like Third Lanark.

Rangers and Celtic don't need to merge as they are both clubs that can progress there self, depending on how you see it some say the OLDFIRM are ruining Scottish football, I would say they are keeping it afloat.

[AlCapone 7,678]

Alchohol and bammy youth culture is what's wrong.

Now we're getting closer to the problem

[Graham 3,512]

Rangers and Celtic are a different situation, both are massive clubs with great attendances and facilities.Dundee and Dundee Utd have poor facilities and a dwindling support, both clubs in there current situation are on a fast track to go nowhere.

It doesn't matter how big the clubs are, the passion and rivalry in the fans is still the same.

The Dundee United fans will be behind United just as much as we are Rangers. And have just as much hatred for Dundee as we do Celtic.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

as I said earlier Aberdeen is a bigger city than Dundee and how has having one team in Abedeen improved Scottish football compared to two teams in Dundee? One team in Dundee will challenge Rangers no more than Aberdeen currently do. If you kill off Raith, Cowdenbeath and East Fife will Dunfermlines crowds go up? No, but you take 1500 fans a week out of the game that currently attend games at the other three clubs which means more money leaves the game. If you merge clubs you WILL take money out the game

If the money was going back into Dunfermline for instance, they would improve on and off the park and become more competitive and fans would jump on the band wagon.

Aberdeen are in the process of wanting a new stadium, if they do move and lay the seeds behind the scenes. They do have a chance of getting back close to where they were in the 80's.

This stale 42 clubs spread over 4 leagues, is getting us nowhere.