smoke and mirrors

[wimmfre 3]

With regard to the S.P.L.'s proposed league reconstruction plan. I have given it some thought and have come to the inescapable conclusion that this whole exercise is nothing more than a pretext designed to benefit the S.P.L. and no other.

Under the present league structure Rangers would undoubtedly be promoted as third division champions into S.F.L. division two.

Under the proposed system,if accepted, the whole of division three would be lumped in along with us into the new division three or national league.

Comprising of all ten division three clubs and eight from the bottom of division two.

This new division will be the third tier of Scottish football,that is up until midway through the season.

After twenty two games the two top divisions split into three leagues of eight,effectively consigning Rangers and the rest of division three to playing football back in the fourth tier of Scottish football!.

So no change and no benefit for any one there then.

Now lets have a look at what's going on at the top of the heap.

The proposal is that the top group of eight teams play each other a further seven ties ,home and away,fourteen games in all, for the title.

Very exciting I don't think, as who will win the title is assured in the one horse race that is the S.P.L.! so what we are actually talking about is, who will be second? and who will be third?, who cares?.

Meanwhile,and this is where it gets interesting, the second group, comprising of four teams from the lower half of the S.P.L. and four from the top of division one play for relegation/promotion

The proposal is that points gained so far are wiped out.

They then also play a further fourteen games,from scratch against each other.

Now bearing in mind that this happens more than midway through the season, what we have now is a scenario where four clubs from the top division, with better finances,bigger squads,more experience of top flight football, play best of fourteen games against teams from a lower division with less experience of top flight football and no time to make the required adjustment, less finances,smaller squads with less chance of being able to cope with depletions through injuries e.t.c.

Neil Doncaster states that "potentially four teams could go down". What he does not say is that it is equally possible that no teams will go down!.

The smart money has got to be on the teams from the top divisions winning more games,surely.

This could quite easily mean that no team gets relegated and no team achieves promotion! Unlikely? is it?

At the very least it gives the teams from the top divisions a greater chance of avoiding relegation.

So who do you think benefits most from this set up?.

This whole clusterf*ck of an idea is being sold to the S.F.L. with a whole heap of spin and the added inducement of a trickle down of finance, one million pounds to be precise, from the coffers of the S.P.L. ,

yeah right!

The present television deal, which runs for only two years, was negotiated only after the S.P.L. managed to buy the rights to Rangers games from the S.F.L. for the reported sum of one million pounds.

They had to do this in order to enhance their prospects of any kind of a deal, as apparently the t.v. companies are only interested in marketing opportunities and accordingly want to have Scotland's biggest box office draw on board, naturally!.

We know where the world wide media interest lies. It's on the Rangers and the unfolding story of the fightback from the brink of oblivion.

If this proposed reconstruction goes ahead ,part of the deal is an amalgamation of the S.P.L. and the S.F.L into one governing body. It's name,it's rules,regulations,voting structure, voting rights,chairmen, etcetera, etcetera, is still to be decided, or disclosed?.

This newco football governing body would then presumably own the rights to all of the games

The addition of Rangers and all of the attendant media interest to the package would obviously be a huge advantage to any negotiations not only with t.v. companies but also with potential sponsors. The sponsorship deals with both the S.P.L. and the S.F.L. finish this year.

(hence the unseemly rush?)

You really could not make it up!.

[spireblue 229]

Fuckin hell.....are you an optician by any chance ? Nearly impossible to read on android phone!

[cushynumber 25,178]

I should have gone to specsavers

[nachothelegend 1,932]

Its all about our TV Rights.

Thats the big rush.

Everyone can see that.With Glasses on of course.

[cushynumber 25,178]

some good points 're the relegation and promotion - that's a real shambles

[Blumhoilann 6,715]

some good points 're the relegation and promotion - that's a real shambles

I've asked this before,does the winner of the relegation/promotion battle get the prize money for SFL1? Luv that word 'Clusterf**k'....hear the SFA/Spl use it a lot.