Doncaster Hinting On Summer Football And 18 Team Top Flight

[Inigo 32,686]

18 top league teams is ridiculous for a country of our size. Also, with fewer games, wouldn't teams lose money? Combined with meaningless games, and for us more games against minnows instead of top teams... no thanks.

[kcd1983 25]

Don't think the wee diddy clubs in the spl will survive another season without the blue pound, should have thought about that before voting us out, personally I hope some do go into administration this year, see how double standards rears its head

[Da Kool Blue 139]

I can understand less league games allows greater flexibility to allow for a winter break, however, the downside is more meaningless games which would see attendance fall at matches. The amount of matches should not be the main priority for Scottish Football it's improving the quality. That will get more fans going to football and help improve the brand and encourage more company's to sponsor the leagues.

It doesn't matter what size the league is, there will always be meaningless games.

[Heshootshescores 1,905]

Currently my favourite part of the season is watching the mhanks make a complete and utter arse of themselves in CL qualifiers. I'm against summer football cos it might get in the way of this annual delight.

[danger ranger 922]

Can't see summer football happening, and wouldn't want it. why talk of a reconstruct, best to do it now, as earlier post said this season would mean nothing, also to the SPFL as there would be no relegation and no effort to avoid it.

[Prso's headband 35,935]

Pointless fallacy. That means 12 teams plus Rangers st mirren and hibs. QOS Falkirk and probably raith rovers? Attendances will dwindle completely. Also we moan about how little TV money Scottish football gets, that will be made even worse when you have Rangers away to Raith in July rather than playing "them" on New Years day.

[NixonRFC 1,457]

I can understand less league games allows greater flexibility to allow for a winter break, however, the downside is more meaningless games which would see attendance fall at matches. The amount of matches should not be the main priority for Scottish Football it's improving the quality. That will get more fans going to football and help improve the brand and encourage more company's to sponsor the leagues.

I don't necessarily think fewer games in a (16 team) bigger League would mean more meaningless games, the opposite in fact I think going to Celtic Park, Pittodrie, Easter Road, Tyncastle, Dens & Tannadice once a Season would actually make those games mean more and have a bigger impact (Old Firm games aside) and its the same for these clubs coming to Ibrox, I also think if there is only 12 points to play for against the Old Firm for the likes of Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs etc... instead of the usual 24 then there is a greater opportunity for these clubs to realistically challenge for the Title, with 90 points instead of 114 to play for too it also lessens the opportunity for ourselves or them to truly pull away from the rest of the League.

Perception is everything and if the Premiership is tighter then people will believe others can win the League which will attract more fans to games and more viewers to TV, having only one away day at each individual club per Season will also give fans more reason to go to these games from both home and away supports - it becomes an occassion

The big downsize which cannot be ignores about a 16 team League is we'd be shedding 4 home games off the calander which clubs simply can't afford to do right now, so we'd need to be a bit creative, we'd need to change the League Cup into a Champions League style format with 8 groups of 4 playing each team in the group Home & Away amd adding those 3 Home games to the Season Ticket that way you'd at least be selling the ST with 19 gauranteed competitive games - with tickets already pre bought for these Cup games then the League Cup might actually see a boost with more fans going to the games

[Corky True Legend 2,682]

NixonRFC. You mean returning the League Cup to its old format. We should also bring back corners counting instead of penalties to decide drawn ties. Encourages attacking football and is less of a lottery.

[Mr Soprano 13,964]

Summer football would be great.

Not fond of having no games around Xmas and new year though, we akways get a great couple of games around that time of year e.g tarriers or hibs.

[bilko89 507]

The whole setup needs looked at, not just the premiership.

[beats 6]

If we did change to an 18 team league why can't they make it so the top 6 or top 4 say whatever European places stop at that fight for that. As in another old firm to make it 3 per season and it could bring something similar to the playoffs. Might bring out armchair supporters.

[Falcoholic 1,348]

But but but but......Scottish Football is BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMING!!!!

Fannies.

[NixonRFC 1,457]

But but but but......Scottish Football is BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMING!!!!

Fannies.

I don think its as dead as you would like it too be, looking at the figures released last week via a Scottish Football account on Twitter, games in the Premiership on a whole were down on average by 35 people per game from the previous Season, given the league lost Hearts & Hibs for Dundee and Hamilton you can see why the drop occurred - the flip side of that coin is we lost about 12,500 fans from pur average attendance from the previous Season.

Scottish Football needs a boost but we all do, hoping it cracks is beyond idiotic, despite what you may feel about individual clubs, no Scottish Football then we have fuck all to support

[GOAT 30,449]

Summer football is just nonsense, unless the rest of Europe follows.

There should be an 18 team top flight.

A 24 team second division.

three up, three down.

18th and 17th Automatically go down, 1st and 2nd from the 2nd division come up.

16th, 3rd, 4th and 5th all play each other in two legged games with the winners meeting at Hampden (or appropiate ground) for winner goes into the premier league.

Every team plays each other once away, once at home.

The league cup, this is the important bit. It gets split into sectionals. I.e. a Glasgow side. The first round of fixtures are played in July to get the teams in Europe match fit. It also guarantees derbies in Scottish football. Assuming all the top level clubs are in the top flight, it guarantees four OF derbies, it guarantees 4 edinburgh, dundee, highland derbies. It also lets us have lower level derbies, such as ayrshire, tayside, fife, highland, lanarkshire etc derbies. The second round of fixtures be played in October/November. Then the knock out stages. Are played later on.

The Scottish cup remains the way it is.

January winter break. Season ends in mid may. Scottish Cup final last Saturday in May. Gives players a month and a half to rest during pre-season.

[Dutchy 1,200]

As far as I'm concerned dungcatcher is an agent from Rome and I don't think much of the thing at all.

Having said that, I'm all for summer football and an extended league.

[one55 1,510]

Thought we already had league reconstruction? Now it needs further reconstruction? Why is this guy still in a job if he can't bloody run the leagues properly.

And if they are hoping to get us into the same league as that lot by just including championship teams in the the top flight then they can fuck right off.

WHEN we get back up it'll be because we earned it and not because these people are shitting themselves at the thought of another season without an old firm game.

You all voted to put us down so deal with it.

[Smile 26,622]

Doncaster and his mob of scum have killed Scottish football.

[NixonRFC 1,457]

Thought we already had league reconstruction? Now it needs further reconstruction? Why is this guy still in a job if he can't bloody run the leagues properly.

And if they are hoping to get us into the same league as that lot by just including championship teams in the the top flight then they can fuck right off.

WHEN we get back up it'll be because we earned it and not because these people are shitting themselves at the thought of another season without an old firm game.

You all voted to put us down so deal with it.

its no really his fault, as u inspiring a bawbag as he is he doesn't.actually have any power at all,hes a figure head who makes annoucements the board of the member clubs decide upon.

10 of the 12 clubs wanted to change the set up in 2013, Ross County and St Mirren veto'd it so all we got were name changes, SPL/SFL amalgamation and top flight Play-Off's

we need 11 of the top 12 clubs to vote Yes to change the format of the top flight

[kris1984 1,327]

I think a 18 team league would be fine if you could somehow guarantee 4 old firm games via cup games, possible regional rounds at the start as previously suggested. I would also say that a 24 team championship with old firm B teams would be great as well.

Let's face it, the league is rank as it is. TV deal is already shit so why not try change it?! Also gives hopes to sheep and hearts that if they win all games apart from old firm then they can still win league