Scottish Fitba'

[Slab]

As a Hearts fan I believe the club had to challenge the decision to demote without the competition being played out & I’m sure a fan of any other team would hope and expect their club to do similar if they found themselves in the same position

They lost the case because (based on SPFL rules) it was legally proved it wasn’t an unlawful decision for the clubs themselves to vote that relegation outcome onto other clubs.
Whether right or wrong those are the SPFL rules
The point of clubs voting simply through self-preservation & the lost/found/changed vote doesn’t override the overall lawfulness of the process… but it does not mean it shouldn’t have been challenged

Morally, some financial compensation is probably due given the unique circumstances of being relegated without a complete season being played, because no one knows which team would’ve been relegated & also the other relegation spot was conveniently scrapped (as voted for by the same clubs through self-preservation) but since it would've been down to the other clubs to pay any compensation then it’s not practical; namely because there is a ‘do no harm to fellow shareholders’ business rule to be observed

How they played prior to lockdown is not relevant, there are comparable situations every year (and this year in the Premiership & Championship down south) with teams who played poorly & end up escaping the drop

The whole episode exposes serious deficiencies in the way Scottish football is constructed, run, governed and financed, and the pandemic has exposed the same issues in many businesses, so the SPFL is not alone.

The question now is, will it bring about and meaningful change in future?

 

[virtuocity]

How they played prior to lockdown is not relevant, there are comparable situations every year (and this year in the Premiership & Championship down south) with teams who played poorly & end up escaping the drop

Good post, but I wouldn't agree with the bold bit. It's a really unfortunate situation, and I would agree that compensation topping up the parachute payment would have been appropriate, until Hearts and Partick dragged Dundee Utd, Raith and Cove into an expensive legal process. Hearts went double or nothing and lost IMO, and it was a worthy gamble.

The most unfortunate thing from all this is the tone being used by both Hearts/Partick and Doncaster's lot. Talks of 'war' and suchlike from Hearts is somewhat disproportionate in the context of society's current issues IMO.

They'll be back in a year. Fans will hope that the club can actually use their sizeable budget to secure some decent players, coaching staff and a board with some degree of competency, instead of hiding behind brash statements about injustice. The siege mentally will only last so long.

 

[Slab]

Good post, but I wouldn't agree with the bold bit. It's a really unfortunate situation, and I would agree that compensation topping up the parachute payment would have been appropriate, until Hearts and Partick dragged Dundee Utd, Raith and Cove into an expensive legal process. Hearts went double or nothing and lost IMO, and it was a worthy gamble.

The most unfortunate thing from all this is the tone being used by both Hearts/Partick and Doncaster's lot. Talks of 'war' and suchlike from Hearts is somewhat disproportionate in the context of society's current issues IMO.

They'll be back in a year. Fans will hope that the club can actually use their sizeable budget to secure some decent players, coaching staff and a board with some degree of competency, instead of hiding behind brash statements about injustice. The siege mentally will only last so long.

Yeah it was a bit like stick or twist when you're only holding 16, you kinda have to go for it (even if its just for the onlookers!)

I hope they at least look at how football is run in Scotland, this whole 11/1, 10/2 voting thing isn't really fit for purpose when clubs need to protect their own position before considering any other action

 

[virtuocity]

Yeah it was a bit like stick or twist when you're only holding 16, you kinda have to go for it (even if its just for the onlookers!)

I hope they at least look at how football is run in Scotland, this whole 11/1, 10/2 voting thing isn't really fit for purpose when clubs need to protect their own position before considering any other action

Would agree about the voting structure. Aberdeen are as much to blame as the OF

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Could have used this covid delay to show the benefits of summer football in Scotland to the game - less blood and thunder and a bit more finesse i.e. get the ball to do the work by passing properly etc, get like the Scandinavians/Russians and avoid winter altogether. It's not like we have cricket's toes to tread on up here.
Opportunity missed, instead these legal wrangles bitterness and ifs buts and maybes to linger on for years.
They should have played the season out like most other countries. 9 games could've been done in 5 short weeks. No brainer.

Especially when the SPFL have since ruled that all leagues bar the Premiership will not start until October.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Celtic in for Hickey and Turnbull.
Picking up two very good young players on the cheap.

Hickey seemingly had a good offer from Bayern, I would be surprised if he chose Celtic above them
Seeming West Ham and an Italian club also interested.





























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[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Rather neat and acrobatic goal-line clearance by Richard Tait of St Midden last night...but lets not over-hype it...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/53884621

 

[Jacko_G]

This still rumbling.

Hearts were pish and deserved to go down, no amount of crying and toy throwing is ever going to change that. Stuck by an utter clown of a manager so only have themselves to blame!

As for "self preservation" the same self preservation that saw Hearts vote to end the league early thinking it would save them from relegation. Reap what you sew on both accounts.

It was a great pantomime while it lasted but I have zero sympathy.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Hearts are fine, the fans seem galvanised with the chance to be near the top of a league for a change.
FoH fan group pledges bringing in over £150,000 a month
So far sold more season tickets than you could fit into Bournemouth's stadium.

Hickey will be a loss, hard to believe he is still only 18 years old.

 

[KenL]

Disappointing result for Celtic last night to say the least.
Shocker that such a wealthy club could not field a recognised striker.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Disappointing result for Celtic last night to say the least.
Shocker that such a wealthy club could not field a recognised striker.

Shows to me that a) there are too many players happy to coast and b) the standard of the Scottish PL is damaging the chance for any Scottish club to compete successfully in Europe.

I see Lennon has already said if players don't want to be at the club they can leave. I expect to see some comings and goings in the remaining days of the transfer window

 

[Slab]

Shows to me that a) there are too many players happy to coast and b) the standard of the Scottish PL is damaging the chance for any Scottish club to compete successfully in Europe.

I see Lennon has already said if players don't want to be at the club they can leave. I expect to see some comings and goings in the remaining days of the transfer window

Really? from all the way down there in South East England, last nights game told you that?
I didn't watch it but even if i did I'm not sure I could glean that summary from it, I assume you did watch the game?

 

[rudebhoy]

Disappointing result for Celtic last night to say the least.
Shocker that such a wealthy club could not field a recognised striker.

They had 2 on the bench, Lennon chose not to play either. Stupid decision, Celtic were all over them for long periods, but couldn't finish. He finally brought a striker on with 15 minutes to go, after they had gone behind. He claimed after they game neither was match fit, but surely they could have played 45 mins each.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Really? from all the way down there in South East England, last nights game told you that?
I didn't watch it but even if i did I'm not sure I could glean that summary from it, I assume you did watch the game?

The answer is simple. Celtic have run away with the league title for years, and before that it use to be predominantly a two horse race with Rangers. How can that benefit Celtic in anyway? How can winning the league at a relative canter a lot of seasons give you a chance to adapt tactics and develop.

 

[KenL]

Positive results for Motherwell & Aberdeen tonight.

 

[Slab]

The answer is simple. Celtic have run away with the league title for years, and before that it use to be predominantly a two horse race with Rangers. How can that benefit Celtic in anyway? How can winning the league at a relative canter a lot of seasons give you a chance to adapt tactics and develop.

I wouldn't try to dissect the issues with Scottish football from so far outside. Celtics defeat to those Hungarian lads (& their other similar failures in recent years) has naff all to do with the strength of SPFL opposition

 

[Jacko_G]

Celtics defeat wasn't as big an upset as some would like you to believe.

 

[williamalex1]

Positive results for Motherwell & Aberdeen tonight.

The game completely turned around after the sending off, in Motherwell's favour.

 

[User62651]

SPFL league is a feeder league, same as most European leagues. Anyone decent comes through like Van Dyk, Arteta, Van Bronkhorst, Gattuso, Viduka, Robertson then they're here a year or two then offski. I think Larsson was the exception.
ECL is only for an elite 12 or 15 clubs from 5 countries of UEFAs 32 (tbc) leagues.
Europa is a better comp for the more minor leagues teams but even there an ECL dropout normally comes in late and wins it.
It is not a bad reflection on scottish football that a team from Hungary won by a solitary goal in a one off game after having little possession, happens all the time. People making it sound like they were from Liechtenstein or Andorra and won 3-0.

My team won 6-0 last night, must've done something right.

 

[Rlburnside]

I wouldn't try to dissect the issues with Scottish football from so far outside. Celtics defeat to those Hungarian lads (& their other similar failures in recent years) has naff all to do with the strength of SPFL opposition

I think the opposite to you in that Celtic don’t have enough tough games in the SPFL and this has a knock on effect when they play in Europe.

Big club but they struggle to progress when in Europe and I can’t see how they can change this.