Fantastic article. This is a subject I've been on about to my friends for a couple of years now. One thing Scotland can do is change to a 16 team Premier League, everyone plays home & away and we have knocked 8 games off of the annual schedule. Plus it is less boring for fans (and players I'd assume) with a bigger variety of opponents - it isnt unheard if for some teams to play each other 6 times a season. International football makes the current situation worse and this new league of nations means every international is competitive, so the best players are picked for every one of these matches too. No wonder our players are knackered and getting injured.
Knocking off 8 games per season would equate to 4 home games for every Club
How would that affect the finances of less successful Clubs other than bringing another 4 Clubs to the Top Table?
Taking Celtic as an example A season ticket currently costing £600 would be reduced pro rata to @ £474 a reduction of £126 per ST holder multiplied by 50000 would equate to a loss in revenue of £6.3 million per season or 3.15 CEO bonuses
That is of course if the Clubs actually reduced the ST prices
With a suggested ST waiting list 10000 strong it could be argued that our Club might be of the opinion that retaining current ST price levels albeit in a reduced league campaign would be extremely viable financially and that any dissention and non uptake in the ranks of ST holders would be offset by the grateful hoardes of supporters currently champing at the bit for access to watch the team on a regular basis
Every Club would have to assess how the impact of change would affect them but perhaps when we see the likes of Kilmarnock and Hibs refusing to give visiting fans of certain Clubs their full traditional allocation of briefs the loss of revenue might not be so sorely felt as their finances would already appear to be fairly bouyant
I agree that our success is taking it's toll on our players and something needs to be done
Perhaps more squad rotation would be a more appropriate course of action rather than reducing the amount of matches although this matter can't be looked at through the eyes of only 2 Club in isolatiin
Other Clubs with not such a packed calendar could carry on as normal and this might possibly lead to a more competitive league as lesser ability players at our Club would be afforded more playing time This in turn could benefit our fringe players by giving them more 1st team experience
In response to your claim of over familiarisation If I recall correctly and my pre-med isn't befuddlng my memory the season prior to the HUNS dying there were 7 Old Firm games This would certainly demonstrate your point although Glasgow Derbies would always be regarded as exceptions
HH?
