07 Oct 2016 00:26:28
Want to get away from the Barton talk and formation opinions for a moment and bring up the Atlantic League proposal.
I think that Rangers and Celtic need to push this forward, I'm sure that there are many top teams that are in the same situation financially as us in terms of being able to compete, not only in the Champions League but Europa also which inevitably gets picked up by a team that has dropped down from finishing 3rd in a CL group!
This is the only answer for our club to get back on its feet again, I'm sure that it could work in unison with playing in the SPFL, they would not want us to leave and we could have a big and strong enough squad to compete in both. I really do think that this would be the best thing for all clubs involved teams like Ajax, PSV, Bronby, Anderliecht, Rosenberg etc.
there are so many big clubs that the potential to have 2 divs of say 16-18 including the likes of Hearts that some sort of promotional system from domestic Leagues could be implemented. But I think that the Old Firm must be bold and get the others to go ahead with it.
call FIFA and UEFA bluffs as they are only interested in looking after the likes on Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester Utd etc. The CL has got boring with the same 4 teams reaching the semis each year. While we have the fan-base and potential to be right up there ignore not bigger but its going to take something that resembles a rebellion! Money has taken over our game and we are being denied the opportunity to compete, enough is enough ;)
07 Oct 2016 08:16:50
So sacrifice big money trips to old Trafford, nou camp etc in favour for Brondby, Copenhagen etc? Also how are fans supposed to attend these games?
07 Oct 2016 08:55:08
Nah not for me thanks.
Hopefully we get accepted to join the EFL new fifth division in 2020. We can leave the colts in SPFL and our first team can work our way into EPL. Won't take long before there's huge investment in our club and we could dominate British and European football.
07 Oct 2016 09:49:08
I think if uefa get their way with basically an elite only champions league scenario the only option would be to break away into some league similar to the above. If you had the best of the rest in Europe competing each week it would surely attract massive tv and sponsorship revenue. And I am sure there would be a commercial benefit if it took off to have the best teams in such a league play againt the big teams in the champions league.
Its a shame as most fans would only get to home games but the league would become stale (even more so) if the best teams are not able to challenge themselves to things like European football.
Maybe clubs could leave a colt team similar to the moving to England idea.
07 Oct 2016 13:29:14
we have already been knocked back for the new devision down south and we will never ever be accepted into their fold as they are afraid of what we could do with our massive worldwide support.
07 Oct 2016 15:56:27
If everyone would just cancel there sky sports subscriptions and subscribe to a televison network actually supporting our game (BT) maybe we would have a better TV deal, but you all insist in tuning in to Manchester City vs Manchester United like it has any relevance to you at all. You give them the money by continuing to watch there dross. You allow them to make an elite euro league because you watch there dross. Turn it off, start supporting your team in scotland no more Barelona tops (The most sold strip in scotland what a complete joke) attend the match games every so often and only watch your club.
But I forget how many of you are easily amused with a quick graphic and some English guy talking nonsense off a script he was given by a smarter man.
07 Oct 2016 16:16:52
ross mate I have a fire stick with kodi I refuse to pay for sky tv but get it for nothing.
best way to stick it to the man.
I do pay for rangers tv though just because i'm a bluenose and like to see our youth play aswell.
07 Oct 2016 17:36:58
Just let them hav ther champions elite lge, it will soon get very boring, how many teams would be in it? 8, 10 at most every year. No one would watch it after a couple of year then they would need to re think. Surely they know ths deep dwn already?
I personally don't think it will happen and they will just reform the champions lge so thers mre places, europa lge and maby bring in a 3rd euro lge for the lower teams who are big enough fr europe but never qualify.
Would be good if somehow our lge cup got gve a team a euro spot it would mke it a bit mre exciting and more to play for.
07 Oct 2016 19:22:33
Gettin invited to the EFL would be my first choice and best scenario but if some on here who disagree with the Atlantic Lge, if we knew for a FACT that the EFL would never happen then would setting up this Lge be more appealing. Traveling would be an issue but maybe package deals when buying a ticket would help.
Failing both these ideas then bringing back the Cup Winners Cup would be a step in the right direction to give more clubs the chance of Europe and revenue. European football needs an overhaul the way UEFA want to go with the CL is disastrous to many clubs and in my opinion the only way we can generate money is through TV and Sponsorship via the Atlantic Lge there is NO other options.
07 Oct 2016 19:28:44
Thats what a was kinda getting at andy at the end of my comment ther, agree with u totally., bringin in a 3rd euro compitition, but are the top dogs a uefa even bothering if the smaller clubs get into europe?
07 Oct 2016 22:55:45
Ross, its ironic when most Rangers and Celtic fans have local teams they ignore. I'm a rangers man but I give my money and support to my local team first. Its the men running our game that are ruining it, not the punters.
07 Oct 2016 23:45:10
Yeah Dutchboy I know, I just can't understand why others do not see that forming an Atlantic Lge is our only way to be where we should be financially as I do not think England will invite us. Also the SPFL would be more competitive, I don't think that the squad we would field would necessarily be considered a Colt team, sure it would have youngsters in it but great for development and to have them playing in a team with some experienced players would be key to that not to field a team like that and just playing a squad of 18 to 20yr olds would mean not using the situation to its full.
08 Oct 2016 04:39:41
Yip thts a good idea too. i also said in another post. what about even trying to get a British Cup going that scottish, english, irish n welsh teams can play in
with european places up fr grabs, just say if you win the tournament u get champs league qualifier rond spot, and fr runners up in final a europa lge qual spot. i think that could do well n bring money and crowds in.
07 Oct 2016 23:49:19
Camoo, I take your point about only being able to attend home games, but it is not usual to have large travelling support except in smaller countries.
I lived in Spain for a while and not many Real fans who live in Madrid travel eg to Malaga or even Barcelona and the French games I have been to seemed to have no travelling support.
In fact how many away fans come to Ibrox - I know you were talking about a european competition and I have strayed off the point.
I think in these days of TV money being king it wouldn’t matter and maybe an Ibrox full of Blue noses would be better than a large chunk of the ground ‘fenced off’ and empty would make for better television.
07 Oct 2016 21:25:37
Rossw, i cancelled sky, and switched to bt, but im seriously thinking about cancelling that also, due solely to chris 'i hate rangers' sutton. when i listen to that guy it let's me know he has definitely never got over helicopter sunday. I've even started turning the sound down when he speaks, due to his vile hatred of anything rangers.
08 Oct 2016 12:11:45
Your 100% correct bigjoh85,chris mutton has a very unhealthy hatred towards rangers! He's a very undignified person imo and always has been! Its alright being a bad loser but he's a very bitter loser and i put it down to when we pipped them to the league title in 2003 when he was playing for celtic! He showed then how bitter a loser he was by stating categorically that dunfermline lay down to rangers when we beat them 6-1 that day, he didn't mention at all that his club had just beaten kilmarnock 4-0 at rugby park, the best team won the league mr. Sutton! Simples! Get over it!, although i know you won't as it still sticks in your throat that glasgow rangers won the title that year fair and square by scoring more goals than your lot! There wasn't one person mentioned that killie could have been lying down as they took 4 of them!
08 Oct 2016 21:03:54
To get back to the original point, playing in the English leagues is a fantasy, it will never happen. However, if enough clubs agitate for it, something like an Atlantic, or North European league could happen. During nine in a row, ordinary punters travelled to away European games two, three and even four times in a season and that would happen again. They would choose which games to go to, and Europe's budget airlines (most countries have them) would facilitate travel as there would be a profit in it for them. Same with hoteliers. Coach firms, ferry operators and the travel industry in general would relish it. I think this is where the future lies.
09 Oct 2016 10:57:20
Rangers and Celtic are Scottish clubs when you invest in a top (not currently for us but historically) that money goes to the Scottish club who then would reinvest it in Scottish football. Buying a Barcelona strip is dreadful in all senses as its money going out the Scottish economy completely that historically would have been in our game. That crippling TV money, in particular the sky ransom, had our game at its knees only now that BT are commanding a market share can we get a fair TV deal that could get us back on the European stage.
09 Oct 2016 14:13:16
@ RossW1995
The Sky TV deal was only because the Old Firm turned their back on Scottish football! They stabbed all the others in the back when we were looking at setting up our own Football TV station.
The Atlantic League is a possibility for me. Champions League football is duller than its ever been. Same teams same results even the tune has started to become tiresome! The Old firm are not wanted in Scotland, only the money their is wanted. So for me leave them all behind and let them feed on what scraps they can find.
10 Oct 2016 10:30:03
Fair and square Cooper? Your manager at the time Mr McLeish said on a documentry (Scotland's Game) the other month had it not been for the EBTs you would of NOT won the league! Fair and sqaure indeed lol.
10 Oct 2016 23:08:03
Dutchboy, I like the idea ogre a British Cup BUT if we wanted to keep it competitive imo I would keep it between us and England and also have a maximum foreigner rule 3-4. We either have the top 4 from up here and down South or top 2 from the 4 nations either way the foreigner rule I think would be huge and the right thing to do, or the top clubs down South would walk away with it most/ all the times yeah.