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I hope this is not true

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posted on 3/7/12

the sky deal -
I'm pretty sure rangers take the lions share

gate money from away fans and the other bits that go with it, programmes, food etc -
twice a year teams would get a couple thousand less fans from a team such as dundee, im sure they could live with that

posted on 3/7/12

it's also possibile of teams may recieve more money from sky if rangers aren't taking their slice, no one seems to be considering that

comment by St3vie (U11028)

posted on 3/7/12

"Yes we need a re-organisation. We need fewer teams. We need mergers between teams. We need a trimming of the diddy structure that apparently 'Runs' our game."

Let me put this to you mate

When talking about merging teams, one of the most obvious mergers I could see happening would be the ridiculous setup of Dundee and Dundee United being two clubs with stadiums across the road from each other being amalgamated into one prominent large Dundee Club.

Now you are a Dundee United fan....so tell me, would the prospect of losing the Dundee derby for all eternity be a better option to you than letting Rangers back into the SPL while getting hammered from pillar to post with sanctions??

Now think about that.....really think about that!!

I'm sorry mate, but sometimes fans want their cake and to eat it.

Many of the fans of the SPL clubs that are calling for Rangers to be turfed out of the top league for sporting integrity will be the same fans giving their chairman/board a helluva time if the financial impact on the club means top players getting sold, performance on the pitch being poorer, ticket prices going up and all sorts of other stuff.

You are giving it all this talk about reform being needed........well Rangers going down to the third division may trigger that for some clubs who actually cant afford to live without the income we generate....the question has to be asked, by fans of themselves, if they are really ready to accept the conquences of this.

I want division three, I really do, it would put ALL of this to bed and we would be starting again, afresh, without any preferential treatment being sent our way..... I dont want it to cut any

But I cannot sit here and listen to some fans give it laldy about how the game needs this and that, because when it comes down to the crunch, I really dont think half of these fans actually realise what they are asking for here and how opposed to some of this they may well be if it came to pass

posted on 3/7/12

Many of the fans of the SPL clubs that are calling for Rangers to be turfed out of the top league for sporting integrity will be the same fans giving their chairman/board a helluva time if the financial impact on the club means top players getting sold, performance on the pitch being poorer, ticket prices going up and all sorts of other stuff.
====================
I think most fans are aware that any financial loss at their club will be reflected on the pitch.

A team like Dundee Utd may have to sell an asset to cover the costs or cutback on the fringe players to cut the wage bill.

In truth there was never going to be an influx of new players in the SPL anyway. Most clubs have a very minimal transfer budget at the best of times.

I had a go at a Celtic fan last week who did an article about Rangers financial 'cheating'............then ended by demanding Lawwell splash the cash!

comment by St3vie (U11028)

posted on 3/7/12

"I think most fans are aware that any financial loss at their club will be reflected on the pitch."

Aye but to what extent is the question??

Are they willing to pay higher ticket prices to curb that effect to the team??

and again, there is also talk of reform, and reform being much needed....but to what extent.

We've got fans saying we need fewer clubs........I'd like to see the opinion of those fans if it was actually their club that was being merged with another!!

Some will quite happily sit and say all the wee diddy teams should all club together....but like I said, Dundee having one club would make more sense than most amalgamations, and I wouldnt call these two diddy clubs, they might both be SPL clubs this season.

The bigger picture needs looked at, I'm in no way for Rangers going back into the SPL, but I wont listen to fans of SPL clubs sitting telling the diddy teams to sort their house out and merge and what not when its the SPL thats causing this whole charade becasue its changes to their structure, their financial dependance, and their operating levels that will be the most significant.

Cant sit and tell the rest to change to suit when you wont change yourself

posted on 3/7/12

Aye but to what extent is the question??

Are they willing to pay higher ticket prices to curb that effect to the team??

and again, there is also talk of reform, and reform being much needed....but to what extent.

We've got fans saying we need fewer clubs........I'd like to see the opinion of those fans if it was actually their club that was being merged with another!!

Some will quite happily sit and say all the wee diddy teams should all club together....but like I said, Dundee having one club would make more sense than most amalgamations, and I wouldnt call these two diddy clubs, they might both be SPL clubs this season.

The bigger picture needs looked at, I'm in no way for Rangers going back into the SPL, but I wont listen to fans of SPL clubs sitting telling the diddy teams to sort their house out and merge and what not when its the SPL thats causing this whole charade becasue its changes to their structure, their financial dependance, and their operating levels that will be the most significant.

Cant sit and tell the rest to change to suit when you wont change yourself
=======================
The first one is dependant on each clubs finances.

As I said Dundee Utd have sellable assets which would wipe their debt clean if need be. But to remain competitive they may sticl with what they have and increase ticket prices a bit, again, how much would be dependant on the club and what shortfall they predict.

Reform is desperately required within the game in Scotland, however, you can not do this in the short timeframe we have before the start of the season.

The SFA and all have done nothing with the McCleish report for 2 years, all of a sudden they pick it up & are trying to rush it through before the season kicks off........you actually want them to go ahead with this reform without even looking at alternatives?

In terms of shortening the amount of teams, I agree with you. To say the Dundee teams should unite is as stupid as saying the Glasgow teams should unite and is the same for every club in Scotland.

What I would like to see is a 3 league set up perhaps with all having 14 teams........this would eventually end up being 2 leagues with say 18 in each league but opening up promotion/relegation to non-league football to help grass roots football & to ensure all teams have something to play for and an incentive to do well.

posted on 3/7/12

Stevie

I have long been an advocate of merging DU and DD. I don't think we can accomodate both teams here in Dundee. I can live without the derbies if I have to. Lets build a new stadium down by the waterside and get of of Tannadice and Dens.

I am more than aware of the financial costs to my club and all of the other non old firm clubs. It will be hard. Some will go to the wall. That happens when you are in a mess.

What is more important to me (and what has been forgotten by most old firm fans) is that I want to watch my team and know that I am not being hampered by skewed financial rules, clubs bending the rules etc.

The old firm have long argued (I still remember a concerted campaign where Murray and McCann were intervied endlessly) about how they deserved the lions share of the cash because they were bigger.

They got the cash.
They got a skewed voting system.
One half appears to have bent the rules.

........ and on and on

What did they do for Scottish football.

They did nothing for Scottish football. They did nothing for our clubs. We have been scared into accepting all sorts because they threatened to go to England or any other league that they could con their way into (By the way, contrary to what all old firm fans think, the EPL does not need you. They have big enough crowds without you).

And now we are being Warned/Threatend of the consequences of voting against the newco.

So yes. I am aware of what I might lose.

However, I am also aware that for the benefit of SCOTTISH football as a whole we need to change and that includes the Old Firm AS WELL. If some go to the wall then so be it. Unpleasant I know but we have to accept that.

Remember, whithout us Sky won't hang around to broadcast endless Old Firm games.

You need us as well.

Scottish football WILL survive

posted on 3/7/12

They did nothing for our clubs.
------------------
We raised the standard of player in the league.
We attracted sponsorship.
We kept Scottish Football on the map.

Seriously, without the Old Firm, Scottish Football would be in dire straits.

But, we still need you, and you need us.

comment by St3vie (U11028)

posted on 3/7/12

I dont know why you have went on at length about the Premier League in England becasue I dont give a flying fck about it and never ever harboured any dreams that my club would be playing there eventually.

And you can rattle on about Scottish Football surviving and all the rest of it.....I will repeat what I said at the start

I want Rangers to be a club in division three next season, having been turfed out of the SPL and forced to reapply to the SFL and accepted under the criteria the SFL used to admit Annan into the league when Gretna folded.....thats what I want, what should be happening, and what would be right.

The old firm got the cash they wanted
The old firm got the skewed voting system
One half didnt bend the rules....one half BROKE the rules, and should be punished accordingly, but its the fault of those who run the SPL/SFA that they are not being punished acordingly!!

"What did they do for Scottish football. They did nothing for Scottish football. They did nothing for our clubs."

I think you will find, through the old firm being part of your league, they have lined your clubs pockets quite a bit, they have helped your club operate at the levels they have been doing for the last decade, they have performed sometimes very poorly indeed but other times well on the European stage earning extra spots in Europe for your clubs in the last decade.

"We have been scared into accepting all sorts"....but you accepted it, didnt you!

Why did you accept it....because you needed the fcking money!!

This is exactly the same bloody thing that is happening here.

May I remind you of a certain Mr Stephen Thompson pocketing ALL the profits from a match vs Rangers at Tannadice that was postponed at half time...letting his own season ticket holders back into the midweek rearranged fixture for free, and expecting the costs for this rearranged match to be covered by the visiting Rangers fans, expecting them to pay £12 a ticket, on top of the £26 they had paid for the original fixture??

Did this totally slip your mind....is this not your chairman using the old firm for his own clubs gain, is this not your club benefitting form the old firm, is this not the old firm doing something for your club???

Excuse me if I find it hard to believe that everything that is wrong with Scottish Football is all down to the old firm....when there are other clubs in this country that have a say, have a vote, have an input, have a voice....but have sat back and sucked on the old firm's nipple when it has suited them, accepting every measure that has been "forced" on them in the process!!!

Shoulder some of the responibility for relying on the old firm dollar to the fcking extent that you have....perhaps if that wasnt the case, you wouldnt have been shafted for 20 years and done something about it long before now!!

If Scottish Football can survive without us....you could all have broken away as the SPL did initially and setupa league without us...you didnt did you....wonder why not!!

posted on 3/7/12

Season ticket is valid for all league games wether abandoned or not so united could not charge season ticket holders but all the pay at the gate united fans still had to pay again let's not forget rangers fans boycotted the replayed game and have boycotted every game at united since your support at our ground has halfed from 5500 to 2500 maybe 3000

comment by St3vie (U11028)

posted on 3/7/12

"Season ticket is valid for all league games wether abandoned or not so united could not charge season ticket holders but all the pay at the gate united fans still had to pay again"

.....OR

The club could have absorbed the cost of the pitch failing with the weather?? Was that not an option??

No....United making every single penny they could out of Rangers coming to town was the driving force behind ensuring costs were covered by making travelling fans pay again more than anyone else.

You say Rangers travelling support has halfed since from 5500 to around 3000

At the time of this debate back in 2009, Stephen Thompson quoted a figure of £23k to cover the costs of the rearranged game.

For the postponed game, the usual 5000 odd Rangers fans turned up, seen half a game of football, yet paid £26 a ticket.....thats £130k in United's pocket

For the rearranged midweek game, even if 3000 Rangers fans turned up and paid £12 a ticket...that'd have been another £36k in United's pocket

Do the math mate.....he could have charged a fiver a ticket for the rearranged game, got a full house in both ends, covered costs nae bother, even made a wee profit, and made himself look good in the process without having to pledge proceeeds to charity to save face.

But oh no....he thought he could get away with half price and milk it

posted on 3/7/12

Stevie, how can you bang on about stephen thompson making a few bob when you support a team who has ripped off nearly everybody Scottish football would survive just fine without the newco for a few seasons, its just out and out scoremongering and if the newco is floated back in to the SPL then it really will be curtains, funny how its only rangers fans who seem to think it'll be doomsday without them, and muppets like archole mcphersons should be the 1st people chucked on the scrapheap to save a few pennies

comment by St3vie (U11028)

posted on 4/7/12

"Stevie, how can you bang on about stephen thompson making a few bob when you support a team who has ripped off nearly everybody"

I can bang on about Stephen Thompson making a few bob off the old firm becasue its the continuing trend and constant making of a few bob off the old firm that has escalated one football club being very badly financially mismanaged up to an entire country's top flight and beyond being dragged into the consequences of that club being punished in the manneer they should be

"funny how its only rangers fans who seem to think it'll be doomsday without them"...tell that to Michael Johnstone, Killie's chairman....and the Motherwell board, who said their club could go into administration, but let thier fans make the decision.

I'm not predicting doomsday, nor want it....but if we have done all the wrongs, then we shold be punished accordingly...the reason we are not is because the antics of people like Stephen Thompson means without Rangers, the SPL are $hite feart that clubs could suffer disastrous consequences......wihtout Rangers, without theold firm, the money that was there previously is gone....if that money wasnt so fcking important to these people, they wouldnt be batting an eyelid at us going down the ranks as should be happening.

What you are failing to realise here is that I want division three, and my club would be in division three right now, if it wasnt for the SPL trying to get us back in...of course Green is wanting that if he can get it, as being in the SPL means more money for Rangers....but it should never have been an option, neither should the first division, and pre-season training for third division Rangers would be under way right now if it wasnt for the reliance on the old firm adjusting people's thinking at the top end of our game.

The point being made here is Rangers come uppance would've been dealt already if the SPL werent so $hite feart to lose us, totally, noen of thsi first divison pi$h or sanctions nor nothing....a liquidated clubs starts aain at the bottom, thats it, simple as....but naw, its fcking Rangers that are taking the blame for this....its they orange bastirts chancing their arm trying to get back in....its they kants fae Ibrox intimidating the SFL clubs to let them into the first division......no its not, its the fcking authorites $hiting out of doing the right thing!!

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