Scottish Football

[TheYellowBox 418]

Rather than clog up a match thread, what's folks views of Scottish Football as a whole and in what direction should it go?

For me, I'd try a variation of summer football. I'd also bring in rules around youth development. Something along the lines that x% must have come from youth set up or at least have been involved with a Scottish youth set up. If say for example we sign a young player who came through the youths at Livingston, we wouldn't be penalised.

As a country, we will never be able to retain our best talent, but what we can do is ensure that we give the clubs that develop them an advantage.

If a club signs a foreign player, a % of the fee must go to a central pot that provides support to players released. E.g. Celtic spend £5m on a player, 5% or £250k goes to the SPL and is used as a cushion to players who are released as youths.

I'd require a more even split of prize funds. Stern rules around club ownership.

[Dave H 465]

Get rid of the old firm and re-energise the league setup.

[blueheaven 2,043]

From watching Trakai in the first leg, and seeing how technically good many of their players are, I'd be interested to know how that came about. This might be a massive inaccurate generalisation, but I'm going to assume Lithuania isn't ploughing a fortune into youth development or facilities. Then again, maybe it is. Or maybe the big differences are cultural - perhaps kids in warmer countries just spend more time outdoors, so spend more time playing football. I'm not necessarily pro-summer football and I think there are good points on both sides of that debate, but I always thought it was a crying shame that in Scotland the summer is when pitches in parks are often roped off and posts are taken down. I realise pitches need to recover, but when I was a kid the summer was when I actually wanted to play football. I can't remember learning much playing in the freezing cold or pissing rain; all I gained from that was a general outlook of being fed up and wanting to be somewhere else. I ended up hating serious/organised football and by the time I was 14 I'd been turned off it for life. Maybe it's different now though.

I'd be interested to know how Trakai ended up with a young African player like Dorley, too. Did they scout him and bring him over, or was he just in Lithuania anyway?

Main issue in Scotland though is always going to be the Old Firm. They stifle and ruin everything. And if the SFA want a country where people are enthusiastic about football, they should maybe consider running a fair game in which cheats who win trophies by breaking the law don't get to keep those trophies.

[TheYellowBox 418]

 

From watching Trakai in the first leg, and seeing how technically good many of their players are, I'd be interested to know how that came about. This might be a massive inaccurate generalisation, but I'm going to assume Lithuania isn't ploughing a fortune into youth development or facilities. Then again, maybe it is. Or maybe the big differences are cultural - perhaps kids in warmer countries just spend more time outdoors, so spend more time playing football. I'm not necessarily pro-summer football and I think there are good points on both sides of that debate, but I always thought it was a crying shame that in Scotland the summer is when pitches in parks are often roped off and posts are taken down. I realise pitches need to recover, but when I was a kid the summer was when I actually wanted to play football. I can't remember learning much playing in the freezing cold or pissing rain; all I gained from that was a general outlook of being fed up and wanting to be somewhere else. I ended up hating serious/organised football and by the time I was 14 I'd been turned off it for life. Maybe it's different now though.

I'd be interested to know how Trakai ended up with a young African player like Dorley, too. Did they scout him and bring him over, or was he just in Lithuania anyway?

Main issue in Scotland though is always going to be the Old Firm. They stifle and ruin everything. And if the SFA want a country where people are enthusiastic about football, they should maybe consider running a fair game in which cheats who win trophies by breaking the law don't get to keep those trophies.

I'd like to think the increase in all weather pitches would improve technique, but we're yet to see it.

For me, that is one of the pluses for summer football, more actually playing the game on the deck. In winter there is a tendancy to keep it in the air if the ground is wet, muddy etc.

A lot of these clubs seem to have young players from random countries. Don't know whether it's scouting or what, but surely Scotland would be more attractive a prospect to Lithuania, so surely we could be picking up such players?

[blueheaven 2,043]

 

I'd like to think the increase in all weather pitches would improve technique, but we're yet to see it.

 

 

I think all-weather pitches probably are of benefit when you're playing as part of an organised youth development system, but a lot of actual football practice happens informally, with kids grabbing a ball and having a kick-about with their mates. That was the football I loved playing when I was a kid, and still is now. I just wonder if that's something that gets overlooked amid the rush to spend money and prove things are being done. Is it swanky facilities that give you good footballers, or is it simply growing up in a culture where you play outside a lot? Some of the world's greatest ever footballers have come from poverty-stricken backgrounds where they'd never dream of having a fancy all-weather bowling green surface to practice on.

Incidentally, the absolute best thing about the Scottish league is that we only ever have to play against other Scottish clubs who are all just as technically bad as each other.

[Pat McGroin 531]

I suspect countries like Lithuania don't have to jump through hoops regarding work permits. It's hard to bring in guys without significant recent caps here. The rules are prohibitive when it comes to unearthing talent. 

[babychunder 766]

I am sure there is enough natural talent among Scottish youngsters as any other country. We need to find the platform for them to come through, and that might involve putting on some "import controls". When I was a kid we played football all day and even into the dark some nights. Massive informal games of 20-odd a side, mixed ages and abilities, in the playing fields at Goodlyburn or Letham Schools or Seven Acres or Jeanfield Park. You never see that now. Only a very tiny minority of players get the chance to play in proper organised games and I think we are missing the talent that's right in front of our noses.

[garydavidson 1,405]

Import controls? You are going to have to expand on that one. Sounds rather like you are talking about immigration.

It would be better to put controls on sky sports and play stations. 

[babychunder 766]

Clubs should have a foreign player limit. This gives domestic players a better chance to develop and progress to the national team.

[john.w 1,116]

Don't give me pelters by including this in this thread Tommy Lawrence former Liverpool keeper passed away, played 300 odd times for Liverpool but only managed 3 Scottish caps we must have had  some talent pool back in those days. RIP big man

Edited January 10, 2018 by john.w

[Tranmere Saintee 963]

3 hours ago, john.w said:

Don't give me pelters by including this in this thread Tommy Lawrence former Liverpool keeper passed away, played 300 odd times for Liverpool but only managed 3 Scottish caps we must have had  some talent pool back in those days. RIP big man

He also played 80+ games For Tranmere.

[HOODLUM65 2,364]

Scottish football is fecked.

6 games to be played in 18 days Jan/Feb.

[Cagey 1,890]

Not sure what thread to post this.

Celtic getting knocked out of CL means they lose a load of cash which I am pleased about but as well as probably affecting our co-efficiant I would think it would affect the amount of cash Scottish clubs get on the back of it.

Probably should have posted on saints chat as I don't think there are many visitors to this section.

[garydavidson 1,405]

I was wondering about that - if they had got through and the Scottish clubs got that payment what would happen with Livingston as they have scrapped their youth development? My understanding is the money could only be used for youth.

[541ntees 656]

9 hours ago, Cagey said:

Not sure what thread to post this.

Celtic getting knocked out of CL means they lose a load of cash which I am pleased about but as well as probably affecting our co-efficiant I would think it would affect the amount of cash Scottish clubs get on the back of it.

Probably should have posted on saints chat as I don't think there are many visitors to this section.

This cant be true - Celtic are the saviours of Scottish football! All the other clubs have let Scotland down in europe especially St Johnstone

[Cagey 1,890]

11 hours ago, garydavidson said:

I was wondering about that - if they had got through and the Scottish clubs got that payment what would happen with Livingston as they have scrapped their youth development? My understanding is the money could only be used for youth.

More questions than answers.

[blueheaven 2,043]

I wonder if Celtic's progression was one of the elements TW was banking on in order to get sign-off on a new midfielder.

[Cagey 1,890]

On 8/16/2018 at 1:06 PM, blueheaven said:

I wonder if Celtic's progression was one of the elements TW was banking on in order to get sign-off on a new midfielder.

He has now got £370,000.

By the way Sutton is a d***. 20 mins into game tonight he said there is nothing here to worry Celtic. 15 mins later they are 2_0 down & he says they are being outclassed.

[garydavidson 1,405]

Plans to allow some colt teams into the league are now in motion it seems: 

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/3503540/spfl-plans-league-three-highland-lowland-colts/

[sixties saintee 1,684]

Now who would be the colt teams i wonder.

[Indicator 387]

Hmmm, on a slow news day is this not just the Sun digging up an old story line -  look at the key phrases/words:

"A 12-team setup comprising of four sides each from the Highland and Lowland Leagues".

"A further four (perm 2 from each of the E & G locations) colts teams would apparently round off the league structure".

"The SPFL are said to have circulated a draft proposal among several clubs".

"And the matter will reportedly be further discussed at a meeting of all the relevant sides in the next few weeks".

Item listed as "GOSSIP". by Gary Taylor.

I seem to remember this was thrown out by most clubs a year, or two ago.  Happy to be corrected.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Indicator

[blueheaven 2,043]

I'm a big fan of the word "reportedly" in newspaper articles. Aren't they the ones reporting it?

[Abernethy Saint 3,035]

Allegedly.

[sixties saintee 1,684]

So it seams that from next season we are going to get foriegn Referees, not before time, hopefully it comes to creation and listen to the auld firm bleating.

[Tranmere Saintee 963]

After sending off a Celtic player and only booking Brown for a leg breaking tackle will they still want them? Not forgetting the incompetence of the official doing the Man City game.