MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth has followed Hearts' 0-0 draw at Pittodrie on Saturday, an outcome which meant that the Jam Tarts had missed a chance of, however temporarily, splitting the Old Firm at the top of the SPL table.
The club's failure to take their chance of some sort of glory is disappointing for the Gorgie club's fans, but, given the way "Grandpa Broon" and Archie Knox, or "Jack and Victor" as the still game veteran duo have been dubbed in some quarters have turned things around in the Granite City, emerging unbeaten from a trip to Pittodrie is no bad thing for the visiting side.
But, one thing about the match which has gone largely uncommented-upon was the attendance. When the two clubs which ought to be disputing the right to be considered "The Third Force" in Scotland cannot even half-fill the ground for a meeting, something is awry with the SPL.
OK, after the disastrous McGhee regime, for all the sunshine which Craigie and Erchie have brought to Aberdeen, the club is still languishing in the wrong half of the table. There have been some blips along the Brown/Knox route map back to the top three (or four), even the top six, factors which might have helped keep the attnedance down.
Hearts might not yet be carrying the travelling support they might, which is another factor, but, just over 9000 is a depressingly low turn-out for this fixture.
There is a general acceptance that things in Scottish fitba have to change, but, as yet I have yet to see a proposal for change which is sufficiently radical to avoid the game falling into previous traps.
We need new ideas, we need new energy, we need fresh leadership - from where might it come.
Ticket prices, unemployment, the weather, where would you like me to start? The lack of another champion outside of the big three (I'll be generous to R**gers on this occasion) over the last 30 years has disillusioned people to the extent that they cannae be bothered attending football games.
ReplyDeleteFar easier to sit in a bar somewhere in Greenock nursing half a pint of warm bitter and pishing and moaning about the decline of Scotland in general.
Murdoch and his Sky network has no helped when it comes to the big money being pumped back into the game.
Easy solutions? Aye, that'll be right.
The fucking weather and unemployment were relevant in the 70's and 80's when ALL of our clubs were more feared on the world scene. I have fucking family members who drive tae Old Trafford to watch these bastards passing 10 Scottish grounds on the way, why! I don't support either of the auld firm but when represented in any European competition I do support both of them. This is for the good of Scottish football. It might be time do adopt a "Domestic player policy" where say 7-8 starting players are Scottish, Jaysus, would we have enough domestic players tae do this? I worked for the yanks - they have been tae more world cups than us lately and even advanced tae the knockout stages. So to answer the question aboot Scottish football : I don't know!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Sausage...