Good Luck In Changing Scottish Football

WAY BACK, in the middle years of the last century, when the Glasgow printed and published SCOTTISH Daily Express was the dominant media organ in the land, they did a story about an elder, attending his first General Assembly of the Church of Scotland – back then the closest thing Scotland had to a national parliament.

“What do I do?” the nervous newcomer asked his minister as they took their seats in the Assembly Hall. The old minister pointed out another cleric, sitting across the room: The Right Reverend Dr. George MacLeod, Baron MacLeod of Fuinary.

“Whatever he does – you do,” was the advice.

What has that wee tale have to do with Scottish fitba? You may well ask. However, I would wager, similar advice will be offered to newcomers to fitba's corridors of power. But, while all the fathers and bretheren in the ministry and eldership attending the Assembly believed Rev. George was 'God's Minister,' which way their fitba cousins jump at SFA gatherings may well depend on whether the recipient of the advice believes in a Catholic or a Protestant God of Football, and will follow one or other half of the Bigot Brothers.

The problem then is, the Glasgow giants have probably already had their own private meeting, decided what course of action would best suit their needs and have got the wagons circled in common cause.

In football, as in life – money shouts, and Billy and Tim have more followers and money than the other clubs combined, therefore, their will will be done.

That said, I wish Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United, Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian well in their efforts to drag Scottish Fitba into the 21st century. However, I will not be holding my breath for change.

You see, it's not merely the Big Two who have entrenched positions to defend. Some of the bottom feeders among the 42 “senior” clubs in Scotland are fearing for their lives.

Since the changes which saw a Scottish pyramid formed and regular play-offs between the team finishing last in the Scottish Professional Football League and the better club of the Highland and Lowland League champions, Berwick Rangers, Brechin City and East Stirlingshire have all lost their 'Senior' status.

It might still be early days in the story of season 2021-2022, but, officials with long-established clubs Albion Rovers, Cowdenbeath, Stenhousemuir and Stranraer, currently occupying positions 39 to 42 in the pecking order, will already be privately asking themselves: “What if we finish bottom and lose the play-off?”

Regular readers will not be surprised to learn, in my view, we could do with losing a few more of our “Senior” clubs. Forty-two “Senior” teams, in a nation of five and a half million people – to my mind that number could be more than halved.

A study of who has won what in Scottish football makes interesting reading. OK, we know, the Old Firm have dominated the trophy-winning for generations, but, if we look merely at this century, 22 seasons-worth of history, we find:

• 18 of the current 42 clubs have never appeared in the top flight

• In addition, only 18 clubs have appeared in the top division this century

• Only Celtic and Rangers have won the top division of the league this century

• Only 10 of the other 40 clubs has even won one of the two major cups this century

• These cup wins amount to 27% of the total

• Overall, the Old Firm pair have won 82% of the trophies this century.

Therefore, for as long as we include “failing” unsuccessful clubs, who are not challenging for the major honours, the tail is wagging the dog.

An additional drawback for anyone attempting to sell the Scottish Professional Football League as a league worth investing in as a sponsor is – in that field, money talks, and the big money is all held outside Scotland. Outside Scotland, the only football teams that most people have heard of are – Celtic and Rangers.

Getting sponsors for an annual two-horse race is not an easy sell.

Those pushing for change, modernisation, call it what you will, have apparently been influenced by the North American professional sports models, with which some of their club directors are familiar.

I just wonder, have they noticed, in professional sports in North America, very few of the big franchises have more than one in a major city. Look at the facts:

• Major League Baseball – 30 clubs, two franchises in the same city: Chicago – Cubs and White Sox; Los Angeles – Dodgers and Angels; New York – Yankees and Mets; San Francisco – Giants and Oakland Athletics. Twenty-two other single city franchises.

• National Basketball Association – 30 clubs, two franchises in the same city: Los Angeles – Lakers and Clippers; New York – Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. Twenty-six other single city franchises.

• National Football League – 32 clubs, two franchises in the same city: Los Angeles – Chargers and Rams; New York – Giants and Jets. Twenty-eight other single city franchises.

• National Hockey League – 32 clubs, two franchises in the same city: Los Angeles – Kings and Anaheim Ducks; New York – Islanders and Rangers. Twenty-eight other single city franchises.

In North America, it is only the really big cities where you have two franchises – surely it would make sense to amalgamate the two Dundee clubs and the two Edinburgh clubs, to form bigger, single-city clubs, better able perhaps to challenge the Glasgow giants. I will leave that one here, while I don my steel helmet and flak jacket.

Also, in North America, and I think those North American-raised investors in our clubs will have noticed this – they play their sports in Conferences, where relegation is not an issue. Once your club is in a league, they cannot be kicked out, even if they repeatedly finish bottom. It's up to them to improve their playing staff and get up the pecking order.

Mind you, one thing North American sport does not have is a richer neighbour next door, able to cherry-pick their best players away. But, that's another story.

What every North American sport does have, however, is a single major league – the destination of choice of every player, but, also minor leagues which feed the talent up to their big league, and where the emphasis is on player development.

Maybe that's a game plan we should be looking at here. A ring-fenced 16 to 20 team league, playing in two conferences of similar standard, with cross-over games leading to a big Grand Final – now just maybe, here in Scotland, that could be the best small league in the world.