The Scottish Football thread

[Adam]

Well Rangers can laugh tonight about this win, but at the weekend Motherwell host Celtic in a high profile SPL top-of-the-table clash, whilst Ally and his friends are on the long haul bus up to play at Forres Mechanics in the Scottish Cup

[Lineker]

Chief executive Charles Green believes Rangers will be involved in the formation of a new European league.

Green's consortium relaunched the Ibrox club after the former incarnation could not be saved from liquidation.

Rangers currently play in Scottish Football League Division Three.

"There will be a European league because big teams can't keep subsidising small teams for the next 10 years because they will go stale," said Green.

"Arsenal don't want to play Southampton or Swansea, but ask them if they want to play Celtic or Rangers. It's what the fans want to see.

"Fans across the world want to see Manchester United play Barcelona, not just once every few years but every season."

Green is convinced Rangers would be part of any new European league.

"If there are two divisions of 18 clubs, how could Rangers not be a part of that?" he asked. "I'm convinced it will happen because otherwise where will the revenues for the top come from? These days Arsenal are struggling to sell out their game against West Ham."

Last month, BBC Scotland revealed Scottish clubs, including Rangers, were to discuss the possibility of being part of a new European regional league set-up.

Uefa is believed to be open to change as it grows increasingly concerned by the polarisation between the top clubs and top leagues.

Green added: "How can Manchester United's revenues be £320m and Aston Villa, who are completely useless, get £250m?

"What Manchester United put into world football is massive, but what they take out of it is a joke and they won't put up with that for much longer."

[Noah]

and Aston Villa, who are completely useless

If Summ ever had any respect for the guy, it has gone now.

[Colly]

Hey Arsenal fans, do you want to play Rangers and Celtic?

[Noah]

I think everybody would play Rangers every week, if they could.

[Cymbols]

Chief executive Charles Green believes Rangers will be involved in the formation of a new European league.

Green's consortium relaunched the Ibrox club after the former incarnation could not be saved from liquidation.

Rangers currently play in Scottish Football League Division Three.

"There will be a European league because big teams can't keep subsidising small teams for the next 10 years because they will go stale," said Green.

"Arsenal don't want to play Southampton or Swansea, but ask them if they want to play Celtic or Rangers. It's what the fans want to see.

"Fans across the world want to see Manchester United play Barcelona, not just once every few years but every season."

Green is convinced Rangers would be part of any new European league.

"If there are two divisions of 18 clubs, how could Rangers not be a part of that?" he asked. "I'm convinced it will happen because otherwise where will the revenues for the top come from? These days Arsenal are struggling to sell out their game against West Ham."

Last month, BBC Scotland revealed Scottish clubs, including Rangers, were to discuss the possibility of being part of a new European regional league set-up.

Uefa is believed to be open to change as it grows increasingly concerned by the polarisation between the top clubs and top leagues.

Green added: "How can Manchester United's revenues be £320m and Aston Villa, who are completely useless, get £250m?

"What Manchester United put into world football is massive, but what they take out of it is a joke and they won't put up with that for much longer."

That can't be real, surely?

EDIT- Found the BBC article, what a knob.

[Adam]

Yeah, I read that yesterday and just laughed him off as a total deluded twat.

Let them try and do a european league and see how he feels when no one gives a fuck that Rangers want to be in it

[Lineker]

metalman will be dancing in the streets of Kilmarnock tonight!

[Matt]

Yeah, I read that yesterday and just laughed him off as a total deluded twat.

Let them try and do a european league and see how he feels when no one gives a fuck that Rangers want to be in it

Bit late on this but why would Rangers want to compete in a league where they'll get their arse kicked every week, anyway?

[METALMAN]

metalman will be dancing in the streets of Kilmarnock tonight!

Bloody brilliant eh. I went and found a Celtic fan and beat the shit out of him. Only way to celebrate!

Also this means we'd have beaten Barcelona 3-2

[Lineker]

metalman will be dancing in the streets of Kilmarnock tonight!

Bloody brilliant eh. I went and found a Celtic fan and beat the shit out of him. Only way to celebrate!

Also this means we'd have beaten Barcelona 3-2

With what colour pen?

[METALMAN]

Most

[Lineker]

Hearts striker John Sutton believes the Scottish Premier League should follow the example of Australia and introduce championship play-offs at the end of each season.

"[it] could serve both camps - you have your league champions but for other teams like Hearts and Motherwell you can still walk away having won the main tournament at the end of the year," said Sutton.

"You only have to look at when Celtic visit Tynecastle, the place is absolutely rammed. If you can imagine that for a game to get to Hampden for a Grand Final, it would be an even bigger match."

[Hobo]

They probably should do that. It would be cool.

[Lineker]

Hearts are appealing for financial aid from fans, saying the Edinburgh club is facing a desperate fight to stay alive.

The club have been issued with a winding-up order by the Court of Session in Edinburgh after failing to pay a tax bill for close to £450,000.

"This isn't a bluff, this isn't scaremongering, this is reality," read a statement from Hearts.

"Without the support of fans there is a real risk that Hearts could possibly play its last game on 17 November."

Hearts host St Mirren on that date, with the men in maroon travelling to Inverness this weekend.

The latest matter is unrelated to a £1.75m tax bill Hearts are currently contesting.

The bill is understood to be for unpaid PAYE and VAT and the club have eight days to pay or the winding up order will be enforced by the court.

Hearts, who, have confirmed that the amount due is £449,692.04, say they are hoping to reach agreement with HMRC over a repayment plan.

The Edinburgh club, owned by Lithuanian-based banker Vladimir Romanov, are appealing for fans to invest in a recent share offer and to turn out in numbers for the next three home games.

"Discussions on whose name is above the door, talk about how the money has been spent and debate on whether the investment in silverware has been appropriate is all natural but quite simply worthless at this moment in time," adds the club statement.

"The only valid debate now is how can you help the club.

"This club has been supported for the last seven years by generous funding from the majority shareholding business Ukio Banko Investicine Grupe (UBIG) and we continue to seek the support of UBIG at this stage.

"However, no business is immune to the financial realities of the current global economy and for this reason the club's reliance on its supporters is greater than at any point in the last seven years.

"Our partners, our opponents, media, football bodies, many others - all are watching and judging how we will respond to the challenge. If we cannot demonstrate that we are united and we represent a force then there will be no due respect to the club from anyone around.

"Without your help now, we could be entering the final days of the club's existence.

"There are limited options for the board of directors to take to avoid the catastrophic consequences that a funding shortfall would mean for the club."

Meanwhile, it is understood Hearts are unlikely to face any immediate sanctions from the Scottish Premier League over the non-payment of tax.

The only sanction for not paying HM Revenue Customs on time is a registration embargo and the club already have this sanction in place for the late payment of salaries to players.

The SPL has been informed and could take further action if payment is not paid within the eight-day deadline.

Hearts insist the petition "has only recently been presented" to them.

Earlier, a club spokesperson said: "We would be hopeful that HMRC will accept that winding up the club would be totally unnecessary."

[Crybaby Bunting]

Why not just shaft the shareholders and start afresh in Division 3 with all their players like jolly old Sevco?

[Guest TheGrog]

Hahahaha die hearts die

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Grog, you were banned before. At least use a new name cos it takes a BIT longer for people to work it out.

Piss off.

[Lineker]

Second sides from Celtic and Rangers playing in senior football forms part of a proposal to reorganise the Scottish game from season 2015-16.

The plan from the Scottish Football League, to be discussed by its clubs on Wednesday, would result in the end of the Scottish Premier League.

Instead, the present four tiers would be reorganised into three leagues of 16, 10 and 18 teams.

But there is no indication that any top-tier clubs would be in favour.

Any change in the structure of the SPL would require an 11-1 majority in favour, but two SPL powerbrokers have told BBC Scotland that it would not garner sufficient support.

The proposal comes from SFL chief executive David Longmuir, who will hand in a letter to the Scottish Football Association and the SPL.

His idea of colt teams is similar to the system used in Spain, where clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid have second sides who are unable to win promotion to the same level as the senior side.

There is likely to be opposition to restricting this opportunity to the two Glasgow giants, with clubs like Hearts and Hibs also known to be interested.

However, Paul Hartley, now managing Second Division side Alloa Athletic, would like to see some kind of reorganisation.

"I think we have the smallest amount of teams in Europe in our top division and I think something needs to change," the former Scotland, Celtic, Hearts, Hibernian, St Johnstone, Hamilton Accies, Raith Rovers and Aberdeen midfielder told BBC Scotland.

"But we're talking about 2015-16. We could have more clubs going to the wall by then.

"I think we have to do it sooner rather than later. Let's get round the table for the sake of the game and make it better."

Rangers are presently playing in Division Three following financial problems but are expected to have achieved at least one promotion by the time the proposals would come into play.

Charles Green has previously said that Rangers will not play again in the SPL while he is the Ibrox club's chief executive.

Now he has told Talksport: "I understand that the Football League on Wednesday are having a meeting of clubs and it's the intention of the executive to unveil what they think would be a restructuring plan for Scottish football.

"I won't be there unfortunately because we are doing the presentations in London, but one of the other directors and the club's secretary will be there, so we will find out what the SFL plan is."

Green's consortium purchased the business and assets of Rangers when they were consigned to liquidation in the summer and the club was subsequently re-launched in the Third Division.

Hearts are the latest SPL club to experience financial turmoil and are battling for survival after Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs issued a winding-up order over a tax bill of almost £450,000.

"Hearts have got into financial difficulty and there were rumours in the papers that there were another couple of SPL clubs in financial difficulty, so it is a time for change," said Green.

"Whether the SPL could survive if two clubs go out of business would be really questionable.

"We are just focusing on winning the Third Division and getting promotion.

"We are a football club, we just win matches and, if you keep winning games, you will end up at the top.

"What the top will be called in three years, who knows?

"If it happens beforehand because of restructuring, or because clubs go out of business, that's unfortunate, but we had to get on with our lives and other clubs will have to do the same."

[Adam]

Why 10 in the second league? That seems stupid. Promote a few of the teams from the top pf the non-league pyramid and it'd work better.