SPL: Lunatics or Pioneers?
It was announced this week that the Scottish FA and the Scottish Premier League had come to an agreement with the managers of Celtic and Rangers to postpone their matches with Falkirk and St. Mirren respectively on the weekend of 10th November, all due to the national side’s crunch match with world champions Italy a week later.
Scotland boss Alex McLeish draws a lot of his players from the Old Firm clubs, and requested the week rest for them as to give the Scottish side a better-than-decent chance against the Italians. Frankly I’m a little concerned about this arrangement.
Let’s have it right, all four bosses in question; Gordon Strachan, Walter Smith, John Hughes and Angus Macpherson, are Scots. Now imagine Steve McClaren asking Avram Grant or Rafael Benitez to postpone his side’s game on the same weekend. It wouldn’t happen. If one of those bosses were foreign, then this special arrangement wouldn’t be possible.
To be honest, I am very surprised that UEFA haven’t stepped in about this matter and said something. Let’s face it; Michel Platini and William Gaillard have plenty to say about everything else. Seriously though, surely this is an unfair advantage. Italy won’t have the same privilege of fielding a fresh eleven will they? It’s as big a game for them as it is for Scotland, so why doesn’t Roberto Donadoni write to Bernd Schuster, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti et al and ask for each of them to postpone their games for the benefit of his side? Because he would get a slap, that’s why.
The main reason of concern for me though is this. Imagine if, unlike me, the English FA thought that the SFA were pioneers. And then imagine if the French FA followed suit. And then imagine if the Spanish FA did the same, and you see were I’m going with this obviously. Now England, for example, draws its players from all round the country for the national side. There aren’t just two teams who supply most of the players. So if this were to catch on, then the whole league would be postponed for another week. Let’s face it; one week without top flight football is boring enough without the FAs making it two.
I think we have to take lessons from our counterparts in the RFU here. Whilst the 6 Nations is getting played, the Guiness Premiership RU matches are still played. Granted, not many fans are there to see their team, but the matches continue regardless. I would like to see something similar in football. Of course, this won’t happen, because around 7 weeks of revenue throughout the season will be missed as half the fan bases of most clubs are watching the national side.
This is the equivalent really of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea asking the FA to postpone their matches the week before a Champions League game. It’s not right, and I think that UEFA needs to step in definitely.
So for me, the equation is simple:
(SFA + Alex McLeish) + SPL = BUNCH OF LUNATICS
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Discussion - 15 Responses
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1) I don’t think this will set a dangerous precedent
2) It’s admirable that the clubs have gotten behind their country’s bid to qualify for Euro 2008 - it obviously means a lot to them and if they skip two fixtures on one weekend, so what?
how was this article allowed to be put up here :O
the guy’s worried about not being able to watch club football, no matter how the national team suffers due to it
To most players now, national football is just an inconvenience. (I emphasise MOST, not all players have a similar mindset)
1) England only picks players from top 5… Once Robbo’s dropped its top 4 and Arse-Anal dont have any English players anyway, so its only Top 3, so that means only 3 games are affected.
2)I’m actually pleased that its happening, just English players dont give a toss about playing for their country doesnt mean everyone else has to copy them
3) Manure and Chelski wouldnt do it because it would cause a fixture pile up later on in the season. Seeing as Rangers and Celtic probably wont progress too far in Europe, thats not a concern for them!
4) Who do you support Shaun fella? I think its really sad that Champion League games are more important to you than Internationals. Granted, England being rubbish doesnt help, but thats what being a fan is about…
… AHA, sorry had my Eureka moment, youre a glory grabbing top 4 team fan arent you?!
5) In know Walcott is English, but it would have detracted from my humour!
A similar precedent has been set with this type of thing. I remember a few years ago when Man Utd got knocked out of the CL by Galatasary. The two legs were a fortnight apart and Galatasary didn´t play in the league the Saturday before the first leg or between the legs (if you pardon the expression). Man Utd played 3 league matches between the 2 legs. So this kind of unfair shifting of matches already goes on.
I am a Liverpool fan (good guess ohmygosh) but I couldn;t hide my disgust when Carra retired from international football. I understand why he has done it, but it should’t be allowed. I was also disgusted that Gerrard was available for Liverpool but not available for England for the Germany game.
Other players retire prematurely too. Paul Scholes, Alan Shearer. We know about the Bentley fiasco over the summer (ok u21 but still).
That’s how much England means to our players, and its sad for someone like myself (and probably you ohmygosh) who yearns to see a World Cup back in England.
Shaun, you’re crackers, mate. I enjoy these two claims the most:
“Playing for your country is no longer the pinnacle of a footballers career, now its not, and the fans have responded with a similar nonchalante attitude.”
-AND-
“To most players now, national football is just an inconvenience. (I emphasise MOST, not all players have a similar mindset)”
So you’re the mouthpiece for the fans and most footballers, then? Look, the only places in the world where club football is more important than national team football to the fans are those handful of European countries where club football is played at its highest level (England, Spain, Italy, etc) and a large percentage of the players in these clubs are foreign, don’t play for the national team of the nation they’re playing club football in. Almost everywhere else in the world, fans get into a lather whenever their national teams get the chance to compete…so your opinion of fans’ rooting interests is only valid if only taking Europe-based fans into consideration.
Secondly, almost to a man, players claim the highest honor is to play for their national side, ESPECIALLY in those countries with a glut of talent and where competition for places is fierce. And those that choose to retire frequently do so to save face against the possibility of being dropped due to aging or lack of form. But you seem to be getting direct information from the players that the rest of us aren’t privy to…
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I don’t doubt that, but I am a Europe based fan and I do see Wembley only half full at the start of the second-half, which would say that fans don’t really care, surely you must agree with that perception Kris?
And how can you say that players such as Scholes or Shearer say its the highest honour, when they retired at their peaks, and Scholes now could still walk into the national side?
I don’t think myself as a mouthpiece at all I’m just giving my perceptions of the game today. If you think I’m wrong I’m not going to get into a twist about it.
As a France fan, this interests me. If Italy beats Scotland on the 16th, we’re in, regardless of what happens with Ukraine on the 21st. It Scotland wins, I think we need to win to beat Italy. So yes, this does seem a little skewed.
I think it’s a little unfair that Scotland gets to postpone the club matches the week before their international game. I live in the USA and our domestic league goes on during the World Cup.
You have hit the nail on the head.
I agree with Ahmend that it is respectable that a national FA would get behind the success of its national side so much.
However Shaun, you make a good point that in most other leagues, this would be a ridiculous and ridiculed request.
Congrats to the Scots, but also at the same time, it’s a little silly when others wouldn’t do the same thing.
WHO IS SCOTLAND ?
UNDER FOOTBALL TEAM
THAT’S ALL
WATCH EURO 2008 AT TV Mr FERGUSON (like 1/8 champions league … ah! ah! ah!)
I’m LYON fan and also french of course.
EXCUSE ME…
Good luck for scottish league (very famous).
Sea you to WORLD CUP 2010 if you can…
November 18, 2007yann
WHO IS SCOTLAND ?
Ill tell u who scotland is mate. we beat your surrendering asses home and away in the qualifiers
and seeing as you are a lyon fan, we came to your lovely stadium and walked out with a 3-0 win.
where have u been? hiding again?