Well since Duke’s not around I’ll just have to answer for him in the meantime.
My understanding is that the other SPL clubs can’t wait to see the back of us. Level the playing field, give other clubs a chance at the Champions League, etc.
Average attendances at SPL grounds for last season can be found here.
The Cups should be a reasonable aspiration - most of the finals in recent years have involved one non-Old Firm team. But the reality is it’s been five years since any team outside Glasgow actually won one. Hearts were the last to win the Scottish Cup, in the 1997-98 season, and Aberdeen the last to win the League Cup, in 1995-96.
owlstretchingtime (“Rejected Monty Python name?”): As ruadh says, some SPL clubs can’t wait to get rid of the Old Firm. I am not 100% convinced, though, that Aberdeen is in this camp. I think that the directors are afraid that (1) they’d miss out on their three (or four if we get in the top six) guaranteed full houses when the Old Firm comes to Pittodrie and (2) they might not finish top of the table anyway, which would be a huge embarrassment to a club that likes to think of itself as Scotland’s third team. (Football-wise, they probably aren’t now, though they were for yonks.) I’m sure if the Old Firm left, the SPL would be cut to one Champion’s League place and possibly only one UEFA place. So you’d have to win the league or the Scottish Cup to be guaranteed a place in Europe.
The scary thing is, if you look at the league attendance table that ruadh posted to (thanks, lass!), the median attendance for non-Old Firm teams is in the 7,500 range. And if you factored in the loss of the big paydays when Celtic or the Huns came to town, you’d be looking at an average attendance about 6-7,000. Could the SPL be financially viable? Probably not, IMHO. Sad to say, we may actually need the Old Firm to survive.
But this is only the third year, I think, that Scotland has had two CL places. If Scotland’s coefficient drops it could easily revert to that even if the Old Firm stay. Then you guys will be fecked anyway.
Well, the argument is that attendances will improve when the clubs have something more than third place to play for.
But it’s competitive, Owl. It isn’t Premier League team vs. Hartlepool or Grimsby or Rushden and Diamonds every week, which is what and where the glazed Glasweg’ens have to contend with. I mean Bolton’s Bolton, but at least it isn’t Livingstone or Kilmarnock.
Two ends of the spectrum, we’re utterly spoilt down here, they’re playing Div2 opposition oop North.
**SentientMeat ** - I think some here do their own thing (elsewhere) but it looks interesting and I’d be up for taking it further.
btw, just so you know, one of us is a . . . < deep breathe> . . . girlie.
Forgot! Thanks for the Spurs team, Owl. Couldn’t find it online and then, after you posted,. I saw the official site had finally put it up.
4-4-2 . . . . not really Glenda’s way. Even at this stage, injuries are throwing off the 3-5-2 Mater Plan. Two more signings the South African guy (who I like the sound of more than all the others, I think) plus a midfield rottweiler aren’t going to provide enough.
I presume he’ll experiment a lot with Keane in the Sherringham-type/Kewell-ish midfield-link/‘in the hole’ almost midfield role. But who knows what’s in the mind of the Gods Chosen One . . .
I don’t think it’s that strange. If McFadden could score 19 goals for frigging Motherwell last season just think what he could do for us. He is also a diehard Tim and will accept sitting on the bench for low pay for much of his first year in the knowledge that if he manages to impress he’s in line for a first team slot the year after when sob Larsson is gone (and probably Sutton as well). Whereas Rebrov would expect to walk into the side and would demand extraordinary wages for probably fairly little return. I wouldn’t even have to think twice which of the two I prefer.
I never said I would prefer Rebrov to Mcfadden I do think he will be a great signing, and hope we get him. It’s just an interesting situation when 3 years ago Rebrov formed half of the greatest striking partnership in Europe, but now is coming out as the shitty end of the options
Avoid like the plague. He’s too small and gets knocked off the ball. He wouldn’t stand a chance in Scotland, any more than he did in England (and indeed Turkey).
We were told that he was the second highest scorer in Champions League* history. THis is true but most of them were against maltese and welsh teams.
*this should be called the league of teams coming fourth
Spurs are being very heavily linked with Van Bommel. £8m proper pounds, that would be nice (although I am not sure that all this spending is healthy for us Spurs fans - we like to moan)
I note The Chosen One has now spent £20 million (give or take a fiver) in the past 12 months on 4 strikers. He’ll be on that cross before Christmas if we’re not top 6. ruadh and twisty. Take him. We’ll pay you - how much do you want ? Just take him away.
I do think he will be a great signing, and hope we get him. It’s just an interesting situation when 3 years ago Rebrov formed half of the greatest striking partnership in Europe, but now is coming out as the shitty end of the options 
How predictable was that !