Scottish football (Merged)

[Lanterne Rouge]

9 hours ago, 22A said:

The Scottish League Cup first round is in a league format with several groups of four or five clubs playing one another. The draw as now been made of rthe first round of the 17-18 season's cup. The four teams playing in Europe are exempt until the quarter finals. This year for the group stage, East Kilbride (lowland league winners) and Buckie Thistle (Highland League winners) are included.

I watched Buckie Thistle v Forres Mechanics once. I was just driving by and thought I`d have a look. 

[JamesBCFC]

4 hours ago, 22A said:

Many thanks for that. Now, going off topic, can anyone explain why we refer to Holland as the Netherlands when the expression should also include Belgium? (Both being low lying countries). Then why are those who live there referred to as  Dutch?

Isnt Holland 2 of the provinces (North Holland and South Holland) within the kingdom of the Netherlands (which only included Belgium for 15 years)

"Dutch" is an old English term for the people of a nation (germanic roots?) and that is why the German word for Germany is Deutschland.

 

This is my very basic, and probably slightly misremembered understanding I got from talking to a Dutch girl a few years ago.

[reddoh]

1 hour ago, JamesBCFC said:

Isnt Holland 2 of the provinces (North Holland and South Holland) within the kingdom of the Netherlands (which only included Belgium for 15 years)

"Dutch" is an old English term for the people of a nation (germanic roots?) and that is why the German word for Germany is Deutschland.

 

This is my very basic, and probably slightly misremembered understanding I got from talking to a Dutch girl a few years ago.

You may be correct.

the country is the Netherlands 

Holland bbc and itv coverage (was so f ing wrong)

Belgium's all have one thing in common they may want to be French or they may want too be Dutch but none of them want to be Belgium.

every major war has gone through Belgium (usually with ease).

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

3 hours ago, Red Right Hand said:

I watched Buckie Thistle v Forres Mechanics once. I was just driving by and thought I`d have a look. 

My mother is from Buckie, so always look out for them.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

10 hours ago, Norn Iron said:

Hi 22A. Great name by the way.

It was an interesting post but Ulster is not a country!

Just in case you're not fully aware, Ulster is in fact the generic name for 9 counties within this island. It would be similar to the counties that make up Wessex. However the Wessex analogy has a major flaw as it is in one country. Ulster is spread over 2 countries! 6 of the Ulster counties are in Northern Ireland whilst 3 are south of the border. 

In an age when people will take offence at the slightest thing, using the word Ulster, however, can still suggest a political motivation unless in the right context.

When it comes to football it's not called the Ulster League but the Northern Ireland Football League. Yet the governing body is called the IFA (Irish Football League) but it only represents teams north of the border! It's all to do with the partition of Ireland. The name of IFA made complete sense prior to 1921. What happened next is another story. 

Sloppy journalism from the past has meant that Ulster has been the alternative name for Northern Ireland.

It's a word that is used every day in Northern Ireland for business, buildings, media etc but as soon as you put Ulster into a political party's name that's where you have the problem. All of a sudden the political party means it's unionist ie part of the UK.

And there you have it. A bluffer's guide to the word Ulster!  

 

 

 

 

And I always thought it was a coat! 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Just now, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

My mother is from Buckie, so always look out for them.

Seemed a nice little town. I was working in Aberdeen and staying up for the weekend and a mate of mine asked me to look at a house he was thinking of buying in Elgin and bunged me some dosh for petrol. Drove all along the Moray Firth and it was great, I didn`t have any idea it was so scenic.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

2 minutes ago, Red Right Hand said:

Seemed a nice little town. I was working in Aberdeen and staying up for the weekend and a mate of mine asked me to look at a house he was thinking of buying in Elgin and bunged me some dosh for petrol. Drove all along the Moray Firth and it was great, I didn`t have any idea it was so scenic.

Always used to holiday in Portknockie when I was a kid, as that is where some of my folks hailed from (the others were from Peterhead). The Moray Firth is God's own country!

You need an interpreter in Peterhead though, to understand the Doric!

[Lanterne Rouge]

Just now, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

Always used to holiday in Portknockie when I was a kid, as that is where my folks hailed from (the others were from Peterhead). The Moray Firth is God's own country!

You need an interpreter in Peterhead though, to understand the Doric!

Portknockie! That was the other place he was looking to move to but had changed his mind and was going to Elgin instead.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Just now, Red Right Hand said:

Portknockie! That was the other place he was looking to move to but had changed his mind and was going to Elgin instead.

The Port is affa fine! I still have a few distant relatives there. Great for dolphin watching in the summer, and the famous Bow Fiddle rock.

[sglosbcfc]

19 hours ago, BigTone said:

What's the difference with watching Celtic batter some hopelessly outclassed Scottish rival ? Apart from Celtic most other Scottish clubs would be lucky to make it in our non league divisions. How boring is it the one club wins the league every year by 20 odd points. I'll predict it now that Celtic will win it again next year and I doubt too many on here would bet against it. Personally I would rather watch Weymouth against Dorchester going hammer and tongs than the crap served up north of the border.

The classic 'drop the Scots teams into the English set up and they'd struggle nonsense'. With the huge amount of revenue from Sky Tv, new sponsorship deals they'd be able to secure and crowds of 50,000 every week Celtic and Rangers would be challenging the top four with 2-3 years. Clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs who could easily get 15-20,000 in the English set up would be somewhere around higher championship-lower premiership with the huge extra revenue. The Dundee clubs could also support Championship teams and the others (Premiership and Championship teams) would find their spots in League one and two. I agree that the smallest twenty Scots league clubs would be non league in size in England.

[BigTone]

2 minutes ago, sglosbcfc said:

The classic 'drop the Scots teams into the English set up and they'd struggle nonsense'. With the huge amount of revenue from Sky Tv, new sponsorship deals they'd be able to secure and crowds of 50,000 every week Celtic and Rangers would be challenging the top four with 2-3 years. Clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs who could easily get 15-20,000 in the English set up would be somewhere around higher championship-lower premiership with the huge extra revenue. The Dundee clubs could also support Championship teams and the others (Premiership and Championship teams) would find their spots in League one and two. I agree that the smallest twenty Scots league clubs would be non league in size in England.

I did say most and not all, however size of crowd does not relate to ability as is seen in English football

[Norn Iron]

13 hours ago, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

And I always thought it was a coat! 

I hasn't got a clue what on earth you were on about so I had to Google it! Thanks Mike.

Who says you can't learn anything non-football on otib?

Suffice to say I want one now! The cape was always an optional extra as was the deerstalker. I don't want to look like Sherlock but I do want to be kept warm in Spring, Autumn and Winter!

So, with Father's Day approaching, what better than asking for an Ulster Coat? 

 The Ulster Overcoat — Gentleman's Gazette
https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ulster/

Wait a minute, I have a City dugout Adidas coat. That keeps me warm. It's more fashionable than an Ulster coat as well!

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Just now, Norn Iron said:

I hasn't got a clue what on earth you were on about so I had to Google it! Thanks Mike.

Who says you can't learn anything non-football on otib?

Suffice to say I want one now! The cape was always an optional extra as was the deerstalker. I don't want to look like Sherlock but I do want to be kept warm in Spring, Autumn and Winter!

So, with Father's Day approaching, what better than asking for an Ulster Coat? 

 The Ulster Overcoat — Gentleman's Gazette
https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ulster/

Wait a minute, I have a City dugout Adidas coat. That keeps me warm. It's more fashionable than an Ulster coat as well!

Let's start a trend....Bristol City deerstalkers and ulsters!

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

4 minutes ago, Norn Iron said:

I hasn't got a clue what on earth you were on about so I had to Google it! Thanks Mike.

Who says you can't learn anything non-football on otib?

Suffice to say I want one now! The cape was always an optional extra as was the deerstalker. I don't want to look like Sherlock but I do want to be kept warm in Spring, Autumn and Winter!

So, with Father's Day approaching, what better than asking for an Ulster Coat? 

 The Ulster Overcoat — Gentleman's Gazette
https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/ulster/

Wait a minute, I have a City dugout Adidas coat. That keeps me warm. It's more fashionable than an Ulster coat as well!

And in the spirit of even-handedness, there is a Donegal overcoat too.

[Norn Iron]

Just now, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

Let's start a trend....Bristol City deerstalkers and ulsters!

Never mind the Bristol City Ultras.....here come the City Ulsters! The Burberry brigade is nothing!

The next statement has never been so more apt....igmc 

[Norn Iron]

Just now, Mike Hunt-Hertz said:

And in the spirit of even-handedness, there is a Donegal overcoat too.

That would be a sub-division as Donegal is in Ulster. Apparently the tweed for an Ulster has to come from Donegal.

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

Just now, Norn Iron said:

That would be a sub-division as Donegal is in Ulster. Apparently the tweed for an Ulster has to come from Donegal.

I meant more in a modern context, as Donegal is in RoI. OTIB discussions on Irish geopolitical affairs.....and coats!

[JamesBCFC]

8 hours ago, sglosbcfc said:

The classic 'drop the Scots teams into the English set up and they'd struggle nonsense'. With the huge amount of revenue from Sky Tv, new sponsorship deals they'd be able to secure and crowds of 50,000 every week Celtic and Rangers would be challenging the top four with 2-3 years. Clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs who could easily get 15-20,000 in the English set up would be somewhere around higher championship-lower premiership with the huge extra revenue. The Dundee clubs could also support Championship teams and the others (Premiership and Championship teams) would find their spots in League one and two. I agree that the smallest twenty Scots league clubs would be non league in size in England.

Yeah, I'm sure their 50k crowds will guarentee them European football, just like it has for Newcastle.

[EnderMB]

On 6/4/2017 at 09:06, sglosbcfc said:

The classic 'drop the Scots teams into the English set up and they'd struggle nonsense'. With the huge amount of revenue from Sky Tv, new sponsorship deals they'd be able to secure and crowds of 50,000 every week Celtic and Rangers would be challenging the top four with 2-3 years. Clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs who could easily get 15-20,000 in the English set up would be somewhere around higher championship-lower premiership with the huge extra revenue. The Dundee clubs could also support Championship teams and the others (Premiership and Championship teams) would find their spots in League one and two. I agree that the smallest twenty Scots league clubs would be non league in size in England.

It's worth noting that nowadays attendances is only a small percentage of club income, around 10% or less if I remember correctly.

50k isn't anything to be sniffed at, and they'll be very marketable, but they'll need to survive before they can build up to that. Rangers has had numerous problems handling its money, and with dodgy owners, so I can see them struggling. 

[sglosbcfc]

On 4 June 2017 at 18:05, JamesBCFC said:

Yeah, I'm sure their 50k crowds will guarentee them European football, just like it has for Newcastle.

I accept the argument that nothing is guaranteed in football, Manchester United went 26 years without the title despite being the biggest club in England. But Celtic and Rangers are both bigger than Newcastle, even the most passionate Geordie would accept that. If they entered the English league I'm sure both clubs would enlarge their stadiums as they could both match United's 75,000 gates in the English set up. They are both extremely marketable and the sky would be the limit for them in our set up. For the record I don't think they should be allowed in as countries should have their own domestic football. 

[sglosbcfc]

On 5 June 2017 at 10:05, EnderMB said:

It's worth noting that nowadays attendances is only a small percentage of club income, around 10% or less if I remember correctly.

50k isn't anything to be sniffed at, and they'll be very marketable, but they'll need to survive before they can build up to that. Rangers has had numerous problems handling its money, and with dodgy owners, so I can see them struggling. 

A fair point, you must have the right people in charge of your club. Crooks and con men can destroy any club.

[Kodjias Wrist]

If Celtic and Rangers were in the prem getting the money other teams are getting, I feel within a few years they would easily compete for top 6.

[stephenkibby.]

10 minutes ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

If Celtic and Rangers were in the prem getting the money other teams are getting, I feel within a few years they would easily compete for top 6.

Great. in other news manu have renewed their postion as the richest football club in the world.

Now isn't that a heart warming story?

Lets bring both the Glasgow teams in, that would make the league more intresting . let them create more wealth and challange for the English first division title.

For the fans of teams in our football league we would be elated. Maybe we could all get our favorite Jock team shirt out, head down the pub.

Be great to see the kids wearing some new shirts!!!!

[Kodjias Wrist]

1 hour ago, stephenkibby. said:

Great. in other news manu have renewed their postion as the richest football club in the world.

Now isn't that a heart warming story?

Lets bring both the Glasgow teams in, that would make the league more intresting . let them create more wealth and challange for the English first division title.

For the fans of teams in our football league we would be elated. Maybe we could all get our favorite Jock team shirt out, head down the pub.

Be great to see the kids wearing some new shirts!!!!

You forgot to take your pills today didn't you?

[Robbored]

2 hours ago, Kodjias Wrist said:

If Celtic and Rangers were in the prem getting the money other teams are getting, I feel within a few years they would easily compete for top 6.

They probably would but so would lotd  of clubs with a huge fan base.

[BS4 on Tour...]

2 hours ago, sglosbcfc said:

For the record I don't think they should be allowed in as countries should have their own domestic football. 

...ok, so do you look forward to Newport County AFC, Cardiff City and Swansea City being expelled to the Welsh Premier League or below, quite soon?

[Miah Dennehy]

14 minutes ago, Robbored said:

They probably would but so would lotd  of clubs with a huge fan base.

That'll be us then

[sglosbcfc]

31 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

...ok, so do you look forward to Newport County AFC, Cardiff City and Swansea City being expelled to the Welsh Premier League or below, quite soon?

That is different as they have always been in our league set up since before Wales even had a semi professional league.

[Kodjias Wrist]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

They probably would but so would lotd  of clubs with a huge fan base.

Yes but theirs in particular are extremely big. They don't have anywhere near as many glory fans as the top six clubs and get massive crowds considering.

[Eddie Hitler]

Scottish football has been in relative decline since the big money came in with the Premier League in the 90s and this decline will continue.

It remains a valid, passionate, and (mostly) competitive league but the gap between it and the English league is big and getting bigger.  I would, um, "hazard" a guess that Chelsea's wage bill, or Man City's for that matter, exceeds that of the whole Scottish league.

I'm not triumphalist about that however, if anything I'm envious as success in their leagues is about supporters walking through the turnstiles as it used to be here before we got the days of silly money and parachute payments.