Would This Benefit Scottish Football?

[Exiled AusJag]

I can't remember if this subject has been raised before, but you'd have to live the life of a hermit if you didn't acknowledge that the wealth of the other two Glasgow clubs was built by the religeous divide in Scotland, with all other clubs suffering.

 

In Australia, all major football codes have a salary cap, with AFL and I think league, having a player draft as well. The A league also has a Marquee player whose salary is outwith the cap, and each club is only allowed one marquee player.

 

Last year, Melbourne Storm rugby league club was caught breaching the salary cap, and unlike the the punishment handed to Dundee, the club was stripped of prevoius permierships, and still had to play the entire season. but wasn't able to have any points if they won or drew.

 

If Scottish football were to introduce a salary cap, would it even out the competition?

 

It's an ideal that I'd like to see, and after a number of seasons could we see other clubs, rather than Glasgow's other two, be a serious challenge for cups and championships?

 

I doubt the SFA would introduce it, but I'd love to see it.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Exiled AusJag

[phoenix1876]

i understand what your saying but like.

the only change the spl want to make, is just to have the old firm play everyweek of the season.

so no league changes will ever be made that benefits any other team outwith the old firm.

 

one of my mates told me in america (either soccer or american football)

the worse teams get more money than the best to purchase players. (awesome idea)

[jaggy]

one of my mates told me in america (either soccer or american football)

the worse teams get more money than the best to purchase players. (awesome idea)

in American Football the worst teams get the first pick of the best college players

[twinny]

i understand what your saying but like.

the only change the spl want to make, is just to have the old firm play everyweek of the season.

so no league changes will ever be made that benefits any other team outwith the old firm.

 

one of my mates told me in america (either soccer or american football)

the worse teams get more money than the best to purchase players. (awesome idea)

 

It is the same in all US sports (well, ice hockey, basketball and American football (maybe baseball?)). It's difficult to understand why such a capitalist country adopts a socialist system for its sports clubs. They do seem to believe in fairness and a level playing field in sport more so than in other countries. I guess though that they want franchises from all over the country to be seen to do well and if a handful of teams were winning all the trophies they wouldn't make as much money from the 'smaller' teams.

 

I like the idea of a salary cap, they even have one in league one and two in England (and maybe the Championship?), however I don't think a rookie draft would work, in this country clubs are rewarded by developing their own youth systems. The country is small enough that a rookie draft would be easy to implement though - there was talk a few years back of regional development centres wasn't there? If this was to happen, youngsters would be trained not by individual clubs but their regional staff, and perhaps there would be a week long trial at the start of the summer with a 'draft pick' before the season starts. The problem would be, what clubs are involved? SPL and SFL? Would that mean the next Leigh Griffiths will be playing for Clyde at the bottom of division 3? That wouldn't help his development. In order for it to work we'd need larger leagues. I don't really know why I've wasted all this time typing, it isn't ever going to happen, though I guess it is an interesting thought.

[Mr Bunny]

It is the same in all US sports (well, ice hockey, basketball and American football (maybe baseball?)). It's difficult to understand why such a capitalist country adopts a socialist system for its sports clubs. They do seem to believe in fairness and a level playing field in sport more so than in other countries. I guess though that they want franchises from all over the country to be seen to do well and if a handful of teams were winning all the trophies they wouldn't make as much money from the 'smaller' teams.

 

Nothing to do with socialism. It's capitalism - if you ensure a strong league, with even the weakest teams having players worth going to see, then more folk will want to watch more teams and more competition will mean more interest (and more cash through the gates).

 

Thing is, business got involved with football a lot earlier over there - and they saw the business as centred on the league, not individual clubs (except insofar as they are part of the league). Elsewhere, especially the UK, the club became paramount which has led to a handful of clubs having most of the resources and as business has gotten involved, it's been via taking over individual clubs so we have the model we have now.

 

These clubs have all the influence and will block any attempt to change things - e.g. make a more competitive league. Which is not so bad say in England because they have so many clubs and far more resources than (say) Scotland but up here it is killing our game.

 

Edited to add -- didn't read your post right through first time twinny - you made a similar point, apologies.

Edited May 4, 2011 by Mr Bunny

[twinny]

Nothing to do with socialism. It's capitalism - if you ensure a strong league, with even the weakest teams having players worth going to see, then more folk will want to watch more teams and more competition will mean more interest (and more cash through the gates).

 

Yes I realise that really. On a competition level though, it appears to go against what you expect from the US, as success does not breed success. But of course, you are correct, each franchise will make more as a result, instead of a handful of them making even more and the rest making little.

[twinny]

Edited to add -- didn't read your post right through first time twinny - you made a similar point, apologies.

 

No worries, I'd forgotten whether I'd included that point or just thought it and didn't bother to check my own post.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I doubt whether a go it alone salary cap in Scotland would work not that there's not a lot of merit in the idea.

There's a couple of other ways of toning down some of the nonsense that's gone on before and to some degree still goes on.

 

Firstly instead of a salary cap (or in conjunction with one if a wage limitation was practical) limit clubs' player wage bills to a certain percentage of the individual club's turnover. I remember Dundee were about 10 year ago spending just over 150% of their turnover on player wages and I think Dunfermline about 130%. Result of course was the former going into administration and the Pars ripping up contracts to avoid the same outcome.

I wouldn't know what percentage limit to set tho' 50% of turnover seems to me about right. I realise that this could be open to abuse (boot money etc) but most of that abuse would fall foul of the taxman and vatman.

 

Secondly, and I'm thinking more about our division here, limit the player squad to say to no more than 15 outfield players over the age of 21 with no limit on those below that age. If in tandem with with the wage/turnover thingy it would be a logical move in any case.

 

There's a third thing I'd like to see but doubt it's possible. That would be a return to split gates in league matches. If we went down the route of 16 club leagues we would likely have to revert to groups in the league cup to augment the drop in league games. Those group stages would be home and away and that would be an ideal place to split gates.

[John Blutarsky]

would sabermetrics, another U.S idea work here? or more importantly, work for us?

[Ember]

On a competition level though, it appears to go against what you expect from the US, as success does not breed success.

Not when you accept the individual sports as the product. The NBA/NFL/MBA/NHL/MLS are the entities in competition with each other and it is the leagues themselves that hold all the power as opposed to any individual clubs. The success of individual clubs is of little importance as a more holistic view is taken. The system is so simple it's genius.

[Craig-W]

As with American sports all profits from merchandise sales should be split equally between all the clubs.