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Could A Revamped League Cup Help Our Clubs In Europe?

Charlie Saiz offers food for thought as the game moves into a New Year…

Could  A Revamped League Cup Help Our Clubs In Europe?


I’ve been thinking about Celtic in europe ast season, and also how the other Scottish sides have been doing.

Are  there  any changes we could make  to our set up would be beneficial to our sides going into these games?
It seemed the sensible move to go back to a period when we were fairly competitive and successful in Europe as a nation.
So I took it back to the 1960’s and 70’S to see if there was anything worth considering or anything we were doing differently during that period.
Well straight away In 1966-67 Season we were part of an 18 Team top flight and played each other only twice home and away meaning a 34 game season rather than the current 38 which obviously means time saved over the piece and more wiggle room for winter breaks earlier start to the season,replays,call off’s etc..
In Season 66-67 the first Competitive game was on the 2nd of August a Glasgow Cup tie against Rangers then with a short break of 11 days (most likely to let the bruises heal) beofre the season started proper with a straight run of 6 League Cup games in a group set up not unlike the current Europa set up which went as follows:
13th Aug Hearts v Celtic
17th Aug Celtic Clyde
20th Aug Celtic v St.Mirren
27th Aug Celtic v Hearts
31st August Clyde v Celtic
3rd Sept St.Mirren v Celtic
We won our group then progressed to the quarter finals. (played on the 14th September)
As these games took place all through August they basically served as a competitive pre season for the likes of ourselves at Celtic who were aspiring to compete in Europe.
It also served as a great opportunity to bed in new faces/youth players stepping up etc and sort out systems in normal competitive conditions before the main event took place in the League and in Europe.
The first League game of Season 66-67 kicked off on the 10th September.
Compare that to the current season which meant starting August 1st.
That’s a 40 day difference.
If we take a closer look at this season our first game in Europe came up with no competitive games on the board.

Only 3 pre season friendlies which is of course hardly great preparation and no matter who you play it’s a disaster waiting to happen and even more so for the smaller clubs in Scotland, especially as the way the Champions League works these days Celtic will always face at least one opponent who is mdway through their season.
In Europe back in Season 66-67 our first competitive European game took place in late September meaning the lions were well into their stride as a result having had 12 competitive games under their belts (thanks primarily to the League Cup)and one solitary friendly against Man United.
I wonder if perhaps the League Cup was revamped and reverted back to a similar set up and played earlier in the Summer whether this would not benefit our teams before these crunch European ties commenced?
To achieve this obviously would mean an earlier finish to the previous Campaign ie back to say a 16 team set (as mooted by the FA) up playing 30 games a season rather than the current 38.
It could also mean increased revenues for the League and Clubs as we undertook competitive games whilst the elsewhere other Leagues (England) were on their summer break?
The League Cup could become a relevant competition again as it evidently was back then.
You could set it up so that the top 4 sides in each division were in pre selected Groups then the remaining sides from each Divisions made up the remaining pots.
Had it been based on last season the Groups would have looked like this..
Group 1
Celtic Aberdeen
Inverness CT St Johnstone
Group 2
Hearts Hibs
Rangers Queen of the South
Group 3
Morton Stranraer
Forfar Brechin
Group 4
Albion Rovers Queens Park
Arbroath East Fife

This gurantees the four games a season between the four top clubs….
The remaining pots containing an SPFL / Championship Pots and a League 1 and 2 pots.
If this was run in the weeks previous to a 16 team top flight then I think as in 66-67 onwards our players would be up to speed when taking on European sides so early into the Season.
I think it has to be worth considering because it evidently worked back then as we were far more competitive in Europe than we are now and that was not just down to level of players alone these early competitive games must surely have helped.

I know the League cup will have sections again next season, but they don’t include the european participants, who arguably are the teams that would benefit most from such a change.
A change is as good as a rest they say and for sure we must do something because the current set up is not working for any of us in Scotland.
It worked before at a time when Scotland had  successful teams in Europe so there has to be a case for at least trying it for a few years.

 

 

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Una
8 years ago

Charlie Siaz to replace doncaster & regan, excellent article it makes sense and is food for thought. Maybe this should be sent to the sfa for consideration as they don’t have a clue how to come up with anything near as good as this plan of action. The future is bright it’s Charlie Siaz’s night.

Iancelt67
8 years ago

Any links for the game

Iancelt67
8 years ago

Ty ralph

8 years ago

Great article Charlie, and a good bit of research. I think the general clamour for a 16 or 18 team setup is getting stronger and stronger and soon will be impossible for the sfa to ignore the view of fans. Most fans want a 16 team league and markets should listen to the majority of customers. The idea of making the top four team of spfl in same league cup group has real merit at it ensures tha the top teams play each other x4 per season, while playing every other team twice in a 16 or 18 team format. I think we had a better structure in th 60s than now and I think the format of Scottish football for the last 30 years is one of the main reasons for the general deterioration in the standard and performance of Scottish teams and players.

BroxburnBhoy
8 years ago

Charlie this makes good sense and trying something different is well worth it. Other countries outside the UK try and set their season up so that their club and national teams can be more successful in international competition. We seem to do the opposite. These games can also be used to try new rules to encourage more attacking play, try new entertainment pre and post game to encourage more people and families to show up. Maybe free entrance for under 16 year olds, try new sponsorship deals and so on. Pity our officers at the SFA and SPFL are unable to think like this.

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  BroxburnBhoy

Thing is it’s been done before and looking at the results back then we were far better in Europe back then than now.
Our International side was too for that matter.
Thing is the League Cup has become a bit of joke where as in the 60’s 70’s it was a genuine test early into the Season.
These friendlies are a pain as well as a risk often played in heat or on poor surfaces.
Shortening the League Games to say 30 (16 teams)would also allow for greater flexibility for a winter shutdown or earlier end to the season..which in turn could mean an earlier start and some Summer Football.
We have 2 games cancelled already in December and the Weathers not turned cold yet ffs.
I agree on the pricing say a family Ticket £20 2 adults 3 kids?

basqueceltic
8 years ago

Food for thought indeed,all we need is a competent orgaisation to put the wheels in motion.Get shot of morons first and then ….who knows???Hail Hail CS.

Monti
8 years ago

The League cup died when they removed a European place for winning it.
The League cup should be left to the Diddy teams to fight it out for it, give the Diddy teams their day out at Hampden.

At the very top of our game, it is corrupt to the fucking core, so they can say what they want about league cup changes or league reconstruction, I don’t give a fuck.
The game is corrupt to the core!

The whole thing needs to be ripped up and started again.
Scottish football is a complete embarrasment!

Charlie Saiz
8 years ago
Reply to  Monti

It does not need ripping up it just needs a clearout at the top and honest Football people running it with zero agenda other than doing things for the good of the game and fans.
The League Cup was relevant in the 60’s and 70’s it served as a competitive pre season for the Clubs facing European Football and evidently served us well.
Something positive needs to happen in the meantime though and this could well be a positive for all concerned.
the top 4 sides in each League playing each other twice in preparation to Europe in the Summer when the other Moneyball Leagues are in shut down could generate much needed Revenue early into the Season for some of these Clubs?
We have TV Companies televising these pointless mini pre season Tournaments as there hee haw else to show when the World Cup is off.
Package and price it right the fans will come during the nicer weather..evening games etc.
Be worth trying I think.

BroxburnBhoy
8 years ago

Agree needs ripped up and redesigned. I think that is the suggestion. Better to play games in Scotland in good weather than these show games flying around the world to play second fiddle to Man Utd Liverpool and Real Madrid

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