SENTINELCELTS

As the year draws to a close those of a Celtic persuasion will sleep the easiest. Reinforced in numbers via another busy winter transfer window, reinforced on the park with Mooys return aiding the display, 9 points clear, and of course the Resolutioners achieved an ending to the saga they are happy with. Win the next two games and most would consider the league a wrap, a fantastic position to be in.
It’s a good time to be a Tim, that’s for sure.
 
Unfortunately, our club of choice and by extension those very same Tims fall under the umbrella of the SPL. And quite frankly it’s never a good time to be involved with one of Europes worst top flight leagues.
 
Almost everything Hampden gets involved with goes wrong, and this year was no exception.
They made a complete Horlicks of the Cinch sponsorship deal, defeated by a member club on the issue and were forced to sign a new updated contract to take into account their miscalculation.
 
They did manage to find long term buyers for the right to televise the league’s games, but again controversy wasn’t far behind. Amid calls the selling fee was inadequate, the leagues supremos’ assurance that the details were run by all clubs beforehand was quickly challenged and demands for an inquiry into the affair soon followed. And soon ignored.
 
Next up Hampden imposed it’s own version of VAR upon the national sport, and very few if any would suggest it has progressed the game or matchday experience. Every round of fixtures brings more dubious calls, more selective officiating that is regularly deemed a method to help level up the league by holding teams back rather than assisting them.
Those running the system do so with impunity, the mainstream media happy to ignore or downplay controversial incidents against any team that’s not called Rangers.
 
Underlying all the above is the curious case of the Compliance Officer. Hampden is on its third appointee in less than two years, which suggests there’s more to the job than meets the eye, which isn’t hard to imagine. Being honest and of good moral character are enough to disqualify for the position, the skullduggery and pressure involved would drive any decent person away. Hampden will not want it’s VAR officials shown up on a weekly basis, and the old boys network probably enjoys the easy money it brings, so the CO’s hands are tied I imagine.
 
As for the league and clubs themselves there is one shining light yes, but that’s never enough. The Champions are on an exciting journey however most clubs continue to simply exist and not thrive. The fact we have more than double the points of the third placed team before the New Year is a very sad sign.
 
American ownership of Aberdeen cannot be called a success, at this point anyway.
Hibernian remain a model of inconsistency while their Edinburgh counterparts continue to prefer a battle on the field rather than a game of football.
FSR regulations shall severely hamper the Ibrox teams prospects, although they correctly opted for coaching and tactics to improve the team, but the fact remains they will not be favourites to land the title against Celtic for the foreseeable future.
All other clubs arent worth writing home about though they will raise their game when we visit instead of every weekend which is almost cheating their support. Not getting relegated looks to be the main objective for the majority, a poor goal when growth should be the top agenda, a style of play and players who put bums on seats.
 
The conversation around banning alcohol advertising at games hasn’t received as much coverage as it should, given it has the potential to put the cat amongst the pigeons.
 
Putting aside the irony of advertising alcohol to people in the stands who would love a drink in their hand yet can’t actually buy one, there’s a valid argument it’s the morally correct thing to do, the theory being it would help the health of the nation and not glamorize the product for the next generation.
Understandable.
 
Yet surveys show 72.5 percent of professional clubs (Europe wide) having at least one alcohol related sponsor/partner.

Call for ban on alcohol ads in Scottish sports

If this proposed legislation is enacted it will effectively leave one nation and one nation alone at a disadvantage, hardly fair.
We could be faced with the ridiculous situation of being allowed alcohol advertising for European games, then switching them out for league games. All while watching other competitions revel in their numerous associations, count the amount of Heineken ads per Champions League games that delivers a fortune to UEFA.
 
While this isn’t of Hampdens making for once, they must handle the consequences (should this occur). Given they are the opposite of Midas in that everything they touch turns to manure not gold, it’s easy to imagine this potential income crisis not being well at all.
If lower league clubs are forced to cut academy budgets, or close them altogether, the national sport suffers. If they are forced under by this decision, everyone suffers.
 
When considering the sports health and future, one must also take into consideration the upcoming recession. The UKs future does not look bright to say the least and households everywhere will feel the pinch. A business that has seen exports collapse will forgo that corporate box, the young group of friends who usually attend might opt out when half are unemployed in order to stick together, the family of season tickets could be reduced to one or two, for the lucky families. The unlucky families are forced to food banks, and those waiting in the huge line aren’t in a position to buy season tickets for any level of football.
The list of ‘cant afford it’ looks set to grow. Another nail in the national sports coffin.
 
The EPL provides another strong nail in that coffin. The English top flight is going from strength to strength with a big seven now battling it out, as opposed to our big one, big rival, ten idiots system. West Ham or Leicester getting their act together would make it a big eight, further cementing it’s claim as the biggest league in the world. With little scandal attached, a media who will expose whatever they find, and the referees allegiance rule in place, theres no surprise here that’s it’s growing in popularity particularly among the youth.
It’s a polished product and can be held up as the benchmark, providing a much better quality of football than Scotlands top flight.
 
Unfortunately I surmise Scottish football is not well positioned for the future for the following reasons,,,
A one horse race tends to leave the product increasingly uninteresting from a supporter and commercial point of view, it doesn’t help grow the product.
Any tightening of the belts across the sport shall further skew the divisions especially the top flight.
The Champions League income shall drive a bigger wedge between the top two and the rest, sometimes a wedge between first and second if they fail to qualify.
Potential players will be lost due to austerity.
Survival mode for most clubs is not conducive to playing youth or adventurous football.
The parochialism and tribalism throughout the sport is not a positive, racism remains entrenched even in this day and age.
The media remain biased and won’t lead the calls for reform, but rather continue their top selling blue good green bad formula.
Hampden remains the old boys club and a hindrance to progression.
 
A potential silver lining is the increasing dependency upon youth players which is always welcome. Whether supporters are happy to fork out the hard earned to watch kids mature is another question, most believe that’s what the amateur leagues are for. Besides the cream usually get plucked early by bigger clubs ala Ben Doak, Liam Morrison and Islam Feruz.
 
Scottish football increasingly reminds me of Pinocchio, it’s a little boy that needs to grow up. Normally boys must grow into men, you can’t hold them back, but in this instance the boy can be held back. Is being held back.
And will continue to be held back.
 
There’s a wholesale change in thinking needed, but change can be the hardest thing in the world to achieve. People prefer the norm, change can be uncomfortable.
Cheryl Crow rightly opined a change will do you good, and that’s true, but necessity is the mother of change.
Without the need to change Scottish football won’t.
And that’s it in a nutshell, it can easily remain Pinocchio and continue.
In order to grow up, real problems must be acknowledged and confronted with grown up thinking.
As yet, that’s been a step too far.
Until necessity arrives, that’s how it will remain.
 
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com