07 Nov 2025 07:31:41
Scottish football is a laughing stock and I still don't think we've hit rock bottom yet because it will only continue to get worse first.
I might be wrong but I believe the downfall started when Sevco announced they were pulling out of the Scottish Reserve league in June 2019.
At that time there were 27 Scottish Reserve clubs split into 2 leagues.
Seven other clubs including Celtic, Aberdeen and Hibs also then decided to withdraw from the reserve league.
The 2019/ 20 Reserve season had 19 clubs participating until the pandemic stopped the Reserve league for 2 years.
The Reserve league started back up in 2022 with only 10 clubs participating which included Hibs who joined again but only for one season.
In the last couple of seasons only 6 clubs participated in the Reserve league.
Dundee, Dunfermline, Livingston, Kilmarnock,
Queens Park and QOTS.
It's went from a competitive 27 clubs in June 2019 to only 6 clubs in 2025.
I'm not sure if there's a Reseve league for the 2025/ 26 season or it's been scrapped altogether.
Scottish football is letting down our Youth players who can't be blamed for leaving and joining more competitive leagues elsewhere.
The SFA need to get back to basics and make Reserve League football compulsory and get that competitive edge back, which can only help our youngsters develop.
It's not rocket science and it's baffling how this has been allowed to happen.
07 Nov 2025 08:36:01
Yet those in charge of our game remain in place, regardless of how bad our clubs and national side perform.
Neil Doncaster should have been punted a decade ago. Barry Hearn said he could get way more money into Scottish football and called out ND's incompetence years ago.
Trouble is, he knows where all the bodies are buried re. the death of Rangers and birth of Sevco. I wonder just how much the secret 5-way agreement is holding back Scottish football and Celtic? Remember it was DD who came out and said Celtic need a strong Rangers.
Regardless of how bad Scottish football is on the pitch, we have been a laughing stock since 2012 and likely to remain so indefinitely!
07 Nov 2025 09:42:15
The 5-way-agreement underlined the corruption and manipulation infesting and rotting Scottish football for many, many years. The worse thing is not only did the vast majority of clubs condone the cover-up and lies, but our own club were party to the whole facade.
Celtic have had more controversial confrontations with the SFA/ SPFL than any other club over the last century, but still they complied and signed the deal with the devil in 2012.
I detest the obsolete tag 'Old Firm' that is continually spouted to allow them to hang onto our coat tails, but no matter how different we are in principal and tradition, there must be a clandestine code that retains some sort of bind.
Television rights is one probability?
Sevco may be a shadow of their former self in several ways, but they still have more power and influence than most, where religious bigotry far outweighs common sense and constructive progress.
07 Nov 2025 09:53:16
I expect Scottish football to hit rock bottom in August 2027 when probably only One club will reach the Group stage.
The 2026/ 27 Scottish Champions will have 2 parachutes and would need to lose all 3 Qualifying ties to be eliminated altogether.
The 2027 Scottish Cup winners will have One parachute but will still need to win 3 out of 4 Qualifying ties.
The 2026/ 27 Runners-Up and 3rd place clubs will have NO parachutes and will need to win all 3 Conference League Qualifiers.
07 Nov 2025 11:54:15
I don't believe Celtic signed anything in 2012's stitch-up and air-brushing of the UK's biggest ever sporting scandal. The SPL, SFL, SFA, Rangers and Sevco were the signatories.
That Celtic remained schtum, tells us they were happy with the fakeover.