Attendences Again

[Malky79]

I don't buy this.

 

In terms of Motherwell, the quality of player I don't think is that much worse, if at all than what it was say 10, 15 years ago.

 

For example, in goals we have Darren Randolph, back then we had Stevie Woods. Instead of Tom Hateley we had Kevin Christie. On the wing we wouldn't have had Chris Humphrey, or Jim O'Brien, we had Andy Roddie and Kevin Twaddle. Upfront it was Don Goodman instead of Jamie Murphy.

 

Obvious back then you had gems like Dougie Arnott, Tommy Coyne etc. But I don't thik the standard has dropped that much. We believe it has because we are constantly being told it has. The main problem, I think anyway, is that we see far too much foreign football ont he telly compared to before. Folk are sitting in their house watching Lionel Messi and Co. rip teams apart with cheeky flicks and score absolute screamers and expect that to be replicated. It's just not realistic. Back 15 odd years ago all we had was Fooball Italia on a Sunday, match of the day on Saturday night with a couple of english games, and that was that.

 

Like I said I honesty don't believe the standard of Scottish football is that bad compared to elsewhere. If you watch Championship matches on Sky, or even th premier league when say Blackpool play West Brom or Bolton meet Blackburn, the level of play dished up I'd argue isn't any higher than your average top six spl game. Put Hearts v Moterwell infront of 35,000 people with tv pundits waxing lyrical about it and you would be convinced it's a lot better than what it is.

 

 

With the exception of Messi and a few superstars can do I don't see why we can't expect a bit more of what you describe. These guys are professional football players, it is all they do and yet we have to watch guys who look like they couldn't trap a bag of cement or hit a cows arse with a banjo at times. I don't expect the average guy earning a living in the SPL to have the skill of Messi, the strength, pace and skill of Ronaldo but surely to fuck the ability to strike the ball cleanly, make 5 yard passes and learn a bit of decent movement not mention a professional attitude to physical conditional and provide a reasonably entertaining product isn't to much to ask?

 

We seem to have almost collectively accpeted we're shite and given up and play to a stereotype of commitment and closing down and the odd meaty challenge being a reasonable alternative!

[Steve Diggle]

The SPl need to be a bit more 'intelligent' with the TV revenue.

 

Right now they all take their share and invest it in the club then suffer falling attendances at live games.

 

At the end of the day TV funds are not 'all' additional revenue instead there largely compensation for poor attendances.

 

Like I said on the other thread - the best game of the weekend should be live. Not the OF away game wherever that falls.

 

And the money should be used more innovatively or wisely by the SPL so that clubs could charge really low prices for live TV games.

[fatcalf]

And there was me thinking we actually have no' a bad wee team. Broon actually held them back at times I reckon cos we're capable in every department on the field.

Overall though the points over performances attitude has a big part to play, Hearts being where they are is testament to that. The one player they have who's half decent cannae stay on his feet long enough, preferring set-pieces to having a go. That frustrates the life out me when I see it, a bit of honesty goes a long way and that is another by-product of foreign TV influences. I even see it in my boys U-12 games, laddies falling about for no reason. No prizes for guessing where they learn that.

[Malky79]

We're not to bad a team to watch the now, but overall and it maybe as much a matter of perception as anything else the entertainment is still very average. We are a tidy unit with one pace merchant on the wing, a player in Murphy who can be worth watching, skillful and a decent eye for goal but somehow overall most of the games we involved in just remain mostly dull.

 

Brown might have held them back a bit but nigh on every manager seems to have a cautious approach. Which makes the thought of a 10 team league all the worse if the spectre of relegation is the source of this fear. There is rarely a hint of self expression or collective joy in playing the game to be seen. That Templeton lad might go down a bit easy but least he showing a bit verve and skill and not quite as bad as made out either or I doubt he'd have scored the goal he did a few weeks back running half length of the pitch to do so.

[Steve Diggle]

I'd agree with your point too fatcalf - i think there's decent ability in our squad - if only they were allowed to play in position and to their strengths.

 

i can think of teams in the not too distant past that had very little to shout about.

 

we've been pretty well served in recent times.

[Modernist]

I agree that we've got some decent talent at the moment. We were chatting about this over the weekend & I made the point that Broon (in my opinion) has held us back in terms of player development. He was looking to sign David McNamee (30 years old) for christ sakes. Guys like Ross Forbes, Jonathan Page, Robert McHugh, ect ect have all lost out as far as I'm concerned by being denied game time.

[fatcalf]

One thing came up in conversation at the weekend just came back to me there. Years ago the game was very much just a part of the whole day out, perhaps we didn't analyse it so much then because we were too busy enjoying ourselves and actually forgot how bad the fitba' could be cos we were always pished.

So for that reason I say bring back the bevvy

[Modernist]

One thing came up in conversation at the weekend just came back to me there. Years ago the game was very much just a part of the whole day out, perhaps we didn't analyse it so much then because we were too busy enjoying ourselves and actually forgot how bad the fitba' could be cos we were always pished.

So for that reason I say bring back the bevvy

 

Agree. Would also help out with the atmosphere. Too many driving to matches these days and sitting on their hauns.

[carlukemurray]

Large advert for the Rangers game on the back page of the Sunday Mail.

Plenty of tickets left.

 

Step in the right direction??

 

That probably cost £3k+ so the club will need to sell a lot of tickets in addition to those budgeted for already to cover the costs of the advert.

 

I agree with the majority of comments on here. Interesting one about the attendances in the 20's and 30's, good point in that people didn't have the entertainment options they do these days.

[Joeboy]

Attendances in this day and age can be put down to television and media. For example, last week, had the game been at Tynecastle, I think I'd have kept the £24 quid in my back pocket less than two weeks before Christmas, sat in my warm house rather than been outside in -2c, and watched the football on skysports which has already been paid for. That's coming from an employed 20 year old who still stays at home, without any great ties. I can only imagine families, people with mortgages etc would think the same.

 

Those who haven't bought into television controlling football are few and far between. I go to my share of away games every season, but if I notice we are away from home on the tv, I would watch that on the TV, and save my money for another away game. The same way if I hear there's a feed of us at Ibrox or Parkhead I'd watch that, whereas in the past I could have been tempted by going.