Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

If the price is right & I want it.I do not care were it comes from ( with in legal constraints that is) :D

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sky has everything BT needs, BT has some football games Sky wants on its platform one way or another.........

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

From the perspective that Scottish football will be one of the remaining draws for ESPN. It seems there is some opposition to a Rangers Newco joining the SPL.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18539483

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

ESPN will be the only place to see Scottish football as Sky only show it for the old firm matches, therefore no old firm = no Sky money.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sky will stay without Rangers but may cut money.

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scot...cle4378835.ece

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

This is a bigger problem for Scottish football as a whole, IF Sky organised a new deal as Rangers wouldn't be there, this is sheer greed from Sky.

I have said before that there are more clubs in the Scottish League than Celtic and Rangers, and yes l know that the old firm bring in lots of money and fans, but you have to look at the whole picture here.

Scottish is in poor state, and all you have the same each season is the war between the big two.

Tv companies are to blame, they pay outrageous money for EPL but when it comes to SF, they think they can they can offer as low as possible.

We had a problem with Setanta, they had Blue Square football, that went bust as they put more in than viewers.

We have the same with Premier Sports, its only on Sky but not VM.

I would say split the Scottish football up, get them into a Northern version of the English and let the Scottish Prem get on with it.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Media reports was reporting yesterday that the owners of the newco Rangers are planing to buy Bury and join League One with home games being played at Rangers Park.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...eague-One.html

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sorry I find it hard to believe anything printed in the Sun

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...-One-club.html

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

More on Rangers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18556194

Has Sky spoken. Will the clubs come up with a mechanism to keep Rangers in the SPL (and keep the current Sky/ESPN contract) perhaps with some arrangement where Rangers Sky money gets diverted elsewhere?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

The BBC are reporting Aberdeen, Dundee and Hearts will be voting no to Newco Rangers joining the SPL. Hibernian chairman Rod Petrie previously made it clear that commercial concerns were of secondary importancewhilst Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Inverness and St. Mirren will canvas supporter opinion prior voting.

As a Rangers fan I've been keeping a very close eye on events over the past 5 months. I believe Rangers need to be punished. There needs to be a clear deterrent to stop other clubs going down the same route. Scottish football also needs to maintain integrity.

If Rangers go to either Divison 3, or Division 1 which now seems more likely, and SKY want to renegotiate their deal with the SPL that to me seems fair. I watched a report on this whole sorry affair on SKY Sports News about a month ago. SKY confirmed that Celtic Vs. Rangers gets more viewers than any other football fixture they show during the season. If SKY lose 4 Old Firm games then their deal with the SPL is not as valuable to them.

If Rangers go down it's being widely reported that Rangers Vs. Celtic will take place on SKY Sports for "The Glasgow Cup". A once a season challenge game until Rangers make their return to the top flight. SKY will stick with the SPL minus Rangers but it means all 12 clubs will suffer a reduction in TV revenue.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Thanks for the update Chad from someone closer to the situation. I would miss Rangers v Celtic four times a year but perhaps long term integrity would be better for Scottish football.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I think now is the time that Scotish football took a long hard look at itself and decided to make it a much fairer league than one that is designed to generate as much money as possible... create 2 twenty team divisions and lets see the big boys turning up at Bog head park or somewhere on a cold soggy january night, maybe some of the other clubs might flourish and prosper in a climate like this, sod rangers and celtic playing each other 6 times a season, why don't they not just have a world series of Glasgow football and play each other every week.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Thread update

ESPN HAVE LOST THE RIGHTS!

Get over it, start new thread, "what will BT do with their EPL rights", or.."How will ESPN cope without EPL"..or my favourite, "Has Virgin lost even more tarnish with ESPN losing EPL" :D

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

How do you come up with the conclusion that Virgin have lost tarnish as their is easily the better all round package and even your diehards would admit that.:)

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

A devalued ESPN. One selling point was getting free football with ESPN, something SKY customers had to pay for.

Now no more.

Tarnish applied :D

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

None of us will know until a years time what Virgin will do to make the XL package even more competitive but one suspects we will still get a very good value extra package compared to their rivals.:)

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

As Den says, this is a really strange argument. The XL pack has premier league football for the full length of the current contract. After that who knows, at the moment BT doesn't know who is going to produce their games for them, let alone how they are going to market them.

Until something changes the XL pack is tarnish free!

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

True, tarnish is stored for 11 Months

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Backtracking yet again it seems Colin and perhaps a spell in detention is a fitting punishment for one of the masters greatest loyalists.:D;)

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

yet again? Pray tell other incident?

And not back tracking, merely ahead of my time. :D

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Jim Rosenthal as presenter for BTs prem footy ?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Or Ortis Deley? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L3g02nsGvw

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Who?.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Him who host the World Athletics Championships on Channel 4 in 2011 for the few weeks.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Whilst the race control on Sky Sports F1 HD is excellent I was correct about the driver cam , it's only SD.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

l shall keep a eye on that and give my humble opinion accordingly.:)

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Seems Chad got it right about Rangers though if they go into Div 1 rather than Div 3 as Chad suggests they could be back in the SPL when ESPN loses the Premier League.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18577192

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

The slight flaw with that is Rangers don't actually exist any more. The company that bought the assets don't own any football team at all which has a licence to play in any league.

..... the clock is ticking and I doubt if the team who will replace Rangers will be allowed to parachute into the the first division. Time is against them and they still haven't applied for an SFA licence.

IMHO opinion the best case scenario is the New Rangers will get into to Div 3, although that will still take a bit of rule bending (5 years audited accounts required).

I'm beginning to think that Chick Green is quite happy to have no new club ready for the coming season. No doubt Chicky Green will say his hands are tied but he's only in it to make a quick buck and if that means selling off some assets to the highest bidder whilst keeping costs down then he'll be happy.

It may not be a bad thing for those fans who used to follow Rangers. It will allow Scottish Football to restructure, possible into the regularly mooted SPL1 and SPL2 allowing the new club into SPL 2.

Where does that leave ESPN? They regularly show games not featuring Glasgow Clubs and, according to them, are happy with viewing figures, I'd be surprised if they didn't put an offer on the table.

But then again this has taken so many twists and turns it may have a while to run yet. T'internet rumours have it that there's more to come:shocked:

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

ESPN featured Rangers in 9 of their 30 live games last season. Only Hibernian featured in more games than Rangers with 10.

Saturday 30 July, 2011
St Johnstone v Rangers - ESPN, 12 noon

Sunday 21 August, 2011
Motherwell v Rangers - ESPN, 2.15pm

Saturday 10 September, 2011
Dundee United v Rangers - ESPN, 12.30pm

Sunday 23 October, 2011
Hearts v Rangers - ESPN, 12.30pm

Saturday 29 October, 2011
Aberdeen v Rangers - ESPN, 12 noon

Saturday 10 December, 2011
Hibernian v Rangers – ESPN, 12.30pm

Saturday 14 January, 2012
St Johnstone v Rangers – ESPN, 12.30pm

Saturday 11 February, 2012
Dunfermline v Rangers - ESPN, 12 noon

Saturday 31 March, 2012
Motherwell v Rangers - ESPN, 12 noon

SKY on the other hand featured Rangers in 14 of their 30 live games.

Saturday 23 July, 2011
Rangers v Hearts - Sky Sports, 12.30pm

Saturday 13 August, 2011
Inverness CT v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Sunday 18 September, 2011
Rangers v Celtic - Sky Sports, 12.30pm

Saturday 24 September, 2011
Dunfermline v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Sunday 27 November, 2011
Kilmarnock v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Tuesday 13 December, 2011
St Johnstone v Rangers - Sky Sports, 7.45pm

Saturday 24 December, 2011
St Mirren v Rangers – Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Wednesday 28 December, 2011
Celtic v Rangers – Sky Sports, 7.45pm

Sunday 26 February, 2012
Inverness CT v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Saturday 17 March, 2012
Dundee United v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Sunday 25 March, 2012
Rangers v Celtic - Sky Sports, 1pm

Sunday 29 April, 2012
Celtic v Rangers - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

Wednesday 2 May, 2012
Rangers v Dundee United - Sky Sports, 7.45pm

Saturday 5 May, 2012
Rangers v Motherwell - Sky Sports, 12.45pm

So over ESPN and SKY Rangers were the most televised team last season featuring in 23 of 60 live games. If SKY and ESPN asked to renegotiate their TV deals with the SPL, now that Rangers are on their way out, who could argue with them?

As a Rangers fan I've got no objections from starting in the 3rd division. It's time to pay our dues. If it takes us a few years to get back to the SPL then so be it. I think it'll be beneficial to the Scottish game to have Rangers and their fans visiting the likes of Elgin or Stirling Albion twice a season and putting their money into the lower leagues. Rangers in the lower leagues might also bring new revenue to smaller clubs by way of sponsorship and even brief TV highlights. Rangers will also have to play in the Scottish Cup, League Cup and Challenge Cup from the 1st round which again helps spread money around the lower leagues of the game.

I can understand why fans of others clubs hate Rangers. I can also understand why fans of other clubs are disgusted by the lack of humility shown by some Rangers fans. I for one feel we need to take our punishment on the chin and move forward in a dignified manner.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I'm not disputing that the old Rangers were a TV draw. They were the reigning SPL champions and were one of the biggest teams in Scotland. My point is that ESPN have never totally focussed on the Glasgow Clubs. The current agreement doesn't expire until the end of next season and the new agreement remains unsigned.... the point I was making that ESPN have done the maths and were willing to increase the contract. Sky have the lions share because they want 4 old firm games. They can't have that anymore so there's bound to be some renegotiation.

Both Sky and ESPN have agreed that they will continue to support the SPL. If I were a club chairman I'd be counting on less TV money after this year and start adjusting my business model.

Alternatively, they could look at the SPL TV project again?

It will be interesting to see what the crowds are in the SPL are next year after the many proclamations of fan boycotts if the NewClub were voted into the SPL. I suspect that there will be an initial boost, possibly sustained by those clubs challenging at the top, but petering out as the season goes on.

To be honest friends of mine who are Rangers fans and hold similar views to youself are embarrassed by the lack of dignity shown by the former football people. I'm sure fans of both Glasgow clubs have been embarrassed in the past when the cameras always find some knukledragging dimwit to interview but unfortunately some of the least dignified stuff has came from Smith McCoist and Jardine. Chuckie Green is an barrow boy and I almost feel sorry that friends of mine are reduced to seeing their former club in the hands of Nanny Green. ( I said almost ;))

I previously had a sneaking admiration for McCoist but he's proven himself to a sneaky, snidey chancer.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I just hope the SPL survives. It would be terrible if the Scottish game suffered as a result of 1 clubs recklessness. Motherwell have already suggested they may face administration due to Rangers dropping out of the league.

There is also a suggestion that Rangers might get expelled from next seasons Scottish Cup. Live television coverage of the Scottish FA Cup is currently shared between BBC Scotland and Sky Sports. Again I wonder how SKY will feel knowing Rangers won't feature in any of their coverage.

BBC ALBA screens live coverage of matches from the Scottish First Division including the end of season play-offs as well as live coverage of the Scottish Challenge Cup. So it looks like Rangers fans might see their team on TV after all.

I might cancel my subscription to SKY Sports in the summer. I only watch Rangers, Scotland, boxing and tennis when Andy Murray is playing. Rangers are pretty much a no go, Scotland away games are on BBC One Scotland, SKY have slashed their boxing coverage to 20 shows in the year and I can still see plenty of tennis on ESPN, Eurosport, BBC and ITV. I doubt I'll even watch 2 hours of programming on ESPN per week now.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Interesting read

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012...redirect=false

Could it be that BSKYB's biggest competition is to come from BT.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Yes a very interesting read but it will take some considerable time in mind mind to dent Skys subscriber base and not just that as it will also require a bottomless pit of money for long into the future.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sky are removing distractions from competition with BT.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18590415

Virgin will do well to avoid being squeezed by BT/Sky.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Good read. I think BT need to launch some HD channels, plus the 100 or so popular channels they don't currently broadcast in order to compete with SKY and Virgin. In fact they will need to invest in a new PVR to compete with SKY+ and TiVo. As the article also suggests, BT will need a massive advetising campaign to try and tempt people to leave their current providers. It'll be interesting to see how BT develope their strategy in the next 10 months.

I never got the sense that ESPN was a massive success. ESPN had a HD channel, ESPN America and ESPN Classic not to mention a fair selection of TV rights accross a variety of popular sports. What can BT do to make their channel more of a success?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

What sports rights are available from 2013? I am aware of quite a few which are tied up beyond that. I guess ESPN, BT, Eurosport and Premier Sports would all be looking. Is there enough good stuff to go around?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Perhaps ESPN will have Rangers matches back when they lose the premier league.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18625293

Though reading the above carefully, there seems to be the possibility of dissent from a number of quarters.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I think Rangers in Divison 1 will be snapped up by Premier Sports. They already carry Rangers and Celtic TV and are always looking to snap up new football rights.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

From the BBC football gossip column

Rangers appear to be heading for the Third Division after Dunfermline Athletic, Falkirk and Partick Thistle joined Morton and in saying they would vote against the Ibrox "newco" being allowed into Division One.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I suspect you can add Raith Rovers to that list:

http://www.raithrovers.net/3766/stat...-directors.htm

or am I just reading between the lines ;)

I wonder if McCoist and Jardines bully boy tactics are coming back to haunt the newco's prospects

http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/305201-r...ment-decision/

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

You can add Clyde to the growing list. They've come out in the last 3 hours with a similar statement to Raith Rovers. There is a very interesting debate on BBC Scotland right now. There is a suggestion that this won't be worked out in time for the start of the season and Rangers (Newco) might be told to take this season off! There has also been a suggestion in the past 24 hours that Rangers (Newco) themselves might go into administration if things aren't sorted out swiftly. Rangers fans will not renew their season tickets until they know what is happening. Rangers (Newco) have virtually no revenue stream at the moment. There is a real chance that Rangers might not exist in any form within the next 5 weeks.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Statement from Clyde

http://forum.rangersmedia.co.uk/inde...owtopic=224738

As much as I was keen to see Rangers v Celtic games back as soon as possible, it is hard to argue against this.

---------- Post added at 15:14 ---------- Previous post was at 15:08 ----------

Beat me to it Chad. But if Rangers aren't let in to, at least, Div 3 wouldn't that leave a league with only nine clubs?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Yeah it'll mean one of the leagues will go a team down. Scottish football is in a total mess. One team going into liquidation is having a massive impact on all 42 clubs.

Lets rewind 4 years ago when Gretna went into liquidation.

The team struggled badly in the SPL and the club were placed in administration when businessman Brooks Mileson, its main financial backer, withdrew funds due to ill health. At the end of the season, all of the club's staff were made redundant and the club were relegated to the Third Division. After this demotion, the one remaining offer to buy the club was withdrawn. The club resigned their place in the Scottish Football League on 3 June and were formally liquidated on 8 August.

Funny how the SPL / SFA weren't bending over backwards to shake-up Scottish football to accommodate Gretna.

Unless Rangers go down to division 3, Scottish football as a whole will be nothing short of corrupt.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

It seems to me that Scottish football is in total meltdown from what I have read. Scottish football seems to have survived on Celtic V Rangers, now that is at an end, where next ?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

There is already talk of 1, maybe 2 topflight clubs in Scotland going into administration as a result of Rangers going into liquidation. Motherwell and Kilmarnock seem to be most at risk.

Scottish football will end up going semi-pro at this rate. Our game up here needs a total overhaul.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I doubt it will end up going semi-pro. There's sufficient income in the Scottish game to support professional football. For years there's been full time football in the SFL that hasn't had any TV money or money from Rangers filtering down.

I do agree that the game does need an overhaul. The SPL, in particular, has been driven by money since the start.... particulary by the Glasgow clubs. Some good may come out of this if the football restructuring is designed for the terracing punter rather than Sky televsion. The present structure was designed to ensure 4 old firm games a year. There is no old firm any more so an expansion of the league should be considered.

If the reported increase in season ticket sales at Hearts is reflected at other clubs then we may end up with a far more competitive league. There may even be more opportunity to blood youngsters, rather than squander money on dud imports.

The TV money for next season is already in place so Clubs have the next 12 months to adjust their business plan.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I was thinking along similar lines semi-pro seems the way forward for a lot of the clubs. Celtic will win the title unopposed for as far as the eye can see. This may effect further Scottish footballs place in European competitions as well.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Perhaps it may work out well if football fans think the game is sticking up for what is right rather than looking only at financial issues.

Another part of the master plan which would have seen Rangers in the first division also seem a bit questionable to me i.e. Dundee being club 12 rather than Dunfermline. In other similar situations it has been the relegated club that has been reprieved.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/f...t-7901839.html

Don't really know what to say about this!

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Richard Wilson = Rangers Fan hurting, pretty much in tune with rest of the mainstream Scottish Media. I think there's supposed to be humour in there but the pain is disguising it well.

A dig at Celtic at every opportunity, a condescending attitude towards the smaller clubs - happens to be Dumbarton this time - even factually incorrect about the Club's Ground capacity.:no:

Dumbarton have won more Scottish Championships than the Servo Club currently applying for SFL and SFA membership :D

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Crazier and crazier!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23903055/

Sounds like some would sooner see Spartans fill the vacant SFL spot rather than Rangers.

Spartans and Cove Rangers can provide 3 years audited accounts!

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

The Daily Mirror is tipping Gary Lineker to be the anchor for the new BT sports channel which will broadcast Premier League games next year.

The headline is "Snatch of the Day".

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

BT has set aside "serious money" to fund it's football coverage.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...-match-1110998

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Oh dear.:td:

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

This is very interesting? I wonder what this means for VM ?

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/ne...gue-games.html

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

If they get his Mrs to present it this might be more appropriate. ;)

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Rangers. I hope Scottish football can find a way through this.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23903744/

It is all about TV (our) money.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I feel for Scotish football, i really do even though all my family are Celtic supporters it isn't right that clubs such as kilmarnock etc should be reliant on Rangers staying in the Top Division it will be a travesty though if they are allowed to continue in the top Division, there is a presidence around europe for relegation down a division for financial iregularity on the scale that has been proven here, coupled with going bust then the mere suggestion of a 6 point penalty is indeed no real penalty at all, even with a transfer imbargo and a few of their players leaving, The New Rangers will still avoid relegation with real ease and in 3 years will be back in European football with their directors and new players starting to earn big bonuses again. I think a fairer outcome would be relegation down a division and a 12 point deduction, and 20 per cent of gate takings for the next 3 seasons be donated to the Scotish Premier League TV distribution fund as compensation to the smaller clubs. Plus what a boost this would be to the other small clubs in division 1 getting to play Rangers 4 times in a season. If this seems harsh, look at Juventus... they was relegated but it wasn't really a punishment was it, look at them now just a few seasons later.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Calm down...nothing to see here ;) File under G for Garbage

It's a Daily Record story with no truth foundation. Most of us, with more than a couple of brain cells, have learned to ignore these fabricated Record tales.

Lots of clues.... secret talks, no named sources, and misrepresentation of anything that resembles a fact.

Both Sky and ESPN have acknowledged that they will honour the existing contract... so that's most of the story debunked.

Then there's the illogical propososal that Chucky Green would accept a transfer embargo. We're expected to believe that Charles Green is happy with the current squad!!! I think at the last count there was barely enough players to have a 7 aside kickabout..... and no guarantee that they'll all remain. So if Newco are allowed to take Rangers place in the SPL they'll be assured of relegation!

I particularly love the "source" quote
"The entire future of Scottish football as we know it is at stake."

That's exactly what football fans want. Scottish Football has been financially doped and cheated by one Football Club for over 20 years. That is the Scottish football as we know it. That club no longer exists. It's time for a fresh start and if that means losing more clubs that have relied on tainted income then so be it.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Social unrest and Armageddon! Not just a game then!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...el-Walker.html

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23904506/

Rangers fans want to start again in Division 3. I will be a bit gutted after many years as a big TV fan of Rangers Celtic games but maybe this is right and the games will be even better when Rangers are back, in the right way, in a few years time.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

So it is SFL Division 3 for Rangers next season! It will be at least three years before they are back in the premier league competing with Celtic (assuming Scottish football doesn't reorganise).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18813407

This makes ESPN's sports offering, after they lose the English Premier League, look a bit weaker. Will ESPN still merit a place in the XL pack after next season, could the XL pack money be better spent? I am all for sports channels; perhaps a compromise position would be to keep ESPN but with Virgin playing considerably less for a less attractive package.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

hopefully on the new bt football channel

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

As a Rangers fan I would love this to be the end of the story...... but I don't think it will be. I've always said Division 3 is the only place Rangers should go. Reports today however suggest SPL2 will now be hastily rushed through prior to the start of the season with Rangers and other Division clubs invited to make up the "breakaway" league. If this is true, I'm totally disgusted.

Rangers had the following on their website very soon after the outcome of the vote:

"Rangers' future remains uncertain after the Scottish Football League clubs voted against the Light Blues playing in the First Division next season.

"At a meeting at Hampden today, the 30 member clubs agreed to accept Rangers into the SFL but voted against the SFL board being allowed to broker a deal with the SPL and SFA over new structures and procedures which would also include Rangers playing in Division One.

"It is now understood that on the back of a briefing SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster and SFA counterpart Stewart Regan gave to clubs last week that the SPL will introduce a plan for SPL 2 - which would include Rangers - and invite existing Division One members to join."

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

i wish people would stop calling them Rangers
Rangers are no more the club they are trying to get in the SFL is a new club born from the assets that use to be Rangers.
they have not even choosen a name for the new club yet.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Nobody's child

Are we guessing new names?
Relegated Already Now, Get Exquisite Revenge Someday Football Club?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

You are correct however the SFA, SPL, SFL, newspapers, radio stations, TV channels, websites, Rangers fans and the vast majority of Scottish football fans still recognise this newco as Rangers. You'll be fighting a losing battle trying to change peoples minds on this.

---------- Post added at 22:42 ---------- Previous post was at 22:31 ----------

I quite liked the very catchy "The Rangers Football Club" that Charles Green came up with a few weeks back :D

I really hope the SFA and Stewart Regan accept todays ruling but the statement on the BBC website suggests more messing with the leagues due next week:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18838183

"Ultimately, there must be an outcome that enables Scottish football to move on with consensus, clarity and confidence into a new era for the national game."

We do have a very clear outcome. 10 of 12 SPL clubs voted against Rangers entering into the SPL. 25 of 30 SLF clubs voted for Rangers to join the 3rd division. Scottish football fans are happy. Rangers fans are happy. Ally McCoist stated "I fully supported the fans' views that starting again in Division Three maintains the sporting integrity that the SPL clubs were so keen on." Charles Green stated ""We are a football club and we just want to get back to playing football. Now is the time to move on and start afresh."

The SFA and Stewart Regan need to stop this now! Lets move forward and try and keep what very little diginity Scottish football has left in tact.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

What's in a name? Are you going to support the newco? Are they going to play in blue and at Ibrox? I understand that this is a new club which until recently didn't exist, but it is Rangers.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

When a company goes bust, is it not possible to purchase the company name? When Woolworths went under someone bought the name and turned it into a bargain website. When Newco bought the Rangers assets was the Company name Rangers football club not also up for sale? Also why has no one suggested AFC Rangers or Glasgow Rangers AFC or even FC Rangers of Glasgow, it all works.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

When Rangers were bought by Charles Green's consortium it was an asset purchase all intellectual property rights etc. transferred.

It is the controlling PLC that is being liquidated not the club.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sorry m8, but i had to laugh at AFC Rangers. You do realise, Rangers fans detest the Sheep from up North..... baaaah.

We will always be Rangers.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

There seems to be a strong feeling against the Doncaster/Regan scheming.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23908629/

I wonder just how bad the loss of TV money will really be. TV broadcasters will still want Scottish Football and ESPN will have to look at their priorities without the EPL. BT also need more content for their sports channel. Maybe the gloom merchants are overplaying their hand.

On the subject of BT (or ESPN even). I hope they make a play for Premier Sport's NRL coverage. At least I would be able to watch it on Virgin then!

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Another publication has suggested that a vote of no confidence is on the cards for Regan from SFL clubs. The man needs to go.

I'm still going to go and watch Rangers. Still no idea how much a season ticket will be. Still no tickets for the first home game on sale via their website. I'll also be going to some of the away games too. Clyde, East Stirling and Stirling Albion are about 15 minutes away in the car. Queens Park at Hampden should be fun too.

Now that the "worst case scenario" has happened I'm surprised that neither SKY or ESPN have officially confirmed or reiterated their stance.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

When will the anouncment be on the restructuring, ie promotion or saved from relegation for all the divisions?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

The Rangers situation replayed closer to home.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18846771

Why do clubs get themselves into this situation? It's a killer for the fans. I feel sorry for those who raised half a million a few weeks ago to keep the club going.

Super League without the Bradford Bulls! It's like....well....the SPL without Rangers. Except that the Sky deal is already signed.

Perhaps some clubs will show solidarity with the Bulls. I think if this had happened before Rangers the Bulls would have been kept in Super League, maybe now a precedence has been set.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

SERIOUSLY!!!

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Can you not buy beer at Scottish football grounds?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Sadly not. My brother is a Liverpool fans and tries to catch 10 games a season at Anfield. When I go with him I enjoy being able to buy a couple of Carlsbergs before the game, and during half time.

---------- Post added at 19:15 ---------- Previous post was at 19:12 ----------

Very serious. It's very common accross European football.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

That's astonishing. My club have their very own ale, and run a beer festival in a marquee on the pitch during the close season. You don't have to drink to enjoy a match of football, but the atmosphere in the club bars is always good before kick off, it's an important revenue stream for a club that has had it's own fair share of financial difficulties and it certainly helps bring people in at a time when some would rather watch the big boys from the comfort of their living room. If Scottish football is combatting falling attendances then it has to compete with television on the basis of price and the customer experience.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Nope. Or be in possession of alcohol close to games, be drunk inside, be drunk attempting to enter, have a controlled container and various other rules since the 1980 Cup Final.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I, ahem, am clearly guilty of not paying much attention to the Scottish game, but I am staggered by this. Cheers for background info Derek.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Looks like everything in Scottish football has been sorted out in the right way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18850864

I think there will still be plenty of TV interest in the leagues. Hopefully there will be some coverage of Rangers in the SFL on a channel broadcast by Virgin.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

So it looks like Dundee, Airdrie & Stanraer then. Glad thats sorted lets hope it can all move on.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Lee Dixon is leaving the BBC. Could he be joining BT Sports?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Box office gold? Well I would like to watch.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23910060/

I always thought it was Elgin, but what do I know?

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

ESPN to broadcast LIVE:

-SRI LANKAN PREMIER LEAGUE CRICKET
-FRENCH LIGUE 1

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

I have nothing against Premier Sport except that I can't receive it. If they succeeded in a bid to get Rangers SFL games and this got them on Virgin it would be a result.

Would they be brave enough to bid higher than Sky/ESPN? After Setanta perhaps they may be more careful about what they are prepared to pay for content.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)
 

When Palace went into administration the biggest issues as far as I was concerned were to ensure the public purse hadn't been cheated, to ensure no suppliers suffered from unpaid debts, to ensure staff members were paid in full and on time and to ensure that any competitive advantage gained by living beyond our means was redressed. Sad to say that, on two separate occasions and under two different owners, we failed on the first three. The Inland Revenue lost out, small local businesses suffered - indeed some failed, and members of staff were laid off. Football, of course, looked after itself. Why anybody should be surprised that the Scottish game is trying to manipulate the matter for their own benefit whilst only appearing to care about sporting integrity and whilst small businesses go to the wall is beyond me - as usual, the very least important issue of the whole business is the one that will be most satisfactorily resolved.

Re: ESPN may lose EPL Football(Update)