Time for Change

Over the last few years I have seen a dramatic fall in the quality of football in Scotland. This is along with a fall in attendances at games and also the fact the game up here is so dull.

On the 13^th of March 1873 eight teams formed the SFA and agreed to resolve that:

The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition

See the term in the above sentence is to PROMOTE football. That is something that has not been done in a long time in Scotland. I don't see much promotion of football when the TV rights are sold to the highest bidder ESPN who are by any means just SKY TV with another name.

When the SPL was formed in 1998 the whole reason this happened was nothing to do with giving the fans a better quality of game or to make the tickets cheaper but only to make more money. Football was sponsored by one company over four leagues and the bigger clubs complained of a drop in revenue due to sharing the money out over 40 teams. So the SPL was born, to make more money.

Yes this should have gave the teams in Scotland more cash to spend on players but it really only lasted a few seasons till the teams started going bust. Four teams went into administration and the debt the SPL had was over £100m. Then TV coverage is taken by Setanta who also go bust and leave the SPL with no chance to take an offer from ESPN that is way lower than before.

So it is time to change the set up in Scotland, I have always been behind a regional league format as the traveling can be so expensive for lower clubs and the competition can be better locally. More derbies can make more money. Four regions where the top team in each region play off for entry to the SPL 2 league. Playoffs make money as well, just look at England. SPL can consist of 10 clubs, no split at the end of the season and one down and another play off for promotion. Team placed 9^th in the SPL against the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th placed team in the SPL2.

Each SPL league can have its own sponsor and each regional league can have a sponsor as well as the playoffs being championed by other companies. TV money can come in for them as well as gate receipts going up. It is a false economy playing more games to make money; exciting games bring in a crowd.

The Idea of a 14 team SPL is ridiculous, way too many games of no importance. Who wants to see Raith Rovers play St Mirren for who is in 9^th spot? In season 74-75 Scotland got rid of the 18 team set up in the top flight due to the same reason. Way too many crap games that mean nothing. Also the amount of people going to the games dropped as well. I would rather see Morton play Falkirk in a playoff for who is promoted or relegated any day.

Frozen Toes and Numb Fingers

Not sure if it is just me but one change to the football set up I think that has never been discussed recently is a switch to summer football. Who wants to go to a game when it is -10. And further to that when the game has a chance of being called off due to snow.

Year after year SPL teams get a kicking in European football and they blame it on the summer close down. Six teams in and five are out before the end of August. Again take Scotland back to the 80s when we had a 10 team top flight and then we had Aberdeen winning silver in Europe and Dundee United getting to a final after that. That shows the ten team league can work in Europe as well. And with a switch to summer football the teams entering Europe would be about half the way through a season.

I would love to watch football in the summer and being at a game in the sunshine at 3pm on a Saturday is something to look forward to. Not in the pissing rain when it is dark at 4pm and into minus temperatures.

Back to Scotland Vs England

It was all stopped many years ago due to violence at the games but we did enjoy the game every two years. And so did the world. Again starting this one off game every two years would ignite a huge amount of passion for football in Scotland and that is way more that the SFA could ever do. The security issues are all resolved now with the modern policing and technology. Tickets only issued to people with a proven background and tickets with names/photos that have to be scanned to get in the stadium. The trouble now would be nothing like it was back in the 70s. Again the football hooligan has died out as well. I have seen them myself try and fight in the east end of Glasgow to then see the locals come out and give them all a kicking.

Scotland Vs England would generate far more money now that it did back in the day. With TV, advertising, kit sales and ticket sales one game could easily make the SFA £5m for one game.

The Future

When Spanish football fans are making banners saying they don’t want their home football to be like ours that hurts. Even more so as Spain are the World and European champions. So they have problems but still manage to beat the rest of the world at football.

The SPL1 and SPL2 set up will be herald in big changes and the best change is more money for the lower clubs. From £600K to £3M for the second tier. The clubs are scared of the set up as relegation becomes more of an issue and no fan or player wants that. But failure should not be rewarded with a place in a league year after year by finishing 11^th.

Anyway the future for this set up has been placed on the table and does include going back to 12 teams and possibly even 14 in the future so a little compromise may give some clubs what they want in the future.

Interesting that after the SPL was started Scotland has never made it to a major football tournament. This could help change that.

Tramadol is Next.

Many of my friends and family know that I have been in pain for years with problems that arisen with a dislocated foot years ago.

I have had physiotherapy for this in the past and it seemed to get better but the pain never really gets much worse than a dull ache most of the time. But in March last year while working I had a small accident in my work. It was in fact on a building site and I simply tripped up on a piece of steel support that is generally concreted into buildings floors. It was a strange pain when it happened as I could walk ok and I did not feel as if I was in too much discomfort.

Fast forward on a few weeks and the pain is worse and to the point I am limping and a very bad limp at that. I consult my doctor to be given a week off work (That I did not use) and physio for the problem.

At the time I did tell my doctor that the pain was not like I have had before and I feel it is something out with the muscle or bone type of pain. As a rather stupid and young kid I was out on my BMX bike all the time and after riding down steps, walls and well just about anything I could cycle on with my bike had many falls. I know what the pain is like and I felt that it was not worth using physio.

The physiotherapy people are pretty good in the hospital I used and friendly so I tell them my story to be told they can only do as instructed. The pain is worse after six visits and I am then given a Podiatrist to see. Podiatry is something I know nothing about and on the first visit am told I have damaged my foot before and I also have a short leg. Both true. I am advised to use inserts in my shoes to cope with the height change and given painkillers.

This is where I get uneasy as I have never been a tablet person. When I have a sore head I don’t even take aspirin or Paracetamol. Don’t get me wrong I have tried some recreational drugs (but found them to be crap) and I like alcohol but I am allergic to many tablets and even tablet coatings. It is more of a stomach problem than an allergy but it is something I have found just too nasty to warrant taking tablets for a simple sore head.

I kindly take the prescription but do not get the medication like I have done for years. Weeks go by and I find myself on a few days away in Blackpool for a weekend. The pain has increased so much when I am sore I start to sweat very bad and also feel sick (This is a big sign of chronic pain when sweating and feeling nauseous).

The pain is so bad I can't sleep and I am getting increasingly depressed. All the time waiting for the next investigation on my foot to be done. I am told a wait of four weeks for the next part which is a consult on a possible surgical procedure. I see my doctor who gives me Amitriptyline. This is a wonder drug as it is used for Pain, depression and for insomnia. One big area is that it can be addictive. I wonder why? First week is great, amazing sleeps and some of the pain is away. I can work without snapping at people and shouting at strangers on the bus for “looking at me funny”. A few weeks later I am struggling to get out of bed. This is a sign of depression and I know due to having problems in the past. I see my doctor who increases my Amitriptyline prescription. And back to feeling better again, no more shouting at my family when they ask me if I would like a cup of tea. But again a while later I start to feel really depressed and I MEAN really bad. I miss work a few days and end up going in to fall asleep at my computer at random times. My foot is killing me and this is what is causing the problems. It is well known that chronic pain causes depression. My doctor gives me Dihydrocodeine as well as Amitriptyline.

I have heard of this drug before as it is used by people as a recreational drug and is very strong. I decide not to take any till the pain is really bad. About two hours later I take some and feel the effects, a great pain killer but it really does make you light headed. It is like a real buzz you get more like cannabis but it does relax you to the point I don't move from my seat in four hours.

I am now taking two pretty strong drugs and both are very addictive. Dihydrocodeine is taken by drug addicts and I mean heroin addicts. It can be that addictive the way to get people off the drug is to give them methadone. I will not bore you with what methadone is and what it is used for as we all have seen Trainspotting and like me do have eyes and see what it does and how bad it can be.

I now see why my dose went up on the Amitriptyline I was getting used to it and my body needs a higher dosage to make it work again. The Dihydrocodeine makes me so dizzy I can’t do my job and I have been signed off work for five weeks. During this I see a specialist who x rays my foot and shows me it (I did ask for a print out for my fridge door but I was told no way). No sign of damage to my bone or muscle. The evidence may point to nerve damage. I am now getting a scan on my foot to try pinpoint a nerve that is causing this.

And around all this I have to endure pain or take the pills that could lead onto other problems if you are not careful. I can see how someone can be hooked on drugs and a simple search on Google shows many people who are addicted looking for help.

My point is surely this can all be missed out if diagnosed quicker. In the long run it could be cheaper as I have missed tax payments due to not getting paid by my work and the pills alone could cost hundreds and all the time in physio/podiatry include all the office time for appointments… the list is endless for costs. Just think if someone is then addicted to painkillers after this, is the NHS to blame in the long run? It makes me look at a junkie in the street with a bit of sympathy.