[Albion] Matt O Riley [26/08/24 - sings on a 5-year deal]

[London Irish]

England is the anomaly. Yes, there are plenty of arseholes who just support a big club instead of their local club, but there are still a huge amount of people who do support their local team, meaning that a lot of people go to games all through the leagues. Scotland is a bit messed up, with a disproportionate amount of people only interested in supporting one of the big two, which ruins their league system.

Why is it disproportionate - Glasgow is a huge city compared with anywhere else in Scotland- well over 10 ten times bigger than say somewhere like Dundee. Of course it’s going to have the biggest and best supported teams, be a bit strange if it didn’t

 

[Weststander]

Why is it disproportionate - Glasgow is a huge city compared with anywhere else in Scotland- well over 10 ten times bigger than say somewhere like Dundee. Of course it’s going to have the biggest and best supported teams, be a bit strange if it didn’t

[I’m agreeing with @Professor Plum’s posts on this].

But as a many times visitor to Scotland and football games, the vast support for the Old Firm extends well beyond Strathclyde. As far back as my first such visit in 87, on match days the motorways and lesser roads have a sea of Rangers and Celtic minibuses and coaches. Coming from places such as Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee. In the old Lanarkshire county for example, clubs such as Hamilton and Motherwell don’t get a look in. The gulf grew, possibly 40 years ago. Rangers got their act together on their stadium from the 70’s, footballimg wise from 1986. Celtic in the late 90’s under Fergus McCann initially. Better stadia, better marketing, bigger exposure, scooping 95% of trophies. It became a virtuous circle, at the expense of the other clubs in a finite small population. Reflected glory, fewer kids choose their local club.

Then obviously add in the huge support for both clubs in different localities in Ireland, also England.

 

[London Irish]

[I’m agreeing with @Professor Plum’s posts on this].

But as a many times visitor to Scotland and football games, the vast support for the Old Firm extends well beyond Strathclyde. As far back as my first such visit in 87, on match days the motorways and lesser roads have a sea of Rangers and Celtic minibuses and coaches. Coming from places such as Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee. In the old Lanarkshire county for example, clubs such as Hamilton and Motherwell don’t get a look in. The gulf grew, possibly 40 years ago. Rangers got their act together on their stadium from the 70’s, footballimg wise from 1986. Celtic in the late 90’s under Fergus McCann initially. Better stadia, better marketing, bigger exposure, scooping 95% of trophies. It became a virtuous circle, at the expense of the other clubs in a finite small population. Reflected glory, fewer kids choose their local club.

Then obviously add in the huge support for both clubs in different localities in Ireland, also England.

Yes of course they get a range of glory hunters and Glaswegian families who’ve fanned out from the city over the years but it still doesn’t refute my main point that Glasgow is the dominant conurbation in Scotland somewhat similar to how Dublin dominates Ireland (hence Dublin winning the GAA most years)

 

[moggy]

The sadness at where Scottish football's big two are in the pecking order gives me the urge to taste Scott Tenorman's tears:



To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, 'One must have a heart of stone to hear about the sad demise of the Old Firm without laughing.'

Tiny little Brighton 35 places above ECL round one regulars Celtic in Europe's Power Index: https://www.euroclubindex.com/?all-items=1

What has the world come to?

In fact, they’re below Bournemouth

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Where's Matt? Turning into a transfer saga and thread now going off topic.

 

[Berty23]

The sadness at where Scottish football's big two are in the pecking order gives me the urge to taste Scott Tenorman's tears:



To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, 'One must have a heart of stone to hear about the sad demise of the Old Firm without laughing.'

Tiny little Brighton 35 places above ECL round one regulars Celtic in Europe's Power Index: https://www.euroclubindex.com/?all-items=1

What has the world come to?

It shows how insular some of the auld

The sadness at where Scottish football's big two are in the pecking order gives me the urge to taste Scott Tenorman's tears:



To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, 'One must have a heart of stone to hear about the sad demise of the Old Firm without laughing.'

Tiny little Brighton 35 places above ECL round one regulars Celtic in Europe's Power Index: https://www.euroclubindex.com/?all-items=1

What has the world come to?

it shows how insular the auld firm fans can be. He will miss the derby games for sure but then the rest of the matches are crap. He will not play in Europe this season but then if we get in next season we will be competitive rather than getting thumped. Premier league vs SpL is a not even a competition.

 

[GT49er]

It shows how insular some of the auld

it shows how insular the auld firm fans can be. He will miss the derby games for sure but then the rest of the matches are crap. He will not play in Europe this season but then if we get in next season we will be competitive rather than getting thumped. Premier league vs SpL is a not even a competition.

If he joins us he'll play more matches against Champions League teams than Celtic will!

 

[severnside gull]

England is the anomaly. Yes, there are plenty of arseholes who just support a big club instead of their local club, but there are still a huge amount of people who do support their local team, meaning that a lot of people go to games all through the leagues. Scotland is a bit messed up, with a disproportionate amount of people only interested in supporting one of the big two, which ruins their league system.

Germany too

 

[Triggaaar]

Why is it disproportionate - Glasgow is a huge city compared with anywhere else in Scotland- well over 10 ten times bigger than say somewhere like Dundee. Of course it’s going to have the biggest and best supported teams, be a bit strange if it didn’t

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_and_cities_in_Scotland_by_population
1 Glasgow - 632,350
2 Edinburgh - 506,520
3 Aberdeen - 198,590
4 Dundee - 148,210

Whilst I'd expect the teams in the biggest city to have more support, I find that when I go to Scotland, it doesn't matter which town I'm in, people ask if I support Celtic or Rangers (they support one of them, despite living somewhere else). They don't generally seem interested in supporting their local team.

 

[Withdean11]

What comes first the 'Here We Go' for O'Riley or the 'Here We Go' for Ferdi?

 

[Triggaaar]

What comes first the 'Here We Go' for O'Riley or the 'Here We Go' for Ferdi?

Or the 'Didn't want him anyway'

 

[sparkie]

What comes first the 'Here We Go' for O'Riley or the 'Here We Go' for Ferdi?

Obviously I don't know, but to me this deal has always seemed closer than the Kadioglu transfer.

 

[chickens]

I’m coming to loathe these threads where the potential transfer is signposted and discussed weeks in advance.

We’re all grown adults, yet we get tense and tetchy with each other as we wait for final confirmation (or disappointment)

I’m just sticking the Kadioglu and O’Riley threads on ignore, and I’ll wait until I either see them holding the shirt via Mastodon, or there’s a report that the moves have broken down.

 

[Gwylan]

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_and_cities_in_Scotland_by_population
1 Glasgow - 632,350
2 Edinburgh - 506,520
3 Aberdeen - 198,590
4 Dundee - 148,210

Whilst I'd expect the teams in the biggest city to have more support, I find that when I go to Scotland, it doesn't matter which town I'm in, people ask if I support Celtic or Rangers (they support one of them, despite living somewhere else). They don't generally seem interested in supporting their local team.

Yeah, my sister-in-law's partner comes from Aberdeen but supports Celtic. Don't forget the religious divide though, that prompts much of the support.

Having said that, I know a few Scottish people who don't support one of the big two. I know supporters of Dundee Utd, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Queen of the South, so there are still a few who support their local team (although the DU supporter comes from Stirling!)

 

[Triggaaar]

Yeah, my sister-in-law's partner comes from Aberdeen but supports Celtic. Don't forget the religious divide though, that prompts much of the support.

Yeah I imagine that has something to do with it.

Having said that, I know a few Scottish people who don't support one of the big two. I know supporters of Dundee Utd, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Queen of the South, so there are still a few who support their local team (although the DU supporter comes from Stirling!)

Of course, I just get the impression that the two clubs dominate so much that it's to the detriment of their whole league.

 

[Beanstalk]

What comes first the 'Here We Go' for O'Riley or the 'Here We Go' for Ferdi?

I believe the kids say "There We Land" these days...

 

[Slum_Wolf]

Yeah I imagine that has something to do with it.




Of course, I just get the impression that the two clubs dominate so much that it's to the detriment of their whole league.

Yep, when I was at primary school in Scotland all the good Catholics the priest would take out of the class for extra curricula activities supported Celtic...

The blue and green bigots really do dominate but to honest it it is not a million miles away from all the glory hunting twats you see in UTD and Liverpool shirts in every part of England - plenty of Scottish clubs have decent support relative to population size.

 

[MTSeagulls]

I’m coming to loathe these threads where the potential transfer is signposted and discussed weeks in advance.

We’re all grown adults, yet we get tense and tetchy with each other as we wait for final confirmation (or disappointment)

I’m just sticking the Kadioglu and O’Riley threads on ignore, and I’ll wait until I either see them holding the shirt via Mastodon, or there’s a report that the moves have broken down.

 

[Hiheidi]

 

[BrickTamland]

Wonder if this is contingent on WBG?

Would seem strange for it to take so long otherwise