[0762]

SKY pays the scottish clubs a pittance for tv rights, If there were only two Old Firm games per season I doubt anyone at Sky would really notice, and I genuinely can't see it having such a significant impact on their income that they would make changes to the deal. As evidenced by the farcical circumstances surrounding rangers going down the drain.

Anyway with splits,play offs etc a 16 club league could provide 4 old firm games anyway.

I don't really see the need for the scottish government to ban the old firm games either no matter how distasteful some of the antics surrounding it are,ffs salmond called rangers 'part of the fabric of our society' not that long ago. Besides their are similar types of games throughout europe that are just as bad i.e. holland,italy and turkey.

I absolutely disagree with that view. The law in Scotland is clear on this issue and I don't see why the Scottish Gov should concede proper control and firm policing of a fixture that has been out of control for a long time before it thankfully disappeared - notice the healthy difference at the moment!!! The indicators coming out of these clubs, and particularly antagonistic Rangers FC and their fans, are that it will be more venomous than anything we've seen before (if that is indeed possible!) - that is unacceptable! Also you conveniently ignore the huge social impact of this fixture that directly and indirectly affects a helluvah lot more people than you'd realise hibeejim. I also suggest you read some publications and other sources (Nil by Mouth is only one of many!) that highlight the historical victims of this vile fixture and indeed the many fans/victims who have tragically died for effectively just supporting a football team - these figures are a shocking indictment that show up this fixture for what it truly represents and the game/sport pales into insignificance after considering these facts - the sport has been disgracefully violated!!  IMO other bad fixtures in Europe have no relevance to how we should effectively deal with this fixture once and for all in our own country - no going soft on it as we've seen before. For example, no sectarian marketing of goods should be strictly imposed and no questions asked and that's only one of many sanctions I'd like to see imposed (+ a zero tolerance policy) FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME IN SCOTLAND AND ULTIMATELY TO CLEAN IT UP AND PROTECT LOTSA PEOPLE/FANS WHO ARE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED AS A RESULT OF A LOSING SCORE AFTER SUCH A MATCH WHEN CERTAIN CRETONS CAN'T HANDLE IT!! THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE AND DON'T CONDONE IT WITH REFERENCE TO BAD FIXTURES IN EUROPE!   

I'm not disagreeing with you mate,just pointing out that our own former first ministers public comments regarding rangers do not meet with what you want to happen. He even intervened with HMRC on their behalf. If rangers are a part of 'the fabric of our society' then theres no way this fixture is ever going to be under threat. We live in the real world after all.

And i think it is relevant to mention other european fixtures.... several of which are 'vile fixtures' too. 

They are reasonable points to make in this debate hibeejim but Alex Salmond is no longer the 1st minister anyway and his comment at the time was no more than an opinion that a huge number of people in Scotland wholeheartedly disagreed with because of the social damage to the fabric of their society, something Alex Salmond likely never realised unless he personally scrutinised the hard evidence that stands up against this poisonous fixture that does indeed ruin peoples' lives on occasions - fact!! I wonder what the female opinion (eg Nicola Sturgeon) would be re the same issue eh - I'd bet good money it would not be the same view! My main point to emphasise re referring to a vile fixture in Euro football is the fact that any of the mentioned vile fixtures does not justify condoning or accepting what happens in Glasgow before and after a poisonous Rangers v Celtic match and, in 21st century Scotland, these moronic people (I won't describe them as football fans because they are not footie fans in the true sense of the sport that we enjoy!) either move on with the times or they should be hunted down in one of the biggest clean up campaigns that you'll ever witness!! And the clubs should be unceremoniously forced into the fray as well with appropriate sanctions and changed practises. I've listened to many of the pro-OF fixture arguments before and many protagonists try to dilute the debate with their football argument - football interest, the good of the game etc etc. THIS ARGUMENT IS FLAWED WHEN ONE SITS DOWN AND LOOKS CLOSELY AT THE HARD EVIDENCE, THE HISTORICAL FACTUAL EVIDENCE, THAT COVERS YEARS OF ANGST, INTIMIDATION, PERSONAL ASSAULTS, PERSONAL DEBILITATING INJURIES, AND DEATH TO MANY UNSUSPECTING PEOPLE/FANS INCLUDING FOLK WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH FOOTBALL WHATSOEVER!! The huge figures will seriously astound you and I'm not exaggerating one jot. I regard the convenient omission of all the relative assaults, injuries and fatalities + relative hospital admissions, that are directly and indirectly associated with this poisonous fixture, as one of the biggest cover-ups in modern day Scotland and that is mainly because of the intractable nature of this problem, a problem that many people with vested interest want to sweep under the carpet and ignore - fact!! Lastly, the people who are at the front end of these issues that I've described, the Police, social workers, hospital front line staff - they don't want to ignore it, they'd luv to see this problem hammered into the ground because many of them have witnessed years of the worst side of this shit!! Bear that in mind eh!