CAMPBELL Ogilvie, the Rangers secretary, has demanded an end to the
constant speculation surrounding the current league set-up which was
agreed just last year.
And Ogilvie warned those who might want change that major sponsors
could be frightened off by the spectre of uncertainty which appears once
more to hang over the national game.
''There have been no talks, behind the scenes or otherwise, among the
clubs,'' he said, ''but it seems that there will always be discussion
about the direction the game should take.
''There were complaints surfacing in November about the four leagues
of 10 and the new set-up had only been going or three months or so. I
just don't think that is good for the game.
''Clubs are trying to sell season tickets just now. We also are trying
to sell executive boxes for the new season, and the whole marketing
exercise is being complicated by all the talk which is taking place.
''People don't want to buy any kind of package without knowing what
will be on offer . . . 18 home league games is a bit different from just
15 league matches.
''And then, of course, you have the sponsors and the television
companies who have paid huge sums of money for a competition they were
told would be in place for a period of five years.
''We don't want to frighten people off who want to put money into the
game. That would be a big mistake.''
Indeed, it is a mistake the clubs made before when the climate of
uncertainty left football without major sponsors for a lengthy period.
Then, commercial executive Bill Wilson, who negotiates on behalf of
the SFA and league, insisted: ''Until things are settled and potential
sponsors can see a clear way ahead, nothing will happen. No money will
come into the game.''
Yesterday Wilson dismissed the rumblings surrounding yet another
change and pointed out: ''I was not scare-mongering before. The proof of
the pudding is there for everyone to see.
''When there was constant talk of chopping and changing, I found it
impossible to attract major sponsors. People want to know what it is
they are putting their cash into.
''When the clubs decided on a long-term plan which would not be
altered for five years, we saw money coming back into the game. Big
money.
''The reason was simple -- the sponsors saw a settled period and they
knew their long-term planning gelled with our own. That is the reason
Coca-Cola came in and Bell's and Sky.''
These deals will bring more than #20m into Scottish football during
the next four years. Further tinkering with the leagues could mean
problems with the companies who are paying these huge sums of cash.
In any case, suggestions that moves are being made to save Aberdeen,
in particular, from relegation seem ill founded. There is a league rule
now in place which does not allow changes to be made to promotion and
relegation issues while the season is on-going.
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