OK this is boring everyone know. But I have another improved idea for a cross border cup.
How about a cup played between the top four clubs sides of Scotland, and the top four of one other country in a group stage trophy?
At the end of each season the top four placed teams in the two respective leagues qualify for the cup.
The idea is to choose another small or medium sized European football power for a cross border cup, such as a Scottish - Dutch Cup, Scottish - Belgian Cup, Scottish - Portugal Cup, Scottish - Swiss Cup, Scottish - Denmark, for example or Norway, Poland, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, or a region of England, Germany, France, USA, Russia, or Romania.
My previous idea was a North Atlantic League Cup with group stages and 1 Scottish team in each of the 4 groups, but some have said the problem with my idea is removing Scottish Old Firm derby games from the league to make way for this trophy. This new improved idea would ensure two old firm derby games in the Cross Border Cup.
Structure of trophy:
The Cup will be a group stage trophy with two groups of four. Two Scottish teams in each group and 2 teams from the other country in each group. The top 2 teams of each group qualify for the single leg semi final. There is then a one leg final.
The top teams in the group stage have home advantage in the single leg semi final.
In the group stages, teams will keep 100% of home gate receipts. In the knockout stages teams will share gate receipts 50 / 50.
The home group stage games will be sold as part of the season ticket. The games will be played at the weekend. Plus to ensure the integrity of the trophy, any team who field a second team in the Cup, will have 3 points deducted in their national league. On the days the cross border Cup is taking place, the domestic teams who did not qualify for the Cup would play in the group stages of a domestic cup competition, such as the League Cup.
By cutting the domestic league to 30 games a season with 16 team divisions, 8 league games would be removed the calendar, freeing up weeks to play the cross border Cup.
I would play the North Atlantic League Cup trophy at the start of the season in 6 weekends that would have had league games in the present system. On the same day the domestic League Cup group stages would take place, with teams who had not qualified for the Cross Border Cup.
Domestic TV rights are negotiated by the leagues of each nation with national rights shared between the four domestic teams. International rights are shared equally among the 8 clubs.
Reform of domestic leagues:
Each of the nations top divisions will be changed to a 16 team, 30 games a season, league. Freeing up weeks in the season for these extra games for this new trophy.
Teams who did not qualify for the Cross Border Cup, but are in the top division of their national league will be given a place in the group stage of a domestic national league cup to play extra games. For instance the Scottish League could be 3 divisions of 16, with non league teams and under 20 sides of Celtic, Aberdeen, and Rangers added to the third division.
Justification for the trophy:.
The current European trophies are good, but do not guarantee games against big Western European nation sides. This would ensure cross border games.
Scottish clubs need to look outward to play teams from other countries.
I would like a 16 team domestic league simply to free up weeks in the calendar to have a cross border tournament. All this talk of 16, team, 12 team, 10 team leagues is meaningless, if we just play inward looking games, of reorganising the same teams. We are limited to two massive clubs in Scotland, and no amount of internal reorganisation will alter that that.
Criticisms of trophy.
Fake trophy complaint
Some would say this a fake trophy. But that is a poor reason to complain about the trophy. Anything can be seen as a fake trophy if you want to get all existential about it. Look at the American sport leagues where there is no relegation, franchises, league names that do not conflate to the region of America they are from. Teams moving thousands of miles away. World leagues that only contain the USA and Canada.
Travel is tough.
I disagree, look at the trips taken up by teams in Australia, Russia, and China. A trip to a Western European nation is relatively easy.
UEFA would not allow it.
UEFA have allowed other countries to have cross border cups such as the Royal League, and the cup played by teams from the League of Ireland and the Irish League. There is a club from Liechtenstein in the Swiss League. There are clubs from Wales in the English league and a club from England in the Scottish League.
UEFA refused permission for a North Atlantic League but they did not refuse permission for Cross Border Cup.
UEFA do not want to destroy the national league system. But this idea works in tandem with the national league.
UEFA have allowed Welsh and Ulster sides to play in the Scottish Irn Bru Cup.
Loss of two Old Firm Games
My idea would be two teams from Scotland in each group. So the deal could be that Celtic and Rangers are fixed to play each other in the group stages, so ensuring that the domestic Scottish league and cross border cup add up to 4 guaranteed Old Firm games.
Scheduling of tournament.
I have been told by very good journalist in Scottish football, that to plan such a trophy, and change to Scottish football. I need to add my plan for the dates of the trophy. I will do so using the calendar of Glasgow Celtic as an example. Remember I would play the Cross Border Cup group stages on the same day as the domestic Scottish League Cup group stages in the place where 6 league games of the league season were previously played. As the Scottish League will have been reduced to 30 games a season in 16 team divisions, it is possible to replace what would be league games in the present system with games in group stages of the Cross Border Cup, and Domestic League Cups.
Here is the Glasgow Celtic example.
Tue, 12th Jul
Lincoln Red Imps
UEFA Champions League
Wed, 20th Jul
Lincoln Red Imps
UEFA Champions League
H
Wed, 27th Jul
Astana
UEFA Champions League
A
August 2016
Wed, 3rd Aug
Astana
UEFA Champions League
H
Sun, 7th Aug
Heart of Midlothian
Ladbrokes Premiership
A
Replacement Week 1
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup Game 1
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Wed, 10th Aug
Midweek game removed from Calendar
Motherwell
Midweek game removed from Calendar
Betfred Cup
Midweek game removed from Calendar
H
Sat, 13th Aug
Replacement Week 2
Inter Milan
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
International Champions Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
N
Wed, 17th Aug
Hapoel Beer Sheva
UEFA Champions League
H
Sat, 20th Aug
St Johnstone
Ladbrokes Premiership
A
Tue, 23rd Aug
Hapoel Beer Sheva
UEFA Champions League
A
Sat, 27th Aug
Replacement Week 3
Aberdeen
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
H
September 2016
Sat, 10th Sep
Replacement Week 4
Rangers
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Ladbrokes Premiership
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
H
Tue, 13th Sep
Barcelona
UEFA Champions League
A
Sun, 18th Sep
Replacement Week 5
Inverness CT
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
Ladbrokes Premiership
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
A
Wed, 21st Sep
Game removed from calendar.
Alloa Athletic
Game removed from calendar.
H
Sat, 24th Sep
Kilmarnock
Ladbrokes Premiership
H
Wed, 28th Sep
Manchester City
UEFA Champions League
H
October 2016
Sat, 1st Oct
Replacement Week 6
Dundee
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
A
Sat, 15th Oct
Motherwell
Ladbrokes Premiership
H
Wed, 19th Oct
Borussia Monchengladbach
UEFA Champions League
H
So the Cross Border Cup groups stages, and Domestic League Cup group stages would have taken place between the 6th of August, and the 1st of October, this season.
Another advantage is it would only take one other country to make the trophy happen.
Also how about a Welsh Gold Cup containing all Welsh Premier first teams, and every under 20 team of every Scottish Premier, and English Premier side? To give young players competitive games and to give Welsh clubs games against big club sides regularly. Welsh teams would love this trophy.
How about a cup played between the top four clubs sides of Scotland, and the top four of one other country in a group stage trophy?
At the end of each season the top four placed teams in the two respective leagues qualify for the cup.
The idea is to choose another small or medium sized European football power for a cross border cup, such as a Scottish - Dutch Cup, Scottish - Belgian Cup, Scottish - Portugal Cup, Scottish - Swiss Cup, Scottish - Denmark, for example or Norway, Poland, Greece, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Austria, or a region of England, Germany, France, USA, Russia, or Romania.
My previous idea was a North Atlantic League Cup with group stages and 1 Scottish team in each of the 4 groups, but some have said the problem with my idea is removing Scottish Old Firm derby games from the league to make way for this trophy. This new improved idea would ensure two old firm derby games in the Cross Border Cup.
Structure of trophy:
The Cup will be a group stage trophy with two groups of four. Two Scottish teams in each group and 2 teams from the other country in each group. The top 2 teams of each group qualify for the single leg semi final. There is then a one leg final.
The top teams in the group stage have home advantage in the single leg semi final.
In the group stages, teams will keep 100% of home gate receipts. In the knockout stages teams will share gate receipts 50 / 50.
The home group stage games will be sold as part of the season ticket. The games will be played at the weekend. Plus to ensure the integrity of the trophy, any team who field a second team in the Cup, will have 3 points deducted in their national league. On the days the cross border Cup is taking place, the domestic teams who did not qualify for the Cup would play in the group stages of a domestic cup competition, such as the League Cup.
By cutting the domestic league to 30 games a season with 16 team divisions, 8 league games would be removed the calendar, freeing up weeks to play the cross border Cup.
I would play the North Atlantic League Cup trophy at the start of the season in 6 weekends that would have had league games in the present system. On the same day the domestic League Cup group stages would take place, with teams who had not qualified for the Cross Border Cup.
Domestic TV rights are negotiated by the leagues of each nation with national rights shared between the four domestic teams. International rights are shared equally among the 8 clubs.
Reform of domestic leagues:
Each of the nations top divisions will be changed to a 16 team, 30 games a season, league. Freeing up weeks in the season for these extra games for this new trophy.
Teams who did not qualify for the Cross Border Cup, but are in the top division of their national league will be given a place in the group stage of a domestic national league cup to play extra games. For instance the Scottish League could be 3 divisions of 16, with non league teams and under 20 sides of Celtic, Aberdeen, and Rangers added to the third division.
Justification for the trophy:.
The current European trophies are good, but do not guarantee games against big Western European nation sides. This would ensure cross border games.
Scottish clubs need to look outward to play teams from other countries.
I would like a 16 team domestic league simply to free up weeks in the calendar to have a cross border tournament. All this talk of 16, team, 12 team, 10 team leagues is meaningless, if we just play inward looking games, of reorganising the same teams. We are limited to two massive clubs in Scotland, and no amount of internal reorganisation will alter that that.
Criticisms of trophy.
Fake trophy complaint
Some would say this a fake trophy. But that is a poor reason to complain about the trophy. Anything can be seen as a fake trophy if you want to get all existential about it. Look at the American sport leagues where there is no relegation, franchises, league names that do not conflate to the region of America they are from. Teams moving thousands of miles away. World leagues that only contain the USA and Canada.
Travel is tough.
I disagree, look at the trips taken up by teams in Australia, Russia, and China. A trip to a Western European nation is relatively easy.
UEFA would not allow it.
UEFA have allowed other countries to have cross border cups such as the Royal League, and the cup played by teams from the League of Ireland and the Irish League. There is a club from Liechtenstein in the Swiss League. There are clubs from Wales in the English league and a club from England in the Scottish League.
UEFA refused permission for a North Atlantic League but they did not refuse permission for Cross Border Cup.
UEFA do not want to destroy the national league system. But this idea works in tandem with the national league.
UEFA have allowed Welsh and Ulster sides to play in the Scottish Irn Bru Cup.
Loss of two Old Firm Games
My idea would be two teams from Scotland in each group. So the deal could be that Celtic and Rangers are fixed to play each other in the group stages, so ensuring that the domestic Scottish league and cross border cup add up to 4 guaranteed Old Firm games.
Scheduling of tournament.
I have been told by very good journalist in Scottish football, that to plan such a trophy, and change to Scottish football. I need to add my plan for the dates of the trophy. I will do so using the calendar of Glasgow Celtic as an example. Remember I would play the Cross Border Cup group stages on the same day as the domestic Scottish League Cup group stages in the place where 6 league games of the league season were previously played. As the Scottish League will have been reduced to 30 games a season in 16 team divisions, it is possible to replace what would be league games in the present system with games in group stages of the Cross Border Cup, and Domestic League Cups.
Here is the Glasgow Celtic example.
Tue, 12th Jul
Lincoln Red Imps
UEFA Champions League
Wed, 20th Jul
Lincoln Red Imps
UEFA Champions League
H
Wed, 27th Jul
Astana
UEFA Champions League
A
August 2016
Wed, 3rd Aug
Astana
UEFA Champions League
H
Sun, 7th Aug
Heart of Midlothian
Ladbrokes Premiership
A
Replacement Week 1
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup Game 1
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Wed, 10th Aug
Midweek game removed from Calendar
Motherwell
Midweek game removed from Calendar
Betfred Cup
Midweek game removed from Calendar
H
Sat, 13th Aug
Replacement Week 2
Inter Milan
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
International Champions Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
N
Wed, 17th Aug
Hapoel Beer Sheva
UEFA Champions League
H
Sat, 20th Aug
St Johnstone
Ladbrokes Premiership
A
Tue, 23rd Aug
Hapoel Beer Sheva
UEFA Champions League
A
Sat, 27th Aug
Replacement Week 3
Aberdeen
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
H
September 2016
Sat, 10th Sep
Replacement Week 4
Rangers
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Ladbrokes Premiership
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
H
Tue, 13th Sep
Barcelona
UEFA Champions League
A
Sun, 18th Sep
Replacement Week 5
Inverness CT
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
Ladbrokes Premiership
Game Replaced by Cross Border Cup, and domestic League Cup
A
Wed, 21st Sep
Game removed from calendar.
Alloa Athletic
Game removed from calendar.
H
Sat, 24th Sep
Kilmarnock
Ladbrokes Premiership
H
Wed, 28th Sep
Manchester City
UEFA Champions League
H
October 2016
Sat, 1st Oct
Replacement Week 6
Dundee
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
Game Replaced by Cross Border, and domestic League Cup
A
Sat, 15th Oct
Motherwell
Ladbrokes Premiership
H
Wed, 19th Oct
Borussia Monchengladbach
UEFA Champions League
H
So the Cross Border Cup groups stages, and Domestic League Cup group stages would have taken place between the 6th of August, and the 1st of October, this season.
Another advantage is it would only take one other country to make the trophy happen.
Also how about a Welsh Gold Cup containing all Welsh Premier first teams, and every under 20 team of every Scottish Premier, and English Premier side? To give young players competitive games and to give Welsh clubs games against big club sides regularly. Welsh teams would love this trophy.
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