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´óÏó´«Ã½ BLOGS - Jim Spence

SPL fair play proposals provoke stormy reaction

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Jim Spence | 10:41 UK time, Thursday, 12 April 2012

The Scottish Premier League is in troubled waters after announcing its proposals to tackle financial mismanagement.

Although the rules are badly needed, the timing sits uneasily with Rangers' lingering liquidation fears.

Now, the SPL finds itself sandwiched between the two issues, trapped between the mutually exclusive rocks of sporting integrity and financial consideration.

A tide of resentment is lapping round the ankles of those running the top flight, from Rangers fans who feel the proposals are unjust and from fans of other clubs who are openly cynical of their timing.

At present, the proposals to tackle financial mismanagement in the game are just that, proposals.

Many supporters though see them as an attempt to open the door for a newco Rangers to avoid paying their dues and re-emerging relatively unscathed in the top division.

The proposals have been under discussion for some time it has been suggested, but in the febrile atmosphere of Scottish football, many fans are getting the kind of whiff associated with Arbroath harbour on a breezy day.

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Lennon and Celtic on threshold of long SPL dominance

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Jim Spence | 14:17 UK time, Saturday, 7 April 2012

Celtic's deserved title-winning success throws up two key questions.

Will we now see a long-running period of Celtic title dominance and will decide that it is time to move on?

Let's take the second question first.

Lennon will sit down with his agent, Martin Reilly, in the summer to discuss his future.

Leave football aside for the moment. Lennon has endured the kind of strife and personal attacks upon his safety that would shock people in a banana republic.

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Can big crowds ever return to Scottish football?

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Jim Spence | 21:53 UK time, Thursday, 29 March 2012

As the debate about change to our top league rages, I found myself nostalgically leafing through old league tables and attendances.

It was a fascinating exercise and left me wondering if we can do anything to return to a time when Scottish top flight football seemed much more competitive.

While by and large the big two of Celtic and Rangers have dominated our game, there was a period when that dominance was much less pronounced.

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