´óÏó´«Ã½

This is interesting assuming of course you're interested in football which frankly, I'm not.

I am however interested in and have participated in Scottish motor racing at Knockhill and elsewhere. Sadly, it never reported on either ´óÏó´«Ã½ Scotland nor STV and hardly ever figures in the press and this is despite record grids this year and increasing numbers of spectators.

I really don't care whether Setanta goes bust or not. What I'd like to see is our local providers covering a broader range of sport.

Can't feel a lot of sympathy for " pay for " tv companies or the football clubs who deal with them. The punters always come last where these people are concerned. The ´óÏó´«Ã½ should also be banned from paying these television companies for highlights of sporting events ; this is one of the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s more stupid uses of public money, paying it's competitors for old TV footage.

#1 Wee-Scamp

Agree 100%. Let's forget football and start giving coverage to the many sports where Scotland has world class winners: e.g. cycling, snooker, tennis, curling, etc.

This would have two very big benefits:

1. Sectarian thuggery is unknown in these sports.
2. The people who particpate in these sports are not spoiled, ungrateful brats who get paid millions but are so stupid they bite the hand that feeds them by making rude gestures to the very people who make it all possible for them.

These two reasons alone are good reasons why we should care less about football and not a whit about Setanta.

It got my ire when the ´óÏó´«Ã½ stumped up for English Qualifying matches but let Scottish one's fall by the wayside to bids from Sky & Setanta. It's a fairness thing - and not one Alex Salmond has ever included in his justifications for a Scottish Broadcasting corporation, but one I personally identify with.

I don't watch television for anything other than landmark sporting events - and even then only in a pub or bar when I can't personally attend them. To hell with paying £140 a year or £30 a month for any television packages. Can you watch 200 channels at once or RECORD just ONE of them without breaking copyright law in doing so?

I know that sometime soon they will dictate that using the internet will be subject to a "license fee" - in which case they should call it the "Internet License" - Almost as ridiculous sounding as it's television namesake.

Agree with #1 and #3. I'm willing to bet that most Scottish people have little to no interest in football. The Scottish political and pundit classes just like to pretend it's important because they want to appear down to earth.

#5

I assume you have no interest in betting either then!!!

I have to say the comments so far have been very negative towards Scotland's interest in Football. Let's get realistic here, football is the most popular, well attended and widely played sport in the country. For that reason, it my opionon that the re-negotiating of the current Setanta deal has the potential to be very financially damaging to SPL clubs and could directly be responsible for the degrading of the standard and therefore the attendance at Scottish football games.

I'm living in the US for a while, and with a normal cable package - Setanta is not available for me add. Are they really relying only on domestic customers to fund their tv-rights? The sports market in the UK is saturated - there is no more money to be made. If they don;t widen their net then it is no bu surprise they are struggling.

I'm not sure where all the negativity from posters 1, 3 and 5 comes from? Number 5 said, "I'm willing to bet that most Scottish people have little to no interest in football" which is clearly not true! Football permeates all levels of Scottish society.
Setanta's situation is worrying for Scottish football though They've been through similar problems before and survived.

#9

I stand by my claim. If Scottish football was truly as popular as you claim, it wouldn't face a constant financial struggle to survive.

Let me get this right, jimsmit

You imply that because of Setanta the standard of Scottish football is high and attendances are good?! I would suggest the business model is the complete opposite. If you were a subscription channel, you'd want punters to be signing up to you and NOT going to the games. Other than Ibrox and Celtic Park, this would seem to be (not) supported in the pages on Monday's football supplements, with banks of empty seats as backdrops.

Think back to football in its prime when there were record attendances at matches. Funny that, no television games! Clubs can't have it both ways: if they take TV's shilling they can't complain when times get tough and they can't rely on drawing in supporters who are being served up poor entertainment for increasing admission prices.

Scottish football is living outwith its means and has an over-inflated opinion of its own value.

The whole of Scottish football tends to struggle due to the vast majority suporting the old firm all over Scotland.

#9

Said "Football permeates all levels of Scottish society." ....

Sadly I think you are probably right and this goes a long way to explaining why it is that other sports are given so little air time and generally not reported in the other media. However, it's a very sad reflection on Scottish society that it has become a "one sport" nation and that the sport happens to be the most simplistic and the one with the least real challenges.

You could say that Christianity permeates all levels of Scottish society, but it wouldn't really be true. It's the same as football, a declining institution which our pundits give excessive attention to.