Mark Davies dreams of the day when the SPL all qualify for Europe!

Hands up who is willing to pay an EXTRA £300 for next years season ticket? Nobody? Wonder if I can change your mind…

As we hit December/January there are bound to be some postponements of games due to the Scottish weather, which will then lead to the usual calls for a winter break. The trouble is that no one knows exactly when the winter break should be in Scotland because the snow/ice/freezing fog/more snow/harsher ice/even more snow can come anytime between November and March. I, though, have become John “Hannibal” Smith from the A team and I have a plan.

From season 2013/14 every Scottish league side has to play a couple of games in Jan/Feb in a country that gets the sunshine. Every club has to select an “alternative” home venue and then in Jan/Feb they play 2 games in an 4 week period, in that country.
The normal SPL carries on minus 2 fixtures that play in the sunshine every week, for example a typical fixture list could be –

Hearts v St Johnstone
Celtic v ICT
Motherwell v Rangers
St Mirren v Aberdeen

Dunfermline v Hibs (Gran Canaria)
Dundee Utd v Kilmarnock (Eygpt)

Now if weather back home takes a turn for the worst in Scotland, not every game is affected. So why would this lead to your season ticket costing more? Here’s the bit I think will tempt you; the extra is the cost of your flight, transfer, ticket and 1 night’s accommodation for home fans. The plane leaves the nearest airport at say 6am, arrives at your destination and you’re transferred to the hotel, check in and then have a few hours to relax. You’re then bussed to and from the game which would kick off about 6pm. Saturday evening is yours to relax and then at 11am you’re picked up and flown home. You get to do this twice in a four week period. Now who fancies it?

I know that there are many logistics involved in trying to organise this but I’m sure that the SFA/SPL could put together a team of top brass to fly around Europe and Northern Africa checking out potential venues, hotels etc and as I had the original idea I obviously would need to tag along, with my wife and daughter…

This could also boost scarf makers profits in Perth, Inverness, Dunfermline and Kilmarnock as the need for “St Johnstone in Europe” scarves etc hits an all time high.

Never more would the song Sunshine on Leith be more apt as 4000 very pink Hibs fans roar on their team in Tenerife.

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About the Author

For as long as he can remember, Mark has loved football. Originally from just outside Manchester, he supports Bury FC so can’t be labelled as a glory hunter (although they do hold the record for the biggest FA Cup final winning margin, 6-0 in 1903 and it still stands today!).
Mark drives a cab, so automatically he “has an opinion and usually it’s the right one!” All opinions are the author’s own, and they can be heard on twitter @bigmarkdavies. You can contact Mark via email at bigmarkdavies@talktalk.net

Oh, and It would also guarantee that there still being some Scottish teams in Europe after Christmas…all

Mark Davies dreams of the day when the SPL all qualify for Europe!

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