Academy football blamed for Scottish game's decline
Peter Martin, Stephen McGowan and Gordon Parks examined where the quality in Scottish football has gone, from the TV deal to youth development.
By PLZ Soccer,
On The Football Show, Peter Martin, Stephen McGowan and Gordon Parks asked where the quality in the Scottish game has gone. One line framed the discussion: "Academy football has destroyed Scottish football."
The panel began with the SPFL's TV deal and "the chaos and the mayhem", under a segment titled "Scottish football becomes Gerald Ratner". They also turned to the UEFA coefficient, with Scotland "down to 21st".
A structural problem
The panel argued that the issue runs deeper than any single deal. "The product itself is structurally wrong" was the verdict. The discussion took in the 21st Club, Switzerland and young players, as well as Fleetwood Town and the local butcher's.
The panel also discussed Alex Smith's St Mirren and Dundee United's young sides.
Two under-21s
One figure cited was "38 out of 132" Scottish starters, with only two of them under 21. That led into Craig Mulholland's under-21 plan, discussed alongside the phrase "a ticking time bomb under the game".
Brighton signing a Motherwell under-17 was also raised.
The nuclear option
Looking abroad, the panel considered Scandinavia and football culture, and whether a points system for foreign players would amount to the "nuclear option". They closed on B team games and what were described as "job creation" academies.