With J Hutcherson -- Another reminder that even if the big games are only available on closed circuit pay-per-view in the United States, this season in the Scottish Premier League could be well worth your time. For all their financial problems and the looming threat of forced changes to the squad, Rangers remain in contention.
The blue side of Glasgow are two points back of Celtic, but on 12 games to Celtic's 13. Rangers trails on games played due to an abandoned game on November 1st. Their opponent, Dundee United, are currently fourth on 12 games played, four points off the lead and two points behind Rangers.
For a league normally associated with two teams in contention and one of them running away with the title by April, there are currently six teams within seven points of Celtic. Aberdeen moved into that group after beating Rangers over the weekend. Celtic lost to Dundee United a week ago. They drew 3-3 with the worst team in the league the week before that.
A suddenly relevant Scottish Premier League past the two prestige clubs points to a Scottish future. Bad timing if you're a proponent of changes to a structure that's never really caught on as a ten or twelve club premier league.
It doesn't necessarily take another Scottish club pushing past Rangers and Celtic to make the SPL matter. It's a bigger question of having an environment where Rangers and/or Celtic are pushed late into the season. Turning those little SPL stadiums into fortresses where a draw is as good as a win for the visiting club vitalizes this league.
That still may not have the Old Firm thinking the Scottish Premier League is the best way forward, but it stifles that criticism. It also moves the focus from wherever Rangers and celtic happen to be playing on a given weekend. Making the rest of the schedule matter week-to-week solves what have been significant problems.
SPL attendance isn't high, but neither is the population density for some of these clubs. There is a substantial relative-to-scale concern for Scottish soccer in general. Treating it as England north creates expectations that aren't going to be met in the best circumstances.
What we end up with is a circuit that has never really defined success. There have been too many predictable seasons, way too much tinkering, and the general feel that the bulk of the SPL table is simply making up the numbers. Having multiple clubs in contention late into the season changes things.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
