Robbo makes interesting Swedish claims about Rangers
We think that Stewart Robertson’s comparison with Sweden is yet another far-fetched one.
The Swedish Allsvenskan is said to have a TV deal worth twice what the Scottish Premier League gets, and the Rangers CEO complains that our league is undersold, using that example.
There are some slight differences though – the Swedish top flight is a nation ranked 20th in the world (Scotland is 45th), and their league has 16 teams to Scotland’s 12.
They are also a much, MUCH bigger country (10.5 million) and they have more than just two teams to sell.
That’s right, Rangers and Celtic are all the SPL has going for it, with the title ALWAYS going to one of those teams.
At the same time, Sweden has only seen three different champions in the last four years. Four if you go back 8 years. It’s a better league for god’s sake, with much higher quality teams compared to the total rubbish in the SPL under Rangers and Celtic.
So comparing a country of 6 million to a country of 10.5 million, much less the bizarre comparisons to PL, shows that Robertson is arguing a point he simply doesn’t believe, and he doesn’t convince us either.
Is our league undersold?
Well, compare that to any other country of similar size in the world, especially in Europe, where two goliath teams are a cut above the rest and there are only a dozen teams in their top tier.
That’s right, there is NOT another one like this anywhere. There is nothing we can compare Scotland to, so to do so is just invalid.
That’s why it’s not an easy sell – yes, the Old Firm games are a jewel in the crown, the biggest club game in the world apart from el clasico, but that’s the only selling point we have. Nobody cares about Aberdeen, Hearts or Hibs.
Take away Rangers and Celtic and there is absolutely nothing to sell, and that is the League of Ireland.
Add them, and it creates a curate’s egg of confusion.
Four valuable games in a season is certainly not a blockbuster, and while we’re no fans of the SPFL, they have a tough job getting something big for the broadcasting rights.