tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-783708970038204216.comments2017-04-04T11:13:12.632+02:00The Men Offsidestramehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15345878759410020348noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-783708970038204216.post-51659454066972926912011-01-23T15:13:08.784+01:002011-01-23T15:13:08.784+01:00Something clearly needs to be done. Still keep in...Something clearly needs to be done. Still keep in touch with lots of people in Liberec but none of them go to see Slovan anymore - they've all either switched to hockey or just decided to stay at home. Low crowds, inconvenient kick off times, the poor quality of football and disillusionment with the running of the club are all reasons they give, any of which apply to most of the clubs in the league. Merging would, as you say, create some extra problems but it would bring better competition and some excitement back to the league. Michal might be right in saying it's not a long term solution, but if nothing's done the situation is only going to get worse.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11492434940865733042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-783708970038204216.post-36269680860122571352011-01-10T15:52:02.626+01:002011-01-10T15:52:02.626+01:00Interesting read, Martin. Certainly, there are not...Interesting read, Martin. Certainly, there are not many options left for the Czech league to stop its decline. I am personally also quite positive about the CZ-SK league idea, just I am not sure whether the effect it would have would last for more than 5 years. On the other hand, it is certainly worth trying. <br />For me, working in the environment, the biggest problem is in the people who manage the clubs and association. Too many of them are corrupt and following just their own interests...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09959113732827728193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-783708970038204216.post-23885968561469735112011-01-09T18:56:50.859+01:002011-01-09T18:56:50.859+01:00Thanks for the comment, much appreciated. About th...Thanks for the comment, much appreciated. About the precedent - I don't think it would be much of a case, we have a common history of a league with Slovakia, it was there not even 20 years ago, so I think the bonding between the clubs and the history of playing each other is more present than within the clubs in Britain. I also believe that a similar merge exists in handball. Also if Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland have their own federations, so effectively Britain occupies more places in the European cups than any other country, then surely it should go another way round as well.<br /><br />If it was up to me to choose either reducing or leaving it like it is, I don't really know what would be the result of it. On one hand one of the commentators said yesterday that he's unsure whether the Czech Republic is able to hand two professional competitions, which maybe is a fair point, but as I've said in the article, apart from that it wouldn't cure anything.<br /><br />It would be nice to put the two cups together, maybe the best solution if the joint league falls. Czech and Slovakian clubs could play their own cups and then start playing together from the round of 16 or 32, so that the small clubs don't have to travel so far. As you say, a good starting point and much more of a fun than the cup is today. Just isn't debated at all at this point I suppose.stramehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15345878759410020348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-783708970038204216.post-22588293285197158162011-01-09T16:03:15.456+01:002011-01-09T16:03:15.456+01:00Great post, seems like we, as fans, are all on the...Great post, seems like we, as fans, are all on the same page with regards to the merger. Hoping and praying but also seriously doubting whether it will ever happen. Biggest problem I see is the setting of a precedent by UEFA - just mention this on Twitter and people starts throwing around ridiculous ideas like merging Switzerland and Scotland and god knows where else.<br /><br />I don't know enough about the strength of teams in the bottom half of the Gambrinus League, but to me the idea of reducing the league to 10 teams is also a strange one. A similar thing was being discussed this week in Scotland. When attendances are already so low, I don't see how playing each other 4 times is going to increase interest, although obviously more matches seems important. At least with 16 teams, if you are a serious travelling fan you get plenty of variety!<br /><br />I was also thinking about the cup idea. Wasn't aware of the extra league cup for Czech Republic, but I think introducing the Slovak teams into Czech cup might be quite fun. Not the same as a league obviously, but maybe a starting point ..Britski Belasihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12131292536132879074noreply@blogger.com