I initially chuckled about our ex-player Adam Rooney choosing Salford City over The Dims.

But, an equivalent of a Highland League club being chosen over the '2nd best team' (not my words) in our country is alarming. It also highlights the money in the English game. 

Seems everyone but PSG and maybe Man City is probably a feeder club. 

This really does highlight the stark difference in cash flowing around the leagues north and south of the border. If Aberdeen are losing out to lower league English clubs there seems little in the way of hope for the rest of us building half decent squads. Something for us to bear in mind next time anyone wants to have a dig at ICT for an apparent inability to secure top class proven ability...

At the level ICT are at now there is room for very few semi-established, sold  performing ‘outsiders’ from England.  I think the club means to have a squad of 12-14 local players and 3-5 incoming players who serve a specific purpose.  I don’t see that being much more than a mid-table Championship ambition and that’s not a dig, just being realistic.  At this level, first team players can only expect to be earning the same as a professional in a civil service role and at best means the odd yo-yo into the top division.  Hoping for a Livingston - expecting a Dunfermline. England continues to be a more lucrative draw at all levels.  

The board are not wrong in their sustainability and low-cost approach, I just wish it was more realistic in terms of promotion and ambition when considering the landscape.

Right now the money in English football is ruining the game throughout Europe - Low end teams spending 30M+ on bang average foreign players, lower levels paying more in wages and transfer fees than top leagues in Europe.

Salford are another Gretna - they will continue to get fans due to the ManU connection from those who cant afford Old Trafford, but as they go up the leagues the money needed will increase and sooner or later the pockets of the ManU group will close leaving either other investors or sustainability. The documentary they did spoke of something for the local community, giving back to grass roots but clearly the lure of glory and limelight was too much for all concerned.

TV & CL money is ruining the game at all levels - the fees involved are crazy and fans are turning off at teams with foreign players and mediocre players just there for the cash and no loyalty. I'd rather follow a diddy team, in a diddy league in a diddy country then be cheated as a fan of some EPL teams right now.

Look at Meggison at Cove he got offers from premiership clubs in scotland but in his own words his wage in his normal job and the extra he gets in part time football was better than what they were offering. 

That also shows he is thinking of his future after football. Credit to him.

On 7/20/2018 at 11:20 PM, MorayJaggie said:

Look at Meggison at Cove he got offers from premiership clubs in scotland but in his own words his wage in his normal job and the extra he gets in part time football was better than what they were offering. 

This was true of players in the 70's I played with one player who was offered 3 professional contracts and turned them all down because he had a well paid job with car and house assistance purchase scheme, pension etc etc he was a wonderful left footed player who would  have given Beckham a run for his money at free kicks. Those were the days when we had some superb players in the Scottish amateur leagues, many of the OF S form signings played in those leagues during that time.