It’s not often I take heed of anything Craig Brown has to say, but his ire at the decision to allow the losing Scottish Cup finalists into Europe got me thinking.
I’m a bit hazy on the ins-and-outs of the UEFA rulebook, but as it stands this season (and remember this is a UEFA rule, not an SFA one, so for once we can’t blame them) the losing Scottish Cup finalist goes into the Europa League, at the expense of the team in fifth place in the league if – and only if – either one of Raith or Ross County make it to the final.
Furthermore – and this is where Brown sits up and takes notice – this means that Hibernian, the team currently fifth, or possibly Motherwell, currently fourth but only a point ahead of Hibs will miss out. I think that’s how it works anyway – like I said, it’s all slightly Byzantine in complexity.
The reason why Brown (and possibly John Hughes, Jim Jefferies and Mark McGhee) is complaining is that a team that qualifies for Europe on the basis of six games and a losing appearance in a final gets qualifying precedence over a team that plays 38 games, including games against the best teams in their division. It’s hardly sending the best teams to represent us now, is it? (more…)
