Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is looking to help Scottish football.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told The Herald that the amount of empty seats at Scottish games has been a problem when the Gers target players.
Landin Gerrard as their new manager a year ago was a real gamble by Rangers, but they have improved on the pitch this season, and will be looking for another step forward next term.
The move has also worked wonders for Rangers’ profile, and Scottish football could benefit in general in the future as Gerrard’s move has put more eyes on the game north of the border.
Jermain Defoe’s arrival at Ibrox was a direct result of Gerrard’s arrival, and more big names can be expected to join Rangers during Gerrard’s time at the club.
However, crowds remain a problem in Scottish football. Celtic and Rangers are the only two clubs averaging attendances over 20,000, with Hibernian, Hearts and Aberdeen the only other three over 10,000.
The other seven clubs all have average attendances below 7,000, and empty seats are often seen on TV broadcasts of games in the top flight of the Scottish game.
Now, Gerrard has called on broadcasters to be a little smarter, suggesting using different camera angles in order to almost ‘hide’ the empty seats, adding that the lack of fans at games has actually come up as a problem when talking to potential signings.
“There are a few things I’d change about the game up here but it’s a debate that’s open to everyone; not just me,” said Gerrard. “Of course, try and fill stadiums more but that’s tough. There are a lot of reasons why they aren’t full. I wouldn’t have plastic pitches, but that’s no surprise to anyone. But I’d also be more cute and clever with the camera angles at certain stadiums. Sometimes you see stands that are empty on TV, which doesn’t look great on the eye in my opinion. Maybe if they’re putting certain games live on BT or Sky they should change the camera angles so you see a full stand rather than an empty one. You go live on BT or Sky Sports around the world and you have a camera on an empty stand. It is ludicrous, I don’t get it.”
“It comes up in conversation when you are chatting to players. It is just my opinion, only a small thing. But I want Scottish football to be as good as it can be. I am part of it now and I have a responsibility to help. I want the game to be better up here, and I want it to look better on the eye. And there are little subtle things that you can maybe do,” he added.
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