It was based on the belief that success generates new revenue

It was based on the belief that success generates new revenue, as well as on the fear of offending a multitude of fans.Now, success looks a very remote prospect – and the multitudes are smaller than ever Empty stands are common at SPL games. Fans huddle on one side of the pitch, leaving the other bare. Crowds of 6,000 or 8,000 watch contests between teams which, 30 years ago, drew 30,000 to stand shoulder to shoulder on open terraces.The extent of Scottish football’s fall from grace is illustrated by the television coverage it attracts. A lucrative deal with Sky ended several seasons back, to be replaced by local coverage on BBC Scotland. They’re a good bunch of professionals and that’s what I’m trying to get here.”But his Brighton counterpart Mark McGhee was keen for his team to avoid being typecast as a side full of perspiration rather than inspiration.”I do not want to get sucked into saying it was merely a hard-working performance from us,” he said. “We put ourselves about, especially in the first half, because Leicester are a physical side with some big lads and you have to compete with that. But we wanted to play some football too so we passed the ball, moved it well and created opportunities.”That was pleasing because it was something our fans didn’t see a lot of last season when we had a different strategy.

This year though, we’re determined to play more football and we’re getting better at it too.”But despite their low-key start to the season, the former Leicester manager McGhee is convinced the Foxes will soon begin living up to their billing as favourites for promotion.Leicester City: Walker; Canero, Dabizas (Wilcox 58), Heath, Tiatto (Blake 66), Scowcroft, Nalis, Gudjonsson (Gillespie 46), Stewart, Dublin, Connolly. Substitutes not used: Keown, Benjamin.Brighton and Hove Albion: Kuipers; El-Abd, Cullip, Butters, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Currie (Jones, 83), Nicolas, Hammond, Knight (Hart 74), Virgo (Molango, 90). Substitutes not used: May (gk), Jarrett.Referee: K Hill (Herts).. Preston began life after Craig Brown with a much-needed victory over Rotherham at Deepdale yesterday.

The Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonergan did not have a meaningful save to make.The Burnley manager Steve Cotterill is to appeal after being banned from the sideline as his side suffered their first home defeat of the season in a bad-tempered 2-1 loss to Gillingham.It was an incident-packed affair in which eight players were booked and Burnley’s Micah Hyde was shown the red card. Cotterill was banished to the stand but said: “I will appeal against it because, after being warned by the fourth official, I did nothing else. Their long-held view that football clubs should be permitted debts that no other business would be allowed to carry is being urgently revised. Other teams attract smaller attendances than games in the English League One (the third tier), and even those paltry crowds are diminishing.This summer, every SPL club except the champions, Celtic, has reported falling demand for season tickets This has given the banks additional reason to worry.