Scottish football is understated, undersold and mired in "too much self-pity", according to Barry Hearn.
The veteran sports promoter was a keynote speaker at the Scottish Football Association's inaugural convention at Hampden Park where he addressed guests who included representatives and officials from the clubs and the game's governing bodies.
Hearn delivered a hard-hitting presentation, less than 24 hours after an Inverness versus St Mirren William Hill Scottish Cup replay had drawn a crowd of just 1,326.
The colourful former Leyton Orient chairman later expressed some damning assertions, claiming in a press conference that the lack of a title sponsor for the Scottish Premiership was "disgraceful", which would make uncomfortable listening for SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster.
"There is so much good in Scottish football, so many positive things to say but you don't sell yourself," said Hearn.
"I am saying you have to get yourself out there. You don't do enough for yourself.
"I am seeing too much self-pity. That's what the world thinks of Scottish football and that should be the most worrying aspect.
"Be proud of yourself. Don't be a secret. If you don't believe in yourself how can other people believe in you?
"The fact that the Premiership has not got a sponsor is not good. If you worked for me you would be sacked."
The founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport, with almost 40 years of experience in snooker, boxing and darts, claimed Scottish football has been "terribly lazy" in marketing the game.
"In my view you have done nowhere near enough," said Hearn, who called for the sale of alcohol at football stadia in Scotland to return.
"You have been in the shadow of the English Premier League and you have almost given up.
"Your image is not good because it is a defeatist image, completely alien to what Gordon Strachan (national coach) is preaching on the pitch.
"The blazers are not doing the job properly. It is very well looking at a beautiful petal but if the roots are damaged you don't see a beautiful petal for much longer.
"There are lots of reasons why they are not but one of the reasons is they haven't got enough money so it is a chicken and egg situation.
"But you can't sell your product if you talk your product down.
"Attendances are falling across Scottish football, you are not doing your job properly.
"I don't know all the answers but is time to start running this with your head held high, as a proper proactive business with young people and dynamic leadership."
Hearn believes Scottish football needs a "benevolent despot" to take major decisions out of the hands of the clubs.
The Englishman said: "Someone needs to be big enough to say we are making decisions on what is good for the sport.
"You don't get popular but you need to have that type of attitude, that benevolent despot, that says to the giants of Scottish football: 'There is a bigger picture here, let's make this cake bigger. In the long run you will do far better out of it because of your size but at the same time we are building an infrastructure within the game that will take us to the next level.'"
Source: PA
