A spectre is haunting Scottish Football

From the TSFM Manifesto 🙂

A spectre is haunting Scottish Football — the spectre of Sporting Integrity. All the powers of the old firms have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: Billy and Dan, Blazer and Cassock, Record and Sun, Balance Sheet and P&L.
Where is the football fan in opposition to these that has not been decried as a “sporting integrity bampot” by his opponents in power?

Two things result from this fact:

I. Sporting Integrity is already widely acknowledged to be itself a power for good.

II. It is high time that Lovers of Sport should openly, in the face of the whole world, publish their views, their aims, and meet this nursery tale of the Spectre of Sporting Integrity with a manifesto of fair play.

To this end, Lovers of Sport of various partisanship have assembled on TSFM and sketched their manifesto, to be published on tsfm.scot.

Those who love sport though are challenged not just by the taunts of the monosyllabic automatons in the MSM, but by the owners of our football clubs who have displayed an almost total disregard to our wish to have a fair competition played out in the spirit of friendly rivalry. In fact the clubs, who speak those fine words, are not nearly as outraged as we are by the damage done to the integrity of the sport in the past few years .

In fact the term Sporting Integrity has become, since the latter stages of the Rangers era, a term of abuse; a mocking soubriquet attached to those who want sport to be just that – sport.

Sporting integrity now lives in the same media pigeon-hole as words like Islam, left-wing, militant, Muslim – and a host of others; words which are threats to the established order now set up as in-jokes, in order to reduce the effectiveness of the idea.

In fact, a new terminology has evolved in the reporting of football by both club officials and The Succulent Lamb Chapel alike;

“.. Sporting Integrity but …”.

For example

“We all want sporting integrity, but finance is more important”

Says who exactly?

Stated in such a matter of fact way that the obvious question is headed off at the pass, it is sometimes difficult to re-frame the discussion – perhaps because crayon is so hard to erase?

This is the backdrop to The Scottish Football Monitor and the world in which we live. Often the levels of scrutiny employed by our contributors are far in excess of any scrutiny employed by the MSM. Indeed our ideas and theories are regularly plagiarised by those very same lazy journalists who lurk here, and cherry-pick material to suit their own agendas; regularly claiming exclusives for stories that TSFM and RTC before us had placed in the public domain weeks earlier.

This was going to lead into a discourse about the love of money versus the love of sport – of how the sacred cows of acquisitiveness, gate- retention and turnstile spinning is far more important to the heads of our football clubs (the Billys, Dans and Blazers of the intro) than maintaining the traditions of our sport.

However events of Friday 14th November have given me cause to leave that for another day. The biggest squirrel of all in this sorry saga has always been the sleight of hand employed instil a siege mentality in the Rangers fans. The press have time and again assisted people (with no love of football in general or Rangers in particular) to enrich themselves – legally or otherwise – and feed on the loyalty of Rangers fans.

A matter for Rangers fans may also be the identity of some of those who had their trust, but who also assisted the Whytes and Greens by their public statements of support.

Our contention has been that rules have been bent twisted or broken to accommodate those people, the real enemies of the Rangers fans – and fans everywhere.

Through our collective research and group-analysis of events, we have also wondered out loud about the legality of many aspects of the operating style of some of the main players in the affair. That suspicion has been shared most notably by Mark Daly and Alex Thompson, but crucially now appears to be shared by Law Enforcement.

I confess I am fed up with the self-styled “bampot” epithet. For the avoidance of doubt, the “bampots” in this affair are those who have greater resources than us, and access to the truth, but who have lacked either the will or the courage or the imagination to follow it through.

We are anything but bampots. Rather, we have demonstrated that the wisdom of the crowd is more effective by far than any remnants of wisdom in the press.

I have no doubt that the police investigation into this matter is proceeding in spite of great opposition in the MSM and the Scottish Football Authorities – all of whom conspired to expose Rangers to the custodianship of those for whom football is a foreign language.

I have no doubt that the constant exposition of wrong-doing on this blog, in particular the questions we have constantly raised, and anomalies we have pointed out, has assisted and enabled the law enforcement agencies in this process.

If we are to be consistent in this, our enabling of the authorities, we MUST show restraint at all times as this process is followed through. People who are charged with a crime deserve to be given a fair trial in the absence of rumour or innuendo. We must also, if we are to continue as the spectre which haunts the avaricious – and the real bampots – be seen to be better than they, and give them no cause to accuse us of irresponsibility.

This affair has now evolved way beyond one club gaining unfair advantage over others. For all the understandable Schadenfreude of many among us, the real enemy is not Rangers, it is about those who enabled and continue to enable the farce at Ibrox.

This is now about systematic cheating at the heart of the Scottish game (in the name of cash and in spite of lip service to sporting integrity), and how the greed of a bunch of ethically challenged officials allowed another group of ethically challenged businessmen free rein to enrich themselves at the expense of the fans.

Whether laws were broken or not, the players at Rangers have come and gone and are variables, but the malignant constant at the SFA and SPFL are still there. Last night, even after the news that four men had been arrested in connection with the takeover at Ibrox in 2011, they were gathered together at Celtic Park with their Irish counterparts, tucking into succulent lamb (perhaps) and fine wines, doing some back slapping, making jokes about the vulgarities of their fans, bragging about the ST money they have banked.

The revolution won’t be over until they are gone, and if they remain, it is Scottish Football that will be over.

 

 

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Tom Byrne

About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

4,164 thoughts on “A spectre is haunting Scottish Football


  1. I wonder if the league cup semis at December 1st and 3rd round of the cup in January as normal would have been the way to go? I would purely speculate that the reason its not is that the bigger clubs, most likely to be involved in the semis would be concerned they might have vital group euro ties around that time, which is fair enough, but you’re back to 4 or 5 clubs with that opportunity, versus 37 that don’t.


  2. The Cleansing of Hampden
    ========================

    For a long time I have given thought as to how TSFM can spread an evidence-based message to all interested Scottish Football fans that provides them with the ability to expose the corruption in governance of our ‘beautiful game’ and to see a transparent and honest organisation created to replace the SFA where the overall health of the game and its role within the wider society is paramount.

    That’s the road IMO to achieving Sporting Integrity as a Nation – so how do we get there?

    We have to forget the dodos of the SMSM – they are well on the way to extinction and it’s worth reading: http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/ext_dodobird.htm

    The tale of the SMSM is very similar: Dodos forgot how to fly as they had no natural enemies they needed to escape from until a new species in the shape of hungry seafarers found their island.

    The SMSM are the new dodos having lost the ability to find and research exclusive stories that don’t come from a PR lamb-scraps hopper. And their nemesis isn’t famished voyagers waving blunderbosses but posters; bloggers and citizen journalists wielding the new-age weaponry of twitter, facebook, blogs and all the rest.

    I’m a great believer in not reinventing the wheel and the recent coverage of certain ‘celebrity-status’ trials and public enquiries is the key to how we can transform Scottish football governance.

    And it will come in the shape of the expected forthcoming trials into matters surrounding Rangers.

    I have particularly looked at the way in which the NoW Hacking Trial has been covered and that’s what has convinced me that similar bampot treatment of our own Scottish ‘Opportunity’ – which I wouldn’t dream of labelling a ‘Show Trial’ until I see how it is played out – could truly be a game changer.

    I’m talking about a co-ordinated reporting presence which isn’t simply there for celebrity bits or soundbites of interest to the SMSM who will be shown to be a total irrelevance if we get it correct.

    We need to be there throughout the trial and even to be there to cover the legal discussions which are held when the jury is sent-out. These can’t be reported at the time but they can be after the trial has ended.

    Various E-books can be produced on a daily or weekly basis while the trial continues – and especially for recording the evidence of certain witnesses. And at the end we can have a separate E-book with all the bits that the jury weren’t allowed to hear.

    We can also put together E-books that deal with how RTC and TSFM reported and debated the events from the beginning until now. The scope is endless but what is important is that there will be a voracious worldwide audience out there which I estimate conservatively at 500 million 😆

    It’s a grand scheme and limited only by our imagination but it will cast in stone the record of the proceedings in a wahy that the SMSM are incapabale or unwilling to do. Our people know the importance of the jigsaw pieces – they make sense to us in a way that they never will to the vast majority of the SMSM.

    I have many ideas about funding and we will need funding but why give the opposition too many ideas – I think that might be a discussion to be held if my thoughts find any traction with other posters.

    We have a helluva lot of talent here and I think immdeidately of Phil and James Doleman and others – including John Clark. There is room for everyone to carry out different tasks which they are comfortable with.

    If we have the courage and determination to see this through then we can all make a difference in how Scottish Football is governed in the future and we will have demonstrated that those who would twist and subvert our game have an army of little people – comprised of football fans and concerned citizens who believe in open-governance and accountability – not only watching their corruption unfold but prepared to do battle to excise them from our sport.

    This might be the only opportunity we ever get to show that we can stand-up and beat them. I have used this slogan before and will again and I think it’s apt to the fight we face and the way to win it.

    It comes from an old-style TU Leader Bill Keyes of Sogat who thundered it at a crowded public meeting I attended many decades ago:

    If we all spit together at the same time we’ll drown the b*st*rds

    My thoughts are sketchy and the first time I have laid them out and I would love to hear what others think and how they can imnprove and build-on my musings.

    I am the first to recognise the enormity of the task but I also know that if we successfully carry it off we can have a high expectation that we can influence and change Scottish Football for the better.

    We also write the history of the period through evidence given in court which will prevent the production of a flood of hagiographic whitewash biographies which are bound to come as memories fade of the the way in which Scottish Football was trashed especially by those meant to be protecting Sporting Integrity and Football Governance.


  3. John Clark

    It will be interesting to see if this Tweet gets enough momentum to get raised.

    Anyone on Twitter might like to retweet.

    Auldheid ‏@Auldheid · 1m1 minute ago
    @ScottishFA Will Judicial Panel workshop at today’s Convention look at how to deal with revelations that earlier judgements were flawed?


  4. easyJambo says:
    December 3, 2014 at 10:45 am

    Is it possible that the Red32 deal might not survive an administration, but that, anticipating it, Ashley has ensured that his deal is set up in such a way that it would start after an administration? He seems good at onerous contracts, and no doubt knows, or has people who know, how to circumvent any eventuality!


  5. StevieBC says:

    December 3, 2014 at 1:24 am

    Had an urge to fire off the email below.
    Sent to Regan/Darryl/Snell at SFA, the Scottish Govt contact, and several media outlets.
    I am making a reasonable assumption that there will not be a significant number of fans [any ?] – or fans’ representatives – invited to the Conference.
    ========================
    “Dear Stewart,

    as a life-time stakeholder – and paying customer – of Scottish football, I would appreciate answers to three very simple questions below, about The SFA Convention today.

    Here is an extract from the SFA statement, which quotes yourself as follows;

    “[Regan] said: “I am proud to host our members and invited guests from across the whole spectrum of Scottish football: member clubs, affiliated bodies, boards, council and staff and, of course, the wider football family…

    “The programme is intended to look at the key areas of the Scottish FA’s strategic plan, Scotland United: A 2020 Vision”…

    “This journey must be done together, with the assistance and support of all our members and the Convention is another step in the direction towards a prosperous future for Scottish football.”

    http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1848&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=14079

    ==============================================

    1) How many fans – a.k.a. paying customers – have been invited to The SFA
    Convention ?

    2) How do you expect to deliver on the fourth SFA Strategic Pillar;
    “Respected and Trusted to Lead”
    if your organisation repeatedly fails to respond to fans’ enquiries ?

    3) How can any organisation ‘make a journey together with stakeholders to make a
    prosperous future’- when the customers are routinely ignored and treated with
    apparent contempt ?

    I look forward to your response.

    Regards,

    [StevieBC]”
    ===========================
    Aye that reference to transparency in A 20-20 Vision made me laugh when the Vision was published.

    I suspect the answer may be by inclusion of Supporters Direct although as has been discussed before they are compromised because of their funding and own internal governance structures which they are now reviewing.

    However The Mcleish Report specifically mentioned the lack of stakeholder inclusion as the following extracts show. Perhaps Mr Regan will set out what the SFA plan to do to meet the Mcleish criticisms.

    ¡ The governance is inappropriate for the current and future context of football:
    o There is a lack of effective formal consultation between the major stakeholders in the game and a serious lack of respect, confidence and trust
    o The game is very fragmented and at times lacks any overall sense of purpose.
    There is a great deal of insularity, exclusiveness and isolationism
    o Decision making is slow and delivery does not match the urgency and complexity of the issues involved
    o There is a great deal of sectional and vested interest at work at the expense of the health and well being of the overall game. Openness, transparency and accountability lacking.
    o The game overall generates a great deal of indiscipline and a lack of respect for the rules and regulations of the game.
    o Roles and responsibilities are confused and unproductive with the elected officials too involved in what is essentially the work of the Chief Executive and his management team.
    o The committee structure may function for the benefit of the existing representatives but is ill-equipped and outdated and is not able to deal with the modern world of football and the speed with which events and issues emerge and
    have to be dealt with
    o There is no sense of modernisation and while there is some excellent work taking place within the SFA it is hard to see the current organisational structure allowing this to flourish.
    o There seems little concept of public value or return on investment permeating the SFA and once again the failure to reform decision making, policy and planning procedures and structure means that the full potential of the organisation is not being realised and incentives to change are simply not there.


  6. Eco,

    “The Cleansing of Hampden”

    Brilliant Freudian slip there re the Dodos.
    “Blunderbosses”!!!
    Great way of summing the SFA et al up.

    Or,………. was it?? 😆


  7. More From The McLeish Report although there is much more that can be found from this update link

    http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=3215

    ¡ There are real issues to be discussed and questions to be resolved:
    o Is the overall structure of the organisation appropriate?
    o Dealing with democracy and the representative nature of the organisation – what contribution does each part of the organisation make to the overall effort?
    o What is the role of the SFA in the game?
    o What is the function of the SFA Council? If it is to be representative of the game why there are such key omissions e.g. fans and spectators , referees, Government,sponsors, other sports, other stakeholders?
    o Can Council become the Parliament of the game, more deliberative and informal, a forum for an ongoing debate on current issues as well as looking to the future?
    o Does the new regional structure require changes to be made?
    o What should be the size of the Board and who should be on it?
    o How many committees do we need and what should they be? Is the current
    constitutional arrangements, including the Memorandum and Articles of Association and the AGM, the best way to handle the rules, regulations and thechange process?
    o What changes need to be made to the Chief Executive’s role?

    ——————–
    ¡ Certain functions should be added include:
    o Facilities and football infrastructure
    o External liaison and the one door approach to a large number of stakeholders

    ———————

    Representation and Involvement of Supporters
    Supporters Direct believe the relationship between supporters and football goes beyond the normal
    customer/supplier relationship. This deep emotional and financial commitment from supporters
    which underpins the professional game has made it not only the biggest spectator sport in Scotland but one of substantial cultural and social significance. They also believe that in a relatively small country such as Scotland that new talent can be brought into the structures of the game from outside the existing narrow band of club representatives. This they argue means that supporters should be directly represented in the decision making processes of the game alongside other excluded but valuable stakeholders. In addition Supporters Direct would like to establish a better dialogue on a number of other important issues, including financial stability, fair play, stadia facilities and infrastructure, league reconstruction and pricing.


  8. ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 10:54 am

    Sounds a great idea, eco. We certainly have some excellent ‘court reporters’ to hand, though we can’t expect them to be available throughout a, possibly, lengthy trial, but if there’s enough available to work shifts then it might be possible. To do it right, though, we’d need to have every session covered, as otherwise the result of such onerous work could be open to criticism and, no doubt, ridicule by those who would hate to see it succeed (the SMSM).

    I’d suggest a very well picked crew would be necessary with, at the very least, conference calls between those taking part a must with face to face meetings whenever possible. While suggestions from those of us not taking part might be welcome, it will have to be left to those taking part to make all the decisions and care must be taken that we don’t overload them in our keen-ness to help.

    To get the likes of PMGB and James Doleman involved, even if only in an advisory capacity, would be a great feather(s) in our cap, and, if the idea is successful, we could find the blog taking the internet media a step forward.

    As you, yourself, have pointed out previously, the safety, and legality, of those getting involved must be paramount, so great care will need to be taken (perhaps aided by a shift rota so no one person becomes too obvious).

    Great idea, though, and well worth in depth consideration by TSFM. I expect the PM facility might be red hot soon!


  9. On the court reportage, brilliant idea/plan formenting. I can only help financially but would do so willingly.


  10. PW1874 says:
    December 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    Good for Ann Budge. This is long overdue and our two biggest clubs should be ashamed of themselves. They pay lip service to weeding out neds, but don’t do nearly enough to discourage bad behaviour.


  11. PW1874 says: December 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm
    A fantastic, no-punches pulled statement from Ann Budge.

    http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/4010
    ========================
    It may be her naivety with regard to her lack of a footballing background, but I think that she is right to highlight the issue of mindless vandalism that often goes unreported, as clubs seek to keep such incidents under wraps or have private agreements to recompense clubs for damage on a reciprocal arrangement.

    I have no ideal if Ann has approached Peter Lawwell prior to putting out this statement. If she has then what is it that has encouraged her to go public. If she hasn’t I would expect a response from Peter Lawwell along the same lines.

    Either way I’m pleased that she has chosen to go public on something that has been allowed to fester for so long.


  12. PW1874 says:

    December 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    A fantastic, no-punches pulled statement from Ann Budge.

    http://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/4010
    ======================
    Family attendance and making the game a family day out rather than a series of wars of attrition is the future but just as it took a while to get the message across that drinking and driving is socially unacceptable so too will it take time to get Ann Budge’s message across but its a welcome development


  13. ecobhoy says:

    December 3, 2014 at 10:54 am

    There will be at least two stages to this

    Reporting and I’m glad to see some volunteers for that.

    Analysis of what is reported against what perceptions have been or against what has already been let loose in the public domain and we have lots of experience to draw on there.

    Next would come publishing the results although timing would be a factor during the court hearings I imagine.


  14. Re the earlier post about sponsorship of shirts, a general question:

    Are there regulations about single sponsors? In other sports it’s not uncommon to see various parts of the uniform emblazoned with logos.


  15. Re. ecobhoy @ 10:54

    Not sure your TU quotation goes very well with “Cleansing” but heyho I would welcome the opportunity to assist on this – reading TSFM is somewhat passive.


  16. Quite sure whataboutery will surface but whilst fresh Anne Budge’s statement should be stapled to the lapel of any authority figure supporting a return ( 😉 ) to a big two (regardless of who the two are) with everyone else expected to operate on coat tails, financed on shoe strings. Such a model has its good points depending on your perspective, but also its bad.

    Oh, and fair play to Anne, she had the opportunity to hide behind a “following visits of two large crowds” or similar she didn’t, she’s left no-one in any doubt who she’s referring to. Good on her.


  17. Assault on SFA

    A starting point for me would be a “We Accuse” notice being taped to the glass facade entrance of Hampden (a wee chapeau to M Luther) – with, of course, a pic taken and sent to all sites concerned with Scottish football – I doubt SMSM would publish.

    The Accuse notice would consist of short, succinct bullet points in chronological order since Murray’s takeover of the Govan Club.

    A blog post would consist of appendices to each short bullet point (if needed) detailing each accusation.

    This would crystallise most of the insight gathered since RTC days and allow us to collate our own grievances in one place.


  18. Seems that Barry Hearn has been giving Doncaster & Co a bit of a kicking today-

    Tom English ‏@TomEnglishSport 14m14 minutes ago
    Barry Hearn has left the building after his dynamiting of the SPFL. Neil Doncaster still hiding under the table in case he comes back.
    0 replies 8 retweets 4 favorites
    Reply Retweet8 Favorite4
    More
    Harry Brady ‏@HarryBradyCU 6m6 minutes ago
    @TomEnglishSport Sounds like Hearn saying the type of thing many customres have said for years
    0 replies 0 retweets 1 favorite
    Reply Retweet Favorite1
    More
    Tom English ‏@TomEnglishSport 4m4 minutes ago
    @HarryBradyCU He was excellent. Laid waste.


  19. My post on the SFA interest or otherwise in this forum last night was provocative..and alongside a couple of other posters’ points was intended to get a positive reaction…which I think is happening .
    I have observed this forum for 2 and a half years …superb as it is but …..if it keeps doing the same thing day In day out it will get the same results day in day out ..I am not pessimistic ..I was asking a question or two…i am actually very optimistic …as I agree .. the facts are the facts..are the facts …BUT something needs to change to get a result!

    Let’s look at two big scandals that might semi relate to the ones we are addressing ….it was ultimately national media which exposed the wrongdoing…and without which corrupt individuals and organisations may well have survived
    First Armstrong ..it took David Walsh chief sportswriter of the London Times ten plus years dogged pursuit with full organisational support including withstanding libel actions to finally get there.(.the forthcoming movie should be good …)

    Second Watergate..Really Getting ‘patient zero ‘ of that debacle only was possible when Cronkite came onboard to give the oxyg en of national TV publicity to the beleagured Washington Post team…The full national press corps came onside and the rest is history

    Interestingly .(.and this is worthy of a debate all of it’s own) if those investigations were being initiated and conducted today in 2014 i suspect they could both have been ‘strangled at birth’….why?….perverse as it sounds …the negative side of social media?…(.as opposed to the hopefully positive side we inhabit)
    Today the cycling world in general and Global Armstrong fan club in particular ..may have ‘annihilated’ Walsh and support from the Times …..a la bombs in the post ..
    Likewise the Republican and Tea party crowd would certainly attempt to ‘destroy ‘ support to the Washington Post investigation very early.
    This vital phenomenon is obviously seriously at play here in Scotland as we all know in spades and is clearly a major inhibiting factor for any willing media folks as we have seen

    SO!…..as I intimated and has been aired above by others there is zero chance of the main media here doing a proper job on our wee scandals off their own back …for many many reasons not least also the lack of skills etce….so we know someone else has to do the work….and a lot of it has been done by outstanding contributors on here…BUT it surely still needs to get out there into the mainstream to have the desired outcome ?

    A 3rd party event like a court case which could take a course which the establishment or MSM just can’t control may well indeed offer the best chance of full exposure …and provide the catalyst for action .
    The ideas put forward above are excellent ..and if indeed a very compelling ,undeniable and indefensible set of materials can be provided which the MSM just can’t ignore and have to expose to the national audiences..then we indeed may have a credible pathway to success


  20. Auldheid says:
    December 3, 2014 at 12:42 pm
    ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 10:54 am

    There will be at least two stages to this. Reporting and I’m glad to see some volunteers for that.

    Analysis of what is reported against what perceptions have been or against what has already been let loose in the public domain and we have lots of experience to draw on there.

    Next would come publishing the results although timing would be a factor during the court hearings I imagine.
    ==============================================================
    I think the actual court reporting has to comprise of three different presentations:

    1) Tweeting 2) Summary at end of court day and possibly lunchtime as well 3) More detailed piece for use on TSFM later at night.

    To minimise work load the court tweeter tweets. But someone else – who could be at home – compiles the summary from the tweets. The summaries would also be tweeted with a link to the actual content to get round the character count limit and also sent to targeted fan sites etc.

    The bit I haven’t really figured out is the more detailed daily piece for TSFM. I think – especially over a long trial – that the tweeter could be easily burnt-out if you want him/her to also do the longer piece.

    In any case the tweeter’s role is to get an accurate tweets of the evidence out asap throughout the court day – that is what they have to concentrate on.

    The detailed piece – if there is enough bodies – isn’t about speed but more about making sure the important bits are covered but this can’t be a verbatim record of everything said as that is beyond our resources.

    Whoever does the detailed piece needs to have a good overall view of the background to the case so that they know the linking bits that are important and particularly issues where there has been no previous disclosure.

    Bits of this detailed piece can be added later to the evening summary.
    ————–

    However for after the trial concludes we will have all the legal argument carried-out while the jury are out and which can’t be reported during the trial plus all the background stuff including stuff from TSFM.

    The beauty about the comment stuff is that it can be prepared but not published as the trial goes along.

    I also think it’s worth doing a series of e-books on the evidence given by individual witnesses who might be of particular interest and it helps build one of the final e-books covering the actual reporting of the trial.

    There are all sorts of other things that could be the topic of various e-books and individual posters might have areas of particular interest that they might want to pull together and publish after the triasl result is known.

    I doubt if TSFM will ever have such an opportubity ever again to reach as many people and to influence the governance of Scottish Football.


  21. Tailothebank says:
    December 3, 2014 at 2:53 pm

    BUT it surely still needs to get out there into the mainstream to have the desired outcome ?

    and if indeed a very compelling ,undeniable and indefensible set of materials can be provided which the MSM just can’t ignore and have to expose to the national audiences..

    ===================================================
    My idea isn’t about forcing the SMSM to cover the trial. They will cover it but only the bits they want to.

    What I propose is that we can create a bigger, more-informed audience than they can. And we do that because there is nothing said in evidence we need to hold back-on and we are much more likely to know the bits that really are important.

    The SMSM won’t be there every day all day and neither will the court reporting agency. They’ll cover the first day or two and pop in and out when a new witness comes on or someone of ‘celebrity’ staus appears.

    Many vital/interesting bits of any trial remain hidden because there’s no reporter there when the evidence is presented. Most of the time that’s by accident but sometimes by design.

    In a longer/complex trial missing bits can destroy the linkage and understanding of bits of the evidence which just adds to the percentage not being reported. It’s always been that way and in recent years has become chronic through the reduction in staff – especially trained ones who know what they’re about.

    Have a look at: http://www.hackingtrial.com/ by Peter Jukes – even if you don’t buy it read the free sample section and it will blow your mind away with what can be achieved.

    We don’t need the SMSM to bring the truth to the people – we can do it ourself and we’ll do a better job although tbh that wouldn’t be hard when looking at the SMSM output.


  22. South0fThe Border says:
    December 3, 2014 at 1:16 am

    John Clark says: December 2, 2014 at 9:44 pm

    __________________________________________

    What a good choice of speaker for the SFA…

    Hearn then demanded that West Ham groundshare the Olympic Stadium with Orient – seeing no other way of being able to vacate Brisbane Road so that it could be redeveloped. When this failed he sold the club 5 months ago!
    ==================================================
    And this one is especially for essexbeancounter.

    Barry Hearn is – of course – a CA !! 😆


  23. It’s sadly predictable that a clear, concise and measured statement from Ann Budge has quickly been turned into a point-scoring bout of reactionary whataboutery and online oneupmanship.

    Happily, and for the avoidance of doubt, not here.
    TSFM

    Her call for a more family friendly atmosphere at Tynecastle, for ALL supporters and from ALL supporters, should be welcomed. Why is that so difficult for people to accept at face value? Instead, lamentably, it has descended into a tawdry and pretty feeble mixture of re-hashed grudges and histrionics.

    Ann Budge should be judged on her record, if she says there will now be zero tolerance of sectarianism, vandalism and yobbery at Tynecastle then that’s what she should be judged on. Calling her out or asking her to account for past events she had no control over looks suspiciously like feigning outrage in order to avoid addressing the issues she has raised.

    She is trying to move forward and make improvements, that should be welcomed; that’s what she should now be judged on.


  24. RIFC share price down 2p today in thin trading. I can’t come up with any single reason for the fall. We’ve had the UoF boycott call against SDI, or is it just some reality about the financial state of the club hitting home after the accounts were published.


  25. mungoboy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Eco,

    “The Cleansing of Hampden”

    Brilliant Freudian slip there re the Dodos. “Blunderbosses”!!!
    Great way of summing the SFA et al up.
    =================================================
    Freud’s my man on this one but that won’t stop me claiming the copyright 😆


  26. The SFA Convention looks like a positive coup for the SFA – with the added bonus that the SPFL/Doncaster gets a kicking – which conveniently distracts from the SFA’s failings ?

    Would be very interested to hear what ‘killer’ questions were raised at the Q&A session ?

    And if the SFA was serious about transparency, then why was the day not streamed live ?

    Of course the SFA should be having these get-togethers with ALL stakeholders as a matter of routine, but with adequate fans attendance and input, [a couple of Supporters Direct reps out of maybe 100+ attendees doesn’t cut it – looks like a sop to keep the fans quiet].

    Will anything change at the SFA ?


  27. Scottish FA @ScottishFA ¡ 41m 41 minutes ago
    #HampdenConvention | @AlexStone7 of @FIFAcom is now speaking about the organisation’s successful @FIFAWorldCup on social media.
    ==============================================
    That’s a good one.

    I would have thought that ‘social media’ would be a banned phrase on the 6th floor at Hampden ?! 😯

    I’m sure a Scottish Internet Bampot could have added a few illuminating, local slides to that particular presentation…


  28. StevieBC says:

    December 3, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    1

    0

    Rate This

    The SFA Convention looks like a positive coup for the SFA – with the added bonus that the SPFL/Doncaster gets a kicking – which conveniently distract from the SFA’s failings ?

    Would be very interested to hear what ‘killer’ questions were raised at the Q&A session ?

    And if the SFA was serious about transparency, then why was the day not streamed live ?

    Of course the SFA should be having these get-togethers with ALL stakeholders as a matter of routine, but with adequate fans attendance and input, [a couple of Supporters Direct reps out of maybe 100+ attendees doesn’t cut it – looks like a sop to keep the fans quiet].

    Will anything change at the SFA ?
    ======================================

    I’m a project manager (I know , nothing special) but I have regular meetings with my stakeholders , the key one of which is my customer.

    The SFA seem to be confusing their member clubs at the expense of customers. Or is it simply the case that the SFA has no customers ? It would certainly explain their attitude.


  29. Allyjambo says:
    December 3, 2014 at 11:31 am
    ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 10:54 am

    Thanks @Allyjambo – Lot of thinking through to be done and obviously TSFM would need to be on-board.

    The idea was sparked in my brain by James Doleman
    mentioning an unreported incident during the NoW Hacking Trial involving refusal to allow late evidence by the judge as it could have been presented earlier.

    That reminded me of a book I’d been meaning to read for ages by Pete Jukes – citizen blogger who covered the hacking trial through tweeting. What had caught my eye when I first learnt of the book that he was going to cover the unreported bit of the proceedings viz the legal arguments/challenges heard outwith the presence of the jury.

    So I’ve ordered a Kindle version just for that but when looking for the book I found the site: http://www.hackingtrial.com/

    There’s an extensive free preview section about what brought him to covering the trial and how he financed his time there after he ran out of money through appeals for donations and crowd funding. I had read his tweets at the time along with the likes of Nick Davies and I’m sure James Doleman.

    But I never knew how Jukes had become a citizen blogger and as I read it last night I thought: ‘Hey TSFM could do this’. And we could if we have the will!

    So hopefully we could raise enough dosh for a citizen blogger to do the tweeting and some of our regulars could do the more detailed stuff – see my earlier popst to Auldheid.

    At the end of the day the citizen blogger could do a book jointly with TSFM as they need to be paid. It’s too big a task just to leave it to total voluntary effort I reckon.

    But I think with the right marketing we could find people that would finance a blogger and they obviously would benefit from the TSFM connection as well.

    I hope plenty of others post their ideas and suggestions as well – we should have enough time to get things all set-up before the trial commences which makes things a helluva lot easier.


  30. tearsofjoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:06 pm

    StevieBC says:

    December 3, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    The SFA seem to be confusing their member clubs at the expense of customers. Or is it simply the case that the SFA has no customers ? It would certainly explain their attitude.
    ====================================
    That’s actually a really good point.

    As the SFA key appointments typically seem to be ex/current club directors, that could be a reason for this apparent disconnect with the fans.

    Does the SFA expect the member clubs to address all/any of the fans’ needs directly ?

    Doesn’t make sense though.

    Can’t be bothered reading the SFA’s 20/20 paper again, but I presume it will state that the fans are ‘most important’, regardless.


  31. My knowledge of Ann Budge and Hearts is sketchy, but her statement should be an embarrsssment to Scottish football. That these things are not self-evident says all that needs to be said about the ineptitude and complacency of the SFA, SPFL, Police Scotland, and politicians of all parties. That some are trying to score points against her and her club for what she says is really quite depressing.

    I remember when I wouldn’t dream of taking kids to matches, and a few my dad wouldn’t take me to as a kid. The EPL may have gone corporate, but it has also understood the importance of familiies as customers and kids as the future revenue generating fans and parents.

    Maybe the SFA could conclude its self-congratulatory extravaganza by endorsing and adopting Ann’s statement – and then acting to implement it. But then may be not.


  32. ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 3:13 pm
    8 0 Rate This

    Sadly we still cannot use “live text based communication methods” in Scottish courts. So no tweetin


  33. Andrew Jenkin ‏@andrewjenkin 7h7 hours ago
    Campbell Ogilvie opens the #HampdenConvention

    https://twitter.com/andrewjenkin/status/540080624531677185/photo/1
    ========================================================================

    There is the first issue to resolve at the SFA.

    And the Convention could have been kept simple and productive – and with just one PowerPoint slide on display, with the content;

    “Respected & Trusted to Lead : Discuss”

    Everything else would naturally flow from that discussion – to improve Scottish football, and for the long-term, IMO. 👿


  34. easyJambo says:
    December 3, 2014 at 12:32 pm

    Either way I’m pleased that she has chosen to go public on something that has been allowed to fester for so long.
    =======================================================
    Tbh I am ashamed at the damage done by Celtic supporters. It is inexcusable.

    I’m not sure that it’s of any significance whether Hearts contacted Celtic or not though. Damage and behaviour on the scale described should always be made public IMO and not brushed under the carpet with a sweetheart deal to pay for the damage.

    That for me leads to a Nelson’s Eye culture whereby nasty issues are ignored in the hope they go away. They don’t ❗

    It takes more than a handful of fans to be involved in damaging 100 seats as well as all the other vandalism – dozens if not hundreds probably acquiesced and may well have added vocal support.

    A very sad day for Celtic supporters IMO and I hope appropriate action is taken by the authorities and the Club against those identified.

    I’ve been impressed by Ann Budge from Day 1 and I have to say after that statement even more so. Her vision for Scottish Football and families enjoying it is one that I would hope we all supported.


  35. Ann Budge is like a breath of fresh air for the game
    Just tell it how it is and what do you have to fear.

    It is not about point scoring but more about pointing out that there is still nasty goings on when it comes to some away fans, regardless of what clubs they attach themselves to. I recall a mate who is a long standing season ticket holder at Tynecastle recounting how he often saw poor and unsavoury behaviour from fellow Jambos at away games but this was from people he never recognised as being part of the crowd at home matches.

    These folk may be part of and hide/behave themselves within the larger home crowds but it appears to be the case that a small but disruptive number want to treat away games like some kind of wild stag weekender where they think they can get pissed up, disrespect the locals and their property and fly home before the cops get a chance to lift them.

    The quicker we can get identify and get rid of these morons the better.


  36. ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    []

    I can attest, that if Anne Budge has an issue, you will hear about it, and you will keep on hearing about it, until it is resolved to her satisfaction.

    I am glad that she has challenged the cosy wee boys club, that has swept this problem under the rug for far too long.

    Hopefully, we will see her challenging other parts of the Hampden boys club culture in due course.


  37. Scottish Fans @ScottishFans ¡ 7h 7 hours ago
    We’re at Hampden today for the SFA Convention

    https://twitter.com/ScottishFans/status/540078731742961664
    =============================================================
    This seems to be the Supporters Direct Scotland Twitter account.

    Does anyone know who ‘they’ are, and who do they actually represent ?

    I would have thought that a fans rep from each senior club would have been the starting point.

    Fully inclusive and all that – on the ‘journey together for a prosperous Scottish football future’ ?


  38. From The Herald:

    Hearn: Scottish game needs a despot
    By Ronnie Esplin, Press Association Sport
    Wednesday 3 December 2014

    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.'”

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/hearn-scottish-game-needs-a-despot.113939865?utm_source=www.heraldscotland.com&utm_medium=RSS%20Feed&utm_campaign=Scottish%20Sports%20News


  39. StevieBC says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    Ann Budge for SFA President ! 😉
    ==========================================
    and Barry Hearne for SPFL President 🙂


  40. Martin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:56 pm

    Completely agree, Barry,

    Scottish Football needs a Robespierre :mrgreen:


  41. Last paragraph. And amen to that! (said in prayer, because that’s the last you’ll hear of it)


  42. “The fact that the Premiership has not got a sponsor is not good. If you worked for me you would be sacked.”

    Sacked, Barry, SACKED!!! I think you’ll find 23% pay increases were the order of the day.


  43. scapaflow says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:05 pm

    Scottish Football needs a Robespierre :mrgreen:
    =================================================
    it doesn’t need a benevolent dictator – it just needs a competent administrator with some business acumen and the interests of Scottish football at heart.

    Respect to Barry Hearne – he could have told them what they wanted to hear, taken his fee and come back next year for the same – but he has no investment in their ulterior motives so he told it exactly as he sees it – and it really isn’t very pretty is it ? Bravo Barry!


  44. ecobhoy says: December 3, 2014 at 4:41 pm

    I’ve been impressed by Ann Budge from Day 1 and I have to say after that statement even more so. Her vision for Scottish Football and families enjoying it is one that I would hope we all supported.
    ===================
    Ann’s determination to make Tynecastle family friendly has extended to accepting reduced income streams from hospitality.

    Hearts largest hospitality area is the Gorgie Suite situated under the Gorgie stand. Ann has insisted on using it more often for family friendly fun days with ex players and other celebs mingling with the kids, plus the usual face painters and entertainment.

    I’m been told by a member of the commercial department team that the takings at the Bar are 50% down on what can be achieved with corporate/adult hospitality, but Ann sees it as the right way forward for a community based club looking for long term sustainability.


  45. James Doleman says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:35 pm
    ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    Sadly we still cannot use “live text based communication methods” in Scottish courts. So no tweetin
    =========================================================
    Not strictly true IIRC. Permission can be granted on a case by case basis if both the Lord Justice General and trial Judge agree.

    I’m sure at the David Gilroy murder trial twitter was allowed from the courtroom a couple of years ago. Well-known case as there was no body and I don’t think it has turned-up even yet.

    I accept tweeting permission is usually rejected but who knows what the legal position will be by the time of the trial. There’s no denying the Public Interest,

    Still there’s ways round it and I remember Paul McConville tweeting from inside a broom cupboard in an Edinburgh Court. So many memories that guy has left behind: RIP Big Man.

    I’ll need to check whether ‘live’ tweeting is allowed within the court building – outwith the court – or whether you have to be outside the court precinct.


  46. Good Things Come in Threes ?

    Will Mike be the next to explain exactly how things stand – before walking away?


  47. StevieBC says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:44 pm

    Ann Budge for SFA President!
    _________________

    No you don’t, she’s ours! Besides, there’s such a corrupting influence about Hampden it wouldn’t be fair on the lady 🙂

    I suppose it’s because she’s a woman that she just wouldn’t understand… the way things are done in Scottish football (a men only club till recently, you know).

    I knew things were bad at my club, financially, for the past few years, but is there no broom or a carpet to sweep such things under? Perhaps Campbell took the blueprint for ‘sweeping things under the carpet’ when he left Hearts for the SFA! She’s not gong to be popular with those at Hampden if she continues in this vein.

    Gaun yersel’ hen, and hell mend those who stand (gang up, more likely) against ye!


  48. Barry Hearn can probably just be added to the list that includes folks like Henry McLeish, Internet Bampots, Bill Miller/Jon Pritchett, Mark Wotte, Deila/Collins, PLG Turnbull Hutton and now Ann Budge. All of whom have looked at our game with an ‘outsiders’ view and sees that, despite the potential, how shite it is due to the manner in which the old guard, vested interests and ancient practices suck the life out of the game.

    The message from Hearn is oh so clear (and you have to credit the guy for getting up to speed in what was probably a short period of time).

    “The fact that the Premiership has not got a sponsor is not good. If you worked for me you would be sacked.” – Doncaster please go

    “But you can’t sell your product if you talk your product down.” – Regan (and Doncaster again) please go

    “Attendances are falling across Scottish football, you are not doing your job properly. -Ogilvie please go

    Not holding out much hope that anyone one was actually listening let alone that any action will be taken.

    Maybe Graham Wallace could be called in to do a 120 day review that could be bucketed like every innovative piece of thinking that has gone before it.


  49. Barry Hearn calls for “dynamic leadership” in Scottish Football.
    ===============================================================
    The suits at Hampden don’t know what that means and still wouldn’t if it bit them on the erse.

    It really is the Bonfire of the Vanities!


  50. Martin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:56 pm

    I can’t say that I like the man, but what he says here is very much on the button. Let’s see how long, though, it stays for discussion in the sports pages, and more to the point, how long it is until some hack writes that he (Hearn) was hinting towards the way TRFC have been treated as a root cause for the SPFL’s problems!


  51. “When a man who makes $500 an hour wants to tell you something for free, you should listen.”

    The Lawyer (Danny DeVito), War of The Roses, 1989.


  52. Barry Hearn…or a preamble to CO doing some ‘big thinking’ and allowing the Govan Club into the Premiership?


  53. Martin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:30 pm

    Celtic FC statement Re/ Ann Budge:

    http://www.celticfc.net/news/7220
    ==============================================
    Rather defensive – clearly written by a lawyer – an opportunity missed – would have ben better as a personal statementn from Peter Lawwell


  54. Martin says: December 3, 2014 at 5:30 pm

    Celtic FC statement Re/ Ann Budge:

    http://www.celticfc.net/news/7220

    ========================
    I may be somewhat conflicted as a Hearts supporter, but I find Celtic’s statement a poor response to Ann’s concerns.

    The only comment regarding the damage that Ann highlighted was this comment

    “With regards to the reported incidents at the match on Sunday, we would like to re-iterate that any form of offensive or inappropriate behaviour is contrary to our core values and the Club will deal with those responsible in the appropriate manner.”

    I would have thought that Celtic would have at least condemn those that caused damage in the stadium.

    The rest of the statement smacks more of whataboutery, sort out your own fans behaviour, and mind your own business.

    We will not make progress while such attitudes continue.

    Hearts still have some work to do to eradicate its bigoted element, but I am confident that Ann will ensure that more than lip service is paid to the problem. I’m not sure that other chairmen or chief execs are prepared to act.


  55. Martin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:30 pm

    Looks like Celtic have had to lift their carpet to make a public response. Probably the first time in a hundred years or more that they’ve mentioned the problems (apart from the disgraceful attack on Lennon) they mention they experience at Tynecastle. They are, of course, not alone in maintaining this kind of silence regarding the behaviour of the less savoury elements amongst all football supports, which probably goes a long way to explaining many of the continuing problems in terms of crowd trouble. Scottish football just doesn’t want to tell it like it is.

    Hopefully Hearts and Celtic can get together and start a dialogue that will in turn bring in all clubs, to at least attempt, to eradicate the age old problem.


  56. A bland and ‘nothingy’ statement from Celtic IMO.


  57. Allyjambo says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:50 pm
    2 0 Rate This
    ———–

    I liked the ‘zero tolerance’ reference in what she wrote.

    It is the only way. And that should be from the authorities too. No-nonsense measures such as closed-door matches and points deductions for repeated offences.

    This should, and could, have been stopped decades ago. Pity she wasn’t speaking those words at Hampden today.


  58. @Allyjambo 5.50

    I agree wholeheartedly. (@easyjambo -I also agree that you appear to show some conflict of interest in your views 😉 )

    So Hearts and Celtic have a meeting. The following day Ann Budge makes a statement giving her perspective on who spoiled the family atmosphere the most. Celtic then reciprocate with their perspective. Probably why we are not used to hearing such statements as they are usually the view of someone viewing the world through their own club’s prism and ultimately no one wins.

    What we can all agree on is that morons who vandalise and intimidate others should be chased out the game, whichever club they purport to support.


  59. Two wee things

    I’ve never really liked the fact that just because it is a football match that some “fans” can say, shout and sing stuff that we would not accept in the street.
    I used to be embarrassed when my kids witnessed some of the nonsense that the three biggest supports at Tynie seemed to encourage.
    We have an owner at Tynie who will bit by bit make it less and less acceptable for her own and the away fans to spout offensive nonsense.
    More power to Anne Budge and instead of being so starchy Celtic should take the opportunity to embrace what she says.
    She is wonderful news for not just Hearts but for our game too.

    Whoever asked today if there were any real fans invited to Campbell and Stewarts ego convention hit it on the head.
    It should have been open to the public and live on the web.(Or Sky)

    Well done Barry Hearn for honesty that the SFA SPFL crowd are not used to.


  60. Hearn:“Attendances are falling across Scottish football”.

    In the top division, attendances over the board increased in 2013-2014 compared to the previous season (by 2.1%).

    This season they will fall for top league clubs due to the absence of the Edinburgh clubs. However, they will increase again on average in season 2015-2016, quite obviously.

    And not all clubs are ‘suffering’.


  61. A long shot chaps, but anyone know if there’s anywhere to see the game in Fredrikshavn in Denmark? I haven’t got a fast enough connection to watch it online


  62. mcfc says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:12 pm

    There is no room for a competent administrator at the moment. First we need a thorough going bar steward, to clear out the dead forest, and change the culture. Once these objectives have been achieved, the way will be clear for the competent!


  63. On the Ann Budge/Celtic statements, I had no problems whatsoever with AB’s thoughts. I thought she was open, honest and measured – and completely justified in giving the problem an airing. She was also justified in highlighting the damage – which will be a significant cost to a club like Hearts.

    I think the first paragraph of Celtic’s response being placed where it was set the tone – what someone described as “starchy”.

    Sadly I thought it a little classless. They could have got the Lennon issue and other issues of whataboutery across with a word in the right journalistic ear avoiding the appearance of impetuousness.

    The response certainly doesn’t sound like the style of Celtic in-house PR bloke Ian Jamieson (ironically a Hearts fan christened ‘Jamboson’ by former Celtic Media employee Matt McGlone), but more like the pen of Alex Barr, the board’s own retained PR. If so, that would certainly explain the lack of class 🙂

    From what I hear, Celtic are in a bit of a huff over Ann Budge’s decision to go public. There has been an absence of whataboutery from Celtic fans on this blog. Pity the club couldn’t take that example on board.


  64. jw hardin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 5:44 pm
    ‘..Barry Hearn…or a preamble to CO doing some ‘big thinking’ and allowing the Govan Club into the Premiership?’
    ———–
    Interestingly, in the clip I heard in which the Barry boy was giving advice to our SFA, about selling themselves, and the blazers’ failure, etc etc, he said something like ” There’s got to be someone who says “Right, here are the rules…”
    I wonder whether anyone may have suggested to him that the SFA so disregarded the notion of Sporting Integrity by secret, 5-way wheeling and dealing, as to rip from them any shred of credibility they have had as a fit-for-purpose Football authority.


  65. StevieBC says:
    December 3, 2014 at 3:41 pm
    9 0 Rate This

    South0fThe Border says:
    December 3, 2014 at 1:16 am

    John Clark says: December 2, 2014 at 9:44 pm
    …
    __________________________________________

    What a good choice of speaker for the SFA…

    Hearn then demanded that West Ham groundshare the Olympic Stadium with Orient – seeing no other way of being able to vacate Brisbane Road so that it could be redeveloped. When this failed he sold the club 5 months ago!
    ==================================================
    And this one is especially for essexbeancounter.

    Barry Hearn is – of course – a CA !! 😆
    =====================================================================
    Stevie…aye…but he’s no wannae oors but wannae theirs…he is an FCA (!) and a member of the ICAEW…and as I remember at the time of his admission, was the youngest ever (F)CA.

    Whilst I cannot add to Southoftheborder’s detailed post, Barry does have colourful local reputation, but mostly with the view of “sorting” the Orient as a club/company :irony:

    My favourite memory from the time of his acquisition was his first scrutiny of the payroll…he simply could not believe that a club like Orient were paying such vast amounts to “less than journeymen” players. However, notwithstanding his later business deals, he did kick start the “Community Club” concept (or myth?) in Leyton/Leytonstone.

    The less said about the Olympic stadium nonsense the better! (Tin hat on expecting incoming from Southoftheborder!)


  66. ecobhoy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 3:46 pm
    6 0 Rate This

    mungoboy says:
    December 3, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Eco,

    “The Cleansing of Hampden”

    Brilliant Freudian slip there re the Dodos. “Blunderbosses”!!!
    Great way of summing the SFA et al up.
    =================================================
    Freud’s my man on this one but that won’t stop me claiming the copyright 😆
    =================================================================================
    Aw Ecobhoy…may I ask what you will charge for your copyright fees…or will you be too “crabbit” (thank you for that lovely word from my youth!) to enter into negotiations? :mrgreen:


  67. Martin says:
    December 3, 2014 at 4:56 pm
    15 0 Rate This

    From The Herald:

    Hearn: Scottish game needs a despot
    By Ronnie Esplin, Press Association Sport
    Wednesday 3 December 2014
    ==================================================
    My little mind asks the question…why is this article, penned, apparently by a PA “outsourcer”…can the GLASGOW Herald not raise enough interest to cover such a momentous convention/occasion in Scottish sport by sending an in-house employee?


  68. Worthwhile having a look at the MSM attempts to stir up a war of words between Celtic and Hearts. Sub-editors have taken some liberties and put words she never spoke into her mouth.

    “Celtic Sectarian Thugs” for example. The Daily Record, and not Ann Budge coined that particular phrase, took it to a player not schooled in their artful ways – in this case Anthony Stokes – and harvested the outraged soundbyte.

    They will complain of course about the “continuing disgrace” of Hearts v Celtic clashes – after having turned the heat up sufficiently to ensure it continues.

    I did once – on the occasion of my 50th birthday – see an enraged Hearts fan try to reach Neil Lennon (then a player) at the end of a match in which Celtic had scored both a late equaliser and then winner. He did so by attempting to hurl himself from the stand on top of the curved roof of the dugout as Lennon made his way to the tunnel.
    We watched dumbfounded in the press area as the halfwit didn’t quite reach the event horizon at the top of curve, and slowly slipped down the other side 🙂

    Our reaction was that he was merely a nutter. Aside from that, I have never witnessed any of the unpleasantness described by fans of both teams. Tynecastle is a VERY intimidating place, but not excessively so in my opinion.

    I know from past experience that Celtic players get tons of abuse there, and although it often gets a mention in conversation, I reckon Rugby Park, Pittodrie, Dens Park and Falkirk would be the championship contenders if you were to poll those players (all of these being small arenas where fans are closest to the action). Ibrox wouldn’t get a mention FYI. Discussions with players of other teams have yielded similar results.

    Not trying to condone bad behaviour, but context may assist.


  69. A bland and ‘nothingy’ comment from me re Celtic has obviously annoyed some folks ❓

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