After making inquiries into progress on Resolution 12 to the Celtic AGM of 2013 there is little doubt in my mind that the SFA made a serious error in the process of UEFA licensing.
Here are some facts:
- UEFA does not issue licences to clubs who have due tax bills outstanding,
- UEFA require the SFA to satisfy themselves of a club’s eligibility for a licence and that clubs have provided proof no overdue tax payable exists,
- UEFA also require a club to tell the SFA and UEFA if, after the issue of a licence there are material changes in their circumstances which would affect their eligibility – including the situation at #1 above,
- UEFA awarded Rangers a licence to play in European competition in March 2011,
- In May 2011 Rangers received a tax bill, which they did not contest or appeal or agree a payment plan. The bill (which remains unpaid) was overdue by 30 June 2011,
- UEFA received no notice of this,
- Rangers did not lose their licence and in fact competed in both the Champions’ League and The Europa League in that season.
None of these facts are disputed (as far as is known) by anyone connected to the saga. What is in doubt, because the SFA won’t answer the question, is whether they received a copy of the tax bill and the May letter that accompanied it from Rangers or not.
If they did send it to the SFA, Rangers could reasonably argue that they did their bit and the SFA fell down on the job by failing to notify UEFA of their new unfavourable tax status.
If Rangers did not send it, then they had broken not only UEFA FFP rules but more importantly the trust amongst SFA members that full disclosure is honestly made in a self-certification process. The SFA in not carrying out their monitoring responsibilities properly and using the powers UEFA FFP gave them also broke that trust.
In either case, there is a systematic failure by the SFA to administer the sport effectively; either through a failure of trust, a failure of administration – or both.
Even worse, in the four years that have elapsed since this incident, it seems that nothing has been done to put matters right. The SFA have been very active in refusing to answer questions on the matter, particularly this one;
“How will you prevent it happening again?”
Incredibly, up to now, no measures have been put in place to add rigour to the licensing process. Are they really saying that they think the process was carried out satisfactorily?
No they are saying nothing. Silence and denial, followed by silence and inaction.
So what is the point of this article? Let’s call out the elephant in the room right away – it is unequivocally not to have a go at Rangers. This is no longer really about Rangers at all, but about the SFA’s mal-governance of the game. Besides, clubs affected by this seeming failure on the part of the authorities (in that year Celtic, Dundee United and Hearts and Kilmarnock) are hardly likely to successfully sue a club now in liquidation (although small shareholders might take a different view with regard to the SFA’s conduct).
Nor am I seeking to find some retrospective punishment for the club (as far as I know sanctions are neither available retrospectively, nor useful in this case ) but to be aware that the question above urgently needs to be addressed if the status of football as a sport is to be maintained.
To the extent that this is about what has happened to Rangers, does anyone – no matter what club they owe their allegiance to – seriously consider that TRFC would NOT be in a better situation today had the SFA acted with propriety and applied their rules correctly in 2011/12?
With the kind of money on offer these days for entry into Europe, and the interdependent nature of the game, it seems fairly self-evident that trust is not enough to allow effective regulation, and that incompetent governance where money is the paramount consideration is unacceptable.
The SFA has long enjoyed a misconceived impression of its function as being that of a quasi-legal body, bestowing upon it a status of independence and aloofness from the partisan interest of the clubs. In the main, fans have largely bought into that myth. However the SFA is nothing of the kind.
It is in fact merely a cartel which is allowed to govern itself for its own benefit and is only accountable to the clubs that make up its membership, and not the fans. Check out the last sentences of almost any rule, where discretionary powers awarded to itself effectively render the rule worthless and unenforceable.
Literally, a nihilistic approach to governance
Maybe it is time the SFA scrapped the get out of jail discretionary clauses, and put some robust regulation in place to ensure the financial transparency of all clubs?
Even better, politicians are never slow to tell us of the importance of football to the social fabric of the country – in that case why not follow their own rhetoric, recognise that it cannot be allowed to self regulate in narrow self interest, and legislate to have football governed independently?
If I was a Rangers fan, I’d be thinking that the SFA’s failure to police the UEFA licencing issue helped accelerate the club’s demise – by making it easier to paper over the cracks.
If I was a Celtic, Hearts, Dundee United or Killie fan, well the consequences for them in terms of lost financial and competitive opportunities are fairly obvious.
Conclusion? The clubs can no longer be trusted to run the affairs of the industry themselves.
A new independent, accountable regulatory body (funded by the clubs) is the minimum we need to save the game in this country. It should comprise representatives of the clubs, the fans and other stakeholders – and it should have a holistic remit as its prime directive, whilst ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all clubs.
It can take decisions on the basis of what is good for the game without the baggage of self-interest, and without any west of Scotland institutionalised bias. Of course Scotland isn’t alone in this. Football is a powerful political force across the world, and as developments at FIFA over the past couple of years have demonstrated, it is institutionally corrupt. The clubs can no longer be allowed to run it as they see fit, and we need to begin a campaign which will ultimately convince the pay-at-the-gate fan of the truth of that.
The UEFA licensing issue is only a pebble in the sand of football incompetence and corruption, but it is a microcosm of what ails the game. The good of the sport, and not individual clubs, is paramount. The SFA cannot and will not deliver that.
The case for a new regulatory body is clear, and the status quo is not an option unless the death of the sport is deemed acceptable.
There is little doubt in my mind that unless regime change is effected, in a few decades there will be no regime .
Just as I was about to post this, I saw that this new “case for a new SFA’ had been posted.( That’s happened tome a few times)
Anyway, although this post of mine is not directly related to the new post, I’ll post it anyway!
Well, the wonderful signal that Brisbane was Skyping sounded at about 10.45 pm, so there was the usual wee rush to get the laptop off the kitchen table ( where I use it for blog purposes) and into the TV room, where Mrs C watches TV.
And, the lovely Skype session with son and family just finished a wee while ago.
But I now find I’m talking to myself on the blog.
Has no one posted since tykebhoy at 10.23 pm?
Is it the September weekend somewhere? Everybody buggered off?
Okay, I’ll talk to myself.
There have been many great posts today ( or, technically, yesterday, it now being 1.30 a.m on Saturday).
These come from a range of perspectives from which the contributors look at what has happened as a result
-of the cheating of SDM
-of the blind-eye-turning of the Football Authorities to that cheating,
-of the desperate, frantic attempts to get Scottish Football as a whole simply to roll over , and pretend that the cheating club was in any way meaningfully penalised appropriately for that cheating when the enquiry into the cheating had in fact been sabotaged, and when they had helped a new club in every possible way to propagate the lie that it was the same club that had been killed by its majority shareholder
There have been the serious posts, recording the actual known facts.
There have been the intelligently speculative posts,exploring what might conceivably be happening, or might happen.
There have been ‘ research’ posts as people try to put things into wider business, sporting , journalistic, and legal contexts.
There have been insights into the connections between people in the world of business and people with criminal records and people who are on Interpol lists.
And there has been first class humour and wit, and a drawing upon a widespread, shared, desire
first, that the great wrong done by SDM and RFC (IL) should be properly acknowledged and dealt with appropriately and justly
secondly ( and more importantly), that the quite staggeringly outrageous and iniquitous abandonment of sporting principle by a deceitful coterie of members and officers of the SFA and others , should be seen for what it was: the rigging of Sport for financial advantage by the spineless, ballsless, failure to bring one decade-long cheating club to account..
The very guardians of our game have been the Lance Armstrongs of Scottish Football.
Referees may be allowed their ‘honest mistakes’.
Our Football Authorities can be afforded no such latitude. Until they come to their senses and acknowledge their ‘error’, the game is a bogy!
“….Incredibly, up to now, no measures have been put in place to add rigour to the licensing process. Are they really saying that they think the process was carried out satisfactorily?..”
_________
They are paralysed. They cannot be seen to acknowledge the need for more rigour without admitting their connivance in the matter of concealment of RFC’s tax position.
And they have not the moral, or,indeed, physical courage, to own up to their fault.
They are sinking in the mire of their own deception/incompetence.
Their attitude now is that of Macbeth: they are so far in it that there’s no going back!
Lie! and to the end, in the hope that it all goes away.
But of course, it cannot and will not go away- as we are seeing in the case of other football authorities.
Big Pink
That is an excellent, succinct summary of the RFC UEFA licence application and I must congratulate you for laying it out so clearly. I don’t think that, despite Auldheid’s best efforts, I have grasped the nettle on Resolution 12 before now.
The first question that springs to mind is “Will the media continue to stick their heads in the sand?” Print and broadcaster editors have obviously taken a very deliberate decision to conceal the matter from the public, as opposed to simply ignoring it. I wonder how any stenographer (copyright Phil) lurking on here feels about doing his employer’s bidding, knowing that his silence is all part of the cover up. These are the same hacks who aspire to producing illustrated front pages with caption bubbles in the style of ‘Private Eye’ but aimed at 3-year olds.
When CO’s successor was appointed recently then that was the opportune moment for the SFA tighten up its rules in respect of licences, and to apologise to fans for a total lack of co-operation and transparency under the previous regime. Already it looks as if the new president won’t be rocking the boat.
As Celtic shareholders, my son and I both subscribed to Resolution 12. I was convinced that such an approach would give the Celtic board the necessary ammunition to make formal demands of the SFA. It would appear I was wrong. In fact, because of its inactivity since, I am convinced that the Celtic board is part of the Hampden conspiracy.
Billy Boyce 26th September 2015 at 2:27 am #
‘…. In fact, because of its inactivity since, I am convinced that the Celtic board is part of the Hampden conspiracy.’
__________
All the Boards of all the clubs in what is now the SPFL have been ‘inactive’, as far as we can tell.
The Celtic board were at least challenged by shareholders -whom they have to listen and respond to- by the Res 12 issue.
Matters are not clear cut.
BUT,there can be no more obligation on any one club than on other clubs.
Even a club with a representative on the Board of the SFA carries no more responsibility than his single vote confers.
You may be right, in the sense that any and every club which has NOT run to the Press to cry ‘Corruption’ and demand the rescission of the 5Way Agreement is part of the Hampden conspiracy.
There is absolutely no point in singling out Celtic.You can point to any other club just as fairly.
Calls for a new SFA? Yes change is needed from all the ‘evidence’ that has been posted on this site over the past months and years. The question is how is that done.
Surely any organisation is just a group of individuals who make the decisions and by changing the individuals who vote then the organisation changes its direction.
Any group who wants change needs to get like minded people into positions that can influence the ‘vote’.
I have no idea how these people get elected/chosen to have influence in the SFA but I see that the best way to get change is to have your people inside the tent than outside.
However if these people who vote have a conflict of financial interest then usually money talks over doing the honest right thing.
I suppose the question then is what is the ‘honest right think’.
Following the rules set out ought to be a start, but if every rule has a caveat saying we can do what we like then the rules needs changing.
I see the way forward is for the SFM to get their own individuals on the SFA, how that is done I don’t know, but that is the way forward in my opinion.
I got up this morning in a great mood, I then followed a link to an Evening Times article about CFC giving 20 tickets to refugees for the Dundee game last week. The comments make extremely depressing reading! I’m not sure if their hatred and anger is due to Celtic, the refugees or both.
I then read about res 12 on here and my great mood is all but gone.
By the way, great post BP and I totally agree with your sentiments.
I listened to the Celtic Underground interview with Auldheid
during the week too regarding res 12. It seems the more I learn and understand, the more I am determined to see justice done. Too much sleekitness from that lot in power. Viva the revolution!
Anyway, hoping to see a good game today at Celtic Park, and
hopefully a non-toxic atmosphere!
Sorry for the moaning ramble, but I feel a wee bit better now, lol.
John Clark 26th September 2015 at 3:15 am
You may be right, in the sense that any and every club which has NOT run to the Press to cry ‘Corruption’ and demand the rescission of the 5Way Agreement is part of the Hampden conspiracy.
There is absolutely no point in singling out Celtic.You can point to any other club just as fairly.
=====================
I don’t think Billy Boyce, or anyone else, for that matter, is holding Celtic solely responsible for the events of 2012. all 42 clubs are, at the very least, guilty of being part of a conspiracy of silence.
However most of us will direct our anger at the club which we ourselves support, financially and emotionally. I gave large amounts of my income to Celtic for over 50 years. When I found out that I had been paying to watch a rigged game for at least 20 of those years, I was extremely angry, and I kind of expected that anger to be shared by the club that I had paid all that money. Naive of me, I know, but age doesn’t always bring wisdom, unfortunately. Or even cynicism, thankfully.
Anyway, I took matters up with the club that I was a customer of. I got no satisfactory explanation, but that’s not the point. I didn’t express my concerns to the other 41 members of the SFA because those other clubs owe me nothing by way of explanation. Those clubs need to be called to account by their own supporters, not by some total stranger who has no connection to them.
I fully understand that most supporters of every club simply couldn’t care less. Most clubs simply weren’t affected by the Murray years of financial doping at Ibrox. Celtic were the main losers, so you might expect that feelings would be strongest among Celtic fans. Which gets us back to Resolution 12, of course.
The vision of root and branch reform of the SFA, set out by Big Pink, is the only way forward, but with the SFA controlled and owned by the clubs, I simply don’t understand how reform can be made to happen. I certainly don’t see the politicians getting involved. And even if they did, wouldn’t that immediately contravene FIFA’s rules outlawing any political involvement in national associations?
As always, it all comes back to the clubs. Would fan control of the clubs result in pressure for change? We have a good model at Hearts, and I know it’s early days, but are there any indications that fan involvement at club level will result in Hearts pushing for serious change at the SFA? Not that Hearts should have to go it alone, of course. For significant change to happen, it really needs a group of clubs prepared to say enough is enough, and willing to do something about it.
great post BP
Billy Boyce
As I said in the podcast Celtic have met their responsibilities to shareholders in pursuit of a resolution to the resolution.
One of the factors I think is missed but good to see it get a mention is that for all their financial muscle Celtic only carry one vote when a push comes to a shove.
Res12 gives supporters of Celtic a locus because arguably the action or lack of it in 2011 arguably had an effect on share value, but the ripples affect all clubs in terms of the loss of sporting integrity with no apparent means to protect it.
One of the messages Res12 is trying to send decision makers is that those decisions could have an adverse effect on the value of member clubs and that if circumstances are so dire the rules need set aside then that and the reasons for doing so are articulated and taken openly not through hidden skullduggery.
Sport depends totally on integrity to remain a sport and so requires men and women of integrity to be running it.
It helps reinforce integrity though if there is some oversight of behaviour, hence as BP says some independent body needs to be created.
With regard to the point another raised about FIFA frowning on Govt interference I doubt that has the same strength of yore given some of those who might frown will be doing so behind bars.
The small clubs do still have the Nuremberg defence available to them though. Whether fully complicit, threatened (most likely) or simply kept in the dark it is clear a cabal have said leave it to us and it’ll be fine. Well I suspect the proof is going to be in the pudding in the next few weeks. Key thing is the small clubs can turn their backs and say it wisnae me. Celtic can turn their backs and be told “well you would wouldn’t you”. It’s the (continuing) other option that could prove most damaging long term, especially with no valid explanation why.
neepheid 26th September 2015 at 9:08 am #
‘…For significant change to happen, it really needs a group of clubs prepared to say enough is enough, and willing to do something about it.’
_________
I very much agree with you on that point.
We saw that the clubs, or many of them at least, were sufficiently conscious of their supporters’ anger to feel emboldened to reject the demand that TRFC be admitted straight into the SPL or the higher leagues in the SFL.
If this blog, soon able to speak and act as a recognised legal entity which speak loudly for supporters of all senior clubs,can become in effect a pressure group exerting influence on club boards, the media,and theFootball Authorities,then we might be able to reach the goal of honest, transparent Governance.
I hope so.
Beautifully put
A good blog, but clarification is required on ‘west of Scotland institutionalised bias’. This is not two sides of the same coin.
Great stuff Hearts:
https://twitter.com/JamTarts/status/647694673709019136
Big Pink
“A new independent, accountable regulatory body (funded by the clubs) is the minimum we need to save the game in this country. It should comprise representatives of the clubs, the fans and other stakeholders – and it should have a holistic remit as its prime directive, whilst ensuring fair and equitable treatment of all clubs.”
===========
This is a laudable aim and, imo necessary, but if funded by the clubs I wonder if sufficiently independent? Also I doubt there’d be much enthusiasm amongst the club chairmen for this.
To have any chance of succeeding the drive for change will need to come from the clubs themselves and that I think would require a dramatic shift in the ownership pattern within the clubs – not necessarily outright fan ownership, but a model that gives fans a measure of control (and responsibility).
This unfortunately looks to be a long way off.
Another problem I feel is that club owners/chairmen in Scotland have to spend most of their time working out how to keep the lights on at their own clubs, never mind worrying about broader issues (and yes I would agree the two things are connected).
This won’t change until a redistribution of ‘wealth’ within the game takes place and frankly convincing both owners and fans to take a long view is not going to be easy.
Having maybe been a wee bit negative I would say that change is not merely desirable but necessary and one of the hopes I have for this blog is that it can grow and become a focus for fans of all clubs to push for that change.
Excellent article BP.
The nail was hit fairly and squarely on the head.
The SFA may have evolved since formation in C19th, but that evolution has gone off in the direction of decadence to such an extent that the organisation is now unable to reform from within. As I posted fairly recently, the only way forward is to completely disassemble the whole into its constituent parts and then start again with a fully integrated top to bottom accountable pyramid.
Changing the logo or replacing a few visible officials is not enough, although we may have to put up with that for a while, as Rome wasn’t built in a day.
The McLeish Report was supposed to be a game changer and if you read the report on the SFA website http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=3215 it states that 95% of the recommendations had been implemented at that time. However, the third of the five headline aims states “Overhaul the governance of Scottish football and in particular the way the Scottish FA operates and administers the game”.
The fact that we are commenting on BP’s OP shows that progress on that third point is now non-existant and in urgent need of reanimation.
In the last 5 years the Rand has halved in value against the Pound. that has implications for one of the SPFL clubs which the SFA should consider particularly if they have accepted someone who was obliged to bring their funds back to South Africa – a little it of contingency planning is needed.
Celtic keeper weighing in on the OCNC debate and unusually off-message:
http://tiny.cc/ibwv3x
The Cat NR1 26th September 2015 at 12:32 pm #
‘…the third of the five headline aims states “Overhaul the governance of Scottish football and in particular the way the Scottish FA operates and administers the game”.
The fact that we are commenting on BP’s OP shows that progress on that third point is now non-existant and in urgent need of reanimation.’
__________
Even the much -lauded creation of the Compliance Officer post, and the Judicial Protocol and Judicial Panel( which I thought was a great advance ) has been vitiated, or is heavily compromised , by the ludicrous Bryson ,and the apparent misleading of the Judicial Enquiry by underhand administrative selection of the facts and evidence that were presented to that enquiry.
There very clearly needs to be some kind of parliamentary input into the whole running of the businesses of Football, some Regulatory function with powers that can cut to the chase and examine any suspected area of ‘corruption’, ‘cronyism’ and such like, if and when there are dark suspicions arising.
We have seen what appears to have been happening in other football governance administrations, and we have already dark suspicions about what happened in our own.
BP, Great post, and I see “accountability” as the greatest need.
The “discretion” rule played it’s part, but it was not entirely to blame. Other rules were still broken, re-written, or bent beyond recognition, showing that whatever rules were in place, the will of the personnel charged with enforcement, drove the machine. There was not a set of rules on the planet going to stop them.
A lot of candles were burned plotting a route through the maze of rules, (of that I have no doubt) to reach their desired end product.
Who flicked the defibrillator switch in the SMSM days after the banner headlines depicting coffins and wreaths? The SFA?
Are they themselves that powerful?…..I don’t think so!
As i see it, there are more than SFA rules need changed, but it would be a good start.
However, I feel that if rule No 1 in the book said in big bold letters, “Liquidation means the end”, they would have found a way around it, claiming it slipped past the proof reader or something equally bizarre.
The only thing the SFA had to do to eventually achieve their dastardly aims, was keep matters away from real legal law.
That is where the spivs let them down, and departed from the script. Other wise they would be home and dry.
Frankly, as they are unaccountable for their actions, real legal law is all we have.
Even at that, I have heard of zero arrests from the “solid intelligence” that Starks Park was under threat, or that a QC should open his mail in a room with no windaes. Should the independent body be anonymous?
That would be the reality for a body formed to hold them to account.
It’s simple for me. If any guilty verdicts relating to anybody acting in their capacity as a club’s office bearer are returned, then banishment of the club is a real option.
It may sound harsh on fair minded fitba’ fans, but little action has been taken to root out the unsavoury element from our stadiums (and beyond). Without the element of intimidation, matters may have been conducted in a proper fashion.
Whoever controls or influences this pliable rogue element, will always have the upper hand. That is the true power of brogues and blazer.
We have witnessed it.
What a great read and some great comments to go with it.
The SFA needs a massive shake up, and the fundamentals regarding good governance are in place. Unfortunately, the people running the SFA are trashing these rules by bending them to breaking point.
The 5 way agreement, Byrson’s interpretation of Player Registration rules, the scope and evidence ignored regarding enquiries into Rangers.
A new SFA board is required, an independent board unencumbered by club loyalties. A Board made up of experts in their field unafraid to make hard decisions for the benefit of the game.
What a joy that would be.
On thing which is becoming obvious by reading the opinions expressed here, allied to things which have been happening in World football, not just recently but for months now.
It is entirely clear why FIFA, UEFA and the national associations, SFA included, do not want any involvement from either governments or the judiciary.
They do not want anyone to be in a position where they can be questioned, where people will give definitive decisions on situations which are brought to them. Decisions which might not suit them.
They want everything to remain nebulous, they want to be allowed to obfuscate where it suits them. They want to be able to break their own rules at their own discretion. That gives them true control over the sport they are there to administer. They can make it up as they go along.
The last thing they want is anyone they have to answer to. Hence the threats of draconian punishments if anyone has the temerity to actually threaten to take them to Court.
Obviously they only impose those punishments at their own discretion.
Maybe the current or new SFA could take advantage of the on-going shambles at FIFA and newly arrived at UEFA to demand unequivocally that the winners and runners up of member leagues and only those enter the Champions league.
Might win a few hundred friends around other leagues and radicalise the money distribution.
Looks like a crash course in gardening is going to feature more than ever in getting your badge.
https://twitter.com/BBCchrismclaug/status/647824311601000448
Homunculus
that's where their demise is accelerating ,Draconian punishment that no longer has a place in the modern world,along ,more so with the prehistorics that try and dish it out,they know the end is in site,it's who gets out the cleanest is their problem,anyone of them will be turned on by their own,it's inevitable,the only leveller would be that their reward for the handling of our game is a last draconian punishment of football fans choice.
yakeda
Sorry meant
Dydd da
Bye bye England hello Australia.
Oh come on at least its sport weve got an interest in?
ianagain 26th September 2015 at 10:20 pm #
Sorry meant
Dydd da
Bye bye England hello Australia.
Oh come on at least its sport weve got an interest in?
ianagain 26th September 2015 at 10:20 pm #
Sorry meant
Dydd da
Bye bye England hello Australia.
Oh come on at least its sport weve got an interest in?
———————————————
I like International Rugby. When I left the pub tonight England seemed to be cruising to an extent. After a walk up the road I came home and was amazed to find out Wales had won. Bonkers!
Does anyone else think the FIFA omnishamlbes with Platini now standing accused as well will lead to England trying to control both organisations?
The Platini accusation is no surprise to me and if it transpires he took cash I find it abhorent that those with money never seemed satified with what they have. These people only take and enjoy spending others money. Lets not forget he was one of the the football officials who had to had back an undeclared expensive watch gifted by the Brazilian FA after the World Cup. God knows how that came to light as I doubt anybody in Fifa or Eufa gave a monkeys.
On the very subject of this particular blog the facts laid out seem pretty conclusive. There has been excellent work carried out by the Celtic Resolution 12 guys as we know, but it really is time Celtic themselves took a very public lead on this. A public statement laying out the facts as they are will force the SFA to respond. Perhaps it will be offically aired at the next AGM which isn't too far away, but something has to give on this one. I really hope Celtic are not being put off by the inevitable torrent of media abuse that would come their way for going public. This is far too serious to be dismissed as 'time to move on'. Elswhere on here someone asks if Celtic are part of the Hampden conspiracy. If that was ever found to be the case then untold damage would ensue to the relationship with the support.
Given the very public nature of what else is going on regarding Rangers lurch to liquidation from 2011 onwards, there might not be a better time to get this out there. Come on Celtic, grow a set!
Brilliant blog by Big Pink & a reminder of why this place is so important(to me) in the overall scheme of all things football in Scotland.
Cabal: A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue, usually unbeknownst to persons outside their group. Cabals are sometimes secret societies composed of a few designing persons, and at other times are manifestations of emergent behavior in society or governance on the part of a community of persons who have well established public affiliation or kinship. The term can also be used to refer to the designs of such persons or to the practical consequences of their emergent behavior, and also holds a general meaning of intrigue and conspiracy. The use of this term usually carries strong connotations of shadowy corners, back rooms and insidious influence.
The SFA have been and continue to be the above, a cabal. Riding roughshod over rules and answerable to no one, a place where wee men, of no discernable talent or vision, secure a lifetimes worth of full employment, on the back of "who they know" as opposed to "what they know"
The case, with ample evidence supplied, to rid Scottish Football of these outmoded, medieval Cosa Nostra has been made conclusively on here and in other places and I find myself willing to take part in direct action, if required, to make the game cleaner & more accountable to the very people for whom the game should be accountable to: the fans, that's you and me…
I’ve read several posts on SFM recently promoting the fanciful notion that Rangers* and its support will somehow be dealt a fatal blow by the upcoming court cases, in tandem with the perilous state of finances at Ibrox. We would do well to remember that there have been many last rites administered and obituaries written over the past three or four years, yet the behemoth lumbers on, seemingly impervious to all that ails it, including death itself!
If you seriously think that it will be allowed to fail now, after all the trials and tribulations it has been through, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to all the path-clearing, rule-breaking and lack of meaningful sanctions that have littered this tawdry tale from Valentine’s Day 2012, and indeed before.
If one club can be kicked out of a tournament for the heinous crime of missing a signature from a form, a genuine administrative error, yet another club remains unpunished for cheating of the highest possible magnitude (DOS EBTs/wee tax case), how can we possibly conceive of officialdom treating everyone equally, fairly, without fear or favour?
“Ah, but this will be in a court of law” I hear you say, as if injustices aren’t perpetrated therein on a daily basis. And don’t forget the jaw-dropping, logic-defying interpretations that some of our esteemed Lordships have already contrived to produce in defence of the establishment club.
Let’s be honest, if a cheating football club that incontrovertibly died can be ‘resurrected’ by corrupt officialdom a la Frankenstein’s monster, and all this remains unreported by a complicit media, a few court cases involving alleged fraud and wrangles over ownership are hardly insurmountable obstacles to those whose remit is to ensure the continuity and protection of Rangers.
Highlander, that’s it in a nutshell. Although I still live in hope the court cases will open up a can of worms.
Highlander 27th September 2015 at 10:55 am #
________________________________________________________
Depressing but, sadly, probably accurate comment.
Old smileys are now gone and we are experimenting with this new editor which can do basic text formatting and
without the need to know the proper tags (which will still work of course).
Some smileys are gone, but if anyone misses a wee chap, let me know and I will try to put it back
upthehoops 27th September 2015 at 8:42 am #
Nice idea, but I don’t believe there is a snow ball’s chance in Hell of it happening.
We will be told that they can’t because the press will attack Celtic for a partisan attempt to destroy Rangers, that there will be civil disorder etc etc
The sad reality is, I believe, Celtic are unable to show leadership on the SFA/SPFL, because members of the Celtic Senior Management Team are “heavily conflicted” as the saying goes.
I am not bereft of hope for change, though, realistically, I think change is more likely to happen as a result of the developing story around FIFA, which appears to be dragging UEFA into the mess. It is quite possible that this scandal will lead to enforced reform of both World & European football, which would provide the necessary political cover for action closer to home.
ianagain 26th September 2015 at 10:20 pm #
‘……..at least its sport …’
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As almost entirely a one-sport man, who struggles with the notion of ‘snooker’ and such like being classed as ‘sport’, I was a wee bit taken aback by an item in the ‘Scotsman’ yesterday.
Apparently, the English Bridge Union (EBU) has challenged in the Courts the refusal of Sport England to recognise bridge as a sport.
“Mr Justice Dove analysed legal argument at a High Court hearing in London earlier this week and is expected to deliver a ruling in the near future.
The EBU say ‘The Charities Act ..specifically included mind sports in the definition of sport, stating that sports are ‘activities which promote health or well-being through physical or mental skill or exertion…At present Sport England state that their remit is to recognise only sports which which promote physical fitness, and yet they recognise as ‘sports’ activities such as model aircraft flying, and snooker’
Really, the things one learns!
Fancy a rubber, anyone, while we get the funding application in for a SFM bridge club?
Cygnus X-1 27th September 2015 at 9:05 am #
‘…A cabal is a group of people united in some close design together, usually to promote their private views or interests in a church, state, or other community, often by intrigue, usually unbeknownst to persons outside their group.’
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An apt description of the villainous rascals who were the signatories to the 5-way agreement, wouldn’t you say?
CCTV has been leaked of the moment Craigy’s LBC arrived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR6wok7g7do
Very quiet on here today, so tempting to post some slightly O/T stuff but I understand the main thrust of the site (As James Forrest alluded to in his post today) is a central point for all clubs’ fans to sharpen up Scottish Football with dignity.
Which is why as I have said before I wish SFM had a section for talking about football, but without the usual stuff – insults, idiocy etc. A forum where opposing fans can discuss matches and those silly referees.
Holiday weekend quiet I suppose?
I hope it’s not people turned off with the new editor?
Anyway, a busy week ahead arranging some podcast output, and a follow-up on the licensing issue.
Perth also looms ever closer on the horizon, and we may do a podcast from there.
Well this is a curious turn of events. I can’t recall a previous time in SFM history where traffic has been so light. One post -from BP- in 12 hours!
Could just be the Glasgow holiday weekend right enough.
Not so long ago some clowns wrote to the European Union complaining Celtic had received state aid. As many predicted, a formal review showed they were indeed just clowns, most likely with the only achievable aim being to make mud stick. The complaint itself though was enough for most major news outlets to make an issue of it, with one so called respected journalist talking about it being a ‘great equaliser’.
Now we have all this detail regarding the Euro licence award to Rangers in 2011 and the same major news outlets and so called respected journalist don’t want to know. If this is an opportunity for the SFA to admit mistakes were made, apologise, and prove they are not actually bent, then the media must do the same.
As things stand I don’t believe it is possible for Scottish football ever to move on from all that has happened.
We now have 20 people signed up for Perth (not including guests). I am still hopeful that we can get another dozen or so.
Meanwhile, the Scottish football manager merry-go-round is going full tilt this morning. Speculation that Stuart McCall, Tommy Wright and Ray McKinnon in the shortlist for the Dundee United job with McCall the favourite.
Strangely, Wright hasn’t been mentioned in the chat about the ‘Well job. Settled in northern parts?
Meanwhile on a planet far, far away, Brian McClair declares himself satisfied with the progress of the performance schools. As a former teacher in one of those schools, I think McClair should wear a hankie on his head and stick two pencils up his nose.
The mindset fostered by the coaches (however inadvertently) is not conducive to any kind of plan B being in place by the kids or their parents. The extra finance the schools get for their participation makes it a political necessity for it to “succeed” despite the reality of the academic markers laid down when the traditional learning side of the contract is routinely ignored.
A box ticked for the SFA. A box ticked for the head teachers of the school. Looks good in the press, but where are the results?
upthehoops 28th September 2015 at 8:29 am #Not so long ago some clowns wrote to the European Union complaining Celtic had received state aid. As many predicted, a formal review showed they were indeed just clowns, most likely with the only achievable aim being to make mud stick. The complaint itself though was enough for most major news outlets to make an issue of it, with one so called respected journalist talking about it being a ‘great equaliser’. Now we have all this detail regarding the Euro licence award to Rangers in 2011 and the same major news outlets and so called respected journalist don’t want to know. If this is an opportunity for the SFA to admit mistakes were made, apologise, and prove they are not actually bent, then the media must do the same. As things stand I don’t believe it is possible for Scottish football ever to move on from all that has happened.
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Is it possible to move on?
If we let the matter drop for purely altruistic or magnanimous reasons, that would be interpreted as a green light to carry on as before by all and sundry.
A line must be drawn in the sand, and Resolution 12 must be taken all the way to a just conclusion. We had to wait years for the truth to come out about Hillsborough, and the courage and determination of those campaigners appears to finally being vindicated.
Do we not owe it to the future fans of the game to not let the matter rest? As Big Jock said “Football without fans is nothing”, and who would want to encourage their children and grandchildren to bother with a rigged “sport”?
Excellent blog BP
Highlander 27th September 2015 at 10:55 am #……..
Let’s be honest, if a cheating football club that incontrovertibly died can be ‘resurrected’ by corrupt officialdom a la Frankenstein’s monster, and all this remains unreported by a complicit media, a few court cases involving alleged fraud and wrangles over ownership are hardly insurmountable obstacles to those whose remit is to ensure the continuity and protection of Rangers.
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Good post, however regardless of the complicity of the media and officialdom, there comes a point where it’s no longer possible to defy reality.
Rangers* have been defying financial reality for at least 12 months now, since the IPO money was spent, and have relied on short term loans from Directors to get them through sticky patches.
The court cases by themselves are not going to topple them any time soon. The real significance of the various legal actions is that it removes a lot of the room for maneuver that they may have had by tying up assets, as either a source of cash or security, for the foreseeable future. It also worsens the climate for an obviously necessary external investment and the possible investors that have showed up over the last 3 years or so have not looked like they were willing to write off the sums required.
Without external investment they will do well to limp on until the end of the season, the alternative is administration, which would have to be a proper one this time.
Whilst not impossible IMHO it will require some deft footwork to see out 2015/16 without an insolvency event.
We all know that really Mark Warburton isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, and it would now appear that his successor at Brentford is also not worthy of that epithet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34378513
Since the end of last season Brentford sold 4 players for total fees of £14.8M as well as losing first team regular Jonathan Douglas to Ipswich Town on a free transfer, and star loanee Alex Pritchard returned to Spurs.
Transfer fees paid were about £4M with further outgoings for selling-on fees in respect of players sold so the net take was about £13.5M, a veritable warchest indeed. There’s no doubt that a combination of high player turnover, second season syndrome and unfortunate injuries hindered Marinus Dijkhuizen during his short tenure. However, the previous management team could see which way the wind was blowing when the decision was taken in February to do walking away at the end of the season. Not the best thing since sliced bread, but they do appear to have used their collective loaf and got out at the right time.
Here we have it from Scott Mullen of the Evening Times-
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13787616.Rangers_could_challenge_Celtic_for_Premisership_title_says_Morton_s_Ross_Forbes/?ref=rss
“ROSS FORBES reckons the current Rangers squad could challenge Celtic for the Premiership title after they took Morton apart at Cappielow.
The former Motherwell man was up against his boyhood heroes and despite being a calming influence in the Ton midfield, he was powerless in stopping the Glasgow giants roaring to a 4-0 win.”
Glasgow giants, second season in the second tier? What a load of utter garbage.
neepheid 28th September 2015 at 12:29 pm #Here we have it from Scott Mullen of the Evening Times-
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13787616.Rangers_could_challenge_Celtic_for_Premisership_title_says_Morton_s_Ross_Forbes/?ref=rss
“ROSS FORBES reckons the current Rangers squad could challenge Celtic for the Premiership title after they took Morton apart at Cappielow. The former Motherwell man was up against his boyhood heroes and despite being a calming influence in the Ton midfield, he was powerless in stopping the Glasgow giants roaring to a 4-0 win.”
Glasgow giants, second season in the second tier? What a load of utter garbage.
==============================
If it’s in the SMSM it must be true, mustn’t it? Mustn’t it??
On a similar vein, the Eastern Daily Press didn’t report that Norwich City would be challenging Chelsea for the EPL title in 2015-16, after a 2-1 win at Bournemouth in Alex Neil’s first game as manager on 10 January this year. Although looking at the current EPL table, perhaps the EDP missed a chance to hold themselves up to ridicule at the time but have the last laugh now.
The Cat NR1 28th September 2015 at 11:44 am
“Do we not owe it to the future fans of the game to not let the matter rest? As Big Jock said “Football without fans is nothing”, and who would want to encourage their children and grandchildren to bother with a rigged “sport”?
——————————————————————————————
Hear Hear.
Some folk may wonder what the fuss is of overgrown kids kicking a ball about, but football is more than a sport. It is a recreation over which lifelong friendships and bonds have been nurtured and grown. A shared experience of tears and joy with family. Unforgettable moments, not only on the pitch, but on buses and trains, in hotels and bars. An occasion to wrap your arms around a stranger in a momentary unexplainable manner.
The lessons learned by our off-spring, are not always about the off-side rule, or how to trap a ba’, but about how the game and very often, life itself should be played. How to accept both wins and failures, or recover from set-backs through determination, hard work, and team play. Battling on through adversity and p*ssing rain
Growing up we learned to play on a pitch with no lines, but knew when it was out for a shy, or instinctively knew when it was over an imaginary bar. A free kick, though rare, was awarded without a referee and barely a grumble. In short, we played with a straight bat.
Cheating was abhored, and was often dealt with in no uncertain manner. That is what I (we) want to hand to the next generation.
Made me smile CO.
Smugas junior was fitba training at the weekend where they have cones for goals – how’s that for progress! The ball went out for a goal kick and the sleepy lad coaching said nothing whereupon junior pipes up “no that’s a corner it came off me last.” Pwoud, vewy pwoud as the great one would say. I do fear for his well being however!
Biggest laugh, as I pointed out to him afterwards, was the three on the halfway line who hadn’t featured in defence or indeed their own half at all (it was 6 aside) calling him all the words of the day.
Still won though. Sterling performance from the big sweeper!
https://audioboom.com/boos/3626056-tom-winnifrith-rangers-fc-special-is-there-any-chance-of-a-stockmarket-flotation?utm_campaign=embed&utm_content=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
If you have half an hour to spare, a good listen from Tom Winnifrith, who is a bit of an expert on the alternative stock market, but who doesn’t (so far as I know) have any axe to grind regarding Rangers.
David Low has tweeted this link to shareprofit Tom Winnifrith. Interesting listening re possibilities of an upcoming flotation for which ever entity is the listed one!
https://twitter.com/heavidor/status/648469923405123584
Smugas 28th September 2015 at 1:34 pm #
“Made me smile CO”
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You have put it better than I ever could Smugas. There was no need for you to write how “Pwoud” you were. It oozes from your post. Best of luck to the wee man. That’s what it’s a’ aboot !
neepheid 28th September 2015 at 1:42 pm # https://audioboom.com/boos/3626056-tom-winnifrith-rangers-fc-special-is-there-any-chance-of-a-stockmarket-flotation?utm_campaign=embed&utm_content=retweet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
If you have half an hour to spare, a good listen from Tom Winnifrith, who is a bit of an expert on the alternative stock market, but who doesn’t (so far as I know) have any axe to grind regarding Rangers.
______________________
An interesting listen, but, strangely, he doesn’t seem to have heard much about Dave King and the fact that he is the only one in the mix who actually has a criminal record! As all the men currently in the dock are part of RIFC plc’s history (though their futures have a great baring on RIFC’s future) their characters and past actions hold little bearing on the value of that company to any unsuspecting would be investors. King’s character and record, on the other hand, holds massive bearing on the viability of RIFC to operate as a successful and honest business; so, in a podcast aimed at advising caution to would be investors, why on earth ignore the history of the man who would be pushing, and fronting, any share issue? Especially as investing in companies he’s done the sales pitch in have resulted in a great many people losing money! There’s barely a hint on the podcast that King’s criminal, and business, record might be the cause of AIM’s reluctance to allow RIFC anywhere near their market again.
To me, anyone investing in a company in which Dave King is involved would be off their head, unless they are totally unaware of his record in SA, and in particular what a SA High Court judge had to say about him. I presume TW is unaware of King’s record, or has some reason not to mention his crimes until a later date, perhaps.
neepheid 28th September 2015 at 12:29 pm #Here we have it from Scott Mullen of the Evening Times-
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13787616.Rangers_could_challenge_Celtic_for_Premisership_title_says_Morton_s_Ross_Forbes/?ref=rss
“ROSS FORBES reckons the current Rangers squad could challenge Celtic for the Premiership title after they took Morton apart at Cappielow. The former Motherwell man was up against his boyhood heroes and despite being a calming influence in the Ton midfield, he was powerless in stopping the Glasgow giants roaring to a 4-0 win.”
Glasgow giants, second season in the second tier? What a load of utter garbage.
===========================================
O dear.
I wonder if the gushing Mr Mullen will be approaching Mr Forbes for a comment on why the Ibrox Franchise felt the need to call off their Petrofac Training Cup tie against Livingston despite possessing a squad capable of challenging for a Premiership title next year?
One player called up for USA U23 and another for England U20, with the third a squad player with 36 minutes total season game time from three sub appearances .
OK, so Livingston are the holders and with the BBC no doubt desperate to televise the tie, a full squad would be desirable. However, surely with the luxury of a squad superior to that of Hearts and Aberdeen and capable of a season long challenge to Celtic, the loss of a couple of players should be insignificant against a side only kept off by bottom place in the league by goal difference.
Over to you Mr Mullen….
The Cat NR1
Mr Mullen will publish his reply as soon as he receives it.
Tris.Discovered that I can’t log on via Chrome on my laptop.Firefox is ok and so is Chrome on my phone.Anyone else having this problem?
Not sure Platini’s, erm, explanation does him any favours
https://twitter.com/danroan/status/648521024380796928
This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better
ROSS FORBES reckons the current Rangers squad could challenge Celtic for the Premiership title after they took Morton apart at Cappielow.
==================================
Lol.
Because Morton (who so far this season have only managed to beat the bottom two sides in the Championship) are the benchmark for challenging for the Scottish Premiership title
Aye right.
The latest from the Rangers blogger John James.
https://johnjamessite.wordpress.com/the-ebt-legacy-of-david-murray/
neepheid 28th September 2015 at 1:42 pm #
‘..If you have half an hour to spare, a good listen from Tom Winnifrith, .’
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That was a very entertaining listen. I thought for a while it was Jack Dee on ‘I’m sorry I haven’t a clue’ and kept waiting for some reference to ‘Samantha’!
Entertaining, but I don’t think we learned anything we didn’t already know.
Except perhaps that someone in England appears to be able to make comments on a live criminal case in Scotland, that would appear to be in flagrant contempt of Court if made in the jurisdiction!
Yes, good post BP.
And as you stated, what has the SFA done to prevent the Euro license shambles being repeated ?
And what has the SFA done to ensure that a “heavily conflicted”, “unable to do his job” SFA President is avoided in future ?
Nothing suggests that the SFA – or the clubs – will change their behaviour of their own volition.
The only time they listened to the fans was in reaction to a threat of widespread ST boycott across Scottish football.
That, of course, is no way to run a progressive, customer-focused football set up…to state the bleedin’ obvious.
So what could be the trigger for the SFA, [& clubs], to review their governance ?
Maybe some fallout from current or future legal cases around RFC/TRFC, and assorted chancers ?
Or maybe withholding of public monies entrusted to the SFA could force an open debate ?
And the irony is, the majority of people who work on SFA inititaitives might be volunteers, or low paid, to develop at grass roots level. These are probably the people who are the real protectors of Scottish football – whereas the highly paid, with bonuses – blazers at Hampden have clearly proved in recent years that they themselves are the biggest threat to Scottish football’s future !
Fingers are also crossed that Craig Whyte might have some seriously incriminating audio tapes which ‘might’ shame the SFA into some meaningful change ?
Tom Winnifrith was a bit cruel …
StevieBC 28th September 2015 at 5:48 pm #
‘……the majority of people who work on SFA inititaitives might be volunteers, or low paid, to develop at grass roots level. These are probably the people who are the real protectors of Scottish football .’
________________
And that is a well made point that is worth emphasising.
Just as thousands of ordinary bank employees were lot down by their chiefs, and scores of Ibrox employees were in effect shafted by SDM, so the ordinary workers -paid and unpaid alike-who actually work for Scottish football are in the shameful position of working for men who have shown that they are unprincipled in their ‘governance’ of Scottish Football as a sport, as well as being incompetent in their administration of Football as a business.
Couple of queries on the John James stuff which is nothing new to this site but plate shifting down govan way (either in the Greek sense or the tectonic!)
how do you view the comments if there are any?
secondly was the figure for undisclosed EBT’s as high as £26m? Or was that the official figure before our resident experts here and elsewhere set in about mr Chichester, mr Essex and so forth. I thought the more accurate unaccounted figure was nearer 5m with an ex NED partial to winter woolen afire notably absent from the disclosed figure?
My guess at the other £26M is that it represents penalties and interest on those assessments.
Apologies for screwing up the format in the post above.
The other addition I wanted to make was the FTTT indicated that the contributions into the trust was as follows:
The quantum of the fund movements gives an indication of the size of the scheme. The overall totals contributed into the main Trust were £55.5m and €5.3m, and the sums allocated to the individual sub-trusts were £52.9m and €5.3m in the decade from April 2001 to March 2010; a balance of £1.1m from the main Trust funds was allocated to participating group companies between June 2001 and October 2002 for the purpose of distributing bonuses.
Cheers EJ. Yes my understanding was that WITHIN the commonly held figure of 46m that there was approximately 5m that had gone to undisclosed recipients off of the Mark Daly list.
Can’t get it to reconcile with those Gross EBT figures right enough. I never quite got my head around interest on the loans right enough. I know the Trustees had to account for it right enough but there was never any compunction to physically pay it, surely?
Sorry to report Tris, my phone is really struggling with the new browsery edity thingy. I’ve tried everything, more peat to give more steam, everything I tell you!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34383553
Just noticed the mighty The Rangers International have had their Petrofac tie v Livingston postponed due to international call-ups. Total off THREE players, two Under 23 loanees, and an under 20 Canadian Fraser Aird. This is taking gamesmanship to the limit, and is surely bringing the game into dispute. Can we not call for an end to this sham?
It is, though, actually hilarious, and really shows the concentrated effort to win their first knock-out silverware
The new smileys are brilliant.
