Time for Scots Government to Take Bull by the Horns

In the aftermath of the recent election and whilst those of us who voted one way are still hoping that our way continues to count, the horse trading has begun. No matter your politics, the fact that a party wholly representing one part of the United Kingdom is suddenly having such a massive influence, coupled with a lack of detail in the public domain over their negotiations, causes people some nervousness; because of the nature of the DUP, for some they claim it terrifies them.

Can we imagine if football was run that way? Can we imagine if it wasn’t?

Having people who have one focus deliberating and influencing your life has always been an issue at the core of the United Kingdom. Proud Scots do not like the power of the English, some English have begun to resent the growing independence of the Scots, the Welsh have turned out to have their own independence and as for the Irish; the Trouble has always never been far behind.

The recognised method of dealing with these issues has now become to allow, where possible, organisations within the domain of the domicile to grow on their own. For some it sows the seeds of an increasing independence as the locals realise they can do it for themselves. It also does, though ensure the organisation is close to its own people and is truly representative of them.

In Scotland, and throughout the last election, the big two – Conservative and Labour parties – have suffered under the accusations of being a “branch office” of their London centric big sister. It has led to people making choices based on the assumption that, at times, neither of the leaders up here have autonomy. When there are policies that will be unpopular in Scotland, they say, the high heid yins in Edinburgh have no choice but to toe the party line.

We do not like that thought.

Nor should we.

I suggested that football has a similar issue. And so. It does…

The views and opinions of the Scottish fans who last Saturday threw up their hands in joy and held their heads in despair all within 90 seconds or so suffer from that lack of representation. As deals are done in secret and “announcements” made over innovations and changes they are collectively silent through the funded organisation established to represent them; at best that organ is muted.

Never has it been more important for the Scottish football fan to feel the importance of their view being heard. Never has it been more important as Project Brave is being undertaken, chairmen are being fined £3,000 for having a bet, we look as though we are going to miss out on another World Cup, expansion of our cup competitions is growing apace, play offs and promotions have delivered their verdicts and handed their budgets to managers who bemoaned last year it was hard, that one of our two giant clubs seems unable to keep itself out of the court room whilst supplying the accused, the defence lawyer, the pantomime villain and a circus or at least two premiership clubs appear to be on the verge of administration.

Supporters Direct – Undemocratic?

The time has come to ensure that the voice of the footballing nation does not come from around the Isles but around the corner. Whilst the work of Supporters Direct has brought a great deal of support and aid to a number of clubs and supporters groups, the fans need something that is much more than a branch office of a bigger organisation.

In the recent past, SD have seemingly been forced to be more visible but let us not be fooled, if you are an ordinary fan, SD have no place for you. You cannot join, you cannot vote, and you cannot influence; so there is not much point. Building a democratic and fair vocal chord for Scottish football fans needs commitment from the bottom up to engage, enlist and enrich the chorus and chanting of disapproval or support for Scottish football.

That’s why I am in the SFSA – isn’t it time for the Scottish Government to take the bull, grasp the thistle and make the clear choice of removing money going all the way to London and giving it to a fans based organisation that represents them here in Scotland?

We think so… don’t you?

Join the SFSA today! It’s free

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Donald Stewart

About Donald Stewart

Donald C Stewart is a lifelong Ayr United fan; the brooding eyes, the depressed demeanour and likelihood to become excited at winning corners a give away. A former Director of Ayr United Football Academy, he is now their Fundraising Manager and Safeguarder. Formerly regular broadcaster for Kicktalk, contributor for Scotzine and now boxing correspondent for Ringside Report and Talking Baws.

1,165 thoughts on “Time for Scots Government to Take Bull by the Horns


  1. It looks as if Henderson & Jones still see some mileage in their claim against the Oldco.

    There has been a document lodged at Companies House seeking to resurrect TRFCG (Wavetower) from its recent dissolution.

    20 Jul 2017 RT01 Administrative restoration application


  2. The survey that Portbhoy mentioned earlier is included within the text of the Press Release but is quite difficult to spot at first. Well worth the effort to find it though, about half-way down but not in the usual blue of a link. I’ve included the link to the article here:

    http://scottishfsa.org/first-independent-evaluation-scottish-football/

    and the link direct to the survey here:

    https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/sfsa-benchmark-2017

    The good news is, it lets you register your displeasure11, quite strongly, with those organisations we at SFM are all very displeased with, which is really quite pleasing 04

    I feel better already19


  3. A tweet from Strip the Titles, linked to the above survey/the SFSA. Apparently the SFSA had an audience at Holyrood today, this tweet suggests it was fruitful.

    ‘Very positive day at Holyrood.We raised your concerns publicly.
    Thanks to @scottishfsa for the invite.
    More to follow’

    Note to Auldheid, I’m now a bit more enthusiastic about the SFSA, particularly if they continue with the positive action I am seeing today 04


  4. EASYJAMBOJULY 20, 2017 at 14:33

    That’s interesting, I see they have lodged 6 sets of accounts as well. Presumably that is required if they want to “resurrect” the company.

    It seems a bit late, the company was dissolved on 27th June, surely that is the end of the matter. 

    It can be no coincidence that on 12th June they took a seat on the board of

    Sevco 5088

    Law Financial

    Liberty Corporate

    The Rangers FC Group.


  5. MACFURGLY

    JULY 20, 2017 at 12:05        

    Jingso.JimsieJuly 20, 2017 at 11:18—————–

    Agreed, but the SC decision, in my view, gives this a new imperative and provides a new opportunity.The 5WA and associated indemnities were, again in my view, undesirable to say the least, but I don’t think anyone is in danger of ending up in court over them.“Best course of action at the time…”“Based on legal advice …”“Need for review in light of recent SC decision…”“Good of the game at an unprecedented time of confusion…”“With the benefit of hindsight…”“Having taken further legal advice…”“With UEFA breathing down our necks…”Use the SC decision to bin LNS and the 5WA at the same time. Independently review the whole thing. Clean up the mess, Regan and Doncaster can get out from underneath it and retire quietly with the best reputations they are ever going to get now and we can get our credibility and integrity back. The clubs need to urge their representatives on the Boards to do this, and quickly.
    ————————————–     

    I understand what you’ve written & why, but the issue is that the SFA/SPFL hierarchies are inward-looking, self-serving & self-protectionist. They have become caught-up in maintaining those positions, rather than administering the game in a fair & even-handed manner & accepting whatever criticism comes with doing so.

    Possibly, they are even at the stage where they can’t countenance the possibility that they have taken the wrong path, despite all the indicators showing that they have.

    Freely admit culpability? That’s not going to happen. Be blamed? That might.

    As an aside, I’m intrigued by John James’ view that welcoming P. Lawwell onto the Professional Game Board is akin to the Greeks & the Trojan Horse. We’ll have to wait & see!


  6. JEAN7BRODIE
    JULY 20, 2017 at 16:51 
    AllyjamboJuly 20, 2017 at 14:45

    Completed the survey about 3 hours ago. Easy peasy.
    ============================================

    Lots of ‘1’s…  14


  7. Meanwhile, before getting down to Holyrood for the SFSA launch, I spent 45 minutes in Lord Tyre’s Court (Court No.4) in the matter of BDO’s continuing action against D&P.
    Mr Sandison QC for BDO had ‘Noted’ 4 points that they wanted answers to from D&P.
    The business never got round to saying what exactly those points were, for Mr Howell (I think that was his name) for the respondents ( D&P) went into a long description of where they were in relation to the 83,000 documents involved in the case.
    72 000 of these had already been handed to  BDO., but there had been 12000 other documents (emails) from D&P that were still being sifted for relevance. 
    He explained that D&P ( my comment: whatever about their skills as Insolvency practitioners they seem to be useless office administrators) had used just their firm’s ordinary email address, not an email  address or server or whatever dedicated to the Rangers administration, so a whole lot of other business unconnected with Rangers has got to be sifted  out from all the emails.
     Additionally, some emails ( currently held by the Police)have manuscipt notes scribbled on them by solicitors in the course, for example, phone calls relating to their content. These notes would be confidential, so those emails have to be identified and excluded.
     He said that the first company they had used to computerise the scanning and identification of relevant documents had not been terrribly successful in that their system could not sift out all the irrelevant stuff.
    A different company had been employed earlier this year, and now, to date, the bundle of relevant docs had been sifted down to about 9,000, which solicitors are physically reading for relevance to the Rangers ‘Administration’
    By the end of next week, there will be a set to give to BDO.
    As regards a date when the respondents will get their ‘adjustments’ into print, what with holiday times for Counsel and for the ‘expert’ witness, Mr Howell said it would not be till about the middle of September.
    Mr Sandison for BDO said this was all about another 11 000 email files.He needed something to get to start work on.It can’t be left to one party to decide which documents are relevant.Give me a date, said he.He would not, of course,  be interested in the scribbled notes on any emails, but he would need to know the email content.
    On the quesion of ‘experts’ he would need to know who they are.
    Mr Howell named an ‘expert’ . 
    He went on to say that he had seen a draft complaint to an accountancy body from D&P to the effect that they thought the [proposed BDO expert ??]might be ‘conflicted’. Mr Howell said he did not want to be asked at a later date why he had not known about a possible conflict of interest. (I didn’t really quite get his point, I confess.)
    The judge (Lord Tyre) said he was inclined to get some dates set.
    Howell said we are within a week or so of having all the 11.000 emails sifted.
    Judge said: Right, we’ll fix a date of 4th October for a “By Order” , and 28th September for adjusted minutes
    The proceedings lasted 45 minutes.
     ____________
    The SFSA launch went very well.
    There is no doubt that ( leaving aside the ‘blue elephant’ issue) a really significant proportion of Scottish football supporters are calling for the SFA and SPFL to be brought into the 21st century in terms of them realising that their excessively closed , self-protective and defensive  and arrogantly stubborn ‘attitude’  is counter-productive.
    In any truly democratic country today there is no human organisation, from one-man businesses through multi-national corporations to governments that can avoid the need to be transparent and open to the fullest extent possible ( Even Auntie BBC has had to accept that fact, and come clean about the huge salaries paid to some of their staffers and ‘entertainers’!)
    The UK Parliament has made it clear that it is watching the FA, and expects that organisation to get to grips with some fundamentals.
    There is cross-party support in the Scottish Parliament for the call to the Football authorities to look outwards to us, the supporters, who these days are entitled to expect , and do indeed demand and expect that their place in the scheme of things be properly and sensibly recognised, as they do in relation to their banks,the public services, their insurance companies, their airlines etc etc.
    Individual clubs and the SFA and SPFL boards will possibly be afraid of what the first Survey may reveal.
    But they can only benefit from healthy expression of views and assessment of themselves as providers of what today’s supporters  expect them to provide-from safety of their grounds through to the quality and value of the match-day experience.
    And, it goes without saying, Sporting Integrity as the bedrock of football administration.
    Now, I’m about to complete the Survey.


  8. John ClarkJuly 20, 2017 at 18:23

    Another very welcome update from you, John, keeping us up to speed on what could, and should, be done by the media – that’s the paid for media, though one does wonder why..

    It’s amazing the amount of water that’s gone under thon bridge since D&P first entered the annals of Scottish football, and here’s another round of investigations still taking place. With D&P involved, I am left wondering if there’s more to come on the sale to Sevco, or if BDO are solely concerned with how D&P conducted other matters and looking to sue them to recover some monies, or whatever.

    Anyway John, you’ve now added Parliamentary Correspondent to Court Reporter on your burgeoning CV. Well done, and thank you.


  9. I have joined the SFSA and completed their survey.

    At the very least it will hopefully give some indication of the strength of feeling people have.


  10. Can I just say, good luck to Aberdeen tonight. 

    The game is on Premier Sports if anyone is interested.


  11. I think someone needs to talk with Bert Kassiesa who is the unofficial UEFA coefficient expert.

    https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method5/trank10-2018.html

    There is a new ten year coefficient table that has been draw up and he seems to be saying that the new rangers have claimed the old rangers coefficient points.
    Now, I am not sure if he has info from official UEFA sources and is just mistaken.
    i just think someone needs to contact him.


  12. Survey done.  I didn’t realise I was such a negative person 05.

    Anyway, come on Aberdeen! 1922


  13. That’s a dirty team Aberdeen are playing and the ref is just ignoring it.


  14. part time peteJuly 20, 2017 at 20:05
    ‘…I think someone needs to talk with Bert Kassiesa who is the unofficial UEFA coefficient expert..’
    _________
    In case no one else has already done so, part time pete, I have sent the following  email:
    bert.kassies@xs4all.nl
    Message bodyDear Mr Kassies,I am shocked and horrified at the grave mistake you have made in your listing of the UEFA 10-year club rankings 2018.And I must ask you to corrrect it immediately.You have included a Scottish Football Club that is no longer entitled to compete in Scottish professional football.. That club was Glasgow Rangers, which, under the ‘Articles of Association’ of the Scottish Football Association(SFA) lost its entitlement to compete in Scottish professional football due to suffering a fatal ‘insolvency event’, which saw it liquidated.
    There is now no football club named ‘Glasgow Rangers’.A new club called “The Rangers Football Club Ltd” was founded in 2012. This club was obliged to apply as a new football club for a) membership of a Scottish football league and b) membership of the SFA.
     This new club has played in a UEFA competition only once. That was this season, on 4th July 2017,when they played Progres Niederkorn of Luxembourg and were knocked out by that team of part-timers. 
    The Rangers Football Club Ltd is most definitely NOT the Glasgow Rangers of old, which still legally exists disgraced in Liquidation, ruined by failure to pay its proper social taxes over many seasons.
     
    Please amend your list accordingly.
     Yours sincerely,(me)


  15. Jingso.JimsieJuly 20, 2017 at 17:01
    ——————-
    the issue is that the SFA/SPFL hierarchies are inward-looking, self-serving & self-protectionist. They have become caught-up in maintaining those positions, rather than administering the game in a fair & even-handed manner & accepting whatever criticism comes with doing so.
    Possibly, they are even at the stage where they can’t countenance the possibility that they have taken the wrong path, despite all the indicators showing that they have.
    Freely admit culpability? That’s not going to happen. Be blamed? That might.
    ——————-
    They have, but my point is the net may (hopefully) be closing and they now, because of the SC decision, have a way out. There is not now necessarily any culpability.
    I think this will only be resolved when they can leave office with face intact, relatively at least. In my opinion they don’t deserve that, but I am prepared to accept pragmatism here, to secure a credible future for the Scottish game, which I don’t think is possible as long as the most serious case of illegal payments to players in the history of world football remains unaddressed. They know that too. See AllyJambo’s point above about how they have never denied cheating took place.
    The most important thing is to get this mess sorted and restore confidence in the integrity of the game’s administration here. (Give people overwhelmed by exceptional circumstances a chance to leave with dignity / rats an undeserved hole to bolt from), but get Scottish football back on the rails, because it’s not now. The SPFL and SPL have got away with this thus far because as a club of members they are self governing, as you say, and unaccountable to anyone else, but the SC decision gives them a way out of the hole they have been digging since 2012.
    Accept the SC decision as it is, requiring a putting aside of LNS and effectively the 5WA too. This is known now, it was not before. Get out while you can.
    —–
    Survey about to be done.


  16. It’s been all Aberdeen the second half.  Could have been another two goals.  That’s it over 3-1 on agg.  Another Scottish team progresses. 040416162222


  17. Jimbo you were not as vocal in your support for Scottish representation in Europe when Rangers were (briefly) involved. Neither was anyone else here, somewhat disappointingly. 


  18. RYANGOSLINGJULY 20, 2017 at 22:19  
    Jimbo you were not as vocal in your support for Scottish representation in Europe when Rangers were (briefly) involved. Neither was anyone else here, somewhat disappointingly. 

    =================
    To play Devil’s Advocate Ryan, a club which generally lashes out and makes zero attempt to build bridges is unlikely to attract many sympathisers.


  19. RyanGoslingJuly 20, 2017 at 22:19 
    Jimbo you were not as vocal in your support for Scottish representation in Europe when Rangers were (briefly) involved. Neither was anyone else here, somewhat disappointingly. 
    —————————————————————————-
    Ryan,
    That’s probably because another team should have been taking on the might of Progres.  Sevco (why do you keep using that oldco name, by the way) should not have been there due to certain issues around the way they are financed!


  20. RYANGOSLINGJULY 20, 2017 at 22:19
    Jimbo you were not as vocal in your support for Scottish representation in Europe when Rangers were (briefly) involved. Neither was anyone else here, somewhat disappointingly.
       ——————————————————————————————–
      Aberdeen stated categorically in their audited accounts they complied with entrance criterea Ryan. Sevco’s accounts were not so forthcoming, and their unaudited interims actually boasted a loss as a profit.  Whether they did actually comply is subject to a great deal of rightful doubt.
        We do not know either way at this time, but they only have themselves, and the SFA, for the situation that has been created. If they want well wishes, they should provide openness and transparency and prove they are worthy of them.  Trust must be earned.


  21. AllyjamboJuly 20, 2017 at 19:00
    ‘…With D&P involved, I am left wondering if there’s more to come on the sale to Sevco, or if BDO are solely concerned with how D&P conducted other matters and looking to sue them to recover some monies, or whatever.’
    _________
    I didn’t hear anything today about what BDO’s action is all about.

    But  eJ was able recently to point me to the Act in which is to be found the ‘Para 75’ under  which BDO were seeking an Order, which paragraph was referred to in the Rolls of Court entry intimating that a hearing was to be held

    It’s in Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986, and I give relevant bits  here:

    “Misfeasance
    75(1)The court may examine the conduct of a person who—
    (a)…………….
    (b)has been or has purported to be the administrator of a company.

    (2)An examination under this paragraph may be held only on the application of—
    (a)………….
    (b)………….
    (c)the liquidator of the company,
    (d)………..
    (e)………..

    (3)An application under sub-paragraph (2) must allege that the administrator—
    (a)………..
    (b)………..
    (c)has breached a fiduciary or other duty in relation to the company, or
    (d)has been guilty of misfeasance.

    (4)On an examination under this paragraph into a person’s conduct the court may order him—
    (a)to repay, restore or account for money or property;
    (b)to pay interest;
    (c)to contribute a sum to the company’s property by way of compensation for breach of duty or misfeasance.
    (5……
    (6)An application under sub-paragraph (2) may be made in respect of an administrator who has been discharged under paragraph 98 only with the permission of the court.”

    From this,it seems reasonable to  conclude that BDO are going after the Administrators for alleged misfeasance in that,allegedly, they knowingly and deliberately let CG have the assets for a song, or a fraction of what even just the fixed assets had been ,not long before, valued at in the annual returns.

    On the Sevco front, eJ’s post earlier about Henderson and Jones reminded me that I had learned a new word (‘novation’) when reading that the assets purchase had been ‘novated’ from Sevco 5088 to SevcoScotland.

    I cannot now remember for sure where I read that. I think it might have been one of Charlotte’s tapes or emails ,round about the time of the ‘You are Sevco’ phone tape call from CG to CW. [Or did I dream that????? Has anyone got that on file somewhere?]

    [And I must really say a ‘very well done’ to Aberdeen.I lived in Aberdeen for 4 years, and in pretty much the same way as Carlisle United was my local team when I lived and worked there in the middle 1960s  in my car-less days,  Aberdeen’s  was the third result I looked/listened  for  a decade earlier on steam radio or ,would you believe, on illicit ‘crystal set!’]


  22. Congratulations to Aberdeen, I watched the game and it was a well deserved win.

    It’s good to see Scotland still represented in both European competitions, long may it continue. 


  23. Upthehoops, thanks for your response. I’ve recognised my club’s weaknesses on here many times, but the justification given for support of clubs in Europe here is always that they are the Scottish representatives, which Rangers were. You can’t claim (and I don’t mean you particularly) to support the Scottish representatives but then exclude some because they aren’t financially well managed. Rangers mk II have been run at a loss but have broken no rules, and are not the first club in Scotland or in Europe to have been run at a loss. Again, I have been a vocal critic on here of the Rangers administration, but if people are on here claiming to support the Scottish representatives but making an exception for Rangers then I say they are hypocrites. 


  24. I attended the SFSA survey launch today. My feelings overall are mixed, but I am hopeful that something may come from it.
    Auldheid is doing a blog and I’ll add my tuppenceworth.
    The survey is vital as a scene-setter and a means of arming the SFSA with evidence of dissatisfaction so they can draw up a list of priorities.
    I hope the tone becomes somewhat more direct than I heard today. More later.


  25.  RyanGoslingJuly 21, 2017 at 00:31
    ‘… Rangers mk II have been run at a loss but have broken no rules, and are not the first club in Scotland or in Europe to have been run at a loss. .’
    ______________
    It’s the ‘Rangers mk II’ that is the problem, I suggest.

    TRFC Ltd is not ‘Rangers’, but falsely claims to be the Rangers of 1872. Except,of course, when it comes to paying the debts of Rangers 1872.

    It is that deceit that fuels the resistance to , and lack of enthusiasm for, any view that the deceitful new club should expect to be regarded as any kind of representative of Scottish Football.

    It is a club founded by deceitful men, and funded by deceitful  chancers on the make who have those in office in football governance by the short and curlies ( no doubt to the pleasure of some of them)

    We were all trebly  cheated.

    First by SDM, that loathsome hypocrite,

    and then more, much more seriously by our  football governance people,

    and then much, much, much seriously by our SMSM.

    It is not to be wondered at that TRFC Ltd are considered by many to be not in the least worthy of being even remotely considered as ‘representative’ in any way of Scotland and Scotland in Football.


  26. JOHN CLARKJULY 20, 2017 at 23:18
    I cannot now remember for sure where I read that. I think it might have been one of Charlotte’s tapes or emails ,round about the time of the ‘Youare Sevco’ phone tape call from CG to CW. [Or did I dream that????? Has anyone got that on file somewhere?]
    —————-
    The link i had to you are sevco i can’t find now,think i deleted as it no longer worked. But i do have the it on disc somewhere(note to myself look that stuff out one day)
    someone asked me about it at the time so i put it on disc and kept one for myself.
    you are sevco was not a dream19


  27. RYANGOSLINGJULY 21, 2017 at 00:31  
    Upthehoops, thanks for your response. I’ve recognised my club’s weaknesses on here many times, but the justification given for support of clubs in Europe here is always that they are the Scottish representatives, which Rangers were. You can’t claim (and I don’t mean you particularly) to support the Scottish representatives but then exclude some because they aren’t financially well managed. Rangers mk II have been run at a loss but have broken no rules, and are not the first club in Scotland or in Europe to have been run at a loss. Again, I have been a vocal critic on here of the Rangers administration, but if people are on here claiming to support the Scottish representatives but making an exception for Rangers then I say they are hypocrites. 
    ============================================

    Ryan, I think the animosity felt towards Rangers goes way beyond them being run at a financial loss. That is part of it of course, because due to those losses many people feel they were incorrectly awarded a licence to play in Europe this season by the SFA. There has been no transparent explanation given to show that is not the case.

    You could argue, with some justification, many Celtic fans have always taken pleasure in seeing Rangers exit Europe, although that particular aspect of football rivalry is not exclusive to Scotland. However my experience over the years is that many fans of other clubs were always willing to get behind Rangers in Europe. I don’t see that so much now and to me the reasons for that are pretty straightforward, and that is the conduct and attitude of Rangers supporters and various Ibrox regimes both pre and post liquidation. The lack of contrition and a refusal to accept any wrong doing whatsoever sticks in the craw of many other fans, as does the ridiculous notion that all others in Scottish football are to blame for where Rangers are. The Craig Whyte court case strongly suggested the club was heading for ruin no matter who was in charge. The Court of Session and the Supreme Court represented the business end of the big tax case – Rangers lost 8-0. Yet the official reaction of fans and board was to lash out at Celtic and issue veiled threats.  As long as the ‘keep the good bits, ditch the bad bits’ attitude prevails from fans and board, it’s unlikely in my view that many other fans in Scotland will be wishing Rangers well in the foreseeable future. 

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