In Whose Interests

by

Any organisation’s plan for a top-down review of development would ordinarily be welcome news. Self evaluation, or even better independent evaluation is an ongoing process amongst professionals, individually and collectively alike. In the case of the SFA however a healthy scepticism is required. We are after all dealing with people who are the poster boys for self-interest and short-termism.

The SFA had previously commissioned a thorough review of the game (decades ago) by Rinus Michels, the inventor of “Total Football” and his report was largely ignored, partly because it implied criticism of the then current regime, and partly because it would cost money. A “Total Shambles”.

Henry McLeish also famously recommended (again after being commissioned to do so by the SFA) a more balanced approach to governance between the SFA and SPFL. This would have required a blazer or two having less say in the running of the game – and was therefore ignored.

Mark Wotte, the prominent Dutch coach hired as performance director at Hampden also suggested during his tenure that, in order to improve technique, more ball time should be provided for players in games.

He recommended seven a side competitions as the norm for u-15s (less players – more participation).

To accommodate this, club infrastructures would have required expensive upgrading, and coaches in clubs, not responsive to new ideas lobbied hard for the status quo.

The upshot is that we carried on with the same eleven-a-side games where many players hardly got a kick.
And in this classic Einsteinean definition of insanity, no overall improvements were to be found in the national team’s fortunes.

No wonder Wotte fled the scene in 2014 after three years.

Of course the details are debatable and subjective, but experience tells us;
Anything that
a) costs money or
b) upsets old boys’ networks
has a tendency to be hidden out of sight.

The recent “announcement” is merely a reaction to a couple of poor results, caused in part by inaction in the wake of previous reports’ recommendations.

An increasing number of observers of our game refer to an inferior mindset amongst players in Scotland, that we accept losing as the norm.

Hardly surprising that such a mindset is prevalent amongst professionals.
They must despair at the chronic self-interest, ineptitude and fecklessness of the “leaders” of our sport – an organisation that appointed Gordon Smith as CE (think about that for a minute) based on who his pals were, where McGregor and Petrie can become senior officers – “because it’s his turn!” – despite being unqualified squares in a round ball game, and where fairy-tales take precedence over reality.

As long as the blazers have a seat on the SFA bus, nothing will change.

1,004 thoughts on “In Whose Interests”

  1.      For some reason 50% ownership of the IP ended up in the hands of Sevco. How much say CFC PLC had in that is anybody's guess. However, willingly or not, CFC PLC found what can only be described as a "partnership" thrust upon them.

        Registered just a year ago, it would appear it was not just a straight forward transfer procedure that occurred upon the death of Rangers (I.L.), but a drawn out affair. 

        For CFC, voluntarily relinquishing their 50% share, presenting Sevco with the opportunity of 100% ownership would not be an option. The puzzle lies in why CFC lawyers have not, or were unable, to have the previous agreement expunged.

        I guess it was a similar scenario to that faced by Sports Scotland, (I think they were called) over the Murray Park funding grant, which was also the ownership of Rangers(I.L.).

       In law, that was also registered into Sevco "ownership", after a long unexplained delay.    

        

        

  2. Corrupt official 12th November 2019 at 04:31 

    ',,,   In law, that was also registered into Sevco "ownership", after a long unexplained delay.   '

    +++++++++++++

    I posted about this some time ago, expressing the view that Sport Scotland  seemed suddenly to realise that the legal entity to which they had given a good few quid of our money had ceased to exist except as an entity in liquidation, and therefore that thee was  no legal obligation on TRFC Ltd to pay any heed to the conditions that had been imposed.

    Hence we had that very late transfer of the 'RFC of 1872' obligations to TRFC Ltd.

    SportScotland showed themselves up as being suckers ( or succulent lamb eaters) in thrall to the 'establishment club' who for about two years had swallowed the SFA/TRFC lie that SevcoScotland?TRFC was the RFC of 1872 which had received the money.

    Some dozy people are damned lucky not to have lost their jobs over that episode, in my opinion, whether for turning a blind eye or for downright incompetence.

     

  3. While I prefer to leave direct criticism of non-cheating clubs and/or their successors to supporters of those non-cheating clubs, I'd just like to say how noticeable, and so Sevco supporter like, the plethora of TDs is to posts critical of the Celtic board when gauged against the number of posts (currently zero) challenging anyone posting said criticism. By all means give any post you disagree with a TD if you want, but at least have the guts to justify your TD with a post challenging the poster directly and setting out a counter argument, or just your own thoughts on why such criticism of your club might be wrong.

    We have all been fulsome in our praise, and indeed admiration, for the Resolution 12 guys, so these unsupported TDs for criticism of the very board so obviously blocking its progress are quite strange, to say the least. In fact, this obvious dislike of posts critical, not of Celtic FC itself, but of its board, is so typical of how those not protective of our game's integrity are getting away with it time and time again. It is, I think, an example of the 'tribalism' that those running our game take advantage of to run roughshod over all that they should be respecting, including us, the people who keep the game, and their cushy number, alive.

    A TD without a counter argument is so Morelos like in its fly kick and hide behind the petted lip style.

    PS I do acknowledge there are times when someone will come on and post something that is deserving of nothing more than a TD when to respond would not be in the best interest of the blog, or our sanity.

  4. And so it rumbles on. SFM has been pointing out the deficiencies in the way Scottish football has been run since it’s (SFM) inception.

    SFM and the numerous and varied contributors would be at fault if they chose to focus on the behaviour of only one club and ascribe all of the problems manifesting themselves today as solely the responsibility of that club. 

    Whilst it is certainly true that RFC was the catalyst in all of this, the lack of leadership and the furtive behaviour of many of the other actors in this drama has poisoned the environment. A period of glasnost and perestroika is sorely required as well as perhaps truth and reconciliation.

  6. Allyjambo 12th November 2019 at 09:48

    T'was ever thus.

    A few folk stick their head above the parapet from time to time but there is clearly a significant number within the site readership who cannot handle any criticism directed towards the club from the East End.

    Despite their great dislike for the club from Ibrox and those in the corridors of power at Hampden, they fail to recognise (or should that be 'finger in the ears and shout na-na-nana-na)  that their board and masters do not share their views and are more than happy to have T'Rangers, King and all that goes with him sit alongside them.

    When the largest club in the country is happy to go along with the 'big lie' and accommodating cold shouldered criminals then why should smaller clubs, with more than enough worries on their plate, take up the charge.

  7. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?"  something Peter Lawell should reflect on . The soul of any club is its fanbase and sporting integrity is the quality test of its achievements . Without a Rangers* there may well be a drop in attendances at Celtic Park but to deliberately sacrifice sporting integrity to accommodate a rival who happily cheats will lead to a total boycott and rightly so . Sometimes you just can't have your cake and eat it. Sometimes hard choices have to be made and doing the right thing is in the long term more important than doing what is more profitable in the short term. As for the thumbs down -thumbs up , it is if one wants to manipulate a relatively easy thing to do and give the impression of support or disdain for any particular post and I have noticed recently on one or two specific posts an irregular pattern so take the thumbs with a pinch of salt , a comment for or against carries more weight.

  8. I vaguely remember that HJK Helsinki having a sell-on clause (25% ? ) in their deal with TRFC wrt the transfer of Mr Morelos . Am I correct ?

  11. Re the use of TU and TD, perhaps only those logged in should be allowed to use this facility and then only once in each post to avoid the possibility of  multiple abuse as exampled by Timtim at 11.02am.

  12. Forget about the dwindling support for the Scotland team…

     

    it looks like the players don't want to be involved either.

     

    And who can blame them?

  13. I hadn't looked at this site for a couple of days and when I did I saw the number of Thumbs Downs and asked myself the obvious question: What's Spoutpish been saying now?

    Reading further I found out that an innocuous comment about Trade Marks and Intellectual Property concerning the "Old Firm" was the trigger. 

    This matter was raised and discussed in the past without any resolution.

    It may be that Celtic are blocking T'Rangers taking over the "Old Firm" and monopolising it for whatever means. It may be that Celtic are operating or co-operating with T'Rangers for whatever means.

    I think Celtic have been asked in the past what the position is and if there had been a meaningful definitive answer there would be no discussion now.

    The origin of the "Old Firm" phrase is not clear. The two versions I've heard are commentators referring to the old, firm friends and a reference to the Old Firm of a commercial, business, limited company nature.

    Either way the phrase has no relevance or sensible meaning today.

    A simple two word phrase falls on both counts.

    Before anything can be called "Old" you have to wait for a lot longer than seven years to pass.

    Before anything can be "Firm", be it in partnership based on friendship or finance, you are going to need something other than the attitude, noise, behaviour, actions and statements coming from one half of this putative "Firm" before the other half would want or need anything to do with it.

    From memory Celtic have gone out of their way not to to utilise the phrase preferring the neutral derby description. Celtic fans took a page in the Sunday Herald to expressly state that the next game between Celtic and T'Rangers was the first meeting between the clubs. Nothing Firm or Old about it.

    If you're looking for evidence to support the "it's the same club" view Peter Lawwell wasn't helping when he famously, at a Celtic AGM no less, in response to a question from the floor about the media reporting Rangers as a club founded in 1872, said "Rory Bremner can pretend to be Tony Blair." For a man much maligned, possibly fairly on occasion, his view is crystal clear.

    As far as the Thumbs Downs are concerned it is hard to take seriously any discussion about any Ibrox based entity concerning itself with Property, particularly when it is Intellectual.

    I can see the point of Thumbs Ups but without some accompanying comment I don't see the point of simply TDing.

    Unless it's Spoutpish when TD says it all.

  14. @Ballyargus

    I think it would probably be more trouble than it's worth and in general I don't think it's an issue it was only on a relatively few posts that I was questioning what was going on and could be down to one individual with nothing better to do . I was merely bringing the ability to manipulate to peoples attention so they didn't take a flurry of thumbs down personally.

  16. easyJambo 12th November 2019 at 12:46

    The SPFL's annual report to 31 May 2019 has just been published by Companies House…

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

    Can't say I took much notice at the time of the appointment,

    but how prescient that the TRFC MD – Stewart Robertson – was made an SPFL Ltd. Director, as recently as July 22nd. this year?

    indecision

  17. Mordecai@13.59

    Pretty decent analysis provided by JJ in that piece. One can only hope that Hugh Keevins and Alex Rae find the time to read it too then perhaps they might rein in their gushing praise of Senõr Morelos and his majestic progress to the playing fields of England’s green and pleasant land.

  18. “Old Firm”

    Maybe I am a bit paranoid but with Celtic to play the SFA,s favourite team twice in the next month you watch who uses the term most often over the next few weeks.

    The BBC and the majority of the so called journalists will use the term deliberately as they are well aware the vast majority of Celtic fans will not use the term.

    I have been told certain people at the BBC have bet on how many times they can use the term in a given program.

    My criticism of the Celtic PLC is based on the fact board members (Peter Lawwell as an example)are saying one thing but acting very differently demonstrated by their handling of the trademark issue and Resolution 12.

    We need the truth not platitudes when these questions are ask at the forthcoming AGM.

    All supporters should challenge their own clubs, when they see something wrong, or we could be as bad as the govan crew 1872/73.

  19. Mordecai 12th November 2019 at 13:59

    I think something similar was said on here recently regards the likelihood of Morelos going down south, but perhaps not going into a much detail.

    However while the Morelos situation is interesting, it is going to be nothing compared to the potential issues Brexit may bring in terms of the ability to secure foreign talent.

    In terms of the squads of our 5 largest clubs, Celtic and Hearts would appear to have more EU players on their books currently than others

    I know the situation is somewhat unknown and fluid but I  wonder if any forward planning is being undertaken by Scottish clubs to assess the potential pros and cons of Brexit in terms of taking clubs forward in the years to come.

    As implied some of the smaller clubs may not be affected as they will have more of a home grown squad.

    However a dip into the transfer market for buying a decent youngster or getting one on loan to help bolster a league challenge may not be so easy in the future.

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