Some of us are old enough to remember the days when we played football in the streets with lamp posts for goals. The “baw” in my day was a plastic “Hampden Frido” (with wee studs that left yer forehead looking like a golf ball when heading it – see picture) and a “Wembley Mettoy”.
Cue memories of MouldMasters and days of pain and glory
But I digress.
The plastic ball was prone to bursting and on a good day or evening a replacement was secured by the original version of crowd funding.; However, the Calton then was a poor neighbourhood and sometimes the “baw” depended on the generosity of a single provider.
This came with risks because generous folk can still be bad losers and if the provider’s team of rags, taigs and bluenoses (remember when that didn’t matter) was getting a drubbing or a high shot was deemed a goal but he protested because he was only 4 feet 6 tall and ,with no crossbar ,height is but a subjective perspective, hence argumentative, or perhaps the goal that created a 10 goal gap occasionally saw the baw ,metaphorical if not physically, land on the slates, at which point the provider and now owner, out of his sense of entitlement as owner, grab the baw and threatened to storm off in the huff.
As long as the game was everything and in the Calton then EVERYTHING was fitbaw, the bawless plebs were only too willing to reduce the imaginary cross bar height or take their foot off the gas, hence the derogatory saying of those who capitulate too easily “they hivnae any baws”.
Memories! Wit are they like and what is the connection to modern day Scottish professional football?
I’m indebted to this article by The Battered Bunnet first posted on CQN on 30 June 2012 at https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/abject-failure-of-leadership/comment-page-2/#comment-1479329 since reproduced on other blogs including SFM but worth reproducing here:
“Senior Hampden source tells ch4news cannot see how RFC were allowed to play lastseason at all. Doesn’t believe they met finance criteria…”
Alex Thomson – Twitter
Alex Thomson’s tweets yesterday re ‘senior Hampden source’ casting doubt on Rangers’ eligibility to obtain a Club Licence last year were rather intriguing.
We have by now a clearer picture of the failure of governance at Rangers through the David Murray/ John McClelland/ Alastair Johnston/ Craig Whyte years, albeit we await further definitive details from the judgement of the Tax Tribunal. Essentially, over a period spanning 2 decades, the means that Rangers used to sustain its football operation utterly disregarded the requirements of both corporate governance and football regulation. While the scandal related solely to payments and procedures within Rangers, we could hope that it was contained internally.
However, the revelation that Rangers paid former manager Souness via EBT while he was manager at Blackburn Rovers confirmed for the first time that the scandal had become external. I understand that RangersTaxCase and Alex Thomson have further information on the extent of payments to Souness and also to Walter Smith, and look forward to the details being revealed, but it is now clear that the Rangers ‘toxin’ had leached out of the club by 2001.
The compelling question now is: How far did the toxin spread?
Was it contained within the ‘outer circle’ of former Rangers employees, however inexplicable such payments may appear? Or did it extend beyond that outer circle, and contaminate senior figures in the Game in Scotland. The contamination does not relate solely to payments from Rangers’offshore trust, but more subtly perhaps, the behaviour of individuals in positions of influence.
We know that Rangers’ Executive Chairman JohnMcClelland was an SPL Board member during the startling ramp up of EBT use from 2003 to 2005, and was himself a beneficiary of the scheme.
We know that Rangers’ Chief Executive Martin Bain was an SPL Board member 2008 to 2011, coinciding with the receipt by Rangers of the HMRC assessments on the EBT scheme, of which he was himself a beneficiary.
We know that current SFA President Campbell Ogilvie was simultaneously an SFA Director and Executive Director and Company Secretary of Rangers, and was a beneficiary of the scheme.
These parallel functions of course present a profound conflict of interest for each man, at once implementing a scam on the Game to disguise a fraud on the Revenue, while owing specific legal duties of care to the Game being scammed.
So far, so shabby.
Thomson’s tweets yesterday indicate a doubt on the part of a ‘senior Hampden source’ that Rangers were eligible to hold a Club Licence last season, thus disqualifying them from participating in European competition, and perhaps Scottish Football too. Is this doubt grounded in a retrospective review of the licence qualifying criteria given what has emerged recently? Or was there a ‘blind eye’ turned by the SFA’s Licensing Committee to information in the public domain at the time of the Licence application? In this respect the ‘Wee Tax Case’ represented a fundamental failure against at least one Licence criterion.
The proposals to the SFL clubs this week make it plain that should the SFA conclude the outstanding Disciplinary issues against Rangers with either suspension or expulsion of Rangers from the SFA(perhaps the only sanctions remaining available to the SFA following Lord Glennie’s Judicial Review) that the Game will face ‘financial meltdown’.
Concurrently, the SPL has adjudged Rangers to have a prima facie case to answer in respect of SPL rule breaches on player registration, the outcome of which will confirm that the club fielded ineligible players in upwards of 400 SPL matches. The only possible disciplinary outcome given such a sustained breach of SPL rules, corrupting the completion as it did from its inception in 1999 to 2011, is expulsion from theSPL.
As a consequence, the SFA, as the authority responsible for implementing FIFA’s Rules on the Registration of Players, will be required to act on these breaches of FIFA rules. Again, expulsion for what amounts to Championship fixing is inevitable.
Curiously, the SFL, this week asking its members to vote to admit the Sevco Rangers club into their top tier, has the same issue given that its League Cup competition featured dozens of ineligible Rangers players through the years, and further claims by Hugh Adam that its‘Premier Division’ competition during the 1990s was similarly bent through the use of ‘off the books’ payments to players by Rangers.
The scale of it all is breath-taking and were the rules of the Game to be applied, Rangers FC would be expelled from each Governing body in turn, before we even consider the extraordinary breaches of faith and duties by co-serving Directors.
But according to the SFL/SFA/SPL circular to clubs, “Rangers Terminated or Suspended’ will cause “Financial Meltdown”.
To avoid this meltdown, it is proposed by the Executives of the combined SFL/SFA/SPL that the rules of the Game are not applied to Rangers, and that the clubs effectively rewrite the rule book to permit what remains of the club to compete at the top of the SFL.
In effect, according to the Governing Bodies,the Rules of the Game CANNOT be applied to Rangers or the Game’s finances will‘meltdown’.
The corollary question this raises is: For how long have the Governing bodies been so unable to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers? Is this a new epiphany, or a longer standing recognition?
When Rangers submitted their allegedly ineligible application for a Club Licence in 2011, did the SFA recognise that Rangers failing to participate in Europe would cause the club to fail, as it subsequently did? Were the Rules ignored to avoid ‘financial meltdown’ then?
How far did the toxin spread?
Did this recognition extend back to the period following the disintegration of Murray International, hitherto Rangers’ source of continuing funding? Was the season of ‘Honest Mistakes’ some absurd, dutiful reaction to the recognition that should Rangers fail, Scottish Football would melt down?
Was the ineligible status of so many of Rangers’ first team players noticed prior to the SPL’s Inquiry commencing on 5th March? Was it noticed in an Audit as part of the SFA’s Club Licensing process some years ago? Was it noticed by the recent SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith, who as an Agent had represented players on Rangers’ books through his Directorship of Prostar Management and other Agencies?
Beyond the duplicity of Ogilvie, McClelland and Bain, were Rangers’ irregular practices known to others at the SFA and SPL,others who chose not to address the matter, thus further contaminated the Governing Bodies with the Rangers toxin?
It is heartening that the Liquidators of Rangers plc will be instructed to examine all of the circumstances surrounding the failure of Rangers as a corporate entity. Equally, perhaps the detail contained in the Tax Tribunal judgement will reveal further connections,hitherto unknown.
What is likely to remain hidden from view though, is the full extent to which key influencers at the Governing Bodies were aware of Rangers’ conduct and circumstances, and how this affected their behaviour and their decision making in applying the rules of the Game to that club.
What we can say with certainty now though is that the people holding office at the Governing Bodies are unable or unwilling to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers, despite the breaches being fundamentally and profoundly corrupt. The SFA and SPL, despite having outstanding disciplinary cases against Rangers that will, in all other circumstances see the club expelled from the Game, are intent to delete the cases provided the SFL clubs accept the Sevco Rangers into the SFL’s top division.
The Rules of the Game cannot be applied to Rangers.
When the rules cannot be applied, the Game itself is broken, and we can say now with some certainty that the Rangers toxin has spread beyond the club, its former employees and Directors of the Governing Bodies, and contaminated the very Game itself. The Office Bearers of the SFA,whose FIFA mandate requires them to “protect and foster the Game” in Scotland,and “protect it from abuses”, have contrived to do the contrary, to the point where the Game is stricken.
It is for this reason that a thorough clear out of the Office Bearers in the Governing Bodies is now a prerequisite to the Game recovering from the poison inflicted upon it by Rangers. The dissolution of the Governing Bodies is perhaps appropriate.
Clear your desk Gentlemen, the bus to ignominy departs shortly.
The position that the SFA and then SPL found themselves in is perfectly clear from the foregoing. Desperately keen for commercial reasons to hold onto the “baw” they changed the rules, but never took ownership of the baw from the owner and so are still beholden to him.
Hence the blog title “We Are Going To Need Another Baw “ because the one currently in play is burst, stuffed with £14M worth of share vouchers.
What was done in 2012 was understandably commercially necessary, but the price to be paid was twofold:
- Not just to the integrity of our game then but the ongoing price now, where all energies are directed at continuing to pretend that the rules are followed without fear of favour.
- The idea that the Scottish game cannot survive without a “ Rangers” is one that most folk would accept but the danger arising, which is unacceptable, is that because of it “Rangers” think they can do as they please as a result which requires rules to be reinforced. And seen to be reinforced.
They clearly aren’t under the SFA’s own rule enforcing process called the Judicial Panel Protocol https://www.sfm.scot/jpp-perverting-justice/ not to mention Club Licensing processes that have so far manged to avoid the scrutiny that, had Resolution 12 been acted upon in 2013, would have resulted in changes that would protect the game from all those who think it is still their baw.
The general perception of supporters is that lessons have not been learned from past behaviour.
Until there is evidence that they have, for example: the Judicial Panel Disciplinary Tribunal investigating at snail’s pace the process followed in 2011 that allowed a UEFA licence to be granted to Rangers FC without question, coming to conclusion or providing reasons why it cannot by the spring, the perception will continue to be “Its all about Rangers” followed by what is the point?.
Is it not about time now that the fear that drove thinking in 2012 was faced and recognised by all clubs as unfounded and a new integrity filled baw was used?
What is there to fear now from restoring integrity to its rightful place, unless of course you were party to the thinking that kicked the integrity of our game to death in 2012 and are still in a position of influence?
From SFA website;
"Notice of Claim | Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Friday 22 February 2019 Player: Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Match: Rangers FC v Kilmarnock FC on Wednesday 20 February 2019 Competition: The Scottish Cup Offence: A2 – Violent Conduct Claim: Wrongful Dismissal Fast Track Tribunal Hearing: Friday 22 February 2019"
=========
Well, with the SFA CEO's recent, staunch defence of Scottish Refs, I'm guessing this ridiculous red card will be upheld?
However, if a red card is rescinded is there AUTOMATIC demotion or action against the ref? (I don't know.)
And as an aside, I had a few wee bets on the TRFC v Killie game. I thought it would be a close game, but sending off a goalkeeper in only 25 minutes following a highly contentious off the ball incident changed the game completely.
Whether a red was justified or not, I think everyone would agree that the ref's decision materially influenced the outcome of the game.
My perspective is: why bet on games at all when the results are not solely dependent on the teams’ performances?
[Agreed, betting is a mug’s game, but you have to have some vices…]
'StevieBC 22nd February 2019 at 14:12
From SFA website;
"Notice of Claim | Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Friday 22 February 2019 Player: Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Match: Rangers FC v Kilmarnock FC on Wednesday 20 February 2019 Competition: The Scottish Cup Offence: A2 – Violent Conduct Claim: Wrongful Dismissal Fast Track Tribunal Hearing: Friday 22 February 2019"
=========
Well, with the SFA CEO's recent, staunch defence of Scottish Refs, I'm guessing this ridiculous red card will be upheld?
However, if a red card is rescinded is there AUTOMATIC demotion or action against the ref? (I don't know.)'
————————————————————
Firstly, if Bachmann's red card is rescinded, then Kamara must be guilty of simulation as per the SFA's JP Section 14.
Secondly, you'll never know if a referee is suspended or demoted. Confidentiality, don'tcha ken
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/competitions/premiership/the-oldest-football-clubs-how-every-team-in-the-spfl-ranks-in-order-of-when-they-were-founded-1-4877768?page=10
The Scotsman being confused….! Both Airdrie and Rangers/TRFC shown with their original founding dates, but at least Liquidation is acknowledged. I just don't get how they can square the two opposing thoughts in their head!!
Re my post at 1608:
My reference to the SFA's JP should refer to Section 13, not 14.
You'll have to forgive me; I'm triskaidekaphobic
I was watching The Chase last week and they asked which Glasgow team was demoted by 3 divisions in 2002. I contacted ITV to highlight their inaccuracy. The executive producer replied fairly quickly and explained it all to me. It's really quite simple,
Hello,
I was watching my favourite quiz programme, The Chase, this evening. The question was asked "which Scottish football club was demoted by 3 divisions in 2012". The answer given was Rangers.
The question was inaccurate. In 2012, Rangers went into liquidation. They re-formed and sought admission to the Scottish league. This was granted and they were admitted to the lowest tier (division 3 at that time). They were certainly NOT relegated.
Regards
John
Dear John
Thank you for your email regarding a question on The Chase recently.
I take your point, but I would refute your claim that the question was inaccurate. We asked: 'In 2012, what Scottish Premier League team from Glasgow was demoted three divisions?'
The dictionary definition of demoted is as follows:
demote, v.
1. To move to a lower rank or status, or less senior position, typically as a punishment.
I also quote manager Ally McCoist, who said at the time: "Rangers has been severely punished for the actions of some individuals who previously ran the club…."
While Rangers did go into administration, and a new club was formed, that club could have remained in the top division had it been allowed to, and to all intents and purposes the new club is the same as the old club – same name (in everyday usage), same ground, same team, same manager (at the time). To say otherwise is to bandy semantics.
I respect your opinion and have no desire to change it, but I ask you to respect ours too. Whether you see it as a punishment or a new start depends on your point of view. I feel certain that on this occasion we will have to agree to disagree.
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to write to us and I hope you will continue to watch and enjoy the show.
Kind regards,
Martin Scott
Executive Producer
The Chase
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I would imagine the beleaguered Compliance Officer at the SFA will be delighted that Ian Maxwell has issued this statement which I assume is in response to the SMSM criticism of her role.
https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/scottish-fa-statement-referees-and-disciplinary-system/?rid=13929
I suppose the Scottish Referees Preservation Society will be quite tickled too. Notwithstanding the above, I will be interested to see how much, if any, of this statement sees the light of day tomorrow in our beloved smsm.
StevieBC 22nd February 2019 at 14:12 10 0 Rate This From SFA website; "Notice of Claim | Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Friday 22 February 2019 Player: Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Match: Rangers FC v Kilmarnock FC on Wednesday 20 February 2019 Competition: The Scottish Cup Offence: A2 – Violent Conduct Claim: Wrongful Dismissal Fast Track Tribunal Hearing: Friday 22 February 2019" ========= Well, with the SFA CEO's recent, staunch defence of Scottish Refs, I'm guessing this ridiculous red card will be upheld? However, if a red card is rescinded is there AUTOMATIC demotion or action against the ref? (I don't know.) And as an aside, I had a few wee bets on the TRFC v Killie game. I thought it would be a close game, but sending off a goalkeeper in only 25 minutes following a highly contentious off the ball incident changed the game completely. Whether a red was justified or not, I think everyone would agree that the ref's decision materially influenced the outcome of the game. My perspective is: why bet on games at all when the results are not solely dependent on the teams’ performances? [Agreed, betting is a mug’s game, but you have to have some vices…]
===============$£$£$£$£==$$$$$====
Not if your a Scottish referee it's not.
As mentioned earlier, the fans are led to believe that the SFA is, in effect, the senior clubs themselves.
So, in the current climate of mistrust and / or derision of the Category 1 refs…
If I was the CEO of an SPL club I would be instructing, (I.e. not asking), the SFA CEO to arrange a presentation for all the clubs' CEO's.
This would be a presentation given by Ms. Hala Ousta who is the Diversity & Social Inclusion manager at Hampden.
I would expect her to provide anonymised data on every diversity aspect of the Scottish Refereeing structure: from the Referees Panel, to Category 1 refs, and right down to entry level referees.
The driver for this presentation would be to address the perception of a risk of groupthink amongst the Referees' ranks, and who could also be perceived as being resistant to change, and improvement.
Any aspersions regarding the backgrounds of referees could be objectively and professionally discussed in an open, transparent manner with the assistance of the Diversity & Social Inclusion Manager: it's her job.
Some observations by Craig Levein on the distribution of referees and their associations.
Re Ian Maxwell's statement that there are '22 FIFA officials' in Scotland: there are actually 23 such officials listed on the FIFA website. Who knew Scotland had a FIFA-rated Futsal referee? I didn't!
His statement is also slightly disingenuous in that of his 22 (presumably-proper) fitba' officials, 5 are female (1 referee & 4 assistant referees) & not usually tasked with male professional games. In fact, not one of the 5 (22.7% of the FIFA contingent) has an SPFL appointment in the coming week.
NB. John Beaton has 2 Premiership games in 6 days. Somebody's keeping him sweet…
I also note that Bachmann’s red card has been rescinded. I await Kamara being cited, but won’t hold my breath.
Call me a cynic Mr King states they will do all to stop sectarianism. Orange strip! Strip with a sash look about it! Yeah that will help.
Fast Track Tribunal Update | Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Friday 22 February 2019 Player: Daniel Bachmann, Kilmarnock FC Match: Rangers FC v Kilmarnock FC on Wednesday 20 February 2019 Competition: The Scottish Cup Offence: A2 – Violent Conduct Claim: Wrongful Dismissal Fast Track Tribunal Hearing: Friday 22 February 2019
Outcome: Claim upheld. A2 – Violent Conduct rescinded.
==========
I'm getting ever more confused…!
But right decision.
And a shockingly wrong decision on the night.
What happens now to the ref Alan Muir – to help him learn from his mistake?
Folks
This excellent article by Fanswithoutscraves is well worth drawing attention to in terms of SFA Reform..
https://fanswithoutscarves.org/2019/02/22/stigma-in-scottish-football-intro-and-part-1-too-big-to-fail/
My general comment is that the system of regulation in place was a tick box one that depended on trusting clubs would act honestly and in good faith.
That trust was broken in 1999 by Sir David Murray and there is a cost to replacing the system with a more rigorous one which arguably, if it is ever done, would make Scottish football another creditor of Rangers FC if a figure were put on it.
Auldheid 22nd February 2019 at 20:44
…………..
A good read.
insanity right enough. But what chance of change when the lunatics in the asylum believe everything they do is correct and it is everyone else outside who is insane?
The club can confirm that @DBachmann1’s red card against Rangers has been rescinded.
………………….
Just how much game time has an ibrox club gained advantage of playing against ten men, only for red cards to be rescinded after the games?
ClusterOne@21.50 yesterday
And the second season of honest mistakes continues unabated. It didn’t take Glen Kamara long to settle in. Whose turn will it be to collapse in a heap this weekend?
Tam Cowan on Off The Ball asking listeners to spare a thought for poor wee Alfredo Morelos who scored 4 goals but his achievement was overshadowed by the controversy surrounding the game. I don’t believe it was said tongue in cheek. More likely trying to move things along. No discussion of Kamara’s simulation and how the outcome of the game was affected by this. Poor wee Alfredo.
Maybe the Compliance Officer could make her presence at every Rangers match. What a saving in admin!
Strange.
Whilst there is continuing, voluminous reporting of the fallout from the TRFC v Killie game…
I haven't managed to find any reference to the Killie keeper having his red card rescinded.
Not a peep in the DR, ET or Scotsman – as at time of posting.
Any neutral or non-TRFC supporter would find that story as very significant, IMO.
I don't know how long this vacancy ad has been on the SFA website. Has someone quit very recently, or is it a new post?
"Referee Administration Manager
Closing Date: Monday 4th March 2019
Job Title Referee Administration Manager
Reporting to Head of Referee Operations"
https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish-fa/organisation/working-at-the-scottish-fa/vacancies/referee-administration-manager/?rid=1537
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