The football industry is corrupt. You know this, we all know this. The nature of the institutions who govern the sport, combined with the enormous amounts of money the industry is now worth, is a toxic cocktail.
A few minutes ago the Fifa Ethics Committee provisionally banned Fifa president, Sep Blatter, Uefa president (and Fifa vice-president) Michel Platini, as well as Fifa Secretary General, Jermoe Valcke, for 90 days pending an investigation. Former Fifa VP, Chung Moon-joon has been banned from the game for 6 years and fined. Chung and Platini both remain candidates to succeed Blatter as Fifa president – yes, it’s that dysfunctional.
This may be the beginning of the end for football’s great Oligarch Administrators, who lived like Saudi princes, paid for by the money which slushes around the game, but it is far from assured that football is now on the right path. Blatter, the embodiment of everything which is wrong with sport and business to many, remains a hugely popular figure. Some of the games administrators, themselves untouched by corruption, shed tears when he recently announced his decision to retire.
The core problem is one of democracy. Fifa is a democratic organisation, which on the face of it sounds like a good thing, but democracy has its drawbacks. One member one vote affords the British Virgin Islands the same weight when it comes to exercising ultimate control as Germany. Apart from hosting the World Cup once every 40 years or so, Fifa can offer Germany little tangible support, but the governing body can metaphorically pave the streets of tiny nations with gold.
Fifa executives, and Blatter in particular, have enormous patronage under their control. Blatter is personally responsible for the decision to ‘support the game’ in many small nations and protectorates, by funding the construction of expensive stadiums and facilities. These amenities are great for the recipient nations, often well beyond anything the local FA or government could afford. Blatter has been The Great Facilitator to many far-flung entities. That patronage buys loyalty and genuine affection.
The problem is not limited to the Fifa executive. Administrators at all levels of the senior game enjoy control over a degree of patronage. Merely becoming an office holder at your FA makes you a dignitary of some sort. There will be an expense account, doors will open, facilities made available.
Football’s problem is that its structure made it inevitable that corrupt individuals would eventually take control. Cutting the head off Fifa will not be sufficient to change that, the way football funds itself also needs to change – and that would inevitably mean less money going to poor places in the world. If accountability replaces patronage, Blatter’s largess to underfunded Associations would end. The game would be cleaner, but there are 100 FAs with skin in the game who stand to lose, so assume nothing.
Take a look at the work of Joseph Gormley, a Scots-born artist in the US, who has raised over $170k for various charities. His is another great tale in the story of the Celtic support.
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Scotland fecked up against Georgia .. Don’t blame the Irish for our failures.
Bsr,
a female deer? :)
Being a Scot by birth, absolutely gutted with the way things eventually panned out tonight. How many times???
Good luck in the finals to my ‘other’ favourite national team, Ireland, if you get there.
Wee Gordon will lead us to Russia for 2018. We might even make the knock out phase……
Honestly, I Heard he was Dead, you are not coming across too well in these exchanges. You can never rely on other teams doing you a favour, you must go out and win your own games.
I’m making allowances coz I know you are feeling down but maybe quit posting on the subject till you are feeling a bit better.
The Irish aren’t technically superior .. They just dug results out that we were incapable of.
What I liked about tonight’s match was how anonymous the referee was.
What is the stars,
OK sorry, Ireland have been great and will light up the tournament should they go through.
MedeludedFC
WHAT IS THE STARS on 8TH OCTOBER 2015 10:19 PM
I heard he was dead
Yea
Tough
Get over it. Don’t be bitter
Generally you get what you deserve in sport.
——————–
WITS
Having watched the Hoops in many hundreds of games in Scotland and
Europe …I fekn beg to differ!
Cork celt
Last month he predicted we would not get another point
Cannot believe some of the comments re the Irish victory tonight. Bitter and twisted just about somes it up. Off to bed to sleep the sleep of the contented, even if it is only fleeting, and allow others to wallow in their misery.
Oiche maith.
Is this not the Scotland that only handed record goal scorer Jimmy McGrory seven caps, that purposely ignored Bobby Lennox, big BIlly and wee Jinky, the same Scotland that booed Davie Hay and Kenny D ?? The Scotland fans that booed Aiden McGeady and James McCarthy, not because of the country they decided to play for but because of their background. What goes around comes around. Celtic first, Celtic last and Celtic overall….
corkcelt
You know mate, you are right. My disappointment is clear. I apologize.
As I say I think the Irish have been lucky but there you go. They are still not there and who knows how the weekend will go.
What is the stars seems hell bent on proving something though so I was wondering.
One blessing is that hopefully Gordon will rest all our boys on Sunday now.
At least the Pheasant will be happy tonight
I see that David Longmuir, erstwhile Ranger’s inside man in the 5 way agreement and shafter of countless Scottish clubs, has received his reward by securing a position with the The Professional Golf Fuds’ Association of Great Britain and Ireland (PGA) in a sponsorship and commercial development role.
Need to get ACGR to have a word. The British Open needs a strong Sevco.
Gearoid1888
Exactly, makes you wonder.
As they say…. No loss, what a friend gets.
Sitting in your own half and getting a breakaway goal?
Sounds like something our former rivals would have done.
Just saying.
Voguepunter
Generally you get what you deserve in sport
I stand over that statement
As for celtic. They are one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world.
Surely you can’t ask for much more than that
Congrats to Ireland tonight. A fine victory.
HH
CRC
Geordie
At least wee Leigh didn’t get a game and get injured. ;-)
Watched it, thought Poland were the better though much younger side.
I heard
Scotland are pish, end of.
HH
I heard he was dead
Ye do remember Scotlands wins over France?
But, chill out….
Ha ha international football and it still brings it of some people
I know he did Wits and to be perfectly honest I thought he would be proved correct. I thought the Panzers would win by 2 or 3 goals tonight. I’m over the moon and have already eaten huge amounts of humble pie on Facebook but I couldn’t see tonights result coming.
I heard he was dead
Sport brings out the best in us and sometimes the worst
You should learn to deal with the disappointment of losing
Winning is important but accepting defeat with good grace is far more important
Scotland have dropped 10 points in their last four games after dropping just five in first five games. We bottled it.
LOve
JOBO BALDIE on 8TH OCTOBER 2015 10:36 PM
Being a Scot by birth, absolutely gutted with the way things eventually panned out tonight. How many times???
Good luck in the finals to my ‘other’ favourite national team, Ireland, if you get there.
Wee Gordon will lead us to Russia for 2018. We might even make the knock out phase……
We Won’t, we will simply be knocked out. As Usual
Scottish football is gash.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/banned-its-head-chopped-off-but-fifa-remains-dysfunctional/comment-page-10/#comments
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
Aye two of the jammiest win ever but we still didn’t qualify.
Think on
I Heard he was Dead, or something a team from the East end of Glasgow did to the mighty Barca.
What is the Stars
Aye but in the heat of the moment surely you’ll allow me some leeway?
WHAT IS THE STARS on 8TH OCTOBER 2015 10:41 PM
Voguepunter
Generally you get what you deserve in sport
I stand over that statement
As for celtic. They are one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world.
Surely you can’t ask for much more than that
—————————–
Wits….Aye , we should have won more… esp during the cardigan years…cheatin bassas.
josiebee on 8th October 2015 10:31 pm
You have LMS5 email re payment
HH
CRC
corkcelt
Oh no, we dominated them twice. Scored first twice and totally deserved it ( brass neck)………………..
As I say I think the Irish have been lucky but there you go. They are still not there and who knows how the weekend will go. – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/banned-its-head-chopped-off-but-fifa-remains-dysfunctional/comment-page-10/#comments
I know you can but pray for a Polish victory
Hahahahahahhahhahhahahah
Cork celt
You being from the rebel county should know all about being out numbered out gunned out trained and still winning
Them ole panzers were rope a doped in Dublinagrad tonight
Wait in the foxholes until they are over head. Attach land mine and boom
Defeat from the jaws of victory.
Sounds a bit familiar.
Scotland have fair downsized these past few years, sack the board I say.
They are pish
Find it kinda surreal the angst about this….