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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Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on 8th October 2015 3:26 pm
I thought the charges against him were dropped the other day.
JUNGLE JIM HOT SMOKED on 8TH OCTOBER 2015 3:26 PM
What type of sentence can Messi expect if found guilty of tax fraud?
Read yesterday he’s been cleared but his old Da looks in trouble.
Well now spidery September has been and gone, and I have to say, although in October now, in the garden at least, there’s been, and still is, some mahoosive great spider’s webs. I’ve felt them hitting me in the face more times than I care to think about. Great,big Winonas everywhere.
It was a very good year for those big, hairy, long-legged, Scottish house spiders!, – the one’s that are too big for the Betterwear man’s special spider catcher, contraption thingy.
They’re the ones that make me give out a loud girly…………Oh for ***K S***
Every agoraphobic’s nightmare, so it is.
Mon The Winter nae Celtic news cdc
BMCUWP,
I’ll be there, J and the Growlers will be back from Liverpool about 8ish – Blootered :-)))
I think they have changed their minds and he is now being charged.
FrannyB67
I heard you the first time.
JJ
FRANNYB67
Did you catch my post re Saturday?
A few days back,mail me please for the info.
bmcuwp@gmail.com
CALTONTONGUES
So there’s a chance for us all yet?!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 8TH OCTOBER 2015 3:33 PM
Well now spidery September has been and gone.
It was SNAKE September oer here btw.
BMCUWP,
Maybes Aye etc… :-)
“Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi and his father should stand trial on tax fraud charges, a court in Spain has ruled.
The judge in charge of the case rejected the request by prosecutors to drop the charges against the striker.”
From the BBC site. The article goes on to say that lawyers are asking for a 22 month jail sentence.
JJ
PS As I type, YNWA is being played on Radio North Angus ( Gerry Marsden).
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on 8th October 2015 3:38 pm
Cheers. The way it was reported in the story I read, he was getting off. Weird that the prosecutors want to drop charges but judge says no anyway.
Wee Leo to stand trial – Spanish court ruled today
He is however playing the harry red knap card – my dog knows more about accounts than I do ( ok it’s my interpretation of he hasn’t devoted 1 minute of his life looking at accounts etc )
it is interesting this proliferation of articles coming out from the pen of ‘john james’
‘The Trial’ being the latest redaction of history
no mention of Liquidation
no mention of SFAs role during said liquidation
no mention of transfer of membership under rules designed to prohibit said transfer
no critique of Sir Div except for this cracker which i hope is expanded on by old club historians
‘When it came to running the club without putting a hand in his own pocket, no-one did it better than SDM.’
a stunningly arrogant piece due to its myth preservation,and serves to highlight the only thing continious out of ibrokes is behaviour of a criminal slant.So long as the gullible xxxxxxl’s know who to harass and post their bullets to they dont mind.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/banned-its-head-chopped-off-but-fifa-remains-dysfunctional/#comments
With apologies, I’m not sure who posted above between An Tearmann and West end of East end.
However I would advise you take a look at this guy’s Twitter feed @sitonfence and follow the links to some of his previous posts. You’ll see he does not miss SDM and hit the wall in a previous one. Nor does he spare a compliant media or a cowed football association.
Putting aside football rivalry this guy is up the with the Barcabhoys, Phil Macgh, and others when it comes to exposing what is really going on. Well worth a read back through the recent archive.
Chairbhoy-F67- team is only a rumour i would say.HH
Philbhoy, a CQN Adonnis only requires to have his own teeth as well as an ability to walk without a stick.
Bobby, cardboard cutouts of red haired women with unfeasibly large McCoists don’t count.
CB
Does having as stick and walking without your own teeth count?
JJ
Bob Loblaw
“Putting aside football rivalry this guy is up the with the Barcabhoys, Phil Macgh, and others when it comes to exposing what is really going on. Well worth a read back through the recent archive. – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/banned-its-head-chopped-off-but-fifa-remains-dysfunctional/comment-page-2/#comments
He speaks well of Barcabhoy, Phil Mac and The Clumpany.
He doesn’t miss The GASL whose lawyers at this time are apparently unaware of the non stop libelous content of his work.
Otherwise they’d be suing the pants off him.
Or maybe what he says is all true.
Funny ole world .
Getting 40 cents a kilo of carob.
Getting 90 euros a kilo of the fungus that grows on carob trees .
CAPTAINBEEFHEART
Depends on yer intake,bud. Many a time I’ve wished the night before had only been a cardboard cutout.
SOUTHOFTUNIS
Fillus fulla fungus.
I think told this story on the Blog a while back.
The short version is that I’d been out on the bevvy with some mates, got wrecked, smoked some strange substance, then woke up next morning in bed with an ugly women.
Thank God I got home safely.
Philbhoy
Indeed. He seems to have real insider information on what is happening over there, but is also prepared to debunk some dearly held myths. I saw one article where he destroyed the old “Rangers were relegated,” fantasy.
He also appears to have a fair degree of support from the more sensible element of their following.
BOB LOBLAW
Mind you he’ll be made to look a right clown when Big Dave delivers the £30,000,000!
Hohoho!
Libellous!!
I work for a law firm tae!
2 more sleeps.
Am no gawn fir 4 inarow.
See you tomorrow!
Behave now!
BOB LOBLAW @ 3:42 PM,
They certainly seem well thought out to me, but I do scratch my head from time to time, when reading.
The thing that got me with the Trail article was the Various “Green” companies, while the use of Sevco 5088, Sevco Scotland was not how I understood things I can kinda get my head round what he’s saying.
But the RFC 2012 thing totally confuses me. My understanding was this Company is the Original Rangers Football Club, incorporated in 1899, with the Company (SC) number and the name changed when “The Rangers Football Club Limited” name was passed to Sevco Scotland. Now JohnJames seems to suggest Green started RFC 2012 in June 2012 and this is the Company in Liquidation.
Is he trying to suggest BDO are not overseeing the liquidation of the Rangers Football Club incorporated in 1899?
Seems rather odd to me.
Hail Hail
Maybe John James is a deliberate action to derail the possibility of a fair trial.
One thing he has done is at least make some of them read his stuff and consider it, whereas in previous time is was all dismissed as bitter, Timmy nonsense.
Chairbhoy on 8th October 2015 4:20 pm
You need to watch the use of ‘ltd’ vs ‘plc’. I think the name change for the oldco was at least partly done so that newco could make use of ‘Rangers’ and ‘Football Club’ in their new name without it being seen as phoenixing. Although as I write that it seems like a load of bow lacks.
Good Afternoon!
I simply cannot get excited about international football… So here are a couple of new short pieces…
One about the Daily Record having the cheek to laugh about newspapers running moonbeam stories…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/kneel-before-the-self-awareness-of-the-daily-record/
… and one about absolutely everything being fine at Sevco…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/hows-tricks-mr-custard/
Enjoy the rest of the day!
The Clumpany
Did you see my post at 2:59?
JJ
!!BADA BING!! @ 3:44 PM,
“F67- team is only a rumour i would say. HH”
Ah, ok, checked it out on a tweet, thought it was an SFA official one.
Well, it’s a difficult call, putting a tried and trusted (in Scotland terms anyway) selection like the one you posted could be a solid option.
But think players like Griff, Shaunaldino, MacArthur, Robertson give us more chance of scoring.
Still, if they don’t start they’ll be options from the bench.
Hail Hail
Had a we look on tartan army forum to see the thoughts on tonight’s team. Deary me, they hate our players with a passion.
Gary67
What is the address of that forum?
JJ
Chairbhoy-HH
I’m not too excited about the International Football either but, I really fear for the Irish team tonight, the squad is small enough and we are missing about 5 due to suspensions and injuries, I think Germany will tear us a new one.
Germany & Poland will get the automatic places, the play off place is down to Lewendowski if he turns it on tonight and deprives Scotland of a point, Ireland will limp into play offs, if Scotland grab at least a point from tonight that will be enough for them to limp in. Whichever of the two limps in will need a favourable draw to have a hope of making the finals proper.
SoT
What ever happened to our man we were rumoured to be chasing from the Italian league? My memory is a bit hazy did he end up moving somewhere on permanent deal, loan or staying put?
Hope you are well.
LB