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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14 minutes left in Dublin, 8 minutes left in Glasgow
If scores stay the same Scotland would need Ireland to win in Warsaw?
Scotland could still get the play off on the head to head?
Not tempting fate but that is the way it looks
So now all of Northern England Annex will be singing the ‘A Soldiers Song’ in support of The Republic on Sunday.
MWD said AYE
Forrest injured right enough ..
Thank feck its no the Griff ..
If scores stay as they are we could put the Poles out.
Neg Anon due on anytime now.
Could be an unexpected angle to the Scottish glorious failure catalogue tonight.
I heard he was Dead. Would not a draw in Warsaw be enough.
corkcelt
As it stands Scotland are 3 behind if it finishes this way.
We need Ireland to win in Warsaw
I heard he was dead
Think yer counting is aff mate…
Starry Plough
Poland on 17
Scotland on 14
Beat Gibraltar
Ireland Beat Poland
17 each
Head to head for Scotland is better
Starry, it’s not, as it stands Scotland need an Irish win, if Scotland beat Gibraltar Poland and Scotland on 17pts each, but our head to head is better.
I heard he was dead is correct.
As it stands Scotland have better head to head than both Poland and Ireland but are the most likely to go out.
It’s a funny auld game.
HH
I heard he was dead
Sorry mate yer right..
Better head tae head wi’ Ireland as well:(((
Fuck!!!
Incredible, it’s all academic now.
2-2
Same head to head as Poles now.
doh
Disnae matter noo
Numpties! FFS!
Another offside goal for Poland
Well it doesn’t matter now
Dreadful
looking out to the west , to the north, there is a quite clear Starry Plough in the night sky just now
Saint Stivs
I see it every night, it’s having an the wall in my room:)))
Scotland I will never watch u again
So the whole of Scotland and 36 CQNers on Germany in LMS5 need two goals :-)
FFS Efe!!
Wiz that goal Broonies fault ?
Well done the Irish .. If we had beat Germany .. Be all over the rags until Christmas ..
Embarrassment .. Fecking only part of these Islands staying put!
Gutted for the Scottish Celtic bhoys tonight.
Over the feckin moon the Republic have won.
anyways,
the latest on here is funny.
https://johnjamessite.wordpress.com/
ps. poor chick fears he wont live long enough to see scotland in a tournament finals ever again
Can we start discussing Motherwell away now ?
Tanner: “And there’s a brand new sixth season of Zombie drama, The Walking Dead, starting on Monday night at 9. ”
Adverts on while he goes off to vomit.
This season is the hardest for picking winners on the coupon, never had a start to a season like it, brutal so it is.
Genuinely gutted for Scotland obviously over the moon with the Irish win. I was holding a belief that both could go through.
It’s a funny old game.
Laters.
TonyD
(From hours ago, apologies I had parent’s night).
You commented earlier that because Jeanette Findlay was involved things would go awry.
Now, you opinion on JF is well known and you’re quite entitled to it.
What I will say as a fact is that no one has done more to prevent the criminalisation of the Celtic support than Jeanette. No one.
Sometimes Tony you just need to accept that the irrefutable truth gazumps agenda driven spiteful nonsense.
I heard he was dead.
I told you last month, but you weren’t listening
The Germans were always getting pumped in dublin
Panzer divisions shattered.
Who’d a thunk it? Well me actually, cos it always bludd e happens.