There’s an industry of deliberate misunderstanding in Scottish football (and on the pages of CQN). One of the last vestiges of this is the SFA’s fabled Fit and Proper Test. There is no test, never has been a test and in all likelihood, never will be a test. It was almost certainly a figment of some under-informed journalist, who provided the concept enough currency for it to endure in the imagination, despite many, many, people explaining reality.
To be a director of a football club you need to be Fit and Proper, you do not sit or pass a test.
It’s a bit like:
To do a job you need to speak English, you do not sit or pass an English language test.
If you accept the above job assuring your employer you can speak English, and you can’t, you are likely to be fired.
If you accept a job as a director of a football club, assuring the SFA you are Fit and Proper, and you aren’t, the SFA will ban you from football and discipline the club for failing to ensure a director was Fit and Proper before appointment.
This morning the incessant campaign continues to throw reputational damage on anyone who would be inclined to point out that Dave King contravenes the eligibility rules on becoming a football club director. This is different from being Fit and Proper, which is a subjective assessment, Mr King is simply ineligible.
The reasons for his ineligibility (he was a director of a football club which was liquidated within the last 5 years), and other matters, most notably, his 41 convictions for breaking the tax law in South Africa, and the blame laid at his door by the SPL’s Lord Nimmo-Smith report, make up material reason why the SFA may consider him not Fit and Proper to run a football club.
After targeting Peter Lawwell yesterday, the campaign today turns direct to the SFA, who are accused of allowing Craig Whyte to “bluff his way through the Hampden [non-existent] ‘test’ by simply filling out an official SFA form”.
As should be patently obvious to anyone with a dozen or more brain cells, the SFA form is neither a ‘test’ nor a certification of appropriateness from the SFA.
The obligation to ensure a football club appoints Fit and Proper directors lies with that club’s board. If the board fail in their duty to the game, the club is liable to sanction from the SFA.
So who was on the board which appointed Craig Whyte as a director of Rangers?
Our emerging heroes, the men who chased away the billionaire, Dave King and Paul Murray. As non-executive directors of Rangers they had a responsibility to the club’s stakeholders that their interests were being protected.
The Institute of Directors factsheet on the role of non-execs quotes the Cadbury Report, saying they “should bring an independent judgement to bear on issues of strategy, performance and resources including key appointments and standards of conduct.”
It was the Rangers board’s responsibility to instruct the necessary checks on Craig Whyte’s appropriateness to be a director of the club. They either failed to do this, or if they did, failed to act on the information, or withdraw their names from the club’s register of directors.
Sir David Murray may have controlled the majority of shares, but as recent boardroom events at newco demonstrate, there is a great deal non-execs, when in a majority on the board, can do to inhibit major shareholders if they believe the interests of other stakeholders are being jeopardised.
Non-execs are not there to wear the blazer and attend supporters’ events, they are the eyes and ears of the supporters, shareholders, employees and creditors who are not privy to the inner workings of the club. In this respect, Mr King and Mr P. Murray failed Rangers on a cataclysmic level.
They are, in every respect possible, perfect for the job of running newco. My prediction (no inside info) is the SFA will fold under sustained media pressure, set aside their ineligibility rules and allow Mr King and Mr P. Murray to work their magic one more time.
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Celtic trimmed £100 off the price of SB’s when, the huns went oot the league….coz, hauf the park was empty.
Celtic then…tried to present the £100-off as a gesture of loyalty….aye right!
3 years doon the road with the park still ‘nearly’ hauf-empty…the board started giving away…or tried to give away, free tickets to unemployed fans…but, the board will have to learn that…apathy rules.
Ciftci?,
No thanks.
Árd Macha
scottishleaf
I think the rules in place last year were weak and were tightened up.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32319194
The SPFL take 50% of the dough from these games. If the rules are in place then I suppose any team not happy can forfeit their place in the play offs. Whether they agree or not these are the rules. End of story!
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/hibs-to-offer-free-entry-to-play-off-final-1-3411573
There was no issue last year. I think the SPFL are seeing ££££££’s but if the rules are in black and white they have no case.
I’m sure they will get their way though.
LB
tonydonnelly67
09:51 on 29 April, 2015
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Tony mhate….there are ‘no’ rules…play daftie along wi them…see who blinks 1st….
Hail Hail fella.
Ginger
Don’t get caught on camera or the whole ginger race will be under threat at CP.
EnoughRopeToHangThemselvesCSC
livibhoy
Good post 09:47
Ard macha it was just a couple of posts earlier.
Jungle Jim some of us are swept along by gut reactions about what appears right rather than looking at the overall behaviour and what motivated in the first place. Don’t get me wrong the hilarious part of this is that the Huns are only going to hurt themselves. But they are stupid remember.
Kev I disagree. We should be sending letters to the SFA asking for explanations. Everyone else does it (with the blessing of course of the media). We should also follow up on that letter by telling the fans what the official SFA explanation is.
Scottishleaf,
What are the actual prices?
The article I read was a puffed up piece about how cheap they were (for kids and concessions) but they sounded about the same for adults as the last few finals.
HH
scottishleaf
Scottish Cup ticket prices including the final should be agreed at the start of the season and followed through regardless of who is in the final.
Another example of the weakness and lack of forward thinking from our governing bodies in Scotland.
Maximum ticket price for any game for an adult should be £20. For a child it should be under a tenner.
Livi FC have reduced ticket prices for Saturay’s match v QoTS. Adults half price at £10 and concessions £8???? Eh???
Great initiative to entice adults but if they want to bring their kids their is no price cut. Crazy! This is Scottish football. Most of the time it makes no sense.
LB
Kevjungle
Celtic shouldny be sending wee-jessie-letters about a penalty….Ronny should have asked during one of his ‘total-football’ interviews…have Celtic appointed a manager with no b#lls just like the board…?
———
I watched RD on YouTube night. 45 mins without notes. Brim full of intelligence, humanity and oodles of emotional intelligence.
Didn’t repeat himself once. Every utterance was a taken opportunity to add to the knowledge base and debate by saying something new.
You try that before you criticise him.
YouTubeCSC. ;-)
HH jamesgang
kevjungle
I used to play a lot of golf, and new the rules inside out, and I used to play with guys who thought they knew the rules but didn’t, and many many many times I said …listen I didn’t make the rules, I play by them, some people didn’t like them rules, and never played with me again, so as you can see its rules for me and that’s it.
Geordie Munro
I’m sure Stephen Thompson complained that their were a lack of concession tickets for last years final.
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/dundee-united/stephen-thompson-hits-out-at-scottish-cup-final-ticket-pricing-policy-1.344224
LB
Somewhere in SFA articles or SPFL rules there is a catchall rule about clubs acting at all times in a reputable way.
I cannot remember it exactly but if I’m right and the SPFL have it in their rules then it gives them a bargaining chip.
Fine the clubs under it and keep the fine from the money distributed.
What football forgets and it goes for all winners is that without other clubs they could win nothing.
The play off distribution might have a basic unfairness in it, in which case renegotiate, but don’t present each man/woman/club for themselves as something it’s not.
Greenpinata
09:31 on 29 April, 2015
My friends in Celtic,
I can see both sides of the death penalty debate, however to quote God in a moral argument about taking life can be construed either way. Sure did the bible not quote” an eye for an eye”
###
At the time the ‘eye for an eye tooth for a tooth’ counsel was a plea for a proportionate and reasonable response to a wrongdoing. It was not an exhortation to go tonto. Hitherto the practice had been to wreak vengeance at the slightest misdemeanour.
In any case it’s an Old Testament notion and was superseded by the New Testament.
Great scenes from last nights walloping of the juvenile coffin scratchers by the young bhoys
Delighted for them all and all belong to them
From their twitter comments they are a level headed sensible bunch
A credit to their families and the club
NegAnon2,
I was looking for evidence that Sevco were initially seeking to take all the money.
Thanks.
Árd Macha
NegAnon2
09:56 on 29 April, 2015
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If Celtic send letters to the SFA…about a penalty, they’ll be going down the same road that they did during the Tony Mowbray-honest-mistake-season…that got us…nowhere.
The onlt time that Celtic had the upperhand was when…Neil Lennon was calling-out the mibs while the mibbery was burning issue…not, posting letters that will be dealt with when….?…..months later….?….fluck that!….The SFA / Mibs dont deserve respect…coz they dont show us any….take them on at the time of the mibbery and, they’ll crack…just like the last time when they went on strike…only, this time…be unrepentant!!!
Rattle The Cages – CSC
“I’m sure Stephen Thompson complained that their were a lack of concession tickets for last years final.”
LB,
He did complain.
I’m sure there’s an article in The Courier about it :))
HH
Auldheid
10:01 on 29 April, 2015
Fair point.
The play offs are giving the clubs involved an economic advantage over other clubs in that they’re playing extra games and getting additional revenue from doing so, so some element of redistribution is appropriate.
I see they’re going to be on BT Sport. Who gets the money from that?
Geordie Munro
Is there????
You got a link???
;-)
LB
Great stuff for the young Hoops last night and well done to young Josh for making Jude an even prouder grandfather last night, Jude get him out on loan, get him experience, try and send him to Dundee Utd under Jackie Mac then he might not cost us a couple of million to buy back, look at GMS, Andrew Robertson and many others, the youngsters need games, to come up through the grade from kids level to 1st team is hard going at Lennoxtown, get the lot of the 17s out on loan while we still are in control of them and don’t lose them, if they are good enough they will learn their trade and come back better for it
livibhoy
09:47 on 29 April, 2015
That is it in a nutshell, if the play-off teams don’t like the rules don’t let them play, I am with you QOTS are willing to play by the rules so bring them up
I just got my sound of Celtic ticket information through and it says this.
65+ season tickets are priced from £277 and are valid for 21 home matches, which shall be for(a) all home spfl league matches and (b) such other home matches as nominated by the club.
So does B come under what the Huns are doing?
Imagine waiting until the play offs are upon you to check the rules and the conditions?
Dearie me. Hope QoTS go up.
Money grabbing and squabbling. It’s embarrassing.
LB
Livibhoy , correct about cup final prices we’re only a cash cow for them
How is the wee man?
Livibhoy
Makes more sense – cheers
I’m at a loose end Saturday so planning on wandering along to watch the Livi game with Darrel and the two kids.
On Scottish cup semi and final tickets I agree the prices should be set at the start of the competition and should be capped at a sensible level.
Gordie think kids tickets are a fiver. I may be wrong but think my sons ticket for the win against Hibs was a tenner.
All day workshop beckons
livibhoy
Viviani
Heard his agent on the radio this morning –
” He wants to play for Roma but there is interest from Serie A , the EPL and Germany..”
Morning all.
Sitting here with the light on at 10 past 10 of a morning says it all, weather-wise.
Gerryfaethebrig,
I can’t agree with you. I would have done last season but I think our manager is the mhan to bring out the best in every Celtic player whatever their age. If he thinks anyone should go out on loan, fine. Looks like he has high hopes for Liam Henderson.
On the Sevco scheme to allow ST holders in for free to the play-off games, if they are so strapped for cash how can they afford to turn down this amount of money?
Half of something is still better than half of nothing.
Justaf. . .from earlier
The point is that on the 2 previous occasions official Celtic FC communications referred to Rangers since they died, an excuse was made, namely that they had no choice due to rules regarding the promotion of SFA/SPFL competitions.
On this occasion they did have a choice, and they chose to call them Rangers, even though there was no need to mention them at all, and even though Rangers International Football Club on their website refers to The Rangers Football Club.
You can’t blame your ‘rank and file ‘ Celtic supporters for the Club making that choice.
Totally unnecessarily into the bargain.
“. . . Kris Commons. . . In recognition of his strike against Rangers in the semi-final of the League Cup. . .”
Select 2 words that could easily have been omitted there.
jamesgang
09:57 on 29 April, 2015
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Did he answer King Kojo’s question about, Kris Commons….
….ye know the one – “….If KC dizny score…whit diz he dae…?”
HH
tonnydonnelly67
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I’ve always looked upon golf as a masons game….?
BEATBHOY
Alternatively,select two words to replace Rangers…
Fist-pumping-badge-kissing-puppity-strings-letter-sending-P#sh-FC
Triggers Broom
Previously suggested on RM
Let everyone in for nothing(or £1) charge £15 quid for
a program… SPFL get 1/2 of 50,000 Murray and co
keep £750,000
Dont put it past them
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Phyllis Dietrichson
10:15 on
29 April, 2015
On the Sevco scheme to allow ST holders in for free to the play-off games, if they are so strapped for cash how can they afford to turn down this amount of money?
kevjungle
10:20 on 29 April, 2015
tonnydonnelly67
_____________
I’ve always looked upon golf as a masons game….?
Ehhhhhhhhhhhh? I don’t know how answer that cept . that no, I’m not a mason, don’t know why I bothered, lol. See you when you off out.
HERBO
Nice one. I was thinking more along the lines of the Huns,but Triggers Broom,even FoCUS couldnae find that offensive.
Could they?
“Half of something is still better than half of nothing.”
—————-
wrong
i would rather have half of nothing than half a kilo of brocolli
and i would rather have half of nothing skelpt off my napper than half a brick
need i go on?