I received updates direct from last week’s Scottish Football League meeting shortly after it concluded. My information was that Neil Doncaster in particular was given a torrid time and that the mood among clubs was firmly against agreeing to place Sevco into the First Division.
Within a couple of hours it was clear that many in the media had been given a different impression and that if the vote was taken then, a ‘healthy majority would vote in favour’. To a degree I think we are all susceptible to messages we want to hear but it has been a feature of this debacle that executives from the national bodies have given clear guidance to the media that ‘Newco’ would be voted into the SPL, as it was, or now into the First Division.
On more than one occasion I’ve heard “You might have heard different, but Neil Doncaster told me….”
There is no shortcut for legwork and attention to detail. On this subject, credit to STV, who present informed information on how Friday’s vote is likely to pan out, with references. Of the 30 clubs in the SFL, the report 14 have declared an intention to vote against plans to plant Sevco into the First Division, one will abstain and one has (incorrectly) been told they are ineligible to vote. Another 14 are yet to declare.
It seems likely that the SFL vote will go the way of the SPL vote. There is a desire to retain the sporting element to our game among clubs, if not among administrators.
In a statement yesterday Clyde FC nailed several of the myths behind threats made to SFL clubs:
“We have obtained a copy of the Settlement Agreement signed up to by the SPL and the SFL in April 1998 – it is clear that the agreement is not ambiguous in this regard and there is no scope for the SPL to fail to meet the obligations to the SFL except by deliberately breaching the agreement… We have concluded that it defies credibility that the SPL clubs would instruct the SPL to deliberately breach a legal agreement.
“The matter is made worse because of the extent of uncertainty which hangs over Sevco. There is no need to prepare an exhaustive list of the issues as they are well publicised, however the extent of outstanding sanctions that may or may not be levied against a club which has yet to obtain SFA membership, together with the increasing number of possible commercial and legal challenges to the transactions to date simply presents a significant risk to the ability of the club to fulfil its fixtures in any league. Given that some of these matters are in the hands of the governing bodies it seems inexplicable that they are left hanging.”
In short, the Scottish Football League has a binding contract with the SLP which they are entitled to enforce. Clyde also refer on the matter we have discussed here for many weeks, Sevco are trying to buy a SFA membership which has significant outstanding disciplinary issues against it which could see the membership suspended. Instead of providing clarity, the SPL and SFA have refused to set deadlines of proceed with hearings.
We can speculate if SFA chief exec, Stewart Regan, will inform SFL clubs in person on Friday of plans to disband judicial oversight from our game instead of asking Lord Carloway’s panel to reconvene.
Despite the valiant efforts of many football fans and clubs, our game has been ruined by years of destructive, self-serving, leadership.
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And they don’t even have the decency to allow for one rep per division!
Ok, I’m no’ Shakespeare, but this is ludicrous!
Listenin’ to ole Martina Navratilova on Desert Island Discs. She’s had an interesting life.
Or did I use too many exclamation marks?
Just read the joint statement; at pains to point out that no less than 4 months ago Dungcaster was stressing the need to DECREASE the top flight from 12 clubs to 10 for financial reasons.
Now, from this statement, they are trying to make us believe they have been discussing EXPANDING the top flight FOR TWO TEARS.
Either I must have missed this or something else must have happened to ensure a bigger top flight league with more promotional spaces available a year hence is ratified!!!
Can anyone enlighten me?
If they intend to introduce the new changes for the 2013/14 season, by my reckoning this will mean newco require 2 promotions instead of 3 to reach the top tier (one to get into div 2 which then becomes SPL2, and the second for promotion to SPL1).
It also mitigates against the risk of newco not featuring anywhere next season, as they’d still probably enter the league in SPL2 in 2013/14 and only require one more promotion for top tier football.
Its also apparently taken two years of discussion to reach the point where they decide they have to form a Working Party to make recommendations TO them, which, if the WP are unable to do, won’t really matter as they’ll ‘seek to implement a new structure in time for the 2013/2014 season’ anyway!
HH
That statement proves beyond doubt that all the SPL clubs are behind these shameful plans
The No to NewCo in the SPL was just a gesture to ‘pacify’ those pesky home supporters
The stitch up is in place
FOR YOU OLE YINS
Radio 2 have a programme tonight at 10pm about Rory Gallagher..
seems he played a guitar or something..
Dontbratbak…
Martina Navratilova???
What desert island would that be?
Lesbos???
Ten Men Won The League on 11 July, 2012 at 17:25 said:
I see what you mean, but it gives supporters a clear timeline to pressure the clubs again…
SonsOfErin.
Like minded spirits it would appear.
If only they had applied the rules “without fear or favour” months ago and if only the “we are entitled” peepil had shown even a modicum of contrition or humility through this they might have stood a chance.
Thankfully,they performed to type.
Still some mountains to climb,but we are well on course.
HH
medtim
‘crushed nuts?’ ‘Naw, Layringitis!’ on 11
Sub-Prime Fitba
A perfect description.
HH
By Ewing Grahame
7:30AM GMT 06 Jan 2011
Doncaster was bullish about his ability to push through those reforms in spite of an outspoken attack on the proposals from Dundee United chairman, Stephen Thompson, who claims that he — and three other clubs — are prepared to reject them.
Since a majority of 11-1 is required to facilitate the changes, the revolution would ostensibly appear to have been holed below the waterline, with Thompson dismissing Doncaster’s claims that a consensus had been reached.
“I didn’t attend yesterday’s [Wednesday’s] meeting but I’ve spoken to a number of people that were there and I don’t know where that’s coming from,” said Thompson.
“Whether that’s a deliberate ploy or not, I don’t know. I know there’s certainly another three clubs who are against the current proposals.
“Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of good things that the [Strategic Review Group] have come up with but I’m certainly not going to vote for it in its current format
Thompson argues that reverting to 10 clubs in the elite division would produce more negative football and reduce the opportunities for “If I went to the bank and said ‘instead of having a one in 12 chance, we’ve now got a one in eight chance of getting relegated’ then the bank would just laugh at me,” he said. “They’d think I was off my chump.
“It’s up to the rest of us to stand firm in what we believe in,” he added. “If we believe it’s not right then we won’t vote for it.
“However, I can’t see managers bleeding young kids when one team is automatically relegated and another two are involved in a play-off. That’s three out of eight clubs because the Old Firm will never be there.”
Inside Hampden, though, the belief is that such talk is mere sabre-rattling for public consumption (and, possibly, the hope of financial inducements) and that, when the time for the voting comes, the recommendations will achieve the necessary support.
“We spent eight months putting this report together and no one else seems to have a plan,” said Doncaster. “No one else seems to have any thoughts.
“A 10-team league will grow excitement, grow interest and grow the financial cake. However, a 16-team league will mean lots of meaningless mid-table matches and we would also lose two Old Firm games and two Edinburgh derbies.
“The reality is that fans do not want that to happen. We will discover where we are on Jan 17 but I don’t expect anyone to vote for Armageddon. All 12 clubs agree that there is a need to change.”
blantyretim on 11 July, 2012 at 17:26 said:
Thanks for this – Rory Gallagher, the greatest ever guitarist.
bullfrogbluesCsC
That ole Vic Wanyama is a toughie alright, apparently he lost a thumb nail in training, and the first he knew about it was his girlfriend saying, ” what have you done to your thumb love ” whilst they were having dinner.
What about these new proposals if the Huns are refused entry into Div 1
Are CFC trying to curry favour with the other teams to avoid any regulation change re our home game gate money
The stitch up is on
BT
Thanks for that. This auld yin will be listening in.
Definitely sub-prime administrators
re the ongoing comments about black socks:
They are indeed a nod to the Club’s history. Older fans will remember a team who no longer exist – but were once big rivals of Celtic. “Rangers” were based in the west of Glasgow, and used to play derby matches against the current SPL champions. For the benefit of those too young to remember, these derbies were often fiercely contested games, watched by very big crowds. Rangers would play in blue shirts with black socks. Celtic have decided in this historic 125th anniversary season to adopt those black socks as an acknowledgment of these great derby matches of days gone by, and a historic rivalry, that will never again exist.
As an aside, the Rangers name is still preserved to this day, mainly in orange halls in ayrshire, lanarkshire and west lothian, and also by a bunch of enthusiasts led by an ex-player now long retired. Like many amateur organisations, they are hampered by feuding and in-fighting among their committee members, but it is expected that they may one day re-surface in a slightly different guise, perhaps playing in somewhere on the slippery non-league ladder, until they ultimately find their level.
Lionroars
Orwellian the way they are managing the game at present
Utterly infuriating
bournesouprecipe on 11 July, 2012 at 17:30 said:
Aaaaaarrrggghhhhhh! My whole body is wincing at that.
TheGreenManalishi(WithTheTwoProngedCrown
no probs mate I know a lot of Friday night chat is about Rory and his peers…
GGH
as above buddy
I like the black socks with the new kit.
In the pic of Georgios and Adam the black socks and the long shorts make it look like a kit from the very early days. Love it.
I think the posh word is “retro”.
vertical-stripes-csc
Martin O’ Neill comments on Celtic FC and “Irishness”
I recently came across a few comments MON had made concerning his time at Celtic. I think it was taken from a lecture he gave to Irish Students in Dublin a few years ago.
On joining Celtic and being part of Celtic
“Celtic was deep rooted in Irishness and suddenly I found almost like a spiritual home. I had 5 wonderful years of my life managing Celtic football club. I loved it, loved every minute of it”
“I wanted to go there. Feeling a contentment, feeling an ’Irishness’ within the club despite the fact it is based in Scotland it had its root in Ireland and when the fields of Athenry was sung by 60 thousand people on European evenings it was a hair raising experience something I shall never forget and I loved it dearly”
On Glasgow
“I knew what to expect in Glasgow. Glasgow In many aspects mirrored Belfast”
On the Irish Diaspora
“I’m the Irish Diaspora I feel that wherever I go there will be somebody, probably somebody with a Celtic shirt on, telling me that being a Celtic supporter is not really being a Celtic supporter it is actually being Irish. It is what they feel; it is what their parents and grandparents would have felt”
Oglach 17.35
Nice one, be interesting to know who his audience were,
HH
W.B.Yeats
1865-1939
‘Cast a cold Eye
On Life, on Death.
Horseman, pass by!’
HH
M
Just had a look at bombers twitter page,nothing for a couple
of days,i thought he was supposed to be going in with a new
bid on monday
sparkle
He never even flinched, played on, scored the winner in a bounce game with an overhead kick, said goodnight to Neil and the bhoys up at Lennoxtown then hooked up with his girl in Merchant City’s, Castel Gandolphi where The Battered Bunnet had exclusively reserved them a table, the whole deal free gratis (and for nothing)
They don’t call him Alf Tupper for nothing ole Vic.
HH
There is no rangers football club.
THE Rangers Football Club has reached agreement
with Juanma Ortiz to terminate his contract by
mutual consent and the player is now free to move
on with the club’s best wishes.
The Spaniard, who spent the second half of last season
on loan at Almeria, has two years left on his contract
and agreed to transfer over to the new company.
However, an agreement has now been reached to the
satisfaction of all parties that allows him to leave.
Rangers Chief Executive Charles Green said: “The club
would like to wish Juanma well for the future.
“The club will not have any objection to an International
Transfer Certificate being provided by the SFA and the
player has conducted himself in the correct manner.”
If Doncaster came under such pressure and still ignores his employers assertions, why is he still in a job
Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly on 11 July, 2012 at 17:05 said:
=======
It was Gaelic, in fact.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/southern_counties/3742443.stm
BSR,
If he’s Alf Tupper reincarnated in a Celtic shirt – does that imply the Castel Gandolphi serve fish suppers?
The Scottish FA, the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League
have, for the past two years, been involved in a series of discussions at Board
level with the objective of securing radical and co-ordinated reconstruction of the
game in this country.
Today, we are asking clubs to consider a package of reforms which have the
potential to rejuvenate Scottish football at senior level and safeguard its future at
a time when uncertainty and fear prevail.
The proposals are based on five principles previously outlined by the Scottish FA
as key to streamlining Governance, ensuring greater financial distribution and
above all, providing better entertainment, enhanced competition and value for
money for supporters.
Upon agreement by the respective Boards, the proposals will placed before the
SPL and SFL clubs for approval to be activated immediately and phased in over a
two-year period.
A working party will be formed, including three representatives from both the
SPL and SFL, to devise a new structure for the senior professional game in
Scotland. This group will have an independent Chairman appointed by the
Scottish FA. They will be tasked with delivering by 30th November, 2012, a
recommendation for structural change effective 2013/14. This will incorporate
primarily:-
a) The introduction of an enlarged top tier for Scottish Senior Professional
Football.
b) A new detailed model for senior professional football in Scotland including
number of divisions; number of clubs per division; number of matches per
season per division; number of promotion and relegation places per division and
the introduction and operation of play-offs.
c) An all-through distribution model providing certainty for all clubs as to the
percentage of distributable income which will be received. As a minimum, clubs
in the current third and fourth divisions will receive the settlement agreement
proportion guaranteed as per the current arrangement. In addition, the value
and number of parachute payments to relegated clubs will be considered.
d) The introduction of a pyramid for Scottish football to provide a route for
licensed clubs to enter the new structure effective 2014/2015
In the event that a final decision is not reached by 30th November 2012, the
Scottish FA will seek to implement a new structure in time for the 2013/2014
season. The members of the working party including Chairman will be
announced in the near future and will ensure consultation with all stakeholders
prior to final recommendations being made.
He’s upgraded himself to a stealth bomber.
You’ll be sittin’ quietly, mindin’ your own business, maybe eatin’ a cheese sandwich or watching ‘Cash in the Attic’, and the next thing you kno he’s chappin’ the door, beggin’ for the Bears.
just read the “new2 proposals , same old nonsense. It has all the usual halmarks of an organisation terrified of decision makingThe “Sir Humphrey” speak of working groups and need to move forward are just more wind and piss.
This whole sham is almost as funny as the shambles down Govan way, the entire sfa/spl/sfl need for power is bare faced , self serving and for a while now ,redundant.
Friday the 13th right enough.
SonsOfErin on 11 July, 2012 at 17:24 said:
If they intend to introduce the new changes for the 2013/14 season, by my reckoning this will mean newco require 2 promotions instead of 3 to reach the top tier (one to get into div 2 which then becomes SPL2, and the second for promotion to SPL1).
It also mitigates against the risk of newco not featuring anywhere next season, as they’d still probably enter the league in SPL2 in 2013/14 and only require one more promotion for top tier football.
——————————————-
I wonder if it is the footballing advice being passed to the SFA/SPL is that there are no guarantees that Sevco could field a team that would be ready for the SPL for another two years?
I think that is being realistic in football terms which suggests they start in SFL1 with a good chance of topping it and after another season in the new second tier with more than one promtion chance meaning other clubs have a chanace of being promoted, they are ready in footballing terms for the top division.
The business side of football including Celtic was never going to let a huge number of paying customers disappear and I think we have to accept that as a reality of the modern game, so if they end up in the SFL3 next season which is what sporting integrity demands, then what is there to complain about if a much needed restructuring of the game results?.
Having said that I would still want another separate enquiry into the governance at the SFA and how it conducted itself in the past year and pressure for that needs to be maintained.
Separation of Sevco’s fate from reconstruction is essential and if this is a sign the SFA/SPL have recognised it then I welcome the changed approach.