This is our second CQN TV stint where Glasgow’s hottest model and TV presenter Nicole and social media masters’ student, Suzie, ask me about the season ahead Celtic and our Champions League chances. I also get a great question about the Generation of Domination, which I’ve not written much about here recently, but you’d better believe it’s coming.
It was great fun talking about Our Celtic, hope you enjoy it.
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bournesouprecipe on 8 July, 2012 at 16:08 said:
Hibs fans not daft
The Hibs Club has watched events in Scottish football this summer with increasing concern:
For Hibs and their fans this summer should have been solely about a much needed rebuilding process.
Instead we have watched with increasing concern as the whole Scottish game has been tarnished by the financial collapse of Rangers.
As Hibs fans we know only too well how men concerned more with profiteering than the wishes of fans can risk the very existence of a football club.
So it is with increasing dismay that we have watched Scottish football tear itself apart in its attempts to protect a business model that operates more for the benefit of TV executives than ordinary supporters.
We believe that the new Rangers – if they can satisfy the usual standards demanded for SFA membership – should start out again in the Third Division.
We welcomed the “no” vote passed by the SPL, including our own club, but we have watched with dismay as the SPL clubs have stood silently on the sidelines as their own Chief Executive – with the help and approval of a now entirely discredited SFA – has tried to bully and threaten lower division clubs into submission.
Not only do we find the tactics used by Neil Doncaster and Stewart Regan abhorrent, we also take issue with the doomsday scenarios they have offered as evidence.
While TV money and corporate sponsorship are undoubtedly important we do not believe that all of them would vanish if the Rangers newco was not guaranteed a place in the SPL within 12 months.
We would also argue that additional benefits – including a return to more regular 3pm Saturday kick off times – would offset some of the lost revenue.
This, however, is an issue that should go beyond finances.
It is essential that Hibernian – like all clubs – are part of a fair and equitable league structure with governing bodies that are consistent and reasonable in their treatment of all clubs.
We do not believe that is currently the case and we would call on all SPL clubs – including our own – to urgently address the damage being done to the game by Neil Doncaster and Stewart Regan.
We have long felt that reconstruction of the league structure was a critical factor in strengthening the Scottish game.
The proposals that are currently being discussed destroy the prospect of a strong Scottish game and are aimed solely at rebuilding a strong Rangers.
These attempts at craven gerrymandering for the sake of one club are an affront to all the commitments to “sporting integrity” we have heard over the last few months.
Many Hibernian fans feel cheated. While the financial sacrifices made at Easter Road have not always found favour with many of our fans we do appreciate that these decisions have been made in the interests of long term stability.
We now find our voices ignored as rules are broken or rewritten to favour a club that has spent money it could not afford to buy success.
It is heartbreaking for us to hear members speak of not going back to Easter Road or of turning their back on the Scottish national team.
These are not hollow threats. They are a symptom of the disillusionment many fans feel at a game that seems to constantly betray its paying customers.
While we have sympathy for ordinary Rangers fans left bewildered by current events we have also been saddened over the last few months to hear Ally McCoist attempt to destroy a disciplinary process that had been created to help move the game forward.
Other comments from high profile Rangers figures such as Sandy Jardine have seemed to be nothing more than vindictive threats against other clubs. These have left us shocked and angered.
Now we find ourselves in the unacceptable position of watching Charles Green attempt to sign players while footballing debts to other clubs – debts that are as important as any projected TV or sponsorship income – remain unpaid.
Yet this apparent lack of contrition is being ignored as the Scottish football authorities unite to do what they feel is best for just one club.
We would hope that the European and global footballing authorities are watching these developments with interest and will move to censure the Scottish governing bodies.
Hibernian Football Club is our passion. We want to see a strong Hibs on the pitch and off the pitch. We want to see a sustainable Hibernian at the heart of our community.
22 years ago we united as fans to save Hibernian.
Today we find ourselves united in calling for Scottish football to end the current uncertainty, withdraw the the current campaign of bullying and threats aimed at our friends in the Scottish Football League and allow Rangers to rebuild their devastated club from the Third Division.
Fans of other clubs have been accused of “hating” Rangers.
We are defined not by hatred of any club but by our love of Hibernian.
A strong Hibernian in a strong Scottish game will forever be our one and only aim.
A few men motivated by greed and money currently risk that vision.
Fans of Hibernian and every other club cannot stand silently by and let that happen.
share on F’book or Twitter
New York Times post from TopCorner earlier
TopCorner on 8 July, 2012 at 17:02 said:
scottish fitba global joke
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/06/sports/soccer/06iht-soccer06.html?_r=1&smid=tw-share
can anybody link it on twitter
HT poor wee soul his ears will be burning,
still we can talk about him all we want till
he’s back on the ole school comp.
BSR
I know, I need to take a wee wander over next time the cameras are on location..
Saint Stivs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18759795?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
If you’ve just gotten over the lump-in-throat moment when Andy spoke, check this out;
tears….glass….eye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGz5HR7R27I&feature=related
Canamalar
I’ve tweeted it from @bjmac67
Think I read it last night, someone tweeted. Anyway, done.
hh
bjmac
ps many any recent purchases? ;-)
Fine statement by the hibs fans
bjmac,
cheers
get it out there lhads show scotland’s “establishment” their their grip on the flow of information is over, they can only bluff it if they think they can get away with it.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 8 July, 2012 at 19:20 said:
Me too
O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!
Just texted HT ,his good lady says ‘he’s
no gettin oot to play’
maybe somebody will make a list of those who tweet it
somebody that likes drawing up lists preferably
:oD))))))
bjmac
leatherhoop
auldheid
Auldheid
How do you think the vote will go this Friday?
Auldheid :oD))))
I especially like the scotlands real shame being opened up too o)
hail hail
Well said the Hibs supporters. Could not every SPL team’s supporters issue a similiar letter? It is the truth, plain and simple and every supporter in Scotland knows t.
EDB,
how do you think it will go
Canamalar
Strange for me but I reckon the SFL club chairmen will blow away Regan, Doncaster and the rest of them.
HT sits in the corner, the bag already packed with jotters and books in alphabetical order, he continues sharpening his pencils in readiness for the new school term,
“sno fair ah want tae go oot wi ma pals!”
New top ordered from the superstore and a free t-shirt as well. Getting all set-up for a hun free season :)
ElDiegoBhoy on 8 July, 2012 at 19:42 said:
It should not go to a vote, the SFA are in breach of promotion and relegation principles as set out in FIFA Statutes and should not be delegating a matter that goes against those principles to the SFL as part of a negotiation package.
As long as the good of Scottish football is seen to be tied to the good of Rangeraswas it will always be tainted. For that taint to be removed Rangersaswas HAVE to be treated as everyone else. The sooner this is accepted by the SFA and SPL and they start to work on minimising the impact of the financial cost, which they could do by asking the SG for help (football NOT Rangersaswas is part of the social fabric of Scotland) and UEFA – it is their sporting integrity ideals we are paying for as well as ours and Sky who have done tremendous damage to our game then we can get somewhere.
As Alex Thomson said on OTB we need to stop looking backwards and the powers that be are guilty of that. I despair at their lack of vision and courage..
Setting Free The Bears
Volleyball and World League
Poland knocked back Brasil, Cuba and Bulgaria. We are playing in the final just now against USA. We won first two sets.
Auldheid
Agreed. But?
EDB,
agreed, I think the scottish msm have sickened everyone, that IMO could be the straw thats broke the camels back, the pandering is sickening, it seem the only dissenting voices are international and the support leading their directors, and I think the directors listenong now.
Up till last week, I thought the worst that would happen is div 3, now I think they know they need to cast adrift the drowning man, when he’s trying to drag them under.
gurgle gurgle
The ass has ben ripped right out the social fabric of Scotland
:oD))))
The fabric of Scotland is away at the dry cleaners trying to get a nasty orange stain removed from it.
Auldheid:
Time to get that sent off to the clubs, to the associations themselves, to every supporters group out there.
Do you want a hand putting together the mailing list ?
Scotland’s shame dead – what’s not to like
Thanks Zbyszek
I am keeping track on the FIVB Live Score link but cannot get a stream for it.
I have Olympic tickets for the 3rd/4th place play offs as I could not get final tickets. If Poland maintain this form, I might not see them in the bronze medal match.
Could someone,anyone, please explain to me in the simplest of terms about the three years accounts/audit necessary for…..well, necessary for what. That is part of what I am uncertain about.
Or,
The social fabric of scotland is running about with the ass hingin out it
:0D)))))
Auld Heid, James Forrest
Why not this?
8 July 2012
Open Fan Letter to: All Office Bearers of the Scottish Football Authorities Governing Bodies
cc: All Scottish Daily & Sunday Newspapers
cc: All Scottish Football CEOs and Chairmen
We the undersigned write to express our fan’s (your customer’s) views with respect to the current crisis faced by Scottish football.
Since Rangers Football Club went into administration but before the SPL chairmen voted ‘overwhelmingly’ to reject the proposed transfer of the SPL share of Rangers Football Club in liquidation to Charles Green’s Sevco SPL CEO Neil Doncaster commented on various issues:
SPL http://www.channel4.com/news/spl-boss-rules-applied-without-fear-nor-favour Neil Doncaster 3rd April “What we have to do at the centre is manage the competition, to apply the rules equally to all clubs without fear nor favour and that’s what we do.” And http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/sport/football/rangers-administration-neil-doncaster-puzzled-by-rancour-over-newco-1-2308842 Neil Doncaster 21 May 2012 “There is certainly a distinction between a CVA and a Newco. But newcos have been allowed within UK football for many years. Newco is typically the way that businesses in general escape from administration, it is far more common than a CVA route. So I am not entirely sure why such a distinction is drawn between the two routes out of administration.”
Mr Doncaster has been seen in the interim to attempt to bend rules in favour of one club and to recognise albeit belatedly the difference between a CVA and a Newco. Having shown so clearly his disregard for ethics and his lack of business knowledge it is clear he should have no place at the forefront of our game. We demand his resignation.
Moreover since the SPL rejection vote the various CEO’s of the governing bodies have issued statements and are reported to have behaved as follows:
SPL 4 July Clyde fc Board Statement http://sport.stv.tv/football/109292-in-full-clyde-fcs-statement-after-sfl-meeting-over-newco-rangers/ “Neil Doncaster wanted only one thing from the meeting, to get a steer from the SFL clubs whether they would allow Rangers into SFL1.” “He told the clubs that if the SPL didn’t have the money then they could not pay the SFL.”
SFA 5 July 2012 http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman//football/rangers-newco-slow-lingering-death-for-scottish-football-if-rangers-in-third-division-1-2392610 Chief Executive Stewart Regan has warned that football faces a “slow lingering death” in this country if newco Rangers are denied entry to the First Division of the Scottish Football League. “Without Rangers, there is social unrest and a big problem for Scottish society,” claimed Regan. “The only solution for the game now is that Rangers come into the Scottish Football League and they come into it in the First Division. When we look at the alternative, it is not possible to think about it without thinking of the game withering on the vine. We cannot contemplate that and the message has to be that Division One for Rangers is the only show in town as far as the future of Scottish football is concerned.”
SFL David Longmuir http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/scottish-footballs-chance-saloon/2091 28 June: “The SFL is trying to address the question of whether we can accommodate a solution to the Rangers FC scenario.”
http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/5320-bullied-railroaded-and-lied-to-sfl-clubs-rage-at-rangers-newco-plans 4 July 2012 A presentation sent out by the league to its members last week warned £16m could be wiped out from the Scottish game if Rangers had to play in the bottom tier. David Longmuir said: “Clubs are now in a much more informed position to go back to their own boards and fan groups and take the information we gave them today to go and make informed decisions. It is time to give them time to reflect on the scenarios and consequences of the different scenarios and engage in proper dialogue with their own boards and fans.” Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton has claimed that clubs in the Scottish Football League (SFL) are being “lied to, bullied and threatened” by the Scottish FA and Scottish Premier League to force them to accept a newco Rangers into the First Division next season.
As Scottish football fans our views on these statements and this behaviour are as follows:
We believe that the statements are disingenuous, misleading and paint a false picture;
We believe that the proposed SFL 1 solution not only subverts your rules and your previous custom and practice but that it also sacrifices the integrity of the sport for financial gain;
We believe that the joint SPL 2 and financial threats to club chairmen is despicable;
We believe that those who have proposed these solutions have shown themselves to be unfit for purpose as a member of any sport’s governing body;
We believe therefore that when the votes are cast they must resign their office.
As a consequence of these beliefs above and the fact that you are serving members of the football authorities of which the gentlemen above are office bearers, we wish to permit you both individually and collectively an opportunity to distance yourselves publically from these statements of your CEOs in the national press and ahead of the next SFL meeting on the issue which is scheduled for 13 July.
If you do not avail yourself of this opportunity we the fans and customers will be forced to conclude that you too are a part of this problem rather than a part of the solution.
Lastly having learned that the text of one of the resolutions to be put to vote at the SFL meeting is: “that Rangers FC shall play in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League during Season 2012/13 unless the board shall have to its satisfaction negotiated and reached agreement with The Scottish Premier League and The Scottish Football Association on a series of measures which the board shall consider to be in the best interests of the game…How it is structured, how it is governed and how it is financed, whereupon the board shall be authorised to provide that Rangers FC shall play in the First Division of the Scottish Football League during season 2012/13″.
We would have our views recorded as follows:
This proposed resolution completely ignores fan and customer sentiment as expressed here;
Rangers poll Sunday, 8 July 2012 http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl?showResult=true&pollContentId=7.36419
What league should a newly-formed Rangers be allowed to play in next season?
SPL 568 (2%)
Division One 466 (2%)
Division Two 102 (0%)
Division Three 27350 (96%)
Based on Board member behaviour to date (see above) we express our view that the Board members are not competent to take such a decision.
As a consequence If the wording of this resolution remains unchanged and it is put to the meeting we as fans will propose votes of no confidence in the officers of all 3 governing bodies.
Distribution List
SPL Ralph Topping (SPL Chairman), Neil Doncaster (SPL Chief Executive), Eric Riley (Celtic FC), Stephen Thompson (Dundee United FC), Derek Weir (Motherwell FC) and Steven Brown (St Johnstone FC).
SFA Stewart Regan, Chief Executive; Campbell Ogilvie, President; Alan McRae, First Vice-President, and Rod Petrie, Second Vice-President), Tom Johnston (Junior FA) and Barrie Jackson, independent non-executive director.
Professional game Board Chairman: Rod Petrie (Scottish FA) Members: Jim Ballantyne (SFL), Peter Lawwell (SPL), David Longmuir (SFL), Sandy Stables (SHFL).
Zbyszek
17:10 in Set 3 ; should be enough to finish it against the yanks.
ParkheadcumsalfordwhoisNeilLennonand PaulMcBrideandTrishGodman on 8 July,
It is a grand letter but I think it essential the SG now step in with funding to save the game. They should be calling in Sky and UEFA to provide the funding to save a game which I believe both, though unwittingly,have done a great deal to damage.
Salmond got it wrong Rangersaswas were NOT part of the fabric of Scottish social life, Scottish football is the social fabric and Rangersaswas were but a pattern, now a very faded one, on that fabric.
The conditions now exist for the SG to step in because the SFA have shown themselves unfit to govern, Alex Salmond could make up for lost ground if he had the vision to call in Sky and UEFA to pledge joint funding to allow a restructuring plan totally independent of saving Rangersaswas to go forward with parachute funding to cover the changes from the SG/Sky and UEFA.
SFTB
I sent you link.
IZbyszek
I see that your namesake, Bartman, is having an influence.
The three years audited accounts is neccessary for any club wishing to be admitted to the SFL. You cannot apply for admission directly into the SPL…..oh wait , apparently that rules been ,er changed. Normally a team would apply to join at the lowest (3rd Division) level. You couldn’t for example, be admitted straight into division 1. Oh ,wait that rules been ,er, changed as well.
Sorry I can’t clarify for you then. I obviously don’t know much about “rules”
SFTB
Zbigniew Bartman is new player into this team, young.
@sreganRulesareforfools