The SFA put on a show yesterday, providing boxing and snooker promoter, Barry Hearn, with a stage to take aim at the SPFL. I would urge caution when digesting Hearn’s words. He took aim at some easy sounding targets, for example, the league not having a sponsor, but the league don’t have a sponsor by choice.
The alternative choice would be to sell the rights for a value considerably less than the old SPL’s rights. The league took the view that they would rather maintain their asking price, and go to market when the league is in a more competitive position. This may, or may not, be a wise decision, we don’t know, and neither does Barry Hearn.
He also talked about making money by selling fights between low-quality but committed boxers at £150 per ticket. Good for him. This kind of sport, and his auditorium-filled darts, may well have a bright future, but it’s not the direction Scottish football should be heading.
The backdrop to all of this is what’s going on at Hampden. There is a power-struggle between the SFA and the SPFL. The latter are more likely to deliver radical change, the former want to maintain control, privilege and the bowling committee-type structure which has lasted for over a century.
Can you imagine how inadequate the SFA would appear if the SPFL held a similar forum, with an invited guest there to poke fun at the SFA president’s EBT and “heavily conflicted” past? If the Association are trying to clip the league’s wings I suspect they will fail. It’s more likely the SPFL will redouble their efforts to bring structural reform to our game.
This has become a dirty battle.
Some great fun at Celtic Park last night, it was like the old days, you know, when John Greig was manager at Ibrox.
Remember, Joe Miller, tonight, at Waterstones, Stirling, from 5pm. Signing copies of Caesar and the Assassin, bring your camera.
The 2015 CQN Annual is through design and ready to ship next week. You can pre-order yours now.
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Jonny The Tim
If they are deemed to be the same club, which will l ikely counter the result from the DDU tribunal, the 25 point deduction will see them bottom of their league and 5 pts behind with half a season to go. Any admin will be, I would imagine, a proper admin given the HOOOOHAAAAA around Duffer and Phelpser therefor seeing off their experience failures. This would leave them, erm well erm well errrrrmmmmm going doon a league and possibly 2 to 3 more years till they rise up in their disguise as sumfin they urny.
MWD said AYE
Advent Christmas Choons -Strictly 45s -Day 4 .
Jackie Mittoo -Christmas Rock.(Studio One )
Sheldon Cox—Thank Christ , Christmas Comes But Once A Year ( Wavy Gravy )
Johnny Cue -Rockabilly Christmas ( Rhino )
The Moonglows –Just A Lonely Christmas ( Chance )
Oscar Mclollie and His Honey Jumpers —Dig That Crazy Santa Claus ( Modern )
It’s a win-win situation for us “the man they call Super” supporters. He stays, brilliant, more hilarity/Sevcomedy for us, he goes, financial carnage ensues!
What’s not to like?
HH
I wouldn’t let Neil Doncaster get involved in the negotiations for a teacup on Bargain Hunt, never mind multi-million pound football contracts.
Remember his words on the eve of a re-negotiation of the SPFLs most valuable contract, the Sky TV deal, “without rangers it’s not worth 3m per year”. The kind of statement you’d expect from the other side of the negotiating table.
Jamesgang
Sorry to hear of your very sad loss … Words wouldn’t cover it .
But in the short time i have known you I’m sure your dear mother was very proud of you and the way she raised you
God bless you and yours and god rest your mothers soul in heaven tonight .
setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
13:23 on
4 December, 2014
Without being deliberately obtuse I’m not grasping what you’re saying.
Was a Celtic supporter arrested for sectarian abuse on Sunday? I don’t know. All I know is that Celtic have stated that the’re not aware of any supporter being arrested for such an offence. In addition, I’ve added that I persoanlly heard no such offence committed at Tynecastle.
I have heard, though not through the media that a Celtic supporter was arrested for ‘offensive singing’ and I believe that the ‘offensive’ song was Roll of Honour. Could this be the ‘sectarian abuse’? Again I’ve no idea.
The Celtic support were on the end of sectarian abuse on Sunday, that’s not up for debate, I heard it, repeatedly.
Is coin throwing, vandalism or the wilfull breaking of seats acceptable? No, of course not, it’s thuggish, mindless behaviour.
However, I didn’t see the Celtic support involved in any of this.
It’s been years since I saw any Celtic supporter throw a coin in the direction of the opposition support.
I saw that you mentioned the game at Tynecastle when NL was attacked. Yes, the atmosphere was poisonous that night and I did witness a number of seats being deliberately broken and some were then used as missiles. Again, unacceptable but worth noting that these actions were in direct relation to the attack on the Celtic manager.
I’m not sure what else I can say :-)
If Sleekit went, would he FFin’ manage again?
“A man who has failed miserably in the lower leagues of Scottish football with the most successful team in footballing history is not a man who will be employed by any other club.”
——
“Ally truly feels that the club would fall apart if he were to leave at the moment”
——
“not a chance. he wouldnt get a job of note and he doesn’t have the drive and ambition to take a small job and work up.”
——
“He was in the mix for the Crystal Palace job before he ruled himself out.”
——
“of course he will.
just look at England much worse managers than Ally get sacked and keep getting jobs”
——
“Can you list what managers in England are “much worse than Ally” who keep getting jobs? I just cannot think of one.”
——
“Mark Hughes”
proudbhoy
Just finished it myself, looks like no date for season three yet, started production in the summer…
Spring 2015, let’s hope the Orcs are truly deid by then…
Allyoa is staying
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30334338
“Some great fun at Celtic Park last night, it was like the old days… ”
Did a dog wander on to the park, to be met with an instantaneous chant of “John Greig, John Greig, …”?
Missed that!
;o)
Kevin Ferrie, The Herald
REPUTATION: it may be more important to some than others but, for those to whom it matters, it is something to be defended with vigour and there to be resented more than to have it impugned unfairly.
This is why there is far more responsibility on the shoulders of a Scottish Football Association appeals panel that meets today to discuss the question of whether and how Aleksandar Tonev abused Shay Logan than should ever be allowed to rest with such a group assembled to pass judgement on sporting matters.
Use a racist epithet towards another person in this country and you are quite rightly adjudged to have committed a criminal offence.
However, there will have to be sufficient evidence for that to withstand the scrutiny of a court of law and the standard of required proof is rarely going to be one man’s word against another’s.
A defence of the process in which Tonev was found guilty and given a seven-match ban – in my view a lenient sentence if we could be certain of his guilt – is that it equates to civil law rather than criminal law.
That means a decision can be based on the balance of probabilities which allows for one man’s word being accepted over that of another, as happened notably just last week when a judge decided that the former cabinet member Andrew Mitchell had called a policeman a ‘pleb’.
However, that libel case was, as civil actions almost invariably are, held in public so that the proceedings could be properly scrutinised by all those with an interest, either directly or through media reporting.
That has led to some heavy criticism of the judiciary in the Mitchell case, much of which may be misguided, but all of which is healthy.
We know what both men said and how they said it, so we have content and tone on which to assess whether Mitchell has been unlucky or is a sneering snob.
Meanwhile, Tonev has been convicted of racism on the basis of a panel presumably having taken into account the following:
* The probability that a man for whom English is a second language and who has an East European accent could have said something in a derogatory tone that was misunderstood;
* The probability that he made the comment of which he is accused on a part of the pitch where no player, official, or spectator could have heard what he said;
* The probability that he did so beyond the range of the many effects microphones that surround modern football grounds and away from the view of the many cameras that are filming proceedings;
* The probability that he discounted the risk of detection inherent in doing so; and
* The probability that he did not discount that risk but was sufficiently calculated to identify a place on the pitch where he would avoid detection by anyone other than his target.
It is, of course, conceivable that one witness could be so reliable and the other so unreliable that all of that could be considered and the decision reached that Tonev is guilty as accused.
Where there is a real problem, though, is when that “balance of probabilities” standard of proof is aligned with these matters being conducted in private.
I have often wondered at the preference of sports bodies to hold such disciplinary proceedings in private rather than allow them to be routinely scrutinised.
Both public interest and the interest of the public would be much better served by opening them up, not least because it would ensure that proceedings are conducted in a proper fashion.
We are told that the full ruling will be issued once the appeal process is complete, but that will be several weeks after Tonev was found guilty, albeit that term is not appropriate if we are properly equating this to civil, as opposed to criminal proceedings.
In considering Tonev’s case, the mind also flits to how we might view matters if a serious, reputation-wrecking accusation had been levelled at a young Scottish player who was playing in Bulgaria and he had been found guilty at secret proceedings, an official account of which was to be produced at a later date.
On that note, I cannot help but think back a couple of weeks into the way it was received in this country when a football governing body opted to publish its version of the findings of an investigation into the way it does things.
Just as we should have had access to the full findings of the FIFA report, natural justice demands that there should be full access to disciplinary proceedings involving our sportspeople, particularly when such serious accusations are levelled.
Monaghan1900
The Pie Stall vacancy at Crystal Palace I take it! His field of expertise would be vital there…
Did Kris Boyd recently have a violent conduct case dismissed with a – get out of jail – ‘Not Proven’?
starry plough
14:42 on 4 December, 2014
–
Cheers
Last episode was great.
Jamesgang
Sincere condolences, keep strong for your family. Thoughts and prayers.
HH
“Impeach Grimmond McCrummoch!”
proudbhoy
A cracker…you can still see the Viking tradition of settling arguments in Glasgow today:)))
Jamesgang
Ta brón orm a chara
Hope this helps a little.
She is Gone
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she’s gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she’d want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”
David Harkins
kitalba
Yes, despite there being TV and corroborating evidence unlike Aleksandar Tonev’s conviction.
The Tonev case has a precedent in England with Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra and after Liverpool’s failed appeal on behalf of Suarez, the English FA produced a 120 page document on how they decided Suarez was guilty.
Celtic have stated they will take the case to CAS, should the appeal fail, and that’s where I expect the matter to end.
Saturday 4th April 2015
SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP
Rangers P-P Alloa
Postponed
Apparently Alloa have a Cup Final that weekend!!
Jamesgang,
Deeply saddened by your loss.
Eternal rest, grant unto her, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.
Just returned from doing exercises at the Coronary Rehab Clinic. We were requested to sing along to the Christmas songs . First one up…Jingle bells. No…honestly I did not sing. But I still have a wide grin on my face.
Gary67,
Nicked and forwarded on.
Ta :))
BSR
The difference between the Tonev and Suarez cases is, Suarez actually admitted saying the remark, but that HE did not deem it racist. Tonev denies saying anything at all. This “balance of probabilities” shite, should be scrapped in light of Logan’s subsequent outburst at Pittodrie.
HH
Moonbeams WD
Touching words in these trying times at Sevco, thank you
I thot Efe had a good steady game last night!!!
HT@ 14.37
I think we are at cross purposes.
My much simpler points were:-
1) Ann Budge did not criticise the Celtic support for sectarian behaviour; she merely reported that the police had told her of one Hearts incidence of such and , at least, one incident of a Celtic fan being charged with this.
2) I asked the question- did the police lie to Ann Budge or are the police accurate in saying at least one fan from both sets of supporters has been charged with an, as yet unspecified, sectarian offence.
3) It is the media , not Ann Budge, who has made this debate about sectarianism because they are very comfortable in using that undefined bolt-hole stuff to mean anything that references religion or Irish National or Republican struggles and conflict.
Jamesgang
3 candles burning at Our ladies alter in St Josephs Blantyre.
Plus a few heartfelt prayers from a numpty…
jamesgang
Sorry to hear about your mum. May she rest in peace. YNWA
setting free the bears:
Did Ann Budge stop the media from taking photos of all those broken seats or was Ann Budge just repeating a report of damage neglecting to define the date and time of damage. Does Ann Budge normally have chippies on double time, standby at Tyncastle on a Sunday in the event that away supporters angered with a great win might get violent.
The lack of published photos gives me pause to wonder.
I think Ann is playing a game to appease some of her club’s more vocal supporters.
The behaviour of Celtic PLC in this instance speaks volumes. I just hope they are sending a QC along with Alex Tonev; a QC who knows how to kick a ball.
Jonny the Tim
Yes, that’s true and of course swung the balance against Suarez.
In the Tonev case no one on the outside knows what was said or not said or heard, or misheard.
There will be fury if the original decision is thrown out, despite the apparent lack of balance in the evidence and findings.
RD is already on record saying Celtic would go to CAS.
BSR:
Thanks, I wonder if a get out of jail ‘Not Proven’ was available to them at Alex Tonev’s first hearing. If it was, and Celtic do go to Switzerland (and I pray they do) then a hot hell mend that shower at the SFA.
Macanbheatha
lovely words saved in my heart…
god bless. .
FTSFA
Thats all we need, PF on the bevy early.,,
Jude,
He’s had two or three in a row now.
Agent k and agent j will be along to deal with us shortly ;)
Ud think that tart at huncastle wd be a bit more diplomatic and keep her trap shut. Our Neil was attacked at that midden by a low life from her main stand while the security ar”e holes stood and watched.
kitalba
“Did Ann Budge stop the media from taking photos of all those broken seats or was Ann Budge just repeating a report of damage neglecting to define the date and time of damage.
The lack of published photos gives me pause to wonder.”
Agreed, unlike Fir Park, there were no photos of widespread damage and this is a huge weakness in the seat breaking charge.
“I think Ann is playing a game to appease some of her club’s more vocal supporters.”
Undoubtedly true. She could even have spiced it up more to keep the bigots in her support happy BUT… she chose to highlight Hearts fans behaviour first and then say “Over to you Celtic to address your issues!”
“The behaviour of Celtic PLC in this instance speaks volumes. I just hope they are sending a QC along with Alex Tonev; a QC who knows how to kick a ball.”
Our Board statement is a good one in putting the spotlight back where it belongs. We will still be answerable for what we do about any of ours who were charged, according to the police? If they were charged with singing ROH then I hope the charge is dismissed and the fan concerned suffers no reaction at CP. If someone was charged, as stated, with coin throwing and is found guilty of this, I would welcome the banning of said fan.
Totally agree re Tonev and have said so since day one. I believe the club had legal representation at the original verdict hearing- don’t know who it was or what kind of lawyer it was.