The Scottish Football Supporters Association Benchmark 2017 survey results were released yesterday. Over 16,000 fans participated in the survey, conducted by academics from the University of Leipzig, and showed an alarming disconnect between the paying public and the sport’s governing bodies.
I was surprised at the optimism evident in the survey. 73% believe their club is committed to the good of football and 63% believe they are open and honest.
Worse than scandal-ridden Fifa
From a maximum mark of 5, fans rated their own club’s commitment to the good of the game at 4.01. The SFPL and Uefa were almost tied on a low score (1.99 and 2.02 respectively), while at 1.58, the SFA ranked worse than scandal-ridden Fifa’s 1.86.
The SFA also ranked bottom of the pile when it came to perceptions of openness, honesty and trust; good governance and transparency; as well as to a commitment to fans affairs.
Although dissatisfaction with the SFA was across the board, “Rangers” (sic.) fans were significantly more satisfied with the national association than either Celtic fans or all other fans. Perhaps an indication of the work Stewart Regan did in halting the SPFL’s request to review matters surrounding old Rangers.
Fans of all colours want an independent supporters’ organisation to allow fans access to the structure of the game, although, interestingly, “Rangers” fans are significantly less keen on this idea.
Former First Minister, Henry McLeish, said the report uncovered “some very concerning issues, but also provides a real opportunity for change.”
The SFA responded immediately, blocking any change while pointing to its in-house Supporters Direct Scotland body, as a source for their authorised fan liason.
When 16,000 of your customers tell you they believe you to be less honest than Fifa, you have a problem. This is an ideal opportunity for the SFA to grasp the nettle and connect with their public. But what’s the point in raking over old coals? Better to let the game wither on the vine.
Well done to the Scottish Football Supporters Association and the University of Leipzig for this insight.
Tommy’s Runs for The Oscar Knox Fund at Solving Kids Cancer
The enormous pain Oscar endured during his five years, and the continuing pain carried by those who loved him will never be offset. But it is an enduring inspiration that Tommy Melly (in particular) and many Celtic fans in general, work towards solving kids cancer in his name.
Tommy has completed five runs this year, his final effort before taking a winter break is in Glasgow on Sunday. His commitment has been astonishing, this kind of work takes hundreds of hours training.
You can read a wee bit about the story here. And if you want to do your part, you don’t need to run anywhere, just give the support him however you can.
Thank you.
The CQN Podcast: A Celtic State of Mind (EP21) Matchday Special v St Johnstone – When History Was Made…
Kevin Graham recorded the latest episode of The CQN Podcast at McDiarmid Park, as Brendan Rodgers’ side extended their unbeaten domestic run to a record-breaking 63 matches against St Johnstone.
ORDER BRENDAN RODGERS – THE ROAD TO PARADISE WITH A FREE GIFT INCLUDED FROM CQNBOOKSTORE.COM
Brendan Rodgers – The Road to Paradise The Official Autobiography is available now from CQNBookstore.com – the first 100 orders received will come with a free gift.
From a small village on the north-east coast of Ireland to the treble-winning manager of Celtic, Brendan Rodgers’ football journey has been a remarkable one of dedication, hard work, a desire to always keep improving and a determination to succeed at the highest level of the sport … and throughout his life there has always been a love of his team … Celtic Football Club.
In his own words, Brendan Rodgers tells his story – from a promising young footballer growing up in Carnlough and dreaming of playing for Celtic one day through to his professional career – as a player, a coach and now as one of football’s top managers. And Celtic supporters will also enjoy an insight into a remarkable season – from the first competitive game in Gibraltar through to the thrilling Scottish Cup final, with plenty of highlights in between, including the manager’s first trophy triumph and some unforgettable Glasgow derbies.
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Good morning CQN from an overcast and breezy East Devon.
Big Jimmy
Re statement on Tuesday. This originated on the Johnjames site. He later admitted he had been given a bum steer.
HASHADENOUGH on 9TH NOVEMBER 2017 6:49 AM
…………………….
Cheers mate.
…………………………
IANBHOY929
Good morning Ian mate…hope you are well ?
HH
Good Morning Ian from the land of 2 separate coastlines.
Amazing what you learn from The Chase.
Giovanni Van Bronkhurst. Please make it happen.
RASCAR CAPAC on 9TH NOVEMBER 2017 2:30 AM
Both sides of my family were involved in Republican activities and ended up moving to Glasgow as a result. M y father and my uncles all served in the armed forces (though not all willingly).
KTF
Word of The Day (DD won’t let it go ….)
pedagogue /ˈpɛdəˌɡɒɡ/
noun
1. a teacher or educator
2. a pedantic or dogmatic teacher
3. a person who is pedantic, dogmatic, and formal.
Derived Forms
pedagogic, pedagogical, adjective
pedagogically, adverb
pedagogism, pedagoguism, noun
Word Origin and History for pedagogue
n.
late 14c., “schoolmaster, teacher,” from Old French pedagoge “teacher of children” (14c.), from Latin paedagogus, from Greek paidagogos “slave who escorts boys to school and generally supervises them,” later “a teacher,” from pais (genitive paidos) “child” (see pedo- ) + agogos”leader,” from agein “to lead” (see act (n.)). Hostile implications in the word are at least from the time of Pepys (1650s). Related: Pedagogal.
KTF
Related: Pedagogal.
Definition : A teacher with specs
CRC at 11:42 p.m.
Just missed your post. Yes, all’s well here. Hoping for a not too harsh winter. You’re right about the Salt Mines- they are spectacular but the conditions must have been dreadful. You’re right about the other place as well but too horrendous for my thin skin. Hope you are well.
One Malloy: Think you’d get a job with the Krakow Tourist Board:))
Both of you making me envious regarding the Hoot!
THETIMREAPER on 8TH NOVEMBER 2017 9:16 PM
https://heavidor.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/no-more-old-firm/amp/
New York City, November 8, 2017
When Celtic fans and supporters of other football clubs rebuke the Scottish mainstream media for continuing to refer to the Celtic and Rangers coupling as the ‘Old Firm’ it is invariably to do with the fact that the Rangers club currently competing in the SPFL is only five years old and that the Old Firm moniker died when the old Rangers club entered liquidation in 2012. The purpose of this epistle is not to gloat over the demise of one half of what was the Old Firm but rather to focus on why the moniker was used and why it really is no longer appropriate.
The term Old Firm arose because of the economic benefit and superior financial status derived from the religious dimension associated with their respective supporter bases; Ibrox Park’s proximity to Harland and Wolff fuelled religious bigotry in the Govan shipyards inspired similar at Ibrox Park whilst Celtic’s genesis lay with poor Irish immigrants, the majority being of the Catholic faith. Essentially, this meant both clubs were able to attract supporters from out with their respective immediate environs and gave them an economic advantage over all of the other clubs in the then SFL. This manifested in better players and, de facto, more trophies than any of the other clubs.
In these bygone days of old Rangers was the Protestant establishment club, always financially bigger than Celtic, and won more trophies whereas Celtic was very much the outsider and often the victim of anti Irish and anti Catholic racism. This was most evident in season 1951/52 over the flying of the Irish flag at Celtic Park; the SFA had determined that the flag had to be removed but, interestingly, it was Rangers’ casting vote that helped ensure the flag remained. Rangers rationale was clear; there was money to be made out of the relationship and had the SFA carried out their threat to expel Celtic from the SFA, then Rangers would have been financially worse off for it. In short, the Rangers Celtic dynamic was good for business and the Old Firm an appropriate description for their relationship.
However, the Rangers’ alpha male status in the relationship started to fragment in the 1960s as Celtic’s everyman appeal grew accompanied by greater success on the field of play. Indeed, since the appointment of Jock Stein in 1965 Celtic has been the more successful club. Rangers’ final demise and, for most, the end of the Old Firm came in 2012 with the club’s liquidation following decades of financial losses and unsustainable levels of debt.
The successor Rangers and their various boards of directors since 2012 appear to have learned few lessons from the previous club’s demise; three directors of the old club are now directors of the new club and are pursuing the same business model that bankrupted the old club. That business model involves a superior and ‘no one likes us we don’t care’ attitude to all and sundry when, of course, one should care coupled with continuously spending more than one earns financed by unsustainable amounts of debt. I’m afraid to say this adventure only has one likely ending and it’s not a happy one if you’re of a blue hue.
The new Rangers may wear the clothes of the old club but it is not on an economic par. It cannot legitimately be part of any ‘Old Firm’ as it is neither old nor on a financial par with either its predecessor or Celtic. The old Rangers had revenues of £56.3 million whereas the new club has revenues of £29.2 million. This compares with Celtic’s revenues of £90.6 million. So, Celtic’s revenues are 3x those of new Rangers. Celtic also has a stock market value of £175 million which is more than 10x that of the current Rangers’ value. Even when Celtic was at it lowest ebb in the immediate pre Fergus McCann days the divide between the Old Firm clubs was not as big as the current one between Celtic and Rangers. In the absence of a trophy investor with only a passing interest in financial solvency it is difficult to see how the latter can financially compete with Celtic. Indeed, the more realistic challenge for Rangers is to do better than Aberdeen, Hibernian and Hearts where the financial gap between the four is less than the one with Celtic.
In all of this there is a temptation for Celtic supporters to crow over the Rangers predicament. That would be a mistake. Celtic is demonstrably in a financial league of its own and the Old Firm axis is clearly no longer extant. That is a problem for Celtic; if Celtic’s domestic competition is poor, over time Celtic will regress to the mean and the step up into Europe will become greater. Also, Rangers now has more in common with the other clubs than it has with Celtic and if these clubs determine they cannot move towards Celtic the alternative is to pull Celtic towards the rest. With that in mind, beware of any efforts to tinker with the SPFL’s revenue distribution models!
Now this is funny from Etims…
CarlJungleBhoy November 8, 2017 at 1:51 pm · Reply →
Any truth in the rumour that Desmond airlifted Keiran Tierney’s Maw to the Isle The Man during labour, to avoid future taxes on global assets?
BANKIEBHOY1 on 9TH NOVEMBER 2017 8:53 AM
‘Rangers now has more in common with the other clubs than it has with Celtic and if these clubs determine they cannot move towards Celtic the alternative is to pull Celtic towards the rest.’
####
Or, possibly, decide that they would all be better off if Celtic moved to a bigger and better league.
SFTB
:))))
Related : Paidagoogle
Definition : Consultant
SFTB, BANKIBHOY – both made me laugh!
KTF
new article posted.