I remember when football was all about what happened on the park and the only subterfuge we needed to worry about wore a black shirt. Then came Jim Farry, Scottish Football League boss and then SFA boss.
Sure, the SFA tried to hammer Celtic for flying the Irish flag in 1952 and they promoted referees from a well-curated list, but that was the end of it. Farry was a visionary. He understood his predecessors in charge at the SFA were not thinking clearly enough. Farry would change that.
Celtic signed Jorge Cadete from Sporting Lisbon in February 1996 but Jim Farry delayed processing the registration. The player was not able to make his Celtic debut until April, missing crucial league games and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers. Celtic complained, Farry was sacked, and we got to see what many of us knew all along. The shock was the sacking.
Football has come a long way in the subsequent 25 years. The real power in the game now rest with the SPFL, who consumed the Scottish Football League and see more control sit with top tier clubs. For 12 years, the SPFL has been led by a former solicitor from Devon with no skin in the parochial nature of Scottish football. Neil Doncaster supports Norwich, although he’s not even that bothered about them.
SPFL board meetings are chaired by former media executive, Murdoch MacLennan. The curious thing about MacLennan and Doncaster is that neither favoured either Oldco or Newco versions of Rangers. This irritates Newco no end, who would like both removed from office.
With 10 of the 12 Premiership clubs asking for games to be postponed instead of proceeding behind closed doors, we should be grateful for a firm hand on the executive tiller. The executive will seek to implement the wish of the majority of affected clubs. Power in our game was not always impartial and may not be so again one day.
Let’s hope for a positive result on and off the park today.
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JIMMYNOTPAUL on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 12:06 PM
If the winter break is brought forward, it would have an unexpected bonus for the players and staff, in that, for once, they will not be working throughout Christmas and New Year.
Obviously, Sevco and Ross County aren’t too concerned by that.
mein host is a tad annoyed today
I am puzzled as to what advantage it is for county for games to be played bcd
It would be ludicrous if the break didn’t happen early. The St Mirren games should also be postponed.
Productivity on CQN through the roof today. Conversely among the footballing fraternity across Scotland I’d say productivity is through the floor as we all refresh twitter, search Facebook and scroll back through CQN.
Your confidence is reassuring, Paul.
Let’s see what happens.
Biggest result today will be three more points. No doubt the team is focusing on that aim.
Saint Stivs – don’t Ross County have previous in siding with Newco?
On playing St Mirren, I think alot of us feel this should also be rescheduled. What happened to us last winter wasn’t right. I wouldn’t like to see it done to any club other than Newco who will, I’m sure be only too happy to play anyone if their squad is hit with significant numbers of covid infections.
I’m saying the St Mirren game should be called off but I don’t actually know how many players they have out. Anyone know?
Scottish Premiership clubs have been asked to vote on when the winter break should be introduced.
The three options are to pause as planned after 3 January, start the break after the Boxing Day fixtures and begin the hiatus before Sunday’s games.
The SPFL board are encouraging clubs not to vote for the third option due to the few dates available to play games.
Should option two be chosen, a return to play would take place in week beginning Monday 17 January.
McPhail Bhoy on 22nd December 2021 11:02 am
I thought that was an excellent post and thankfully devoid of the name calling of many of the political posts on here. P67 has obviously decided some time ago that CQN should have a position of supporting the union, as is his prerogative, and therefore although I disagree with him I cannot criticise him for taking that position. However these ongoing political statements mean that CQN has become as much a political blog as a Celtic one, I know that annoys many including me but there really can be no complaints when the owner of the blog writes about his political perspective on a weekly basis.
So for those who regularly complain about the non Celtic posts I’m afraid the horse has bolted.
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There would be midweek fixtures that week to make up for the two postponed rounds of matches.
Clubs have been asked to inform the SPFL of their preference by 17:00 GMT on Wednesday and Dundee United have already expressed their support for bringing the winter break forward.
If St Mirren really are down to the bones due to Covid, I don’t think the match should be played. They ought not be disadvantaged (in the way we previously were or would be by the derby restriction)
It’s a tricky one tonight given the circus around it. Distractions abound. St Mirren won’t be distracted. I expect the bus to be parked and long balls for whatever hatchet man Goodwin has at his disposal.
If we scorecards we should score often. But I’ll take another 1 goal winner right now.
Score early not score cards
almost 2 years into this, with governments applying restrictions on our freedoms that they werent elected to do, and have given us no say in
so how many years is acceptable for emergency laws to be used as a cover-all excuse to allow them to do all this without us having a say?
i can understand if such emergency laws are needed for a short to time to suppress democracy because it wouldnt be logistically possible to do otherwise during a crisis
but is 2 years not enough to organise some sort of method for bringing democracy back to the country?
i would have thought so
especially when it is obvious theres heavy politics at play
i can go to the game tonight but going to a similar sized game in perth on sunday is a major threat to the nations health?
folk in wales can go clubbing through the busy lead up to christmas, but after 27th it is deemed a major threat to their country’s health?
if all these things are so urgent why are they not being stopped now?
because politicians dont want to damage their public reputation
as if the virus cares its christmas at the weekend
we are getting the pish ripped out us for political expediency
i cant believe there isnt some sort of legal recourse against this
you can guarantee if any of the home nations had a general election shortly then many decision would be different
or they would use the emergency laws to cancel it
Hmmmm……we’ll see.
We elected the MPs, they vote on changes to the law
It’s simple democracy at work
The hun meltdown should option two be passed will be a thing to behold – their last game will be BCD at Ibrox just before the break 😂
call it off, call it off, call it off
Hun FC Statement
Rangers FC object in the strongest possible terms to the gerrymandering of the league fixtures which has nothing to do with getting crowds to games but is all about certain clubs clearing up their self inflicted injury list.
Only the government bodies have all the facts and Rangers FC strongly urge that the SPL follow the government lead and keep the integrity of the league intact and play the fixtures as currently scheduled.
Her Majesty has followed Govt guidelines , why can’t the SPL
We call for the resignation of messsrs Doncaster and Maclennan and will be seeking a vote on this matter
We urge all clubs to vote to keep the current fixtures as sporting integrity is more important than a few quid in the bank
All games should go ahead tonight and it will be even amount of games played.
Aftrr tonight stop all football if thats what the majority of clubs want.
No sympathy whatsoever for St Midden. None. Why shoukd fans be punished tonight, ffs Jim Goodwin was at Hampdump on sunday, if he was that worriwd he would not have been there and made sure his players were safe.
Lets get 3 points on the board.
D :)
lets all do the huddle on 22nd December 2021 12:23 pm
I can’t see how any of what you are proposing works in our current system.
A party with an 80 majority gifted to them by people who previously voted labour means they can do whatever they want. Its how the system is designed to work and it is a democratic if out of date system.
Interesting and, in part, powerful words Pablo.
Respectfully though ….
…. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Starting with a confirmed suspension (after tonight’s matches played if need be)
Has anyone asked Sevco or Ross Countys opinion yet? Why do they not qant Dan’s to see games? What’s their logic? We are all ears.
Newco, who are not in any financial difficulty, no sir, will clearly be backing Gio Pocket Rock Van Bronkhurst in the January window. They will obviously be much stronger if they had to play us at a later date. No?
Also, if they are so confident coming to Celtic Park they should be just as confident playing in a full stadium? No?
RhetoricalquestionsCSC
A football club without the required number of players should not have to play a fixture, that is just daft.
Zero surprise that Sevco want the game to go ahead. A depleted Celtic squad with key players injured, effectively behind close doors. Why wouldn’t they want that?
Their very existence depends on wining the league this year
EKBhoy – even though that has to be a parody statement I’m still going to have to check that it is. Such is the lunacy of the newco.
My bet is that they are also in favour of an early winter break but can’t be seen not to be in goose step with their support base.
… and am routinely unpersuaded by the “disinterested party” line.
When dealing with odious entities the risk of smelling like excrement is very real and enduring – and that changes people and impacts behaviours.
On that basis the strength of your spine is (IMHO) more relevant than the level of your disinterest.
Jury is out on Neil Doncaster’s spine (again IMHO)
ROBERTTRESSELL on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 12:49 PM
EKBhoy
—-
It will be something along those lines or complete and utter silence
someone quite rational was on clyde last night, i think he was a Motherwell Executive.
He simply said we dont need to be distracted that fixtures will pile up.
There is a cup round in January with midweeks either side of it available.
Beyond that, teams that are not in europe can use the european midweeks for fixtures so long as not broadcast live to tv.
The other hope being by mid-january many many more will be vaccinated.
He wanted an early break as playing bcd again is unfair on motherwell fans (who actually own their club).
To also be fair to Wishart, on radio at weekend, he made the case that filling a first team with boys is unfair on them, puts them at risk of harm via injury or illness, and they are not representative of first team players.
All in both talked a lot of sense.
Call them off.
Do we have a definitive answer on tonight’s game yet?
ROBERTTRESSELL on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 1:00 PM
Do we have a definitive answer on tonight’s game yet?
all games are ON.
EKBHOY on 22ND DECEMBER 2021 12:41 PM
Hun FC Statement
Is that a spoof statement or for real. If it’s the latter they really lack self awareness
Anyone that thinks the Government will let full house stadiums back into football in 3 or 4 weeks are seriously mistaken, I reckon it will be the end of the season.
But we have to try and stop the spread of this variant I get that.
If a club cannot fulfill their fixture then they forfeit its as simple as that.
As I say Mr Goodwin was at Hampdump with no mask on on Sunday.
Also has anyone from spfl or sfa cheked what protocalls st midden have in place as something has went wrong here are their players vaccinated (and I know you can still catch it if vaccinated).
There must be a set of protocols to follow re testing players, travelling to games and training etc
D :)
On another arguement the entire future idea of having a winter break
would be moot if the season went from March to October.
All the previous arguements for playing through the winter are dead.
I think more people would attend fixtures and our teams would be better
prepared for Europe. But change comes incredibly slowly in fair Caledonia.
ROBERTTRESSELL @ 12:49 PM
EKBhoy – even though that has to be a parody statement I’m still going to have to check that it is. Such is the lunacy of the newco.
————
EKBhoy – brilliant parody statement.
Respect and Lol in equal measure.
Robert Tressel – agree wholeheartedly.
In these “Orwell meets Monty Python” times?
I had to pause for a few seconds and ask myself …
“Could this actually be real?”
🤭🤦🤔
I am presently attending the QEUH three times a week for treatment for a minor ailment. This has to be one of the busiest hospitals in the UK. I follow all the Covid rules, keep to the left, keep two metres apart and always wear a face mask.
I wear a cloth type mask which is clean and Covid free. I know this because I don’t have Covid.
Two guys stand at the entrance to the main building, to direct and ensure the two metre rule is observed. They take their job lightly and are usually standing together gabbing. There must be a couple of hundred people using this entrance every hour. It is mobbed.
Today on my approach I was stopped by one of these gentlemen and asked to remove my mask and replace it with the blue paper “surgical” mask as he called it. I was to help myself to one from either of the open boxes at each side of him. These masks had no wrapper around them. I thought of the number of hands that had already been in these boxes, fingering their way through the masks.
Are they REALLY more hygienic than the mask I was already wearing I wondered. I politely refused.
I asked a nurse about this practice and she says her and her colleagues had already raised concerns about it but no one listens.
The question is, which manager within the hospital is getting his palm greased by the supplier to enforce this?