Let’s be clear about what is going to happen on Friday. Monetary inducements are being made to allow a newly created company to advance its football team two divisions up the league structure.
The overwhelming majority of money to pay for these financial inducements will be taken from Celtic, who vehemently oppose all these measures. The SPL will reduce the commercial distribution to the top club in the league and pay-off everyone else. 41 teams will benefit financially from this proposition, only Celtic will lose.
For good measure, the SPL have declined to take gate sharing off the table. Up to 30% of your season ticket money will soon be commandeered by Kilmarnock, Motherwell and the rest, who will take their slice and share some with the lower leagues.
All the while you can scarcely find a football fan of any club who is anything other than disgusted by this shoddy behaviour; Celtic fans are by no means isolated. Most fans of former-club, Rangers, don’t want to see a phoenix assisted by such blatant patronage, lest Newco is forever known as a team which needed rules to be changed and money taken from Celtic to give it life.
Believe me, if Newco exists for 100 years, every day they score a goal someone will say, “They are only there because the rules were changed to help them and money was taken from Celtic to pay for it”.
They will forever be known as the Establishment club with definitive evidence that they benefited from the Establishment’s help.
The once-proud era of Scottish league football is surely over, what we are witnessing is merely evidence of this fact. ‘Sport’ as gone from our football. Fans, clubs and the national bodies must accept this reality and start to make forward plans to breathe the oxygen of genuine competition into our game.
Where is Michel Platini when football really needs some help?
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Greenmanalishi- arrive Leeds Aug 3rd, have tickets for Headingley Sat 4th, back up the road Sunday 5th.
che
is that the wife swapping one :>)
I am going to Karamboa ?? More family orientaited.
Any handy hints ?
gordybhoy64 on 9 July, 2012 at 16:30 said:
‘ernie lynch,
i assumed that the mate you had spoken to had attended the meeting,
would there be a problem passing on what you were told?’
My mate wasn’t there, he’d spoken to someone who was. I don’t know how much was said in confidence so I’m not going to say any more about it.
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. Awe Nawe
Ah don’t believe Wan Woid of whit ye hiv written,regarding
the Part…where ye wrote..
“Then.. Celtic are Guilty. They wull cease tae be SPECIAL!!”
Pal.. Ah believe that ye are jist Being.. far TOO Melodramatic, aboot this..
Being Melodramatice, his it’s good points.. a Wee bit Melodrama never hoit anywan!
But..
Like Ah jist said..
Pal. You are being Way, way… Faur …Too Melodramatic in stating yer
conclusion.
Ah canny accept that Conclusion o’ Your’s…at awe, at awe.
Kojo
yer pal.. who likes ye , aloater.
Still, Laughin’… of Course!
ernie lynch on 9 July, 2012 at 16:27 said:
thomthethim CQN (genuine) Badge Wearer on 9 July, 2012 at 16:09 said:
Awe Naw,
”Did Lord Hodge not decree that RFCIA stay in Admin until Gruff and Yelps delivered an account of their stewardship to him?”
No. He insisted that D&P produce their report before liquidation happens. This was to ensure D&P get their finger out, not an attempt to delay liquidation.
share on F’book or Twitter
*******
Actually, what I think he said was that he would give them 21 days to file their report and that they were to stay in Admin until then.
Same thing basically, just a different use of semantics.
But I guess you knew that.
Does anybody know why there has been complete silence from Spartans and Cove Rangers about not being asked if they’d like to apply?
ernie lynch,
fair enough
Aug 2009
Jim Ballantyne must resign. It is in the rules.
Just been checking SFL rules to try to find a loophole somewhere.
If Airdrie are now in Division 1 then Jim Ballantyne MUST resign.
from SFL rules
Casual Vacancies
7. Notwithstanding what is hereinbefore provided as to the retirement of members of the Management Committee, any member who is a representative of a First Division club which is promoted to The Scottish Premier League, or of a First Division club which is relegated to the Second Division, or of a Second Division Club which is promoted to the First Division, or of a Second Division club which is relegated to the Third Division, or of a Third Division club which is promoted to the Second Division or any representative or any member who is elected to the Office of President or Vice-President who is a representative of a First, Second or Third Division club, or any member who has ceased to be a Director of the main Board of Directors of a club in full membership of the League or, where such club is unincorporated and has no such Board, a member of that club’s Committee of Management, shall be bound to retire although his period of office has not expired, and shall not be reckoned among the number which falls to retire.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but Airdrie consider that Livingston FC are now in Division 3 – pending appeal and they (Airdrie) are now in division 1.
Rule 7 states that he must resign.
I wonder when we can expect his resignation. Either Airdrie are in div1 and Livi in Div 3 – hence he must resign. Or Livi are still in div 1 and Airdrie in div 3 and he doesn’t need to resign. He cannot have it both ways.
Livi’s lifeline
Published on Saturday 5 September 2009 20:56
THE SCOTTISH Football League is set to be thrown into disarray for months as it faces fixture chaos and a probe into the conduct of its senior office bearers over the Livingston FC affair.
Calls for a League inquiry into alleged misconduct by SFL president Brown McMaster and vice-president Jim Ballantyne have been made by one of the so-called Livingston Five, Neil Rankine, who has invested large sums in trying to save the ailing West Lothian club currently in administration.
The new claims follow the resignation in disgrace last week of the league’s other elected office-bearer, treasurer Donald McIntyre, who quit as director of Albion Rovers and lost all his football administrative positions after admitting gambling on matches. The information that he had gambled on matches was supplied by Rankine.
The sport’s governing body, the Scottish Football Association, confirmed last night that it has written to McMaster seeking “clarification” of reports that for a period of almost a year after he became director of Stenhousemuir FC on 17 August, 2008, members of his family held between 11 per cent and 13 per cent of the shares of Partick Thistle, contrary to the rules of the SFA and SFL which ban such shareholdings.
Documents at Companies House show that before he became a director at Stenhousemuir last year, McMaster transferred his 91,893 ‘A’ shares and one million ‘B’ shares in Thistle to members of the McMaster family. These shares stayed in the family until at least July this year.
In a letter from his lawyers to the SFL, Rankine has demanded that the league suspend McMaster and carry out an inquiry into alleged “dual interest” in two SFL clubs by the McMaster family.
Rankine also wants an investigation into the conduct of vice-president Ballantyne, a chartered accountant by profession and chairman of Airdrie United who were promoted from the Second to the First Division as a result of Livingston being forcibly relegated.
Scotland on Sunday has obtained evidence that despite assurances that he would take no part in any SFL discussions or decisions on the fate of Livingston FC, draft minutes of an SFL management committee meeting on 30 July show that Ballantyne not only participated in discussions about Livingston FC but tried to influence his colleagues to take action against the club, which he alleged had “ridiculed” the SFL.
That committee meeting ended with confirmation that, pending disciplinary action, Livingston FC would compete in the First Division in 2009/10, and SFL chief executive David Longmuir issued a statement to that effect.
In a further and separate development which could prove hugely embarrassing to the League, Scotland on Sunday has learned that on Monday, 3 August, office bearers of the SFL including Ballantyne held a secret meeting with the representatives of Livingston FC.
Unlike the management committee meeting of 30 July, none of the full-time executives of the SFL attended and no minutes of the meeting were taken.
The outcome of the meeting was said by one of those attending to be “a complete change in the SFL’s position.” Two days later on 5 August the League Management Committee, of which Ballantyne, McMaster and McIntyre were members, decided to demote Livingston to the Third Division, allowing Airdrie United to be promoted to the First Division and Cowdenbeath to the Second Division.
Scotland on Sunday has further learned that the 30 SFL clubs were unaware that lawyers for both the SFL and Livingston attempted to hammer out a last-minute deal which would have seen the club accept a 15-point deduction and the imposition of 720,000 bond to be paid should they fail to fulfil fixtures.
That secret deal was rejected by senior SFL figures and the clubs voted 16-10 to confirm the relegation of Livingston.
Tomorrow Livingston FC will appeal against the demotion.
For the first time in this long-running saga, an independent body will hear Livingston’s case, with High Court judge Lord McLean set to take part alongside two non-SFL members of the SFA.
If the committee finds in Livingston’s favour and restores the club to the First Division, the results of all of the matches played by them, Airdrie and Cowdenbeath will be declared null and void and new fixtures will have to be played.
The man behind the allegations against McMaster, Ballantyne and McIntyre, Livingston investor Neil Rankine, said: “One of them has already gone and now I’m raising questions about the other two, and particularly about Jim Ballantyne whose club stands to benefit by hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“It is obvious that certain people within the SFL management committee tried to do us up like kippers.”
The senior source at an SFL club said: “The fact that the clubs only voted 16-10 to demote Livingston showed there was a lot of sympathy for their position. These new allegations following Donnie McIntyre’s resignation will perhaps shock them into demanding the fullest possible independent inquiry into the conduct of the Livingston affair by the office-bearers and executives such as David Longmuir.”
Brown McMaster did not return our calls yesterday. David Longmuir was attending the Scotland match at Hampden and did not return our calls. He told the BBC, however, that “the league management committee were more than aware of Brown’s situation and were comfortable with it.”
Asked about the minutes of the league management committee meeting on Livingston Jim Ballantyne said: “It was agreed by all parties that I wouldn’t speak at all. I am not entitled to see the minutes and I won’t be making any comment on the minutes.”
Pressed on whether he had any recollection of discussing the club going into insolvency, Ballantyne replied: “I haven’t a clue.”
From The Scotsman Newspaper
leftclicktic on 9 July, 2012 at 16:38 said:
>>>>
Aye…..dead right. If this SevcoScotland (SS F.C. How apt!) get shoehorned in above other completely respectable clubs it would indicate a massive fraud and uefa/fifa would HAVE to get involved.
Perhaps this is exactly what the clowns misgoverning the game actually want so they can wash their hands of the godawful mess they’ve helped create.
Celtic statement need not be long nor complicated.
” This club will insist that current rules are applied without fear or favour.”
Silence is often understood to be acquiescence and, sometimes, complicity.
ernie lynch on 9 July, 2012 at 14:27 said:
Just had a look back. V. telling and v. unreported point you make about US incomes. I think 1976 was year # 1 for income stagnation over there. Meanwhile the wealth gap between the top 8% and the rest has grown exponentially. The ‘Land of Opportunity’ tag has been a fiction for almost all of the last fifty years.
For any Tour de France fans ,
Bradley Wiggins wins the time trial by 35 seconds
Kojo
as always we disagree.
What will be melodramatic and sad to see is the spin that Celtic may attempt to put on this if it comes to pass. Of course IF it were to happen they would – as that would be the smart move – keep their gobs shut.
I am going to KEEP saying it until it hits home.
If Celtic cannot do anything to prevent this then CELTIC ARE NO LONGER SPECIAL
I have seen a copy of Rod Petries document btw
Hail Hail
TheGreenManalishi(WithTheTwoProngedCrown)
Emails – no I lost the password. You can get my proper one from Paul67 mate.
leftclicktic on 9 July, 2012 at 16:44 said:
>>>>
Livingstone’s plight and the other wee matter being played out makes it look like football in Scotia is fecked beyond all recall.
HH.
gordybhoy64 on 9 July, 2012 at 16:37
Has it not already been stated that SPL 2 will happen if the SFL reject a newco parachute into SFL1
The one year pull the wool over their dumb left leaning asses compromise plan ?
ARE THEY REALLY THAT STUPID ?
We will soon find out.
Hail HAil
I have just received information,that will blow Scottish football out the water.football as we know it will be finished.
I am trying to get more info.,as to divulge names etc.,as at this moment i would be treading on dangerous grounds.
I think you all know that I am not one,to say something for attention.this I believe is the real thing.HH
jc2 on 9 July, 2012 at 16:41 said:
You got a Kindle?
Be prepared for a very quiet relaxing holiday!
island is very windy so be careful with the kids as you dont really feel the sun at times but it is very hot,
beach is stunning, sea can be very rough at times, but is covered by lifeguards (all male)
Beautiful place, absolutely stunning, people are brilliant, very laid back
seems to be a regular occurrence that the visas have not gone through in time so you have to pay again at “border control” you then get it back from the Holiday Rep at the Hotel so make sure you have some cash to cover it, to be honest there’s nothing much to buy on the island as its very very small, but what they do have is expensive, stock up on sun lotion etc and ANYTHING you need for the kids (paracetemol/calpol)
some day trips available, again they can be costly like everywhere else so its really personal choice, local beer is okay,
that apart were hoping to go back september
oh and thomsons dont do entertainment on the flight so kids may be bored out their heads
lots of reviews on trip advisor
judith chalmers csc over and out
Gotta Go
Seeya.. Folks.
Kojo
Still, Laughin’… of Course.
Packie Bonner CSC Liverpool:
‘Banned Stockbroker Pritchards, Secretary Craig Whyte, held 120506 shares in RFC under Prism Nominees from 2008 on. To whom did they belong?’
My Dear,Dear,Dear Friend Kojo…
Yer much anticipated return is mair welcome than a Deluge of Buttermulk Dainties..in the midst of a Biblical Famine
In yer absence,we have made do with thin pablum an’ grits…when Awesome
Philvis had to spend some time on his day-job…
Any ‘infomationals’ on our prospective new signings…?
DBBIA,
does Paul67 have your e-mail address as well ? If so I’ll get them and hopefully we can arrange something with tomtheleedstim.
HH
Responses to our host’s article from Sevcomedia:
“The penny may be dropping but it’s not for rational reasons or concern about the well being of the game.
It’s simply because of their obsessive and indeed bigoted hatred of us and our club.
Did they take such an interest with Gretna or Livingston? Were they screaming for Motherwell to be penalised in their many years of administration or were they vocal about Hearts and their three winding up orders or Dundee’s double administration?
Their silence on such issues is, by comparison, deafening and that clearly tells its own story.
Dress it up however they will, it cannot be denied that a huge motivator in this witch hunt of our club is sectarian in its intent. It’s almost a cultural ethnic cleansing of anything with an identity which they detest.”
Were the other clubs mentioned involved in years, perhaps decades, of criminality and systematic cheating?
I liked this one:
“A load of p*** as per usual from CQN, Brennan, Liewell and O’Rourke were the initiating force behind Sporting Integrity, now they are being hoist by their won petard, and I hope it is a big ******* long sharp petard.”
I haven’t come across one of those petards…..yet.
tomtheleedstim on 9 July, 2012 at 15:30 said:
Not quite Glasgow but the Howden Park Centre in Livingston is a smashing venue. Not sure of the capacity but I’m guessing at circa 500. Recently saw I’m no a Billy he’s a Tim there and it was sold out.
http://www.howdenparkcentre.co.uk/media/2127050/auditoriumseatingplan
Hail, hail!
In 2000 while working on the board of the huns
We got humped 6.2
I helped you out with tainted cups, and turned you around
playing fair was never for you.
Now ten years later on you’ve got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don’t forget it’s me who put you where you are now
I know it’s just what I must do
Don’t, don’t you want me?
You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t have me
Don’t, don’t you want me?
You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me
It’s much too late to find
You think you’ve changed your mind
You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
I am working as the President of the Scottish FA
That much is true
But even then I knew there would be an anti trust case
Either with or without you
The ten years we have had have been such good times
I still love you
But now I think it’s time I lived my life in a cell
I guess it’s just what I must do
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
We dont want you Rangers. We dont want you NO oh
Miki67
All they care about is the huns.
NOTHING or NOBODY else
Question for us is what are we doing in the background ? I hope it is not nothing.
Che cheer
Greenmanalishi -yes, he should have.
Just back from holiday so apologies if this has already been mentioned.
As well as Platini ,Fifa have statutes that are being blatantly disregarded by regan.
Phil Mac Giolla Bhain has a much more comprehensive coverage in his blog 6th July but below is a flavour
9 Principle of promotion and relegation
1. A club’s entitlement to take part in a domestic league championship shall depend principally on sporting merit. A club shall qualify for a domestic league championship by remaining in a certain division or by being promoted or relegated to another at the end of a season.
2. In addition to qualification on sporting merit, a club’s participation in a domestic league championship may be subject to other criteria within the scope of the licensing procedure, whereby the emphasis is on sporting, infrastructural, administrative, legal and financial considerations. Licensing decisions must be able to be examined by the Member’s body of appeal.
3. Altering the legal form or company structure of a club to facilitate its qualification on sporting merit and/or its receipt of a licence for a domestic league championship, to the detriment of the integrity of a sports competition, is prohibited. This includes, for example, changing the headquarters, changing the name or transferring stakeholdings between different clubs. Prohibitive decisions must be able to be examined by the Member’s body of appeal.
fanadpatriot on 9 July, 2012 at 16:53 said:
TomtheLeedstim shakes head at thought of another long night on CQN waiting for updates. Wonders if he has enough alcohol to see him through.
Get it cleared and get it posed mate.
HH
Hi all, or Hail all,
Just finished a fantastic David Conn book (thx to rodow1) called ‘Richer Than God’, ostensibly about Man Citeh but also a great history of money and english football.
It was only in 1983 that the then ‘Big 5’ – Arse, Spurs, Liverton, Everpool and Man U – persuaded the then Football League to do away with gate-sharing.
I wonder what the history of this is in the Scottish game?
Perhaps some formula could be incorporated into any reforms…i.e. you have to bring x number of away fans in order to claim y percentage of home gate money, on a sliding scale?
I understand the notion of under 100 away SPL fans allowing their club to lay claim to a big chunk of home gate money seems vastly unjust to the average Celtic season ticket holder. That’s fair enough.
But something has to be done to encourage honest competition, and competitiveness, IMHO.
As a caveat I am not one of those amongst you whose gate money is being bandied about, so forgive me for intruding.
Awrabest,
Tooting Tim
Through and through on 9 July, 2012 at 16:57 said:
Cheers mate – will pass it on.
fanadpatriot
I’m off to Mallorca tomorrow and need to pack etc no what I mean?
fandapatriot,
could it be about match fixing :o)
no=know
fanandpatriot
Is this the “nuclear” story Barcabhoy allude too a couple of weeks ago?
test