In his Christmas Day message last year, Uefa president, Michel Platini spoke in the firmest terms possible about many of the issues facing Scottish football right now.
He told us that 2011 was “one of those years where one feels the weight and magnitude of one’s responsibilities, but which equally serves to provide greater strength. Because, the just cause – however difficult it may be – is all the more obvious.”
This is a strong statement of intent. Platini fully understands the position of president is not ceremonial, it has weighty responsibilities. If he believes these specific words, “the just cause – however difficult it may be – is all the more obvious”, he must take an immediate active involvement to protect the game in Scotland.
M Platini goes on to say, “To be a president is not to have an organisation at one’s service, but to be at the service of an organisation, of a game, of football.”
Scottish FA president, Campbell Ogilvie, who has been inextricably linked to the on-going improper registration of Rangers players allegations his organisation declined to investigate, would do well to consider these words. He is in place to serve the game yet he has offered us no information on the subject.
Michel then added, “It has been a year which has underlined the importance of our organisation [Uefa] as one of the guarantors of the values, stability and equity of this sport.”
Uefa guarantee the values, stability and equity of football. They do not work towards equity, they ensure it is imposed, you have the president’s word.
“It has been a year in which certain of our national associations have had to take courageous decisions to preserve the justice and integrity of our sport.”
Here, Michel could be speaking about the SFA, who have to take courageous decisions to preserve justice and integrity in the face of gross charges of financial and regulatory doping on a scale not seen anywhere in Europe.
His most important comment, which reflected on 2011, was:
“A year in which we have also had to remain solid and defend our values – sometimes alone – to guarantee the respecting of the rules and the equity of the competitions, and to prevent football becoming a hostage of a few for their own profit and interests.”
“Respecting… the rules and the equity of the competitions”. This includes player registration rules.
More importantly, “to prevent football becoming a hostage of a few for their own profit and interests”.
This is where we are today. Football in Scotland has become a hostage of a few who will follow their own interests, not those values Michel Platini holds dear.
The president goes on to say that 2011“has been a year in which, unfortunately and at the expense of certain agonies, football has emphasised its need for transparency and governance, aspects which are so important in relation to the respect which is so dear to me.”
There may be other countries in Europe more deserving of M Platini’s intervention, but the crisis in Scotland is acute and urgent, and the SFA appear overwhelmed. We need the oversight only Uefa can provide and its president promised in his Christmas message.
For an extended synopsis of how we got to where we are, catch up on Saturday’s blog.
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Mighty tim @ 17.58.
Think D Taylor is a true Jags fan. Either way he is a professional bloke who has no agenda.
Just been on hun media ( had to have a shower scrub myself with dettol use full bottle of mouthwash)- there was a thread about the intrinsic huge-iosity of the gers and how they dwarfed everyone in scotland in sheer hunbelievable magnitude (including little old us).
They are at the the process of being dismantled and yet they are still bigger than us! What a club
There was one guy who had the honesty to speak the truth: rangers are getting smaller and we are getting bigger…but they called him a taig…tarrier scum…ad nauseum
This deranged mob are seriously deluded…i suppose the dinosaurs thought the same before
scum ad nauseum…
ht,
agreed, however one of the most annoying parts of his attitude is expecting the ref to change his mind, especially when the ball is still within chasing distance, it annoys me when sammi does it.
forrest however has taken this to a new level were he seems to go in the huff with everyone including his own team and doesnt want to play anymore. That is frustrating.
stephbhoy,
if he’s good enough he’ll get on, cant be bothered tip toeing round delecate wee boys because they might suffer loss of confidence, sammi prime example, dogs abuse he took for years, confidence shot through, what did he do, got up dust himself off and got on with it.
No 7
He may well be I will take your word on this, asking the good lady us or them resounding us. Agree though that he and his good lady very nice people.
HH
These fecking ipads are infuriating!
I’m happy to be put right on Taylor, just confused how he could have been at the sfa then onto uefa, its abnormal I tells ya.
Are rangers (ia)
ever going to
APOLOGISE
for not paying
their taxes to
the hard pressed
public
this should be mentioned
on tv,radio, intervews
canamalar
I agree completely. At the moment that is the most infuriating aspect of his game.
Aidan McGeadie was different. His reaction was often to chase the opposition player and foul him resulting in a free kick and frequently a booking. I’m not criticising him, merely pointing out the difference in their characters.
…the huns are like the dinosaurs before the big meteor hit…forced into extinction to make way for a better alternative.
And heevins begins the sooking up!!! Where the blue knights not a WW1 German air force squadron ? And then he does it again defending the indefensible .
ht,
he needs a big grown up pill.
I am not denying the bhoys talent, he has bags full, but he’s inthe big team now and needs to start behaving like a big bhoy.
Neil also need to be using all of our resources, sticking by favorites is all well and good with a wee squad, but we have plenty dying for a chance.
Paul67,
Your recent leaders would signal a certain impatience, are you concerned evidence is being shredded?
Surely RFCIA, a pillar of Scottish society, who have had the most senior Scottish politician make a public appeal on their behalf can’t possibly be involved in scurring about trying to bury the bodies before a Clouseau like SFA/SPL can conclude their investigation.
How can Chief Inspector Dreyfus get involved at this stage?
Should newco become a reality,and be granted direct entry to the SPL,then,as a poster commented last week,Celtic should simply refuse to fulfill the fixture,I have no idea of the penalty for such an act,but,it would be well worth it.To play them would,imo legitimise their place in the top flight,whereas,refusal to compete against them,incurring whatever points deduction is imposed,would be a far more eloquent protest than any amount of words.On a related subject,I can only hope that the board will finally embrace the idea of dropping any future joint sponsorship,surely,it would be bad business to align oneself with an organisation so utterly,and openly steeped in unfair business and sporting practices.
I see that STV’s report on Paul McBride’s funeral was edited for the evening news – Salmond’s talk about his new law was edited out.
Guess there were a few complaints.
Who said this: “I’d gladly renounce my entitlement to the throne if my granny would get on the blower to OUR accountants and quash any rumours of their appeasement the tax dodgers our rightful dues”
#TheHouseofHanover
HH
johnnyq..,
I’d prefer we went to the sfl, to highlight that the whole spl is corrupt
Traynor now begging on shortbread for the tainted ten to support his newcomers team.
HH
The Blue Knights. Dodgy boy band or late night channel four film?
emday got a link to shorbread
Neil canamaltar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 12 March, 2012 at 18:05 said:
come on comparing a new to the team 20 year old with a international player who has played in world cups and European championship wrong.
james was starved of the ball all afternoon but when he got the ball he done alright
we agree to disagree and move on
see you at the other side
What genuine legal recourse would Celtic have against the eventuality of Newco parachuting or the gang of 10 ganging up?
What legal recourse do we have if there is an SFA or SPL whitewash and the scandal of tainted titles is not dealt with?
It will be easier to drag the press through the courts (and to win) and I think with regard to the SFA and ‘DougieDougie’ last year Celtic have made it quite clear that they will be go for the jugular when we have right on our side. If I was Jabba or his boss I would be very concerned right now. If I was Leckie I would be more concerned. His comments today were reprehensible and they were desperate.
This whole episode (rangers agonies) was never going to pass without mud being slung at Celtic. The club and the support must make sure that the mud is not allowed to stick.
I hope Jabba and his pals have good pension plans. Perhaps they could take up blogging in their free time. They wouldn’t be beholden to cash driven editorial lines and could tell us the truth as they see it – what a bizarre thought.
wonkyradar on 12 March, 2012 at 18:04 said:
Just been on hun media
—————————————————————————————————–
From 2006, sorry about the long post. This will tell them who the biggest club is, was and always will be, also somewhat prophetic. From one of their own:
Adam shakes Ibrox pillars with warning of bankruptcy
Glenn gibbons Chief football writer
THERE are licensed premises in Glasgow where the regular patrons will consider the recent deeds and utterances of the former Rangers director, Hugh Adam, to be nothing less than acts of treason.
This should be regarded as a natural, almost understandable, reaction from immovably devoted supporters of the Ibrox club to the decision by Adam to unload his 59,000 shares in Rangers on the basis that they were heading towards worthlessness, thanks to the unsatisfactory business methods of the chairman, David Murray.
Almost certainly viewed as an even more heinous offence would be Adam’s claim that Celtic are run much more competently and that investment in the Parkhead club would be a much sounder proposition for anyone wishing to purchase shares in a football institution.
It would be tempting for many to dismiss Adam’s action as merely a gratuitous attack on Murray by a disillusioned, 76-year-old ex-employee carrying a grudge. But Adam has been a candid critic of the way Rangers have operated for years, ever willing to voice his unease – indeed, his incomprehension – at losses he has always insisted were unsustainable.
He also has impressive credentials, having been chairman and managing director of Rangers Development and Rangers Pools since 1971, raising the millions which built the modern Ibrox. Adam’s efforts brought the club around £18million, about £60million at today’s values.
To say that his final severance with Ibrox, after three separate terms as a director amounting to about 15 years of service, was done in a fury would be inaccurate, but in conversation this week it became evident that his decision is underpinned by unmistakable disgust.
Not given to sensationalism, this essentially conservative disciple of prudent forward planning and low-risk business principles did, however, cause something of a shock by observing almost matter-of-factly that, if Rangers continue on their present track, their ultimate destination will be bankruptcy.
“That’s the logical conclusion to a strategy that incurs serious loss year on year,” said Adam. “In the past five years – and it’s all there in the last annual report – Rangers have lost £80million.
“Now, the banks are well known for being a bit more tolerant of companies whose core business is a popular pursuit like football. But there is a limit to how far backwards they can bend to accommodate you.
“David Murray has always had an amazing persuasiveness when it comes to getting people to put money into his businesses, but the signs are that those sources have dried up.
“The £40million worth of shares that ENIC (English National Investment Company) bought a few years ago are now worth about £15million, with no evidence to suggest that they will recover. The money itself, that which was actually invested, was lost some time ago.
“Now the latest investor, Dave King from South Africa, will know that his £20million shareholding is worth around half, or even less, of what it was when he bought. No proper businessman will want to buy into that kind of loss.”
ADAM sold 12,000 of his 59,000 shares last year and the balance of 47,000 just recently. For the latter, he got £1.15 each; three years ago, they were valued at £3.45. He is convinced Rangers cannot trade their way out of trouble, unless they gain access to a league that will attract higher-bracket income from TV. He was in favour of the proposed Atlantic League, involving the Old Firm and clubs from Holland, Portugal and other countries, but is extremely sceptical of their chances of joining the English Premiership.
He is adamant that Rangers do not have the customer base to improve their financial standing through merchandising. “Rangers’ so-called global appeal is a myth,” he said. “When I was there, we did an exercise which involved asking 50,000 fans on the database to recommend a friend or a relative abroad.
“A big response was expected – some were even talking about getting 100,000 names – because everybody in Scotland seems to know somebody abroad.
“We got back 2,800 names and three-quarters of them didn’t know they had been nominated. It’s no surprise that Celtic are officially the best-supported football club in North America, with more official clubs than anybody else. The difference is the Irish connection.
“Many Irish people may support Manchester United, Liverpool or whoever, but they all – every one of them – have an affection for Celtic. And, of course, Celtic also have a great Scottish following.
“The difference is that, while the Irish all have an allegiance to Parkhead, there are millions of Scots who not only don’t support Rangers, but actively dislike them.
“Despite the claims of international appeal, Rangers are, essentially, a West of Scotland club. They talk of supporters’ buses leaving from all parts of Scotland, but if you look closely, you’ll see there aren’t many from each area and they are not all full.
“This doesn’t mean that even Celtic will earn fortunes from emigrant supporters. There may be more of them than Rangers fans, but it doesn’t mount to the kind of income necessary to fund their ambitions. But Celtic have been, since Fergus McCann’s arrival, much the better-run club.
“Fergus was the most unjustly maligned man in the history of the game, when you consider that he took the club from bankruptcy into the mainstream and built that stadium along the way.
‘NOW, the Celtic board have more financial heavyweights than Rangers, with people like Brian Quinn, Dermot Desmond and Sir Patrick Sheehy.
“It’s only in the last couple of years that Celtic have sustained losses, but over the five-year period they break even. But Brian Quinn and his board are taking steps to warn people that they are not in the business of heading towards bankruptcy.
“For their pains – for doing their job properly – they get crucified in the media, accused of penny-pinching. I don’t understand it.
“They are determined to keep Celtic properly managed, while Rangers, with Murray, is a one-party state and the man in power has an allergy to any form of personal criticism. But he’s not a businessman in the long-term sense of planning and prudence, he’s more of an impresario.
“But what has been happening is unfair on shareholders, and they’re being short-changed.
“It’s a nonsense, too, to say that Rangers’ shareholders are all supporters who aren’t interested in dividends or profits.
“That’s okay for the man with 50 shares, framed and hung on his wall. The number of shareholders in that category would amount to a minuscule percentage of the equity.
“But I’m 76 and haven’t had a dividend in years, so what’s the point of me keeping shares until they dwindle to nothing? And I’m certain the people at ENIC won’t be too pleased with their investment.”
Who is this alleged tim on SSB now? No bad publicity? Remember thistle? Knocking sky now ? Hope huns don’t go out of business? Jimmy you are a fud
Is there a link creator anywhere? I have some footage I would like to share…
mad hun on snyde
hehehe stupid huns
James Forrest isn’t 16.He’s no raw teenager,he’s a proffesional player who trains everyday with the big bhoys.His age is no excuse,he either has bad games or good games and recently too many have been the former.Time for a rest to enable him to get back to his early season form as at Rugby Park where he was immense.IMHO obviously.
“I like fairness” says hun caller to Snyde.Hahahahahahahahaha…………….naw you don’t ya liar!
And Robert brings us back to normality, what a man!!!! I love SSB, I love Hugh, I live drink!!!!
I don’t live drink, I just love it!
I have enormous human compassion with Kojo, as I would with ANY human being who has health problems.
I hope that his problem will be quickly rectified.
I also hope that he gets the same medical treatment that an unemployed council worker would get in Nevada.
That would be what any decent person would wish.
Maks sense tae me.
in Milan tonight , just got a bus from Malpensa the the centre and “buddied” up with a Rangers upporting Marseille fanatic who is out here for the match tomorrow.
For once an aticualte snesible hun tells me that Rangers have brought great shame on the game, that they should take their medicine and start again.
He asked me if i wanted to go to the match tomorrow, but the spidey snese kicked in , and told me it wasnt a sensible thing to do.
Anyways , travelling all day, whats the news back at the ranch.
to be fair to the hun,
he was more articulate and sensible than my typing is.
…………….Jeff Winter backs Ragers take over bid.
* whilst his police investigation continues *
Kiss of Death CSC
Gordon J-It was edited,but the reptile still used a funeral of all places,to try and score political points.
Keevins,talking loud saying nothing.
The sands of time are running out for Paul Murray and the blue knights they need to negotiate CVA s with the clubs creditors and this would be problematic.Time is not on anyones side who wish to save the stricken club the signs are that it is still looking as though the more likely outcome is liquidation.Of course they could forget about CVAs and dig deep into there pockets and pay the 100 Million owed up front but they are very unlikely to do that remember this group had the chance to buy Rangers for £1 during the 4 years Sir Skinty was trying to sell them and they didnt do it so now the price is 100 million so think they are a busted flush.H.H.
hannah using the sam drivel about legalities of publishng, problem being all the facts were verifiable. They didnt want to investigate because they wanted the facts buried.
keevins: rankers are bigger than a reasonable size lmfao not according to hugh adams their know keevins ya twat.
HH
No to Newco…under any circumstances.
Points deduction = excuse for huns to say if their auntie had haw maws she would be their uncle.