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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The Blue Knight- mares?
At least people are putting the boot in more effectively on SSB,that renowned comedy show…
brendan-behan on 12 March, 2012 at 19:11 said:
miki67 on 12 March, 2012 at 19:08 said:
First there was The Whyte Knights,then there was The Blue Knights; what next? The Boogie Knights?
The Barron Knights
______________
Am with Gladys on this one – they all give me the pip(s)!
the knights who say ni
My, Hugh keevins is getting a bit of a doing here.
Says Hugh ‘it’s a weird experience being here tonight’.
Keevins giving us bampots a row again.If he looked round his office any day,he would see his fellow lapdogs trawling the net looking for scraps,and real information.
the knights who what a shrubbery
Laird:
End bit is meant to read: “they don’t like the truth…just as an ugly man avoids a mirror so do they avoid the Truth”…
This ipad is a treacherous contrivance!
Keevins! Aye,you laddie!
How can ye have yer pudding
if you don’t eat yer meat!!?
Keevins doesnae unnerstaun the internet? How,in the name of everything,does that arrogant numpty call himsel’ a journalist?
A self-deluded holocaust denier type.
stephbhoy on 12 March, 2012 at 19:15 said:
i would stand up for james as a good player, but ffs his names should not even be used in the same breath as jinky, reserve that for messi, DM, pele, ronaldo, de piaro etc…
If you read my post you will have noticed that I compared like with like……a young James Forrest with a young Jinky………or do you think that young Jinky was brilliant in every game that he played in, didn’t frustrate the fans with his inconsistent play from minute to minute/ game to game.
The young Jimmy Johnstone was much the same as the young James Forrest, very talented, learning his trade and making mistakes along the way. Will the mature James Forrest emulate the Mature Jimmy Johnstone…….I hope so!
Oh aye….The Knights of Ni…who could deny them?
Knight knight sleep tight don’t let the tax man bite.
Keevins exists in a land of hun knights, their valour and dignity praised despite
Bloodthirsty Multi Holy wars on lands beyond their Timmy hate
He’s an Uncle Tim with tainted hun medals for stars on his humped back and a forked tongue gub for good measure.
#Arelicofolxcorankers
Just feckin’ die ya huns
lonely knights?
old bobby vee had it right,” the knight has a thousand lies”
Serenity
Before my time but thankfully there is so much wonderful footage which even us youngsters can marvel at.
The Singing d…,
so what your saying is without decent players around him, he’s useless, sorry pal I dont subscribe to that point of view.
The bhoy is good enough on his own merit, his consistency and attitude need to improve.
His form should have nothing to do with who is around him, Kayal, Brown, or anyone else should make no difference to his input to a game.
Ard Macha – I know that those posts will not be to everyone’s liking and that is fair enough on a website that is predominantly about Celtic, quite rightly.
But I find them moving and fascinating, many thanks.
Rangers in administration are a complete no mark to us now.
They mean nothing to me
Miki67
Granted Keevins is a plank but the last line of your post was uncalled for.
Thanks Kayal33
Ard Macha
Heart wrenching as ever.
Paul 67
Kaboom!
http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/dangers-rangers-tax-shambles/850
People are making a Hero out of Hugh Adam.
He has a grudge against Murray.His comments about him are bang on.
However he was a director and a major player at Ayebrokes for decades whilst they employed an anti Catholic employment policy.
He has played more than his part in their institutionalised Bigotry.
TT
Following on from an earlier CQNer…
James Forrest is getting the same treatment as Jimmy Johnstone – he gets kicked off the park, but is still sufficiently talented to make the difference. From what I can see he has the same courage.
However, it just goes to show litle the Scottish game has progressed in 40 yrs.
The Dutch guy who came in to the SFA (Wotty?) must be covering his eyes when he sees what goes on here.
Not just about JF but all young talents.
At the weekend a young Scots boy (Aberdeen player) was nearly crippled by a serial offender Lasley.
That is typical of what goes on. Worse is the fact that Lasley is given an easy ride by the likes of C Brown ( “he didna mean it” – aye right).
The appointment of Wotty is, on the surface, a good initiative.
But he is THE man who should be shouting “FOUL!!!”.
So far, I haven’t heard a whisper, have you?
kevin hughes on 12 March, 2012 at 19:38 said:
lonely knights?
old bobby vee had it right,” the knight has a thousand lies”
share
“A thousand eyes” surely!
Oh, you knew that! :-)
!!Bada Bing!! Kano 1000 on 12 March, 2012 at 19:30 said:
When do you head to New York?
James Forrest is a 20 year old kid, who if we all cast our minds back a few months was almost single handedly kept us on track for the treble. Yes he has gone slightly off the boil at the moment, although I personally think that he came on too a bit of his earlier form in the second half on Sunday. I think we all need to take a step back here and just appreciate that along with JF we have a host of really talented young players at Celtic Park.
Lenny knows what we have and is rightly singing their praises.
Treble is ours lads, keep the faith.
HH
This is from Channel 4’s Alex Thomson’s blog… He’s the guy who broadcast from Govan last week. Real MSM prepared to ask questions…
So far Mr Ogilvie has not stood aside from his current role whilst the SPL investigation is underway. How many such contracts were signed? How many did he see? Did he know about them at all? If he did, did he sanction them being signed off? If he didn’t – why wasn’t he doing his job? Is there not a conflict of interest in his current position?
We are currently putting these and other questions to Mr Ogilvie via the SFA, but as things stand we are told he is not doing any interviews but is ‘distancing himself from the current investigations’. When we asked if he has formally stood aside pending the outcome of the investigation, we were told he has not.
As one fan put it: “If it is held to be true that Rangers, in implementing an unlawful tax evasion scam on a huge scale, fielded ineligible payers whilst those responsible were serving as directors of the regulatory and licensing bodies, we can say with certainty that the game of football in Scotland has been corrupt for 15 years or so.”
http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/dangers-rangers-tax-shambles/850
Sorry, didn’t realise link was posted earlier…
Oh, I see the STV guy reckoned Sammi merely stumbled to get the penalty. Pure bigot.
mighty tim,
when they need to be told we should tell them, else whats the point of opinion based blogs.
Nobody said he’s useless, everyone appreciates his talent, but when out of form the same rules used on other players need to be applied, off form dropped simple, give someone else a chance.
I’m away for a blue knight
mighty tim on 12 March, 2012 at 19:51 said:
I was watching James Forrest quite attentively on Sunday and I did notice that defenders are doubling up on him, similar to what happened to Aiden. As long as the MIB defend him from some of these thugs then fair enough. Doubling up on a player always leaves more room for the rest.
The Blue Knights
—————————–
Sounds like a porn film
For anyone interested.
U19’s Motherwell v Celtic, Tuesday 1pm, Creamery Park, Bathgate.
Did this cheating go on for 10+ years without the SFA knowing ANYTHING about it AT ALL, Mr Platini.?……..for the integrity of SPORT, we need a public enquiry about all this….
…..and let’s not forget the other teams in Scotland who went out of business…….did they go out of business (with all their employees losing their jobs) because of the ‘financial’ pressure imposed on every other team by rankers cheating in their attempt to gain supremacy in Scotland, and to win the CL….?
…..this is a very serious issue for the concept of SPORTING INTEGRITY which, if left unchallenged, could infect other teams in other Countries
TinyTim:
Totally agree with everything you said but…but…
Amongst that oily ragbag of slanderous raggamuffins, pecksniffs, joe surfaces, scapins, imposters, shufflers, ass in lions skin, wolf in sheeps cardigan, medicasters and montebacks…that covin of conjurers, decoy ducks, rogues, jobbers, swindlers…a board that was an organized hypocrisy crafted for the conspiracy to trick all and sundry with Sir David as the smooth cheeked cherry on top…
Amongst that lot he passes as decent enough!
rEMEMBER
The Icicle on 12 March, 2012 at 19:58 said:
I’m away for a blue knight
Remember the paper – just for the record. :-)