You have been presented with a narrative that we should collapse the Scottish Premier League this summer and have the SFA register a new, two-division, league system to resolve the problems inherent in having too many bodies running our game. This is complete nonsense.
Those pushing for a SPL 2 are, perhaps with good intentions, trying to pull a deal together to reduce the impact of the demise of Rangers FC buy allowing a phoenix the chance to gain entry into the league structure two levels higher than what they now face.
It’s a stupid proposal.
As things stand, there is no chance of a Newco getting access to the SPL next season. Despite Neil Doncaster heavily advocating the notion, the idea is simply undeliverable. Our club has been committed to opposing the proposition from the beginning, while many others now realise they have to observe the strong feelings of their own supporters on the matter.
Doncaster should have realised this was a campaign he could not win before he boxed himself into a corner over it. SPL 2 is an attempt to address the ‘No to Newco’ concerns while bringing the income some in the game hope Newco will deliver.
The unnamed SFA source who briefed the BBC on this topic last week made no reference whatsoever to Newco, their focus was all on the administrative challenges of having multiple bodies in charge of the game, but this was disingenuous. If there was a prospect of Newco getting into the SPL we would not be having this debate.
Tell us the truth, be honest, and these random, ill-considered, notions will perhaps be received in a better light.
The hope is that fans of the former club, Rangers, bring their cash along to watch Newco, which would play SPL 2 football next season and would be subject to whatever penalties the various independent bodies impose for years to come for the illegal actions of Rangers. This would allow Newco to claim the history of Rangers, would perhaps maintain the existing BSkyB TV deal and would meet the ‘No to Newco’ demands.
There are several huge obstacles to overcome. The SFA will soon instruct Lord Carloway’s Appellate Panel to consider a new punishment for ‘Rangers’ for misdeeds during the Craig Whyte era. I expect him to suspend the ‘club’ for 12 months. A new independent judicial panel will consider the case against ‘Rangers’ for subverting our game for over a decade through the illegal registration of players. If/when the First Tier Tribunal finds against Rangers a fresh wave of charges will be brought against any club claiming to hold that identity – as a guide, think of the punishments for the Craig Whyte era multiplied by 12.
These three independent judicial panels will destroy whatever is left of what we used to call ‘Rangers’ and there is nothing the football authorities can do about it.
Sevco, who own Ibrox and have applied for SPL access, already face an enormous challenge to meet trading costs for a year, even in the SPL, never mind a lower league (as Dave King correctly concluded). They are prime candidates for another insolvency event any time soon. Best of all, a Celtic fan has now bid for the assets (more on this later)!
Even if Newco overcame these enormous challenges, the SFA and SPL executives, having realised they cannot convince fans of 11 clubs to hold their noses and put up with a Newco-Rangers, will now try to convince former Rangers fans to cough up cash to support a Newco that will be rendered impotent by the most severe penalties in the history of our game.
I cannot see former Rangers fans accepting their role as cannon fodder for St Mirren, Motherwell and (cough) Kilmarnock in a league where the Mighty Celtic romp home by 30 points.
I don’t have an objection in principle to a two-league SPL but plan it properly, don’t allow knee-jerk reactions to dictate thinking. There’s no point in us getting paranoid about this, it’s not some attempt to help the remnants of ‘Rangers’, it’s just a stupid proposal from people who have yet to see the big picture.
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ScotPatsFan – I would argue for closed shops.
Then you, sir, are no friend of the working classes, for closed shops were an enemy of growth and progress and freedom.
And by the way, it’s no coincidence that the decline of sectarian-based employment practices in Scotland followed the decline of the power of trade unions and their closed shops.
Thankfully closed shops have gone the way of the Corn Laws, indentured servitude, and “what school did you go to?”. (thumbsup)
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 21 June, 2012 at 13:41 said:
Cadizzy,
There were also hundreds of soldiers on those buses
Have you proof of this or is it just hearsay?
I was on the picket lines for a year. We always thought that there were ‘unknowns’ in police uniforms, but we never had any proof. We actually became friendly with the local police every day when picketing, but at no time did they allude to there being soldiers in police uniform.
SPF
Interesting read regarding Commons
CELTIC midfielder Kris Commons has lifted the lid on a season of individual anguish and has vowed to continue next season the way he left off in 2011/12.
Custom byline text:
by Alison McConnell
It was a campaign that was dogged by injury and loss of form for the Scotland internationalist, who only began to reach the heights he scaled last term as the season petered out.
And the 26-year-old has admitted that when things are not going well on the park, personal demons and doubts can cause havoc with a player’s confidence and self-belief, leading to a vicious circle of loss of form and scathing criticism.
There were rumours early on in the season that Commons had had a ‘rammy’ with Neil Lennon – Celtic’s PR chiefs enjoyed that one when the player ran out to face the cameras at training one day heavily bandaged – but Commons couldn’t have been more effusive about the faith his manager has retained in him.
Lennon has insisted in SportTimes that Commons will be going nowhere this summer, and certainly the player is determined to repay his manager next term.
“When I was getting the chance to play I wasn’t confident and at the start of the season I was in a bit of a hole,” Commons said.
“Through hard work and the gaffer putting an arm around me every now and again it has paid dividends, and I ended the season close to getting back to where I need to be.
“The manager used to tell me that I analysed things too much. I am always thinking about my touch, about scoring goals, about passing and he just wants me to take the shackles off, relax and go out and play and enjoy my football.
“But when someone tells you that, you think about what you need to do to enjoy it – and it is good passes, getting goals and setting goals up. When you aren’t quite doing that you can’t help but analyse it and I do that far too much. But the faith of the manager is paying dividends now.
“Confidence is the be-all and end-all of being a footballer. When you are low on confidence you don’t score goals, don’t want the ball, you don’t make the runs and the last thing you want is to be seeing the goalkeeper one-on-one.
“You are on the pitch and you think you have to try and make things happen. You aren’t seeing the passes and you start thinking about the game far too much.
“Whereas last year when I was doing well and scoring goals, you don’t think about passes or your touch, it just comes naturally. But through hard work, being in the gym and doing things on the training park, it comes back slowly but surely.
“I felt as though I was getting back to that.”
The first goal of Commons’ season came in April in the Old Firm game when Celtic beat Rangers 3-0 at Parkhead and he was delighted to hit the back of the net in such a high-profile game.
Ultimately, there is an argument to suggest that the match itself meant very little since the league title was long in the bag and Rangers had the look of a beaten team before they had even stepped foot on the park.
For a player who has toiled for form all season, however, the well-crafted goal carried a significant weight.
“I have hit the woodwork and missed penalties and had injuries, it was the icing on the cake to score that goal and have my family there,” he said. It was nice. I have had calf injuries, groin injuries and hamstring injuries and it has made me so frustrated. ”
Given that he finished the campaign in the kind of form that Celtic saw from him in his first few months at the club, Commons understandably was not too keen to see the passports and sun cream coming out.
The squad got their chance to enjoy the title celebrations but players not involved in Euro 2012 are due to begin pre-season training on July 2.
Lennon told his squad that they are entitled to some down time after the mental and physical demands of the season, however, the club have also stressed the importance of staying in some sort of shape given the vital Champions League qualifiers.
Commons has never been involved at that level and is determined to play a part as Celtic try to win a ticket to the coveted group stage.
“I have my eye on the Champions League which will come round so quickly,” he said. The qualifiers are the golden ticket and if we can get into the group stage it will be brilliant for the club and the fans and for people like me who have never played in the competition. That is my full focus right now.
“I want to get my foot straight back in the door and crack on. It is a great club and it is a real privilege to play here. We have a few weeks off but I am already itching to get back.”
While there have already been departures from the Hoops squad this summer, Commons is hopeful the nucleus of the team will remain.
There has already been plenty of speculation about some of the first-team regulars at the club, such as leading SPL goalscorer Gary Hooper, but given the relative youth of Lennon’s squad, keeping them together could lead to a period of sustained success.
Commons believes much of that is due to the tight-knit nature of the camaraderie within the Hoops dressing room.
“We are all good friends,” he explained. “We have a bit to eat and play golf and spend a bit of time together away from football, and when you have that you respect one another a bit more and you get to know what people need on and off the park.
“For us it is building and building and when we are playing in the big games we trust each other.”
Next season, it might all be about whether or not Commons can retain the level of form that allows him to trust himself
The BMA are not on strike. They are taking industrial action short of striking.
They are in work but only doing paper work or responding to emergencies or cancer care. Some may not notice the difference.
Mort on 21 June, 2012 at 13:52
re Drogba…fair play to him….though I still maintain he’ll be pushed to find it a challenge.
In fact finding it a challlenge will be a erm challenge
The Economist; 27th May 1978.
A so called right wing fringe group of the Conservative party has it plans to provoke a battle with Miners leaked/published.
Scargill should have read The Ridley proposals in 1978. Prescient play book it was too…
Kayal33
Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs and Motherwell to say no then. St Johnstone will say no as well if no serious sanctions.
ASonOfDan on 21 June, 2012 at 13:52 said:
Southampton? Here we go again…
cadizzy
He’ll find it a challenge when he’s up against Du Wei or Zheng Zhi (provided that he’s eligible) as both former Hoops stars will give him a good game.
Mort
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 21 June, 2012 at 13:52 said:
Macjay1, maybe you can remind us of those halcyon days, I doubt you will ever find a time where that is true, very very few doctors went into their profession with helping above lifestyle, those that did do free clinics, no many of them around eh.
Neil.
My experiences are obviously different from yours.
Home visits were routine.
Many of our fellow Tims became medics.We stood together on the terraces at Celtic Park.
They took our ethics to work with them and put them into practice.
Seriously sorry you haven`t come across any.
That is not to suggest that ethical medics were exclusively on ” our side.”
It’s a good move by Motherwell directors, and takes any blame one way or the other off their hands.
Mort on 21 June, 2012 at 14:04
Zheng Zhi being eligible! …..now there’s a challenge.
Philvisreturns
‘Then you, sir, are no friend of the working classes, for closed shops were an enemy of growth and progress and freedom.’
I have no idea what you mean by that statement.
‘The decline of sectarianism in the workplace coincides with the demise of the unions and closed shops.’
From my working experience, I see no link between the two.
SPF
SPF
I worked beside a guy from Bellshill in the 80’s( Ex – cop). He informed me that his next door neighbour came face to face with his own brother on the picket lines – which surprised him, as he was supposed to be on a tour of duty in Germany with the army.
He was wearing a police uniform.
I believed it….and still do.
Teuchter
Billy’s Bhoy – I’m sorry your heart is so full of hate. It’s a destructive emotion, you should let it go.
Britain in 2012 is very far from being a utopia, but the average person is far wealthier today than his 1970’s counterpart. People quickly forget the recent past in a haze of nostalgia, but the reality of working class life in the 1970’s was materially much poorer than it is now.
As for our industrial base, our heavy industries were dead men walking before Mrs Thatcher came to power in 1979. Successive Labour and Conservative governments had spent decades pumping ever greater quantities of taxpayers cash into loss-making nationalised industries.
They were rewarded with endless strikes (it wasn’t uncommon for major industrial plants to lose 1 day in 4 to some form of industrial dispute during the 70’s, absolute madness in hindsight given how rapidly the Japanese and other competitor nations were developing), and endless political intrigue (the unions had brought down both Labour and Tory governments before trying to bring down Mrs T).
Decades of pigheaded management and intransigent unions had rendered much of our industry antiquated, ossified, and uncompetitive, making crappy products nobody wanted to buy (remember British Leyland?). The public finances were in poor shape, inflation was rampant, and the country in general seemed to be on an irreversible decline. We were the “sick man of Europe”.
Something had to be done.
You can blame the doctor all you want because her medicine was hard to swallow, but it worked. (thumbsup)
anybody hungry?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18490459
Miners strike ?
” Middle class twerps like Chumbawamba supported the miners, the likes of Frank Chapple and Bill Sirs stayed well clear ”
Julie Burchill .
” I will not see the steel industry crucified on someone else’s altar
Bill Sirs
” They should have held a ballot but knew that @ 20 % would vote know -if Scargill can’t persuade a fifth of his own members to come out ,why should others risk their livelihoods ? ”
Frank Chapple
” The strike was bungled by both sides in the most pig-headed fashion ”
Kenneth Williams..
Scargill didn’t seem to have any tactics beyond mass picketing . Syndicalism didn’t have much chance of succeeding when a large percentage of the unionized working class were voting Tory.
weeminger,
re motherwell
I agree but I hope that the “impartial guidance document” really is impartial
hen1rik-Do the inmates of FF still think there’s a Labour Government?
ScotPat…,
Knew a couple
hoopeddreams ——
Many thanks for the info re that Bobby Womack interview.
Teuchter ár lá
I wouldn’t doubt his word.
As I said before, we had no actual proof of soldiers manning the picket lines, so I’m glad to hear that.
When I remember hundreds of double decker buses full of police arriving at Hunterston and Ravenscraig on days of protest, you could only stare in disbelief at their number.
SPF
tamstered
Brilliant. That breakfast does just about weigh the same amount as my baby. Also didn’t realise that I ran that establishment.
Mort
ASonOfDan on 21 June, 2012 at 11:15 said:
Let them know.
Scotsman Survey
>>>>>
Done.
Summa of Sammi…. on 21 June, 2012 at 13:49 said:
Hello,Summa.
Howzitgaun?
Posted to you Lenny`s response to a question about one of his best decisions last season.
He replied :” I kept faith in Sammi.” or words to that effect.
Summa! You`ve been vindicated by the boss himself.
starryplough. It wont be for the lack of trying the Scottish football authorities will change the rules to suit if they get away with it.I want to know why there are at the oment no prosecutions pending for tax evasion? I also want to know how Charles Green can buy Ibrox,Murraypark,and the Car park for only 5.5 million when David Murray said they were worth much more ? I want to know why the creditors who are being shafted are so quiet about it? The whole set up is wrong if it were any other team it Scotland the MSM would be looking for answers to those questions however.there silence is deafening.H.H.
Matthew Lindsay bidding for a place in the Scottish sports “journalist” hall of fame. There’s enough newsworthy stuff going on in Scottish football right now without having to make stuff up, ya fud.
Or hadn’t you noticed?
Macjay1 and those he visits were unpaid? I don’t think so
philvisreturns on 21 June, 2012 at 13:55 said:
”And by the way, it’s no coincidence that the decline of sectarian-based employment practices in Scotland followed the decline of the power of trade unions and their closed shops.”
Post hoc ergo propter hoc.
Is the school to blame?
philvisreturns on 21 June, 2012 at 14:08 said:
Your assessment is spot on.
`70s Tims with a mortgage? Tiny proportion.
Paul67
You are getting me really excited.
Stop it.
TT
South of Tunis
You’re welcome.
Rainy 12 degrees way up north.
Joe Filippis Haircut on 21 June, 2012 at 14:18 said:
The authorities here won’t be able to do much when it becomes clear that “The Mouth from Down South” hasn’t got the money to fund a football team!!
I be surprised if Mr Greens fitbaw team every get as far a kickin’ a baw!!
That’s how it looks to me..
BTC still to come remember…
It’s good to know that Kris Commons is staying and continuing to regain his fitness as he demonstrated during the latter stages of last season. He’s the kind of player we need. A game changer.
>>>
philvis is a clever guy. Generally incisive comments re. football. But he does like to toss his daily grenades of right-wing venom around to see what rubble he can create. He’s entitled to say what he likes….doesn’t mean it’s not a load of revisionist crap. He’s an old fascist dinosaur. Soon to be extinct.
cadizzy on 21 June, 2012 at 13:58 said:
Mort on 21 June, 2012 at 13:52
re Drogba…fair play to him….though I still maintain he’ll be pushed to find it a challenge.
In fact finding it a challlenge will be a erm challenge
==========================
I reckon big Drogba will run riot; no pressure on him, up against players several levels below his ability. He’ll have a field day.
As long as Beijing Guoan give them a good pumping. The Guoan wear THE strip Celtic should have as a change strip. It’s a CRACKER. Designed by Nike, too:
http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/beijing-guoan-2011-home-and-away-kits_10201
I am sick and tired of people posting about Zheng Zhi being either eligible or ineligible.
Frankly I would be happy if we just sold him.
South of Tunis
and then they came for the steel industry….
The ruling class know how to divide and conquer.
The police and army had been given whopping big pay rises before the miners strike.
The steel industry could wait they miners were the first target.
Some of you should take a walk in old mining communities. However philvis thinks that it was ok especially since most of them were Ayrshire prods.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on 21 June, 2012 at 14:20 said:
Macjay1 and those he visits were unpaid? I don’t think so
Mate.
Do you think a doctor shouldn`t be paid?
How about a carpenter,plumber,tiler ?
Do you think home visits were made out of self interest, financial interest?