Devoid as we are of international success it might be heartening that Scottish football is now head and shoulders above any other country when it comes to releasing statements.
Today it was the turn of Clyde.
Quite explosive this one. It seems to nail as hollow some of the threats that have been made, it questions the continued silence of most SPL clubs and draws attention once more to the uncertainty that still surrounds the Charles Green owned Rangers newco.
And it also suggests - perhaps more explicitly than any other club statement - that based on the information so far provided to the SFL the Rangers newco should not actually be admitted at any level.
It certainly seems to me that, whatever the outcome on Friday, it is going to be difficult for Scottish football to keep either Neil Doncaster or Stewart Regan in positions of such influence.
The board of Clyde Football Club met last night to consider how it might approach the resolutions (see below) to be voted on at the SFL meeting on Friday 13th July. This update is to inform our owners and supporters and hopefully explain some of the complexities that face the club when carefully and objectively considering how we might vote. We hope that by being as clear as possible about the difficulties surrounding this situation that the people able to support the process act swiftly to do so.
The overwhelming reality is that we are being asked to make one of the most important decisions for Scottish Football in a vacuum devoid of factual information, that vacuum having been filled with unhelpful rhetoric and scaremongering by the chief executives of the SFA and SPL.
We therefore looked at what we were being asked to vote on, how it fitted with the principles of the sport, and what information we might need to inform a logical decision in context of the current reality.
It was clear that the resolutions marked a clear departure from all previous process and custom and practice when considering admitting a team to the SFL, albeit operating within the rules of the SFL. It was in that context which we considered the resolutions. In reality, the customary principles of sport were not at the forefront of the resolutions.
We first concluded that there was limited risk to the SFL from the 'Armageddon' theory, as depicted in the detailed presentation by Neil Doncaster and supported by Stewart Regan, which had prompted fears of cash flow loss to the SFL next season. We have obtained a copy of the Settlement Agreement signed up to by the SPL and the SFL in April 1998 - it is clear that the agreement is not ambiguous in this regard and there is no scope for the SPL to fail to meet the obligations to the SFL except by deliberately breaching the agreement. Neil Doncaster was unequivocal when he said that there would be no payment under the agreement and stressed that it was not the board of the SPL that made big decisions, it was the clubs themselves. We have concluded that it defies credibility that the SPL clubs would instruct the SPL to deliberately breach a legal agreement. To assist the SFL clubs to take decisions in the right manner then the external threat should be removed by the SPL clubs, confirming to the SFL that they have not and will not instruct the SPL to breach the Settlement Agreement.
Consideration was then given to Resolution 1 which we concluded required to be reworded to be explicit that entry was to SFL3. The reason for this is that once entered to the SFL in the manner proposed under Resolution 1, we understand that it is within the power of the Board of the SFL to place a club into any league of their choosing. We believe that, due to the intolerable pressure placed on the SFL board to date by external parties, this resolution should be explicit to avoid the Board coming under pressure from either the SFA or SPL in the event that Resolution 2 is rejected. It is also our opinion that Resolution 1 being explicit sits more appropriately with Resolution 2 which in itself is explicit about where any club might play.
In terms of Resolution 1, whether reworded or not, it seemed inconceivable to the Board of Clyde that absolutely no information whatsoever has been provided to support the resolution. This is clearly a matter of haste and again driven by an external agenda, perhaps because Sevco have not lodged an application to join the SFL then they have not submitted any information. Whilst we have accepted that this is being treated as a special case and we are willing to run with this, it simply was not possible to conclude that we could make any decision at this time. The matter is made worse because of the extent of uncertainty which hangs over Sevco. There is no need to prepare an exhaustive list of the issues as they are well publicised, however the extent of outstanding sanctions that may or may not be levied against a club which has yet to obtain SFA membership, together with the increasing number of possible commercial and legal challenges to the transactions to date simply presents a significant risk to the ability of the club to fulfil its fixtures in any league. Given that some of these matters are in the hands of the governing bodies it seems inexplicable that they are left hanging. We are clear that for the good of the game that we would want a swift and positive conclusion that would see Rangers Football Club taking part in the game again and we would wish to be able to support a Resolution that saw them entered to SFL3. However, until we receive enough information to inform such a decision then we are being pushed into a corner which would actually leave any club making a logical decision arrive at the conclusion that Resolution 1 should not be supported. The SFA could assist the process by transferring the SFA membership to Sevco prior to the Friday meeting if they have satisfied themselves of fit and proper tests and have carried out their own diligence on the viability of the club and the various legal challenges.
Resolution 2 suffers from the same issues as Resolution 1, in that no information of any sort about Sevco, not even whether it will obtain SFA membership, leaves no possibility of making a decision about entry to the SFL based on facts or logic. Clearly it is incumbent on all the governing bodies to make available all factual information they have available if they truly want this process to have any chance of being recovered from the current chaos. At the very least the business plan for Sevco and any other information that led the SPL clubs to arrive at a decision should be made available to the SFL clubs, and not with inappropriately short notice, although that point has as good as passed. Resolution 2 was where the challenge to sporting integrity arose. It was impossible to engage with this concept without continually bearing in mind that the SFA had already undermined the prospects for any integrity to be maintained by making it clear that failure to deal with the admission of a newco to SFL3 would be a dereliction of duty. In effect posting notice that no matter what decision is taken by the SFL clubs to administer their league, the SFA would not tolerate anything other than SFL 1, an equivalent point having been made by Neil Doncaster on behalf of the SPL clubs. The stated position of the SFA and SPL chief executives means that, whilst this club can have faith in David Longmuir to do all in his power to deliver a new combined structure that meets the objectives of Resolution 2, we have no faith in the parties that the new arrangements would be negotiated with. Their behaviour to date is evidence enough for us. We should not be disingenuous on our own position in terms of the question of trading sporting integrity for transformational change to the way the game is governed that is posed by Resolution 2. We have said previously that there would be no winners and that compromise would be required at some point. With this in mind, had we worked through this process and seen positive collaborative behaviour from the leaders of the SFA and SPL and we were challenged with backing Resolution 2 in exchange for revolutionary change that would truly benefit the game as a whole, then we would have engaged with that. As it stands, we have no information on the proposals other than that distributed in advance of the meeting last week and no confidence in the parties that will control the process outside of the SFL. As such we would vote no to Resolution 2.
Resolution 3, as many have pointed out this resolution seems presumptuous as no invitation has been issued from the SPL to either club. Again, this arises because of the external pressures, the haste and the failure of other bodies to complete their own processes. As things stand, whilst Sevco/Newco was not voted into the SPL, it seems that the SPL still has 12 members based on the reported voting at the SPL meeting last week, albeit one of whom is in liquidation. It seems to make more sense that the SPL complete their processes and make the appropriate invitation for a club to join the SPL. We would seek to support whichever of our member clubs are invited to join the SPL to make that move, however, at the moment there is no certainty that Sevco will be entered into the SFL and the SFL should not risk leaving itself short of a team.
In summary, the complete absence of information on Sevco Scotland Ltd renders it impossible to vote with any logic in favour of any of the Resolutions. The default in these circumstances would unfortunately be to vote against. We hope and trust that this unacceptable situation will be resolved swiftly and will allow Clyde Football Club to support Resolution 1 from an informed position and will see Rangers Football Club playing in SFL3. We see Resolution 2 as a matter of trust and it would take a change of personnel and attitude for us to be confident that David Longmuir would be entering discussions with a group of people committed to a collaborative process in a spirit of genuine partnership. In the current circumstances our only decision could be to vote against Resolution 2. Subject to a satisfactory outcome on Resolution 1 we would support Resolution 3.
The three resolutions presented to the club are as follows:-
(i) That the Scottish Football League Members agree to admit Sevco Scotland Limited as an Associate Member and agrees to permit Rangers F.C. to play in the League during Season 2012/13.
(ii) That the Scottish Football League Members direct the Board of Management of The Scottish Football League (the “Board”) to provide that Rangers F.C. shall play in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League during Season 2012/13 unless the Board shall have to its satisfaction negotiated and reached agreement with The Scottish Premier League and The Scottish Football Association on a series of measures which the Board shall consider to be in the best interests of the game, how it is structured, how it is governed and how it is financed, whereupon the Board shall be authorised to provide that Rangers F.C. shall play in the First Division of the Scottish Football League during Season 2012/13.
(iii) That the Scottish Football League Members in terms of Rule 12 approve the resignation of either Dundee F.C. or Dunfermline Athletic F.C., whichever shall be admitted to join the Scottish Premier League for Season 2012/13, such resignation to take effect as at the date of admission of such club to the Scottish Premier League, notwithstanding that the requisite notice under Rule 12 shall not have been given.Details of the series of measures referred to at (ii) above shall be made available to the Members in advance of the meeting and an opportunity for full discussion of those measures will be given prior to the proposals being put to the meeting.
From www.clydefc.co.uk
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Showing posts with label Scottish First Division. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scottish First Division. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Rangers newco: Hamilton hit back
Another day, another statement.
Hamilton this time, again capturing the anger that SFL feel about the position they've been put in. And still no response from the SPL "no to newco" majority that could help allay these fears.
Coupled with the earlier statement from Raith might we be moving to a position where the SFL clubs refuse to take any vote on admitting the Rangers newco? That would certainly heap the pressure back on the SPL and SFA.
The full statement:
As you all know I attended the SFL meeting earlier this week to discuss the various proposals put to us by the SFA/SFL/SPL. We have subsequently had a board meeting to discuss the consequences of each of these scenarios. It is also now apparent that Rangers Newco will not play in the SPL next season.
As you are aware the proposal being favoured by the governing bodies is that Rangers Newco are parachuted into the Irn Bru SFL Division 1, contrary to Scottish Football League rules. If our Governing bodies ever get round to tabling any firm proposal to vote on it is unlikely in our opinion that this proposal, in isolation, would be acceptable to the members.
We believe that a complete overhaul of the game is required for the good of Scottish Football. League Reconstruction, play-offs, a fairer financial distribution model and a more effective Corporate Governance are some of the major issues which require to be addressed. The current circumstances we find ourselves in have created an opportunity for these changes to be implemented.
We believe the problems facing the game are not of the SFL’s making and as such would strongly suggest that the SFA, our governing body, take immediate ownership of the current situation in tandem with the two League bodies, and table a set of proposals at next week’s meeting providing a solution for the way forward in the best interests of Scottish Football.
In the meantime the situation changes daily and it is our view that HAFC and the other SFL clubs should not be put in the position to vote on something which may destroy Scottish Football.
Thank you for your support in these most challenging of times.
Les Gray
Chairman HAFC
From www.acciesfc.co.uk
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Hamilton this time, again capturing the anger that SFL feel about the position they've been put in. And still no response from the SPL "no to newco" majority that could help allay these fears.
Coupled with the earlier statement from Raith might we be moving to a position where the SFL clubs refuse to take any vote on admitting the Rangers newco? That would certainly heap the pressure back on the SPL and SFA.
The full statement:
As you all know I attended the SFL meeting earlier this week to discuss the various proposals put to us by the SFA/SFL/SPL. We have subsequently had a board meeting to discuss the consequences of each of these scenarios. It is also now apparent that Rangers Newco will not play in the SPL next season.
As you are aware the proposal being favoured by the governing bodies is that Rangers Newco are parachuted into the Irn Bru SFL Division 1, contrary to Scottish Football League rules. If our Governing bodies ever get round to tabling any firm proposal to vote on it is unlikely in our opinion that this proposal, in isolation, would be acceptable to the members.
We believe that a complete overhaul of the game is required for the good of Scottish Football. League Reconstruction, play-offs, a fairer financial distribution model and a more effective Corporate Governance are some of the major issues which require to be addressed. The current circumstances we find ourselves in have created an opportunity for these changes to be implemented.
We believe the problems facing the game are not of the SFL’s making and as such would strongly suggest that the SFA, our governing body, take immediate ownership of the current situation in tandem with the two League bodies, and table a set of proposals at next week’s meeting providing a solution for the way forward in the best interests of Scottish Football.
In the meantime the situation changes daily and it is our view that HAFC and the other SFL clubs should not be put in the position to vote on something which may destroy Scottish Football.
Thank you for your support in these most challenging of times.
Les Gray
Chairman HAFC
From www.acciesfc.co.uk
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Rangers newco: The wrath of Raith
In a football story jammed with villains, Raith Rovers have offered up one of the few men to be hailed as a heroe.
Director Turnbull Hutton has consistently called out the SFA and the SPL on their bullying and their half truths.
It was Hutton spoke of "corruption" on the steps of Hampden, the parish councillor taking the fight to the doors of Westminster.
On Friday evening Raith released a statement regarding next week's SFL vote.
It should make the SPL and the SFA - and anyone who does actually care about Scottish football - uncomfortable.
Note the focus on the question of Rangers' ownership. As far as I'm aware this is the first time any other club has expressed concern about the medium term viability of the Duff and Phelps/Charles Green carve up of the oldco's assets.
Perhaps nothing more than conjecture. But as I mentioned last week Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster are taking an even bigger risk in so heavily pushing for the First Division compromise if they are not absolutely certain of the sustainability of the new Rangers ownership.
Attention is also brought - as it should be by each and everyone of us - to the essential cowardice of the SPL voting "no" and then shutting up shop, refusing to disown their own chief executives tactics and offering no support to the SFL clubs.
The Raith statement in full:
The club has this evening received the notice of resolutions to be voted on next Friday and we are told to expect an information pack at some time next week. We hope that this pack will present a more balanced report to SFL member clubs than they have so far received.
At last Tuesday’s meeting, financial information provided by Neil Doncaster showed an unrealistic worst case scenario. It showed the impact of potential total loss of 3 TV contracts, all of which had been inexplicably agreed on the basis that the broadcaster could walk away if either Rangers or Celtic were not in the SPL. His information did not, however, set out the potentially positive impact of negotiating replacement contracts with other broadcasters or alternatively the much mentioned possibility of launching SPL TV (which we understand could have been launched within a matter of months).
Mr Doncaster warned SFL members that if these contracts were indeed lost, this would mean the annual payment to the SFL under the Settlement Agreement would either be greatly reduced or not paid at all. Raith Rovers FC believes this not to be the case, and that the SPL would remain both contractually obliged and able to pay the £1.9m – £2m annual sum, even in that worst case scenario. We call upon the SFL Board to clarify its view on this vital point urgently, before club boards finalise their positions on these important votes.
We are also concerned that there has not as yet been an opportunity for clubs to receive legal advice from the SFL and/or debate the potential consequences on the smooth running of our league in the event that the Courts are asked to annull/strike down any of the corporate transactions that have led to the current position of Sevco Scotland Ltd as owners of certain assets of the Rangers oldco. Indeed, the position as regards the potential sanctions to be applied by the Scottish FA via its Appellate Tribunal has also still to be bottomed out. In summary, we remain concerned that the SPL clubs have overwhelmingly voted to pass on this potential time bomb, which may yet explode once passed to the SFL’s jurisdiction, and we are being asked to accept this new company into membership, worse still in our top division.
Without all of this information, and the opportunity for clubs to further discuss these issues on a fully informed basis amongst themselves before the formal SGM, in a similar format to last Tuesday’s meeting, we are concerned that the fairness and transparency of the process itself is at risk of being compromised.
Raith Rovers FC will consider its stance with regard to attendance at this meeting once we receive the information from the SFL.
From www.raithrovers.net
Director Turnbull Hutton has consistently called out the SFA and the SPL on their bullying and their half truths.
It was Hutton spoke of "corruption" on the steps of Hampden, the parish councillor taking the fight to the doors of Westminster.
On Friday evening Raith released a statement regarding next week's SFL vote.
It should make the SPL and the SFA - and anyone who does actually care about Scottish football - uncomfortable.
Note the focus on the question of Rangers' ownership. As far as I'm aware this is the first time any other club has expressed concern about the medium term viability of the Duff and Phelps/Charles Green carve up of the oldco's assets.
Perhaps nothing more than conjecture. But as I mentioned last week Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster are taking an even bigger risk in so heavily pushing for the First Division compromise if they are not absolutely certain of the sustainability of the new Rangers ownership.
Attention is also brought - as it should be by each and everyone of us - to the essential cowardice of the SPL voting "no" and then shutting up shop, refusing to disown their own chief executives tactics and offering no support to the SFL clubs.
The Raith statement in full:
The club has this evening received the notice of resolutions to be voted on next Friday and we are told to expect an information pack at some time next week. We hope that this pack will present a more balanced report to SFL member clubs than they have so far received.
At last Tuesday’s meeting, financial information provided by Neil Doncaster showed an unrealistic worst case scenario. It showed the impact of potential total loss of 3 TV contracts, all of which had been inexplicably agreed on the basis that the broadcaster could walk away if either Rangers or Celtic were not in the SPL. His information did not, however, set out the potentially positive impact of negotiating replacement contracts with other broadcasters or alternatively the much mentioned possibility of launching SPL TV (which we understand could have been launched within a matter of months).
Mr Doncaster warned SFL members that if these contracts were indeed lost, this would mean the annual payment to the SFL under the Settlement Agreement would either be greatly reduced or not paid at all. Raith Rovers FC believes this not to be the case, and that the SPL would remain both contractually obliged and able to pay the £1.9m – £2m annual sum, even in that worst case scenario. We call upon the SFL Board to clarify its view on this vital point urgently, before club boards finalise their positions on these important votes.
We are also concerned that there has not as yet been an opportunity for clubs to receive legal advice from the SFL and/or debate the potential consequences on the smooth running of our league in the event that the Courts are asked to annull/strike down any of the corporate transactions that have led to the current position of Sevco Scotland Ltd as owners of certain assets of the Rangers oldco. Indeed, the position as regards the potential sanctions to be applied by the Scottish FA via its Appellate Tribunal has also still to be bottomed out. In summary, we remain concerned that the SPL clubs have overwhelmingly voted to pass on this potential time bomb, which may yet explode once passed to the SFL’s jurisdiction, and we are being asked to accept this new company into membership, worse still in our top division.
Without all of this information, and the opportunity for clubs to further discuss these issues on a fully informed basis amongst themselves before the formal SGM, in a similar format to last Tuesday’s meeting, we are concerned that the fairness and transparency of the process itself is at risk of being compromised.
Raith Rovers FC will consider its stance with regard to attendance at this meeting once we receive the information from the SFL.
From www.raithrovers.net
Friday, July 06, 2012
Rangers newco: Understanding "no"
This post isn't aimed at any one club.
It's not aimed at any one director, chief executive or chairman.
It's written more in bemusement and sadness than in anger.
If there is an overarching theme it won't be a profound one. It will more likely be "what the hell is happening to our game."
Rangers won't get into the SPL.
We know that. We know it emphatically because 10 out of 12 SPL votes made it so.
Kilmarnock, for reasons that their explanation didn't quite explain, abstained.
Charles Green, owner of the new Rangers but dispatched to Hampden as a proxy vote for the old Rangers, voted yes. The Rangers fans might not trust him but at least he voted for the right side.
So I'm confused.
The SPL clubs overwhelmingly thought they could survive without the newco Rangers.
But Neil Doncaster, the SPL's missionary among our footballing natives, and Stewart Regan, chief executive of the neutral Scottish Football Association, are arguing that not just the SPL but Scottish football itself "WILL DIE" unless Rangers get back to the SPL in just one year.
Rangers need to be admitted to the SFL and pushed straight into the First Division.
Anything else would be madness, a living death or a painful suicide.
I'm still confused.
To get Rangers into the First Division the SPL and the SFA - still a neutral governing body until they declare themselves not to be - will try and persuade the clubs that make up the Scottish Football League.
By persuade they mean bully and threat.
And if they blow and they blow and they blow and they still don't blow the SFL house down?
Then they'll build their own house. With a moat. And a drawbridge.
And they'll raise that drawbridge. And they'll never, ever let the peasants in. Even if they're starving to death.
Let them eat cake.
So I'm still confused.
What does "no" mean in Scottish football?
When ten SPL chairmen say "no" to Rangers in the SPL what do they mean?
Do they just mean "no?"
Or do they mean "no, obviously that's no to the top flight but yes, yes, yes to getting them back in to the First Division. Or failing that the newly created SPL2?"
Do they mean "no, 'cause that's the best thing to do for football. As long as we can still whore ourselves to the corporate sponsors who like us to be trapped in a duopoly?"
Do they mean "no, just like our fans wanted to hear, so we can sell season tickets even though we meant yes to the SFL1 and cunningly side stepped that issue with our oh, so clever linguistic mastery?"
It would be nice to know more about "no."
Because right now it looks like people are taking the piss.
Until somebody defines "no" Kilmarnock's vote looks a totem of principle simply because it didn't hide behind a false righteousness.
It makes me doubt everyone.
What does a First Division chairman mean when he says "no?"
Does he mean "no is no but we'll agree to join the SPL2 if the diddy teams vote no as well?"
Confusion extends my befuddlement beyond the complexities of a simple "no."
What is a governing body?
Is the SFA supposed to govern every level of the game in Scotland and build the foundations for our national team to thrive?
Or are they supposed to send their chief executive out into the lower leagues with a suitcase full of used notes in one hand and a gun in the other?
Is that how the SFA dispenses justice "without fear or favour?"
What is a league competition if it can't survive without one of it's participants?
What would happen to competition in next season's First Division if Rangers didn't win it?
Would the SFA step in, without fear or favour, and promote them anyway? For the good of the game?
It's all very confusing.
It doesn't have to be.
The SPL chairmen who said "no" could sack Neil Doncaster today.
They could announce plans for a vote of no confidence in Stewart Regan.
They could disown the tactics of the men who have led us here, who have dragged the game to this stage.
They won't though. And that stinks.
It's wrong when a club says "we're being bullied but we have to say "yes" or we'll go out of business."
It's even worse when so many people hear that cry for help and say "screw you, spineless bastards" instead of condemning the bullies.
A sell out SPL Saturday?
That's a sell out.
Don't let them get away with it.
Shout and scream at your club. Write, email, phone and petition the SFA.
Don't give up until they stop this madness and apologise for the bullying, for the threats, for sheltering under the myth that they're doing what the fans want.
Demand they apologise to each and everyone of us for their complete lack of imagination when it comes to rebuilding this exasperating game of ours.
Until they do, there's only really one option:
Just say "no."
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It's not aimed at any one director, chief executive or chairman.
It's written more in bemusement and sadness than in anger.
If there is an overarching theme it won't be a profound one. It will more likely be "what the hell is happening to our game."
Rangers won't get into the SPL.
We know that. We know it emphatically because 10 out of 12 SPL votes made it so.
Kilmarnock, for reasons that their explanation didn't quite explain, abstained.
Charles Green, owner of the new Rangers but dispatched to Hampden as a proxy vote for the old Rangers, voted yes. The Rangers fans might not trust him but at least he voted for the right side.
So I'm confused.
The SPL clubs overwhelmingly thought they could survive without the newco Rangers.
But Neil Doncaster, the SPL's missionary among our footballing natives, and Stewart Regan, chief executive of the neutral Scottish Football Association, are arguing that not just the SPL but Scottish football itself "WILL DIE" unless Rangers get back to the SPL in just one year.
Rangers need to be admitted to the SFL and pushed straight into the First Division.
Anything else would be madness, a living death or a painful suicide.
I'm still confused.
To get Rangers into the First Division the SPL and the SFA - still a neutral governing body until they declare themselves not to be - will try and persuade the clubs that make up the Scottish Football League.
By persuade they mean bully and threat.
And if they blow and they blow and they blow and they still don't blow the SFL house down?
Then they'll build their own house. With a moat. And a drawbridge.
And they'll raise that drawbridge. And they'll never, ever let the peasants in. Even if they're starving to death.
Let them eat cake.
So I'm still confused.
What does "no" mean in Scottish football?
When ten SPL chairmen say "no" to Rangers in the SPL what do they mean?
Do they just mean "no?"
Or do they mean "no, obviously that's no to the top flight but yes, yes, yes to getting them back in to the First Division. Or failing that the newly created SPL2?"
Do they mean "no, 'cause that's the best thing to do for football. As long as we can still whore ourselves to the corporate sponsors who like us to be trapped in a duopoly?"
Do they mean "no, just like our fans wanted to hear, so we can sell season tickets even though we meant yes to the SFL1 and cunningly side stepped that issue with our oh, so clever linguistic mastery?"
It would be nice to know more about "no."
Because right now it looks like people are taking the piss.
Until somebody defines "no" Kilmarnock's vote looks a totem of principle simply because it didn't hide behind a false righteousness.
It makes me doubt everyone.
What does a First Division chairman mean when he says "no?"
Does he mean "no is no but we'll agree to join the SPL2 if the diddy teams vote no as well?"
Confusion extends my befuddlement beyond the complexities of a simple "no."
What is a governing body?
Is the SFA supposed to govern every level of the game in Scotland and build the foundations for our national team to thrive?
Or are they supposed to send their chief executive out into the lower leagues with a suitcase full of used notes in one hand and a gun in the other?
Is that how the SFA dispenses justice "without fear or favour?"
What is a league competition if it can't survive without one of it's participants?
What would happen to competition in next season's First Division if Rangers didn't win it?
Would the SFA step in, without fear or favour, and promote them anyway? For the good of the game?
It's all very confusing.
It doesn't have to be.
The SPL chairmen who said "no" could sack Neil Doncaster today.
They could announce plans for a vote of no confidence in Stewart Regan.
They could disown the tactics of the men who have led us here, who have dragged the game to this stage.
They won't though. And that stinks.
It's wrong when a club says "we're being bullied but we have to say "yes" or we'll go out of business."
It's even worse when so many people hear that cry for help and say "screw you, spineless bastards" instead of condemning the bullies.
A sell out SPL Saturday?
That's a sell out.
Don't let them get away with it.
Shout and scream at your club. Write, email, phone and petition the SFA.
Don't give up until they stop this madness and apologise for the bullying, for the threats, for sheltering under the myth that they're doing what the fans want.
Demand they apologise to each and everyone of us for their complete lack of imagination when it comes to rebuilding this exasperating game of ours.
Until they do, there's only really one option:
Just say "no."
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Thursday, July 05, 2012
Rangers newco: Looking for a revolution
A drookit summer has seen Scottish football drowning in uncertainty and indecision.
We finally got a decision yesterday. The SPL chairmen voted against letting the Rangers newco into the top flight.
That was hardly surprising. Some of the chairmen - 10 said "no" - might have voted with a heavy heart and some might very well be daft.
But not daft enough to risk losing the core of their own support.
A predictable decision and not one that removed much uncertainty.
Too many clubs - the Rangers newco among them - don't yet know what league they will be playing in when the season kicks off in just a few weeks.
That the SPL saying "no" would force Rangers into the Third Division seemed the most plausible outcome until a few days ago.
Then the argument that the only way for Scottish football to survive was to parachute Rangers into the First Division was unleashed.
If the SFL clubs didn't agree then the SPL - whose role in all this should have ended yesterday when they said an emphatic "no" - would engineer a breakaway SPL2 to accommodate the newco.
Last night that theme was picked up by the SFA's Stewart Regan in a series of quotes that should - in a game governed by any sanity - disqualify him from holding office.
He has certainly destroyed any lingering hope that the SFA will adopt a neutral stance in any of this.
I don't really care that Regan diminishes himself with every utterance. I do care that he diminishes our game when he's doing it.
When a director of a First Division club stands on the steps of Hampden and denounces our game as "corrupt" then something is rotten to the core.
And for what?
Regan is giving up. Aided and abetted by the SPL's Neil Doncaster - who should really be run out of Hampden forthwith - he's surrendering.
He's seeking comfort in a broken business model. His vision of Scottish football is one where any real change is possible only if it suits the needs of television companies whose commitment to Scotland is half hearted at best.
He's saying that we can only thrive if we fix the game to allow a quick route back to the top flight for a club that has seen the most gargantuan mismanagement in Scottish football history.
A quick fix that most fans of that club seem to reject themselves.
He's saying that it's OK to bully lower league clubs if it provides solace for all the SPL clubs who have mismanaged their own finances.
And he's turning this cowardice on it's head and painting himself as some sort of hero.
He sees something heroic in saying that he's worked out a way to return as quickly as possible to a flawed status quo.
We deserve more. More than Regan and Doncaster, a couple of middle ranking marketing men who have fallen into the trap of believing their own lies.
More than footballing authorities who care not a jot for moving the game forward.
What could we learn from this long, bleak summer?
We know that fans care about the future, that they're prepared to speak up and show their passion.
Would the future of the Scottish game be better served by harnessing that passion or by allowing Regan to disenfranchise more and more supporters?
We've seen that the SPL experiment has failed. It's failed to create a sustainable model for its clubs, failed to create an environment that could predict or halt a huge corporate collapse in its midst.
The SPL was the game's attempt to hitch a lift to a promised land, to the riches of unfettered sporting capitalism. Scottish football didn't get there. It got run over and left behind.
Greed, chasing the quick buck, canoodling with corporate sponsors and ignoring the fans hasn't worked.
But the fans are still there. They still care.
Could we not take the positives from that and create a more sustainable game, a more sensible game?
A new football model for Scotland that has fans and communities at its heart? A game that we could again be proud of?
It won't be easy. Of course it won't.
But if Dundee United or Hibs, Hearts or Aberdeen, Kilmarnock or Elgin, Cowdenbeath or Stranraer are surviving only on the back of four Old Firm games a season and 30 pieces of Sky's silver then we need to make hard decisions.
We need to reinvent. We need to involve the fans in that reinvention.
And we need to do it quickly.
It will take vision though. It will take inspiration.
When we look for vision or inspiration at Hampden what do we find?
Stewart Regan and Neil Doncaster.
Their vision condemns us to relive the mistakes of the past. Their vision won't halt the "slow, lingering death" of Scottish football it will only perpetuate it.
Don't believe them, stand up to them. Tell your club how you feel, shout it from the rooftops.
Every fan of every club should have had enough of being let down by non entities like this.
It's our game and they are our clubs.
Now is the time to prove it.
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Friday, June 29, 2012
Rangers newco: Hibs statement
Hibs this morning issued a statement regarding yesterday's news that plans were being put in place to parachute Rangers into the First Division.
With fans getting somewhat annoyed at this latest proposal, Hibs - whose chairman Rod Petrie was said to have met newco owner Charles Green - have moved with uncharacteristic speed to get a message to the fans.
Of course it doesn't actually say if they agree with the First Division option or not:
At an informal meeting of SPL clubs held at Hampden Park yesterday, the views of Hibernian FC were represented by Chairman Rod Petrie. The Chairman articulated very clearly that the Club is ready and willing to cast its vote on the transfer of the Rangers share in the SPL at the formal meeting of clubs on 4 July.
The Chairman made the point that the vote should proceed without any further delay and that Hibernian FC will vote against the share transfer. The resolution will fail if four other clubs vote against it or abstain. If as a result of the vote on 4 July the Rangers newco is not voted into the SPL then it will be for other bodies to decide if and at what level Rangers might be accommodated within Scottish football.
(Published on Hibernianfc.co.uk on 29th June)
With fans getting somewhat annoyed at this latest proposal, Hibs - whose chairman Rod Petrie was said to have met newco owner Charles Green - have moved with uncharacteristic speed to get a message to the fans.
Of course it doesn't actually say if they agree with the First Division option or not:
At an informal meeting of SPL clubs held at Hampden Park yesterday, the views of Hibernian FC were represented by Chairman Rod Petrie. The Chairman articulated very clearly that the Club is ready and willing to cast its vote on the transfer of the Rangers share in the SPL at the formal meeting of clubs on 4 July.
The Chairman made the point that the vote should proceed without any further delay and that Hibernian FC will vote against the share transfer. The resolution will fail if four other clubs vote against it or abstain. If as a result of the vote on 4 July the Rangers newco is not voted into the SPL then it will be for other bodies to decide if and at what level Rangers might be accommodated within Scottish football.
(Published on Hibernianfc.co.uk on 29th June)
Friday, April 13, 2012
Ross County: Job Done
Purple-faced and incandescent, a collective paroxysm settled on Scotland this week.
Faced with a big decision the SPL scurried to find solace in their default selfishness and proposed voting to save their own souls, even if it meant trampling over the women and children in the rush to the lifeboats.
The result was a set of SPL proposals that pleased nobody and sent blood pressure soaring across the country.
Oddly, for an organisation so hellbent on maximising its commercial potential, the SPL's approach to marketing borders on the masochistic.
You'd kick them even harder and more often if you didn't suspect they must secretly enjoy it.
Sadly our preoccupation with who may or may not be playing in next season's SPL risked overshadowing the achievement of a team who most certainly will be playing SPL football next season.
Congratulations, then, to Ross County.
It's 18 years since County joined the Scottish Football League.
18 years. It's not been a meteoric rise. It's been steady: progress, the odd setback, a Scottish Cup final. All building towards the ultimate goal of promotion to the SPL.
A goal achieved this year by the simple expedient of having the strongest squad in the First Division.
And, in Derek Adams, a manager who could get the best out of them.
A second chance for Adams and one that he's grabbed.
It wasn't that long ago that he was leaving Dingwall and heading for Leith, unveiled as Colin Calderwood's assistant at Easter Road.
Eyebrows were raised and the union proved a brief marriage of inconvenience.
If it was remarkable that the teetotal Adams wasn't driven to drink in the Easter Road madhouse it seemed even stranger that he should return to Dingwall so quickly.
Clearly, however, chairman Roy MacGregor liked what he got with Adams and absence - and travails under Willie McStay and Jimmy Calderwood - made the heart grow fonder.
Derek was back and this time there was going to be no messing about. Promotion, the unfinished business, would be delivered.
And so it has been.
County are now 30 games unbeaten. On Wednesday a 3-1 win at Ayr put the seal on a title that had been delivered by a Chris Higgins equaliser for Queen of the South at Dundee 24 hours earlier.
18 years is a long time. The last eight years must have felt even longer, with Inverness beating County to the SPL punch.
The waiting's now over.
New blood for the SPL and another widening of what used to be quite a constrictive Scottish footballing geography.
A time for rejoicing?
In Dingwall certainly.
Elsewhere?
It appears not everyone is in the party mood.
The litany of gripes grows: finances (I'm not currently privy to the information but the ascent seems less dramatically funded than, say, Gretna), attendances (actually very consistent - small, yes, but steady enough to plan a budget), tactics (30 games undefeated isn't to be sniffed at and success is never that dull for supporters); travel times (a bind for visiting fans, of course, but this is Scotland not Russia); they've not got a proper ground (they do, but the SPL has daft rules and a brief groundshare with Inverness, while not ideal, will allow them to satisfy the bureaucracy).
The list will lengthen.
Some of the moaning will come from aggrieved First Division rivals.
Some of it will come because many of us like a good moan more than we like a good news story. We want to be upset, it's a football thing mixed with a Scottish thing to create a thrawn contrariness that defies one to be impressed by anything. It's a common type of fitba' prickery.
And, who knows, some of it might be entirely justified, grounded in reason and fact and allowing for a good old case of "told you so" when Dingwall dreams become northern nightmares.
All that's for the future.
Right now we've got Ross County proving, while other areas of the game crash and burn, that clubs can progress through our system.
They've done that with community support, a dedicated chairman, an eye on development, a young manager who has grown in the role and some decent players. They've even given the SPL a brand new derby to look forward to.
We need more stories like this.
So congratulations and good luck to the Staggies.
Find out how promotion was won with the excellent Ross County Tactics
Like this? Like the Scottish Football Blog on Facebook.
Faced with a big decision the SPL scurried to find solace in their default selfishness and proposed voting to save their own souls, even if it meant trampling over the women and children in the rush to the lifeboats.
The result was a set of SPL proposals that pleased nobody and sent blood pressure soaring across the country.
Oddly, for an organisation so hellbent on maximising its commercial potential, the SPL's approach to marketing borders on the masochistic.
You'd kick them even harder and more often if you didn't suspect they must secretly enjoy it.
Sadly our preoccupation with who may or may not be playing in next season's SPL risked overshadowing the achievement of a team who most certainly will be playing SPL football next season.
Congratulations, then, to Ross County.
It's 18 years since County joined the Scottish Football League.
18 years. It's not been a meteoric rise. It's been steady: progress, the odd setback, a Scottish Cup final. All building towards the ultimate goal of promotion to the SPL.
A goal achieved this year by the simple expedient of having the strongest squad in the First Division.
And, in Derek Adams, a manager who could get the best out of them.
A second chance for Adams and one that he's grabbed.
It wasn't that long ago that he was leaving Dingwall and heading for Leith, unveiled as Colin Calderwood's assistant at Easter Road.
Eyebrows were raised and the union proved a brief marriage of inconvenience.
If it was remarkable that the teetotal Adams wasn't driven to drink in the Easter Road madhouse it seemed even stranger that he should return to Dingwall so quickly.
Clearly, however, chairman Roy MacGregor liked what he got with Adams and absence - and travails under Willie McStay and Jimmy Calderwood - made the heart grow fonder.
Derek was back and this time there was going to be no messing about. Promotion, the unfinished business, would be delivered.
And so it has been.
County are now 30 games unbeaten. On Wednesday a 3-1 win at Ayr put the seal on a title that had been delivered by a Chris Higgins equaliser for Queen of the South at Dundee 24 hours earlier.
18 years is a long time. The last eight years must have felt even longer, with Inverness beating County to the SPL punch.
The waiting's now over.
New blood for the SPL and another widening of what used to be quite a constrictive Scottish footballing geography.
A time for rejoicing?
In Dingwall certainly.
Elsewhere?
It appears not everyone is in the party mood.
The litany of gripes grows: finances (I'm not currently privy to the information but the ascent seems less dramatically funded than, say, Gretna), attendances (actually very consistent - small, yes, but steady enough to plan a budget), tactics (30 games undefeated isn't to be sniffed at and success is never that dull for supporters); travel times (a bind for visiting fans, of course, but this is Scotland not Russia); they've not got a proper ground (they do, but the SPL has daft rules and a brief groundshare with Inverness, while not ideal, will allow them to satisfy the bureaucracy).
The list will lengthen.
Some of the moaning will come from aggrieved First Division rivals.
Some of it will come because many of us like a good moan more than we like a good news story. We want to be upset, it's a football thing mixed with a Scottish thing to create a thrawn contrariness that defies one to be impressed by anything. It's a common type of fitba' prickery.
And, who knows, some of it might be entirely justified, grounded in reason and fact and allowing for a good old case of "told you so" when Dingwall dreams become northern nightmares.
All that's for the future.
Right now we've got Ross County proving, while other areas of the game crash and burn, that clubs can progress through our system.
They've done that with community support, a dedicated chairman, an eye on development, a young manager who has grown in the role and some decent players. They've even given the SPL a brand new derby to look forward to.
We need more stories like this.
So congratulations and good luck to the Staggies.
Find out how promotion was won with the excellent Ross County Tactics
Like this? Like the Scottish Football Blog on Facebook.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Dunfermline v Raith Rovers: Fantasy Football in Fife
A sell out crowd. A long standing local rivalry. The final derby of a long, tense season.
To the winner, perhaps, the championship.
Welcome to Scottish football’s Easter weekend. Welcome to Fife.
Dunfermline v Raith Rovers for a place in the SPL. It’s not how many people would have imagined this season’s First Division title race turning out.
But we should be glad. It’s given us an intriguing football story to focus on, given us a sunny respite from the wintery gloom of season shrouded in misery.
Too tempting, perhaps, to describe this as a championship play off.
Falkirk’s challenge looks doomed so it has come down to a shoot out between Raith and Dunfermline.
But the league table shows that a Raith win today would take them a big step closer to the title but not carry them over the line.
A Dunfermline win would make them prohibitive favourites to return to the SPL. But it still wouldn’t quite be a guarantee. Both sides have shown themselves capable of dropping points. To add another twist Dunfermline host Falkirk on the last day of the season.
The head to heads this season favour Raith with two home wins and a draw at East End Park. What perfect timing it would be if this is the game where Dunfermline secure their first local bragging rights of the season.
In a sorry season for Scottish football, in a year that has seen much written about the future of the game but very little actually achieved, today’s game takes on a heroic quality.
Here’s the Scottish Football League grabbing some time in the limelight, Dunfermline enjoying a first capacity crowd since 1996, John McGlynn’s managerial stock rising with every step Raith take towards the SPL.
It’s enough to make me giddy with excitement.
A winner? Dunfermline have home advantage, a rocking stadium, a one point lead, the confidence of a 6-1 win in their last game and three wins in a row.
Raith have less form going into this one. But they bring the spirit that’s got them this far, the knowledge that they’ve had the beating of Dunfermline this season and the motivation of the terrible consequences of losing. Emotion too, following the recent death of Ronnie Coyle.
Too close to call? My head says Dunfermline. Maybe a little bit of my heart says Raith Rovers, if for no other reason than to wring every last drop of drama out of this captivating duel.
"Football is the winner."
What a horrible, meaningless, clichéd, feckless phrase that is. The last refuge of the pundit who has nothing left to say.
But today, after this week of weeks, wouldn’t it be nice if it was true in Fife this evening.
To the winner, perhaps, the championship.
Welcome to Scottish football’s Easter weekend. Welcome to Fife.
Dunfermline v Raith Rovers for a place in the SPL. It’s not how many people would have imagined this season’s First Division title race turning out.
But we should be glad. It’s given us an intriguing football story to focus on, given us a sunny respite from the wintery gloom of season shrouded in misery.
Too tempting, perhaps, to describe this as a championship play off.
Falkirk’s challenge looks doomed so it has come down to a shoot out between Raith and Dunfermline.
But the league table shows that a Raith win today would take them a big step closer to the title but not carry them over the line.
A Dunfermline win would make them prohibitive favourites to return to the SPL. But it still wouldn’t quite be a guarantee. Both sides have shown themselves capable of dropping points. To add another twist Dunfermline host Falkirk on the last day of the season.
The head to heads this season favour Raith with two home wins and a draw at East End Park. What perfect timing it would be if this is the game where Dunfermline secure their first local bragging rights of the season.
In a sorry season for Scottish football, in a year that has seen much written about the future of the game but very little actually achieved, today’s game takes on a heroic quality.
Here’s the Scottish Football League grabbing some time in the limelight, Dunfermline enjoying a first capacity crowd since 1996, John McGlynn’s managerial stock rising with every step Raith take towards the SPL.
It’s enough to make me giddy with excitement.
A winner? Dunfermline have home advantage, a rocking stadium, a one point lead, the confidence of a 6-1 win in their last game and three wins in a row.
Raith have less form going into this one. But they bring the spirit that’s got them this far, the knowledge that they’ve had the beating of Dunfermline this season and the motivation of the terrible consequences of losing. Emotion too, following the recent death of Ronnie Coyle.
Too close to call? My head says Dunfermline. Maybe a little bit of my heart says Raith Rovers, if for no other reason than to wring every last drop of drama out of this captivating duel.
"Football is the winner."
What a horrible, meaningless, clichéd, feckless phrase that is. The last refuge of the pundit who has nothing left to say.
But today, after this week of weeks, wouldn’t it be nice if it was true in Fife this evening.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Livingston: Second Division Champions 2010/11
We have our first league champions of the season.
Congratulations to Livingston on securing the Second Division title yesterday with a 3-0 win at Stenhousemuir.
21 points clear of Brechin, Livingston have dominated the league this season.
And now they've got their reward. Successive promotions have taken them back to the First Division, just two seasons after they were dumped into the Third Division by the Scottish Football League.
Livingston had erred and the SFL were within their rights to take action. But the league's own inconsistency in dealing with such situations left a bitter taste for many.
That will have made last night's champagne taste all the sweeter.
Rumours of a new stadium will add to the sense of excitement. And surely dreams of an SPL promotion are already invading some peaceful slumbers in West Lothian.
Three promotions in three seasons is a hell of an ask.
It would be a remarkable story though, not least because it would mean Livingston travelling from bottom to top flight twice since 1995.
All that's in the future. Time now to savour the win. And, no doubt, survive the hangover.
Congratulations to Livingston on securing the Second Division title yesterday with a 3-0 win at Stenhousemuir.
21 points clear of Brechin, Livingston have dominated the league this season.
And now they've got their reward. Successive promotions have taken them back to the First Division, just two seasons after they were dumped into the Third Division by the Scottish Football League.
Livingston had erred and the SFL were within their rights to take action. But the league's own inconsistency in dealing with such situations left a bitter taste for many.
That will have made last night's champagne taste all the sweeter.
Rumours of a new stadium will add to the sense of excitement. And surely dreams of an SPL promotion are already invading some peaceful slumbers in West Lothian.
Three promotions in three seasons is a hell of an ask.
It would be a remarkable story though, not least because it would mean Livingston travelling from bottom to top flight twice since 1995.
All that's in the future. Time now to savour the win. And, no doubt, survive the hangover.
Alba Challenge Cup: Queen of the South v Ross County
It might fly a little under the radar but today's Alba Challenge Cup final is surely a welcome distraction for Ross County and Queen of the South.
County are being tracked by Cowdenbeath at the bottom of the First Division, an unwelcome relegation play-off still a distinct possibility.
Queen of the South are another of our clubs in a financial funk. So grim is the situation that manager Kenny Brannigan has recently engaged in open warfare with his board:
“Things are a total nightmare. Almost every single first team player has been approached by another club between December and now.
“These players are out of a job in the next two months. I have told them to look after themselves and take an offer if they get it. They have kids and mortgages to think about.
“It is a disgrace.
“When you have got the smallest squad in Scotland and are in a cup final and fourth in the first division, it is not the players or the manager to blame. It is the board.” (Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
All of which makes Brannigan's achievement in taking Queens to fourth in the First Division, with third place not out of reach, all the more admirable.
Understandably both Brannigan and Ross County manager Jimmy Calderwood have painted today as a break from the tribulations of the season. This is a cup final football as a footballing stress ball.
Let's hope that the manager's can convey that to their players, allowing them the sense of freedom that will reward beleaguered fans with a game worthy of a national cup final.
They might, unfortunately, not get a huge amount of help from the pitch. McDiarmid Park has been the victim of some harsh conditions since this game was originally snowed off in November. It's showing the strain.
League positions suggest Queen of the South are favourites. The three clashes so far this season confirm that with the Dumfries' biblical superstars enjoying two wins and a draw in three league games.
But a cup final win might go some way to convincing the doubters that Calderwood is the right man to steer Ross County through troubled waters towards the end of the season.
And a trophy would be lend much articulacy to the fight to secure a viable future for Queen of the South.
People might not take much notice of it. But both sides have more than just a trophy to play for today.
County are being tracked by Cowdenbeath at the bottom of the First Division, an unwelcome relegation play-off still a distinct possibility.
Queen of the South are another of our clubs in a financial funk. So grim is the situation that manager Kenny Brannigan has recently engaged in open warfare with his board:
“Things are a total nightmare. Almost every single first team player has been approached by another club between December and now.
“These players are out of a job in the next two months. I have told them to look after themselves and take an offer if they get it. They have kids and mortgages to think about.
“It is a disgrace.
“When you have got the smallest squad in Scotland and are in a cup final and fourth in the first division, it is not the players or the manager to blame. It is the board.” (Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
All of which makes Brannigan's achievement in taking Queens to fourth in the First Division, with third place not out of reach, all the more admirable.
Understandably both Brannigan and Ross County manager Jimmy Calderwood have painted today as a break from the tribulations of the season. This is a cup final football as a footballing stress ball.
Let's hope that the manager's can convey that to their players, allowing them the sense of freedom that will reward beleaguered fans with a game worthy of a national cup final.
They might, unfortunately, not get a huge amount of help from the pitch. McDiarmid Park has been the victim of some harsh conditions since this game was originally snowed off in November. It's showing the strain.
League positions suggest Queen of the South are favourites. The three clashes so far this season confirm that with the Dumfries' biblical superstars enjoying two wins and a draw in three league games.
But a cup final win might go some way to convincing the doubters that Calderwood is the right man to steer Ross County through troubled waters towards the end of the season.
And a trophy would be lend much articulacy to the fight to secure a viable future for Queen of the South.
People might not take much notice of it. But both sides have more than just a trophy to play for today.
Friday, April 08, 2011
SFL: Raith Rovers v Cowdenbeath
With three of the ten teams, we might always have expected that Fife would have a major role play in the First Division this season.
But we might not have anticipated that role providing so much suspense that, even this late in the season, we're still looking to the Kingdom for Scottish football's match of the weekend.
Second top play second bottom in a game that could have major repercussions for more than just the two teams involved.
Raith Rovers v Cowdenbeath.
A match that sounds like a Scottish footballing throwback treating us to another chapter in an engrossing season.
Raith are only two points behind leaders Dunfermline and have played a game less.
Cowdenbeath have dragged themselves free from the automatic relegation spot but remain four points behind Ross County as they look to avoid a relegation play off.
With Ross County and Dunfermline sitting this league weekend out, here's a big chance for both Raith and Cowdenbeath to make a move.
All of which would be quite interesting enough without the added spice of a local derby.
Given their recent history, SPL promotion for Raith would be an incredible achievement.
And given their own history, First Division survival, under Raith legend Jimmy Nicholl, would be a huge success for Cowdenbeath.
An exhilarating prospect. And an added dash of interest offered by the spectre of Dunfermline, watching on and forced to cheer on one of their own local rivals.
A ten team league producing 12 Fife derbies in a season is too much.
Between them though, Raith, Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath have somehow managed to keep up the excitement and interest until the very end.
League positions don't lie. But local derby results often do. So no prediction from me. Could be a close one though.
But we might not have anticipated that role providing so much suspense that, even this late in the season, we're still looking to the Kingdom for Scottish football's match of the weekend.
Second top play second bottom in a game that could have major repercussions for more than just the two teams involved.
Raith Rovers v Cowdenbeath.
A match that sounds like a Scottish footballing throwback treating us to another chapter in an engrossing season.
Raith are only two points behind leaders Dunfermline and have played a game less.
Cowdenbeath have dragged themselves free from the automatic relegation spot but remain four points behind Ross County as they look to avoid a relegation play off.
With Ross County and Dunfermline sitting this league weekend out, here's a big chance for both Raith and Cowdenbeath to make a move.
All of which would be quite interesting enough without the added spice of a local derby.
Given their recent history, SPL promotion for Raith would be an incredible achievement.
And given their own history, First Division survival, under Raith legend Jimmy Nicholl, would be a huge success for Cowdenbeath.
An exhilarating prospect. And an added dash of interest offered by the spectre of Dunfermline, watching on and forced to cheer on one of their own local rivals.
A ten team league producing 12 Fife derbies in a season is too much.
Between them though, Raith, Dunfermline and Cowdenbeath have somehow managed to keep up the excitement and interest until the very end.
League positions don't lie. But local derby results often do. So no prediction from me. Could be a close one though.
Friday, August 06, 2010
Kick Off Part One
I've done a quick headcount and it appears that all the teams that finished last season are still alive and - to varying degrees - kicking, so that's something.
And, with Brechin's charity shirt logo and Stirling Albion's fan ownership, two SFL clubs are doing a far more passable impression of Barcelona than any SPL sides can manage.
Somebody at the Scottish Football League actually seems quite switched on at the moment and they've got a shiny new website that you really should check out. BBC Alba will continue to provide some TV publicity and SFL TV will carry online highlights on the website.
Scotland struggles to sustain even a top flight of 12 teams. So the SFL is always, always going to face problems. But maybe this year they are ready to come out fighting rather than lying in a darkened room whimpering about how nobody loves them.
In an ideal world all the clubs would be supported and sponsored well enough to break even, each league would be competitive from top to bottom and there would be a constant supply of fresh young talent moving through the leagues.
But this is Scotland, not some strange footballing utopia. Some of those aims should be achievable but in the meantime we need to make do and mend with what we've got.
Part of that should involve paying more attention to the lower leagues. And I'll endeavour to do that as this season progresses.*
For now let's just welcome back league football and hope that things get going with a bang tomorrow afternoon.
*If you'd like to cover any of the SFL divisions or write club specific posts then get in touch. No payment I'm afraid but you'll get to see your name
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Not so Blue Brazil
Those of us who want our football measured against fairytales and romantic epics were left disappointed yesterday at Hampden.
Our fault, we were looking in the wrong place.
Cowdenbeath today sealed promotion to the First Division with a 3-0 win at Brechin.
It's the first time they've reached the second tier in 20 years.
That would be an achievement in itself.
But there is more to this story. Cowden only reached the Second Division thanks to Livingston's relegation to the Third Division.
They've also managed to get promoted with no money. Not just a bit skint. Totally potless. Impecunious to the point of disappearing.
Somehow Danny Lennon has managed to galvanise his players against that bleakest of backdrops and they've responded in the best possible way.
Remarkable really.
The money questions won't disappear, Spartans might still be waiting in the wings, a takeover bid prepared.
Let's hope not. In their own way Cowdenbeath are an iconic name in the Scottish game. They've shown resilience in turning a season that was all about survival into a season that brought success.
Sadly many of our clubs now fight their biggest battles in lawyer's offices and banks rather than on the pitch.
Thanks, then, to the Blue Brazil for showing that football can still provide some salvation.
Brechin 0 (0) v 3 (0) Cowdenbeath - Mbu 17, Wardlaw 25, 45
Around the web:
BBC
STV
Elsewhere: Martyn Fotheringham and Bryan Deasley gave Forfar a 2-0 win against Arbroath to clinch a spot in the Second Division.
First Division
C: Inverness Caledonian Thistle
R: Airdrie
R: Ayr
Second Division
C: Stirling Albion
P: Cowdenbeath
R: Arbroath
R: Clyde
Third Division
C: Livingston
P: Forfar
Our fault, we were looking in the wrong place.
Cowdenbeath today sealed promotion to the First Division with a 3-0 win at Brechin.
It's the first time they've reached the second tier in 20 years.
That would be an achievement in itself.
But there is more to this story. Cowden only reached the Second Division thanks to Livingston's relegation to the Third Division.
They've also managed to get promoted with no money. Not just a bit skint. Totally potless. Impecunious to the point of disappearing.
Somehow Danny Lennon has managed to galvanise his players against that bleakest of backdrops and they've responded in the best possible way.
Remarkable really.
The money questions won't disappear, Spartans might still be waiting in the wings, a takeover bid prepared.
Let's hope not. In their own way Cowdenbeath are an iconic name in the Scottish game. They've shown resilience in turning a season that was all about survival into a season that brought success.
Sadly many of our clubs now fight their biggest battles in lawyer's offices and banks rather than on the pitch.
Thanks, then, to the Blue Brazil for showing that football can still provide some salvation.
Brechin 0 (0) v 3 (0) Cowdenbeath - Mbu 17, Wardlaw 25, 45
Around the web:
BBC
STV
Elsewhere: Martyn Fotheringham and Bryan Deasley gave Forfar a 2-0 win against Arbroath to clinch a spot in the Second Division.
Promotion and relegation
First Division
C: Inverness Caledonian Thistle
R: Airdrie
R: Ayr
Second Division
C: Stirling Albion
P: Cowdenbeath
R: Arbroath
R: Clyde
Third Division
C: Livingston
P: Forfar
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Looking down
I am increasingly aware that I don't give anywhere near enough attention to the lower reaches of Scottish football.So after giving it some thought I've decided I'm going pick a team and track them throughout the season.
I have my reservations about this. I'm still haunted by the way Match of the Day patronised Barnsley during their brief flirtation with the top flight and I'd not want to replicate that.
It's a risk worth taking though. My theory is that I'll be able to give a general picture of the state of the lower leagues by focusing on one team's season. I might, of course, fail or lose interest. If I don't then I think it will be quite interesting.
Which leaves the question of what team? Should I be looking at the First, Second or Third Division. Or lower still into the world of junior football.
Geography might play a part (unless I can persuade the league sponsors to lend me that car) and I'd like somewhere that's pleasant to visit (although I'm prepared not to be put off by Jonathan Meades' documentary on Scottish "football pools towns.")
I'm open to suggestions and persuasion. Bribery in the form of a pie and a pint might also colour my thinking.
Post your ideas in the usual fashion or contact me through the about page.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Great Scott!
Harry Redknapp improbably turns Spurs from zeroes to heroes, from villainy to last gasp valiance in the blink of an eye.
Joe Kinnear rants, raves and ruminates but turns Joey Barton from A Wing to A list as Newcastle rediscover some sort of fire in their bloated Geordie bellies.
And who completes this list of improbable sixty something success stories? Who's next to silver surf the tide of glory?
Probably not Jocky Scott. Newly installed as manager of Dundee, Jocky is back. His tenth managerial job - although the third time he has been at the helm at Dens. One of the great survivors of the Scottish game is Mr Scott, his 61st birthday speeding towards him as surely as night follows day.
And, when I say one of the great survivors, I mean one of those great underachieving characters that seem to punctuate this great, incestuous mire we call Scottish football.
Good luck, of course, to Jocky who does seem to have a love affair with Dundee. And good luck to the long suffering Dundonians in dark blue who might find this appointment another test of their spectacular patience.
Jocky managed to get a draw with Airdrie United today, a result which actually moved them closer to the automatic drop zone thanks to scores elsewhere.
A case of third time lucky? Or familiarity breeding contempt? We shall see...
Joe Kinnear rants, raves and ruminates but turns Joey Barton from A Wing to A list as Newcastle rediscover some sort of fire in their bloated Geordie bellies.
And who completes this list of improbable sixty something success stories? Who's next to silver surf the tide of glory?
Probably not Jocky Scott. Newly installed as manager of Dundee, Jocky is back. His tenth managerial job - although the third time he has been at the helm at Dens. One of the great survivors of the Scottish game is Mr Scott, his 61st birthday speeding towards him as surely as night follows day.
And, when I say one of the great survivors, I mean one of those great underachieving characters that seem to punctuate this great, incestuous mire we call Scottish football.
Good luck, of course, to Jocky who does seem to have a love affair with Dundee. And good luck to the long suffering Dundonians in dark blue who might find this appointment another test of their spectacular patience.
Jocky managed to get a draw with Airdrie United today, a result which actually moved them closer to the automatic drop zone thanks to scores elsewhere.
A case of third time lucky? Or familiarity breeding contempt? We shall see...
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Gretna Make the Grady
Have you got your breath back yet? An incredible afternoon brought the curtain down on an enthralling season of First Division football.
And, at the death, when St Johnstone looked to have secured promotion up popped James Grady to snatch the title for Gretna.
Yes. Gretna will play SPL football next season. We don’t know where or what manager they will have. But all the players and the fans care about is winning. And they’ve done that in the most dramatic way possible.
Four games Gretna had gone without scoring. But in came Grady to grab a double in a three two victory. Ross County fought valiantly but Airdrie United’s victory over Queen of the South consigned them to relegation. Airdrie will now take their chances in the play off.
As I’ve said before Gretna getting promotion raises more questions than it answers. They need a ground, they need more money and better players and – at the moment – they need a manager.
The SPL don’t want them and the feeling persists that not all at Gretna really wanted the SPL.
But they’re there now. And not many people will ever write them off again.
For now though let’s look at the positives: Gretna have secured three promotions in a row and they’ve done it by scoring goals.
And Brook Mileson could not be more different from the usual SPL chairmen who think that romance in football begins and ends with a glass of port whilst reading a balanced set of accounts. Brooks might be the kick up the backside they need.
St Johnstone, of course, will be devastated but Gretna have been rewarded for their early season form. Owen Coyle’s side made a late charge that just wasn’t enough.
And maybe we need the romantic Brook Mileson rather than the pragmatic Saints Chairman Geoff Brown who had this to say before the game:
"When we played Gretna at McDiarmid Park in January they only brought 160 fans. They won't bring many to the party - if they do it then good luck to them.
"I think Brooks Mileson has a dream and he's taken it up and done extremely well. It's his money. But, at the end of the day, it's false.”
Sorry Geoff. You were horribly, horribly wrong. At the end of the day Gretna are very, very real.
Extra: read my post here to see how I wrong I called today’s events.
And, at the death, when St Johnstone looked to have secured promotion up popped James Grady to snatch the title for Gretna.
Yes. Gretna will play SPL football next season. We don’t know where or what manager they will have. But all the players and the fans care about is winning. And they’ve done that in the most dramatic way possible.
Four games Gretna had gone without scoring. But in came Grady to grab a double in a three two victory. Ross County fought valiantly but Airdrie United’s victory over Queen of the South consigned them to relegation. Airdrie will now take their chances in the play off.
As I’ve said before Gretna getting promotion raises more questions than it answers. They need a ground, they need more money and better players and – at the moment – they need a manager.
The SPL don’t want them and the feeling persists that not all at Gretna really wanted the SPL.
But they’re there now. And not many people will ever write them off again.
For now though let’s look at the positives: Gretna have secured three promotions in a row and they’ve done it by scoring goals.
And Brook Mileson could not be more different from the usual SPL chairmen who think that romance in football begins and ends with a glass of port whilst reading a balanced set of accounts. Brooks might be the kick up the backside they need.
St Johnstone, of course, will be devastated but Gretna have been rewarded for their early season form. Owen Coyle’s side made a late charge that just wasn’t enough.
And maybe we need the romantic Brook Mileson rather than the pragmatic Saints Chairman Geoff Brown who had this to say before the game:
"When we played Gretna at McDiarmid Park in January they only brought 160 fans. They won't bring many to the party - if they do it then good luck to them.
"I think Brooks Mileson has a dream and he's taken it up and done extremely well. It's his money. But, at the end of the day, it's false.”
Sorry Geoff. You were horribly, horribly wrong. At the end of the day Gretna are very, very real.
Extra: read my post here to see how I wrong I called today’s events.
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