Time to ask serious questions of the SFA

[colingwood]

I have now witnessed the CEO of the SFA, Gordon Smith, on national television describing cottish football as a laughing stock. This man is charged with protecting and enhancing the reputation of our national game for the benefit of all members not just his beloved Rangers. The crunch point has come with this nonsense over an extension for Rangers of course. I don't think anyone would have stood in the way of giving the Scottish team a breathing space if this was feasible. However we have been told this is not possible. The implication has been that it is normal for national competitions in other countries to be disrupted to assist their teams. This of course is nonsense. For example last year AC Milan had league games in the weekend before beating Liverpool in the CL Final. I am pretty sure the two Spanish teams in the UEFA Cup final were in the same position. You may recall the previous year, when Middlesborough reached the final they had the following programme

Steaua Bucharest 1 Middlesbrough 0

APRIL 20: UEFA Cup semi-final first leg at the Lia Manoliu Stadium.

Middlesbrough 0 West Ham 1

APRIL 23: FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park.

Middlesbrough 4 Steaua 2 (Agg: 4-3)

APRIL 27: UEFA Cup semi-final second-leg at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough 0 Everton 1

APRIL 29: Barclays Premiership at the Riverside.

Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0

MAY 1: Barclays Premiership at Old Trafford.

Bolton 1 Middlesbrough 1

MAY 3: Barclays Premiership at the Reebok Stadium.

Fulham 1 Middlesbrough 0

MAY 7: Barclays Premiership at Craven Cottage.

Middlesbrough 0 Sevilla 4

MAY 10: UEFA Cup final at the Philips Stadion.

 

Then again from memory when Man Utd beat Bayern in 1999 did they not have the FA Cup Final in the previous weekend.

 

The point I am making with all this is that it is not unusual for teams contesting European finals to have to play in the weekend before the final. If it can be cleared then fine but otherwise they get on with it. What is unusual, to say the least is to hear a club owner bleating on about injustice and the to have a National Officer doing down the game in his own country.

There is not much we can do about Murray, although if RR can be asked to clarify his AGM remarks under threat of a disrepute charge why cant the same principle apply to SDM.

There will have to be questions asked though of Smith and George Peat.

Did they offer to change the date of the Cup Final?

Did they have any authority for such an offer?

Were the implications of any change for Queen of the South and their supporters considered and was that club consulted?

Does any such action not devalue the major competition they have responsibility for and will this not hamper the search, ineffective so far. for a sponsor for the Scottish Cup?

How was it that the "Exclusive" granted by Rangers to the Daily Record had full details of George Peat's proposed intervention and did the SFA President collude with one member club whose interests conflicted with other members?

What exactly did the CEO mean by his reference to the difficulties caused by SFA members with agendas?

In the light of the facts as now known was the SFA intervention in the full glare of publicity before and after the event not a catastrophic mistake that should have been foreseen?

Could the facts as established in the meeting of 5//05/08 not have been established by a quiet meeting, in a businesslike fashion without damaging the reputation of our national game?

In the light of all of the above, and the continuing ham-fisted efforts of Gordon Smith on behalf of ONE major club the two clowns involved should be sacked forthwith.

[H J Simpson]

To put another slant on things - 'Sir' David Murray blatantly criticises and slags of the hierarchy and nothing is done or said.

 

If this was was big Vlad or little Vlad Hearts would already have been hit with a fine for brining the game into disrepute.

[John Findlay]

To put another slant on things - 'Sir' David Murray blatantly criticises and slags of the hierarchy and nothing is done or said.

 

If this was was big Vlad or little Vlad Hearts would already have been hit with a fine for brining the game into disrepute.

 

Maybe not a fine but the charge(s) would have been filed.

 

 

 

John

[Das Root]

Smith will be out on his ear soon I'd imagine, no point having him there if he can't get the job done for Dave.

[marshallschunkychicken]

I have now witnessed the CEO of the SFA, Gordon Smith, on national television describing cottish football as a laughing stock. This man is charged with protecting and enhancing the reputation of our national game for the benefit of all members not just his beloved Rangers. The crunch point has come with this nonsense over an extension for Rangers of course. I don't think anyone would have stood in the way of giving the Scottish team a breathing space if this was feasible. However we have been told this is not possible. The implication has been that it is normal for national competitions in other countries to be disrupted to assist their teams. This of course is nonsense. For example last year AC Milan had league games in the weekend before beating Liverpool in the CL Final. I am pretty sure the two Spanish teams in the UEFA Cup final were in the same position. You may recall the previous year, when Middlesborough reached the final they had the following programme

Steaua Bucharest 1 Middlesbrough 0

APRIL 20: UEFA Cup semi-final first leg at the Lia Manoliu Stadium.

Middlesbrough 0 West Ham 1

APRIL 23: FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park.

Middlesbrough 4 Steaua 2 (Agg: 4-3)

APRIL 27: UEFA Cup semi-final second-leg at the Riverside.

Middlesbrough 0 Everton 1

APRIL 29: Barclays Premiership at the Riverside.

Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0

MAY 1: Barclays Premiership at Old Trafford.

Bolton 1 Middlesbrough 1

MAY 3: Barclays Premiership at the Reebok Stadium.

Fulham 1 Middlesbrough 0

MAY 7: Barclays Premiership at Craven Cottage.

Middlesbrough 0 Sevilla 4

MAY 10: UEFA Cup final at the Philips Stadion.

 

Then again from memory when Man Utd beat Bayern in 1999 did they not have the FA Cup Final in the previous weekend.

 

The point I am making with all this is that it is not unusual for teams contesting European finals to have to play in the weekend before the final. If it can be cleared then fine but otherwise they get on with it. What is unusual, to say the least is to hear a club owner bleating on about injustice and the to have a National Officer doing down the game in his own country.

There is not much we can do about Murray, although if RR can be asked to clarify his AGM remarks under threat of a disrepute charge why cant the same principle apply to SDM.

There will have to be questions asked though of Smith and George Peat.

Did they offer to change the date of the Cup Final?

Did they have any authority for such an offer?

Were the implications of any change for Queen of the South and their supporters considered and was that club consulted?

Does any such action not devalue the major competition they have responsibility for and will this not hamper the search, ineffective so far. for a sponsor for the Scottish Cup?

How was it that the "Exclusive" granted by Rangers to the Daily Record had full details of George Peat's proposed intervention and did the SFA President collude with one member club whose interests conflicted with other members?

What exactly did the CEO mean by his reference to the difficulties caused by SFA members with agendas?

In the light of the facts as now known was the SFA intervention in the full glare of publicity before and after the event not a catastrophic mistake that should have been foreseen?

Could the facts as established in the meeting of 5//05/08 not have been established by a quiet meeting, in a businesslike fashion without damaging the reputation of our national game?

In the light of all of the above, and the continuing ham-fisted efforts of Gordon Smith on behalf of ONE major club the two clowns involved should be sacked forthwith.

 

Top post.

[Nelly Terraces]

What Smith means is "It's a joke they haven't helped my beloved Rangers - boo-hoo hoo greet, greet..."

 

Plum.

[maroontothemax]

We are not the laughing stock of the football community as unfortunately for us no one really cares about Scottish football apart from Scots.

[troonjambo]

to quote my post on another one off these rangers threads "they keep banging on about helping them to win the uefa cup BUT that is not what there asking there asking for help to win the spl and they can **** off with that one"

[Nelly Terraces]

Here's my 'serious question' to the SFA:

 

Q. How come you lot are such a bunch of old squirm bum sucking james blunts?

 

A "Ehh, no idea, what?"

 

Me: Do one ya mugs - ***smack's SFA official in coupon***

 

Cheers. I like this questioning malarkey.

[Rods]

a positive lsant on this maybe now the refs and the sfa will stop being blatantly biased towards the OF

 

sort of like we have helped them for years and this is how the repay us

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Gordon Smith is to football administration as Wendy Alexander is to politics.

[hawaii]

Here is the Sir David Murray statement

 

"Their decision does not surprise me, but disappoints and angers myself and indeed the Rangers supporters," Murray said.

 

"Throughout the world people will laugh at this decision in disbelief, and none more so than in Russia as their own association have done everything they can to assist FC Zenit St Petersburg. We were not asking that all games be called off, simply one match prior to such a prestigious European final. The reaction throughout Europe when we have been discussing other matters with clubs has been one of astonishment that we are in this situation.

 

"Our chief executive, Martin Bain, has worked diligently behind the scenes in relation to this issue and at all times we as a club have not made public any of the confidential discussions, despite external pressures.

 

"We wrote to the SPL on Friday asking for the Dundee United match to be moved in respect of our forthcoming Uefa Cup final and both the SPL and the club turned down our request. Subsequently, after being informed of their decision, the SFA then became involved and, after a further meeting today, we have once again been turned down. As a club I don't think we have been treated fairly and indeed most, if not all, football associations throughout the world would have taken a different position.

 

"In fact, they would have been only too pleased to assist a member club. What has happened here is footballing authorities not being proactive in their assistance, but only at this late stage by being reactive through embarrassment."

 

Here is the SPL rule that Vlad copped a ?10k fine for calling the media monkeys on the Hearts website

 

A3.2 No Club, either by itself or its Club Officials, shall by any means whatsoever

unfairly criticise, disparage, belittle or discredit any other Club, the Company

or the League or in either case any such other Cub or the Company’s

directors, officers, employees or agents (which shall, for the avoidance of

doubt, exclude supporters).

 

I fully await the SPL hitting Sir David Murray with a ?10k fine for his comments on his clubs website....

[grumpyjambo]

We are not the laughing stock of the football community as unfortunately for us no one really cares about Scottish football apart from Scots.

 

Nail on hit head

[colinmaroon]

Gordon Smith is to football administration as Wendy Alexander is to politics.

 

 

What a cracking analogy of cringeworthiness!!!

 

 

Absolutely spot on!!!

 

 

 

 

.................

[Thig Ar Latha]

to quote my post on another one off these rangers threads "they keep banging on about helping them to win the uefa cup BUT that is not what there asking there asking for help to win the spl and they can **** off with that one"

 

Exactly.

[269miles]

Here is the Sir David Murray statement

 

"Their decision does not surprise me, but disappoints and angers myself and indeed the Rangers supporters," Murray said.

 

"Throughout the world people will laugh at this decision in disbelief, and none more so than in Russia as their own association have done everything they can to assist FC Zenit St Petersburg. We were not asking that all games be called off, simply one match prior to such a prestigious European final. The reaction throughout Europe when we have been discussing other matters with clubs has been one of astonishment that we are in this situation.

 

"Our chief executive, Martin Bain, has worked diligently behind the scenes in relation to this issue and at all times we as a club have not made public any of the confidential discussions, despite external pressures.

 

 

"We wrote to the SPL on Friday asking for the Dundee United match to be moved in respect of our forthcoming Uefa Cup final and both the SPL and the club turned down our request. Subsequently, after being informed of their decision, the SFA then became involved and, after a further meeting today, we have once again been turned down. As a club I don't think we have been treated fairly and indeed most, if not all, football associations throughout the world would have taken a different position.

 

"In fact, they would have been only too pleased to assist a member club. What has happened here is footballing authorities not being proactive in their assistance, but only at this late stage by being reactive through embarrassment."

 

Here is the SPL rule that Vlad copped a ?10k fine for calling the media monkeys on the Hearts website

 

A3.2 No Club, either by itself or its Club Officials, shall by any means whatsoever

unfairly criticise, disparage, belittle or discredit any other Club, the Company

or the League or in either case any such other Cub or the Company?s

directors, officers, employees or agents (which shall, for the avoidance of

doubt, exclude supporters).

 

I fully await the SPL hitting Sir David Murray with a ?10k fine for his comments on his clubs website....

 

 

 

Sir DM is right to say that the Russian FA is helping Zenit : they can do that because the Russians have only just started their season. Why is it Rangers refuse to acknowledge this important point ?

 

Sir DM says they only want one game postponed : completely missing the point that the other club don't want to (chickens , home , roost and all that). In addition , Rangers have already had postponemements which have exacerbated the problem.

 

In essence , other clubs don't want THEIR season extended through no fault of their own (and why would they). Rangers want to take their ball home and are slagging off everyone else - if anyone should be embarrassed it should be Rangers and their petulant response to a ludicrous request to have Scottish football running around meeting their every whim.

[marshallschunkychicken]

Sir DM is right to say that the Russian FA is helping Zenit : they can do that because the Russians have only just started their season. Why is it Rangers refuse to acknowledge this important point ?

 

Sir DM says they only want one game postponed : completely missing the point that the other club don't want to (chickens , home , roost and all that). In addition , Rangers have already had postponemements which have exacerbated the problem.

 

In essence , other clubs don't want THEIR season extended through no fault of their own (and why would they). Rangers want to take their ball home and are slagging off everyone else - if anyone should be embarrassed it should be Rangers and their petulant response to a ludicrous request to have Scottish football running around meeting their every whim.

 

 

There is of course also the fact that the game before the UEFA final that is being postponed for Zenit is away in Vladivostock - Approximately 4000 miles and seven timezones away from St Petersburg, and 11 timezones from Manchester.

 

Rangers are moaning because they have to play a game against Dundee United. At home. Before travelling all of 200 miles to Manchester.

 

Good one.

[Blackdog35]

There is of course also the fact that the game before the UEFA final that is being postponed for Zenit is away in Vladivostock - Approximately 4000 miles and seven timezones away from St Petersburg, and 11 timezones from Manchester.

 

Rangers are moaning because they have to play a game against Dundee United. At home. Before travelling all of 200 miles to Manchester.

 

Good one.

 

Zenit are getting more than 1 game psotponed by the Russina FA they are getting 3 games postponed. 2 before the final and 1 after. 1 game is where you said anothe rgame is in Moscow and the other one is at home.

[JamboGraham]

I would love to have the "problems" that Rangers have right now...

 

It does show an incredible lack of respect to Dundee United who (I am speculating here) may view the qualificiation to the UEFA Cup as valuable, in terms of scale, as the UEFA Cup victory may be to Rangers.

 

OK...maybe not quite. However, why should Dundee United risk any damage to their UEFA cup qualification challenge?

 

Also the comments by Murray are up there alongside some of the things from Romanov. Nothing will be done...

[Guest juvehearts]

Like i have said in a previous post on another thread

 

its a perfect example that the whole league structure in scotland needs shooken up & the league started NOW in the summertime rather than go thru a winter again.

 

perfect example of this is the state of motherwell's pitch

[flecktimus]

Heard a Quote earlier, on Talksport when someone from Rangers was complaining how winning the uefa cup would put Scotland on the football map abroad.Now i live south of the border and whilst out walking the dog two locals brought up this subject of Rangers winning and putting us on the football map.

 

Fair enough i thought, so i asked them who won the uefa cup last year.

 

GUESS WHAT

[Deevers]

a positive lsant on this maybe now the refs and the sfa will stop being blatantly biased towards the OF

 

sort of like we have helped them for years and this is how the repay us

 

Well I certainly wouldn't bank on that being the case. Next season will yet again see the usual amount of very questionable decisions, soft penalties, and and all the other malarkey that the men in black seem to excel at!

[Through thick and thin]

Gordhun Smith showing his true bluenose colours. His appointment was a disgrace. He is everything that is wrong with the game in Scotland.

[IMA MAROON]

Rangers helped the SFA when postponing a match for the benifit of the Scotland v Italy game and are now asking for the favour back. It is as simple as that.

[Through thick and thin]

Rangers helped the SFA when postponing a match for the benifit of the Scotland v Italy game and are now asking for the favour back. It is as simple as that.

 

Rangers are only interested in themselves. Did they help us a few years ago when we came back from Europe and asked them to postpone our game? No they didn't. Let them stew in their own p Ish.

[Therapist]

If Hearts were in Rangers FC's position, the posters on here would be shaking with rage about the failure of the SFA, SPL and fellow clubs to co-operate.

[Through thick and thin]

If Hearts were in Rangers FC's position, the posters on here would be shaking with rage about the failure of the SFA, SPL and fellow clubs to co-operate.

 

I would be delighted to be in that position. And no I wouldn't be shaking with rage as you put it.

[Ben Dover]

I wonder if there may just be a tiny wee element of suspended rage from the SPL in amongst this. Rangers presented a case regarding postponement of the Lyon tie, claiming that the French side had already obtained dispensation. IIRC the SPL went with this line ( it may or may not have tipped the balance ) but it was quickly outed as being utter balls and whilst the SPL toffs said nothing it may well have left them feeling like right chumps ?

Now oddly enough, despite Murray's claims of us being 'backward' compared to other nations, did the French club president not say at the time that they didn't even contemplate a delay as there is no danger it would have been granted

Either way, what with Rangers getting on their high horse, Gretna needing a sub to get to matches and Fir Park not being 'fit for purpose' .........we really need to have a serious look at how the games going to move forward, OUTSIDE of Glasgow

[Cigaro]

Why to some refer to Rangers as "Rangers FC"? Always the FC...?

 

You dont call us Hearts FC, or Kilmarnock Kilmarnock FC, why the huns?

[Deevers]

They lost any sympathy I may have had for them when they were complicate in creating their own backlog of games by getting their game against the mighty Gretna postponed just prior to the Lyon match. The problem with Rangers is that they want everything their way. With all the complaining that they and their cretinous supporters do I hope that they lose all three of the competitions left to them.

[WASTREL]

To put another slant on things - 'Sir' David Murray blatantly criticises and slags of the hierarchy and nothing is done or said.

 

If this was was big Vlad or little Vlad Hearts would already have been hit with a fine for brining the game into disrepute.

 

I remember sitting on a runway on the teams return flight from our UEFA tie against Stuttgart having been delayed for more 3 hours (kept in the plane for most of that time) on a Thursday afternoon flight back

 

Because of our time delay in returning we requested (direct to Rangers) that our game against them at Ibrox, scheduled for the Saturday, be put back 24 hrs to let us recover and prepare for the match.

 

Rangers gave an immediate and strong refusal to this request.

 

What goes around ......... comes around they say.

[Through thick and thin]

I remember sitting on a runway on the teams return flight from our UEFA tie against Stuttgart having been delayed for more 3 hours (kept in the plane for most of that time) on a Thursday afternoon flight back

 

Because of our time delay in returning we requested (direct to Rangers) that our game against them at Ibrox, scheduled for the Saturday, be put back 24 hrs to let us recover and prepare for the match.

 

Rangers gave an immediate and strong refusal to this request.

 

What goes around ......... comes around they say.

 

Well said Colin. A little dose of their own medicine on this one. BTW half an hour gone at Greyskull and still nil nil. When did the huns last score?

[inspector]

to quote my post on another one off these rangers threads "they keep banging on about helping them to win the uefa cup BUT that is not what there asking there asking for help to win the spl and they can **** off with that one"

 

However the Weegie media will not see it like that if Rangers do not win the 'Quad'. The Huns will (and are) blaming everyone but themselves for the predicament they find themselves in. If they thought that they would find themselves in such a situation (postponements notwithstanding) , pull out of a competition ala Man. Utd in 2000. They want 4 trophies and want everyones help to do so. Why should every other team 'assume the position' for them.

[York Jambo 44]

Walter Smith being shafted by the SFA - are Rangers/Media (same thing) too thick or arrogant to see the funny side??

[7628mm]

Why to some refer to Rangers as "Rangers FC"? Always the FC...?

 

You dont call us Hearts FC, or Kilmarnock Kilmarnock FC, why the huns?

 

 

Simply because Rangers are a bunch of Faaaaarking Cuuuuunts

where Hearts are a football club (well we used to be)

[coppercrutch]

The only people I have heard describing Scottish football as a 'laughing stock' due to this decision are either Scottish, or connected with rangers (Advocat). No-one else seems to find it that big a deal.

 

As the OP states what Gordon Smith has been saying is a disgrace.

[Sherlock]

I remember sitting on a runway on the teams return flight from our UEFA tie against Stuttgart having been delayed for more 3 hours (kept in the plane for most of that time) on a Thursday afternoon flight back

 

Because of our time delay in returning we requested (direct to Rangers) that our game against them at Ibrox, scheduled for the Saturday, be put back 24 hrs to let us recover and prepare for the match.

 

Rangers gave an immediate and strong refusal to this request.

 

What goes around ......... comes around they say.

 

Your memory is playing tricks on you Colin.

 

The game was on the Thursday.... see here.

 

I agree though.... What goes around, comes around.... there was no real reason for the to refuse our request other than sheer OF-nastiness.

[Paolo]

I am pretty sure Rangers have knocked back requests from teams to reschedule matches themselves, including Hearts, can not recall when, but I am sure this did happen.

[mda]

And another question to ask of the SFA..... is Charlie Richmond a real referee or did he just make up his training badges? I only ask because I was round a mate's house last night and he had the hun game on. Up until the wee ned scored their goal, Motherwell were time wasting at every single throw-in and set piece. Even their keeper was hanging on to the ball for ages whenever he picked it up.

 

Now, I'm all for a team using any means necessary to get points through there, but this was seriously taking the **** and was much more blatant than I've ever seen from a European side. And yet nothing was done apart from adding on nearly 5 minutes of injury time.

 

Just adds more weight to the postings I've seen on here about just how awful a ref this guy is.

[Ben Dover]

I am pretty sure Rangers have knocked back requests from teams to reschedule matches themselves, including Hearts, can not recall when, but I am sure this did happen.

 

 

I've also mentioned the TV Beam-back they knocked back, just after we cut their Roseburn allocation. It must have been clear to a blind man that it was just pure spite and yet they received no reprimand for it

The various governing bodies are supposed to look after the current and future welfare of the member clubs AND the game in general........but you seldom see that philosophy in action

[jambojim52]

If Hearts were in Rangers FC's position, the posters on here would be shaking with rage about the failure of the SFA, SPL and fellow clubs to co-operate.

 

Yes, you are quite right. As a HEARTS supporter, I would not be happy.HOWEVER you could bet your bottom dollar, that there would not be fans on follow follow moaning about it.

 

Rangers have only themselves to blame. They asked for a game to be postponed ( Pre Lyon )and it was. They agreed to postpone the celtic game for P O'D. They played players out of possition and could not dispach teams from lower divisions at the first asking.

 

If they had been given the postponements, it would disadvantage DDutd and QoS. It would also give them the advantage over celtic in the league ( not that I care on that one). IF any team who enters a league or competition and cannot fulfill their obligations, they should either not enter in the first place or be fined by the league. Rangers have a squad big enough to fulfill these obligations, so they can get on with it, or resign from the league.

If Sir David of Govan is convinced the league is against them, then he can take his team elsewhere asap.