Old Firm now deciding fixtures!

[Clerry Jambo]

.......well as if we didn't know eh!

 

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/scottish-football/2008/06/15/spl-chiefs-cave-in-on-burls-old-firm-plea-78057-20607989/

[Drylaw Hearts]

Absolutely disgraceful.

[Craigieboy]

Cheating *******s.

 

Its at times like these that I wish I never backed Rangers in Europe.

 

.

[Robbo27_22]

The whole Scottish set up has been a sham for decades and will remain so for decades to come.

 

The refs favour them - can't think of any other team that get as many dodgy decisions as they do.

 

The SPL bend over backwards for them - the fixture juggling last year wouldn't have happened for anyone else other than them.

 

The SFA go out of their way to pick their players for the National team - mediocre OF players will walk straight into the National team after their debut. Genuine talent like Gordon, Naysmith, Weir(Ironic that he's now a stalwart again), Cameron, Hartley etc have to prove year upon year that they are worthy of selection. Robbo's cap tally is a disgrace.

 

Even TV give them a leg up - can't see them being asked to play at Aberdeen on a Monday night. Don't think we have to date but other teams have and only a matter of time before we are.

 

Have always detested both sides of the OF and always will.

[Gambo]

Absolutely shocking, and they say there is no old firm bias.

 

They should be told strongly that the SPL* is about 12 teams and not just 2.

 

*The club reps who sit on the SPL board should grow a set!

[ToadKiller Dog]

Was it not our martyred hero saint george that asked for this change to happen?

 

I bet they the old firm wont be getting trips to edinburgh ,dundee or up north after midweek internationals either .

[Toxteth O'Grady]

A disgrace but not surprising

[Groatallar]

FFS The SFA has to grow a backbone. FIFA have a rule to sort teams out who withdraw players and the SFA should tell the clubs don't play for your country then forget your next club game.

 

I wonder if the same allowance will be given to all SPL clubs if they have a derby, oh hold on that would be be fairness can't have that. Anyway the former should apply!

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Well, Hamilton and St Mirren amongst others will know their away trips to the gruesomes now.

 

Seriously, could the SP Hell become any more of a joke than what it is?

[Ben Dover]

I know that pair are a shower of ^^^^ and I'd be glad to see the back of them .............but the Club v Country issue is a tricky one and not just for ourselves. I dont know what these FIFA rules are that Groataller mentions but guaranteed they will be 'fudged' the 1st time anyone encounters them !

I'm more concerned about this 'fortune' the league has spent getting these Canadian dudes in. I take it Lex is now going to raise his hands at the first Gers postponement request and say " nothing to do with me Wattie'

[4marsbars]

This is all perfectly justified.

 

Have you forgotten that the OF are Scottish football?

 

The rest of us are just there to stand at the kerb and admire their procession. We know our place. What's amazing is that we still bother to turn up.

[cosanostra]

If it helps the National team, i don't actually mind this.

[Drylaw Hearts]

If it helps the National team, i don't actually mind this.

 

It only helps the NT because the OF could pull players from squads prior to an OF match.

 

Burley and the SFA should have more balls and threaten the OF with the threat of being dropped from future squads.

 

There was not even a hint of such an agreement for other teams back in the days when the OF barely had a player in the squad and we had 4.

 

Now they've gone Scottish again they want it all their own way.

[cosanostra]

It only helps the NT because the OF could pull players from squads prior to an OF match.

 

Burley and the SFA should have more balls and threaten the OF with the threat of being dropped from future squads.

 

There was not even a hint of such an agreement for other teams back in the days when the OF barely had a player in the squad and we had 4.

 

Now they've gone Scottish again they want it all their own way.

 

Probably right Drylaw.

 

However, i love the national team and I'd always want to have our best players in the squad. I give less than a toss about Old Firm games. If keeping OF games away from Scotland fixtures means that Burley has a full squad to pick from then that's fine by me.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Probably right Drylaw.

 

However, i love the national team and I'd always want to have our best players in the squad. I give less than a toss about Old Firm games. If keeping OF games away from Scotland fixtures means that Burley has a full squad to pick from then that's fine by me.

 

It appears to me the tails are wagging the dogs.

 

Never a good situation.

 

They're either with the NT 100% and no strings attached or they're not.

[Dirk Diggler]

FTR

 

FTC

 

FTSFA

[Drylaw Hearts]

FTR

 

FTC

 

FTSFA

 

Agreed.

[cosanostra]

It appears to me the tails are wagging the dogs.

 

Never a good situation.

 

They're either with the NT 100% and no strings attached or they're not.

 

Once again, you are probably correct.

 

We all know that the Old Firm control the SFA though so there is never going to be any chance of the SFA standing up to them and their players. When was the last time the SFA envoked the 5 day rule? The OF do what they like and will continue to do so.

[Drylaw Hearts]

Once again, you are probably correct.

 

We all know that the Old Firm control the SFA though so there is never going to be any chance of the SFA standing up to them and their players. When was the last time the SFA envoked the 5 day rule? The OF do what they like and will continue to do so.

 

Is it any wonder I don't get passionate about the Scotland NT !

 

I never have and I doubt I ever will.

 

 

I always want them to win but it's just not the same as wanting Hearts to win.

[Only a Game]

.......well as if we didn't know eh!

 

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/scottish-football/2008/06/15/spl-chiefs-cave-in-on-burls-old-firm-plea-78057-20607989/

 

To be fair I dont think the Old Firm have actually asked for this at all. I think Burley has asked for Smith to resolve the situation regarding Old Firm call offs.

 

Burley probably expected Smith to contact clubs on his behalf warning that the 5 day rule would be invoked but lets get this perfectly clear here.......

 

 

GORDON SMITH WILL NEVER TAKE ANY EFFECTIVE ACTION WHICH IMPACTS NEGATIVELY ON EITHER OF THE OLD FIRM TEAMS...............EVEN IF THAT IS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL TEAM OR THE GAME IN SCOTLAND IN GENERAL.

 

This is not so much about the Old Firm having too much influence because thats being going on for years. Its about Smith bending over backwards to ensure that influence is maintained, sometimes at the expense of the national team, and ALWAYS at the expense of one or more of the other member clubs of the SFA.

 

Its quite shocking and corrupt that this man is running our game IMO.

[rudi]

Probably right Drylaw.

 

However, i love the national team and I'd always want to have our best players in the squad. I give less than a toss about Old Firm games. If keeping OF games away from Scotland fixtures means that Burley has a full squad to pick from then that's fine by me.

 

Same here,it was GB who wanted this not the OF.

 

IMO if the OF did have it their way they would stop all their players playing international football,so I don't think this will suit the OF at all,it now means that their player will have to play for the NT.

[Gambo]

Same here,it was GB who wanted this not the OF.

 

IMO if the OF did have it their way they would stop all their players playing international football,so I don't think this will suit the OF at all,it now means that their player will have to play for the NT.

 

So GB has decided before a ball has been kicked next season that his team will be made up of old-firm players then?

Should they not have to earn their place in the squad, should players from other teams not be allowed to play their way into the squad?

[cosanostra]

So GB has decided before a ball has been kicked next season that his team will be made up of old-firm players then?

Should they not have to earn their place in the squad, should players from other teams not be allowed to play their way into the squad?

 

Not at all.

 

He obviously wants full squad of players to choose from and that will usually always include a few players from each OF team.

[John Findlay]

Gordon Smith should resign forwith. He is and always will be an OF lackey.

 

Scottish football has to get some balls alas, to many cowards for that.

 

 

 

 

John

[rudi]

So GB has decided before a ball has been kicked next season that his team will be made up of old-firm players then?

Should they not have to earn their place in the squad, should players from other teams not be allowed to play their way into the squad?

 

Here's why,McGregor,Webster,Wier,Boyd,Thomson,McCulloch,Whittaker,Ferguson,Miller,Robson,Caldwell,McMannus,Kennedy,Brown,Hartley.

 

There's 15 reason's why,all players who have or more than likely will be called up for the NT.

 

How many do we have,1.

[Shaggy2]

I'm more interested in the "fortune" they've given to a Canadian company to co-ordinate the fixtures.

 

FFS it's been SEVEN weeks since we knew who would be in the SPL next season. Does nobody at the SFA have any freakin brains? (OK, silly question). Why don't they just get the full round of eleven matches and slot them into any date they like???

 

I used to play a game at school which involved rolling a dice to determine a team score. I used to choose the ten teams and write down a 36 game season from scratch. As a 10 year old this probably took me about half a day, if that!!!

 

Give me the international dates, cup tie dates and the CL/UEFA dates, then gie me the "fortune" and I'll carve it up any way they like.

 

By the way Hearts won the league every season in my game;).

[Gambo]

Here's why,McGregor,Webster,Wier,Boyd,Thomson,McCulloch,Whittaker,Ferguson,Miller,Robson,Caldwell,McMannus,Kennedy,Brown,Hartley.

 

There's 15 reason's why,all players who have or more than likely will be called up for the NT.

 

How many do we have,1.

 

So you have picked the above players on reputation only then?

 

So we are really going to be goosed when some of the above are injured or are out of form and he has to look at other teams for players on form...............say for arguements sake from Aberdeen and Dundee Utd......what do we do if they are scheduled to play before a Scotland game............................i'll tell you what we do and what the Aberdeen/Utd players do, we get on with it like we always have done.

[Only a Game]

I'm more interested in the "fortune" they've given to a Canadian company to co-ordinate the fixtures.

 

FFS it's been SEVEN weeks since we knew who would be in the SPL next season. Does nobody at the SFA have any freakin brains? (OK, silly question). Why don't they just get the full round of eleven matches and slot them into any date they like???

 

I used to play a game at school which involved rolling a dice to determine a team score. I used to choose the ten teams and write down a 36 game season from scratch. As a 10 year old this probably took me about half a day, if that!!!

 

Give me the international dates, cup tie dates and the CL/UEFA dates, then gie me the "fortune" and I'll carve it up any way they like.

 

By the way Hearts won the league every season in my game;).

 

I know.

 

All thats required is a simple piece of software a schoolboy could design and a lassie in the office at the SPL to push a feckin button !!!.

[MacDonald Jardine]

So you have picked the above players on reputation only then?

 

So we are really going to be goosed when some of the above are injured or are out of form and he has to look at other teams for players on form...............say for arguements sake from Aberdeen and Dundee Utd......what do we do if they are scheduled to play before a Scotland game............................i'll tell you what we do and what the Aberdeen/Utd players do, we get on with it like we always have done.

 

But the argument isn't that they don't play games, just that they don't play Old Firm games at that time.

[FORTHCLYDE]

The SPL are complete idiots and should resign, for the last few years they have said that home away home away could not be managed for some reason, they also said teams could not have 19 home and 19 away they also said some teams would have 3 home against the same team because that was they way it was and it couldn't be changed.

Now we have some Canadians who have managed to solve the problems!

As stated by others on here they could have solved this.

I remember when I was at primary school 40 years ago being given problems like this to solve which I managed to do.

[redm]

Just when you think they can't possibly be any more obvious, they go and do something like this. Is there a more ridiculous set up anywhere in Europe?

 

What gets me is that you'd think they might at least come up with a more convincing explanation. Yes, we all want the national team to succeed but are they the only clubs who will have internationalists in the squad? What about everyone else? What's the benchmark here....how many players does a club need to have before they too can have their fixtures moved about for convenience purposes?

 

If nothing else, it demonstrates once and for all that they know very well that these call-offs are rarely ever made for genuine reasons. It completely devalues the national set-up and does nothing other than hand the OF yet more advantages over everyone else in the SPL. Nice one.

[4marsbars]

To be fair I dont think the Old Firm have actually asked for this at all. .

 

That's worse in a way. They don't have to ask. To be fair, last season this was more a Rangers problem than an OF problem.

 

They should bring in a rule which says that a player deemed unfit to play for the national team misses the next league game..... oh, apparently there is such a rule but it mustn't be applied to the OF because of the special dispensations to which they are rightly entitled.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Just when you think they can't possibly be any more obvious, they go and do something like this. Is there a more ridiculous set up anywhere in Europe?

 

What gets me is that you'd think they might at least come up with a more convincing explanation. Yes, we all want the national team to succeed but are they the only clubs who will have internationalists in the squad? What about everyone else? What's the benchmark here....how many players does a club need to have before they too can have their fixtures moved about for convenience purposes?

 

If nothing else, it demonstrates once and for all that they know very well that these call-offs are rarely ever made for genuine reasons. It completely devalues the national set-up and does nothing other than hand the OF yet more advantages over everyone else in the SPL. Nice one.

 

 

I agree with every part of your post except the bit highlighted. I couldn't care less about GFA United

[PresidentRomanov]

I agree with every part of your post except the bit highlighted. I couldn't care less about GFA United

 

I'd go even further than that, and say I hope Scotland get tanned in every game they play

[mda]

But that story says it was George Burley who asked for the changes?

 

Confused.

[redm]

I agree with every part of your post except the bit highlighted. I couldn't care less about GFA United

 

Your opinion on that might become more popular if this crap continues...

 

This decision is shameful beyond words. They've basically put their hands up and admitted that the national team can only function normally and prosper if everyone else panders to the whims of the OF. What about Burley's no nonsense approach to call offs? What happened to that? Pfft.

[Drylaw Hearts]

But that story says it was George Burley who asked for the changes?

 

Confused.

 

But why did he ask ?

 

Answer : So the OF don't pull players from his squads.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Your opinion on that might become more popular if this crap continues...

 

This decision is shameful beyond words. They've basically put their hands up and admitted that the national team can only function normally and prosper if everyone else panders to the whims of the OF. What about Burley's no nonsense approach to call offs? What happened to that? Pfft.

 

 

The SPL just have just rolled over and spared George the task.

 

You wonder why there are so many Blazers in the Scottish game.

Having the GFA, SPL and SFL is ridiculous, all of these clowns should be signing on.

[Smoked-Glass]

.They never start the season with an old firm game but yet they have done several times with an edinburgh derby. (2007 and 2000)

 

. Flag day is always someone like kilmarnock or Motherwell never an Edinburgh team. I'd like us to get smeltic away 1st game cause we are good at spoiling partys plus the game is ALWAYS on tv so a day in the pub or few beers watching it in my house

[colinmaroon]

FFS The SFA has to grow a backbone. FIFA have a rule to sort teams out who withdraw players and the SFA should tell the clubs don't play for your country then forget your next club game.

 

I wonder if the same allowance will be given to all SPL clubs if they have a derby, oh hold on that would be be fairness can't have that. Anyway the former should apply!

 

 

 

Exactly!!!

 

In fact, if Hearts ever get back to challenging, with some Scottish players in the team - just wait to see what happens if we have a BIG game after an international, and VR asks for a postponement!!!

 

In fact, just wait to see Hearts games being re-arranged to make sure we have a crunch game after an international - unless, of course, it's poor wee, small-squad, nae money to have strength in depth, Rantic!!!

 

 

My heart bleeds for the wee souls!!!

 

NOT!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

[Ribble]

I know.

 

All thats required is a simple piece of software a schoolboy could design and a lassie in the office at the SPL to push a feckin button !!!.

 

Correct, pleanty free online software can create fixtures with conditions to make sure 2 teams from the same city don't play at home at the same time etc! Complete waste of money !!!

[Doc Rob]

I think this is a good thing if it improves the quality of the squad GB has to pick from on match days.

 

However, what really gets my goat is the fact that the SFA have had the power to do this for decades, simply by enforcing the rule that would prevent the OF players from turning out in club matches after pulling out of the NT. Hey presto, job done. But the SFA lack the stones to go up against the OF, so they mess around with the fixture list instead.

 

I wish they would enforce that rule, just once, just to see the shocked reaction from the OF teams. Can GB decide to do it on his own, or do the SFA bigwigs have to authorise it?

[Blackdog35]

Some people on here are completely paranoid, it's been well known for months that GB was the one wanting no OF derby games right after an International. The article even states this clearly yet it seems to have been ignored for some reason and the OF are being blamed irrationally again.

[djf]

Some people on here are completely paranoid, it's been well known for months that GB was the one wanting no OF derby games right after an International. The article even states this clearly yet it seems to have been ignored for some reason and the OF are being blamed irrationally again.

 

But the only reason GB wants "no Old Firm derbys" after Scotland games is because he knows half the squad will pull out.

 

Basically the Old Firm are doing what the hell they feel like and Scotland are pandering to them.

[John Findlay]

If I remember correctly did not Man Utd v Liverpool and Chelsea v Arsenal occur last season in the EPL after midweek international matches that had England, Spain, France, Czech Republic and lots of other nations playing?

 

 

Certain OF players should never play for Scotland again. Alas GB and the SFA havent got the b a l l s to tell them this.

 

 

 

John

[siegementality]

But that story says it was George Burley who asked for the changes?

 

Confused.

 

Yip I know, some people didn't manage to read that far though it would appear. It was only in the first line after all!

[gorgie rd eh11]

Yip I know, some people didn't manage to read that far though it would appear. It was only in the first line after all!

 

 

 

And as has already been said, this is because he knows celtic and rangers would just pull their players if the situation arose. They might not have asked, but they have, by their actions, forced the fixtures to be arranged to suit them.

 

Absolute joke.

[yvonnejambo]

Read the first paragraph and then my stomach started to churn and steam came out my ears. No need to read any further, what is the point in the SPL?

[nanananananana-angus]

Some people on here are completely paranoid, it's been well known for months that GB was the one wanting no OF derby games right after an International. The article even states this clearly yet it seems to have been ignored for some reason and the OF are being blamed irrationally again.

 

All GB actually said was it would be better if Scotland games and OF games weren't scheduled to close together.

The real protagonist here is Smith,he is the one who has been shouting his mouth off in the press and mediating with the SPL to get this fixed.Smiths previous form suggests his motives are not for the benefit of GB or Scotland.

[redm]

Yip I know, some people didn't manage to read that far though it would appear. It was only in the first line after all!

 

 

He might have suggested that it was a better idea to try and fiddle the fixtures accordingly but that didn't match with the hardline stance he was threatening to take against players who called off without very good reason. It doesn't make much difference though, either way it's just another example of the OF getting their own way and Burley & co look like a bunch of spineless twits. Again.