A key aspect of modern journalism is trying to get a meaningful response from those in power.
This is crucial if the Fourth estate is to serve the Public Interest.
Many large organisations now usually employ communications professionals to act as a buffer between the boardroom and the press.
Consequently, your first point of contact is often with a media office.
The Scottish Football Association has several professionals in their Communications Team.
The first time that I dealt with them was in 2010 during the “Dallas Email” story.
Of course, they’re on the opposite side of the fence.
Many experienced journalists become “PRs” and there is an element of poacher turned gamekeeper.
I have no problem with this.
The roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and understood.
It is striker and centre-half wearing different coloured shirts.
One is there to stop the other.
They’re usually very good at getting back to you and are mindful of deadlines etc.
What follows is an email correspondence I have been in since last September.
The object of this has been to get the SFA to answer questions that I think the football public in Scotland would want to be answered.
It started on the 13th September 2017.
[13/09/2017]
Hello
I am a journalist (NUJ Press Card attached).
I have some questions for your organisation:
When did the Scottish Football Association (SFA) know that indemnifying side-letters were a factor in HMRC’s investigation into the use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBT) at Rangers FC?
Did HRMC investigators contact the SFA apropos this matter in 2009?
Once the SFA were aware that rule breaking side letters were part of the tax scheme being operated by Rangers, what did the SFA do about it?
Did the SFA write to Rangers FC?
If so will the SFA publish that correspondence in the interests of transparency?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Phil Mac Giolla Bháin
One the same day I sent the following:
Hello
I have some supplementary questions related to my previous email.
The questions are:
Can you confirm that in 2009 your organisation received a Section 36 order under the 2008 Finance act empowering HMRC investigators?
Can you also confirm that said Section 36 order was apropos Rangers Football Club?
Was this court ordered inquiry relating to the copies of contracts that you had received from Rangers FC and related correspondence?
Was the Chief Executive of the SFA in 2009, Mr Gordon Smith, informed of this legally enforceable request for this paperwork?
Was he aware that this was regarding a tax probe by HMRC inspectors into Rangers FC?
Later that day [13/09/217] I received the following:
Good evening Phil,
This is just a short holding note to let you know that we are looking into your enquiries and will come back to you in due course.
Kind regards
Scottish FA Communications Team
I replied with thanks and then sent this email:
To clarify my supplementary questions.
It was apropos a “Third Party Notice under Schedule 36 of 2008 Finance Act”
To assist you I believe that HMRC was in touch regarding this matter in JUNE 2009.
Then on the 21st of September 2017 I received this email from the SFA Communications team:
Hi Phil,
Just to let you know that we will be in a position to come back to you next week on this one – I’m waiting on a colleague returning from annual leave.
Kind regards
Scottish FA Communications Team
On the 23rd of October 2017 I sent this:
Hello,
Further to your email of 21st September.
“…we will be in a position to come back to you next week on this one…”
Can I expect a response to my questions shortly?
Many thanks
I received no reply to this email.
On January 4th this year I sent the following:
Hello [I used the first names of the three members of the Communications Team]
You will note that the email I am replying to is dated 21/09/2017.
Moreover, it states that:
“We will be in a position to come back to you next week on this one”
It is now January 2018.
Can I take it from that time lapse that you are not going to provide me with a response to my question?
Regards
Phil
I waited a week and received no reply.
I called the switchboard at Hampden on January 10th 2018 and spoke one of the Communications Team.
The call as pleasant and business-like.
I followed it up with this email:
Xxxx
Thanks for taking the call.
As you can see from the forwarded email chain my original question into the SFA was September last year.
I haven’t had any reply.
The story is still relevant therefore a response would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Phil
The following day I received this email:
Hi Phil,
Sorry for not getting back to you yesterday. The day ran away with me.
Thanks for sending those through. I’ve passed them on and a colleague will be back in touch.
Cheers,
XXXXX
There was then a couple of emails back and forth to ascertain the identity of the member of the Communications Team who would be dealing with my questions.
I wrote to the person I had been dealing with on January 12th 2018 to ask if he had passed my questions onto his colleague.
He didn’t reply.
Now dear reader, if you care to look at that timeline from September last year until now.
I think I have been rather patient with the SFA Communications Team.
By way of comparison, the UEFA Media office usually replies within several working days.
When I have had contact on the phone with the SFA Communications Team they have been professional and courteous.
My only take away from this delay is that there is something about my questions that the SFA finds difficult to answer.
If there is such a problem it is not the fault of the folk in their media office.
My questions above and those pertaining to the granting a UEFA licence to Rangers for season 2011-2012 are about the governance standards at the SFA and not the malfeasance of the deceased Ibrox club.
Without a level playing field of rules then the observations of the late Turnbull Hutton on the steps of Hampden remain current.
As ever, as a journalist, your task is to hold the powerful to account.
To serve the public interest, to bear witness and not go witness for Bears…
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Quite shocked by the low turnout at the Legends game.
Is this the start of the fans fall into disillusionment?
Another PR disaster for sure. If only they had advertised the orange strip Ibrox would have been packed.
Another route is to explore with sportscotland and/or the Scottish Government what contact on the issues you have raised with the SFA have been discussed with these bodies, both of whom are required under FOI provisions to answer your inquiries.
If nothing else they will feel exposed at a body they fund generously to ignore questions of this nature.
Kipre red card overturned
interesting
Keep at them Phil……
It’s sweet they way they say “Cheers” and send you four kisses….
Your persistence is laudable. A quick check of Freedom of Information legislation suggests, as a body covering a public function, say like Sport England, the SFA are covered by FoI requests. The assumption being you are covered unless told otherwise. It is also likely that the NUJ would be interested not least because their members will be fielding SFA inquiries.
The law permits for FoIs to be made by anyone though there may be costs which should be clearly stated.
The body involved can be reported for non-compliance though one defence would be classifying a request as vexatious. This itself could be subject to challenge.
Sadly, the SFA are acting as if they are above the law and may be using the redundant Nimmo Smith probe as a backstop (‘this has all been covered so move on’…).
Sounds familiar? There is a clear argument to make all football orgs subject to FoI. There would perhaps be general agreement and union support. What is needed is political support. Keep up the good work.
McLeish was quoted during the week as being delighted at ticket sales for the glamour friendly against Costa Rica.
After paying the visitors guaranteed fee and adding the costs of staging the game then the SFA would be looking at a financial loss on top of the reverse on the field.
That won’t sit well with the blazers if it impacts on their spending money for the summer holiday jaunt to the Americas.
Question for McLeish? What was the point of having Murphy and Cummings in the squad when they have done nothing to merit selection, then, apart from a 3 minute cameo for Murphy, keeping them sat on the bench?
If Eck’s the answer what the feck was the question?
Would love to know the SFA definition of “sporting advantage” and what is the criteria that fulfills it is.
Whole place is rotten to the core, stadium, access to and from, the whole place is rotten
The SFA have no intention of answering your questions. You have a right to ask these questions but is there a corresponding right to simply refuse to answer your questions and meanwhile they stonewall and obfuscate. What is your best strategy now as a journalist in such a situation? They are hoping that in time you will simply give up hope of receiving an answer and do walking away. You are tenacious however. I do not know what options are available. Is there some other means of obtaining answers to you legitimate questions?
Ah wee coco talking his turkish delight again .He has took a wee trip down memory lane or memory lower leagues and where the players are now .He did go through quite a few but the best of them all was when he came to Lee McCulloch saying when he did leave ibrox to go to killie as player then player manager and did rather well there .Coco sober up he left them bottom or 2nd bottom of the league got bagged but you say he did well no wonder it doesn’t take much for you and other bennys to be impressed or see improvements in your own team keep up the good comedy coco .
Phil,
All very pertinent questions.
Is there no politician willing to take this on?
If as an organisation which receives money from the public purse surely they should be held to account in the public interest.
On the issue of why Celtic do nothing to demand justice – which like others – I find deeply frustrating and disappointing – and I’m not even a Celtic fan – I think that as a genuine billionaire – Desmond probably has a better strategic mindd than most.
I’ve come to think that his appraoch is – if organisations who has done you and your family severe wrong over decades show suicidal, addicitve and self-harming tendencies – and have passed the point of doing you any further harm – then why pick a fight with them in public and risk a charge of manslaughter or worse – from a conflicted media and brotherly Aging William – when you can enjoy their demise – and help along with a humiliation here and a sly kick in the nuts there – before they are found choked on their own vomit one day soon – while you are in The Bahamas catching some rays on your yacht.
The lack of an answer is probably more damning than any response they could come up with.
If everything was above board it would be reasonably straightforward to say so. The fact that they haven’t even tried to come up with a deflection story is instructive
Twenty one days, to the hour, since King’s QC was given a wedgy over his silly apppeal against the Court of Sessions’ suppoort of the Take Over Panel’s concert party judgement, requiring The Glib One to offer 20p per RIFC plc share – originally within 30 days.
Has anyone seen any signs of preparation for an offer ?
Has King spent any money preparing the financially illiterate for rejecting 20p/share as admin looms and shares trade at zero pennies ?
Can anyone point me to an SMSM article arguing, with verifiable facts, that 20p is a lousy price for a n RIFC plc share ?
Has anyone in The City heard of an advisor signing up to work with King and NOAL ?
In a parallel universe, Meg Ryan bangs the table of a delicatessen and moans “no, No, NO, NOOOO” in faux ecstasy.
There is mounting prima facie evidence that there will be no share offer from King or NOAL.
Consequently, the cold shoulder will fall on King, NOAL, RIFC plc, TRFC Ltd, MetroBank and others – unless King is removed as Chairman of RIFC plc PDQ
Does anyone see any sign of King preparing to walk or of the board preparing to push ?
Will the board standby impotently and let the Takeove Panel push RIFC plc into administration – allowing The Wonga Bros to feature in a special episode of Salvage Hunters at Ibrox ?
If the board have a plan, it is certainly must be a very, very cunning one and very, very secret too.
They couldn’t just die with a whimper again (sic) could they – and lash out blaming everyone but themselves ?
Shirley Not !
Great read as ever Phil,
Your persistence and resilience is remarkable.
This information is both well received and truly appreciated.
HH? MR.FEAR
You quite literally have them on the run…..
why not have it printed at one of the top papers.id suspect many people would help fund the ad.c’mon lets embarrass them , it’s supposed to be our game after all.
Another takeaway could be that just like the SUN newspaper and Show Racism The Red Card, once the SFA are aware of you and your history of bigotry, they decide it’s best not to engage with you.
Presumably the people at UEFA aren’t aware
Good work Phil…but spare us the bastion of journalism, self important ego inflating stuff. The work you’ve done on Rangers has been great and I hope you continue with this. Respect for this.
Sadly on other matters like geopolitics, I find your opinions fall into agreement with the same type of ill informed mainstream journalism that you lambaste on the Rangers issues.
Like the EU for example, you (like the majority of the mainstream media educated population) have no idea what the EU is really all about. Like how you criticise past British imperialism but don’t understand that the EU is a vassal & tool for Washington’s imperialism in its goal of global hegemony. They will never let the UK leave the EU as that could be the unravelling of Washington’s control over Europe.
But anyways. Good work on Rangers. And hope to see the same kind of deep, beneath the surface, journalism you’ve applied to Rangers to other matters.
The SFA the modern day legendary Gordian Knot.
Although there are a few stories of how it was solved, my favourite, which would most SFA appropriate, is when Alexander the Great, without an EBT, drew his sword and chopped it down the middle.
Problem solved.
LOL
The Compliance Officer has nowhere to go.
The facts of the fraudulent application are staring him in the face.
The only question mark is whether there was outright collusion between Oldco and the SFA.
Don’t be surprised if we end up with a Brysonian piece of nonsense claiming that because the SFA accepted the application as bona fide in 2012 then no retrospective punishment can be meted out to the guilty parties.
A bit similar to Bryson’s rantings on the dozens of Oldco players who were imperfectly registered but eligible despite their full contract details not being lodged with the SFA.
To whom is the Compliance Officer accountable to?
As an SFA employee his first loyalties will be to them.
However as a solicitor he has in his possession incontrivertible evidence that a major fraud has been perpetrated and accordingly he should pass the details to Police Scotland.
Those responsible have had 6 years of undisturbed sleep, safe in the knowledge that they were untouchable and would be looked after by friends in high places.
Time to turn the screw and let justice be served.
Over to you Compliance Officer, do your job.
In the genuine interests of your craft, your trade, that’s an excellent piece Phil.
I’m taking my Celtic hat off here, and I am 99% sure you had yours off when those questions were asked.
The SFA has a problem of “rangers ness”. Now look that doesn’t mean everything it’s done is pro rangers (1872-2012).
What it means is on certain matters at certain times it has been found itself swept away by lots of RRM and again it does not sit there to deny Celtic, or others. But it gets swept away by all the RRM.
Gordon Smith, Campbell Ogilvie and the like. The refs, the Farrys. Back to the guys in 1950s who wanted the tricolour** down at Celtic Park.
None of this relates directly to your communications with SFA in this blog today but they are contributing factors in all sides.
** The Tricolour Of Ireland/flag of Ireland during and post British rule,has been at Celtic Park since day one.
It’s simply a flag to denote the clubs Irish roots alongside the Scottish flag to denote where it is, and it’s identity and support if the nation it was born in. It really is that simple
Brilliant article, Phil. However, I notice that some of your correspondents over the last few months seem to have the naive belief that the “real” journalists on the newsdesks would blow this story apart if only they would look at it.
My question to this – well, why don’t they? Perhaps the answer to that is found in the following article regarding the Skripal case.
https://russia-insider.com/en/30-questions-journalists-should-be-asking-about-skripal-case/ri22851
You control the media you control society.so The British establishment Thinks .in Scotland The Thought of Equality even on The Football Field must really hurt our establishment friends The Fools The Fools The Fools PP
I never read your link but unless it states and includes evidence of collusion between the sfa,lvl5pr,the scottish ‘sports’ press,OO,Masonic Lodges,bbc,stv,Ladbrokes etc etc I don’t think you’ll have covered All the bases.
Sorry that my question is irrelevant to this thread but ……… Is it true that just before the demise of Sevco they had already sought “investment ” from Close brothers ? This would have been at the end of 2011.
Apologies if this is common knowledge.
There’s only so much a fans love and loyalty to his club can take, sure we have a great club, great team, great manager, ok board, great owner. But it’s like we are the only decent thing in this bowl of rancid,corrupt and disgusting thing that is Scottish football.
I gave up my membership of the TA nearly two years ago, partly cost and mainly sick to the back teeth of the SFA, all fans of every persuasion should just say enough enough and stop all dealings with the sfa that don’t hurt their own club, boycott Scotland games and merchandise. Don’t boycott the Scottish cup, just embarrass the swines, banners galore. Shame them on a national stage. Also right to the mp’s and MSPs and ask them what the hell are they doing about it.
I als think it’s time that no one can lead the sfa for more than six months and it should be rotated amongst the senior clubs, the job will pay zilch, in fact it won’t cover expenses either, they will see it as the honour it should be. Maybe then we can start to see some real genuine ideas coming through that can improve the game but more importantly herald in a new dawn of honesty and transparity.
Just saying
Ah you can’t beat the bennys for loyalty. Just the other week Scott mcdermott who tries to write for the daily rectum was wanting murty signed ASAP .Now fast forward to the present day him and 2 of his fellow bennys are coming up with names to replace the Ken Dodd and his diddymen at ibrox nothing like a bit of support from other village idiots eh .I did not get to see the managers mentioned but we could take a guses Murinho Pep Zidane Martinez after he wins world cup cause on the huns could afford him and maybe the Liverpool manager after he wins champions league.
Might I suggest rather than a total boycot, that all Celtic forums suggest an initial one off event ( with the threat of more to follow) demanding SFA clean up or disband. Why should all of Scottish football ( except Main Protaganists Sevco) put up with this corrupt nonsense. Celtic go it alone if the others dont support. If they choose not to support the collective effort then they’ll get what they deserve- more of the same. Celtic FC now must react and take action. Fergus took a stance, knew what was wrong, had the courage and commitment to face corrupt thugs down. NOW IS THE TIME, get rid of this small town mentality that prevails within Scottish football. We now have the chance!!. Dont throw it away by cowardess inaction. I implore Celtic fans to take the step that is needed and will be listened too.
Paul,
this is exactly what needs to be done and we should have done it sooner.
I’ve not sat and thought this through fully yet but in my opinion the only way to get anything done is to force Celtic to do it. No-one else will.
The only way to get Celtic to do it is to boycott season tickets. However, none of us want to hurt our club. So, what needs to happen is that Celtic need to know we are serious. The threat needs to be made to Celtic now that in season 2019/2020 a season ticket and merchandise boycott will occur.
We should make that statement now and start the ‘wind up ‘ to this during this coming season. The club need to know we’re not against them, we’re with them, but we have no choice but to force them to act. Purchase the season tickets for 2018/2019 as normal (as it’s probably to late to sort anything out now) but let the club know that there will be a boycott/demonstration on a certain game during the season, let’s just say the 3rd home game for now.
Let them know that if action of some sort is not taken, then another boycott/demonstration will take place, let’s just say the 10th home game for now.
If still no progress is made, or at least seen to be attempted, then the choice of more boycotts/demonstrations is there, etc.
If at the end of next season there is still no progress then we have to be willing to stand by our convictions and not renew. I do not want to do this, I do not want to hurt my club, but I’m prepared to so as to try and force change.
It goes without saying we should not attend any SFA cup competitions at all. This would be an immediate affect on our club but more importantly, we wouldn’t be lining the pockets for the SFA and the opposition.
At the end of the day, whether you agree with a boycott or not, we’ve seen that nothing will change unless we force it to. It shouldn’t be this way, in most other sports the authorities would take the lead, and that’s the way it should be.
Rant over.
Hail, hail,
VooDude.
SFA?? That’s exactly what you’ll get from that organisation. Good work though, Phil.
All them…XXXX’s…… they must love you nearly as much as we do…
XXX……
You engage with this body in a courteous ,honest ,questioning manner . The agenda being one of transparency and enlightenment as to why and how decisions ,regarding Sevco, and which impacted all of Scottish football, were made.
The PR staff are only the cyphers, the organ grinders are those who have to be nailed.
It is the supporters of every club who pay the inflated salaries , expense accounts, first class travel, and company vehicles.
We are their employers and they are responsible to us not to nonentities like Petrie and McCrae.
You ask questions on our behalf, and the are beholding to respond honestly.
If they can’t do that, then they should Fuck off and let somebody who will.
Excellent blog again Phil. Keep on banging on that door.
There are loads of us who’ll keep on banging with you.
HH
Phil,
Great work. I concur with many of my peers, however, to get a response or action from Celtic we will need to impact on their pocket.
Double trebles etc will maintain the status quo.
Phil these chislers know fine well your on to them but giving you the runaround. They where playing a wee game of pass the parcel but none of these arseholes want to be left holding as it’s them who would to answer to yourself. On another matter another benny on follow follow this morning put it out there that they would take oli mcburnie on a free transfer this summer as oli put it out there he was a rangers fan .Oh dear a told you about them being thickos hence the bennys name they get . This village idiot wants Swansea to hand over a player they paid a lot of millions of pounds for and the bennys will walk up and say you put him out onloan to barnsley so you don’t want him we will take him from for nothing .There’s just no hope for these people.
Out of curiosity, which club was cheated out of a European license that year? Perhaps their fans should be reminded!
Outstanding work and amazing how education of the working class, can b used to hold the powerful to account. Should start a petition for the information. Us celtic fans should start emailing the same questions to them as well. Hibs hearts aberdeen and so on. Amazing work
Could the SFA be subject to a FOI request?
No
Are you kidding. They claim to be transparent and open in everything that they do, when the opposite is the truth.
The questions that Phil has posed can’t be answered by the SFA for obvious reasons.
They don’t have a leg to stand on so retreat to the Hampden bunker and sit it out.
I’ve always thought that it would be interesting to see if the SFA payroll reflects the population demographic in Scotland.
Race, gender, colour, religion.
Best of luck with an FOI request on that one from an organisation who are incapable of operating a coherent, effective drug testing programme.
Perhaps Scottish football is the only sport in the world without a drug problem!
Who knows, certainly not the SFA.
I banged on about this in weekly emails to Regan, needless to say without reply.
There is no other sports authority in the UK that is less fit for purpose than the SFA.
They are a figure of fun and ridicule with good cause.
I doubt if Phil will ever get answers to his questions as the SFA plead the 5th amendment.
With the SFA refusing to let a 3rd party look under the bonnet they turn to their own employee, the Compliance Officer, to review the SFA procedures around the UEFA licence waved through for Newco in 2012.
He’s 7 months into the job and counting. He already had all the facts to hand, should have taken 7 days not months.
Why the prevarication? Everyone knows the application was fraudulent from the start and Oldco lied with regards to the overdue taxes in relation to the DOS tax scam.
The licence process for next season is currently underway. Many of the same faces that were on the Ibrox board in 2012 are still in situ.
You can bet that if this was any other club their chance of a UEFA licence for next season would be zero.
Leaving UEFA FFP regulations to the side would anyone be surprised if next seasons Oldco licence is waved through before the Compliance Officer completes his review?
Then if the lies around the 2012 application are exposed to the public we can expect a statement along the lines of…… The SFA admit to failings in their checking procedures which have now been rectified. As the Newco licence for next season has already been granted before the malfeasance around the 2012 licence was discovered then no retrospective action can be taken against Newco and the licence award stands.
No – it is not a public authority. The SFA is completely self-regulating, a bit like the old Press Complaints Commission. However, the SFA and its officers are subject to the laws of the land which makes things all the more disappointing. If this sorry saga were played out by the FA in Soho Square and a top English club like Man Utd or Liverpool it would be all over the media and there would be a parliamentary inquiry at the very least. It’s a national scandal.
Phil,
Have you looked at whether there are grounds for a complaint to be lodged ? You would have to exhaust their internal complaint process, but if by then you still had not received a response to your questions you could then consider other options which would take it out of the SFA’s hands. I don’t think they would let it go that far tbh, and so if you can cobble together stateable grounds of complaint and get them lodged it might accelerate matters.
A complaint to whom??
In the past I have found that if my request/complaint is being ignore it is very effective when you copy the correspondence into a body who has control or influence. In this case uefa. Might be worth a try.
I always wonder why the Celtic shareholders don’t bring a civil lawsuit against the SFA. I’m sure they wouldn’t go wrong for funding if they set up a go fund me. Make it public just what it for at some stage the media would have to report on the biggest scam in Scottish football history.
Dermot Desmond as the major Celtic shareholder should have been leading this from the front.
As Phil points out this is not just about the lies and deceitful practices over at Ibrox it’s about corruption within our football authorities at the highest levels.
Those involved have to be named, shamed and feel the full force of the Scottish legal system.
Let’s not forget that the fraudulent UEFA 2012 licence is the single biggest fraud in the history of UK football.
Those responsible should be facing jail sentences which will serve as a warning in future to those who think they are above the law and are protected by friends in high places.
Then, and only then, can Scottish football move on.
I’d be in on that, without a moment’s hesitation.
The SMSM will be all over this now…..wont they ?
One of the first things I learned as a journalist was never to ask a question if you don’t already know the answer.
Obviously those at the SFA are aware of this – and don’t like it.
It’s not going away,right now could you please ask ,SFA/SPL/UEFA about THIS YEAR’S FFP rules and we won’t be in this situation in 6 years time
Frank .ther all rotten 2the core….the bigotry +brother/handshakes .ar at the core…the only way 2beat them .is by doin it on the park/.iam 2young 2have seen hampden in the sun…but its about time we put 7/8 past them,..hh???????/?..lol
Hi Phil,
it seems to me that talking has ran its course and it’s a time for action.
A boycott of the Scottish Cup semi-finals and all forthcoming international games would be a start.
A statement from Celtic on progress would be helpful, perhaps you could ask them on any progress they have made and publish said correspondence here?
As a Celtic supporter, I trust the efforts of the fans groups to challenge the SFA. However they have no real bite and the SFA will only listen to questions from clubs who apart from Celtic don’t seem interested.
I don’t particularly trust my own club Celtic to push for the required information and until the take a more active pursuit of this, I will continue to see Celtics ( lack of ) efforts as a going through the motions exercise where they have been seen to ask the questions but don’t push for a response.
I’m loathe to withdraw my support of my club, but as the holder of 2 season tickets for the past 25 years, it’s soon coming to that point as the club have the SFA in their sights but have made no efforts to pull the trigger.
Your persistance in pursing the truth is appreciated.
Best regards
DB
DB You are right other clubs do not want to do anything but I can tell you that the fans of most clubs do .At Hibs we certainly do as was shown recently by our 13 thousand season ticket holders not being asked about an investigation into shenanigans by the SFA .A crowd funding plan maybe small donations from thousands of fans and an independent organiser not fron Scotland for their own safety .We have to do something to bring the SFA to account …it’s not about the rangers.
I hear the Celtic tickets for the semi-final sold out in 5 minutes.
Couldn’t agree more, if Celtic were even remotely interested this would have been dealt with already,and we would not be having this conversation. Also the main culprit has fallen and he would now be the perfect person to pursue with no one to protect him or rather for him to protect.
Very obvious that you are being given the proverbial “run-around”. However. You are correct that it is not the fault of the PR staff. They are given direction on matters like this by the heid yins.
It’s also clear they don’t know how to deal with this. They can tell by your questions that you already have a lot of the real info and know if the respond with lies or BS you will catch them.
This is the same problem area for them as the license issue that is in limbo with the Compliance Officer. They have managed to sit on their hands with this for almost 7 months now.
7 months for something that is relatively open-shut as all the facts are in public domain. I’ve given up expecting justice from SFA on anything that involves RFC or their newco offspring.
Is it not time to report SFA to UEFA and ask them why your not getting answers,they are obviously stalling over the “investigation ” hem cover up,I’ve written to both organisations numerous times and received nothing in return but maybe a professional journalists clout might endeavour.i wouldn’t hold your breath though.heho
Brilliant Phil.
One rather important question. Why are the “internet bampots” and fans the only ones interested in fairness in our game? We know that the newspapers, BBC and STV are deaf/complicit in this but WHERE ARE THE CLUBS?
For goodness sake why won’t some of them stand up? What can they possibly be frightened of? Rangers fans? How can anyone be afraid of them? When SEVCO were in the lower leagues almost every club in our top league improved their financial positions. We don’t need them!
This is an SFA matter and in my opinion the game will not be fair until this is sorted and the whole lot of them are rooted out.
We just can’t have one club dictating what happens in our game. One club that cheated massively and is protected by the governing body.
We know that the new version of that club is in trouble. What confidence do we have that dubious decisions as yet unknown are being made to help them? They are already getting an incredibly suspicious amount of home cup draws. In another league this would simply be put down to a lucky streak but knowing what we know has happened behind the scenes, can we be sure that’s all it is? Are there other things happening?
This needs sorting out once and for all and I applaud your work here. You’re a brave man. But once more I say, WHERE ARE THE CLUBS?
I don’t know about all the “other clubs”, but I can tell you that I am saddened, infuriated and disgusted by the lack of action on the part of my club.
Peter Lawwell should be out front leading the charge for action and justice and yet the inaction/silence is very telling. No wonder SFA feel they can act with impunity!
Our club ( Celtic) cannot front this campaign . It will be seen as a 1 club witch hunt . We will be chastised in all media’s, by the spfl and all our haters .
So what? Celtic need to do what’s right, not worry about how well we’re liked. Newsflash, the media will never love us.
I have already binned my team, Hibs, over their ‘move on’ statement.
I will never pay towards S.F.A in any way, eff them.
Hello Phil,
I find it most discourteous when the empowered ones refuse to respond in the fashion you’ve been treated. I e mailed SFA in Feb saying I had recently been reading about the demise of the Ibrox cowboys. I added that my attention had been drawn to the “Resolution 12” question, and asked if they could give me an update. An automatic acknowledgement of receipt came to me, but zilch thereafter. Methinks some-training is needed by the staff at HQ. To think some folk can’t get employment……annoying.
Absolutely Outstanding work and
Thank you !
You ,and I suspect the Res 12 team , have them by the private parts and they know it.
Issues with these levels of toxicity have to be sitting in the Inbox awaiting arrival of the new CEO together with a recommendation from their legal counsel and PR
EITHER. ..to kick it into the long grass … ie respond saying when they arrive that the New CEO with all their other key priorities needs some time to go over all this stuff in detail as it will be news to him or her. OR
Respond with a superb script of legalese replying but effectively saying nothing … and so it will just go on being kicked down the road.
If this is not in his or her inbox then the PR crew have been mandated to deal with nuisance makers by just delaying and obfuscating on all these issues forever.
IMHO No one other than the board of CFC will ever force anything momentous to happen over at Hampden on these matters.
Well done and Keep at them !
Don’t phone us. We’ll phone you
I myself write an email weekly asking about the investigation into old rangers non tax paying football club being allowed into European tournaments knowing they hadn’t paid tax.
My reply today its still on going.
I’ll just keep sending more.
Eventually they’ll need to answer we’re NOT going away
Brian Connor
Brian,
I like your thinking!
Way back in the early days of the internet, I was on the CSC mailing list.
If someone were to cross the line they were punished with a ‘mail-bomb’ i.e. a large file mailed to them by multiple members of the lhist which would take forever for them to download on their 64k dial-up connection.
Might I suggest a modern day equivalent?
If you were to make your correspondence available (via Phil, if he’s amenable) we could ALL send it through independently in a co-ordinated fashion and deluge the SFA mail server(s).
Let’s go global with it!!!
This I like ! If someone can draft the email that can be copy and pasted along with the email address then I am sure thousands of like minded FOOTBALL supporters like myself will get behind the campaign.
Phil,
Is this enough to spark supporters from a wide spectrum in to action ? The SFA might take heed if they think they are dealing with more than one Club (or journalist), other Clubs may perk up if they think some fan action is gathering pace. I still hope that time will bring the whole episode to a fair & just conclusion however, I fear the wheels are turning way to slowly to give credence to my theory.
This is a corrupt and moribund organisation which believes it is answerable to no-one. It has treated itself to a five-star lifestyle while Scottish football tumbles towards oblivion, Celtic excepted. Fans, if properly coordinated, have the power to enforce radical change and the Scottish Government has a role to play too (consider how Westminster directly intervened with the FA over racism in the womens’ game).
Phil,
Is this enough to spark supporters from a wide spectrum in to action ? The SFA might take heed if they think they are dealing with more than one Club (or journalist), other Clubs may perk up if they think some fan action is gathering pace. I still hope that time will bring the whole episode to a fair & just conclusion however, I fear the wheels are turning way to slowly to give credence to my theory.
Don’t be surprised if you phone up and the person who was to contact you has ‘moved to another department’.
You will then be ‘passed ‘ to another colleague who will be very polite and courteous and will tell you they will get back to you, there will be no timescale for this.
Is infinity a timescale,?
naw seriously,coz thats how long they are gonnae be at our backs,their only view is Us winning title after title,cup after cup,Euro adventure after Euro adventure as they scrape by until their demise.
Oh I’ll sleep well tonight wae that thought.
Thanks Mr Fear,toast their arses at the fire ?
LPHMHIKNTLC ?☮️??✅???????????????????????