It is a rare enough event that I recommend anything printed in the Daily Radar.
However, today is one of those days.
You can read it here.
What follows are the key parts from ex-SPL CEO Roger Mitchell.
“It’s good to see UEFA becoming directly involved in this matter. Financial Fair Play had become a bit of a shambles and the clubs with the best lawyers could just ignore it, as we saw in the past with Manchester City and Paris St-Germain.
“Previously, it was down to the SFA to check their clubs’ finances but Celtic and Rangers are their biggest assets so the SFA were never going to refuse them European licenses.
“That’s why it wasn’t working – it was flawed governance. It was the same all across Europe and I’m not surprised the SFA washed their hands of it. There was a conflict of interest and UEFA probably realised that.”
Ok, let’s have that again:
“…it wasn’t working-it was flawed governance.”
Well, you can sing that, Mr Mitchell!
As regular readers will know, your humble correspondent was in the room when Resolution 12 was just an idea.
Throughout the period after the 2013 Celtic AGM, this site has been an outlet for the view of the Requisitioners.
During the Craig Whyte trial in 2017, it was forensically established that the original Rangers should not have been granted a license to play in UEFA completions for the 2011-2012 season.
You can read all of the evidence here.
Andrea Traverso is driving these new Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSR).
That name should ring a bell for those who have been following this shameful saga.
The entire situation encapsulated in Resolution 12 was on his desk when some domestic associations were largely ignoring Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
The R12 guys always knew this wasn’t about the dead club.
As Mr Mitchell so gently puts it, their ongoing concern was the “flawed governance” at Hampden apropos UEFA licensing.
I would take issue with the ex-SPL chap on one matter.
He lumps in Celtic to the narrative.
That is classic “Old Firmism”.
Only one club had a problem regarding UEFA licensing and financial probity, and they died in 2012.
Of course, Sevco has continued the tradition at Ibrox of debt financing to put a team on the pitch they cannot afford.
On Planet Fitba, if there is ever to be a level playing field, it will have to be imposed from outwith Fair Caledonia.
Now that is something that you will never read in the Daily Radar.
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Yes, but outsiders are also needed to impose fairness / honesty / transparency on UEFA too. 😦
The statement in the DR article whoever made it , the reporter or Roger Mitchell, that ” the SFA washed their hands of it” is a questionable narrative as it suggests all the blame lay with Rangers allowing SFA/SPL to wash their hands of it.
It didnt. As is shown in the Res12 Archive http://www.res12.uk. Both SFA and SPL were up to their necks in in breaching FFP and did all in their power to cover up their involvement before and after 2011.
A more accurate narrative would be SFA/SPL consistently refused to properly investigate and ended any pretence that they were in May 2020.
All the more reason for UEFA to address the facts in latest FSR.
What I don’t understand is that every year Celtic are in a rigged competition whose final prize is worth £40,000,000 of European Champion’s League money.
The board stand by and accept one club’s brutality and inevitable dodgy penalty decisions etc. without saying a word.
Jock Stein said in so many words you have to factor it in and make sure you are good enough for it not to make a difference so it was an accepted fact.
In recent times, it took Craig Levein to spell it out in that incredible post match, “we needn’t have bothered turning up” interview so biased were the officials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlFpHriMd8A
I wonder where that fits in with regards to “Fair Play”, financial or otherwise.
I’ve been told that Sevco contacted UEFA and sought their advice regarding a postponement of the upcoming CL group match….as a mark of respect to Her Majesty.
Apparently, they were told that this was not possible…but, given how upset they were, if they wished to “hand the game to their opponents ” …then the three points would be awarded to Napoli…along with a 3-0 score line.
Given that this would be an improvement on their previous two scores…. they are giving it due consideration.
Once again Celtic are dragged into a story which has absolutely nothing to do with them by the media .
We all know why
Only mentioning The Rangers Football club is forbidden.
Anyone stepping out of line will be in fear of the mob .
The same mob that were out in the streets of Glasgow threatening and intimidating those on a perfectly legitimate march .
Bizarrely the police don’t issue section 12 orders when black clad mobs march through the streets spewing anti catholic hate
They actually walk with them .
It is dreadful that those with different views are not allowed to show them in public without fear of attack by loyalist thugs .
Similar happens at any independence rallies
Yet non of our unionist politicians in Scotland call them out .
No surprise in that
I share your annoyance about Celtic being brought into a debate which only affects RFC. Last week when GVB bemoaned the fact that his club couldn’t complete financially with Europe’s elite the Aberdeen manager commented that “Celtic and Rangers should try to live within the financial restraints of other Scottish clubs”. Once again Celtic have been brought into an argument that doesn’t concern them.
Spot on Comfortably Numb. I shouted similar comments at my PC when I read Jim Goodwin’s comments!!!!! Hail hail….