How does change come about?
That is a reasonable enough question.
I know from my days at An Phoblacht that saying something just once has minimal effect.
Once you have a coherent message, you must repeat it again and again.
For the avoidance of doubt, the fact that Sinn Féin is now the largest party on the island might suggest that we were onto something.
The featured image shows that my post on X containing my scoop on James Dornan’s motion to Holyrood has already had a considerable number of views.
Those on Planet Fitba who think that nothing will change might be their self-fulfilling wish.
It is back-of-the-bus thinking.
The events of 2012 showed that those who run the national game in Fair Caledonia are not omnipotent.
It is no secret that the folks at Hampden wanted a Rangers, any Rangers, playing in the SPL in season 2012-2013.
To do that, the switcheroo of assets would need to take place, and the phoenix club would be dropped into the top flight as if nothing had happened.
It was a corporate conjuring trick.
Craig Whyte would have been at the head of a new Rangers that everyone in power was happy to pretend was the original Ibrox club.
Several things intervened.
Firstly, there was the No To NewCo campaign.
In the space of a weekend, it viralled across social media, and an insurrection of fans from Pittodrie to Tynecastle let it be known that if R2ngers were parachuted into the SPL, then they could whistle for their season ticket money.
It worked.
The chaps on the 6th floor at Hampden then had to come up with a Plan B.
That meant the new club starting life in the second tier of the professional game.
Of course, they didn’t factor in the good authority of the late great Turnbull Hutton.
After that momentous summer, the rules were rewritten so that those obstacles would not be placed in front of future R3ngers if required.
The entire Ibrox shitshow, from the EBT decade to Craig Whyte, administration, liquidation, Charles of Normandy and David Cunningham King and his 41 convictions, could all have been prevented by an independent regulator.
It was always about the failures of the SFA to carry out their duty of oversight.
Thanks to the Tracey Crouch proposals, getting cross-party support, an independent body tasked with ensuring sustainability and fairness in the English game will soon be a reality for the game in England.
In Scotland, allowing the SFA to continue to mark their own homework is not an option.
Holyrood is the place to have that conversation, which is why James Dornan has done Planet Fitba a solid.
Have you had any discussions or electronic exchanges with the MSP with regards to his motion?
Why don’t we let Sky Sports decide the best way forward ? The SS seem to be pulling the strings on most other decisions of Scottish football presently, another one won’t make any difference ….
So much for the season of goodwill, ah well at least its over for another year. One observation that seems to have passed many by is that, this situation created by the second place outfit playing out of Govan will work against them as well as work against Celtic. All the hysteria surrounding the trumplike announcements coming out of Govan has created a narrative that will make it impossible for anyone, including Celtic to question what the SFA men in black get up to when they are on the field of play, how they judge situations and their creation of anomalies.
So in a way, it’s either a very cunning plan or sheer luck that the main beneficiary will end up those who chase Celtic as they are the main beneficiaries of any judgements made by these SFA officials, with a stray rogue one thrown in for effect.
It seems to have passed many by that the Govan peepal have levelled both barrels at Willie Collum in the past, for instance back in 2019 when Whistling Willie sent off Daniel Candeias, back then they submitted a formal complaint and responded when it didn’t go their way with a lengthy rebuttal that may seem familiar to recent protestations.
The club issued a lengthy statement, circa 7th November 2019 and like then talk was cheap.
OFFICIAL RANGERS STATEMENT
“Rangers are extremely disappointed with the decision of the Scottish FA’s Judicial Panel to dismiss our appeal against the second yellow card shown to Daniel Candeias in the closing seconds of last Saturday’s match against St Mirren.
“Rangers afforded the governing body the opportunity to let common sense prevail and we are surprised they have chosen not to do so by correcting what was, and what remains an inexplicable decision by the match referee, Willie Collum.
“Rangers shall now seek a fundamental review of the rules relating to red cards which result from two bookings of a player in a game.
“If one of these decisions is obviously wrong, it must be possible to correct that mistake. It is wrong that players’ livelihoods and careers can be impacted without the opportunity of redress, especially when the official responsible for the miscarriage of justice is allowed to continue as though beyond question or reproach.
“It defies belief that this same referee, who got it so blatantly wrong last Saturday, is awarded one of the biggest matches in Scottish football this weekend while Daniel Candeias is denied the right to go to his work. This, frankly, is unacceptable.
“Furthermore, it is understood that a number of people within the Scottish FA are in no doubt Mr Collum’s judgment was flawed and Rangers shall also now be submitting a formal complaint about the performance of this referee.
“The manner in which he reacted to an incident involving our player made it obvious he did not give due consideration to his decision.
“This is by no means the first time errors of judgment have been made in matches involving this official and clearly there is an underlying issue which requires to be addressed.”
END
It looks to me, an old axe is being ground here and that Willie is an easy target that they get to take swipes at unpunished. Questioning his integrity, and outlining how, ‘number of people within the Scottish FA are in no doubt Mr Collum’s judgment was flawed’ didn’t seem to bother the beaks back then, it will be interesting to see how they respond this time, especially now it’s gone all in down Govan way by their chairman.
“Who are these people??”
I don’t believe that meaningful change will come from this, as you point out Phil, the events of 2012 actually cemented rangers position as the favoured club with it’s own set of rules. Any body appointed by and of Scots will have the same cultural bias that brought all this about and history gives no case for optimism that this will be different.
You can say that I’m at the back of the bus if you like because it’s true, but it’s not through choice, the power structures in the game (including our own board) put us there and they’re working hard every day to keep us there, and nobody outside of ourselves is even prepared to admit that it’s happening, even many Celtic fans can’t see it. That doesn’t strike me as a place from where meaningful change can come. I sincerely hope I’m wrong.
Phil, I see you stole this story from the Sun exclusive! Very sneaky of you to publish it before them to hide the fact….
😂😂😂
Wise up and find a hobby. The corruption goes on and our board are complicit.
This pullover isn’t going to knit itself.
Things can change, walls come tumbling down…..
I love the fact that something that never was has had this impact on the SFA. All those years of observing the pattern of assistance, Res 12, the 5-way Agreement, “Dougie, Dougie”, Jim Farry, Dallasgate, in other words, hard evidence of corruption, have had no effect on the Hampden Horrors. But, a penalty that never was opening the whited sepulchre… whoda thunkit?
Sorry Phil would love to believe you on this one, but isn’t going to happen. Holyrood is just as corrupt as the S.F.A.
Remember the whole ‘We need a strong Rangers’ coming out of Alex Salmonds gob? Add in the offensive behaviour act or whatever it was called and you think these are the people to oversee the game!
Football is the most corrupt sport in the world and if we are relying on politicians( who in my opinion seem like the most corrupt people on the planet) to fix it, I really don’t know what to say.
You don’t have to say anything.
You’re at the back of the bus.
Your choice.
Not at the back of the bus. Just don’t have trust in either of the organizations
If you belive that change isn’t possible.
Then you are very much at the back of the bus.
Change IS possible. Whether or not it happens is another matter. Whether that change, IF it happens, is real change or the illusion of change, is yet ANOTHER matter.
it’s not the back or front that’s the issue … it’s that the bus is full of huns and being driven by them that is the issue … that and our boards “Ghandi”like aproach to the apparent cheating in Scottish football doesn’t help .
It would appear that, for once, both sets of fans are on the same page. Transparency is what is being demanded by both sides of the city (and beyond).
One of those groups of supporters might want to be careful what they wish for. Although, they’ve never been great at considering implications, have they?
Don’t think both set of fans are on the same page at all.
One set want transparency, the other is feigning the need for transparency on this occasion to deflect from their onfield shortcomings
selective transparency… is not transparency .