SFA: Not fit for purpose

TJ Hooper

TJ Hooper

Active member
If this forum is good for anything, hopefully it'll be to galvanise large sections of the Celtic support into co-ordinated action to make meaningful change. The team playing from Ibrox are as much of a shambles as they've ever been and can be trusted to orchestrate their own implosion in due course. The much bigger issue for us, and all Scottish football, is a governing body that's simply not up to the task they exist for. It's an old boys club run by self serving leeches that couldn't care a jot for the wellbeing of the sport we love.

The inability to sanction assaults on our players because the new "3 ex-ref's" approach being unworkable is just the latest face of their incompetence to run the game. I won't list them (as it'd go on for ever) bu in recent times there's been the inability to insist on reasonable away ticket allocations, the refusal to examine their own role in UEFA licencing issues and the embarrassing appointment of an otherwise unemployable new Scotland manager who has just had a substantial tax demand for EBT tax avoidance through the mail.

Much as I'd love to see the Aegean stables swept, I'd settle for accountability. No matter how much they underperform and embarrass - it's impossible to hold them to account. Their own 'strategic pillars' set by themselves are:
1. Perform and Win
2. Strong Quality Growth
3. Better financial returns
4. Respected and Trusted to Lead

I think you'd struggle to call their performance adequate on any of these over the last 10 years. There's been unprecedented collapses of football clubs, shambolic qualification records, diminishing real sponsorship for the competitions and an utter lack of trust and respect for the SFA.

I'd love to see performance reviews of key staff and stakeholder reporting. I'd love to see re-election to key roles. I'd love to see proper governance in short. We the footballing consumers have a right to expect that from those who regulate and oversee our sport. Make them justify their existence or move aside for someone that will!
 
I completely agree the question is how do we hold them to account? Its obvious that their strategic pillars are just a sham to pretend that they have a plan but can we do to put pressure on them.

Could we conduct a poll of supporters to see what they score out of ten on each pillar to collect quantitative data and then ask why they scored them for qualitative data and publish the findings?
 
The Clubs aren't really the SFA. They have a voice, but there's a reason idiots like McRae representing the back end of nowhere can get to the top. It's jobs for the lads. As long as they look out for each other they are untouchable.
 
Given the accountability of the SFA is minimal to the constituency it should be totally accountable to -the clubs themselves, we clearly have a major problem.

The oft used phrase "the blazers" is a derogatory one to highlight those that get everything going from the SFA and do next to nothing in putting anything in and worst of all we rarely ever know who these "blazers" are other than the notable ones like EBT Ogilvie or McRae. There are a mass of "faceless wonders" taking everything they can get from the SFA whilst its going.

If Sport Scotland or some other Government Agency put money in to Scottish Football and the SFA is the vehicle for that funding then there are mechanisms where our politicians can start asking some pointed questions of the level of accountability and transparency at the SFA

If Government money is not going in then as a private organisation there is little to hold them to account - they can run the show any way they want as long as they don't break any company law.
 
Might be wrong here, but don’t think it was ever incorporated as a company. If it were you could expect proper annual reports rather than this sort of thing: https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/media/3848/scottish-fa-annual-review-2018.pdf

Have you read it? It’s an exercise in backslapping without substance. Big deal about paying £10m+ out to members but nothing on income generated and creamed off. Nothing on remuneration. Nothing on kpi’s projections or performance against budgets. Nothing on footballing expectations and what is acceptable and what is not. Just a sheer lack of transparency and accountability in general. They need to publish in advance their objectives and be graded on actual performance same as anyone else can expect. It’s riddled with cronyism and a desire to never be accountable for results or effects though.

A quick example - despite all the clubs who hit the financial skids in the last 10-15 years.... what exactly did the SFA do to protect the integrity of our game from dice throwing gamblers in future? Now you have Rangers v2.0 making all the same mistakes again with the SFA as bystanders unable to prevent the car crash we can all see coming.
 
Sorry for double posting here, but felt I needed to be a bit more precise about exactly what I'd like to see. I don't think that the following is unreasonable at all based on existing best practice in corporate governance.....

The Board
  • A report annually on the balance of skills, knowledge and competence of the main Board showing that they are competent to discharge their duties.
  • Presence of at least two Non-Executives on the Board to provide balance and impartiality along with published justification of the relevant knowledge and experience that they bring to the role.
  • The same for all sub-boards and Committee (e.g. Professional Game Board, Non-Professional Game Board etc
The Board Members
  • Regular (at least annual) performance review of each of the members of the Board and the effectiveness of the Board as a whole to be undertaken and made available to all stakeholders.
  • Published KPI’s for all senior positions and reporting on the success with which they were met.
  • Regular elections/re-elections to positions based on participation from all stakeholders.
Business Conduct and Ethics
  • A published detailed policy on conflicts of interest setting out expected behaviour including the treatment of any non-compliance with the policy.
  • A published register of conflicts of interest of all persons in a managerial or higher position within the SFA and their associates (particularly shareholdings in member clubs)
  • A published register of conflicts of interest of all persons Board level at member clubs relating to other members of the SFA (other member clubs specifically – incidences such as Mr Donald Finlay of Cowdenbeath’s shares in Rangers or Mr Jim Ballantyne of Airdrie’s shares in Rangers for example).
  • A register of transactions between the SFA and its Board members to be made public.
Accountability
  • Published financial statements showing income by source and expenditure with appropriate breakdown to understand how the Board have responsibly managed the finances intended for the regulation of Scottish football. These should also include a Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement at minimum.
Risk Management
  • Annual Risk Review to be made public along with an overview of the steps being undertaken by the SFA to manage and monitor these risks in order to mitigate them and safeguard Scottish football.
  • Public continuity and contingency plans for catastrophic events (including the financial collapse of major clubs)
Remuneration
  • A detailed remuneration report showing a breakdown by departments, Boards and functions (e.g. the 2018 annual report suggests over £8m paid in staff costs compared with £10m provided to clubs, but it’s impossible to tell how much of this relates to which facets of the SFA and whether they are providing value for the levels of remuneration).
  • Published details of remuneration policies for individual performances of Board members (in order to ensure no incentives that encourage excessive risk taking or that may be detrimental to the overall objectives)
  • The establishment of an Expenses Committee headed by a non-exec to monitor the use of expense accounts by senior figures.
Stakeholder Relations
  • Official recognition of all stakeholders in Scottish football to whom the SFA are responsible, including the clubs, the junior game and grass roots football and most of all the fans and players at all levels.
  • A balanced forum for the delivery of stakeholder rights including the capacity to remove persons perceived as underperforming or participate in their re-election.
 
An exceptional reply mate.

The problem is, the SFA isn't run on the same lines as the FA in England, which is effectively a public body and answerable to Parliament. You only have to watch the SFA guys meeting with the Scottish Parliament to see their contempt for the political class and their total belief that they are untouchable.

The English FA seems to have a public charter. It seems to be accountable. Whilst having our politicians involved in football would not be a good thing - Strict Liability? Give me a break - having the SFA act like the sport here is their own wee fiefdom is just wrong.

These people are answerable to the clubs, yes. But because the clubs don't want to hold them to account the SFA Board is practically able to do what it likes. That definitely needs to change. Some form of oversight beyond that which the clubs are willing to do is a must.

I'll tell you who I'd give the oversight role to; Henry McLeish. I've always been hugely impressed by him and his Scottish football reform report was spot on. As a former First Minister he has gravitas and the necessary media skills to get shit done. If we appointed him the next chairman instead of Petrie - it would require a major rewrite of the rules, but that's overdue - and gave him a wide remit to make changes as he saw fit - a benevolent dictatorship - I'd support that wholeheartedly.
 
TJ Hooper said:
Funnily enough that's exactly who I'd trust to get what needs to done. Unfortunately when he last spoke sense through an official report directly to the SFA, they effectively thanked him and binned it. They can't be given that option again.
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TJ
Don’t apologise for high quality!
Great and very logical input and I would love to see a new broom backed up by Henry McLeish on to this to clean out the stables
There are two big issues to overcome however
1 As you highlight and as was described famously by Mr McBride RIP all those years ago you can drive a coach and horses through their processes from top to bottom ie micro and macro items of governance that are basic and should be there as you have detailed very well .it is criminal that they are not. It will be an enormous business transformational undertaking . No one over there has those skills or motivation to fix it
2 the SFA cohort at Hampden, the boards of the other 40 clubs, the police, the judiciary, the professions, the media are all packed to the rafters with ‘brothers’ and RRM .. I have had the misfortune a few times to be socially in the company of the SFA types and they are indistinguishable from the blue room crew and hangers on
90% of them all in these groups will have been wined and dined over 20 years... thousands of them !.. by Murray et al on match days
There is a collective Omertà by all of fbthem on all the cheating etc and they want everything brushed away and nothing to change going forward

IMO only 2 ways you get the action you suggest to get ongoing future proper governance AND get proper justice on UEFA license and EBT cheating
1 a real big hitter in the English media picks up on how bad this all is over 20 years eg the way Walsh of the Times went after and got Armstrong and the authorities ....Or
2 as has often been mooted wealthy CFC fans eg some private global celts of whom there are many very wealthy chaps fund and force a club supported set of independent (of Scotland )enquiries that go all the way
That I thought was happening but has gone all quiet
I can’t see the entire establishment packed from top to bottom with brothers and sisters Or a government who won’t touch this poisonous subject with a barge pole doing a thing to clean this out
When wee Nicola is wining and dining Murray and Budge in the same evening at Bute House you know the cover up and obfuscation over everything that has happened and continues to this day will go on unimpeded
I suspect wee things will change as micro process failures like the McGregor incidents are so grotesquely wrong that they just can’t continue as is ... but unless and until some big boys with huge balls and big funds take on the SFA and the Frankenstein of a football club that now exists on the south side .. nothing in my humble opinion of any substance will change and Lawell etc will be isolated as infinity
Whilst I agree with you on keeping driving away at this lot My own settled opinion now is the only way to get any retribution for all the cheating and the current crap we have to endure is to keep winning remorselessly on the field and show no chinks in the armour and constantly strengthen so that CFCs hegemony over the game here survives the next generation or more. That will just ‘kill’ the lot of them and the monster club
 
Not a lot you say there I’d argue with, but I believe in truth, fairness, equality and responsibility. You’ve just got to stand up and be counted when things are wrong. It’s a social responsibility.

Explain it all as positive ways forward for everyone and don’t engage in petty arguments. Surely no one can argue that anything on that list isn’t for the benefit of all Scottish football if everything is above board?
 
They are a law unto themselves. They will never accept interference from any outside Agency. Especially an SNP Administration.
They have no intention of adapting or modernising or being accountable. Their whole raison d'etre is to prortect the status quo. Their history has been dominated by all things Rangers.
The requst for accuntability and full Financial Disclosure is laudable buta non starter. The SFA is not a normal trading entity. They have no shareholders per se. They are accountable to the Clubs only in so much as they dictate to the Clubs on the understanding that if they don't follow the script then things will get tough for them.
The SFA did not miss the ball during the cheating years. They were fully aware and complicit. The hierarchy of the SFA is an outrageous example of nepotism throughout a century of propping up the "Establishment Club" and they are still at it with Rangers Mark 2
Their collusion during the cheating years and the 5 Way agreement has made them even more vulnerable to coercion from Ibrox. (Too many skeletons in the Cupboard. Why do you thing Regan done a runner?). Even now the Glib and shameless one yanks their chain. DK is Chairman of the Company not the Football club yet he interefres in Public inciting unrest ant anti social behaviour by the Klan and the SFA do Nothing.
Rangers did not meet the criteria for a Euro Licence but were given one,no questions asked. While every one and their dug knew that they did not merit it on a financial basis. DK's Public avowal that they would chase Euro Money to reduce the ever burgeonig debt was explicitly contrary Euro rules and yet the SFA did SFA..
The recent controversy over the refereeing decisions being overturned in Rangers benefit. Jack's red cards being overturned last season, Morelos at Aberdeen and McGregors public assaults on Motherwell player the previous week and last weekend in one of the derby matches against Celtic.. The SFA will not control or discipline Rangers. They will do all they can to facilirate their return to the top. Watch for post Europa Thursday matches for Rangers being resceduled to Monday evening and not The Sunday morning as normal. While any excuse to make Celtic play on the Sunday will be adopted. meanwhile the rest of the clubs will sit in silence.
The SFA will never submit themselve to Public Scrutiny or Accountability. It's just a not so Gentlemanly Gentlemans club for the invited.
 
That’s a whole lot of “what the SFA is”, JimboH. Don’t allow them to be that. It only happens because it’s allowed to happen. They’ll give tokens away
- like Farry’s sacking, or a nominal fine for years of cheating - when pressure builds. It just needs enough - and constant - and all inclusive pressure for long enough.
 
We will get reform right after we win 9IAR. That's how they believe they can stop 10. There will be a restructure from top to bottom. The leagues will change and how they are set up will change. We will be told the old SFA and SPFL are gone. The media will be used to tell us that we can't win 10 it has to start from 1. It will still be an old pals act when it comes to top jobs but we will be told this is what Celtic fans wanted. A whole new set up...I'm joking of course...but then you just never know when it comes to Scottish football. This is an orginiasation that gave a job to a guy to help him pay of a tax bill he racked up after admitting cheating to win trophies from that very same orginiasation...:unsure:
 
As I see it you can either accept it as it is, or choose not to and do something about it. Reading James Forrest's post a short time ago, I've a lot more faith that something can be done.
 
TJ Hooper said:
The Clubs aren't really the SFA. They have a voice, but there's a reason idiots like McRae representing the back end of nowhere can get to the top. It's jobs for the lads. As long as they look out for each other they are untouchable.
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Totally agree the fact Petrie is sitting waiting to fill McRae's boots is totally wrong. Jobs for the boys continue as shown with the Scotland team manager. How we change it, god knows as long as the old boys network exists would be nigh impossible.
 
I love the idea of a fully accountable and transparent SFA, and I think this forum is a great place to discuss how it might be achieved.
If anything can ever change, it will need the support of fans of not only our club, but also the majority of the other Scottish clubs. Clearly some sets of fans would see change at the SFA as turkeys voting for Christmas, but there must be many fans who are unhappy with the way there clubs hopes of success are repeatedly crushed in order to maintain a club at Ibrox.
To make change happen we as a fan group need to engage with as many likeminded fans of other clubs to create united pressure group which can lobby the appropriate bodies for action.
One of the problems I foresee is that as long as the push for change can be presented as coming exclusively from Celtic fans, those who benefit from the status quo can continue to point out that 89 other clubs are happy with how things are.
The strongest hand football supporters have is financial, the quickest way to push for change is to deny the SFA the finances it relies on to opperate, and for that to work the vast majority of fans who contribute money to the game have to be of one mind.
 
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