Yesterday, Joe published an article that trended mightily and reached the top of the Newsnow charts.
And yet I wonder how many people understood just what they were reading.
His article refuted the SFA’s claim that they’ve had new “guidance” on red cards.
David Ellery, the top English ref and now a major player at UEFA, told a national newspaper that there had been no change in the regulations – or the guidance – since the World Cup. In other words, he has no idea where this has come from.
The paper, of course, did zero analysis on the statement.
As per usual, that was left up to the blogs.
In order to get this, you have to understand what the genesis of this “new guidance” story actually is.
It seems to have come from former SFA press officer Darryl Broadfoot and something he said on Radio Scotland.
This is part of the trouble we have here in this country; the media has too cosy a relationship with the decision makers.
Think for a minute on this; there’s no written guidance, there’s nothing on paper, the regulations haven’t changed a bit, but based on a verbal statement the whole of the game in Scotland has effectively been upended and we’ve had weeks of scandalous decisions which have resulted in an avalanche of bad press about the game.
What’s this all about?
What’s really going on here?
If UEFA hasn’t given any new guidance then what the Hell are we doing here? Who actually told Broadfoot about this “guidance”? Who told referees? And why didn’t those refs demand to see proof of this “guidance” in writing, with UEFA’s official stamp on it, before they followed it?
This is exactly why Ian Maxwell wrote to UEFA in the first place; he doesn’t have a clue where this alleged new “guidance” came from, which is why he wanted it clarified, and that should tell you something about the way the governing body is run. Now he has clarity.
This “guidance” appears to be a figment of someone’s imagination. It’s a put up job.
The reasons behind it are all that’s unclear, but you only have to look at who the principle beneficiaries of the current chaos are to glimpse, perhaps, the motives of those involved. Maxwell has a serious problem in his house. He better have a plan for dealing with it.
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