The SFA has released a statement tonight which is about as robust as you’ll get. It stops just short of accusing the Ibrox club of lying about the meeting that took place yesterday, but it does not stop far short of it. It also makes it clear that they’ll be seeing Willie Collum again soon, because it has rejected utterly their demand that he not referee their games.
The whole of Scottish football has been watching the past week in incredulity. I think clubs should be lobbying like crazy for greater transparency, and I think there was an opportunity here for us to have gotten some way down the reform road … but Ibrox’s tactics have been frankly disgraceful, and as bad as their conduct has been the media’s has been worse.
There are a couple of things in the SFA statement which are important to note. The first of them is that they claim that the meeting was amicable and civilised except for Ibrox’s request that Collum not officiate at any more of their games, which the SFA flatly dismissed and refused to entertain. We’ll all be watching to see if they keep their word.
But in saying the meeting was civilised they are saying that Ibrox did one thing in private and said another the moment the doors were open and they could rant to their media buddies. Which begs the question; how much longer will the media tolerate that club taking them for, and treating them like, useful idiots?
They have been lied to here, and not for the first time. The media accepts every word out of their club as if it were Holy Writ and time and again it has made them look ridiculous. I personally consider their conduct here to be blatantly corrupt.
The more important claim is that Ibrox has breached the confidentiality of the meeting and endangered a referee. This is an incendiary claim, but it’s what the SFA is saying. They are furious about how the club released that information about Collum; they spoke to one of their “official media partners” and gave the story to them.
That’s painting a target on the guy’s back. It brings the game into disrepute. The breach of confidentiality is bad enough, but this is a blatant attempt to put untenable pressure on an official and if Celtic had done something like that the outcry would have taken the roof off. The SFA should be pursuing sanctions against their club for that, but that’s not going to happen. The governing body has had to shoot back at them but this is probably where it will end.
Because, as I keep saying, neither Ibrox nor the governing body wants this to drag on. They can’t afford it to. They all want to get back to business as usual although Ibrox had hoped to manufacture enough fury to get Collum out of his job … they knew from the start that there was nothing on those VAR recordings, as has already been pointed out.
The SFA statement suggests that they basically understand the decision not to award the penalty in the first instance and accept that the offside information was offered as “supplementary information” and not as a cover story. So, all this fury really has been about Collum and nothing else, and it’s as brutal and blunt and as simple as that.
The SFA has protected its man. The media, on the other hand, took the Ibrox club line and got the cross made up and readied for his crucifixion. Ibrox lied to them and they allowed themselves to be used as a conduit for lies.
The SFA are not the only ones who need to reform.
Thanks James for all the time and effort you put into all of these articles, really appreciated.
The SFA cannot let this go unpunished, it’s damning if this goes that way.
Crawford Allen has to back his members.
(Blackball Collum)
Sorry I mean take the Refs out on strike.
After all even though Lennon was proved right
With his accusations regarding lying officials, they said they had no option but to strike as there integrity was being undermined.
Hahaha the media would find a way to blame us for that too 🙂
Or give Collum the next sevco game..and as seen recently in Turkey, Bisgrove and Bennet can come on the park at final whistle and boot the shit out him.
They know what they are doing as I have posted elswhere i wouldn’t be surprised if they say we cannot guarantee his safety just like big Sutton if so they should be told to play behind closed doors until they can guarantee it
Celtic 1st Celtic forever
HH
I’ve already heard some of their fans saying that he can’t ref in ipox because it would be toxic and unsafe. So aye, I wouldn’t be surprised if that is what they try and do next and the SFA if that is what they do should say will empty stadium then. End of. BUT I have a feeling that the SFA won’t put him in charge of their games for a while now. Watch this space
@ UF. Agree, hit them hard. This wouldn’t be tolerated probably anywhere else, tho the sfa don’t have the balls tae dae somethin like that.
As you’ve said James this was OUR chance to hit both the SFA and SCUMVILLE with both barrels ,but the most shameful yellow bellied board in world football are letting the shite run down their legs.this board are an absolute disgrace and to a man and woman should be nowhere near Celtic park or any company for that matter,GET THEM OUT NOW or Celtic as a club will be in shit right up to their necks.
@ FTF. Nae chance of that happenin mate while that institution are the integral part of our boards big ‘business plan’. Agree, it’s shameful and makes ye fkn sick.
SFA, all other refs, refs’ unions should be all over this. Collum and family are now a target and it is a serious threat given klan past behaviour. Terrible situation.
Every ref must see themselves as targets if they fall foul of rangers fc, the klan and the compliant media.
The refs and unions should back Collum and refuse to officiate on rangers game, refs can be brought in for their games at rangers expense or as another poster mentioned games played with no crowds.
I haven;t read the SFA statement but they should ensure there are rule changes to provision tough sanctions can be put in place in these situations, it’s not the first time and if not stopped now will not be the last.
Collum if threatened should have a case against his employers and I hope he takes them to the cleaners. Hopefully he is seeking legal advice now and has union backing.
We should all just calm down.
We should be quietly confident that the top huy in Scottish football,
the SFA CEO, Ian Maxwell has everything under control.
His leadership skills will shine through and he’ll sort it all out… 🙁
I don’t think there will be a more sarcastic post than this one on The Celtic Blog in the whole of 2024 Bob (original) !!!!!
The SMSM in this country is circling the drain ,especially the typing pool of scoops . They know it’s only a matter of time before it’s lights out completely so are not giving a toss as to reporting legitimate truthful stories . The lamb will soon be off the menu ….. permanently !
I certainly hope so John (and Scud below)…
But Celtic fans still financially aid and abet them and on another forum last night quite a few were posting links to several of the rags (needless to say I never went near these links) –
We can find out their lies in favour of Sevco and their evil about Celtic on here…
And it’s all free on here and that way by not clicking on we will all be doing ourselves and our fellow Celtic supporters proud by helping to drive the hearse with THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MEDIA SCUM to it’s grave !
What a shower of bastards zombie FC are. Any other country football leagues would apply sanctions against any club who endangers refs safety being compromised as such as we see with this mob. Surely refs here (even if they are zombie fans) must think again of favouring that cabal across the city due to recent threats from that club. Sometimes enough is enough as in the straw that broke the camels back.
Who released the statement from sevco to release the statement from Hampden to the corrupt media to the statement from Hampden to sevco for the statement from Hampden to the media and who’s next!
If say, Albion Rovers or Stirling or such, had behaved in the way the Ibrox club has, there would have been harsh punitive consequences.
The SFA gave him a ban in all but name after a previous statement from that mob so don’t delude yourselves it won’t happen again
And that will clarify who’s tune they dance to
Read the statement from hampden. Saying that they are disappointed with the leak to media. Treating sevco like an 11 year old petulant child .. saying they are disappointed with them. The SFA will still love them though. No other action or punishment will be meted out to the petulant child of Scottish football. I really wished that they had not been allowed to rejoin Scottish football in 2012 as a new entity .. mibbees when they go bust again all other teams will vote to keep them out of SPFL and kèep them out this time.
The new club did not rejoin the league also they have never went bust so cannot do it again.
Not only lied to but, in at least some cases, paying £15,000, or whatever, for the ” privilege “.