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Letter sent to Ian Maxwell regards latest.
Postby Joe O'Rourke » Fri Jan 04, 2019 12:05 pm
Below is a letter sent today to Ian Maxwell with regards to the latest shenanigans from the SFA. it's really getting to the stage when we must ask ourselves how long we can put up with the cheating within Scottish Football, all for the benefit of one club to the detriment of all the rest.
Mr Maxwell,
The last time I wrote to you regarding most match officials and their competence, or rather lack of it, and why they were not allowed, or willing to explain their decisions, you never replied, so I don’t expect a reply to this letter either.
I remember an interview on television given by the late Paul McBride QC about 7/8 years ago, he said “I think officially today we now know the SFA to be the laughing stock of world football, the decisions are incoherent, they are on the face of it thoroughly dishonest, and I never thought they were biased or prejudiced, now hearing what they have done today it’s very hard to escape that conclusion”
That statement was made after the disciplinary hearing following the famous fall-out between Neil Lennon and Ally McCoist, but it could also have been made after the latest decision concerning Alfredo Morelos. The whole disciplinary system within the SFA reeks of Arrogance and Dishonesty, and that is a view held by many ordinary football fans, and you are now part of that process.
Why all the secrecy? Why aren’t officials allowed to explain their decisions after a match? Why do the former referees who sit on the Disciplinary Panel remain anonymous? What happened to the promise of Transparency & Accountability? If these people are truly impartial then why should they not be named? Strange how jurors at the High Court can be responsible for one or more people spending the rest of their live in prison, but they are not afforded the option of anonymity, except in extreme cases, I don’t think we can class a football match as an extreme case.
If match official John Beaton stated that he saw all the incidents involving Morelos and deemed that no action was required, then he is either a “Liar or a Blatant Cheat” or Both, quite a number of former professional footballers saw the incidents and stated quite clearly action should have been taken on at least two occasions, I wonder what your opinion would have been if the incidents had happened last season against Partick Thistle, instead of this season against Celtic.
I was advised when you started your role at the SFA you were a decent and honest man, I was happy with that assertion, well I think that I have changed my mind on that now. I thought anyone would be an improvement on your predecessor, but I’m afraid by your silence and inaction you are just the same as Mr Regan.
Last Saturday at Ibrox Stadium the Celtic Supporters attending, and the watching television audience were treated to two hours of Bigotry & Offensive chanting by the home fans, a lot of it directed at the Greatest Manager in Scottish Football history, the late Jock Stein. There was also extremely offensive banners displayed regarding Big Jock, which must surely distress any of his family watching.
The other main target of the morons appeared to be Leigh Griffiths, now anyone who doesn’t have sympathy with another human being with fairly serious medical issues, I would suggest those people are less than human themselves. The whole match was the worst I’ve experienced in terms of offensive behaviour, and let me state for the record that the best team won on the day.
The most annoying thing for me and many others, is that not one single word of condemnation has come from you or anyone else at the SFA/SPFL. The whole watching football audience must now believe that type of behaviour is acceptable at football matches in Scotland. I’ll quote Paul McBride once again “The laughing stock of world football” well done Mr Maxwell, Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency, the Missing Ingredients from Scottish Football.
And finally Mr Maxwell, I note that there has been no update on the progress of the Judicial Panel Disciplinary Tribunal appointed to examine the circumstances surrounding the awarding of a UEFA Licence to Oldco Rangers in 2011. I would just remind you, that the Resolution 12 people will not be going away, let’s hope it’s not another whitewash or cover up.
Joe O’Rourke,
General Secretary,
Celtic Supporters Association.
42 minutes ago
