Andy's Sting In The Tale (04/09/26) "The Summit That Isn’t/Wasn’t"
Before:
It’s no secret that the SFA called for a ‘42 Club Gathering’,.
Firstly Shhh they don’t want it to ever be called a ‘Summit’.
That word ‘Summit’, has previous.
Just about all we do know is that as ‘Custodians of our Game, (run, they oft say when it suits, ‘for clubs by clubs’), they are trying to find and implement a better national pathway for young Scottish talent into our sides.
We also now have a new team fighting the good fight from the 6th floor.
Craig Mulholland is our new Chief Football Officer and I guess was well supported by our new Belgian data-led wonder youngster, Sebastien Pocognoli and also by our President and CEO.
We had all been told in the last couple of days that attendance was voluntary but that all clubs will be represented.
I don’t know who picks up the tabs for bunking down at the £600 per night 5 star hotel. It’s the ugly modern one full of American tourists. It juts out into the famous Road Hole. An intrusion and territory where I’ve deposited several Pro Vi’s when trying to hit an unhittable lifetime best to cut the corner and avoid the bunker.
Anyway, Here are Some Known Knowns
It’s a miserable but sadly true fact that Scottish Football has been woefully unable to bridge the gap between under 20s and first team football.
It is a huge gap.
Right now only 27% of our starting line ups are Scots compared to Norway’s 64%.
Insiders now know that our much vaunted ‘under 20s revolution’ never worked.
Lots of reasons why.
Clubs and their managers are judged solely on results.
The number of kids they develop or even the potential value that selling them on could deliver is not a consideration.`
It won’t save your job or stop a relegation fight.
The reality is that the ‘long term future’ in all levels of our game is probably less than a month.
Short-term thinking and self-interest have effectively become the judge and jury for every single decision at every single club.
Graeme McDowell was so disturbed by the constant wastage and very real kid-carnage that he analysed then identified very real structural Scottish failings. It’s all in his book, The System.
His amazing data-led insight somehow has got lost in the heather.
Then, much more recently the SFA tried an unbalanced, ‘tick-box’, B team and Conference League imposition.
Looking for a one stop, magic-dust solution.
They were duly and rightly sent hamewards tae think again by disenfranchised lower level clubs.
In the run before the media coverage over the next few days here are some thoughts from people talking about it impressively.
First some of what Lloyd Gammel, a disillusioned ex-coach in elite kids football from Tayside voiced on the radio.
“There is no simple fix.
There are many layers to this onion including poor coaching from ex-pros who are unable to ‘coach’.
Constant fear of defeat in small leagues and too big a gap for kids to bridge”.
Iain McMenemy a sage and respected, ex-chairman was quoted in The Scotsman.
“There will ultimately be a vote.
It’s good that all clubs are at St Andrews today but the ever present 11-1 vote can be an issue.
Craig is a bit of a thinker, though”.
Alan Patullo in the same piece had two insights I’ll share.
“Oh to be a fly on the wall for the 6 hours clubs have been told it will run for, but it’s hard to be anything other than pessimistic”. (He’s been here before).
I’m neither optimistic or pessimistic, just hopeful, but wary of miracle solutions and magic dust ideas.
From a previous career full of ‘big meetings’, like today’s, I’d be shocked if what is being said is all new and news to the inner sanctum clubs.
We all know who they are, and I’d have already sounded out the opinion formers in advance.
And I’d bet that the real meetings are underway having started last night at the dining tables and in the bars in the hotel.
After
The meeting, we are told, came with discussion and 3 main initial proposals which the clubs will vote at in the November AGM.
i) Two under 21 players eligible to play for Scotland to be starters in all Scottish Cup ties with one on the pitch at all times.
ii)The same for whichever cup is now sponsored as the Premier Sports Cup.
iii) Under 21 player to play at least 60 mins in all games in all 4 leagues.
As an incentive there will be £1M extra added by the SFA to the various prize funds and clubs who fail will be penalised by 10% of whatever prize money they are due.
During the meeting the sports analytical company The Twenty First Group presented case studies and passed on some hard financial insights.
- Scottish Football is missing out on £40M per annum by choosing foreign mercenaries over their own academy graduates.
- Scottish Football gets a return of investment of 7% on its academies. (A series of loss making projects).
But look further afield and wow!
- Netherlands return is 494%
- Denmark 412%
- Norway 298%
- Sweden 162%
- Switzerland 121%
I can’t vouch for the numbers but it looks like a no brainer.
Andy’s Thoughts
A meeting that didn’t ever pose a threat to our big guys so will get voted through.
An inherent acceptance that growing kids is a 42 club challenge, not an SFA box to tick. (It’s actually bigger than that and maybe that will come in phase 2 or 3 or whenever).
A unified starting point in a lifetime challenge for the clubs, not the SFA. (Probably the smartest part of it all and the most important reset today.)
So it is a start and maybe low key was best.
I’d like to see the Twenty First Group presentation and a proper summary of the meeting and what was said and by whom, but maybe that’s asking for too much too soon.
I know it’s just the start of an integrated plan.
Personally I’d like to see bigger leagues, maybe regionality, proper reserve football and a generative plan for schools football too.
Maybe a no relegation window to settle big thinking into the DNA.
And more money to our grass roots clubs from the centre.
Please see the bigger picture.
Craig was right, the solution is wholistic.
Andy’s Sting in the Tale
1. KNVB Plan
2. Copy Cat Fireworks Hurting Fans
3. Hull Leave Barca Standing
4. Not Even Worth a Mention
5. The Best Charlie
1. But Why No Mention of the Core Stakeholder?
The Dutch FA, KNVB, formally withdrew their support for Infantino this week and came up with a three pronged plan for the future.
I’ve copied it verbatim because they are mostly on the money, but nowhere does it directly address how to treat customers going forward.
Those who fund the whole game, the fans.
I’d have that near the top of my list and there should be a Fifa Fans’ Charter to stem the extreme rip-offs.
Fifa, under attack from outside and inside, is in the meantime trying very hard to turn it all into a fight between Uefa and Fifa. i.e. the rich members from Europe and the rest of the world.
A. Good governance
FIFA needs a modern governance model that reflects the scale, complexity and global responsibility of the organisation. A system which fits a modern sports organisation, ready for the future…
Concrete initiatives
• A redefined FIFA Presidency: strategic, representative and unifying, with no responsibility for the day-to-day management of FIFA.
• A stronger and more representative FIFA Council: providing strategic direction and effective supervision, while reflecting the diversity of world football across regions, gender, generations and different parts of the game, complemented by independent expertise where appropriate.
• An independent FIFA administration: led by a Secretary-General as chief executive, responsible for the day-to-day management of FIFA and accountable to the FIFA Council as a whole.
• Clear roles for Congress, Council and Committees: with clearly defined responsibilities and mandates, ensuring meaningful participation of Member Associations and effective scrutiny of FIFA’s decisions.
• Strong and independent oversight: providing transparency, accountability and effective checks and balances throughout the organisation.
• A FIFA Youth Council: giving the next generation a structural voice in shaping the future of the game.
• More transparency: Both the FIFA president and the FIFA General Secretary should participate in press conferences following congresses, major tournaments and FIFA Council meetings.
B. The social power and responsibility of football
Football is more than a sport… FIFA should recognise, protect and invest in this unique social power. In many countries, national team football is one of the last domains where people bridge their differences, come together to celebrate and share in a common experience. Protecting this unique power should always take precedence over maximising commercial revenues.
Concrete initiatives
• A global Code of Football: defining the shared values and responsibilities that unite world football, developed with Member Associations and confederations across all regions.
• A global programme against racism and discrimination: setting common standards and combining education, prevention and consistent action.
• A global youth football commitment: expanding access to football for children and young people beyond elite talent development.
• A stronger global programme for women and girls: accelerating participation and representation in playing, coaching, refereeing, administration and leadership.
• A global initiative for a positive football culture: strengthening the position of referees and promoting responsible behaviour on and around the pitch, thereby inspiring more people around the world to participate in the beautiful game.
C. International cooperation and future development of the game
FIFA exists to develop football. It can only fulfil that mission through genuine cooperation with its confederations and Member Associations.
Concrete initiatives
• 90% reinvestment ambition: working towards returning up to 90% of FIFA’s distributable revenues to the development of football, primarily through Member
Associations and global development programmes, while maintaining the reserves required to operate FIFA responsibly and sustainably.
• New global distribution model: ensuring that these resources are distributed transparently, objectively, predictably and on a long-term basis, according to clear development principles rather than individual or political relationships.
• Global knowledge-sharing platform: systematically connecting expertise, innovation and best practices across Member Associations and confederations.
• New intercontinental sporting formats: exploring ways to connect countries and continents, including through existing confederation competitions, without further overloading the international match calendar.
• Global football innovation programme: systematically testing ideas such as temporary dismissals, alternative restarts and effective playing time, and implementing innovations that demonstrably improve fairness, flow and respect.
The KNVB emphasizes that while Europe should have an active role in shaping FIFA’s future, “this cannot become a European project against the rest of the world. Our objective must be to bring the global football community together around a shared vision, based on dialogue, cooperation and respect for different perspectives and cultures.”
“Our loyalty, however, is ultimately to football and to the institutions that exist to serve it,” The question for football federations around the world is where does the FIFA president and his organisation’s real loyalty lie?
2. Time to Find Alternative Enhancements
This week SC Cambur fans were attacked by Feyenoord fans Pyros and there were burns, hearing damage and eye damage.
Pyros really have no place in football, because they are not safe.
End of.
But maybe fireworks of all kinds should no longer be elevated into ‘atmosphere uplifters’, pre and post matches in stadia.
Football needs to realise that it has had a role in creating ‘copycat’ displays on the terraces.
We all remember Firework Phil at Tynie but his day was then and best left there.
3. Madness, A New Media Golden Egg, or a Ponzi Scam?
First the game and sport in general in this uncontrolled age of rampant disintermediation means that content channels all over the world are competing for and chasing audience numbers.
That’s the fundamental basis of the crazy gold rush ‘to own a piece of influential football’.
It’s about audience, a targeted increasingly unreachable audience.
A media lifejacket in troubled times.
And the Premier League is in pole World position.
Lucky B’s.
We’ve been left behind and our wee league has been relegated to Limboland.
That’s a forever reality.
The crazy monies swilling into the game south of the wall are so big they have just turned Hull, with their new Turkish owner, into bigger ‘window spenders’ than Barca and the English Premier Clubs total combined spend was bigger than all the other countries added together.
And I couldn’t help but notice lots of trading between English clubs for talent already playing here.
Here is a fascinating insight I read somewhere from a fan called S Edge, who I’d say is on the money.
“So where does this end, if it ever will?
Is the Premier League inflating a bubble that will burst?
There’s two possible answers. Increasingly we’re seeing trading between Premier Clubs for mega fees.
This is just for accounting. If two clubs sell each other academy players for £60M then both clubs can record a profit for £60M on the sold player.
If the bought player is on a 4 year contract they then can record a £15M cost per annum for 4 years.
The net impact is no money actually trades hands.
If the player flops and is sold next year the remaining contract of £45M is written off so the club then needs a bigger sale to offset the £45M and o cover the need for more profit , hence they want £100M.
Basically feels like a Ponzi scheme with the values getting bigger until the inevitable crashing down reality”.
I don’t understand all he is saying but it makes sense.
4. Why Not a Squeak in the Media?
Last Sunday I watched an entertaining game at Pittodrie.
It had the usual commentators, pundits, and was well reported in the press, including the BBC.
I saw the ugly Tifo glorifying a slashing gang from a long forgotten sectarian war in a movie.
Ugly politics then and with no place today.
So all of you, answer me this.
Why no mention by any of those paid to report at the time or afterwards?
Scotland’s Shame in Full Vision and not a cheep.
And following earlier today, Plenty of column inches and etherical words on the decision to stop Celtic and Rangers fans from watching their Glasgow derbies, but never anything about the manifestations of hatred we’re expected to just accept..
5. Nice Memories
I was sad to hear the best Highland League player by far from my time up north passed this week.
Thistle’s Charlie Duncan, an indestructible midfield genius who could have played at the very top.
Became a great manager too.
None of us escape this place alive.
Sting is
A take from the Chair of ‘The Scottish Football Union’, who is just an ordinary fan who cares about the big picture and the future.
If you haven’t already joined it’s free, will always be free and we need you because the more members we have the louder becomes our voice, and the more it gets listened to.
Andy’s Album of the Week
Capercaillie: Secret People
I was looking for an album to highlight today’s St Andrews get together and I guess this album was appropriate.
An album of fusion, blending lyrical and intelligent.
Just what we need.
A nice background soundtrack while awaiting the first leaks about the discussions after the case studies and the various proposals for discussion.
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