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SFA need solution that punishes Rangers but doesn't kick them out of football
SFA need solution that punishes Rangers but doesn't kick them out of football - The Daily Record - Jim Traynor
WITH commonsense struggling to catch up the SFA and Rangers remain on collision course.
It would be wise to get under the table. And stay away from the windows.
The wreckage from this head-on will be strewn across our game's landscape.
More than one club and their fans will suffer. We'll all be damaged.
Having been found guilty on disrepute charges Rangers were fined £100,000 and banned from signing players over 18 for 12 months but the Ibrox club turned to Scots Law.
The Court of Session ruled in their favour with Lord Glennie declaring the SFA's disciplinary tribunals were "wrong to hold that they had power to impose the additional sanction in this case".
In other words, the independent inquiry and then the appeals panel had no legal right to come up with a punishment other than those open to them within the SFA's scale of sanctions.
It was a rare victory in desperately trying times for Rangers but also a hollow one because they now face a more serious sentence.
The SFA appeals body - Lord Carloway, former Partick Thistle chairman Allan Cowan and Spartans chairman Craig Graham - can now expel Rangers from the game, eject them from the Scottish Cup or terminate their membership.
With the SFA - who are being watched closely by their masters at FIFA - having to save face, Rangers have every right to fear a more savage punishment.
Ever since Lord Glennie slapped the SFA down they've been sounding bullish about the next step and making it clear Rangers have only themselves to blame.
How dare they resist the law of the game and refuse a sanction.
Actually they didn't. Rangers merely questioned whether the SFA's independent judicial inquiry - Gary Allan QC, Raith Rovers' Eric Drysdale and journalist Alistair Murning - had the right to go outwith their list of penalties.
The Court of Session said they didn't and despite the SFA's rage the mistake was made by the people who sat in judgment at the outset.
In truth there were more than a few within the SFA who were shocked when the independent panel revealed their punishment.
Indeed, one of the men at the very top of the administrative tree was so surprised by the verdict he almost fell from his lofty perch.
There was disbelief in the voices of some of the SFA people contacted minutes after the announcement.
There was also a degree of panic that the new disciplinary procedures had backfired and that's why it's a bit hypocritical to be coming across now as pious and fully supportive of the 12-month ban.
It would be more helpful if they were locked in their boardroom until they come up with a way to avoid the crash with Rangers. It's just not good enough to say, as they seem to be, that the responsibility of coming up with an alternative lies only with Rangers.
That's like saying a burglar should come up with his own sentence. "Eh, let me think yer honour. How aboot 300 hours community service workin in ma local ironmongers? I could dae wi some new wire cutters and jemmies."
Besides, who at Rangers could come up with an appropriate punishment? This is a club without a leader. They have administrators and Charles Green but no one regarded as a true figurehead.
Green is the closest to that but ever since the law told the SFA to take Rangers' transfer ban back to appeal, the Yorkshireman has been busy trying to calm spooked would-be investors.
The SFA and their chief executive, Stewart Regan, should also be aware the threat of terminating Rangers' membership could convince Green to disappear.
Come to think of it, that would be one way out of this mess. Rangers shut down. Problem solved. However, Green isn't for running, not yet anyway, so another solution needs to be found.
But by allowing everyone to think Rangers will be frozen out of the game if they don't accept their transfer ban the SFA are scaremongering - and you don't need a Law Lord to tell you that isn't one of their
sanctions either.
Instead of leaving Rangers to "volunteer" to accept their sanction Regan should be taking a lead on this issue.
He must keep a cool,
intelligent head and steer the game and Rangers away from destruction. It would help
enormously if he ignored those who want to whisper in his ear about Rangers being dreadful villains. You know the ones, they're easily spotted. They're hunched over by the burden of carrying around petty and stupid club agendas.
Regan is this game's leader and needs to stand apart, survey the mess and somehow identify a path which might lead to a better, more structured future. And preferably one with Rangers in it because despite what one or two club chairmen might believe there is no better future without Rangers.
However, the Ibrox club must also help find a solution, although that cannot be an acceptance of their 12-month signing embargo. It would be idiotic to accept a punishment deemed unlawful. The sooner the SFA accept the Court of Session is a greater legal authority than they are the quicker we might see them and Rangers reach common ground.
Actually, the SFA must already believe the law of the land to be the greater force. They are heading to the Court of Session to force Craig Whyte to pay the fine slapped on him for his mismanagement at Ibrox.
He has dismissed the fine as a "joke" but the SFA are determined to drag him into court even though they've
criticised Rangers for having taken them there.
Better if FIFA didn't find out about this but for the good of the game it has to be worked out. It's getting dangerous and it's nonsense to say nothing can be done to avert the collision.
sensible
If it were suggested Rangers should be banned from next season's Scottish Cup - which could cost them up to £750,000 - the SFA and the club would be foolish not to latch on to it.
The association can't suggest it because the matter is returning to the Appellate Tribunal and they mustn't be influenced, but if Rangers dropped their appeal the matter could be looked at differently.
If a cup ban was suggested at the same time surely that would seem like a sensible escape route for the SFA and Rangers, who understand their failure to hand over PAYE and National Insurance
contributions means their
punishment has to be harsh.
But the SFA should not be handing down sanctions which are effectively death sentences.
What fans who are driven by raw emotion, sometimes even blind hatred, think about Rangers is pretty irrelevant.
This has to be handled with a studied rationale which has been absent so far. For the good of the game, slow down, think and let commonsense - and someone who might suggest a cup ban - catch up.
SFA need solution that punishes Rangers but doesn't kick them out of football - The Daily Record - Jim Traynor
WITH commonsense struggling to catch up the SFA and Rangers remain on collision course.
It would be wise to get under the table. And stay away from the windows.
The wreckage from this head-on will be strewn across our game's landscape.
More than one club and their fans will suffer. We'll all be damaged.
Having been found guilty on disrepute charges Rangers were fined £100,000 and banned from signing players over 18 for 12 months but the Ibrox club turned to Scots Law.
The Court of Session ruled in their favour with Lord Glennie declaring the SFA's disciplinary tribunals were "wrong to hold that they had power to impose the additional sanction in this case".
In other words, the independent inquiry and then the appeals panel had no legal right to come up with a punishment other than those open to them within the SFA's scale of sanctions.
It was a rare victory in desperately trying times for Rangers but also a hollow one because they now face a more serious sentence.
The SFA appeals body - Lord Carloway, former Partick Thistle chairman Allan Cowan and Spartans chairman Craig Graham - can now expel Rangers from the game, eject them from the Scottish Cup or terminate their membership.
With the SFA - who are being watched closely by their masters at FIFA - having to save face, Rangers have every right to fear a more savage punishment.
Ever since Lord Glennie slapped the SFA down they've been sounding bullish about the next step and making it clear Rangers have only themselves to blame.
How dare they resist the law of the game and refuse a sanction.
Actually they didn't. Rangers merely questioned whether the SFA's independent judicial inquiry - Gary Allan QC, Raith Rovers' Eric Drysdale and journalist Alistair Murning - had the right to go outwith their list of penalties.
The Court of Session said they didn't and despite the SFA's rage the mistake was made by the people who sat in judgment at the outset.
In truth there were more than a few within the SFA who were shocked when the independent panel revealed their punishment.
Indeed, one of the men at the very top of the administrative tree was so surprised by the verdict he almost fell from his lofty perch.
There was disbelief in the voices of some of the SFA people contacted minutes after the announcement.
There was also a degree of panic that the new disciplinary procedures had backfired and that's why it's a bit hypocritical to be coming across now as pious and fully supportive of the 12-month ban.
It would be more helpful if they were locked in their boardroom until they come up with a way to avoid the crash with Rangers. It's just not good enough to say, as they seem to be, that the responsibility of coming up with an alternative lies only with Rangers.
That's like saying a burglar should come up with his own sentence. "Eh, let me think yer honour. How aboot 300 hours community service workin in ma local ironmongers? I could dae wi some new wire cutters and jemmies."
Besides, who at Rangers could come up with an appropriate punishment? This is a club without a leader. They have administrators and Charles Green but no one regarded as a true figurehead.
Green is the closest to that but ever since the law told the SFA to take Rangers' transfer ban back to appeal, the Yorkshireman has been busy trying to calm spooked would-be investors.
The SFA and their chief executive, Stewart Regan, should also be aware the threat of terminating Rangers' membership could convince Green to disappear.
Come to think of it, that would be one way out of this mess. Rangers shut down. Problem solved. However, Green isn't for running, not yet anyway, so another solution needs to be found.
But by allowing everyone to think Rangers will be frozen out of the game if they don't accept their transfer ban the SFA are scaremongering - and you don't need a Law Lord to tell you that isn't one of their
sanctions either.
Instead of leaving Rangers to "volunteer" to accept their sanction Regan should be taking a lead on this issue.
He must keep a cool,
intelligent head and steer the game and Rangers away from destruction. It would help
enormously if he ignored those who want to whisper in his ear about Rangers being dreadful villains. You know the ones, they're easily spotted. They're hunched over by the burden of carrying around petty and stupid club agendas.
Regan is this game's leader and needs to stand apart, survey the mess and somehow identify a path which might lead to a better, more structured future. And preferably one with Rangers in it because despite what one or two club chairmen might believe there is no better future without Rangers.
However, the Ibrox club must also help find a solution, although that cannot be an acceptance of their 12-month signing embargo. It would be idiotic to accept a punishment deemed unlawful. The sooner the SFA accept the Court of Session is a greater legal authority than they are the quicker we might see them and Rangers reach common ground.
Actually, the SFA must already believe the law of the land to be the greater force. They are heading to the Court of Session to force Craig Whyte to pay the fine slapped on him for his mismanagement at Ibrox.
He has dismissed the fine as a "joke" but the SFA are determined to drag him into court even though they've
criticised Rangers for having taken them there.
Better if FIFA didn't find out about this but for the good of the game it has to be worked out. It's getting dangerous and it's nonsense to say nothing can be done to avert the collision.
sensible
If it were suggested Rangers should be banned from next season's Scottish Cup - which could cost them up to £750,000 - the SFA and the club would be foolish not to latch on to it.
The association can't suggest it because the matter is returning to the Appellate Tribunal and they mustn't be influenced, but if Rangers dropped their appeal the matter could be looked at differently.
If a cup ban was suggested at the same time surely that would seem like a sensible escape route for the SFA and Rangers, who understand their failure to hand over PAYE and National Insurance
contributions means their
punishment has to be harsh.
But the SFA should not be handing down sanctions which are effectively death sentences.
What fans who are driven by raw emotion, sometimes even blind hatred, think about Rangers is pretty irrelevant.
This has to be handled with a studied rationale which has been absent so far. For the good of the game, slow down, think and let commonsense - and someone who might suggest a cup ban - catch up.
