Understanding the structure of football in Scotland outside the SPL and SFL is not easy. Seniors, Juniors, Amateurs, Juveniles, Welfare . . . there are different rules and practices associated with each grade. So why do so many different grades of football persist?
It would not be entirely correct to think of these as different ‘levels’ of football. Any notion of a ‘hierarchy’ is flawed. Senior sounds like it should be better than Junior but it frequently is not. Juvenile sounds like it should be for kids, but it operates to Under 21 level. Amateur sounds like it should be played on public parks and whilst it often is, it sometimes isn’t. These grades are separate strands that have become entangled. Each strand is separate and distinct but together they could form one stronger woven chord.
Two games that took place in Edinburgh last Wednesday night well illustrate some of the anomalies that exist in the twilight world of Scottish football. Edinburgh City and Civil Service Strollers met in the East of Scotland League Premier Division at Meadowbank Stadium. Both of these clubs are full members of the Scottish Football Association which allows them to compete in the Scottish Cup – City were one game short of a ‘local derby’ against Hibernian in Round Five. Across the city, an East Region South Division Junior match went ahead between Spartans Juniors and Edinburgh United at Ainslie Park. This is the lowest level of the Junior ‘pyramid’. The admission charge at both games was £4.
The Senior East of Scotland League and the East Juniors run in parallel with each other. The standard of the top teams in each is comparable. The Juniors have more strength in depth and their poorest teams are not as weak as the strugglers in the Seniors. But the real anomaly is that teams who are close neighbours never meet competitively. Whitehill Welfare play next door to Bonnyrigg Rose and Newtongrange Star. Preston Athletic’s closest geographic neighbours are Tranent and Musselburgh. Furthermore, teams like Coldstream who play in a public park get automatic entry to the Scottish Cup every year, yet Linlithgow Rose and Newtongrange Star with fine floodlit grounds do not.
To explain why these different levels survive is actually quite easy – self interest, self preservation and the desire to perpetuate positions of influence just about sums it up. Each grade of football has its own administrators who are all ‘important’ in their small spheres of influence. They guard their ‘Associations’ jealously with talk of ‘tradition’ and ‘heritage’. Yet the lack of an integrated structure is nonsensical.
I’m not necessarily talking about a ‘pyramid’ system here. Perhaps that could evolve through time if teams were interested. What I am arguing for is the streamlining of administration to bring the different strands of non-league football under a single umbrella.
Take the aforementioned Spartans Juniors as an example. Spartans also run a team in the East Seniors which they regard as their ‘first team’. They’ve had great success in the Scottish Cup in recent times. But the two teams have to be run as separate entities. Last Wednesday the Juniors wanted to field a player from the Seniors who was recovering from injury. The Seniors had to cancel his registration and he signed new forms for the Juniors in order to play. Same club, same ground, same strips . . . same silly old rules.
A fundamental difficulty is the administration of football by committee. By their nature committees tend to be resistant to change. The ‘status quo’ and ‘precedent’ are easy to understand. To progress change committees must abdicate some of their power in favour of an Executive. Sadly there is little chance of this happening. Turkeys will not vote for Christmas.
It can, of course, be argued that nobody really cares. Edinburgh City v Civil Service Strollers – reported attendance approximately 25. Spartans Juniors v Edinburgh United – reported attendance approximately 50. Of these numbers fewer than half will have actually paid to get in. But why did the authorities of both grades decide to schedule their games at the same time as Hibs were playing Aberdeen at Easter Road, half a mile from Meadowbank and a couple of miles from Ainslie Park?
The marketing of no-league football leaves much to be desired. Fixtures are often arranged or re-arranged at short notice. Finding out about postponements involves much ‘googling’. National newspapers don’t carry fixtures on a regular basis. It would be great if a governing body would take an advertisement in newspapers on a weekly basis promoting the lower levels of football with fixtures and other information, or if they would collate and promote a dedicated user-friendly website that gave full information. To the SFA’s credit they have tried to do this through ‘Football Central’ but the coverage is patchy and inconsistent. Why? Because, some grades and Associations prefer to do their own thing.
It’s time for the SFA to show some initiative and bang heads together. It will not happen through committees, working groups and reports. Decisive executive action is required to promote and streamline these levels of football which provide spectator enjoyment and the opportunity for players to continue their careers at appropriate levels.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Scoland's Managerial Merry-Go-Round Turns Full Circle
The transfer window has passed without much activity in Scotland, with the notable exception of the comings and goings at Celtic. More interesting has been the rotation of the managerial merry-go-round which has seen four of the twelve SPL sides change manager over the past couple of months. One of the outcomes has been the departure of two ‘outsiders’ to be replaced by two weel kent faces. Is this good for Scottish football?
One of the management changes is easily dealt with. The SFA lured Craig Levein away to Hampden as national team manager. Although his Assistant Peter Houston initially said that he didn’t want the top job at Tannadice, impressive performances combined with a lack of money to bring in anyone else mean that he has now signed up to stay in charge until the end of the season. Doubtless this is a pragmatic move on all fronts. United get to see if he is up to the job; Houston gets the chance to see if he really does want it. It is due reward for a highly-respected coach who has worked with Craig Levein throughout his managerial career.
The situation at Motherwell is more murky. The Fir Park side appointed ex Stockport boss Jim Gannon to succeed Mark McGhee at the start of the season. Motherwell’s season started at the end of June with their UEFA Cup run which saw them get to Round 3. Gannon cobbled together a squad that looked quite impressive, blending home grown youth with some bargain basement buys from the English lower leagues. Several stalwarts of recent Motherwell seasons were sidelined. Initially Gannon was viewed as a breath of fresh air. He seemed tactically astute and Motherwell fans looked forward to a good season.
Behind the scenes all was not well. It is now clear that the players grew to dislike Gannon and his methods with a vengeance. Club Chairman John Boyle was frustrated that Gannon continually refused to sign a contract. He was linked with several jobs in England. Results began to become a problem. Gannon ran into difficulties with referees and had a very public fall out with the SFA’s referee supreme Hugh Dallas. His employment at Motherwell was terminated – a decision that apparently sparked scenes in the dressing room akin to winning the Cup.
Motherwell’s next move was to install Craig Brown as their caretaker manager with Archie Knox to assist him. Unkindly labelled as Jack and Victor after the Still Game characters, both had been out of football for some time. However, results showed an immediate improvement and morale was restored to the dressing room. They’ve now been rewarded with contracts until the end of 20010/11 – not bad for two guys who have been using their bus passes for quite a few years already. Brown actually started his coaching career at Fir Park in 1974.
If what went on at Motherwell was a little unseemly, events at Kilmarnock and Hearts were worse. In early January a long-running feud between Chairman and Manager ended with a parting of the ways. It was by ‘mutual consent’ although most observers reckoned tat the Chairman’s interfering with team affairs had something to do with it. It now seems that those suspicions may have been unfounded.
Killie had former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood in charge within days. He’d been out of work since the Summer and was happy to take a short-term appointment until the Summer. If Kilmarnock stay up then he may choose to stay on. If they don’t then he’ll be off. Calderwood has made no secret of his ambitions to manage in England and that remains his goal. If he succeeds at Killie it might put him in the shop window for such a move.
Meanwhile, over at Tynecastle the soap-opera that is Heart of Midlothian rumbles on. The general view was that Csabo Laszlo was a personable man and a competent coach. His post-match interviews became legendary – often taking three our four minutes to answer a question without drawing breath. His passion for football was evident, as was his frustration at having to deal with the Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov. Laszlo had a limited transfer budget and felt that he could not bring in the players required. In particular he needed a striker to allow him to ditch the ineffective Christian Nade. Romanov seemed to take pleasure in denying Laszlo his wishes. Finally, on the eve of an important week for the club with a vital League game and a CIS Cup Semi Final, Laszlo was sacked.
Within two hours it was announced that Jim Jefferies would be his replacement, returning to Hearts for a second spell. Events began to fall into place. It may be more than conspiracy theory to say that Jefferies had been sounded out about a move to Hearts before his departure by ‘mutual consent’ from Kilmarnock. Laszlo may have been the last man to know that he was about to be fired.
The upshot of all this the departures of Gannon and Laszlo, the return of Craig Brown and Jimmy Calderwood, and a change of scenery for evergreen Jim Jefferies. It doesn’t really do much to ‘freshen up’ the management and coaching in the SPL – it perpetuates the existing ‘elite’. There’s been no move for Billy Reid who has done so well with Hamilton Accies. Perhaps he’s just not a member of the right cliques.
One of the management changes is easily dealt with. The SFA lured Craig Levein away to Hampden as national team manager. Although his Assistant Peter Houston initially said that he didn’t want the top job at Tannadice, impressive performances combined with a lack of money to bring in anyone else mean that he has now signed up to stay in charge until the end of the season. Doubtless this is a pragmatic move on all fronts. United get to see if he is up to the job; Houston gets the chance to see if he really does want it. It is due reward for a highly-respected coach who has worked with Craig Levein throughout his managerial career.
The situation at Motherwell is more murky. The Fir Park side appointed ex Stockport boss Jim Gannon to succeed Mark McGhee at the start of the season. Motherwell’s season started at the end of June with their UEFA Cup run which saw them get to Round 3. Gannon cobbled together a squad that looked quite impressive, blending home grown youth with some bargain basement buys from the English lower leagues. Several stalwarts of recent Motherwell seasons were sidelined. Initially Gannon was viewed as a breath of fresh air. He seemed tactically astute and Motherwell fans looked forward to a good season.
Behind the scenes all was not well. It is now clear that the players grew to dislike Gannon and his methods with a vengeance. Club Chairman John Boyle was frustrated that Gannon continually refused to sign a contract. He was linked with several jobs in England. Results began to become a problem. Gannon ran into difficulties with referees and had a very public fall out with the SFA’s referee supreme Hugh Dallas. His employment at Motherwell was terminated – a decision that apparently sparked scenes in the dressing room akin to winning the Cup.
Motherwell’s next move was to install Craig Brown as their caretaker manager with Archie Knox to assist him. Unkindly labelled as Jack and Victor after the Still Game characters, both had been out of football for some time. However, results showed an immediate improvement and morale was restored to the dressing room. They’ve now been rewarded with contracts until the end of 20010/11 – not bad for two guys who have been using their bus passes for quite a few years already. Brown actually started his coaching career at Fir Park in 1974.
If what went on at Motherwell was a little unseemly, events at Kilmarnock and Hearts were worse. In early January a long-running feud between Chairman and Manager ended with a parting of the ways. It was by ‘mutual consent’ although most observers reckoned tat the Chairman’s interfering with team affairs had something to do with it. It now seems that those suspicions may have been unfounded.
Killie had former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood in charge within days. He’d been out of work since the Summer and was happy to take a short-term appointment until the Summer. If Kilmarnock stay up then he may choose to stay on. If they don’t then he’ll be off. Calderwood has made no secret of his ambitions to manage in England and that remains his goal. If he succeeds at Killie it might put him in the shop window for such a move.
Meanwhile, over at Tynecastle the soap-opera that is Heart of Midlothian rumbles on. The general view was that Csabo Laszlo was a personable man and a competent coach. His post-match interviews became legendary – often taking three our four minutes to answer a question without drawing breath. His passion for football was evident, as was his frustration at having to deal with the Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov. Laszlo had a limited transfer budget and felt that he could not bring in the players required. In particular he needed a striker to allow him to ditch the ineffective Christian Nade. Romanov seemed to take pleasure in denying Laszlo his wishes. Finally, on the eve of an important week for the club with a vital League game and a CIS Cup Semi Final, Laszlo was sacked.
Within two hours it was announced that Jim Jefferies would be his replacement, returning to Hearts for a second spell. Events began to fall into place. It may be more than conspiracy theory to say that Jefferies had been sounded out about a move to Hearts before his departure by ‘mutual consent’ from Kilmarnock. Laszlo may have been the last man to know that he was about to be fired.
The upshot of all this the departures of Gannon and Laszlo, the return of Craig Brown and Jimmy Calderwood, and a change of scenery for evergreen Jim Jefferies. It doesn’t really do much to ‘freshen up’ the management and coaching in the SPL – it perpetuates the existing ‘elite’. There’s been no move for Billy Reid who has done so well with Hamilton Accies. Perhaps he’s just not a member of the right cliques.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)