Petition To The Scottish Parliament

Scottish football is in deadlock.

“no proper representation without a decision – no decision without proper representation”

e-Petition 415 is now live on the Scottish Parliament website calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to intervene in the deadlock between the parties that govern Scottish football to compel them to: (1) form one truly representative governing body, fit to deliver competent and accountable decision making processes, and (2) carry out an investigation into the public funding provided to the SFA and its partners to determine whether the objectives of this funding have been met by them.

The petition can be viewed at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/petitions/docs/PE1371.htm

The running of Scottish football has always been secretive and isolationist. Over the years, the leaders in the game have become more distant from the ordinary fan and on the 12^th June 2001 PE380 was lodged with the Scottish Parliament, calling on the Scottish Parliament amongst other things to;

“…consider ways to promote fans’ participation in the decision making processes….”

Three and a half years later! On the 1^st December 2005, the Enterprise and Culture Committee’s 13th Report, 2005 (Session 2) - Report on Reform of Scottish Football was published. It was comprehensive, over 16,000 words long, and addressed many failings, governance, one ruling body and facilities to mention but a few.

It took another three years and three months after that!, for the SFA to launch the Scottish Football Review on the 25^th February 2009.

When the Review’s Report, Part 1 was published, it simply covered the same ground already covered the same ground in the Enterprise and Culture Committee’s report except that the Review’s Report needed 31,000 words. All that the Review achieved was to take the Enterprise and Culture Committee’s report as the ‘green light’ for political support for spending £500 million pounds.

Boy, did they get that one wrong!.

Eighteen months on and it is still not finished!

Scottish football simply cannot continue like this. We have had enough debate. We have wasted enough money. We know a lot of the answers.

We need decisions. We need vision. We need leadership.

We need a practical solution like that proposed in ‘Corporate Governance – A Framework’

And;

We need a change process like that proposed in ‘The Change Ahead’

Yes there are risks, but we need people with the guts to take them.

Yes this new petition questions funding but don’t think for a moment that it is not already being considered by those in Government or by those that provide sponsorship.

We need openness, honesty, integrity and above all we need people to stand up and be counted.

Just one of you – go on surprise us!

This whole sorry process has taken nearly nine shameful years with nothing to show for it.

How much longer do we have to wait?

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