Uilleam

Picking men of the match is becoming more difficult with each match. Long may this continue. The team, as a whole, is playing well, as a whole, and nobody is 'carrying' the side, or performing significantly better than anyone else. As for Sunday, I would offer Tavenier, by a fairly fine margin. He is playing with confidence and ebullience.

Don't even think it.

Somebody had a word at HT, in the light of the inexplicable pen decision early on?

I fucking loathe Aberdeen.

3 - 0 Aribo

Even Madden couldn't conjure a win for the fuckers, and if it hadn't been for Jonah's Uncle Craig........

It is called 'Tim Time'.

FT 2-2, Per SKY

2 - 2 91 mins Will Madden play until the fhilth scores?

79 mins: Madden awards pen to fhilthfc 2 - 1

New book raises questions over 1966 World Cup win Didn't ya just know it? Strip the Title!! Can the Trophy be awarded to West Germany? SPORT NOTEBOOK | MARTYN ZIEGLER New book raises questions over 1966 World Cup win Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports Reporter Saturday November 21 2020, 12.01am, The Times Accusations that the 1966 World Cup was rigged in England’s favour by Sir Stanley Rous were sent to the Foreign Office by concerned diplomats, a new book about the previous Englishman to be the Fifa president has revealed. João Havelange, the head of Brazilian football who went on to succeed Rous, alleged that Rous had packed the match officials list with Englishmen, with the favourites Brazil then facing organised disruption such as locked-up training grounds and uncut grass on the training pitches. In August 1966, the British Embassy in Rio sent a report of Havelange’s claims, including that “England took care to arrange the appointment of political referees … and to offer evidently, the appropriate financial advantage.” The British ambassador, John Shakespeare, described Havelange’s claims as “ravings”, suggesting he was covering up Brazil’s poor showing. Havelange was not the only senior official to make such claims, however. Alan Tomlinson’s book, Sir Stanley Rous And The Growth Of World Football, details how the vice-president of African football, Ydnekatchew Tessema from Ethiopia, wrote to Uefa questioning the refereeing appointments throughout the tournament. He said: “In playing all of England’s matches at Wembley, in designating seven British referees for Brazil’s three games; in appointing as referees for the games England-Argentina and Germany-Uruguay a German and an English referee respectively ... Fifa has committed a pile of blunders.” Tomlinson’s book also provides detail on Rous’s efforts to keep apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia inside Fifa. The former teacher was on the wrong side of history in that fight, and paid for it when Havelange beat him easily in the 1974 presidential election. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/new-book-raises-questions-over-1966-world-cup-win-hs7mdlwpm And the book itself is on Amazon: Sir Stanley Rous and the Growth of World Football Hardcover – Unabridged, 1 Nov. 2020 by Alan Tomlinson (Author) £64.99 ISBN-13 : 978-1527558878 ISBN-10 : 1527558878 Hardcover : 345 pages Publisher : Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 1st edition (1 Nov. 2020) Language: : English At Wembley in 1966, Englands football captain Bobby Moore received the World Cup from Queen Elizabeth and FIFA president Stanley Rous. This book takes the life of Rous (1895-1986) as a lens through which to understand the escalating profile of football both nationally and globally. It illuminates how it was possible for Rous to emerge from a Suffolk village and ascend to the top of FIFAs hierarchy and the company of elites. Educational opportunities, service in the Great War and an international referees profile prepared Rous for the position of Secretary at the Football Association, alongside charity work in World War II and organisational responsibilities for the London 1948 Olympics. His FIFA role combined diplomacy with development, in post-colonial times of volatile international relations. The book informs scholars and fans alike, showing too that Rouss crowning achievement as FIFA President at the 1966 World Cup marked a peak for Englands power and influence in world football. As for the author, well seems like he has a dream day job.... About the Author Alan Tomlinson is Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Brighton, UK. He has published widely on cultural and historical sociology, focusing upon analysis of the sports spectacle, the place of leisure and popular culture in consumer culture, and the role of sport both within and across societies. He received his MA and DPhil from the University of Sussex, UK, and has published more than 40 volumes, 80 book chapters, and 45 journal articles. His books include Consumption, Identity and Style (1990); FIFA and the Contest for World Football (with John Sugden, 1998); Sport and Leisure Cultures (2005); A Dictionary of Sports Studies (2010); FIFA: The Men, the Myths and the Money (2014); Sport and Peace-Building in Divided Societies (with John Sugden, 2017); and Understanding International Sport Organisations (with Lincoln Allison, 2017). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stanley-Rous-Growth-World-Football/dp/1527558878/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Sir+Stanley+Rous+and+the+Growth+of+World+Football&qid=1605949217&s=books&sr=1-1

I am in ac cord, before the puns get too threadbare, and one of us makes an arras of it.

Typo: big lad, big fingers. You don't suppose he could have meant "Pelmet", an insult in many cultures?

Was it not "Helmet"? As Ollie would ken, there are lots of "Helmets", but there is only one Helmet Schoen.

Perhaps the SFA, too, expects superior standards of Rangers' players; higher than those it has come to anticipate from the scrotes and scruff of rahoops and the rest.

I am told (and I am told that it is true) that Major Puskas could stand on the centre spot with a bag of footballs, and knock passes, hitting each of the corner flag poles in turn.

And his 'phone number was BROM 4689, as you will recall.

Frau Sturgeon will announce, shortly, that festive viewing will be "Home Alone".

They would receive an annual "Lifetime Achievement Award", in perpetuity, as that would be the least that they deserved. Of course, they would still fail to reach the Group Stages of any European Competition.

And Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, etc? That was not part of the original idea, was it?

It's that time again, although in this iteration, it seems that EmergencyFC has holed the freighter itself. An "exclusive" from Mick Grant in The Times New Atlantic League plans sunk by Celtic exclusive Michael Grant, Scottish Football Correspondent Tuesday November 17 2020, 12.01am, The Times Football https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/new-atlantic-league-plans-sunk-by-celtic-m8hw3svx8 Revised plans to create an Atlantic League have been hit with a major blow as Celtic decided they were no longer interested in being involved. Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibernian were all informed of a detailed proposal to resurrect and modify the 2016 Atlantic League project with the claim of a guaranteed £900 million of media rights to share between 20 clubs over its first six years. Hearts were also included in documents seen by The Times and which involved the five biggest Scottish clubs leaving the Premiership to play all their league football against sides from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Ireland. The entire project has now been put on hold after Celtic’s major shareholder, Dermot Desmond, said his club would rather continue with the status quo or pursue a possible British league. Celtic’s withdrawal, the Covid-19 pandemic and last month’s reports of a breakaway European “Super League” all contributed to the Atlantic League plan going into cold storage. The concept of a competition for bigger clubs from leagues in small and mid-sized northern European countries first emerged in 2000. It was last seriously redrawn and advanced in 2016 by the Irish sports investor and corporate governance lawyer Andrew Doyle, co-owner of League of Ireland club Shelbourne. Doyle is the driving force again and his firm SAL Sports Capital has the multi-national investment bank JP Morgan on board for the latest Atlantic League plan. The new version, evolved from the project of four years ago, envisioned an entirely new tier of competition in Europe which would be collaborative with Uefa and the national governing bodies. In addition to Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Hearts, the clubs to be included in the proposal were Malmo, Norrkoping, AIK Stockholm, IFK Gothenburg and Hammarby (Sweden), FC Copenhagen, Brondby, Esbjerg, Aarhus and Midtjylland (Denmark), Rosenborg, Viking Stavanger, Valarenga and Molde (Norway) and one club from Republic of Ireland. Those countries would merge their Champions League and Europa League qualification routes so that their clubs made it into the Uefa tournaments by finishing high in the Atlantic League. The big five Scottish clubs would remain members of the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Professional Football League, though, and there would be annual promotion and relegation play-offs so that others such as Motherwell or Kilmarnock could also step up to the Atlantic League. Major solidarity payments to the remaining Scottish clubs were proposed. The Scottish Cup would continue as is, with the winners still qualifying for Europe. It is understood some senior figures at Uefa and the SFA were aware of the plans and open to them. SAL Sports Capital began market research, developed an original business plan and initially engaged with clubs including some in Netherlands and Belgium in 2016. At the start of this season Doyle informed clubs that SAL and JP Morgan had spent “the last several months” identifying the right financial partner for an Atlantic League and had succeeded in attracting multiple bidders willing to underwrite the media rights. But, on November 6, Doyle emailed stakeholders saying: “We received a call a few weeks ago from the principal shareholder of Celtic to say that he and Celtic were not interested in pursuing the project any further, preferring the status quo or the concept of a British isles league. This was both a surprise and a disappointment to us given our lengthy engagement with the clubs and our success in receiving proposals for underwriting the league worth well over one billion euros. However, of course, we must respect their decision. “We remain of the view that the interests of all stakeholders in small and mid-sized European countries are best served by consolidating their markets and that resolving the competitive balance issue . . . can only be achieved in this way. We know this is Uefa’s greatest concern and were very encouraged by our stakeholder engagements to date. “However, having consulted with various clubs on this we have come to the decision, in light of feedback, that when we combine this news with the issues caused by Covid and by the proposed ‘Super League’ and related developments, we are best to press pause on this project until the landscape has changed. This may not happen in the short term. We will take time to consider alternative models and may engage with some of you over time on them.” Doyle was unavailable for comment yesterday. Atlantic League Q&A What’s the idea? 20 clubs from Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Republic of Ireland leave their domestic leagues to compete against each other in a new competition worth at least £900 million over its first six years. Who would be involved? Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Hearts from Scotland; Malmo, Norrkoping, AIK Stockholm, IFK Gothenburg and Hammarby (Sweden); FC Copenhagen, Brondby, Esbjerg, Aarhus and Midtjylland (Denmark); Rosenborg, Viking Stavanger, Valarenga and Molde (Norway); and one club from the Republic of Ireland. Those who finish 19th and 20th would contest two-legged play-offs with national champions from their own country, and the winners would secure places in the Atlantic League for the following season. What do the Scottish Professional Football League clubs think? Celtic have dropped out. Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs were open to the concept but would have had to be convinced that the money was there. Hearts have not been formally consulted. What would it mean for the SPFL itself? t would lose its five biggest clubs from the top flight but they would remain as Scottish Football Association and SPFL members and each of them could be relegated back to the Premiership in a bad season. Finishing in the top Premiership places would no longer have the rewards of Champions League or Europa League places, but play-offs to get into the Atlantic League. Why would the other 37 clubs vote for it? The promise is significant solidarity payments from the Atlantic League and the possibility that any team could be promoted to it on merit via the play-offs. What are its prospects? With Scottish involvement? Slim. Celtic’s decision to pull out was a significant blow and, if the project goes ahead at all, it is likely to involve only Scandinavian and Irish representatives.

Kelman? (You edited the swearing, to fool us all.)

Tempting fortune, I know, but Wan Team Wanda will not be missed by most of the country. Apparently the Compliance Officer post is "a high-pressure position in a relentless environment". Unless the SFA, is giving whole new meaning to "high pressure" and "relentless", (in Scottish Fitba', ffs), this can only refer to the modus operandi of one particular member of the Association, in pursuit of its own interests. From The Times: SFA shake-up as Clare Whyte exits Paul Forsyth Tuesday November 17 2020, 12.01am, The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/sfa-shake-up-as-clare-whyte-exits-sdcclk7bx Whyte will stand down in the new year A review of the Scottish Football Association’s disciplinary process looks likely to follow its announcement yesterday that Clare Whyte, its compliance officer, will stand down in the new year. While a replacement will be sought for Whyte, who has been in the post since August 2018, it is understood that the forthcoming vacancy is being viewed as an opportunity for the game’s governing body. As part of an “overarching review” that would be part of a new strategic plan for the SFA, clubs could be invited to submit their thoughts on a disciplinary process that has come in for heavy criticism. Whyte has been accused of applying too rigidly the protocols of a flawed system. The SFA has come under fire for a series of high-profile inconsistencies. During Whyte’s first season in the job, a number of controversies led to a summit between officials and managers. In February of this year, the SFA’s failure to overturn a red card for the Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker, James Keatings, provoked an outcry. Alan Burrows, the Motherwell chief executive, called for the judicial panel protocols to be “completely torn up and rewritten”. Leeann Dempster, the Hibs chief executive, said that the system needed “positive surgery” to quell “discontented clubs”. Speaking after the Keatings incident, Dempster said: “Instead of just sitting whingeing about it, clubs need to be a part of it. I want us to be part of it and I know there are other clubs who feel the same. We want a compliance system that everybody buys into.” Yesterday, the SFA said in a statement that Whyte would take up a new opportunity early in 2021. Until then, she would remain in her post so that there was a “smooth handover period with her successor”. Ian Maxwell, the SFA chief executive, said: “I would like to thank Clare for her commitment to the role over the past two years with the Scottish FA. “In what is a high-pressure position in a relentless environment, she has shown professionalism and resilience. We will begin the process of recruiting a replacement in early course.”

The 9 - 3 'keeper was, I believe, Frank Haffey, of rasellik. I am unable to comment on his qualities. I think that Bobby Clark of Aberdeen took a couple of pummellings against England, and of course, Stewart Kennedy kept in a 5 - 1 reverse.

St Cadoc is Patron Saint of famine victims. Do I get the job, now? (Also: deafness; and "glandular disorders").