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McCoist interview, from Rangers Media - hmm


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Manager in waiting, Ally McCoist today gave an interview to the Sunday Mail where he discussed in detail the ongoing referee scandal, paying particular lipservice to the ridicuolous claim by some quarters - 'Celtic', see, it's that easy to say who we are talking about SFA/SPL - that referees should declare their allegiances to clubs they support before taking charge of games in the SPL.

 

"Who you supported doesn't make a blind bit of difference. It's stupid. And again it goes to this questioning of integrity."

 

"Let's say a ref says: "I support Hibs' and he gives a decision for them. You can't tell me that doesn't just pour fuel on a fire? You are giving the nutcases a victory if you go through with that kind of thing."

 

McCoist is bang on the money and he continued his point, pointing to a particular example from his own playing days, "That will really solve the problems, eh? "What do we do? Start questioning the allegiances of players who have to play against the Old Firm as well?

 

"Because the SPL is full of them. Do we start questioning their integrity? "When Rangers won the league at Celtic Park in 1999, me and Ian Durrant were done up like kippers.

 

"We were at Kilmarnock then and the Sky cameras caught us in the Rangers end. We got lambasted for it but when we went into training on the Monday there was a notice on the board saying "Celtic 6 Rangers 3".

 

Gus MacPherson was in with us but we had six first-team players in the Celtic end! The crack was brilliant at Killie."

 

As jovial as McCoist can be in interviews, he was deadly serious when discussing the black stain that this scandal has left on an already often castigated Scottish game. "This is a black month Scottish football. If we could, we should sweep it and remove it from the history books we can't. It's a stain that won't go away."

 

"How do we get back on an even keel? It's going to take a while. I just hope damage isn't irreparable.

 

"Because no one should underestimate how much damage has been done. It is one of the darkest periods Scottish football history. So for us to get back to football has to be a healthier respect for officials. We can argue about the rights and wrongs of going on strike but ask yourself they've decided to do it."

 

"I have friends from north America, Europe and Australia. They're all saying: 'What IS going on over there?'

 

McCoist feels for the plight of the referees, intimating that he has always felt for the position of referee within our game as the man in the middle never has many friends or cheerleaders, despite how important they are to the SPL, "I have great sympathy with the though. They are indispensable."

 

"In all the games I've been involved I've yet to see a ref make as many mistakes as a player, coach or manager. They make errors but they're honest. I'm appalled that the integrity of our has been questioned and it's an absolute embarrassment."

 

"I've had decisions given against me over the years and I've had arguments with refs, sure. But at no in my career have I ever thought: 'You gave that against me because...'Never would, never will. I just don't believe it happens.

 

"The sad thing is there's nowhere for them to go now. Because of the speed of the game and television, the job is more difficult than ever.

 

McCoist then went on to compare the experiences of current referees to the great refs of days gone by trhoughout his own career in the Scottish top flight,

 

"People talk about the great refs of years gone by - the Tiny Whartons and Brian McGinlays - but they weren't under anything like the same scrutiny as these guys. There was more respect back then as well though. Guys like George Smith and Bob Valentine were great officials but there was a mutual respect.

 

"The two I've mentioned would always say: 'OK, Mr McCoist, back 10 yards, that's great' and I would always call them Mr Valentine or Mr Smith. I still do when I see them. There was a healthy respect and I still have that - because you'd have to be absolutely mental to do their job!"

 

McCoist then went on to point to how questioning the referees should occur, in private and with grace, not through media soaked statements seeking 'clarification' on matters and game incidents. McCoist discussed a particular point from only a few weeks ago,

 

"In our game at St Mirren a few weeks ago, Craig Thomson gave a penalty against us for handball and disallowed a goal. So I went to the referee's door after the game, chapped it and asked if I could have a word.

 

"He said certainly, I asked him to go over the disallowed goal and penalty if he could. Craig said: 'No problem. For the goal I saw an infringement and for the handball I thought blah blah ...'

 

"And that was all it took. I said thanks for letting me in and explaining it - and that's all you need. I wanted an explanation, he gave me one. You might not agree with the answer but is it not a lot healthier to at least be able to talk about it?"

 

I honestly worry about McCoist becoming manager.

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For what reasons?

 

Maybe I'm just too used to Walter's guarded brevity, but that just sounds like a load of nonsense to me. For example, he seems to misunderstand the reason why refs would be forced to reveal who they supported (IE: so they couldn't take charge of games with teams they support). I'm not sure what happened when he went to talk to the referee after reading it 5 times, and the whole tone just seems a bit inappropriate. Probably just me though. While there's no chance of McCoist being the unmitigated dick that NL is, it's hard not to think he's going to suffer from a similar inexperience - especially when you read these things. At least he's served a good apprenticeship.

Edited by bmck
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The original Sunday Mail article by Gordon Waddell is a complete disgrace. I've got no idea if it's been poorly written by Waddell and not properly proof read or if someone's sabotaged it before it was published, but something's certainly wrong with it when every other sentence has words missing, the McCoist quotes in particular. Makes me think it's been sabotaged because the way it reads makes it look like it's been edited to try and make McCoist sound illiterate, which he isn't.

 

It also seems the actual McCoist quotes in RM's take on the Sunday Mail article and the actual article itself don't match 100%. Either that or the online version of the original published article has been edited since it was used to form RM's article. Hard to say, but they certainly aren't exactly the same.

 

Here's the one from the Sunday Mail site -

 

 

This month is a stain in the game that won't go away, says Ally McCoist

 

Nov 28 2010 Gordon Waddell, Sunday Mail

 

 

EVERY time his phone rings, Ally McCoist hangs his head little further.

 

Because he knows no matter corner of the globe they're calling he's going to be embarrassed. The Rangers assistant boss is calling Black November - the darkest month in 32 years in Scottish football.

 

And the biggest worry McCoist has we've already gone beyond the point of return, handing victory to nutcases trying to undermine the fabric of the game.

 

He has been fielding calls for a from America, Australia and all points between - with mates questioning a nation whose sanity they see disappearing the horizon.

 

In a weekend that has seen Scotland's refs take industrial action, McCoist finds hard to argue the toss.

 

But in an exclusive MailSport interview he threw his weight behind the refs - insisted the only way we can pull the back from the brink is to restore respect the men in black.

 

McCoist said: "This is a black month Scottish football.

 

"If we could, we should sweep it and remove it from the history books we can't. It's a stain that won't go away.

 

"I have friends from north America, Europe and Australia. They're all saying: 'What IS going on over there?'

 

"I have great sympathy with the though. They are indispensable.

 

"In all the games I've been involved I've yet to see a ref make as many mistakes as a player, coach or manager.

 

"They make errors but they're honest. I'm appalled that the integrity of our has been questioned and it's an absolute embarrassment.

 

"How do we get back on an even keel? It's going to take a while. I just hope damage isn't irreparable.

 

"Because no one should underestimate how much damage has been done.

 

"It is one of the darkest periods Scottish football history.

 

"So for us to get back to football has to be a healthier respect for officials. We can argue about the rights and wrongs of going on strike but ask yourself they've decided to do it."

 

They say respect has to be earned, given - but McCoist insists it's a two-street. And he still believes it's one which can be negotiated as long as certain managers and players get the absurd notion out of their head that refs go games nursing agendas.

 

He said: "I've had decisions given against me over the years and I've had arguments with refs, sure. But at no in my career have I ever thought: 'You gave that against me because...'

 

"Never would, never will. I just don't believe it happens.

 

"The sad thing is there's nowhere for them to go now. Because of the speed of the game and television, the job is more difficult than ever.

 

"People talk about the great refs of years gone by - the Tiny Whartons and Brian McGinlays - but they weren't under anything like the same scrutiny as these guys.

 

"There was more respect back then as well though. Guys like George Smith and Bob Valentine were great officials but there was a mutual respect.

 

"The two I've mentioned would always say: 'OK, Mr McCoist, back 10 yards, that's great' and I would always call them Mr Valentine or Mr Smith. I still do when I see them.

 

"There was a healthy respect and I still have that - because you'd have to be absolutely mental to do their job!"

 

The use of the word "Mr" makes McCoist's memories sound like a bygone age. However, he doesn't see why those values can't work now.

 

The Ibrox No.2 said: "In our game at St Mirren a few weeks ago, Craig Thomson gave a penalty against us for handball and disallowed a goal.

 

"So I went to the referee's door after the game, chapped it and asked if I could have a word.

 

"He said certainly, I asked him to go over the disallowed goal and penalty if he could. Craig said: 'No problem. For the goal I saw an infringement and for the handball I thought blah blah ...'

 

"And that was all it took. I said thanks for letting me in and explaining it - and that's all you need. I wanted an explanation, he gave me one. You might not agree with the answer but is it not a lot healthier to at least be able to talk about it?"

 

McCoist also backed Thomson's controversial decision to send off Real Madrid stars Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos for time-wasting in last week's Champions League game with Ajax.

 

He said: "Craig was right with those two crackpots from Real. At least UEFA have backed him."

 

The Rangers legend believes the fact our refs have had their integrity impugned is bad enough. But he blew a gasket at the suggestion they should be forced into revealing what teams they supported as kids as well.

 

That was put forward by SNP MP Pete Wishart - and endorsed at Celtic's AGM by chairman John Reid.

 

But dripping with sarcasm, the former Scotland striker said: "That will really solve the problems, eh? "What do we do? Start questioning the allegiances of players who have to play against the Old Firm as well?

 

"Because the SPL is full of them. Do we start questioning their integrity? "When Rangers won the league at Celtic Park in 1999, me and Ian Durrant were done up like kippers.

 

"We were at Kilmarnock then and the Sky cameras caught us in the Rangers end. We got lambasted for it but when we went into training on the Monday there was a notice on the board saying "Celtic 6 Rangers 3".

 

Gus MacPherson was in with us but we had six first-team players in the Celtic end! The crack was brilliant at Killie.

 

"Who you supported doesn't make a blind bit of difference."

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The original Sunday Mail article by Gordon Waddell is a complete disgrace. I've got no idea if it's been poorly written by Waddell and not properly proof read or if someone's sabotaged it before it was published, but something's certainly wrong with it when every other sentence has words missing, the McCoist quotes in particular. Makes me think it's been sabotaged because the way it reads makes it look like it's been edited to try and make McCoist sound illiterate, which he isn't.

 

It also seems the actual McCoist quotes in RM's take on the Sunday Mail article and the actual article itself don't match 100%. Either that or the online version of the original published article has been edited since it was used to form RM's article. Hard to say, but they certainly aren't exactly the same.

 

Here's the one from the Sunday Mail site -

 

I even managed to notice all the mistakes. Shit paper with shit journalists and quite obviously shit editors.

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