ian1964 10,508 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17715387 Former Hamilton chairman Ronnie MacDonald says what he describes as "in-fighting in Scottish football" as "absolutely embarrassing". MacDonald, who has been involved in the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League in recent years, fears fans are becoming disillusioned. And he feels self-interest is at the root of the problem. "Everybody's at everybody else's throat. Nobody's speaking for the fan," MacDonald told BBC Scotland. "What's happening to fans at various clubs just now is absolutely disgusting. â??The link between the fans and the club has been broken in many, many places.â? "Surely we can see Scottish football going down the pan. Where's the fun? On every front, we're under attack. "The fun and the passion's gone out of football and all these politcal chairmen have kicked things about. 'Here's the chance, Rangers are down, let's get them'. It's absolutely pathetic. "We've got a structure that works perfectly well. We've got expert people, we should listen to them. "Every single agenda that's coming out is all about how it affects each individual club, which is nonsense. We've got to say, 'What is the best for Scottish football?'" MacDonald insists Scottish Football Association president Campbell Ogilvie and chief executive Stewart Regan as well as Scottish Premier League chairman Ralph Topping are "the best calibre we've ever had" and has urged clubs to support the game's leaders. "I take the view that they're the chiefs, they set the map, we try to follow them and that's how business works," he said. "You get good people in and you take their advice. "The situation we've got in Scottish football, and I include the Scottish Football League, is that they should be seen as the chiefs and point the way for us. We should take their advice and back them. "Unfortunately, every chairman in the SFL and the SPL think that they're Chief Sitting Bull and that's the problems. We've got chiefs everywhere and not any Indians." The 10 non-Old Firm SPL clubs are pushing for change to voting rights in the top flight, a move that has come since Rangers entered administration. "I'm old fashioned," added MacDonald. "I believe, when you sit on the SPL board, what happens on the SPL board stays there. Others don't take that view. "Everybody can give a bit and we can't have 10 people meeting in a room and leaving Celtic outside the room. We can't have discussions about whether Rangers' administrators can vote on something else. "We all need each other and we've all got to give a bit, but we must get this sorted soon and there's got to be one league. "The SFL is full of people that have also got interests and, if you put a mic in front of them or a photo opportunity, it makes their day. We've got to get away from this. "The link between the fans and the club has been broken in many, many places. "I think what's happening at Rangers, personally speaking, is disgusting; the way the fans have been left out of every decision-making process. "Whether it's Rangers or Hearts or some of the other clubs that are rumoured to be in a state, I just think it's all wrong." 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 He speaks a lot of sense, but I definitely think Scottish football could do far better than Regan and Doncaster. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
der Berliner 3,357 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 "I think what's happening at Rangers, personally speaking, is disgusting; the way the fans have been left out of every decision-making process. "Whether it's Rangers or Hearts or some of the other clubs that are rumoured to be in a state, I just think it's all wrong." He's been to Germany or Spain recently? All that is required is a decent enough membership scheme with an elected "president" of the club's members, who holds a position of some power in the board or next to the chairman. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa 0 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 He's been to Germany or Spain recently? All that is required is a decent enough membership scheme with an elected "president" of the club's members, who holds a position of some power in the board or next to the chairman. As I'm sure you know dB, the "socios" system in Spain is very different from the German fan ownership/membership models and only applies to four clubs - Barcalona, Real Madrid, Osasuna & Athletic Bilbao, so in Spain it's only four clubs from twenty in La Liga which use that system. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ergatrude 0 Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 It's about time someone publicly admitted our current situation is disgusting other than someone associated with the club. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
54andcounting 0 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 It's about time someone publicly admitted our current situation is disgusting other than someone associated with the club. The truth of the matter is SDM (rugby fan from Edinburgh) the Minted Murray got fed up with his toy and conned the true football minded people and dragged RFC into the depth's of despair. Murray's pish like "you spend a fiver and we'll spend a tenner" was great for Rangers fans but resented by the common football fan countrywide, it's no wonder nobody outside Rangers will stick up for us. We'll just have to stick up for ourselves no-one else will, why would they? 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
26th of foot 5,901 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 I listened to Ronnie McDonald's interview with Rheinhart Gordon on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday, and as above shows, it was most interesting. Articulating sympathy for the Rangers support was a breath of fresh broadcast air. In the unseemly rush to stick the boot into all things Rangers, we the supporters who have done nothing wrong, are the collateral damage bonus. The BBC report omits a crass comment from Rheinhart Gordon. Ronnie McDonald is the outgoing Chairman of Hamilton Acas and big AmDram Queen, Gordon enquired why? McDonald stated he thought it was time for his deputy and a couple of new additions to the Board to have their time in the sunshine. Further, he dismissed all the rumours speculating on the real reason, from a terminal illness to taking charge of Rangers on Monday. Rheinhart did not miss a beat as he retorted, "what would you rather have, a terminal illness or control of Rangers"? McDonald replied, "I won't go there". Most Gersnetters will know Gordon made a similarly crass comment 5 years past on his, 'Through the Window' programme. He made great play on an e-mail received but wanted to clear it with his Producer before broadcast. It took 30 minutes but after the transfer window closed, he read out, "Edinburgh Zoo have accepted the transfer of Rangers player, Filip Sebo; they plan to exhibit him". This was 18 months or so afeter a semi autobiographical programme on BBC Scotland Presenters, where Rheinhart's contribution contained the line, "I was brought up to absolutely hate Rangers". It would appear that Richard Gordon continues to prove he is a product of his conditioning. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 The terminal illness comment should've got him the sack but not at the Pacific Quay Celtic Supporters Club. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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