Cash is not our God ... this decision is about justice

[Steve1872 4]

DAVID LONGMUIR blasted claims the decision to put Rangers in Division Three has put Scottish football on the brink of the abyss.

 

 

 

 

SFA plans to parachute newco Gers into the First Division were rejected by 30 Scottish Football League clubs at Hampden.

 

A 25-5 majority voted in favour of Rangers starting again in the Third Division.

 

But with TV giants Sky now poised to pull the plug, Scotlandâ??s top-flight must try to plug a £14million-a-year black hole.

 

But SFL chief executive Longmuir slammed suggestions our national game was now facing Armageddon.

 

He said: â??We have to look at the football economy. It may shrink as a result of us being allowed to put Rangers into the Third Division.

 

â??For many years SFL clubs have worked to live within their means and with time and hard work are achieving that.

 

â??When you have the personal experience of having to survive without Sky, ESPN and the big-money TV contracts, then sporting fairness is the fundamental rule which you are governed. I think thereâ??s recovery required and financial issues will come upon us but itâ??s our duty to go and rebuild.

 

â??Everybody in the Scottish Football League has been faced with these problems for many years â?? how to survive.

 

â??How to make ends meet when you are dealing with community clubs, fan bases are dwindling and commercial incomes at our level have been very difficult to keep up.

 

â??We want to put Scottish football back in a favourable light with investors again and that is something we will continue to be committed to.

 

â??The balancing act was the cash value of sporting fairness versus the cash value of the sporting economy.

 

â??You can recover from the financial failure but it is very difficult when you start hindering the process of fairness.

 

â??I am very comfortable with the decision because itâ??s been based on the most important aspect of what the Scottish Football League stands for â?? sporting fairness.

 

â??We applied those principles many times in the recent past.

 

â??Iâ??m comfortable today that the SFL made a very decisive decision based on sporting fairness and I think the SFL were ideally placed to make that decision.

 

â??The First Division clubs in particular made it very clear they are looking for an all 42 club solution to Scottish footballâ??s restructuring issues.

 

â??I took great succour from that and so did the board of the Scottish Football League.â?

 

It took just three hours for the chairmen of the SFL clubs to seal Gersâ?? fate.

 

Only Queen of the South, Brechin, Hamilton Accies, Stenhousemuir and one other club voted in favour of the First Division.

 

Longmuir insisted: â??This has been a very important day for Scottish football. The member clubs of the SFL voted to willingly accept the Rangers Football Club as an associate member of the Scottish Football League.

 

â??Furthermore, the SFLâ??s only acceptable position will be to place Rangers FC into the Third Division of the Irn Bru Scottish Football League from the start of this season, 2012-2013.

 

â??This decision followed our tried-and-tested process and was taken in cognisance of the other option which was available for consideration and approval.

 

â??The SFL has been entirely consistent in its willingness to work with other bodies to ensure we focus on rebuilding our game, restore pride in our game and exploring revenue streams which allow the game to prosper.

 

â??Our willingness to achieve these aims does not alter.

 

â??Weâ??re a sensitive bunch but today we did what was right.â?

 

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and SPL counterpart Neil Doncaster are now men under increasing pressure.

 

Their sorry handling of this saga was slammed yesterday by a host of SFL chairmen.

 

And Longmuir believes the show of strength from his SFL members all but ends talk of an SPL2.

 

He said: â??It was a very clear statement from the First Division clubs that they are looking for a 42-team solution to taking the game forward in the best interests of the game.

 

â??The SFL have been at the forefront of trying to engage change in Scottish football and we will not change that mission. Thatâ??s our aim.

 

â??We want to see refreshment, innovation.

 

â??We want to see play-offs, better governance and we want a better distribution of the funds throughout the game.â?

 

Longmuir also paid tribute to Gers chief executive Charles Green who addressed the SFL chairmen prior to the vote.

 

He revealed: â??Weâ??ve had dealings with Mr Green and his organisation and heâ??s been consistent from day one.

 

â??We invited them back in at the end and explained the SFL has accepted them as members in the Third Division. They accepted that and went out with their heads held high.â?

 

 

Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/4428740/Cash-is-not-our-God-this-decision-is-about-justice.html#ixzz20Y1F6Bh6

[54andcounting 0]

The Scottish Football League has been operating under a cloud for like for an eternity, David Longmuir has a voice at last thanks to the failings of others in charge of our game.

 

It fails me it really does, why clubs like Queen of the South, Brechin, Hamilton Accies, Stenhousemuir and one other club voted Rangers into the 1st Division.

 

Scottish football has now the opportunity to squash the pr*cks who've been dragging our game into the gutter. Good on David Longmuir on taking up the mantle.

Edited July 13, 2012 by 54andcounting

[Blue Moon 1,114]

While I think the sentiments are honourable, I fear they are naive. The Scottish game is haemorrhageing Scottish talent to England as it is. The lack of competition and finance in the SPL is going to exacerbate this. I would love the redistribtion of wealth to improve the game but worry that it will dumb the game down.

[54andcounting 0]

Its not just Scottish football with this problem, The Spanish have also got a situation where wealth isn't being distributed fairly and squarely they will be thinking the same, along with other European countries.

 

Anybody think this is a Scotland only problem?

[Owain 0]

Job done.

 

Thank our gods its over.

 

Time to move on now.

 

Done & dusted .

 

A new sun rises above our mountains. We are the new dawn.

[54andcounting 0]

....anyways, if that means the 3rd Division for Rangers in order to save football as it is, then my answer is no....it's not gonna work.

[Guest Dutchy]

You can redistribute as much as you want when it's nothing your redistributing, lol.

 

I'm feeling all moral and cleansed after reading that and fine as it all may seem, every club wants to maximise it's income and you do that by winning.

 

some of our methods for winning have been brought into the spotlight lately and we can all hope that it never happens again, at our club anyway. How yoou can legislate for non-competition in a competitive league structure, I don't know! Could be a wee bit more difficult than the use of words.

 

having said that, I like his use of the words 'sporting fairness'. It least if it's used enough it'll get rid of that shit phrase 'sporting integity'.

 

It's easier to spell as well, lol.

[ian1964 10,428]

If a few other SPL clubs go bust due to us not being in the SPL, could the SPL go bust?,leaving all the remaining SPL teams applying to join the SFL?:devil:

[BrahimHemdani 1]

If a few other SPL clubs go bust due to us not being in the SPL, could the SPL go bust?,leaving all the remaining SPL teams applying to join the SFL?:devil:

 

And pushing us back up into the SPL or at least two divisions at once as per Fiorentina, not beyond the bounds of possibility.

[ian1964 10,428]

The biggest story in Scottish football this coming season is the Rangers revival,maybe sky would be really interested in that?.