Barry Ferguson On SFA's Vincent Lunny

[ian1964 10,377]

BARRY FERGUSON vents his anger at the sentence passed down to Gunning for flicking a boot at Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk, and says it is a common occurrence during matches.

 

20 Sep 2013 07:22

 

Vincent Lunny.Vincent Lunny.

I DON’T care much for the SFA. I’m unlikely to get a job offer from them any time soon, that’s for sure.

 

And this column won’t help my relationship with them either because I find it impossible to discuss the people in charge of our game without working myself into an angry rant.

 

Here’s the problem. This should be a positive period for the Scottish game. The national team is on the way back under Gordon Strachan and Celtic were a credit to the country in the San Siro.

 

As much as it might stick in my throat as a Rangers man, Neil Lennon and his side were excellent against AC Milan. They were the better team for 75 minutes and didn’t deserve to lose.

 

So that’s all good. We should be feeling better about ourselves again. I should be able to look guys in the eye in the dressing room at Blackpool again and say: “You see, I told you Scottish football isn’t as bad as you lot make out.”

 

But then the SFA go and do something stupid and you’re left to wonder why you bother. The people who run the game in this country seem hellbent on turning us all into a bad joke.

 

And I’m sick of it. For the last week I’ve had guys down here laughing at the Ian Black betting case and asking me: “What the hell is going on up there? Can you guys not get anything right?”

 

And there’s nothing I can say in Scotland’s defence.

 

Down here it’s a different story. The game is run with total transparency, clear rules and disciplinary procedures that are set in stone. Everyone knows where they stand.

 

Cameron Jerome? He broke the rules on betting and got a 50 grand fine. It was all done and dusted in a matter of days.

 

But how long was the Black saga allowed to rumble on for? It dragged from one week to the next, one meeting to another.

 

Even when he was finally hauled to Hampden the SFA kept everyone waiting for the decision. They hummed and hawed but said nothing for hours. And when they did, they refused to give out the details.

 

Would it have been so difficult for chief executive Stewart Regan to come out and explain exactly what had gone on? To give details of the games in which Black had bet against his team and the reasons behind his punishment?

 

Why would he NOT want to get the facts out there? I just don’t get it.

 

I’ve had my say on Black. If he was in my dressing room I wouldn’t be happy with him.

 

But I’ve also been in trouble so many times at Rangers that I know the club’s disciplinary procedures inside out.

 

They get you in, it’s done and dusted within an hour or two then they make a statement.

 

Why do the SFA find it so hard to act as decisively?

 

There’s another thing that annoys me. Can anyone tell me what Vincent Lunny does? Does anyone know his remit or on what basis he decides which player he’s going to ban next?

 

Does he sit in his house with his feet up and glass of red wine on a Sunday night watching the highlights on the BBC?

 

And if he sees some incident replayed in slow motion, is that when he takes it upon himself to act? Because that would be a disgrace.

 

I’ve been playing top-team football for going on 18 years. In that time there must have been about 10 incidents in every game which could have led to a player being slapped on the wrists or fined. It happens all the time.

 

If Vincent wants to apply the rules fairly and across the board he should be watching every minute of every game or, if that’s too much, employ people to watch them for him. There are plenty of ex-pros out there looking for work.

 

But all the games should be reviewed by someone. Anything less is just not right.

 

Look at Gavin Gunning at Dundee United, who was banned for three matches for flicking a boot at Celtic’s Virgil van Dijk. I must flick out a leg three or four times in every game I play.

 

Now Lunny is giving three-game bans for it? Is that what Scottish football has become?

 

On my Rangers debut at Tynecastle, Neil Pointon nearly took my head off 10 minutes in. He smashed me in the face with his shoulder, elbow and fist all in one go. And I thought to myself: “Welcome to first-team football.”

 

I was so dazed I hardly knew where I was. But it was a great lesson for a young player. I knew I was in a man’s game.

 

And that’s the way football should be. Look, if there’s some bampot running around charging into tackles that can break legs or end careers, Lunny should throw the book at him.

 

But three games for flicking out a leg? Come on.

 

I like to see a wee ding-dong out there. Players who are fired up and getting in a few faces.

 

That’s what it’s about in the heat of battle. But I guess Lunny wouldn’t know that.

 

So let me give him some advice, from the front line straight to office desk. The fans love to see these flashpoints too. It’s called passion, Vinny.

 

It’s what this game is built on – and the more you stamp it out the less people will turn up to watch.

 

They don’t want some faceless guy at Hampden making decisions on a random basis that can harm their team.

 

It’s the same for the players. How do you think Gunning would feel if he was sitting suspended and saw a player doing the exact same thing as he did ... and then finds out Lunny hasn’t spotted it on TV?

 

Would that be fair? Look, I get that the whole idea about this compliance officer was to try to modernise the Scottish game. But please, make it fair.

 

It’s the same for Black. He’ll know plenty of players who have been betting on football matches. And yet he’s the only one who gets done for it.

 

I can’t help feel if you’re at Rangers or even Celtic the chances are they will be all over you like a rash.

 

That’s the way I felt when the SFA were dealing with me.

 

And the treatment Black has received shows that, despite their talk of modernising the game, nothing much has changed.

[der Berliner 3,219]

How many Yahoo divers, con-artists, and nasty-foul deliverers has Lunny fined/sentences thus far? Just asking ...

[the gunslinger 3,366]

I really enjoy barrys columns. No doubt they will tire over time but so far they have been refreshingly good.

[RANGERRAB 3,252]

How many Yahoo divers, con-artists, and nasty-foul deliverers has Lunny fined/sentences thus far? Just asking ...

 

None. That's not his job. His job is to pick out anyone (Celtic players excluded)who may have committed offences the referee missed. Usually with BBC Scotland assistance. In the game Barry Ferguson mentions (Celtic vs Dundee U)Stokes took one of the most blatant dives you'll ever see to win a free kick from which he scored to win the game. What did Lunny do ? Absolutely nothing. And it's not an isolated case by any means and will get worse now Liewell is in the SFA boardroom influencing everything no doubt.

The SFA & SPFL are corrupt to the core. No wonder adidas are reconsidering their deal with the SFA & the SPFL can't get a sponsor

Edited September 20, 2013 by RANGERRAB

[54andcounting 0]

I don't agree with Baz regards c**t* being excellent against AC Milan....Milan were really bad.

 

...but I agree with his remarks about Lunny sitting back watching slo-mo highlights on BBC Scotland then dishing out 3 game bans for this incident.

 

I fear for Rangers if this idiot is still in place when we get back.

 

Judge for yourselves...

 

[RANGERRAB 3,252]

the game in Scotland is corrupt & rotten to the core with the dhims in charge at the SFA & SPFL. And they wonder why no one will sponsor the SPFL?

[der Berliner 3,219]

Sidenote ... just seen it for the first time. Gunning kicks out at the Yahoo, sure enough. The referee, linesman, and third official were blind enough to miss that yellow card offence. Handing Gunning a three match ban is utterly laughable and I hope they appeal like there is no tomorrow.

It reeks that the BBC highlights this incident, but omits the ones commited by the Hooped Horrors. Biased they may not be, but impartial they are surely not. Double standards et al ...

[Super_Ally 0]

Potential to be a good column but he fucked it.

 

Says more likely to get done at Rangers and Celtic despite highlighting an incident where a DU player gets banned for kicking out yet the Celtic player doesn't for also kicking out.

 

The evidence is the chance of getting done based on team played for is: Rangers>>>>>anyone else>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Celtic.

 

Also we don't want to see people getting away with fly kicks, dirty challenges and elbows. We often on here condemned Novo for example for a few stray and silly kicks.

 

We just want Lunny not to be biased and also ban Celtic players for the many and often unpunished transgressions.

 

I'm a huge Barry fan but that's a shit column really.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Potential to be a good column but he fucked it.

 

Says more likely to get done at Rangers and Celtic despite highlighting an incident where a DU player gets banned for kicking out yet the Celtic player doesn't for also kicking out.

 

The evidence is the chance of getting done based on team played for is: Rangers>>>>>anyone else>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Celtic.

 

Also we don't want to see people getting away with fly kicks, dirty challenges and elbows. We often on here condemned Novo for example for a few stray and silly kicks.

 

We just want Lunny not to be biased and also ban Celtic players for the many and often unpunished transgressions.

 

I'm a huge Barry fan but that's a shit column really.

 

celtc will be a close second to rangers in players getting done.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Sidenote ... just seen it for the first time. Gunning kicks out at the Yahoo, sure enough. The referee, linesman, and third official were blind enough to miss that yellow card offence. Handing Gunning a three match ban is utterly laughable and I hope they appeal like there is no tomorrow.

It reeks that the BBC highlights this incident, but omits the ones commited by the Hooped Horrors. Biased they may not be, but impartial they are surely not. Double standards et al ...

 

kicking out is a red card offence.