Malky Mackay and mixed messages

[Frankie 8,150]

A welcome return to #Gersnet today for Germinal as he discusses the bizarre SFA courting of Malky Mackay.

 

(PS: I know this isn't strictly Rangers chat but it's an excellent piece worthy of your time).

 

http://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/721-malky-mackay-and-mixed-messages

 

Little sign of goodwill to all men this footballing Christmas, as the minor sideshow of the game on the pitch is relegated to the sidelines and attention focuses on whether Malky Mackay, heavy-set purveyor of sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and racism, is a suitable man to be appointed Scottish football’s Performance Director.

 

The battle lines have been drawn between those who feel Mackay was punished and re-educated and is now as valid a candidate as any other, and those who look on in disbelief as the football world jogs along to its own set of rules yet again.

 

It would be controversial enough were Mackay being considered for this SFA appointment in ordinary times, but with football across the UK convulsed by allegations of both abuse and its concealment over a period of decades, it seems hardly believable that the SFA feel now is the right time to tell Scotland that crossing not just one but four lines so red they would have Jeremy Corbyn watering at the mouth is no barrier to employment in the national association.

 

And we thought Donald Trump being elected President was weird.

 

Here’s the thing. Getting a career in football is like winning a Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka. It opens the doors to riches unimaginable to the ordinary working man or woman, offering massive reward for possession of an unusual skill, but not one which calls for that great an outlay of effort. It must be a fabulous life. But there’s no divine right to that career, and if you screw up on an industrial scale you may very well find yourself – gasp! – having to find work elsewhere.

 

Malky is man who made it well into his forties thinking these texts were fine. It doesn’t really matter, in the end, how many courses he’s been on; he effectively ruled himself out of any job above janitor (apologies to jannies everywhere) when he was busted for it and, initially, didn’t think it was that big a deal. He should, by rights, have forfeited his footballing career.

 

That’s where the argument put forward by Tom English, Barry Ferguson and Richard Wilson on Sportsound (14/12/16) falls down, that cold shouldering Mackay is effectively giving the man a life sentence for one (actually many) offence. Well, a life sentence from the gilded cage of football, yes. But not from life itself, and frankly the idea that anyone can only ever work in football is just ridiculous.

 

If poor old Malky has to find work somewhere else, it’s hardly the end of the world. He may find himself pushing trolleys round his local supermarket, who knows? This is not, contrary to what Messrs English, Ferguson and Wilson appear to think, a ‘life sentence’ but the actual working reality for people who never had the opportunities Mackay had and chose to throw away. My sympathy is extremely limited.

 

The glamour of supermarkets may be a world he’s unused to, although sadly he’ll find enough people on the shop floor who share his cretinous outlook on ‘chinkys’, ‘gay snakes’, women’s chests and black people to ensure he’ll be the works clown in no time. That, though, is better than turning what’s left of the national game into the circus. Appointing a man who gives Bernard Manning a run for his money in the offensiveness stakes is not just an error of judgement, it’s a de facto attack on all the work which has been done over the years to tackle discrimination of any sort.

 

As football grapples with abuse on a scale few could have believed, Mackay’s job or no job saga seems like, and relatively speaking is, small beer. But as a signpost telling us where we are as a footballing country, it points us away from getting boys and girls from all backgrounds involved in football (already a huge issue) and points to the world where Trump grabs pussy, brands Mexicans rapists and is rewarded for it. Actions used to have consequences. Now, I’m not so sure, and the SFA aren’t making me any more confident.

 

The SFA are supposed to be custodians of the game in Scotland. But if you are Jewish, and this appointment goes ahead, you will be less likely to get into football. If you are female, the same applies. If you have Chinese heritage, or any south Asian heritage since one area Mackay apparently doesn’t discriminate in is between Malaysians and Chinese, the same applies. If you have African heritage, the same applies. It won’t apply to everyone from those backgrounds but it will apply to some and that alone should, be reason enough to kibosh any thought of this appointment.

 

While America, Russia and other countries are turning to the strongman political leader from the 1930’s, Scottish football is turning toward the sweaty comedy figure from the 1970’s. It’s not a good look. In a bizarre year full of previously unimaginable events, maybe it was inevitable that the SFA would get in on the act with some act of crass lunacy - perhaps this hideously ill judged misadventure is merely Stewart Regan’s Christmas gift to Scottish football. If it is, I hope he has kept the receipt, because this one outranks even the ugliest jumper.

 

Think again, Stewart.

[StuGers 477]

The SFA set a precedent when they sacked High Dallas for receiving an email mocking the catholic church's nefarious past. They should stick to this precedent; unless it is less offensive to actually send messages which are opinions insulting gays, women and non-white people than to receive a joke based on events that may offend Catholics.

[Uilleam 5,429]

The, ahem, whitewashing of the clearly odious MacKay on Radio Scotland, last night, was breathtaking. Quite how the BBC (yes, the BBC) could broadcast such an unbalanced piece, which featured a panel exclusively comprising of rather well heeled, white, men, is extraordinary None of them were striplings, as far as I could tell, so the whole thing sounded like a conversation one might have overheard at a golf club bar some years ago. Who at Pacific Quay felt that it could present a supposedly serious discussion of sexist, racist, homophobic, and anti semitic attitudes under the aegis of the National Broadcaster, with narry a woman, a person of ethnic background, a gay, or a Jew, contributing? I imagine that it was not a woman, a black or an Asian, a gay, or a Jew.

 

To be honest, I could stomach their apologia for McKay for no longer than 30 mins, and had to switch off, so I may be doing them a disservice. Somehow, I doubt that.

[JohnMc 2,473]

Great read, good to see Germinal back on here!

 

The Mackay appointment is just bizarre. Even if you ignore the texts and their content, you still have to ask how he's qualified to do the job of Performance Director? From what I can see Mackay has only ever coached professional players and has no experience of coaching children, far less devising and implementing a nationwide strategy to help develop future talent. Brian McLair made sense for the position, having worked as a youth coach and academy director at Man Utd, arguably as good a football academy as there is. Mackay's managed senior professionals at Watford, Cardiff and Wigan.

The guy MacPhee who has joined Hearts as Assistant Manager was apparently in the frame for the job, again he makes some sense. But Mackay is just an all round puzzling appointment, he could be excluded for so many reasons.

[Bluedell 5,329]

The "life sentence" punishment seems harsh in principle. Why attempt any sort of re-education if you are imposing a life sentence? There would be no incentive for people to improve.

 

Where do you draw the line? If you make a comment about a woman's chest to a mate on one occasion, does that mean you are ruled out of such a post for the rest of your life?

 

However in this case, surely there must have been a better qualified option that the SFA could have gone for?

[JohnMc 2,473]

The "life sentence" punishment seems harsh in principle. Why attempt any sort of re-education if you are imposing a life sentence? There would be no incentive for people to improve.

 

Where do you draw the line? If you make a comment about a woman's chest to a mate on one occasion, does that mean you are ruled out of such a post for the rest of your life?

 

However in this case, surely there must have been a better qualified option that the SFA could have gone for?

 

I agree with you that he shouldn't be banned from football forever, however I do think his past should exclude him from a role like this. Coaching well paid, grown men is one thing, any of them have an issue with him they can take it up face-to-face. This role involves working with children and coaches who coach young people, the dynamic is different, the power balance is very heavily skewed in Mackay's favour.

The only good thing that might come of this is the pressure being put on Regan might eventually become intolerable and he'll resign.

[Juancornetto 1]

The "life sentence" punishment seems harsh in principle. Why attempt any sort of re-education if you are imposing a life sentence? There would be no incentive for people to improve.

 

Where do you draw the line? If you make a comment about a woman's chest to a mate on one occasion, does that mean you are ruled out of such a post for the rest of your life?

 

However in this case, surely there must have been a better qualified option that the SFA could have gone for?

 

The nature of the offending texts and the time period they were accumulated over shows that this wasn't a one off slip of the tongue and belies a fairly problematic mindset. That kind of attitude doesn't just go away with a bit of reflection but I do agree that there should be a chance of redemption, I just don't think its appropriate here.

[colinstein 294]

I remember Dr. Paisley quoting the good book. He said their can be no forgiveness unless you repent your sins. Malky's done that.

Let him get on with it and don't be such a stuck up bunch.

[Germinal 27]

I was talking to a Community Coach this afternoon, an SFA employee, who made the point that his job relies on parents sending their kids to his classes. He wasn't bothered about Mackay one way or the other, as it happens.

 

The question for Stewart Regan is, though: do you think this appointment makes it more or less likely that kids will go to football coaching classes? Sure, for some, it will make no difference. But for some it will (it certainly would for me if my kids were at that age although I am in none of the groups Mackay had a go at), and if I were in my friend the coach's shoes, and found myself bagged in the near future due to lack of kids to coach (doubtless termed 're-organisation'), I'd be striding confidently to the nearest solicitors in anticipation of a fat cheque courtesy of the SFA.

 

As well as that, it puts off investors. As Bluenoses we're all too well aware (or should be) that certain elelments of our public image stop us getting the massive sponsorship deals which our fanbase merits. Do the SFA think wading about in these murky waters is liable to incite a stampede of businesses, all eager to financially reward Scottish football for its enlightened rehabilitation policy? One thing is certain, there won't be a penny of government money heading to Hampden any time soon, which may be a good thing in terms of a certain Glasgow club which views public money as an extension of their overdraft, but not for the real game.

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

Can I cynically suggest if Malky MacKay was an ex-Rangers player he'd wouldn't be getting considered for this position