"Don’t anybody start talking about morals, because we don’t have any in football" - the rolling Scottish football thread, season 2014/15

Half of the players who are set to contest the play-offs are out of contract before they start.
Keith Jackson tweeting that it'll cost one club £100 on short contract extensions.

er that should be £100k

Can't believe the powers that be didn't anticipate someone from their predicted best league in Scotland/only show in town Championship (ran away with with seven games to go, like...) might get into the Scottish Cup Final. Thought Hibs, Hearts & Sevco were too good for everyone else and all that carry-on?

Also, let's have a think about this. You are a very skint club. Would you pay £100k for a temporary extension to a few players who are leaving anyway to try and guarantee Premiership football when there's a perfectly good chance you'll be papped out at the first attempt at it?

And then there's the Championship final day fixture fiasco when Sevco could go into the Sunday to play against a team that's already won the league knowing exactly what they have to do to secure a certain path in the play-offs since the rest of it was all decided the day before. One of the beneficiaries/losers of your scenario are your opponents' biggest rivals and cash cows. Is this fair on anyone?

Neil Doncaster still has a job. Why?

Apparently the Hearts game has just been moved back to the Saturday after they supported the Hibs complaint and raised one of their own that it was too late in the day to be changing matches to suit the tv.

loved the SPFL statement that basically said "WTF are you all moaning about?"

omg what a fucking shitshow

Neil Doncaster still has a job. Why?

so so so otm

The fact that this game was against Hearts (I believe they have a rivalry of a kind with a team called Hibernian) makes the sheer effrontery of it even more 0_o

Aye, all games now Saturday lunchtime: http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/spfl-statement-on-fixtures/

Original SPFL statement for posterity:

"In response to recent criticisms of the Championship fixture scheduling for the weekend May 2/3, we'd like to clarify some specific points. On this weekend, the Hearts v Rangers match is scheduled for Sunday, May 3 to be broadcast on television and it is not clear to us why this has caused so much surprise.

"This is a key game in the Championship season and will inevitably attract huge interest from fans around the world.

"It is unreasonable to expect all Championship fixtures that weekend to move to the Sunday when a number of them will be unaffected by the Hearts v Rangers tie.

"However, as a result of this fixture, all Championship clubs have been invited to submit a request should they wish to move games to the Sunday.

"To date, the only feedback we have received is from one Championship club which has asked for its match to remain scheduled for the Saturday.

"For the avoidance of doubt, we have had no request from Hibernian FC to move its fixture to the Sunday at the time of writing.

"We also note speculation that Police Scotland expressed concern to the SPFL about the scheduling of the Hearts v Rangers match.

"However, Police Scotland confirmed to us that there were no security issues with the scheduling of all Championship fixtures that weekend.

"Whilst we regret any inconvenience to supporters caused by rescheduled fixtures, the circumstances surrounding the matches on the weekend of May 2/3 are in no way unusual."

I believe the one club who asked for its match to remain on the Saturday was Hearts :-)

Aye, Hearts complained first:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32325215

"When it also became apparent to us that our fixture was the only game to be moved, we were equally alarmed as, rightly or wrongly, this casts a shadow over the sporting integrity of the Championship," she (Ann Budge) said on Hearts' website. "While it may not be enshrined in the newly merged rule book of the SPFL, it is protocol the football world over for fixtures such as the last day of the championship to be played simultaneously. To move only one (or even two or four) out of five fixtures would seem to be leaving our game wide open to unsavoury accusations. I will be sending in a formal complaint to the SPFL in relation to this appallingly late decision."

Well said, Jambo lady, fucking dicks

(I've just thought of a good headline if a player or official of Hearts FC is ever found to be dealing in untruths: Jambo Liar).

Absolutely the correct statement from Ann Budge. The fact that the SPFL need to be told this should be shocking, but, y'know, it's the SPFL.

Ann Budge in danger of becoming Scottish fitba's voice of reason.

I honestly can't get over that SPFL statement "it is not clear to us why this has caused so much surprise" - seriously? You don't know why every other footballing event in the fucking world has league games finishing at the same time?

"For the avoidance of doubt,

SPFL spokesperson has been reading too many Phil MacG blogs and this annoying phrase has stuck.

"for the avoidance of doubt" site:philmacgiollabhain.ie
About 80 results (0.55 seconds)

(then again, Jim Traynor often used the same phrase when he was the Sevco PR)

“The SPFL would like to thank Sky Sports for its flexibility and understanding and we’re sure all football fans will look forward to an exciting climax to the Championship season.”

Fuck these fucking clowns.

Two sets of fans have had to change their arrangements *twice* (some of whom took refunds and are now trying to get their tickets back) and the others all have to rearrange travel for a lunchtime kick off and the SPFL thanks fucking Sky for its understanding?
No hint of an apology for this fuckup anywhere?

You know if Doncaster had completed Objective #1 of running a league and got some fucking sponsorship for it, they wouldn't be so fucking beholden to Sky's pittance screwing over the people actually still care about this shambles of a league.

Utter, utter, clownery.

The way I've read a couple of statements, i.e. the Hibs one, it looks like Sky may have actually taken some kind of lead to sort the SPFL's mess for them.

Other than that, well said Ms Budge. I was missing the Romanov-era Hearts press releases, but having a voice of reason will do in place.

So, the upshot of every official on the pitch missing Josh Meekings's handball is that he's being retrospectively charged with handling the ball by the SFA. Caley Thistle have appealed it.

"Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC can confirm that it has declined the fixed one match suspension offer in relation to the Notice of Complaint issued to Josh Meekings following an alleged breach of Disciplinary Rule 200 at the ICTFC v Celtic game on Sunday, 19th April 2015."

“The club intends to vigorously defend our player and is taking legal advice on the issue."

“We are extremely disappointed that this has arisen and the player himself is mentally shattered at the turn of events."

Josh Meekings looking mentally shattered in the pub:

http://i.imgur.com/geneoy0.jpg

he's trying to smile but all around him is darkness

I find that happens to me in pubs in Inverness a lot too.

Someone's shrunk Leigh Griffiths!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/11150449_10153750901378998_8853562112423108354_n.jpg?oh=e194ce49c4d073c5a97ca4d081ab9d4d&oe=55D59357&__gda__=1439829178_d8c23c3867ccdb087364151b4d8aaf2c

GMS and VVD making a play for the unintentionally homoerotic images thread.

Considered putting it there too.

FIFA's refereeing boss in "talking total pish" non-shocker:

"It doesn't help us if someone gets banned. I don't think that's right. I don't think he did it on purpose, the ball was going very quickly. It was reaction, but it was a clear handball, a red card and a penalty.

"I hope that he will play, the best players should always play in the final. I don't think it is a positive thing to ban anybody."

Um, does someone want to tell him that if it was a clear handball & red card, then Meekings would be suspended for the final had the referee done his job right? I wonder, if Celtic had sneaked through, if he'd advocate wiping Craig Gordon's red card? Of course not, because that's not how punishments work. Or is he advocating scrapping suspensions now?

Sorry, link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32416795

And why is he speaking in a personal capacity to the press anyway?

Meanwhile, John Brown, affectionately known to all of us as 'Bomber', makes a useful contribution to the debate .

That Roy Aitken throw-in's never going to get old, is it? I don't think Celtic can dispute the fact they were pish and deserved to get beat on Sunday, but there's a ton of wilful point-missing as people jostle for position to stick the boot in. What's basically going on is that everyone's prepared to defend shite refereeing because of the team that were shitely refereed.

Ronny Deila got his subs wrong, and Craig Gordon was stupid and reckless. That's not in doubt. But if Celtic had been 2-0 up and/or playing against 10 men, it may have panned out differently. None of which is the point. The point is there were four officials who could have spotted that. None of them did. That's not very good, is it?

Leigh Griffiths said the ref told him after the game that the goal-line guy told him it had hit Meekings in the face. He chose to accept that version from an unsighted guy rather than trust what he should have been looking at himself face-on. Someone somewhere has cocked this up. It's not unreasonable to ask for clarification, which is all Celtic have done. They congratulated ICT, and asked someone to review the referee's decision. That they did, and handed out a ban to Meekings as a result, is by the by.

Mind you, last time Celtic questioned some questionable refereeing, the refs all closed ranks and went on strike. And people went "ooh, look at Celtic, trying to lose bad referees their jobs". Um, aye. I wish more people would do it, rather than let Keevins, Chick et al waffle on about things evening themselves out. And if I hear one more person say that Celtic should be good enough to win despite things like this, I'll burst something. Why the fuck should they have to be? Why can't they just win according to the actual rules, rather than having to beat them as well as their opponents.

Grrrrr.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32402364

Compliance officer Tony McGlennan had charged Meekings with breaking disciplinary rule 200 by "denying the opposing team an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball".

But it is understood the panel took into consideration that the referee and his other officials had seen the incident, when Meekings blocked a Leigh Griffiths header in front of goal.

In his report, referee Steven McLean explained that he had sought the advice of the official behind the goal and was told by Alan Muir that he thought it had struck the defender's head.

The panel decided that it had been "an honest mistake" by the officials and that they were not minded to change the referee's decision.

So if a referee admits he cocks it up, it can't be overruled? Why even have review panels?

The good bit is that they haven't even said whether or not it was deliberate, and all the Inverness fans I encounter on Facebook are still all "ha, told you he didn't do it". Saying that, they also think Celtic asked for him to be punished, so I don't think reading comprehension is their strong point.

Ha, comedy Inverness fan now reading "The panel decided that it had been "an honest mistake" by the officials and that they were not minded to change the referee's decision" as "Meekings didnae do it".

Just seen someone make the so-obvious-I-didn't-think-of-it point that if Steven McLean believed Josh Meekings to have just headered the ball clear, why mention it in his referee's report at all?

Because it was clearly a controversial moment and the officials were challenged repeatedly by Celtic players at half time.

People get away with hand balls all the time. The problem is with officials, not Meekings. I have no issue at all with him playing the final.

Same here, I just hope it's on the losing side.

Off on a technicality then.

https://twitter.com/STVGrant/status/591562514179186689

So why say it was an honest mistake if you weren't considering it, eh? Fecking shambles.

St Mirren captain Steven Thompson says he is "mortified" after 'spearing' team-mate John McGinn in a training ground prank.
Thompson threw a spiked pole at McGinn which pierced his thigh and meant the 20-year-old missed Saturday's win over Kilmarnock.

bantz

Paisley bloke chibs bloke in Paisley. Sounds about right.

Given that they won at tge weekend I expect the rest of the squad are nervous as to who the next sacrificial offering will be.

It's a bit late in the day to be burning Jim Goodwin at the stake but let's do it anyway.

John Guidetti found guilty of offensively repeating something on Dutch telly which isn't offensive anyway.

Congratulations to Ronny Deila, Robbie Neilson, Jim Duffy and Darren Young, Twitter tells me this means that every division in the SPFL has been won by a manager in his first season at his club. Armageddon, etc.

btw, fuck Aberdeen for capitulating so meekly and doing me out of my biggest BTTS coupon of the season. I honestly thought they'd make more of a fight of it :-)

Congrats celtic ilxors! (do we have any morton or albion fans? To them too!)

Congrats to PFA manager of the year John Hughes on winning a league game for the first time in three months, against a team that has won two league games in three months.

St Mirren also making a mockery of our thread title:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32617883

Just seen Michael Stewart on the telly telling everyone to give him their details to try and get cheaper energy bills. Almost as weird as it would have been seeing him at Westminster.

https://www.onebigswitch.co.uk/

Congrats to PFA manager of the year John Hughes

I heard that at the start of the season he was the favourite for the first manager to get sacked

He's done well imo

he's had that lady bit of luck and installed a siege mentality

Ian Murray in at St Mirren. Probably not a bad choice for them, up-and-coming manager, probably not cost much, knows the Championship.

i was in the same higher geography class as him for a month when he was in the year above me at school. so good luck to him!

^should have sold that to tattler