Marty

Alex McLeish - in terms of the players he had vs the results he worked wonders. Not in a rush to get him back all the same!

Just caught up with latest article on this and am raging (won't let me post the link but it's on the daily record website). Pretty much Regan downplaying it and saying 'you never know who we'll get in pot 3, it could be easier'. Also saying the priority was for a warm up game before Ireland. Firstly - how dare he trivialise our qualification for our first world cup in 20 years. It would means so much to us all and the pot we are in makes a massive massive difference, it's not rocket science and he's kidding no-one. Secondly - yes we need a warm up but why against this team instead of the one of the hundered or so others? Is there a wee chance that it could have something to do with other deals and other announcements? I'll not speculate any further as to the agenda but this is rank rotten. It's mental that a policy decision by a blazer could potentially have such a big impact on the team and fans - for the next campaign the difference between pot 2 and pot 3 is huge, especially as there are less going through the qualifying groups than the Euros. A Chief Exec should be working away quietly in the background to do all they can to help us qualify. To be actively working against it is incredible. Time to go.

I disagree that there is no point with SFA protesting. As well as all the corruption allegations and human rights issues, an estimated 4000 lives could be lost in slave labour construction by 2022. 4000 ****ing lives because of a footballing decision. 4000 families who depend on what little wages are sent home. But the huge point is - we are not just condoning this through silence - we are actively encouraging it by working with them in joint football projects. Parcel of rogues in blazers. Agree with the original poster - I'm disgusted. I thought we were better than this.

A mans a man for a that. Our national poet and a positive outward looking message. Cut it down to two or three verses and slow it diwn a bit with a strong drum beat. Would be cracking.

First point - think it reset the counter after the board moved one of the times. I've got on my high horse on many issues in the past, albeit a while back. Second point - it doesnt affect my life but neither do a lot of things that affect other people that I stand for or oppose. Basic definition of not being a tory imho!

On this board for ten years. Only post if it's something I feel strongly about. Read a bit on this issue and, yes, as you might gather I do feel strongly about it! Don't think that's a bad thing.

Not the same scales of deaths directly caused by the decision to stage the tournament there. It's not rocket science. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/26/qatar-world-cup-migrant-workers-dead

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/26/qatar-world-cup-migrant-workers-dead

Return YM - I take the point about Brazil but I think what makes qatar different is that there is such an obvious direct link between the 2022 decision (and all the stuff that lead up to it) and many many deaths. It's blantant. There is no need for all those stadiums (or indeed any of them) otherwise and vast numbers will die because they now have to be built. Also a good point about labour and construction across the region but, unlike this issue, football cant be blamed for those deaths. Also, aside from the deaths there is the whole notion that a world cup can be bought - bought by a country that would never qualify so is denying a real football country a place in the tournamemt. It's not a massive moral crusade to think that, in this context, it's wrong for Scotland to go out of its way to play Qatar. There are others, especially in UEFA, that would say no.

Really not on the same scale. And not much of a high horse. I'm not asking for the sfa to picket outside the qatari embassy. But if there is a chance that they are actually going out of our way to give these guys legitmacy after all that has happened then I'm disgusted. These guys buy credibility. I hope we 're not selling it.

Nowhere near the same scale. Nowhere near. If we follow your logic then we do hee haw about anything ever. I'm proud that most scots are a bit more politicised than that.

This is different because deaths will be caused by a football decision. Therefore it is natural to resond within football.

http://www.gulf-times.com/mobile//sport/192/details/423736/for-belmadi,-the-focus-is-on-building-a-team-for-2022-world-cup Bad enough that the SFA have stayed mostly silent on the whole 2022 issue - massive corruption, thousands more construction slave labour deaths predicted as a result of the decision and numerous other obscenities against our game. If this is true that we are actually going to play them then I would be disgusted. Worse than sportsmen touring south africa back in 80's and against what the vast majority of our nation stand for. I hope to god it's wrong. If it's not I'll be boycotting.

It's crucial we get better crowds for really important home games but it's the same situation as clubs - sfa wont want to reduce ticket prices that season ticket holders have already paid for. Simple answer - give season ticket holders a free ticket for the next home friendly and then cut the public sale prices for the rest of the qualifiers (except maybe Germany which should pull a full house or close to). If the sfa are not to proud to admit they made a mistake then this would work. Full stadia to push the team on and more revenue overall instead of empty seats.

Surely best to avoid a serious friendly before a crucial qualifier, especially at the end of a season when players are less fit. Could be an advantage to play a real diddy team or even no game at all . The Irish will be unlikely to hold back against England.

What utter tosh. I presume by 'loadsa Irish Catholics' you mean scottish people who are catholic and have some Irish heritage. If that's who you mean, then they are not sImply 'Irish Catholics' they are part of a diverse movement in scotland that voted yes. As the proclaimers rightly sing 'we're all scotland's story and we're all worth the same'. I wonder if you think muslims also voted yes just to spite the UK. The vast majority of my catholic mates voted yes. Not to spite the UK but because they have left wing principles that cannot be delivered through the UK. Some are scottish nationalists some are not, but they all shared the same vision of a better society. I welcome that. Maybe you don't.

What utter tosh. I presume by 'loadsa Irish Catholics' you mean scottish people who are catholic and have some Irish heritage. If that's who you mean, then they are not sImply 'Irish Catholics' they are part of a diverse movement in scotland that voted yes. As the proclaimers rightly sing 'we're all scotland's story and we're all worth the same'. I wonder if you think muslims also voted yes just to spite the UK. The vast majority of my catholic mates voted yes. Not to spite the UK but because they have left wing principles that cannot be delivered through the UK. Some are scottish nationalists some are not, but they all shared the same vision of a better society. I welcome that. Maybe you don't.