When Will The Sfa Be Held Accountable ?

[Ally Bongo]

For Scotland not producing a World Class player in over 40 years and for the deterioration year after year of the standard of the Scottish domestic game to the state that is now ?

Is it time the Scottish Government stepped in to oversee an overhaul or at least "encourage" change as it's clear the closed shop that is the Scottish Football authorities wont ?

The embarrassing amateurish organisation after Georgia and tonight (getting them stuck in traffic) speaks volumes of their priorities

Edited September 7, 2015 by Ally Bongo

[scoobydoo]

The answer is not until a full boycott.

[Dalgety Bay TA]

I was watching a bit of Armenia v Denmark tonight before Scotland game. You have two nations with comparable levels of population and also probably domestic game. The commentator really surprised me with "Denmark have been at 7 from last 8 Euros". They are probably going to be play offs for this one. I appreciate they got given a spot at 1992 but still, actually qualified 6 from 8, possibly 7 from 9 if they make 2016.

How have Denmark managed this whole at roughly same time we have went backwards? What are they doing right that we aren't?

[Ally Bongo]

How have Denmark managed this whole at roughly same time we have went backwards? What are they doing right that we aren't?

Their association is ambitious and not focused on building ivory towers for those in power

[tattiescone69]

did anybody else hear the tale of the 3 hour delay getting the team out of georgia ?

[scotlad]

I was watching a bit of Armenia v Denmark tonight before Scotland game. You have two nations with comparable levels of population and also probably domestic game. The commentator really surprised me with "Denmark have been at 7 from last 8 Euros". They are probably going to be play offs for this one. I appreciate they got given a spot at 1992 but still, actually qualified 6 from 8, possibly 7 from 9 if they make 2016.

How have Denmark managed this whole at roughly same time we have went backwards? What are they doing right that we aren't?

I was in Denmark a few weeks ago. I don't know what they have done with regards to football coaching and infrastructure but as the general population seemed younger and healthier than Scotland's. Cycling was commonplace, almost to the point of ubiquity (I expect the rate of cycling related injuries is far higher in Denmark than here). Takeaways much less though. The climate was almost identical to ours so the 'pish weather' excuse for our indoor lifestyle doesn't hold much water either.

[Malcolm]

There is one indoor full size pitch in scotland... There are 70 in sweden... Chronic lack of investment coupled with other alternative entertainment options for our kids means a poor national side.

[fraz65]

This could actually be our last chance to reach the finals of a major tournament. The Euros won't be contested in a single venue again and the World Cup looks increasingly beyond our reach. There's no way we'll even compete with England in the next campaign.

The next generation of players don't look any better than the current lot.

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

There is one indoor full size pitch in scotland... There are 70 in sweden... Chronic lack of investment coupled with other alternative entertainment options for our kids means a poor national side.

We don't need indoor facilities in Scotland

This is another cop out excuse

Along lines of no ball games signs, teacher strikes of early 80s and play stations

If we get desperate you can always play the joker of the demise of keepy uppy in the close with a tanner ba

[ParisInAKilt]

Has to be now

Doesn't matter the manager. We don't produce good enough players. Final.

You can argue tactics and team selection until you're blue in the face but we just aren't good enough.

[ParisInAKilt]

Although Strachan did make mistakes, but it's questionable the impact they had on results

[ParisInAKilt]

What do we as fans do? Not sure at this point, it's quite worrying if the powers at be don't see any issues beyond this squad or players or manager.

[Malcolm]

We don't need indoor facilities in Scotland

This is another cop out excuse

Along lines of no ball games signs, teacher strikes of early 80s and play stations

If we get desperate you can always play the joker of the demise of keepy uppy in the close with a tanner ba

So tell me.... How do you think we are going to magic up the next kenny dalglish? Its my perception that a lot less kids play football now than forty years ago.

[Toepoke]

How do you think we are going to magic up the next kenny dalglish? Its my perception that a lot less kids play football now than forty years ago.

We could take a serious look at what Iceland are doing. They'll have a lot less players to choose from than us...

[ParisInAKilt]

So tell me.... How do you think we are going to magic up the next kenny dalglish? Its my perception that a lot less kids play football now than forty years ago.

Bizarre argument when you compare our team and results with others in developed countries.

[kwhitelaw]

IMO we're still paying the price of clubs signing overpaid mercenaries in the 90s & 2000s along with utterly hopeless leadership on the SFAs part.

Things are looking up however, we have promising young players coming through now but are still maybe as much as 4 or 5 years away from being the finished article. For example Ryan Gauld, Jack Harper and if he sorts out his allegedly rotten attitude, Islam Feruz (though I'm betting we never see him in a senior squad).

That's 3 i can think of off the top of my head early morning and I'm sure there'll be more. What we also have to hope is they don't disappear down into the English lower leagues just to be able to make a decent living

[islayscot]

I really enjoyed the game last night. The Germans were so far ahead - parallels to the great Spain team that we "almost" beat with Levein. The fact is though, we don't produce good footballers. Not one player in the Champions League anywhere. At best, we have some mediocre average players but really have fallen given our place in history, especially considering the talent we did produce in the 60s to late 80s. I'm not sure what the answer is? Other comparable countries can produce elite athletes in droves - just look at the All Blacks rugby or other footballing examples around Europe. Does it start with the clubs? Surely as a business strategy there is more to gain economically from producing 2-3 top level youth players you can sell on than filling your SPL team with journeymen pros to get 4th in the league? Whatever the reasons, we can't escape the facts. We have a proud football history, contributing a lot to the game, but that's where it has stopped for nearly a generation. Will we ever see your likes again?

[Guest flumax]

Raving Nat alert. I believe the draw of the English premier league and it's media coverage and associated money and power is part of the issue.

Folk would rather watch arsenal v Chelsea than watch/play for a local team including boys and juniors.

Middle of the road players moving south to warm benches instead of learning their trade and being a local boy done good. Only the best from Slovenia, Croatia and Portugal etc go abroad.

Everything that is done in Scotland is compared to England, TV deals, stadia standard, set up. No other "country" lives in the shadow of its neighbour. I can't recall reading Norwegian or Danish papers giving much more than the scores of the Swedish league in their daily papers /news.

Wales, Northern Ireland and have the same pressures, ( minus this campaign) how much success have they had over the years?

Our national champions (in whatever sport) are always ridiculed. Can't be good for morale knowing you've just fought hard to read some hack write pieces about lack of competition and wouldn't beat a league one side here. Followed by similar phone ins on talk sport on five live.

The premier league is an international league, but our attempts to keep up with it and our over-embrace of someone else's national league is unrivalled as I see it in Europe.

This is not just a football thing. The rugby team is weak, and has not preformed since professionalism. I can't think of the last truly great sportsman who was brought up, learnt their art and lives in Scotland. Murray, Hoy etc found better structures away from home to perfect their trade. On top of that other similar size countries to Scotland you could be ready rather average at 14 in a sport but still be in your countries top 20 and have localish meets which encourages you to continue cycling /running etc until you peak 5y later producing a few top class athletes. Those that don't, maybe try their hand at another sport bringing that up, e.g sprinter become a fast nippy hockey player. This happens at the UK level here. That's fine if you don't want regional/pseudonational representation. Perhaps it's time to forgo our national status and enjoy the success of a UK team after all Germany and France are just one country and they get their cycles of success.

[islayscot]

Raving Nat alert. I believe the draw of the English premier league and it's media coverage and associated money and power is part of the issue.

Folk would rather watch arsenal v Chelsea than watch/play for a local team including boys and juniors.

Middle of the road players moving south to warm benches instead of learning their trade and being a local boy done good. Only the best from Slovenia, Croatia and Portugal etc go abroad.

Everything that is done in Scotland is compared to England, TV deals, stadia standard, set up. No other "country" lives in the shadow of its neighbour. I can't recall reading Norwegian or Danish papers giving much more than the scores of the Swedish league in their daily papers /news.

Wales, Northern Ireland and have the same pressures, ( minus this campaign) how much success have they had over the years?

Our national champions (in whatever sport) are always ridiculed. Can't be good for morale knowing you've just fought hard to read some hack write pieces about lack of competition and wouldn't beat a league one side here. Followed by similar phone ins on talk sport on five live.

The premier league is an international league, but our attempts to keep up with it and our over-embrace of someone else's national league is unrivalled as I see it in Europe.

This is not just a football thing. The rugby team is weak, and has not preformed since professionalism. I can't think of the last truly great sportsman who was brought up, learnt their art and lives in Scotland. Murray, Hoy etc found better structures away from home to perfect their trade. On top of that other similar size countries to Scotland you could be ready rather average at 14 in a sport but still be in your countries top 20 and have localish meets which encourages you to continue cycling /running etc until you peak 5y later producing a few top class athletes. Those that don't, maybe try their hand at another sport bringing that up, e.g sprinter become a fast nippy hockey player. This happens at the UK level here. That's fine if you don't want regional/pseudonational representation. Perhaps it's time to forgo our national status and enjoy the success of a UK team after all Germany and France are just one country and they get their cycles of success.

I think you're right about our position within the UK being detrimental to any independent sporting success. Far better chance if we were fully integrated into the one system, not that it's something I would prefer though. In reality we can't do much about the social context.

I feel that the team has improved and finishing 3rd from pot 4 would be a success. Comparisons with N. Ireland aren't really fair, as our top two (Ger/Pol) are far stronger than anything in their group. The same goes for Wales, however they are at a higher level than us now anyway. The SFA must keep the focus on producing quality young players and raising the standard. That will feed through to the national team as we will hopefully see soon with the performance schools. Or not.....

[Toepoke]

It's pretty bad when you're envious that we don't have a player like Kyle Lafferty...

[roosterbooster]

The SFA have been a cancer on Scottish football for now near 3 decades.

Since late 80s and the increase in TV coverage to football, the corrupt, closed house organization has bent over and let two teams decide how the game was ran in Scotland. They bought in all the foreigners, ignored any domestic investment in Scottish youth, and got to rule and control the league how they want. Any indicattion a Dundee Utd /Aberdeen / Hibs / Hearts had a decent youth lad come through, one of the two cheeks would buy them up, bench them and continue the total dominance they had over the game.

A generation of footballers have been lost, and a generation of supporters have been lost due to the SFA and the old firm, apathy crept into the game from fans outwith the old firm, there was no point.

Things like the prize money structures in place, the distribution of TV money when it was at a reasonable level, the level of corrupt,refereeing, the 11-1 vote requirements for any change within the game so the old firm could veto any change within our game.

Its criminal how its panned out since the 90s, the SFA have no bottle, every time the two chirped up to go to England, they should have drove them down there and dumped them. And the media lapped it up in spades.

The demise of the team that was Rangers, the reactions from the SFA is scandalous, they should been strung up, yet guys like these get kept in office, how, who votes these muppets. The whole Armageddon, we need 4 old firm games per year, we need an exciting league where 2 teams are miles clear of the rest, it is a joke. Last year it was tight in the league, what was the MSN or SFA doing to promote this, get some media money in, build it up.

TV presenters dumb our game down, continually saying we need the old firm, instead of building teams up.. Christ the premier league and Sky makes West Ham v Stoke on 130pm on a Sunday sound like game of the decade, but we have Provan et al continually beat our game down..the old we need the old firm blah blah gets trolled out every time on tv,, Christ wonder why we couldn't get any decent sponsorship.

The TV / Sponsor deal secured by the muppets at the SFA is pennies compared to what should have got, its miles below sports such as Super league Rugby, Rugby Union, yet the Scottish game has around the same audience as these two sports. We got that deal due to Doncasters inability to drum up our game, the babbling fool basically admitted back in 2012 our game was a sepnt force. !!!

Yes a generation has been lost, and that blames lies squarely with SFA and the old firm I am afraid..

There is light at the end of the tunnel, Rangers going bust is maybe the nucleus to improve things, teams are reducing debt, there are good teams in the league, watching Ross County / Hamilton / Aberdeen / Hearts / Dundee this season, they try play football, there is talent there, nurture it, and we might have a national team fit to challenge again..Heaven forbid Rangers and Celtic might have to invest in home grown talent again like what happened in 70s and 80s

Unfortunatly our manager is is one from the era, hoodwinked into thinking the whole Scottish game is 2nd rate and someone on the bench in England Division 2 with Scottish grandparents, is better than we have on offer up..

Yes one generation lost, lets hope this current generation is looked after better.

[Auld_Reekie]

As others have said, Scotland's issues go far deeper than the SFA and football. That's not to say we shouldn't burn it to the ground and start again, but we have to be honest... Scotland's attitude to sport and health is way behind other countries. It shouldn't be that surprising that as a result, we're smaller, less athletic, mentally weaker and with less ability than many other similar countries. As I said last week, we're standing still while other countries have adapted and evolved far quicker than we have. We're taking small, turgid steps when what we need is widespread reform in attitudes and institutions.

Like others, I dont want to bring politics into it, but that's what's holding us back. We needed independence, not because rUK held us back or because we're oppressed or because we're better, but because we need to grow the f*** up. We need the responsibility and the fear. We need to be let loose and we need to throw everything we have at changing Scotland. None of the Better Together p*** where we get the powers to "mitigate" problems or tinker with road signs and speed limits. We need the power to cancel Trident and spend every single penny we spent on nuclear weapons, on free sport and coaching for everyone under the age of 16. The health and wellbeing benefits in 20 years time will be priceless.

We cant afford this, financially or mentally, in today's Scotland. More than just the SFA needs to change.

[sbcmfc]

Its my perception that a lot less kids play football now than forty years ago.

Purely anecdotal, but I think less kids play in the streets etc. but probably as many if not more play organised football.

[Goozay]

The SFA have been a cancer on Scottish football for now near 3 decades.

Since late 80s and the increase in TV coverage to football, the corrupt, closed house organization has bent over and let two teams decide how the game was ran in Scotland. They bought in all the foreigners, ignored any domestic investment in Scottish youth, and got to rule and control the league how they want. Any indicattion a Dundee Utd /Aberdeen / Hibs / Hearts had a decent youth lad come through, one of the two cheeks would buy them up, bench them and continue the total dominance they had over the game.

A generation of footballers have been lost, and a generation of supporters have been lost due to the SFA and the old firm, apathy crept into the game from fans outwith the old firm, there was no point.

Things like the prize money structures in place, the distribution of TV money when it was at a reasonable level, the level of corrupt,refereeing, the 11-1 vote requirements for any change within the game so the old firm could veto any change within our game.

Its criminal how its panned out since the 90s, the SFA have no bottle, every time the two chirped up to go to England, they should have drove them down there and dumped them. And the media lapped it up in spades.

The demise of the team that was Rangers, the reactions from the SFA is scandalous, they should been strung up, yet guys like these get kept in office, how, who votes these muppets. The whole Armageddon, we need 4 old firm games per year, we need an exciting league where 2 teams are miles clear of the rest, it is a joke. Last year it was tight in the league, what was the MSN or SFA doing to promote this, get some media money in, build it up.

TV presenters dumb our game down, continually saying we need the old firm, instead of building teams up.. Christ the premier league and Sky makes West Ham v Stoke on 130pm on a Sunday sound like game of the decade, but we have Provan et al continually beat our game down..the old we need the old firm blah blah gets trolled out every time on tv,, Christ wonder why we couldn't get any decent sponsorship.

The TV / Sponsor deal secured by the muppets at the SFA is pennies compared to what should have got, its miles below sports such as Super league Rugby, Rugby Union, yet the Scottish game has around the same audience as these two sports. We got that deal due to Doncasters inability to drum up our game, the babbling fool basically admitted back in 2012 our game was a sepnt force. !!!

Yes a generation has been lost, and that blames lies squarely with SFA and the old firm I am afraid..

There is light at the end of the tunnel, Rangers going bust is maybe the nucleus to improve things, teams are reducing debt, there are good teams in the league, watching Ross County / Hamilton / Aberdeen / Hearts / Dundee this season, they try play football, there is talent there, nurture it, and we might have a national team fit to challenge again..Heaven forbid Rangers and Celtic might have to invest in home grown talent again like what happened in 70s and 80s

Unfortunatly our manager is is one from the era, hoodwinked into thinking the whole Scottish game is 2nd rate and someone on the bench in England Division 2 with Scottish grandparents, is better than we have on offer up..

Yes one generation lost, lets hope this current generation is looked after better.

Very good post!

[wee-toon-red]

The SFA have been a cancer on Scottish football for now near 3 decades.

Since late 80s and the increase in TV coverage to football, the corrupt, closed house organization has bent over and let two teams decide how the game was ran in Scotland. They bought in all the foreigners, ignored any domestic investment in Scottish youth, and got to rule and control the league how they want. Any indicattion a Dundee Utd /Aberdeen / Hibs / Hearts had a decent youth lad come through, one of the two cheeks would buy them up, bench them and continue the total dominance they had over the game.

A generation of footballers have been lost, and a generation of supporters have been lost due to the SFA and the old firm, apathy crept into the game from fans outwith the old firm, there was no point.

Things like the prize money structures in place, the distribution of TV money when it was at a reasonable level, the level of corrupt,refereeing, the 11-1 vote requirements for any change within the game so the old firm could veto any change within our game.

Its criminal how its panned out since the 90s, the SFA have no bottle, every time the two chirped up to go to England, they should have drove them down there and dumped them. And the media lapped it up in spades.

The demise of the team that was Rangers, the reactions from the SFA is scandalous, they should been strung up, yet guys like these get kept in office, how, who votes these muppets. The whole Armageddon, we need 4 old firm games per year, we need an exciting league where 2 teams are miles clear of the rest, it is a joke. Last year it was tight in the league, what was the MSN or SFA doing to promote this, get some media money in, build it up.

TV presenters dumb our game down, continually saying we need the old firm, instead of building teams up.. Christ the premier league and Sky makes West Ham v Stoke on 130pm on a Sunday sound like game of the decade, but we have Provan et al continually beat our game down..the old we need the old firm blah blah gets trolled out every time on tv,, Christ wonder why we couldn't get any decent sponsorship.

The TV / Sponsor deal secured by the muppets at the SFA is pennies compared to what should have got, its miles below sports such as Super league Rugby, Rugby Union, yet the Scottish game has around the same audience as these two sports. We got that deal due to Doncasters inability to drum up our game, the babbling fool basically admitted back in 2012 our game was a sepnt force. !!!

Yes a generation has been lost, and that blames lies squarely with SFA and the old firm I am afraid..

There is light at the end of the tunnel, Rangers going bust is maybe the nucleus to improve things, teams are reducing debt, there are good teams in the league, watching Ross County / Hamilton / Aberdeen / Hearts / Dundee this season, they try play football, there is talent there, nurture it, and we might have a national team fit to challenge again..Heaven forbid Rangers and Celtic might have to invest in home grown talent again like what happened in 70s and 80s

Unfortunatly our manager is is one from the era, hoodwinked into thinking the whole Scottish game is 2nd rate and someone on the bench in England Division 2 with Scottish grandparents, is better than we have on offer up..

Yes one generation lost, lets hope this current generation is looked after better.

Pretty good summary there. I think the way you describe Strachan as being from the era who believe in the importance of the Old Firm, also applies to most administrators, managers and coaches. at our top clubs too and therefore they've got to take a share of the blame. If the other clubs in Scotland were led by people who weren't afraird to upset the apple cart then the SFA and SPFL could be changed at a stroke. Unfortunately, they're all content to live with things as they currently are and can't see the wood for the trees.

Short of mass boycotts and thereby bankrupting the game so we have to start again, what can fans actually do?