When Will The Sfa Be Held Accountable ?

[islayscot]

My two boys have been doing SFA mini kickers for the past two years (now aged 5 and 3.5). Seems like a world away from what I attended when I was a kid some 30 years ago and have been impressed

[bonny78]

WTF !

Seriously - you think all thats wrong with the Scottish International team is an off night ?

Are you Stewart Regan ?

The SFA oversee the running of the "NATIONAL" game and what a shite job they have made of it

As someone said earlier - some of these Scandinavian countries (who we used to pump regularly but now cannot beat) have upwards of 50 indoor pitches

We have 1

Dont actually know why i even justified your post with a reply

so it's only grass roots your worried about? ok i agree they could do more. but don't throw your toys out the pram just cause of one result. I bet you were happy with the campaign upuntill Friday yes??

Edited September 9, 2015 by bonny78

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

Aye. Better to play outdoor fitba' in November when it's blowing a gale, pishing with rain and is 3 degrees. Fvck having the kids actually being able to feel their limbs and play a proper game.

Just use the wind to help punt it up the length of the pitch to the biggest kid

Assume Jess is a hero of yours ?

Where did he learn his craft / hone his skills

; the Portsoy indoor academy or some wind blown school field

Has the game changed that much since then that we need billiard surfaces free of the elements to advance

Even artificial turf and floodlights have been a massive improvement

[Ormond]

People forget while talking about plastic pitches that both Sweden and Norway are independent. Not trying to turn this thread into another political one but their governments can plough money into facilities and development. We have to survive on a pittance from our own money pulled from our own waters.

[exile]

We have these debates usually on exit from a campaign (in the distant past, on exit from a major tournament.)

Aye. Better to play outdoor fitba' in November when it's blowing a gale, pishing with rain and is 3 degrees.

Just use the wind to help punt it up the length of the pitch to the biggest kid

Which would be fine if the majority of qualifiers and tournaments were held in the Faroe Islands. But quite the reverse...

Edited September 9, 2015 by exile

[Ormond]

in 10-15 years we will have some 7ft tall scots of polish descent, then we might qualify

You think they'll want to play for us instead of Poland?

[Alan]

The present day SFA have made efforts with the performance schools. They have the national player pathway http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=2595. And the Regional Peformance schools which is coaching the best players every day. It only started a few years ago so we have a bit to go before we can really judge it. Set up by Mark Wotte and now ran by Brian McClair who was ex youth of Manchester United http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=2660.

It's easy to constantly attack "the blazers" and "ivory towers" but if there is a real problem then it needs to be identified instead of generic and lazy statements. In the past men like Jim Farry recognised the threat of tv. Much maligned he was but he used the rules to keep football off the tv and to help people go to the games. These days I am a bit of a strange person out of my mates as I would go to any game to watch when they are all tv watchers and I'd automatically pick Scottish football over others but in pubs people want to watch England or Spain. Loads of people here don't even do to domestic games but 6 or 7 Scotland games only. It's like franchised American sports now where people will stay in and watch a game instead of going to it. The SFA cannot control domestic clubs transfer policies, tv money for SPFL, league structure or voting so peoples ire is misplaced there.

Indoor facilities are a must. There is more than 1 pitch though as someone stated. At least 3 full size in Toryglen, Ravenscraig and Aberdeen but should be more. There are also a lot of 3/4 sizes and smaller.

Clubs are definitely investing in youth more the past 5 years to get their own players in and also to sell them on. I was down Hampden on Sunday and ended up watching a Queens Park youth game for 15 mins. Both teams were playing decent football on the deck to feet so that example was promising. My own team Partick Thistle have created an academy in past 3 years out of scratch due to Euromillions winners. Hopefully we'll see something from that and get ££ for club and stars for the future. Stats have shown then Celtic and Rangers do bring in a lot of youth who go onto to play for other Scottish clubs. We are lacking the real gems though which has not happened for a long time. The English Premiership does suck money into the 1 league but it damages Republic of Ireland, Belgian, Sweden and other once good leagues with great and famous teams like Malmo, Bruges, Steau Bucharest, Dynamo Kiev pale shadows of what they once were who will probably never win a major European trophy again. The football league will exist regardless of independence or not. It's commercialism, hype and globalisation of a product. Health is devolved. Sport is devolved. The Scottish Parliament has the powers to impact Scottish football but they are not used. Someone mentioned trident. FFS we can't throw Trident into every issue. It's paid out the defence budget of 2% spending for NATO commitment. There would still be a 2% defence budget regardless but lets not go too off topic. The Scottish Parliament has the power to make change.

To be talking about the end of street football is like talking about washing your clothes in the steamie and first footing at New Year. It ceased to be a thing in Scotland 40 years ago. Move on.

Finally we need to look at ourselves as individuals and part of the crowd. Again at Hampden my season ticket has a bampot behind me who shouts "get it up the park". The Scotland crowd complain when a player passes back to keep possession instead of blindly running down a wing to lose it. My own team Partick Thistle has wallopers who will get on the teams back when they are struggling. The negativity drags the players and the standards down and I don't understand why encouragement can be so lacking. Even on this board the chat before is mostly about drinking and a "perty". Does anyone else not see the irony of an overweight football fan criticising a player for their athletic ability and understanding of the game?

​

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

People forget while talking about plastic pitches that both Sweden and Norway are independent. Not trying to turn this thread into another political one but their governments can plough money into facilities and development. We have to survive on a pittance from our own money pulled from our own waters.

Checked the taxes levied out there ?

[Ormond]

Checked the taxes levied out there ?

Checked the public services?

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

Checked the public services?

Yes ; worked / lived in Norway

[Ormond]

Yes ; worked / lived in Norway

So, you'll understand why both countries are voted the best places to live then?

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

So, you'll understand why both countries are voted the best places to live then?

Norway is boring

Probably more so than Canada, and that's saying something

What they both have in common is cold / icy winters where indoor facilities are mandatory not nice to haves

[Kirk]

Norway is boring

Probably more so than Canada, and that's saying something

What they both have in common is cold / icy winters where indoor facilities are mandatory not nice to haves

Canada is anything but boring.

[Toepoke]

On the sudject of SFA accountability, Pat Nevin was fair putting the boot in last night over "plane-gate"...

http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34202466

[Billy 2 Boots]

The present day SFA have made efforts with the performance schools. They have the national player pathway http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=2595. And the Regional Peformance schools which is coaching the best players every day. It only started a few years ago so we have a bit to go before we can really judge it. Set up by Mark Wotte and now ran by Brian McClair who was ex youth of Manchester United http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?page=2660.

It's easy to constantly attack "the blazers" and "ivory towers" but if there is a real problem then it needs to be identified instead of generic and lazy statements. In the past men like Jim Farry recognised the threat of tv. Much maligned he was but he used the rules to keep football off the tv and to help people go to the games. These days I am a bit of a strange person out of my mates as I would go to any game to watch when they are all tv watchers and I'd automatically pick Scottish football over others but in pubs people want to watch England or Spain. Loads of people here don't even do to domestic games but 6 or 7 Scotland games only. It's like franchised American sports now where people will stay in and watch a game instead of going to it. The SFA cannot control domestic clubs transfer policies, tv money for SPFL, league structure or voting so peoples ire is misplaced there.

Indoor facilities are a must. There is more than 1 pitch though as someone stated. At least 3 full size in Toryglen, Ravenscraig and Aberdeen but should be more. There are also a lot of 3/4 sizes and smaller.

Clubs are definitely investing in youth more the past 5 years to get their own players in and also to sell them on. I was down Hampden on Sunday and ended up watching a Queens Park youth game for 15 mins. Both teams were playing decent football on the deck to feet so that example was promising. My own team Partick Thistle have created an academy in past 3 years out of scratch due to Euromillions winners. Hopefully we'll see something from that and get ££ for club and stars for the future. Stats have shown then Celtic and Rangers do bring in a lot of youth who go onto to play for other Scottish clubs. We are lacking the real gems though which has not happened for a long time. The English Premiership does suck money into the 1 league but it damages Republic of Ireland, Belgian, Sweden and other once good leagues with great and famous teams like Malmo, Bruges, Steau Bucharest, Dynamo Kiev pale shadows of what they once were who will probably never win a major European trophy again. The football league will exist regardless of independence or not. It's commercialism, hype and globalisation of a product. Health is devolved. Sport is devolved. The Scottish Parliament has the powers to impact Scottish football but they are not used. Someone mentioned trident. FFS we can't throw Trident into every issue. It's paid out the defence budget of 2% spending for NATO commitment. There would still be a 2% defence budget regardless but lets not go too off topic. The Scottish Parliament has the power to make change.

To be talking about the end of street football is like talking about washing your clothes in the steamie and first footing at New Year. It ceased to be a thing in Scotland 40 years ago. Move on.

Finally we need to look at ourselves as individuals and part of the crowd. Again at Hampden my season ticket has a bampot behind me who shouts "get it up the park". The Scotland crowd complain when a player passes back to keep possession instead of blindly running down a wing to lose it. My own team Partick Thistle has wallopers who will get on the teams back when they are struggling. The negativity drags the players and the standards down and I don't understand why encouragement can be so lacking. Even on this board the chat before is mostly about drinking and a "perty". Does anyone else not see the irony of an overweight football fan criticising a player for their athletic ability and understanding of the game?

​

Excellent post and intelligent comment.

[Donaldo87]

Good chat about the Georgia / Germany preparation on sportsound last night.

[Auchinyell Sox Change]

Canada is anything but boring.

You Vancouver? Maybe more metro vibe

Calgary and Halifax then where I've worked/lived dull esp in winter

[Kirk]

You Vancouver? Maybe more metro vibe

Calgary and Halifax then where I've worked/lived dull esp in winter

I lived in Whistler for two years, obviously a bit different but found Vancouver pretty great too. Would love to move out permanently eventually.yeah it depends what you want and if you like the snow etc too.

Whistler had a great football set up in the summer though. Pub league for the adults and lots of training and bounce games for the younger generations. Some good wee players.

[bonny78]

we are not going to france but it's not the sfa fault

[John_B81]

we are not going to france but it's not the sfa fault

Well, it is partly. They are part of a culture that didn't change the coaching regime and moved along with the times that has led us to producing fewer and fewer top players. Ultimately, qualification lies at the feet of the manager and the current playing squad but the SFA are partly responsible too to put it mildly.

[Alan]

Well, it is partly. They are part of a culture that didn't change the coaching regime and moved along with the times that has led us to producing fewer and fewer top players. Ultimately, qualification lies at the feet of the manager and the current playing squad but the SFA are partly responsible too to put it mildly.

They HAVE changed the coaching culture recently.

It is also down to domestic clubs, youth teams and individuals too.

[Ally Bongo]

Well, it is partly. They are part of a culture that didn't change the coaching regime and moved along with the times that has led us to producing fewer and fewer top players. Ultimately, qualification lies at the feet of the manager and the current playing squad but the SFA are partly responsible too to put it mildly.

They HAVE changed the coaching culture recently.

It is also down to domestic clubs, youth teams and individuals too.

When i refer to the SFA im not wholly talking about the mystical 6 or 7 member panel

Remember the fat cats on the SFA board are put there by the clubs to oversee the administration and running of the game

Therefore when i say SFA i am talking about the whole football body in Scotland, clubs included.

How much money has been drained from the SFA coffers keeping clubs alive when it could be better spent on facilities and coaching to improve young players ?

42 top flight clubs in Scotland for a country of under 6 million people is an absolute farce and thats even before we start counting the Highland, Lowland, East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues ?

Then theres the Juniors - West, East and North regions and the amateurs

Its absolutely ludicrous

How many of these clubs have a youth development programme of note ?

How many players in the current International set up can we say came from any of these clubs ?

It did happen many many years ago but those days are long gone

Its absolute madness

We have to decide if football is going to be our National game and if so seriously do something about it.

Success in your National game can have a great bearing on the pride you have for your country and that has to be the driver

Edited September 11, 2015 by Ally Bongo

[bonny78]

we wont change them.

beat poland timey wimey

[Ally Bongo]

Now ?

[Clyde1998]

The SFA need to look at player development - I'm struggling to see where our next generation of players is going to come from. We do have a few good youngsters, but not enough to improve on what we have currently.