There’s a few scandals going about just now.
Sepp Blatter is under pressure as FIFA chief, as the countries who’s bribes weren’t good enough to secure a World cup get together and try to oust him.
UEFA have threatened a boycott of the world cup if Prince Ali of Jordan isn’t elected to replace the main man today, Stewart Regan , anti corruption campaigner supreme is right behind him on that one as he pledges his support to a cleaner game outside of Scotland.
Protesters in Zurich are demanding the expulsion of Israel after they refused to allow Palestinian players to travel and compete in the Beach World cup.
Hang on.
The United States are after B
latter, Israel in bother, no, surely not.
The media are after Blatter, who refuses to allow Pay per View television for World cup games….
In the replies to yesterdays Diary, Doc gave us food for thought;
Be careful what you wish for when it comes to FIFA. A large proportion of the MSM are against Blatter and have been since he insisted that, while he is president, no FIFA tournament shall be broadcast on supscription or PPV TV. Blatter is portrayed as corrupt by the MSM while there are no allegations against him. Blatter is a football man that wants his legacy to be about a global-scale improvement of the number of participants and viewers of football and he believes that to achieve this, football must be affordable to the masses. FIFA is a registered charity and operates on a low cost basis and hospitality to FIFA delgates is provided by national associations and third parties as a way to keep costs down and this is where it gets murky. The 2011 reforms Blatter refused to implement would have provided oversight to cut corruption but would have massively increased the costs of running FIFA, costs which almost all national associations were unwilling to pick up. The money required to clean up FIFA would have almost certainly meant an end to free-to-view World Cups which Blatter refuses to allow.
The recent arrests are the result of a four year FBI investigation under Loretta Lynch, the FBI have been very forthcoming with the charges and evidence but have refused to disclose what prompted the investigation but we do know it was started just after the 2018/2022 World Cup hosts were announced. The cynic within me thinks this may be related to the US-sanctions-busting decision to award the tournament to Russia which ended large scale calls for a boycott of the Sochi Winter Olympics or the decision to host the 2022 in Qatar, snubbing the superior US bid. If you remember a while ago there was a huge story about HSBC being involved in money laundering, Loretta Lynch was the lead US investigator on that case and made deals which meant no charges we filed. She kept those who laundered money for the mafia and drug cartels out of jail but wants those taking kickbacks in football to be prosecuted to the highest degree, that aspect doesn’t add up to me. FIFAs US VP, Chuck Blazer, was investigated and caught red-handed then turned supergrass to avoid a 20+ years jail term. Blazer wore a ‘wire’ for four years, recording all his dealings within FIFA and this is where the current case comes from. Whether evidence of corruption was uncovered or whether Blazer went about trying to entrap his colleagues in an attempt to justify his ‘get-out-jail-free’ deal we will have to wait to the court case, though Blazer, who is in his 70s and seriously ill, is not expected to live till then after his health deteriorated.
Whilst there is no excuse for holding the World cup in Qatar, the recent revelations about human rights abuses are conclusive arguments to remove it,there is perhaps a worry that some are using the dreadful situation for their own advantage.
Perhaps the US media do have an agenda.
Perhaps there is something in the allegations that the US are a little miffed that Russia has the 2018 world cup. and we all know how they react when Israel is getting any sort of pressure from the rest of the world.
If Israel were to be expelled from football, it would be catastrophic for them. It effectively means they are not permitted to join in with everyone else when they are having fun. They are ostracised, in the way apartheid South Africa was, until they finally joined the rest of us in the modern world.
To an extent, Regan is right. The whole set up needs to be cleansed, but this is not the way, or the time, to do it. All it seems to be doing is giving national asociations and their leaders a chance to deflect from their own problems and enhance their own reputations.
And political ambitions.
Who on earth decided that a chap from Jordan would have any knowledge or relec=vant experience in governing world football ?
Anyhoo, it’s a Celtic Diary, and a bigger scandal than any of this is about to hit the newstands.
And it’s so shocking that you may have to secure your coffee cup to read this;
Rennes currently play at the Stade Route de Lorient. But this summer the stadium, which currently has multicoloured seats including green and blue, is being revamped.
The seats are being changed to entirely red this season to reflect the club’s colours.
As part of the change the club are also asking fans to vote for a new name for the stadium. The names on the agenda are, as reported by 20 Minutes, Roazhon Park, Roazhon Hermines and … Celtic Park Stadium.
The name has been suggested to highlight the Celtic cross’ prominence in Brittany’s heritage.
Celtic Park is unique. It’s ours and we must act.
Here’s the plan.
We’ll do the protest over there, because the weathers better.
Something else that made the jaw drop last night was the rather excellent performance of Bobby Madden, once a season book holder at Ibrox, as he refereed the Second Rangers -Motherwell play off first leg. ( football ? corrupt ? Never! )
Shockingly, he chalked a Kris Boyd goal off, denied several penalty claims and even had the audacity to award three dubious goals to the away side.
I nipped round to his house to congratulate him, but he was out.
The 3-1 home reverse has left Second Rangers facing another season in the First Division, which would be a financial calamity, and could lead to one or two cash flow problems.
Mike Ashley gave his reaction to the result;
Stuart McCall had his own thoughts-spotted by CarryonSevco and immortalised on twitter;
Yet the support were so optimistic before the game;
and you have to feel for one chap, or at least be a little concerned for the well being of his father.
Thats an advantage of living in a Rangers household.
Only one of you needs to get tested for an STD.
Attention now turns to Sunday, where a stunned media can only pray that Motherwell capitulate, and can’t handle the pressure of starting a home game 3-1 up.
In other news, these two fearsome looking chaps admitted setting off a flare at the football.
Now, flares are dangerous, and should not be set off in a crowd, so they deserve everything they get.
The Record pointed out just how serious the offence was….
A court heard the camera operator had to stop working because the smoke from the flares made it impossible for him to film the game.
He had to climb down from Sky Sports’s purpose-built stanchion and kick one of the lit flares away before he was able to resume his part in the live broadcast.
At Perth Sheriff Court yesterday, Celtic fans Devlin, of Lenzie, Glasgow, and Moir, of nearby Lennoxtown, admitted endangering others by setting off flares at McDiarmid Park in Perth on August 13.
Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson told the court: “The match was being filmed by Sky Sports and a stanchion was erected so a cameraman could get on top and film the match.
“In the course of doing that, he suddenly saw a flare being ignited below and smoke coming out.
“He actually had to come down because the smoke was obscuring the view from his camera. He kicked the flare away.
“He looked down again and someone was trying to ignite a second flare but this was unsuccessful. The first one emitted a fair amount of smoke in the stand where supporters were sitting.”
although they did add that the two;
put fans in danger during a midweek clash between St Johnstone and Celtic.
Is it me, or do they seem to have their priorities wrong in that report ?
The new Etims podcast on the site today, and the shocking revelations within from rock star Barry Wallace, of the Fratellis, alone make it worth a listen, proving that Etims is also capable of trudging through the lives of the rich and famous to attract attention to itself.
Also in the podcast is a that was the season that was, and whilst we gave our views on that, we would also like to hear-or read, technically-yours.
If you have anything you want to put together on any aspect of last season, give me a shout in the replies, and I’ll email you.
For instance, there is this…
@Richiestoke @ETimsNet what about a new Etims feature, ex Celts at tables, having food, drinking!
Er, okay. and we’ll double that as a caption cometition, with four pictures to choose from.
Superb Diary with no close season drop in standard, superb.Check yesterdays daily rant from the ignorant on Call Kaye Radio Scotland on the ‘FIFA Scandal’ or this morning’s Herald on sectarianism and the other article on how it was just like the good old days at Ibrox last night (apart from the result)
what do they not get ? no mention of the songs from ‘the minority’…it’s all the fault of Catholic schools…again.
SN
Here, here! That’s my parliamentary lingo:)
H H
I was shocked that – apart from the odd blatant obstruction right under his nose – Madden actually did a good impression of appearing impartial.
However – old, paranoid cynic that I am – I’m tempted to think that – with all the pre-match publicity and the certainty that his every decision would be scrutinized – he got the message that he simply couldn’t risk making any match-changing decisions in favour of the tribute act, particularly after recent events at Hampden + the FIFA FBI probe. The fact that the SFA had knowingly appointed a known fan for their most important match in their short 3 year history, would be sure to come to light and bring a shower of ridicule from far and wide on the heads of that bunch of corrupt fannies who are in charge of the Scottish game.
CJB
On the other hand, we can always rely on the SMSM for insightful and impartial exposure.
H H
Ralph
Not being a twit, I am confused with the last part. I will have another go after I have fed the….wife.
H H
Pukki eating food – there’s a laboured gag in there somewhere. And that Noma place won’t be cheap, it’s always quoted as one of the world’s top foodie places by gastronomes.
Is that Hooiveld sitting next to Loovens?
Interesting conspiracy theory from Doc. It is equally viable that FIFA is corrupt from the top down and it is no surprise that Blatter is supported by those from the majority of countries that that feature high on the most corrupt on the planet list. The only reason Blatter can keep the World Cup off of PPV are the big sponsors and they will pull the plug on him soon I predict.
Russia and Qatar being the beneficiaries of World Cups will be very much against any investigation and yet they should welcome it to prove how clean their selection was. When it comes to premature death both Russia and Qatar are doing a fine job in Ukraine and the gulf. What is astounding is Regan and his criticism of Blatter, while following a similar approach in Scotland minus the cash based corruption that FIFA has been known for many years, just like the Olympic committee in its day. They at least cleaned up their act.
I agree HSBC got off lightly by paying enormous fines, which went down badly in the USA where most people expected jail sentences. that said the money laundering has now stopped and those responsible moved on. Senator Elizabeth Warren embarrassing the regulators on that topic.
It just doesn’t add up. There are 2 World Cups where, currently, there is no suggestion of wrongdoing but the 2016 Copa America location was chosen due to vote rigging and bribery. The only boycott call is about Russia, no one has suggested boycotting or removing the 2016 Copa America from USA. By the authorites only acting on one case it looks vindictive and by ignoring proven wrongdoing they risk it being seen as tacit approval, the same thing they accuse Blatter of.
As Russia is a UEFA member is suspect they will initiate a vote of no confidence in Platini for not acting in members best interests.
Last word to stewart regan, is he bothered about corruption, illegality, worker deaths? “Clearly there’s a lot of finance at stake”.
Gremlins stole the reply
The Gaels from Derry might have something to say about Celtic Park being unique.
As a Uni of Rennes alumni, I’ll do you deal, you can keep the name Celtic Park if you can tell us why you pronounce it Seltic!
Desi
Ask Bro. Walfrid.
H H
Hope they sort out the ticket shambles for next season’s play offs, it wouldn’t be fair on sevco to go through that pricing and allocation mess again next season. Mon the murderwell.