Any fans of South Park out there may be familiar with the episode where Eric Cartman cheats so well at an exam that he ends up becoming a teacher and tries to leads a bunch of ghetto high school kids to exam greatness. Does he try and do is this through Inspiration and Dedication?
Hell No! In typical Cartman style, its all by lying and cheating.
The key point of the show is when the Teacher “Mr Cartmanez” offers the students the exam answers and the down trodden but morally strong kids ask the weaselly Cartman “But isnt this Cheating?”. Cartman looks back at them and says “Is it Cheating when a White Man does it?”
The class stare back in surprise and Cartman sums up his argument by listing the reaction of famous White Americans when caught acting in the incorrect manner. “Did these people put their hands up and admit to cheating?” muses Cartman, “No they did not, the White Man does not cheat!..he claims to have simply MISINTERPRETED THE RULES!”
If you want a famous recent example of this at Home, remember the MPs Expenses scandal. Despite being blatantlycaught fiddling their expenses and stealing (tax-payers) money, a crime you or I would be sacked and possibly prosecuted for, we simply had 600+ cheating MPs band together and collectively say that they ‘MISINTERPRETED THE RULES’.
The outcome?
A few MPs had to pay back a little of the accumulated cash, no MPs were sacked and it was The Expenses Officer who was the only one given their marching orders and duly replaced by someone chosen by the MPs themselves.
And therefore it was with a wide grin on my face yesterday that I heard that Rangers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen (when asked about breaking strict guidelines on Footballers and Betting ) had claimed he simply ‘MISINTERPRETED THE RULES’ rather than admit any wrong doing by placing bets.
Record Sport understands he told a disciplinary hearing at Hampden he believed the SFA followed the same rules as their counterparts in England when he moved north in 2013.
So according to The Daily Record, Simonsen went on to suggest he believed the English rules were in play here in Scotland, as if no one had ever raised the EXACT matter of what was deemed right and wrong in respect to players betting on football while plying their trade in Scotland.
Lets have a quick check on a timeline shall we:
- Simonsen plays for Dundee in March 2013
- Simonsen goes on trial with Rangers in mid-August 2013
- Ian Black is found guilty in the most infamous betting scandal ever in Scottish football on Sept 12th 2013
- Simonson signs full time for Rangers on Sept 13th 2013.
On reading back various pieces on the time of Blacks hilarious let off, I also noticed this quote from 2013:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boss-ally-mccoist-betting-2207661
Hearts assistant boss Billy Brown said: “At the beginning of the season, an official from the players’ union was in here explaining all the rules to the players, so every player should know that you are not supposed to bet [on football].
So in 2013, it seems that actually everyone in Scotland was very clear one way or another what was forbidden for footballers and the bookies.
Mind you, the rules may have changed since then of course, but wait, what does this quote regarding the 2014 season from a surprised Gordon Durie at a Press Conference held AFTER Simonsen’s verdict, tell us:
“I have spoken to Steve and he knows himself that he has done wrong,” said Durie. “He admitted it and will take his punishment. We will move on from there.
“I just hope it is a lesson to everyone else that you can’t do it. PFA Scotland came in at the start of the season and spoke to the boys about the gambling rules.
“This is a wee warning again that the SFA are watching what the boys are doing so hopefully it won’t happen again.
“I’ve no idea how it happened again after what happened with Ian Black. You would have to ask Steve that. But he has admitted that he has done wrong and we can move on from it.”
One may wish to ask:
If on hearing such a meagre defence of “I MISINTERPRETED THE RULES!”, Did the Panel even bother to check if Steve Simonsen was present when such clear guidelines on no betting allowed on footballwas being given out, in either 2013 or in 2014 when he has been employed within Scottish Football?
Place your bets?
The only “good thing” that can come out of these pathetic hearings and subsequent “sentences” for Simonson and Elbows McCulloch is….
Precedents have now been set by the “Governing Body”…and any Club in the future,who has a player up on similar type charges..now knows how to play the system.
McCulloch,in particular,is the classic example of SFA bias and favouritism towards Sevco…and this MUST be remembered by all member Clubs..if they find themselves in a similar situation.
Help…
Who nicked ma post…?
found
Gracias…
Your post was not nicked. It was merely misappropriated. Move along Timmy, nothing to see here.
— Neil Doncaster
As you detail,Desi,he knew fine well,that he couldn’t bet.So did Durie,that’s why no appeal was made.Which I find odd,as you would imagine they would have wanted him to play,in such a difficult game against Hibs.
It’s fairly obvious that a deal was made that his excuse would be accepted and as low a punishment as possible would be applied so that nobody “noticed”…they really think we’re all that thick. Hail, hail and bring on them eyties.
Guilty. Nail him up.
I think they have finally sold their jerseys. Don’t want to play, don’t want involved, don’t want noticed, the old bigot brigade just want to walk ” quietly” away. Come back! Come back! Please come back!. To late, their gone!. Oh dear, what a shame, never mind. Hh
Just so I’m clear on this….
Have the new Huns signed Cartman? Or is it Cartmanez?
Cartmanez sounds a better player, though he might be from Italy, or Spain, which might prove tricky…….
It’s the oldest trick in the book, just play dumb.
‘I didnae know yer honour’
That’s why in real court ignorance is no excuse.
Sorry about that, my cursur done a wobbley .