Farewell Stewart Regan - Who's Next For Mission Impossible?

FAREWELL then Stewart Regan – don't let the door skelp you on the erse on the way out. That appears to be the consensus as the now resigned Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association takes his leave.

 Stewart Regan - has quit an impossible job

I did something I do not usually do this morning, I had a swatch at the Daily Record, to read the thoughts of their Chief Football Writer – you know, they guy who told the world Craig Whyte's wealth was “off the radar” - Aye well, that's 30 seconds of my life I will not get back.

The piece was, of course, written from an Old Firm perspective – doesn't do to upset the Bigot Brothers. The analysis is, Regan upset wee Peter, who made the bullets, then got Mike Who?, or Mike Mulraney as he is known along Hampden's sixth floor corridor of shame, to pull the trigger.

OK, I can accept, the Regan reign was not Scottish football's greatest era, but, for my money, the SFA has been a disaster zone since Sir George Graham retired 60-years ago. You could have Steve Job, Bill Gates, whoever, running the SFA under the present rules and protocols, and it would still be making a mess of the game up here.

The SFA is not fit for purpose, Scottish football is a joke, and, we are, I am afraid stuck with it. For change to happen, the turkeys at the top would have to vote to abolish Christmas, and, that aint gonna happen any time soon.

Apparently, what did for Regan was his decision to go ahead with this planned summer mini-tour to Latin America. Celtic don't like it, it compromises their efforts to qualify for the Champions League, so wee Peter decided, Regan had to go.

Well, pardon me, but, Regan, as CEO runs the secretariat of the SFA. Sure, he is board member, but, he is the servant of the board, who are the representatives of the clubs, who actually own the association. Sure, Regan might think the tour is a good idea, but, he is but one man, with one vote.

For the tour to be ON, it needs to have the support of a majority of the board, not just the CEO, so, maybe Wee Peter should be having a word with the others who supported it.

Apparently too, this is pay-back for the shambles of Rangers liquidation. Again, Regan was a party to this, but, he could not have acted alone.

My advice to Celtic is, be careful what you ask for; you might end up with a CEO prepared to stand up to your bullying, to that of your partners in crime across the city and to put the interests of Scottish football as a whole, ahead of that of the two greediest, most-grasping clubs in the land, and their media cheer-leaders.

And, a wee word to the lovely and talented Leeann Dempster: don't go near that job with a barge pole, it is another poisoned chalice.

Aye well, I await the Regan memoirs with interest. And, above is a picture of maybe the only man who can sort-out the mess.

THERE was a definite twinkle in Craig Levein's eyes when he had his wee dig at Scott Brown this week. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I bet he enjoyed himself.

Craig Levein - definite mischief-making this week

Scott Brown is, of course, the latest beneficiary of what I call the John Greig Law. This is an unwritten stricture which decrees, if the captain of Rangers or Celtic is also captain of Scotland, he can kick who he likes, when he likes, without penalty.

He can only be cautioned every 100 fouls, and sent-off every 500. This of course, only applies in domestic Scottish games – in Europe, he gets found-out.

Scott Brown is a thug. Celtic cannot admit to this, but, maybe Brendan Rodgers should have merely said: “Mr Levein is entitled to his opinion”, instead of trying to pardon the unpardonable.

I MUST say I was distinctly unimpressed by the activity during the January transfer window, as a lot of very average players moved around for very little money – most of the deals being, as far as I could work-out, loans.

Why cannot Scottish football accept reality. There isn't a lot of money sloshing around, better by far to work with home-grown talent, work harder in coaching and fitness, and, for a start, the SFA should bring-in a sort of three foreigners rule, which insists at least 75% of any match-day squad should be Scottish-qualified.

Graeme Souness - he started the rot

Graeme Souness hadn't a clue about Scottish football, which is why he imported so-many players from England and abroad. The other clubs did not have to follow his lead, but they did, and, over 30-years on, we are still paying the price for this.

Believe in Scottish talent and the Scottish work ethic, it is the way ahead.