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Why all the secrecy? Time for change, and now.

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 12:12 pm
by Joe O'Rourke
It’s really comical the SFA asking Celtic, and other teams to squeeze another mid-week game in to an already crowded schedule. The SFA, and by their performance hitherto, are not fit for purpose. I have nothing against the national team, I just don’t think we have enough quality in the team, and I exclude the contingent from Celtic FC in that category.

I certainly know one player, if it was down to me, would not be available for selection, and that would be Ryan Christie, and given the treatment of Ryan, I don’t think if I was Neil Lennon I would want any of my players involved. After all Celtic would be supplying the most players to the squad of all the teams with players who meet the criteria.

Getting back to Ryan, the actual report about the decision to ban Ryan for “Brutality” was an absolute joke, who are these people? And who is Clare Whyte? I’ve never understood the need for a Lawyer to be the Compliance Officer, I would be happy for them to seek advice from a Lawyer, but surely it should be someone with a football background, preferably at a high level.

And why all the secrecy? That is a rhetorical question, I already know the answer to that one. We have been asking for years for transparency and accountability, then we come up with a disciplinary process based on secrecy, not I know a lot of the people involved will be familiar with secret societies, but they should not be involved in the process.

What next? Safe houses for the ones sitting on the panel!!!! Why not since you’ve took it to this level? If people on any panel are being honest in their actions, they should have no fear of their decision and name being made public. In all my years as a shop steward and convener, I never agreed with secret ballot’s, they were a cowards vote, if you have an opinion, put your hand up, don’t be afraid or ashamed, unless you’ve got something to be ashamed of.

Let’s be adult about this whole situation, the panel found Ryan guilty of brutality, and he subsequently ended up with a three match ban, he didn’t get three years in jail, it was a ban from playing football. In this country High Court Judges are sending people to prison for very long sentences, some of these people for being very dangerous and violent, the Judge isn’t anonymous, I’m sure he could be in a lot more danger than some ex-referee from Lanarkshire.

I wonder what happens in the MLS where Judges are sentencing people to death, or down in Mexico, where you’re talking about real violence, do the people on football panels remain anonymous? I very much doubt it.

Celtic need to lead the way here, we need to canvass all the other clubs now to seek change next season. We have been getting cheated almost since our inception, we need to Call it Out when it happens. The treatment of Ryan Christie was excessive, the very opposite of the treatment of a certain Alfredo Morelos. Over to you Mr Maxwell, if you don’t do your job, then you need to go, and sooner rather than later.