Club Licencing

[FairWeatherFan]

7 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

It's not a way out as those clubs they deny probably wont take it lying down given the fact the goalposts changed during the application process.  In addition they need to wait until a scheduled board meeting (June?), Maxwell admits he doesnt know the length of time this will take, meanwhile the LL and EoS cannot plan for next season and clubs are left in limbo. It's a shambles.

Could be as they as they see it. The licensing requirements change by the calendar year and there was a couple of months notice.

Reject 6 or more applications without floodlights

Accept the 6  EoS applications + possibly Bonnyrigg + Dunipace and others that aren't yet at the SFA Board approval stage with floodlights

Reject renewals from existing members without floodlights which is 3 LL, Girvan, Golspie and not sure who in EoS/SoS

They then could balance the the numbers and bring in even more licensing requirements for 2020 to further restrict new applicants.

[Robert James]

4 hours ago, FairWeatherFan said:

I think as Burnie_man has pointed is that the licenses of some have already been approved by the Licensing Committee. The licensing criteria has also been set for 2019 and is reviewed annually, so any changes wouldn't come in till 2020. Not sure how they can use it as a bargaining chip in that regard.

If they continue to delay confirming these applications they're denying clubs entry into the 2019/20 Scottish Cup, possible promotion, possible access to additional grants or funding, entitlement to the revenue sharing of the SFA, voting rights kicking in. Plus they'd have incurred costs from licensing as well. Say the licensing audit came back and said you need to do x,y, and z still. You do the recommendations, you get accepted by the Licensing Committee, only to be denied arbitrarily by the SFA Board. Combined it all and tt's a potential legal can of worms.

A breach of contract situation !

I am surprised that the media hasn't picked up on this ongoing 'saga', and sought an explanation from the SFA as to WHY the licensing process has again been delayed.

[Gimme]

A breach of contract situation !
I am surprised that the media hasn't picked up on this ongoing 'saga', and sought an explanation from the SFA as to WHY the licensing process has again been delayed.

Probably because the mainstream media doesn't really care. The old firm sell papers, Bonnyrigg and Broxburn don't. There are some pretty good local journalists though who you would like to think would pick up on it.

[Robert James]

25 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

It's not a way out as those clubs they deny probably wont take it lying down given the fact the goalposts changed during the application process.  In addition they need to wait until a scheduled board meeting (June?), Maxwell admits he doesnt know the length of time this will take, meanwhile the LL and EoS cannot plan for next season and clubs are left in limbo. It's a shambles.

"Wait until a scheduled board meeting, June"  !!!  What was the original purpose of the board meeting that has just taken place ?  Where is the Agenda for the April 2019 meeting ? Where are the Minutes ?  Why doesn't the Chief Executive know what is going on, and when ? There are some serious questions which need to be answered., by Ian Maxwell direct.

Let's hope that some explanations emerge from the two SFA Reps, when they attend the EoS EGM on Thursday.  Irrespective of any pyramid debate about who joins, and when........

* the three EoS  Conference winners have a right to know where they stand regarding licensing and promotion, if they win the 'round robin' playoffs,

* other EoSL clubs need to know about Scottish Cup entry for 2019/20, and

* any applicants to the Lowland League (to fill the Selkirk vacancy), need to know if their applications are valid, or not. 

Also, what about the two West Region Junior clubs who apparently submitted licensing applications ?

IMO, the SFA needs to wake up and smell the thistles, quickly. 

 

 

[Truthteller]

The toys are well out of the pram, send for Donald Findlay 

[superbigal]

Of course Maxwell knows what is going on. Face it no one has as yet had there application denied. What's to stop the rubber stamp delaying indefinitely if it wants to ?


Did the application form confirm a decision date ?

[Burnie_man]

I actually think it’s becoming clearer that the SFA simply didn’t discuss licencing on Thursday (or much else) apart from McLeish, they had a second board meeting yesterday only to discuss his replacement. That has probably been their sole focus and will largely continue to be until they decide who has got the job.

Totally incompetent of course and exceptionally disrespectful to those clubs waiting on licence decisions (how long would it have taken?) but I really don’t think the SFA care enough about our level to come up with grand blackmail plans or the like linking licencing to pyramid.  In the cold light of day it just seems so implausible.  Maxwell can’t give timescales as he probably doesn’t know when the next board meeting (to discuss matters other than Scotland job) is scheduled to take place.

He'll be attending the EoS meeting to placate clubs (and leagues) who are waiting on decisions so they can plan for next season.  He’ll need to come armed with some answers, people are angry.   The other matter of course is Pyramid/Juniors, I guess that will be Petrie’s thing and he’ll feel the heat on that as well.

The bottom line is they need to start playing fair with clubs and leagues, stop messing them about, and start listening.

[John S]

If the criteria is changed mid application and clubs are rejected I'd like to think they would get their money back.

[Robert James]

47 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

I actually think it’s becoming clearer that the SFA simply didn’t discuss licencing on Thursday (or much else) apart from McLeish, they had a second board meeting yesterday only to discuss his replacement. That has probably been their sole focus and will largely continue to be until they decide who has got the job.

Totally incompetent of course and exceptionally disrespectful to those clubs waiting on licence decisions (how long would it have taken?) but I really don’t think the SFA care enough about our level to come up with grand blackmail plans or the like linking licencing to pyramid.  In the cold light of day it just seems so implausible.  Maxwell can’t give timescales as he probably doesn’t know when the next board meeting (to discuss matters other than Scotland job) is scheduled to take place.

He'll be attending the EoS meeting to placate clubs (and leagues) who are waiting on decisions so they can plan for next season.  He’ll need to come armed with some answers, people are angry.   The other matter of course is Pyramid/Juniors, I guess that will be Petrie’s thing and he’ll feel the heat on that as well.

The bottom line is they need to start playing fair with clubs and leagues, stop messing them about, and start listening.

I agree entirely with your comments about the McLeish replacement dominating the SFA Board's current priorities, although I would have expected him to quote this as the reason (in his announcement to clubs)  for the further delay in relation to awarding/not awarding the club licences, at the Board's meeting held on 18th April.  

However, what I find difficult to understand is why there hasn't been an SFA Board Meeting since the February meeting was cancelled, allegedly because of a funeral. How difficult is it to arrange an extra meeting ?  I also thought that the SFA Board's role in relation to Club Licensing, was to 'rubber stamp' the decisions of the Licensing Committee. Have I misunderstood the Board's role ? 

[Burnie_man]

2 minutes ago, Robert James said:

I also thought that the SFA Board's role in relation to Club Licensing, was to 'rubber stamp' the decisions of the Licensing Committee. Have I misunderstood the Board's role ? 

The SFA Board’s role is to grant SFA Membership to clubs who meet licence requirements, and only SFA member clubs can be granted a licence. Once SFA membership is granted, the Licence Dept confirm and issue the licence.

[Robert James]

4 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

The SFA Board’s role is to grant SFA Membership to clubs who meet licence requirements, and only SFA member clubs can be granted a licence. Once SFA membership is granted, the Licence Dept confirm and issue the licence.

Does the SFA Board also decide whether a derogation is awarded in relation to a licence ?  Or is this a matter for the Licensing Committee  ? 

This will be an important issue for the three Lowland clubs when their licence comes up for renewal (later this year), as they don't have floodlights, and also for other current Member clubs in a similar situation, eg Coldstream, Girvan,  Wigtown, Golspie, etc ?

[Burnie_man]

1 minute ago, Robert James said:

Does the SFA Board also decide whether a derogation is awarded in relation to a licence ?  Or is this a matter for the Licensing Committee  ? 

It's supposed to be the Licencing Committee but they passed the matter to the SFA Board to decide.

[Dev]

Perhaps the existing Licenced clubs outwith the SPFL should talk to the clubs in the SPFL and form a plan to co-operate?  After all many there don't want the Colts coming into the SPFL. There are clearly severe problems at SFA Board level and, likely, with some members of the SFA staff which need to be addressed.  Co-operation between members with voting powers is needed NOW in order to sort this out once and for all - the alternative is the tail continuing to wag the dog!

There is a long established pattern of failure in the SFA - just look at the results in World and European competitions. Woeful! Yet smaller nearby countries have done so much better - viz. Iceland, Wales, Northern Ireland. Even Gibraltar are making progress!

Would it be fair to question why nothing effective has been done to sort out the tails which wag the dog. Could it be that there is even more to this than has already met the eye? Are there  skeletons out there and those who know where they lie are gaining protection? I don't know but I am beginning to wonder why  apparently non-sensical decisions, which seem likely to bring football into disrepute,  are being made again and again. 

[Burnie_man]

1 hour ago, Dev said:

Would it be fair to question why nothing effective has been done to sort out the tails which wag the dog. Could it be that there is even more to this than has already met the eye? Are there  skeletons out there and those who know where they lie are gaining protection? I don't know but I am beginning to wonder why  apparently non-sensical decisions, which seem likely to bring football into disrepute,  are being made again and again. 

I fail to understand why the SFA are so keen to continue with a flawed plan of shoehorning in the Juniors into the Pyramid in the east when it makes absolutely no sense and ignores the views of their own member leagues, It's unnecessary confrontational behaviour.

I'm sure that question will be asked tomorrow night.   Has TJ got some dodgy pics of Petrie?

[Pyramidic]

35 minutes ago, Burnie_man said:

I fail to understand why the SFA are so keen to continue with a flawed plan of shoehorning in the Juniors into the Pyramid in the east when it makes absolutely no sense and ignores the views of their own member leagues, It's unnecessary confrontational behaviour.

I'm sure that question will be asked tomorrow night.   Has TJ got some dodgy pics of Petrie?

I suggest the response has already been decided along the corridor between TJ and IM over:

[Dev]

3 hours ago, Burnie_man said:

I fail to understand why the SFA are so keen to continue with a flawed plan of shoehorning in the Juniors into the Pyramid in the east when it makes absolutely no sense and ignores the views of their own member leagues, It's unnecessary confrontational behaviour.

I'm sure that question will be asked tomorrow night.   Has TJ got some dodgy pics of Petrie?

I am sensing that this goes much further than a single individual's alleged loyalty or desire to retain a job of work.

[GordonS]

8 hours ago, Burnie_man said:

Totally incompetent of course and exceptionally disrespectful to those clubs waiting on licence decisions (how long would it have taken?) but I really don’t think the SFA care enough about our level to come up with grand blackmail plans or the like linking licencing to pyramid. 

Yep, I think it's more likely the mistakes are the result of complete indifference than anything else.

The club licence fee is a lot of money to the clubs we love and support, but to these guys it's a good dinner in Nyon.

[Burnie_man]

16 minutes ago, gogsy said:

It was Rod Petries birthday on Monday, hope the EOS clubs have bought him a cake.

Four candles may come in handy right enough.

[Robert James]

14 hours ago, GordonS said:

Yep, I think it's more likely the mistakes are the result of complete indifference than anything else.

The club licence fee is a lot of money to the clubs we love and support, but to these guys it's a good dinner in Nyon.

At tonight's meeting, Ian Maxwell should be asked to give a guarantee that the SFA Board will meet not later than the first week in June, to consider all  the licensing applications which have been audited by the Licensing Committee.  As the Chief Executive, this pledge would be within his power/jurisdiction.  Further procrastination should not be accepted.

[The Informer]

13 minutes ago, Robert James said:

At tonight's meeting, Ian Maxwell should be asked to give a guarantee that the SFA Board will meet not later than the first week in June, to consider all  the licensing applications which have been audited by the Licensing Committee.  As the Chief Executive, this pledge would be within his power/jurisdiction.  Further procrastination should not be accepted.

1st of June is too late, the deadline for LL applications is middle of May? Teams and leagues need to know before that.