After refusing to verify Celtic’s registration of John Guidetti the SFA are to appeal to FIFA against their own decision!
While football officials across the world went that extra mile to help their clubs complete complicated signings it seems that there was a sharp getaway by Sandy Bryson (Head of Registrations) and his colleagues at Hampden Park.
Shortly after Celtic had registered the signing of Stefan Scepovic the paperwork was submitted to add Guidetti to Ronny Deila’s squad.
In recent seasons the SFA have been able to register the signings of Steven Naismith and David Templeton despite no announcements being made at the time of the transfer window closing.
On Sunday SFA chief Stewart Regan tweeted: “Transfer deadline day looming. Think it could be a busy old day tomorrow! Plenty of coffee and pizzas for the Registrations Team I’d say.”
After spending most of today perfecting their script on the Guidetti transfer a joint statement from the SFA and SPFL read: “The SPFL had a 23:00 transfer deadline in place for registrations while the Scottish FA had a midnight deadline.
“At 22:56, the SPFL received a request from Celtic FC to extend the SPFL deadline for registration of John Guidetti to fall in line with the Scottish FA midnight deadline. The SPFL agreed to this request.
“Celtic FC began uploading the relevant documentation in respect of the player prior to the midnight deadline.
“Where an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) is required for a player, it is custom and practice for the player’s registration to be conditional upon subsequent receipt of an ITC.
“Due to part of the registration documentation being received by the Scottish FA very shortly after midnight, Fifa have not allowed registration by the Scottish FA of the transfer.
“The SPFL and Scottish FA are writing to Fifa in support of Celtic FC’s petition that Fifa permit the Scottish FA to register the player with the Scottish FA.”
Having ignored licensing rules in 2011 over unpaid social taxes and created fresh membership rules in 2012 did the SFA expect FIFA to discipline them over a registration they claim that arrived five minutes late?
Do they think that FIFA keeps tabs on every registration? Should the FA fear a FIFA backlash over the 1.25am registration by Manchester United of Radamel Falcao?
Conflicting with the script from the SFA/SPFL Uefa had Guidetti listed in the Celtic squad by lunchtime today.
The SFA’s attempt to do a backward flip on the transfer contrasts with the way that the late Jim Farry handled the transfer of Jorge Cadete in the spring of 1996.
Despite having all of the relevant papers in place Farry delayed the registration of Cadete- claiming that the SFA hadn’t received international clearance- meaning that the striker missed four league matches and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers.
Fergus McCann stuck to his belief that Farry had personally delayed the registration of the striker with the SFA forced to sack their chief executive three years later for gross misconduct.
Bryson was also SFA Head of Registrations under Farry.