George Peat
The McLeish report has savaged the structure and workings of the SFA and called on the SPL and SFL to work together for the benefit of the game.
Former Labour leader McLeish has delivered a damning report on the secrative SFA Committee structure and called for an era of openess to embrace the communications of the 21st century.
The 106 page report was published at Hampden this morning and will send shivers down the spine of the old boys network that has dominated the Scottish game for over a century.
McLeish has looked at how the structure of football has evolved throughout Europe to become more flexible and accountable which compares unfavourably with the SFA model.
The report claims: “ The governance is inappropriate for the current and future context of football,” highlighting several key issues claiming-
o There is a lack of effective formal consultation between the major stakeholders in the game and a serious lack of respect, confidence and trust
o The game is very fragmented and at times lacks any overall sense of purpose. There is a great deal of insularity, exclusiveness and isolationism
o Decision making is slow and delivery does not match the urgency and complexity of the issues involved
o There is a great deal of sectional and vested interest at work at the expense of the health and well being of the overall game. Openness, transparency and accountability lacking.
o The game overall generates a great deal of indiscipline and a lack of respect for the rules and regulations of the game.
o Roles and responsibilities are confused and unproductive with the elected officials too involved in what is essentially the work of the Chief Executive and his management team.
o The committee structure may function for the benefit of the existing representatives but is ill-equipped and outdated and is not able to deal with the modern world of football and the speed with which events and issues emerge and have to be dealt with
o There is no sense of modernisation and while there is some excellent work taking place within the SFA it is hard to see the current organisational structure allowing this to flourish.
o There seems little concept of public value or return on investment permeating the SFA and once again the failure to reform decision making, policy and planning procedures and structure means that the full potential of the organisation is not being realised and incentives to change are simply not there.
Welcoming the report outgoing SFA President George Peat said: “It was my original intention to sanction a report that was wide-ranging in its investigation of Scottish football and uncompromising in its recommendations. I have not been disappointed by Henry’s work.
“The Scottish FA has, in recent years, shown a willingness to embrace change and there is determination within the Board and the organisation as a whole to provide a world-class service to Scottish football in the 21st Century.
“This report includes many sobering realities for us and the game in general but will not shy away from our responsibilities. We are committed to change and we believe now is the time to act for the sake of the game at all levels, from grassroots to elite performance.
“I have been encouraged by the help and support of the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League in this regard and together we can implement measures that will ensure a more prosperous future for the game.”
Click here to view and download the McLeish report
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Henry McLeish is obviously just paranoid.
As you say Mark
Sounds like some nobody that failed to progress from the Scotland schoolboy team and ended up playing a few years at East Fife with chips on his shoulders.