Hibs fans are set to challenge Rod Petrie over his moving on stance over successive SFA governance failures.
After Stewart Regan claimed that there was nothing to be gained from raking over old coals Hibs were the only club to produce a statement supportive of the SFA Chief Executive. Long term SFA committee man Petrie is expected to become SFA President in the summer.
That statement infuriated rank and file Hibs fans angered that their team had lost out in a loaded competition where one club from Glasgow were immune from punishment.
Despite a decade of fielding players that weren’t eligible due to additional payments going into a Trust the SFA and SPFL decided not to apply the 3-0 defeat punishment that every other club receives for such offences.
Following the disclosures at the Craig Whyte trial the SFA reluctantly agreed to review the 2011 UEFA licence issued to Rangers (IL) but Hibs fans and others want more wide ranging review.
Hibs fans will have the opportunity to question Petrie at an open meeting on Thursday.
Gordon Smith of the Hibs Supporters Association explained: “In September I wrote……
“Many Hibs fans have been dismayed by the position taken by the Hibernian FC’s decision to accept the decision by the SFA to reject the request by the 42 Club SPFL to have an Independent Review into the handling of non payment of taxes by clubs in the aftermath of the recent binding Supreme Court judgement against Rangers’ liquidators BDO. Regan of the SFA said… “However, the image of the game in Scotland can only be damaged further by ‘raking over the coals’ of everything that has happened in the last six years for a further lengthy period of time.”
“Your Branch Committee totally reject this assertion and would like your opinions. We would like to hear you opinions before any representation is made to Hibernian FC and the Hibernian Supporters Association.
“As promised we then held a full consultation with 550 St Pat’s Branch members putting our Committee’s position up for discussion. I received over 130 written replies, some of which were fed back to the membership.
“With a mandate I then took the right route and brought this up at the October Delegates meeting of the Hibernian Supporters Association. It would be fair to say that several of the Delegates of other Branches felt similarly and there was a consensus/unease at the voting of the Fans reps and lack of active participation with fans by them on this subject.
“The Officials of the HSA have listened to the Branches and organised this meeting next Thursday at 7.00 in the Hibernian Supporters Association Club . It therefore follows that Hibernian have listened to the genuine concerns of HSA members and Hibs fans in general. This is an open meeting to all Hibs supporters and I would urge you all to use this opportunity.”
With the Celtic AGM on Wednesday it is expected that the club will update shareholders on the same issue with many fans feeling that a vote of no confidence has to be passed on Regan’s regime.