The Scottish Football thread

[Marcos]

I though Kilmarnock played attacking football.

We do. I don't really understand this statement, you can still play 4-6-0 and play attacking football.

Even if Heffernan misses out, I can still see Shiels playing up front, with Dayton, Silva and Harkins supporting and Buijs and Kelly playing in the sitting role. It may look like a 4-6-0 with Shiels being classed as a midfielder, but if he is playing and Heff isn't then I'm pretty sure he'll be playing in an attacking role.

[Lineker]

Rangers lose to Killie, the title race isn't dead yet...?

[Kaney]

Hahahaha, awesome.

[Marcos]

[METALMAN]

YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

[Lineker]

The Scottish Football Association is investigating Craig Whyte after the Rangers owner admitted that he had been disqualified as a company director.

And if it is not satisfied that Whyte falls into its fit and proper person guidelines, it will take action against the Ibrox club.

Rangers issued a statement to the Plus stock exchange on Wednesday confirming Whyte's seven-year disqualification.

The club says it is happy to discuss the matter with the SFA fully.

"The Scottish FA has noted the Rangers FC statement to the stock exchange regarding the club's owner Craig Whyte," said chief executive Stewart Regan.

"We have been in dialogue with the club on this matter and in light of today's developments have requested clarification by return.

"We await disclosure of key information before we can make any further comment."

The governing body's articles of association state that office bearers with their football clubs must meet their board's fit and proper criteria.

The SFA board reserves the right to make such a judgement "after due consideration of all relevant facts".

Asked if it was the SFA's duty to check such matters when a person takes over a football club, Regan told BBC Scotland on Thursday evening: "Every club in Scotland supplies an official return and by supplying that official return they are effectively signing up to the articles of the Scottish FA.

"The rules and regulations are laid out very clearly as to what is and what isn't allowed as far as company directors are concerned.

"Given that clubs are changing their directors and people are coming and going every day, it's impossible for the Scottish FA to investigate every single person across every professional club in Scotland.

"So by signing up to the official return they are binding themselves to the articles of the Association.

"When anything happens to indicate that a breach of those articles has taken place, that is the point at which the Association gets involved."

A spokesman for Rangers said: "At no stage did the club believe there had been a breach of SFA regulations.

"The club will be happy to provide the SFA with all the relevant information and discuss the matter with them fully."

Article 10.2 (g) makes reference to a person who has "been disqualified as a director pursuant to the Company Directors' Disqualification Act 1986, within the previous five years", with the caveat that the list is "acknowledged to be illustrative and not exhaustive".

White was disqualified from 2000 to 2007, while in charge of Vital UK Ltd, as revealed in a BBC Scotland documentary on 20 October.

[Lineker]

Hearts' players have finally been paid November's wages now.

[Cadj]

And now we're late on the December wages.

I fully expect the players to be paid just before the new year and then we'll get rid of most of them.

Which is good, because they're mostly shit.

[Lineker]

Scottish Premier League clubs have been given the green light to have safe-standing areas within their stadiums.

The SPL announced a relaxation of its rules on standing following a general meeting of all 12 clubs on Monday.

"Since I joined the SPL in 2009, there has been widespread support among fans to re-introduce safe-standing areas," said chief executive Neil Doncaster.

"I'm delighted we have been able to respond positively to supporters' views on improving the match-day experience."

Approval will be required from local council safety committees and the police.

Terraces were banned following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 and the issue of allowing some standing areas has been revisited since all-seater stadiums became compulsory in England in 1994.

Scotland is not bound by the law which banned standing areas in top-flight football in England, which came into force after the Taylor Report into the Hillsborough disaster.

SPL rules currently state that clubs must only use seated areas with a minimum of 6,000 seats per stadium.

The English Premier League has indicated opposition to moves to reintroduce standing areas at top-flight football matches, while the Football Supporters' Federation is keen for their return.

Meanwhile, the SPL has also tightened the rules governing unacceptable conduct, to include: "using words, conduct or displaying any writing or other thing which indicates support for, or affiliation to, or celebration of, or opposition to an organisation proscribed in terms of the Terrorism Act 2000."

[Lineker]

1107 FOOTBALL: BBC Scotland reports that Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson has informed manager Paulo Sergio that he will not return to the club until he is paid.

The exodus continues!

[Crybaby Bunting]

Now watch the media try to paint him as a radical hatemonger who puts himself above the team.

[Lineker]

Nine-man Rangers are on the verge of a defeat at St. Mirren - Celtic lead Killie at HT.... sets up next week's Old Firm derby very nicely!

[Cadj]

We should not pay our players far more often if these past 2 games are any indication of the performances we'll get from them.

This is the best we've played all season.

[Lineker]

CELTIC: Forster, Matthews, Rogne, Mulgrew, Ledley, Brown, Kayal, Wanyama, Forrest, Hooper, Samaras.

RANGERS: McGregor, Broadfoot, Bartley, Bocanegra, Papac, Aluko, Davis, McCulloch, Wallace, Jelavic, Lafferty.

[METALMAN]

Can't stand Old Firm days. All these idiots who normally never care for football become all tribal and dickheadish.

[IAceI]

Well after that match I can confirm that I still don't really like any aspect of either Celtic or Rangers, their managers, their players or their fans.

Was a pretty entertaining match though.

Edited December 28, 2011 by IAceI

[Lineker]

The Scottish Premier League has given Hearts until 11 January to pay the wages of 14 first-team players.

Following a meeting at Hampden, Hearts were told they must also pay interest on all overdue wages and deliver this month's figures by 16 January.

Both parties can appeal against the decision to the SFA within seven days.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "Today's decision reflects fully the seriousness with which we regard the late payment of players' salaries."

Union PFA Scotland submitted a formal complaint on behalf of the first-team squad on 16 December, when wages were delayed for a third consecutive month.

At Wednesday's Hampden meeting, the SPL also decided that Hearts must pay the claimants' legal expenses and the SPL's costs for conducting the hearing.

Doncaster did not want to reveal what further action might be taken should Hearts fail to meet the SPL's demands.

"It is certainly not our intention to stop any club selling any assets that it wishes," the chief executive said.

"I am not going to speculate about might ultimately be the outcome in the event that any of those orders are not met in full.

"That would then be the subject of a separate process and I wouldn't want to predict what the outcome could be.

"We've made very clear orders about what needs to be paid and by when.

"And in the event of any of those orders are not met in full then that would come back to the SPL board to consider at that point.

"We will be monitoring the situation very closely to see if those orders are met in full or not."

Doncaster did not think the situation at Tynecastle necessary reflected badly on the SPL.

"I don't think damaging to Scottish football really comes into it," he told BBC Scotland.

"Players sign player contracts with the expectation that they will be paid.

"Certainly in the UK, the situation may be different in other parts of Europe, clubs have a proud record of paying on time.

"Where payments are not made on time, I think that's a serious issue."

Doncaster did not wish to prejudge what might happen in the future at the club, but Hearts manager Paulo Sergio earlier told BBC Scotland that he expects players to leave this month to reduce the wage bill.

PFA Scotland chief exectutive Fraser Wishart praised the intervention of the SPL in the wages row and insisted that the hearing was a last resort.

Wishart also said he understood that Hearts were experiencing financial difficulties, but reiterated the responsibility of the club to issue wages in a timely fashion.

"We're happy that the SPL has supported the players," said Wishart. "We're reluctantly here on behalf of the players because we don't want to be taking cases to the SPL.

"Particularly, in this situation with Hearts when we know there's cashflow problems at the club.

"We tried to resolve it internally during October and November, but when it came to December their patience ran out.

"So, we're very pleased and delighted with the support of the SPL.

"We're not asking for the Earth - we just want the players to be paid on time."

Eggert Jonsson has already joined Wolves and fellow midfielder Ryan Stevenson has asked Hearts to terminate his contract unless he is paid.

"I don't know what's going to happen in January," Sergio told BBC Scotland following Hearts' 3-1 defeat of Hibs on Monday.

"I know, if we have a good proposition to sell, what I believe is we have to sell.

"I know our players have other clubs looking at them because they are playing well.

"But I don't know what's going to happen. Let's wait. I believe we're going to have a hard January with all those movements."

Several other players have left Hearts in recent months amid the wage payment problems.

Goalkeeper Janos Balogh left the club with immediate effect in December and striker Calum Elliot agreed a January exit.

Winger Andrew Driver has also expressed a desire to leave before his contract is due to expire.

Ominous.

[Lineker]

More on that:

Hearts say they have paid wages owed to their players - hours after the Scottish Premier League threatened action against the Edinburgh club.

But, although Hearts paid salaries outstanding from December, they must now deliver this month's wages by 16 January to avoid possible sanctions.

"The payment is the result of successful business conducted by the club," said a club statement.

"And it is coincidental that this has happened on the same day."

Hearts, who have seven days to decide whether to appeal against the decision to the Scottish Football Association, stressed that they would "decide on the course of further action" after carefully considering the SPL judgement.

Following a meeting at Hampden, Hearts were told they must not only stump up the December salaries but also pay interest on them - then deliver this month's figures - for 14 first-team players.

Hearts were also told to pay the claimants' legal expenses and the SPL's costs for conducting the hearing.

[METALMAN]

Ian Black has become a painter and decorator because Hearts aren't paying him!

[Lineker]

Vladimir has his say.

Fuck off Vladimir.