My Thoughts on the World Cup Location Choice...No Not that One

Map of Qatar

Everyone English fan is so up in arms about 2018's FIFA World Cup being awarded to Russia that they have failed to notice something about 2022's.

It is being awarded to Qatar, a nation with a disgraceful human rights record, especially in the area of LGBT rights.

Article 201 of the 1971 Penal Code punishes sodomy between consenting adults (irrespective of sex) with up to five years in prison. There are also incidents of these laws being enforced on non-citizens. Now there are LGBT football fans, I know I'm one of them.

• What happens if we want to visit the 2022 World Cup, are we to leave our partners behind? 
• Are we to sleep in separate beds, rooms, hotels, cities? 
• What if in celebrating a goal or victory we forget where we are and get over affectionate even for just a fleeting second in full view of a policeman? 
• What if we turn up married or civil partnered with passports that say so, wearing matching rings? 
• Would we get lifted as we arrive and carted off to prison?

Gay Football Supporters Network

Qatar is not just homophobic it is a gay criminalising state.

If we are imprisoned I bet the cell wouldn't have the multi-million pound air conditioning that the stadia (as yet unbuilt) that will spring up in Qatar.

Bid logo

There is also the problem that Association Football does not currently have any 'out' professional players. There are suspicions that a number of players may be in the closet. Now would be a good time for those players to come out and stand up for the LGBT fans from around the world, but more important the LGBT community in Qatar itself. As we don't have a spokesman from within the game, it will be up to the LGBT fans and their friends to take this issue further. But I guess we may not have any players coming out, if they have a hope of playing in the 2022 World Cup, even though us gay supporters need a hero, one of 'the family'.

We should start by boycotting Qatari products:

• Qatar Airlines
• the Qatar Moto GP
• Qatar Petroleum
• Holiday in Qatar's fine hotels 
• etc.

(feel free to provide more in the comments)

Personally I'd not feel safe travelling to Qatar, especially if I was doing so with a partner, I'm just too affectionate. I don't even think I should even contemplate watching the games on television. So I guess I'll not even be watching the 2022 World Cup, even on TV, thanks to decision of FIFA today. Wonder what I'll end up doing instead?

Bunch of Gay Footballers: Not That There's Anything Wrong With That

Note by posting this picture I am in no way implying or speculating anything about the sexuality of any who appear in it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

A question; which style of football would you rather have seen win the World Cup, the stylish play of say Spain, Argentina or Germany or the rather stiff and in the case of the Netherlands violent approach of Brazil and England amongst others?

I'm sure like me you are glad that the former won. Therefore the most bizarre excuse for World Cup failure from Michael Ballack's agent Michael Becker that the alledged reason is because there were gay men in the squad. Indeed he told Aleksander Osang in Der Spiegel that he put the new adroit, lighter and elegant style of play that has become a trademark of trainer Joachim Löw's players down to their homosexuality, in contrast to the typically more aggressive and offensive German style of past years, but suggested they played too delicately to assure themselves a place in the final.

Firstly if that is the only reason that the team played in a style that gathered many fans over the tournament not least because of their scoring four goals in 3 different matches, then why oh why aren't there any out gay footballers proud of the skills they produce in that style to delight the fans.

But of course more worryingly and seriously at the heart of Becker's allegations is the stench of homophobia and typecasting of the gay community. Recently ITV's Dispatches showed a programme call Africa's Last Taboo the same last taboo exists in football. There are no out players at the top level of the game. Being gay doesn't make someone any less determined to succeed. Indeed faced with possible opposition such as Becker's it makes one more determined to be seen not just as an equal but as better so that nobody can dispute your commitment.

So if some gay footballers did manage to come third in the World Cup it is something that should be celebrated, not ridiculed, mocked or used as an excuse for not going further. Hey there may even have been some in the final, we just do not know and may never know the way that football seems to think un-Seinfeld-like* that there is something wrong with that.

* The Seinfeld TV show had an episode called 'The Outing' about homosexuality and more to the point perceived homosexuality where every time the subject was broached somebody added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

We Are the Champions

No I'm not getting carried away with the opinion polls that are making the most exciting reading for this Liberal Democrat since he was old enough to vote.

I took an afternoon off the campaign trail this afternoon to watch Livingston suceed in being the first team to win the Scottish Third Division title for a second time. Although it wasn't all plan sailing, despite being the dominant team we conceded a penalty for handball in the last minute. However, Roddy McKenzie, who could some of us doubt that our player with most appearances would fail, saved it to the mass relief of the majority of the 1,621 crowd.

So I feel a little Queen is in order.

Sunday 14 March 2004

Six years go this day fell on a Sunday. I know because of what I was doing that day.

The M8 experienced two rush hours that day one heeading out to Glasgow the other heading back.

Livingston were in their first major cup final. The club had entered administration just before the semi-final match but we won through and found ourselves at Hampden for the final. For the first 45 minutes we sang our hearts out but you wouldn't have known three quarters of Hampden was wearing the green and white of Hibernian.

But then in two glorious minutes at the start of the second half first Derek Lilley got on the end of a Burton O'Brien pass to get the first, right in front of the Livi support. Then moments later David Fernandez played Jamie McAllister through with onlyDaniel Andersson the Hibs keeper to beat, but he curled it around, the keeper leaving the bulk of the national stadium speechless. Just not our little section. Already hoarse we could now hear ourselves sing, and sing we did til the final whistle.

I then had to walk back into George Square to meet our lift home (they'd been shopping). We passed the queue of Hibs supporters in their cars, many of them had left the stadium early. There were more of us than them at the end for the medals to be collected by the losers who had beaten Celtic and Rangers to get there.

They were happy days.

Livingston yesterday extended their lead at the top of division 3 after being dropped from Division One last year due to administration again. Yesterday we won at Elgin while East Stirlingshire lost. I wasn't here for most of the previous climb, just the last few weeks in Division One. Plus I'm missing the ride through Division three this time due to the election. But I still have hope we can do it again.

Good Enough to Play. Unless You're Gay!?!

As a sportsman there is nothing I hate worse than telling someone hey shouldn't do that sport whether because of disability, race or sexual orientation. I'm a great advocate of the paralympian movement. I believe we should show racism the red card and same applies to homophobia.

Therefore the words of Rudi Assauer former player, ex-manager of German team Schalke 04 and now a player agent really upset me.

"If a player came to me and said he was gay I would say to him: 'You have shown courage'. But then I would tell him to find something else to do.

"That's because those who out themselves always end up busted by it, ridiculed by their fellow players and by people in the stands. We should spare them these witch hunts."

But why do such witch hunts exist? Because there are no openly gay professional footballers in any of the major leagues. It's not they aren't there, the ability to play football isn't based on the gender you prefer. Heck we have had Donal Og Cusack, of Cork's hurling team in October and Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas in December both coming out in far more physical sports than football.

In a related story American skater Johnny Weir has been deemed not family friendly enough for the touring show Stars on Ice. The skater who is a three times US national champion who came sixth in the Vancouver Olympics. He was the butt of jokes from Australian and French commentators at the event.

Australian Channel Nine presenters Eddie McGuire and Mick Molloy took aim at his masculinity and pink and black costume, while French sportscasters Claude Mailhot and Alain Goldberg of the RDS network suggested he should take a gender test and that he was a "bad example".

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) claims that sponsors Smuckers and IMG Entertainment, refused to allow Weir to participate, because he refuses to clarify his sexuality.

They challenged his family friendliness by saying:

"To say that Weir is 'not family friendly' would be a clear jab at his perceived sexual orientation.

"Weir is extremely involved with his family. He is putting his younger brother through college, and supports the family financially because his father’s disability prohibits him from working."

Weir himself has not commented on this latest story, but in Vancouver about the comments he countered with this rather tongue in cheek riposte:

"There are some things I keep sacred. My middle name. Who I sleep with. And what kind of hand moisturiser I use."

The guy has class, see the rest of that press conference.

Let's not forget that post Olympics in the run up to the Worlds in 1976 the Gold Medalist John Curry was outed as gay. He was good enough to win gold, sportsmen if they are good enough shouldn't matter who they fancy.

IFA Looking to End All Ireland Eligibility

The IFA, that's the Irish Football Association the governing body for Northern Ireland, is going to the Court of Arbitration in Sport(CAS) to try and stop a player drain to the Republic of Ireland

The recent case of Everton's Shane Duffy would not have been stoppable under the grounds that the IFA are seeking. Duffy who had played under 21 games for Northern Ireland was included in the republic's full squad last year. He like myself though would qualify under the FIFA ruling that you can represent the country of birth of yourself, your parents or any of your grandparents. Under that rule I would have qualified for either even though the then non-existent border only ran through the River Foyle less than 100 yards away from where my grandmother was born.

It would though have affected the cases of Manchester United's Darron Gibson and Portsmouth's Marc Wilson who have also switched to the southern team in recent years. All of their qualifying ancestors were Northern Irish born. It does however have an impact on those that claim all 32 counties of Ireland are the one as opposed to the twenty-six to six split that was imposed in 1922.

However, under the letter of FIFA's rule the IFA do have a case to stand on. The two are recognised as separate organisations under birth FIFA and UEFA and therefore for the purposes of football are recognised as separate states. There have in the past been all sorts of geopolitical recognitions and agreements beyond the boundaries on both sides to be inclusive of those that wish to recognise with one country or the other or both.

Strangely it is a case of the political football of Northern Irish politics actually having an impact on football. Who ever said such phrases and 'political football' was merely a euphemism?

Poor Footballing Decision of the Week

Togo's reserve keeper Kodjovi Obilale (pictured) still lies in a bed in Johannesburg with bullet lodged near his spine. He has been in intensive care since the shooting incident on the Togonese coach on the 8 January in the Cabinda province of Northern Angola. Three families the coach drivers, one of the teams assistant coaches and their press relations officer are not so lucky their men never made it alive.

Yet 24 hours before the final of the Africa Nations Cup the Confederation of African Football (Caf) announced that Toga were suspended from the next two stagings of the Africa Nations Cup and fined an punitive US $50,000 . Caf will be claiming that they are upholding Article 78 of the Nation Cup Regulations which specifies such a punishment for teams withdrawing shortly before the competition. However, Article 80 state they will tolerate withdrawals 'in cases of force majeure accepted by Caf'.

A force majeure allows for an extraordinary event or circumstance, surely the death by terrorists of two team officials in the view of the entire team and support staff, the injury to one of the playing members as a result should surely qualify Togo for a force majeure dispensation. It is not after all as if the team took the decision because of a threat that never happened they took the action because of an actual event that had an effect on their team.

Togo are going to be appealing this decision and like many in the footballing community I hope that common sense prevails and that their appeal is upheld. As a Liverpool fan I know that there are occasions that football is not more important than death. After Hillsborough the Liverpool team didn't play a game within the time scale that this evening's final would have allowed. The Liverpool were not out on the pitch for a full hour while the Lepping Road end fans fought for their lives, whereas the Togo players were pinned down in their coach facing their own possible deaths.

If they don't get to take part in the next two Africa Nations Cup Cardiff Blogger has a cunning plan to show up this ludicrous decision from Caf. He says let UEFA allow them into the 2012 European Championships, after all a lot of their key players are European based.

Personally I hope we see Togo qualify for the 2012 Africa Nations Cup to honour those that have died in their presence, but just in case....

BTW The final of the Africa Nations Cup finished Egypt 1 Ghana 0, and Egypt aren't one of the six African teams that will be in South Africa this summer for the World Cup.

Compare the Feetball Dot Com Not so Simples

As a fan of the team whose history included the SFL demanding a name change name back in 1974 as they didn't want the financial connection with Ferranti to lower the tone of the place, this story of Stirling Albion doesn't surprise me but kind of brings a smile to the face at the same time.

Fellow strugglers financially Stirling Albion are also a club that the supporters trust is heavily involved came up with a plan to help them survive. Buy the club and selling naming rights to comparethemarket.com for £50,000. For a club £1.5 million in debt and surviving two winding up orders in the last few months it is a small drop in the ocean to rename yourself Stirling Albion Meerkats.

However the SFA said no:

"Any proposed change of name would require to be submitted to the board for consideration and approval.

"Given that a name change for commercial purposes would have huge implications, the integrity of the game would be paramount in any decision-making process."

As a Livingston, formerly known as Meadowbank Thistle, formerly known as Ferranti Thistle, fan you can almost imagine me half crying out now you talk of integrity of the game. But as the SFA took our side over the SFL after the latter's tardiness to decide Livingston's fate before the first ball of the season was kicked.

However, decisions make by the SFA and SFL over the summer, promises made which were later reneged make a claim of integrity to stop a set of fans trying to help their club survive seem hollow. Although if we were to follow the American example, Livingston already known as the Lions would face a tough time selling the naming rights. Either Nestlé and the Lion Bar (which would have Caron and myself up in arms) or Lyons* tea or Ice Cream.

*See what I did there? Subtle, or what?

In, Out, In, Out The Togo Football Team

Despite the news yesterday that the players wanted to stay on to compete in honour of the driver, coach and press officer who died. It appears that the Togolese Government are still insisting that the team fly home.

Team coach Hubert Velud said:

"For the moment, it looks like we're leaving. But I can only speak in the conditional, because for the last three days everything changes every other hour."

Captain Emmanuel Adebayor tells that he and the team are now accepting the authority of their Government.

"This Friday at 1430, we were all dead on that bus. We sent our last messages to our families. We called our family to say our last words. I told myself: 'If you're still there on the ground in Angola, why not (play)?'

"The authorities decided we should return (home), so we will return."

He also tells of speaking to the teams of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, two of their group opponents, about the incident when his team mates and he were trapped under gunfire for half an hour on Friday.

"They expressed their support by saying they were ready to leave the competition if we did," he said.

"(But) at the end of the day, we realised that they were ready to continue. It is still a continent where a World Cup will take place in South Africa.

"If we speak of the dead, the competition should have been cancelled. But the Confederation of African Football (Caf) has decided otherwise.

"We're going back and we wish good luck to those who will remain, especially to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

"What I have told their leaders is that they may be attacked at any time in Cabinda. I hope they will be cautious."

Togo Government Withdraws From Africa Cup of Nations - Team Play on Updated

The armed attack on the Togo team coach yesterday, in which the driver, a press officer and assistant coach were killed and 2 players injured has led to their withdrawal from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Both the Angolan government and tournament officials spent the day persuading the players to stay for their group matches. But clearly the half hour under fire on their way the players are not prepared to play as their first choice keeper said:

"None of the team is ready to play, we're all devastated, everyone wants to go and see their family.

"We came here to take part in a festival of African football, but it's as if we've gone to war."

Team captain Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor said:

"It's a football game, it's one of the biggest tournaments in Africa and a lot of people would love to be in our position but I don't think anybody would be prepared to give their life.

"If I am alive I can still play football tomorrow and in one year maybe even another Cup of Nations but I am not ready to pass away now."

The Angolan Prime Minister had met with tournament officials and he office issued a statement which said:

"The prime minister considers the incident in Cabinda as an isolated act and repeated that the security of Togo's team and the other squads is guaranteed."

However, the problem is that although the civil war in Angola ended eight years ago the northern area of Cabinda still has an active guerrilla group. The oil rich region is where the Group B games featuring Togo Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Burkino Faso where to take place. The group Frente para a Libertação do Enclave de Cabinda have taken responsibility for the attack, so the players comments that they have gone to war is sadly close to the truth.

FIFA are obviously concerned about the incident with happened 15 minutes after the Togolese coach entered Angola from Congo. They have issued the following statement:

"Fifa and its president, Sepp Blatter, are deeply moved by today's incidents which affected Togo's national team, to whom they express their utmost sympathy," said a statement.

"Fifa is in touch with the African Football Confederation (CAF) and its president, Issa Hayatou, from which it expects a full report on the situation."

However, despite the Togolese manager calling for the entire tournament being called off it looks like it will be carrying on as scheduled tomorrow.

Meanwhile World Cup boss Danny Jordann is allaying fears that the June show piece in South Africa will also be affected. He says:

"It's nothing to do with it and I think everybody understands it has nothing to do with South Africa," he said.

"When there was a bomb in London no-one said we should not have 2012 in London so we cannot have double standards."

He is quite right of course the domestic incidents on one country of the World have nothing to do with another most of the time. An association by proximity is totally wrong.

UPDATED Whilst the Togolese government had withdrawn the team, the team themselves have decided that they want to stay in Angola to honour the three members of their party who died. Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi said:

"We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men.

"It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities."

Adding to this comment Grenoble midfielder Alaixys Romao added:

"We have just had a meeting of the whole delegation and we will be on the pitch on Monday to face Ghana."

Originally posted 9 January at 19:51

We All Stand United - Leeds That Is

Somewhat appropriately for me a Liverpool fan the last man to score a winning goal for Leeds United against Manchester United went on to play at Anfield. Here is that goal from 14 September 2002.



That though was at Elland Road in a Premier League clash. Jermaine Beckford's goal for the same 1-0 scoreline today came from a Division One Leeds United at Old Trafford.

As a Livingston fan I'm just sorry that Robert Snodgrass only got 13 minutes at the end of the game coming on after 77 minutes for Howson. Although he almost didn't need must more hitting the woodwork.

Snow New Year's Football in Scotland

I wouldn't have wanted to have to travel from Livingston to Berwick today with the weather the way it was. But it is one of the games that is off today in Scotland as a result of the weather.

In the SPL the Lanarkshire Derby Motherwell v Hamilton Accies is off.

Three of the first division games are off. The Fife derby between Dunfermline and Raith Rovers, the Queen of the South v Ayr United and in the Highlands Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Ross County. Dundee face a 10 o'clock pitch inspection tomorrow for their game against Airdrie.

With the national stadium at Hampden the last ground to be deemed unplayable in the lower league the entire Second and Third Division Programme is already off so that means no:

Div 2:

• Alloa v Stirling Albion
• Arbroath v Brechin City
• Cowdenbeath v Clyde
• Dumbarton v Stenhousemuir
• Peterhead v East Fife

Div 3:

• Berwick Rangers v Livingston
• East Stirling v Elgin City
• Montrose v Forfar
• Queen's Park v Albion Rovers
  
• Stranraer v Annan Athletic
  

So the New Years fixtures are decimated here north of the border. The pools panel will be sitting.

Rugby Men Really Do Make the Tough Calls

In the last week there have been two revelations from the tough men of Rugby Union. The first came from Scotland's Euan Murray who has refound his Christian faith and as such is not playing any rugby at any level on a Sunday. Then there was Gareth Thomas of Wales coming out as gay.

The former has made a decision passed on his personal belief and the later has made it known just who he happens to be. Neither of them should really have been headline grabbers yet somehow both are. For Euan it is following the footsteps of Eric Liddel or more recently Jonathan Edwards, but it is his decision and one he has taken which is being respected by his national coaches. As for Gareth as he himself says:

"I don't want to be known as a gay rugby player. I am a rugby player first and foremost. I am a man. I just happen to be gay. It's irrelevant. What I choose to do when I close the door at home has nothing to do with what I have achieved in rugby."

Indeed that is what we desire for all out sportspeople, their race, religious beliefs, sexuality should not be part of how they are remembered, it is what they do in the field of play that is and should always be important.

Yet the fact is that so few of our sportsmen are able to be honest, maybe with themselves, maybe with others that this is actually an issue, so much so that it startles some of the rest of the world. Of course rugby is far ahead of some of our other sports as far as making these choices seems to be respected and honoured. Not since Justin Fashanu has there been an openly gay footballer in this country, though the chances are that there are several out there. Also could you imagine a footballer going up to Alex Ferguson or any other manager and saying they'll not be playing any games on Sunday this season.

It is tougher being the first but it shouldn't be. Looking at the reactions of both the players respective coaches and organisations you see that maybe there is hope in the world of sport, of course the fans are another matter. I know full well how anti-gay some of the chants in a football crowd can be, and yes they are worse than your rugby crowd, but maybe they will actually act well once it is less of a novelty. But it is the aim that all sports fans should really be aiming for a normality for all their players.

Anti-Sports Personality Thierry Henry and more on Anti-Sectarianism

Tomorrow is the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, I'll be writing up my views on who I think deserves it most later. However, what I did see in the Grauniad today was an anti-sports personality of the year poll.

In reverse order the result was

Andre Agassi 1.7% for fessing up to using recreational drugs and admitting to hating tennis

Martin Johnson 2.2% for failing to admit England play dull rugby (as an Irishman I say keep it up, we'll take another Grand Slam or at least an English scalp)

Tiger Woods 2.3% for well those 'transgressions' which are tarnishing his image.

Sulaiman Al-Fahim 2.8% whose financial boasting was on a greater scale than Livingston's own Massone during his short ownership of Portsmouth FC.

Mike Ashley 7.2% for his disastrous running of Newcastle resulting in their relegation from the Premiership which even Alan 'God' Shearer couldn't divert in the last 8 games of last season.

Emmanuel Adebayor 7.7% for his incendiary goal celebration at Manchester City in front of his former clubs fans.

Dean Richards 9.7% for his part in Harlequins Rugby bloodgate scandal, and it wasn't to try and get in on the Twilight trend.

Flavio Briatore 12.3% for that race-fixing incident in Singapore I trust rather than all the leggy models.

Sepp Blater 25.7% for introducing seedings into World Cup play-offs which was deemed to be unfair.

Thierry Henry 28.4% for that handball.

The ultimate winner brings me to an interesting point. Recently Iain Dale posted an image on his blog, which I'm not going to link to, of Thierry Henry with a ball under his arm and an Orange sash over his shoulder.


Now I know that Iain is a football fan. I'm pretty sure he wholeheartedly backs the Show Racism the Red Card initiative to stop racist chants from the stand. I'm sure he is also behind the 2005 FA summit to aim to stamp out homophobic behaviour in football as well. So why then does he believe a sectarian football image is OK to publish on his blog?

Growing up in Northern Ireland, as indeed applies in Scotland the one question that kids ask each other is which team do you support. The answer in most cases can determine your religion pretty easily. My answers of Bangor, Liverpool and Livingston don't give the game away too much. But once the question is answered or not answered depending on who is asking the trouble can start. Supporting the wrong team can lead to bullying, physical violence or worse. It is not based in those areas merely on your support of the team but from that teams identification with one side of the religious divide.

As for the claims that all Northern Irish protestant football fans were glad that Henry's handball put the republic out that is also not true. Judging from my friends' online reaction to the news ALL my Irish friends of all sides, in both parts were up in arms about the blatant cheating that he got away with. Having supported the Irish team in USA '94 in the Irish pub across the road from work I can assure you it is one of those things that would have united all Irish football fans again. Indeed we came very close to getting both teams to South Africa next year which would have been something.

I was call 'sanctimonious so-and-so' in the comments on Iain's blog for raising my concerns about this issue and being bold enough to stand up against it. I'm not going to apologise. It is a real issue of concern.

It really is time to kick out bigotry in football.

It's Friday So......(Thiery Henry Special)

Well sorry I was not posting my usual 5PM Friday snippet for the last two weeks. Last week I had no t'internet. This week my little laptop has been playing up. However, as this weekend I'll be spending Saturday at the Lib Dem Blogger's Unconference in Edinburgh, I thought I better do my usual weekend tweet.

So courtesy of Dublin FM104 radio with a little help from Norwegian stars A-ha



For my non-Irish, or non-football following readers here is what has made the former Arsenal playing Ireland's most hated man. Having lost 1-0 to the French at Croke Park in Dublin. The Irish were in Paris for the second leg of the play off for the World. The got the equalising goal in normal time. But towards the end of the first period of extra time, the "hand of frog" incident occurred.



When the wife of Kevin Lang Edinburgh North and Leith Lib Dem PPC saw Thierry Henry over breakfast a few months back in their hotel, I know wish she's chopped off his left hand.

Rangers: What if? Worse Case Scenario

Here's an intriguing thought. I know Rangers Football Club are in financial difficulties following issues with their bankers Lloyds. They are looking at doing all they can in an attempt to stave off administration as a result, even considering a fire sale of the entire first team over the next 18 months. But my thought is what happens if they don't stop the worse?

I mean big teams have gone into Admin before now most notably Leeds. So what if Rangers were to do so? Being a supporter of a Scottish Club that has entered Administration I know what the precedent is that has been set. So if Rangers enter Administration will they face the same fate as Livingston, relegation to the lowest level of Scottish Football, with trips to Berwick, Montrose and Elgin to look forward to. Of course they'd also be guaranteed two trips to Hampden in the season to take on Queen's Park. Yeah Livingston are going to be at Hampden three times this season having already been there in the Scottish Cup to knock the hosts out last Saturday. But I digress.

If Rangers do go into administration and they are not relegated to the lowest tier, the owners of Livingston and indeed the creditors of wound up Gretna would have a case for a legal challenge that would throw the whole of Scottish football on its head. It would be challenged on the grounds of favoured status for the haves another for the have nots. I'm not even saying one rule for the rich one for the poor, Rangers's debt is £30m over 15 times what Livingston are said to have owed under Angelo Massone. So it would reek of the big cache of the Rangers name and any penalty not equivalent to the one that killed Gretna or the one that is disadvantaging Livingston's creditors would not go down well.

So after the precedent was set and voted on by a majority of the Scottish clubs who'd have thought that one half of the Old Firm may well have been next into the spotlight. I hope the worse doesn't happen this summer was a nightmare for me and all Livi fans, but if it does Scottish Football must be seen to be fair, no favourites.

My Garden Shed Another Footballing Day

Callum Leslie did warn the LYS readers that visiting my blog they would have to endure Livingston news well the news from my club recently it's been busy, its whinger gone and phenominal.

Yesterday there were three pieces of news in order:

• Almondvale was granted its Safety Certificate to host matches.
• The Livingston 5 consortium took control of the club from the Administrator (before the last piece of news was finalised.
• The SFL voted 16-10 in favour of upholding their earlier decision to relgate Livingston to Division 3 in Scottish Football.

Basically although the club did appeal immediately the SFL decision to the SFA to avoid too much more fixture confusion it look likes the club has been saved no matter what by the investors even if the fans will be singing a lot about the size of garden sheds*.

On a lighter note one of my fellow fans favourited this on You Tube and it is hilarious. See we are starting to laugh about it now, good sign.

*As in the chant:

My Garden shed, is bigger than this,

My Garden hed is bigger that this

It's got a door and a window

My Garden shed is bigger than this.

Time to Rethink a Rivalry Chant?

I feel we may need to change a terrace chant:

We are the Livingston FC,

We hate the Pars and we hate ******

The last word used to refer to the team at the west end of Tannadice Street who play in blue. Ever since Kachloulgate there has been a bitterness to the rivalry. However, while John Yorkson the Dunfermline Chairman may well indeed still be a bawbag* the same cannot be said of Dundee Chairman Bob Brannan.

He is prepared to look beyond the past like so many other SFL Chairman have, look to the future and realises:

"It's been suggested that Livingston could go out of business if they are relegated to Division Three, but that would be true for a good number of clubs."

"We have to try to help people who are trying to save football clubs, not obstruct them.

"Many Scottish clubs are technically insolvent. Lots of us - and I include Dundee - run at a loss and are only kept going by directors' donations and help from other benefactors.

"In the current economic situation, a lot of clubs are balancing on a financial tightrope."

He has also said regarding Livingston, their relegation to Division 3, the possible impending death of the club and their refusal to play until their appeal is heard:

"The people who are being punished here are Livingston's genuine fans.

"Not the people who got the club into his mess and are now away from there."

He also goes further to the issue of the £720,000 bond that Livingston had been asked to come up with initially to ensure that even if they failed to fulfil their Division 1 fixtures no club would be out of pocket.

"I can't think of too many SPL clubs who could come up with £720,000 at short notice."

"Celtic, St Johnstone and ourselves are the only clubs in the Scottish game that have paid a transfer fee this close season.

"Clubs just don't have cash and asking Livingston for a huge amount of money like that is just astounding."

It is refreshing to here the opinion of someone whose club have been a close rival on a number of occasions (including an cup tie that went to penalties at Dens Park) speak not acerbically with self interest like Jim Bannatyne of Airdrie.But Banner is looking out for the best interests of football and all Scottish clubs’ fans. Just like Spencer Fearn the Chairman of East Stirling who were also set to benefit from the relegation but who had said while supporting point deduction over relegation for Livingston:

"It's a complete farce and a resignation issue for every single person who made the decision to turn Scottish football into an embarrassment just three days before the start of the season."

Tomorrow is the day when the SFL yet again setting about are breaking their own rules by calling a meeting without 21 days notice to hear Livingston’s appeal that was only lodged on Friday of last week.

*Translation from the Scots for other readers: A scrotum.

How Much Time is Due Time SFL? And When?

SFL President Brown McMaster made the following ridiculous statement yesterday:

"If [Livingston had] appealed in due time, we'd have put the three games off, there's no question of that. But there comes a point when we need to make a call.

"we've done our best to avoid fixture chaos. Mr McGruther was asked he (was certain he) could fulfil all 36 fixtures in the First Division next season and he said, 'No'.

" We thought the lowest risk was to have them in the Third Division."

Looking at the time table of events you can see just how ridiculous this statement was.

Up until Wednesday of this week, when the team were relegated on a vote to Division Three, Livingston were still living in the hope that the agreement made with the SFL by Neil Rankine, Gordon MacDougall and Ged Nixon (on behave of the Livi for Life Supporters Trust) would hold firm. They had presented a business plan as requested by Monday and come up with a bond of £720,000 (the equivalent to 18 aways games' receipts at the top grossing First Division club). As a result there was no financial risk for the season on that agreement, the bond was there.

A club has 10 days to appeal any decision made by the SFL. So having been told on Wednesday, the options of both the perspective owners and Mazars the administrators had to be looked into on Thursday. On that day the club intimated to the SFL that they were prepared to honour their fixture against First Division Ross County, clearly an indication of the formal announcement on Friday that they were going to appeal the decision. How much more timely could the club have been. Should we have started to appeal the desicion of the SFL in advance of the meeting on Wednesday, is that what would have please Mr McMaster.

Also why is Mr McMaster asking Mr McGruther whether he can fulfill fixtures in Division One. Only last week that question was answered by the consortium, the SFL seemed pleased with the answer, although they were going to impose a bond.

McMaster has also aluded to the case of Hamilton nine years ago where the players refused to turn out against Stenhousemuir over a dispute about unpaid wages. The team that is now in the SPL were deducted 15 points on that occassion. But McMaster said:

"The circumstances are slightly worse that they were with Hamilton. This has been a calculated decision by the people in charge, by Donald McGruther, who's the club interim manager."

About the only thing I can agree with is that there have been calculated decisions being made. Reading a lot of the comments from people associated with Airdrie who are the chief beneficiaries of Livingston's demotion they are clearly self interested rather than Scottish football interested. I've also seen comments from sources within Dundee which clearly hint at the bitterness that they still feel over Livingston surviving in the SPL when they were demoted. Of course if they hadn't hit the post in the last minute and played better football it wouldn't have come to that.

As a fan of Livingston Football Club of course I'm sad at some of the things that previous owners of the club have done. Overspending at unsustainable levels (Keane), challenging the league with court action at every turn (Flynn) and well then you have Massone, heaven knows what has gone on there. But in the interests of football and those that love football what are the other clubs doing?

Many of the fans have bought the second most expensive First Division brief and would be low on a list of creditors to get their money back should the club go up. They now are facing the most expensive seat possibly in the Third Division.

How can a club with reportedly £1.8m debts hope to come out of that black hole with Third Division football. The league says they have set the precedent with liquidation procedures over Gretna. That may be so, and what exactly happened there, did those debts get paid off, did that team survive?

If like in English football the points deduction had been the only penalty then it would be football that decided the fate. The club would have struggled to stay up this year, but at least would have had a revenue stream to eat into the debts. Sure we may have dropped down to the second for 2010-11 but we'd have had a season to prepare for that rather than 3 days to prepare for Division Three football.

The one people who have allowed due time in all of this are the SFL themselves. At the end of last season they could have taken some action to ensure that Angelo Massone could have fulfilled the fixtures for next season. They could have demanded a bond off him to cover the costs, after all it is the seeming lack of money that anyone seems to have seen from that source that is the major problem. But no they have left the management of the league down to a goal mouth scramble in the last week before the season kicks off. Then seemingly expects the club they are taking action against to make instantaneous decisions as to what to do next.

How to pay off million pound debts? Relegate them to the bottom.

Last week the SFL demanded a bond of £720,000 (the equivalent of 18 away games at the highest grossing club) from the, then prospective, new owners of Livingston FC in order to fulfill their Division 1 football fixture. Neil Rankine, Gordon MacDougall and Ged Nixon had presented a plan to repay the debts that Angelo Massone had greatly ramped up over the last season.

Yesterday the other 29 league clubs consigned that possible way out of the financial blackhole to history as they relegated the team to Division Three football. The odd visit of Dunfermline and Dundee (no matter how much both sets of fans hate each other) or Partick were some of the money spinning fixtures that would have helped clear the debt.

So what is happening with the bond, is that still being requested, surely if it is it can not be expected at the same level? Also while the SFL are saying that this is the best hope for the club to survive what is going to happen with the potential owners? One of the parties at least is the fans of the club but what about the other two. At least they haven't immediately ruled it out MacDougall on leaving Hampden last night said:

"We've got to consider all the options that are open to us. It makes it very, very difficult, but let's see and go back and discuss it with an open mind."

So one man in refusing to move when all hope was lost, when all the fans were crying out for him to sell up and move on before liquidation kicked in. May yet after all have confined my team to death, as well as 'misplacing' the leased company car. Because no matter what happens now with two days before the first round of league games we have players on First Division salaries, compared to the opposition we have a full team on salary. As Ged Nixon says in today's West Lothian Courier:

"The SFL last Thursday gave us a clear indication that we were to prepare to play in the First Division next season. We were asked on Friday to prepare and submit a business plan by noon on Monday which we did based upon competing in the First Division.

"The value of the bond is the equivalent figure of 18 awa games at the highest grossing First Division club and everything has been geared towards First Division football .

"Our plans have all been geared towards First Division revenue and turnover while our playing pool is also of First Division size and standard and if we are relegated our finances might not stack up."

The team have been working around the clock in an attempt to save the club and to meet the requests of the SFL management team. They have also stumped up the bond which instead of being 2 aways game grosses for each of the opposition teams is 18 of the highest. The league was less that 72 hours away when the latest moving of the goalposts came from the SFL clubs.

Maybe as the interim manager of the club Donald McGruther of administrator Mazars said the action yesterday really is a final "death knell" to the Livingston. The worrying precedent was set when Gretna were demoted last summer, and went out of existence soon after. I'm hoping the omens of glum are wrong but after the joy of last week once again the roller coaster of fate is taking Livingston to the depths and we've yet to play our first league fixture of the season.

The fact that a football authority sees the best way for a club to survive within days of the kick off of a new season, pay off debts, fulfill contracts and fixtures is to drop them like this is that really the way to help? Surely the revenue stream needs to be maintained to meet debts run up at the level they were run up at. Only in that way, possibly will backers see any hope of recouping their investment in the long haul.