NEWS that common sense might prevail in the matter of two football semi-finals was welcomed yesterday by fans, clubs, communities, police officers and doubtless even train operators.
However, the revelation that one of the Betfred League Cup games could be moved to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield stadium, instead of having both played on the same day at Hampden in Glasgow, only served to draw attention to the fact that the whole imbroglio was caused in the first place by Scottish football’s governing bodies appearing to be at loggerheads with each other.
The original decision to play both games on the same day at the same venue was greeted with widespread dismay. For one of the clubs, Aberdeen, the decision was “appalling”, not least because its fans would have trouble making the kick-off. Hearts, meanwhile, said it was “madness”. The Scottish Police Federation said it was “idiotic”. Local residents and pub owners feared the worst. Scotrail complained it was not consulted.
However, the Scottish Professional Football Association (SPFL) said its hands were tied by a contractual obligation to Hampden Park Limited (HPL), which precluded one of the ties being played at Murrayfield. The stance seemed achingly legalistic, with little concern for fans’ interests and community safety.
Then, yesterday afternoon, it emerged that the Scottish Football Association had now told the SPFL that its legal obligations to HPL had been waived. Which begs the question: who had cited these obligations in the first place? What game do the SFA and SPFL think they are playing, while the fans look on as bewildered spectators? Fans feel their interests have been ignored, as have those of public safety and community convenience, while governing bodies are at sixes and sevens with each other. All that has resulted is the intensification of a feeling that the time has come for our football authorities to be made more accountable to fans and communities – and less to their own confused and confusing bureaucratic interests.
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