Due to the continued silence of 90% of the non Old Firm clubs in the SPL, I have taken the decision today to have one last throw of the dice. I have decided to go right to the top. And no, I haven't written to the SFA or SPL. I'm not nearly stupid enough to think that would do any good.
So far I have written to:-
- The 10 non Old firm Clubs - I have heard back from only 1 that has received the petition.
- Newspaper journalists - Only Stuart Bathgate (Scotsman) replied to me, although Tam Cowan did mention the petition in his Daily Record column before I contacted him.
- Radio journalists - Only Mark Donaldson (Talk107) sent me a reply, although I believe that Tom Miller mentioned it on his show (I'm too far north to hear it).
- The Office of Fair Trading - Got a nice reply from them, but due to the clubs having the choice to sell the tickets direct, there is nothing they can do.
So, with that in mind, I have taken the decision to contact ther First Minister Alex Salmond. I have emailed a letter and a copy of the petition to him today in the faint hope that he might have something to say about it.
Interestingly enough, as I was composing the letter to him, I came across this Enterprise and Culture Committee Report from 2005. Below is a passage copied and pasted directly from it.
Finances
10. The Committee recognises the need to secure the long-term financial viability of football clubs in Scotland. We note the many innovative ideas for achieving this goal that were set out in the evidence we received, such as a review of broadcasting revenue, the introduction of wage and/or squad caps and a sharing of match receipts between the home and away clubs (paragraphs 67 to 94). The Committee agrees that decisions on whether to implement these ideas are a matter for the clubs and the appropriate authorities within football, but that all must work towards the financial stability of the game.
Have another little read of the part in bold text. Are Rangers and Celtic REALLY expecting us to believe that this 5% charge is working "towards the financial stability of the game"???
As always. I will keep you updated on any and all responses that I get regarding the petition.
Cheers, youngy
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