Henry McLeish happy with pace of Scottish football reform

[ian1964 10,720]

Henry McLeish is satisfied that significant progress has been made regarding his recommendations to reform Scottish football.

 

"More progress has been made in the last six months than in the last 60 years," said former First Minister.

 

"In both reports 103 recommendations were made and they are now being implemented in one way or another.

 

"It's a major step forward for a game experiencing major challenges. There has been significant progress."

 

The results of McLeish's report, commissioned in 2009 and presented last year, were unanimously approved at the Scottish Football Association's annual general meeting six months ago.

Continue reading the main story

 

We are moving in the right direction. The message today is that tremendous progress is being made

 

Henry McLeish

 

"The SFA realised something significant and substantial had to be done," said McLeish, six months on from that vote," said McLeish.

 

Of those 103 recommendations, McLeish said that 27 have been completed, 71 are in progress, and five have yet to be started.

 

However, he stressed that the full benefits of his changes may not be apparent for some time, but that the game in Scotland should see tangible results in three or four years.

 

"We are building for the long term. That's the sensible way for Scotland to move," said McLeish.

 

"We are moving in the right direction. The message today is that tremendous progress is being made.

 

"We are exceeding expectations from when I took this on. It's not just a short-term response to the report but long-term rebuilding.

 

"If we are going to make changes we have to get it right."

 

McLeish was heavily critical of the SFA in his report, saying that the organisation "lacks coherence, focus and a sense of overall purpose, is ill-equipped to deal with current problems and has failed to plan effectively for the future."

 

He also recommended that the three authorities - SFA, Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League - should look to streamline, and that the SPL be reduced to 10 teams.

 

Another key point was that the SFA and government had to find £500m to solve what he described as a "crisis" in the Scottish game in terms of facilities and infrastructure.

 

BEEB

[Guest Dutchy]

That comparing 6 months to 60 years is a bit OTT.

 

What direction is this movement in BTW? I'm not convinced that all the money riches from TV have done anything to improve the game. In fact, there's many who would argue that it's destroyed our youth and scouting systems.

[GovanAllan 0]

I don't know about most of that report but I can tell you the Pro youth system is messed up.