Neil Lennon asks SPFL to help Celtic, Rangers and Scotland...

[ian1964 10,724]

as they strive to improve standing of Scottish football

 

 

 

 

Neil Lennon wants the league’s governing body to help him, Steven Gerrard and Steve Clarke as they strive to improve the standing and reputation of Scottish football.

Lennon would like a sit-down with the SPFL to see if there is anything that can be done with the fixture schedule to aid the cause of both Celtic and Rangers in the Europa League, but mainly to help Scotland reach their first major tournament since 1998.

Lennon led his Celtic team to a stunning win over Lazio in Rome on Thursday night to qualify for the last 32 of the Europa League, and Rangers look to be on course to join them there after a brilliant win of their own over Porto at Ibrox.

The national team meanwhile have the huge Euro 2020 play-off fixtures looming in March, and when asked if he would like a meeting between the managers and the league’s governing body to give all three sides the best chance of success, Lennon said: "Yes. Predominantly for the national team more than anything else.

“Steve should get what he wants because the national team is a priority and these playoffs coming up are probably the most important games Scotland have had for a long time, so whatever he needs the authorities should give him what he wants, if it's the best for the national team for those games.”

 

Lennon knows that there are obstacles to altering the packed fixture schedule, but with Scotland’s co-efficient score creeping the nation closer to the all-important 15th position that would give the Premiership two Champions League places, he says the league should be doing everything in its power to make things easier for the clubs who are carrying that fight on the continent.

"You are battling with the TV companies as well because they want the early kick-offs,” he said.

“You are playing on a Thursday night and then you are in Aberdeen on Sunday for a 12.15 kick-off. Yeah we played well, got a great result, but it's still the players who have to go out and do the work and the fatigue or injury can cost you going forward.

“Sometimes, we need a little bit of help on that, there's no question of that.”

One of the by-products of Celtic's early qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa League is an easing of the workload on their players, with Lennon pleased to be able to rotate his squad for q hectic spell throughout December.

“It’s excellent for the club," he said. "For one thing, it takes away the anxiety of playing on Thursdays and Sundays.

"While we still want to finish on top of the group, there won’t be the same stress levels in the European ties and we can rotate a bit more.

“When you look at us having nine fixtures in December, that will help. We need to balance that."

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18026541.neil-lennon-asks-spfl-help-celtic-rangers-scotland-strive-improve-standing-scottish-football/

Edited November 11, 2019 by ian1964

[ian1964 10,724]

'Don’t help Rangers' Former SFA president George Peat reveals begging phonecall from top chairman

The Ibrox side faced Zenit St Petersburg in the 2008 UEFA Cup Final amid acrimony over fixture congestion.

Former SFA president George Peat has revealed he received a phonecall from a prominent club chairman begging him not to help Rangers "in any way".

Back in 2008 the Ibrox club had reached the UEFA Cup Final where they were preparing to face Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester.

But Walter Smith’s side faced a major fixture backlog as they fought on three separate fronts – the league and Scottish Cup as well as their European adventure.

Rangers played five games over 11 days that season and Scottish football’s authorities decided to help.

League bosses – the SPL as it was then – delayed the final day of the competition till after the European Final.

But it was not the extension Rangers had called for and figures such as Smith and David Murray reacted with fury.

 

Now Peat, who stepped down from the SFA presidency in 2011, has disclosed there was one unnamed club that simply did not want any assistance to be extended Rangers’ way.

In an interview with the BBC , Peat said: "One thing disappointed me from my time there.

"I remember Rangers got to the UEFA Cup Final in Manchester and I received a phonecall from a prominent chairman of a club requesting me not to help Rangers in any way.

"It just so happened I had already had a meeting with Lex Gold of the SPL. We were willing to extend the season because of the fixture pile-up Rangers had.

"And I was most disappointed to have got back to the office and receive this call. He asked me not to help them in any way.

"That really stuck in my throat. I just said 'no', I’m not doing it.

"The prominent club asked me not to and I refused. I’d rather not name the club."

Rangers lost to Zenit, finished behind Celtic in the league but won the Scottish Cup after defeating Queen of the South in the Final.

The league season ended on May 22 with the cup final taking place two days later.

Then-Ibrox chairman Murray said the rest of the football world would have reacted with "disbelief" at the decision not to postpone Rangers' clash with Dundee United ahead of the Euro final on May 14.

He said in 2008: "Throughout the world people will laugh at this decision in disbelief, and none more so than in Russia as their own association have done everything they can to assist FC Zenit St Petersburg.

"We were not asking that all games be called off, simply one match prior to such a prestigious European final.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dont-help-rangers-sfa-president-13261722

[compo 7,048]

John Reid ? .

[craig 5,199]

There are plenty reasons we should never forget OR forgive Scottish football for.

[craig 5,199]

Just now, compo said:

John Reid ? .

That was the rumour

[MacK1950 2,378]

Could easily have been Thomson of Arabs infamy.

[ranger_syntax 4,329]

Neither Rangers nor Celtic need any help from the S.F.A. or S.P.F.L.

 

The other teams can't compete at the moment.  How do we expect them to compete if the fixtures get re-arranged to help Rangers and Celtic?

 

As for the national team,  I couldn't care less about them.  If the fixtures change to help them then I will be most disappointed.

 

I suspect Lennon is more concerned about having several first team players in the Scotland team.

 

[der Berliner 3,747]

2 hours ago, MacK1950 said:

Could easily have been Thomson of Arabs infamy.

Only that he and his club are insignificant and would not have gained as much as the club that "shall not be named".

 

2008 is when sporting integrity went out of the window ... where it was raped in 2012 by moon howlers living there.

Edited November 10, 2019 by der Berliner

[Frankie 8,570]

Reduce the headline sizes please!!!!

[compo 7,048]

1 hour ago, Frankie said:

Reduce the headline sizes please!!!!

As an older person and not very good with computer speak , what does reduce the headline sizes mean