Amid further recrimination at the heart of Scottish football in the wake of the collapse of league reconstruction, the Scottish FA stepped in Wednesday night and "offered to mediate in an attempt to bring an end to the bitterness and impasse between some rival clubs," according to Tom English of the SCOTSMAN. The association said that "if the clubs want the SFA to get involved, then it will request a mandate" from the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League to try to bring the parties together, "a move supported by a number of SFL clubs" as well as St. Mirren Chair Stewart Gilmour who, along with Ross County Chair Roy MacGregor, voted down the 12-12-18 proposal on Monday. A statement from Hampden said, "The Scottish FA's rules -- and the respective rulebooks of the league bodies -- do not allow for the governing body, or any external body, to 'take control' of a separate company in possession of commercial contracts worth millions of pounds. However, if it is truly the will of the clubs, the Scottish FA is prepared to get involved and act in the best interests of the national game." When asked on Monday about the possibility of the SFA being invited in to try to steer a new path, SPL CEO Neil Doncaster said that "his member clubs would probably find it hard to accept, given that it calls for a suspension of its rulebook in order for the SFA to get the mandate it needs." It is "wholly premature -- and possibly futile"-- to speculate as to what the SFA's external body might look like, "but the feeling is that it should be headed by a visionary from outside Scotland." Clearly the association believes, as do many onlookers, that "little mutual respect has been on show since Monday as various factions attempt to tear strips off each other in public and in private." The SFA said, "It should be remembered that 10 out of 12 top-flight clubs voted in favor of change" (SCOTSMAN, 4/18).
POWER STRUGGLE: In London, Roddy Forsyth wrote in the aftermath of stinging condemnation from Pittodrie Chair Stewart Milne -- who branded St. Mirren as "selfish" when it and Ross County voted against a 12-12-18 division format -- his Paisley counterpart, Gilmour, "threatened to sue anybody who alleged that his club had an agenda which favored Rangers." Gilmour, Vice-chair George Campbell and Dir Bryan McAusland invited the media into their boardroom -- "to look into the whites of our eyes and ask why we did what we did." The question of Rangers and "dark hints from other clubs" that St. Mirren was in cahoots with Rangers CEO Charles Green to mutual benefit "was inevitably prominent." Gilmour "spoke about an atmosphere of intimidation." Gilmour: "There was an arrogance and bullying throughout the meeting which, for me, was unacceptable. ... I'd like somebody to sit down and explain to me exactly what we've ruined. What was so fantastic about these proposals? I don't see it, and I don't think Roy MacGregor sees it either" (TELEGRAPH, 4/18). In Glasgow, Dave Bohill wrote Gilmour branded Doncaster a £200,000 ($305,700)-a-year CEO "without power." Gilmour also revealed that "he wouldn't hire Doncaster to head up any new league." Gilmour: "Neil's now in a very difficult position, and I certainly wouldn't want to be in his shoes, not even for £200,000 a year. Why would you want to be the chief executive in an organization where you had no vote at meetings or any real power?" (DAILY RECORD, 4/18).
