Andy’s Sting In The Tale (07/03/25) “At Long Last Some Welcome News”

Date: 7th March 2025

(Photo:@Homesoffootball)

At Long Last Some Welcome News

In an ever darkening, chaotic and contradictory world there was some good news on three fronts for Scottish fans this week.

1. Free to Air Scotland Matches
The semi-collapse of Viaplay, the uber-ambitious Scandi Broadcaster, who had overbid in the last Uefa auction to broadcast all live Scottish National Men’s Team matches until the next World Cup has allowed good old Auntie Beeb to squeeze into the frame, grab a fire sale bargain and now all 14 Scotland matches will be shown free to air.

This is a welcome development.
But don’t be fooled.
It is not the end of the ‘Pay Per View vs Free to Air’ argument.

And as it stands Home Nations International matches do not have the governmental protection that is needed.
Without it when Uefa convene their next auction for the Nations League and Euros the SFA will simply tick the Uefa box that says ‘Sell to the highest bidder, please’ and hide behind the process.
A process which they can change at any time.
If they want.
It comes down to money.Maybe, just maybe there is a hint of a chink of light from the 6th floor and possibly a realisation that the reason 90% of Uefa countries have ‘Free to Air’ matches is because it is seen as being good for the game in their countries.Here’s what Ian Maxwell said from this week’s press release and please note my italicised and emboldened para at the base.

“Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell is “delighted” that the men’s national team will be televised on a free-to-air basis on the BBC.

Ian said, “It complements the BBC’s existing coverage of the Scotland women’s national team and, beyond that, their overall commitment to the domestic game in this country.”

“We thank Viaplay for their support to this point. When it became apparent the rights could become available, we championed the potential for ‘free-to-air’ coverage to reach as many Scotland supporters as possible and we are grateful that BBC and Uefa could reach agreement.“

This can has been kicked down the road for a while but it has not gone away and next time we will make it all political again.
Big thanks to Gavin Newlands, Gillian MacKay, Rose Reilly, The Tartan Army and all at the SFSA for fighting the good fight on everyone’s behalf.

2. Rangers European Heroes

I didn’t foresee the win in Istanbul and neither did anyone else I’ve spoken with including serial bluenose pals, one of whom was there.
It’s good for the fans, the club and our Scottish co-efficient.
And truly baffling having watched their recent games.
Good luck at Ibrox on Thursday.

3. SPFL Action on Pyros

Like almost everyone who reads Sting I became interested in football long before anyone thought taking pyros into matches was a good idea or part of the package.
I was interested in football because it was football.

Cup final displays add to SPFL pyro charges against Celtic & Rangers - BBC Sport

Pyros are dangerous to everyone and that is why they are illegal.
Innocent fans don’t want them.
The same ordinary fans who the masked pyro hoodies bully out of their seats for their anonymised displays.
Predictable actions from the mobs especially at away games that then scare many fans away from coming back.
And more disturbingly regular bad behaviours that have escalated and have now encouraged a kind of mob rule which prevails in some clubs at the expense of non-involved fans who just want to watch the match and support their teams.So this week’s move by the SPFL to punish fans by cutting future ticket allocations is a start.
Albeit a slow one.
I’d say it will have to ratchet up big time to work, and I hope the resolution at the SPFL stays strong until the penalties become Draconian.
Maybe then self-styled ultra fans will realise some coloured smoke and sparklers on coke are just not worth the trouble, the expense or the exclusion.

Andy’s Sting in the Tale

1. World Cup(s) Coming to Scotland?
2. Infantino and Trump Want Who? Back in the Fold
3. Who Pays the Polismen?
4. Beer Heading for the Lower Levels?
5. Can We Learn from Oceania
6. Was Platini Nobbled?
7. The Appeal of Jenni Hermoso

1. Women’s First, Men’s Next?

(Photo: The Deck)

Looks like a serious bid is being considered for the 2035 Women’s World Cup and as part of the same nod and wink the men’s sometime in the 2040s.
It’s a four home nations bid although as of now Norn Irn need a stadium.
Not sure why Ireland are not part of it too.And did you know the plan is for the quasi-peripatetic World Cup in 2030 to expand to 64 Nations.
West German in 1974 had just 16 teams so we’ve reached the last 16 at least once.Maybe stuff like this being conducted behind the scenes at the highest level explains why we’re so outwardly silent as a nation when we sit in Fifa meetings and why there is no pre or post discussion apart from behind closed doors.
Maybe there is a plan?
Maybe not.

2. Vlad to Sponsor Fifa and Uefa?

It’s just a matter of time till Infantino and his new bestie King Donald of Mar-a-Lago bring their other bestie Mr Putin and his national and domestic teams back out of the isolation caused after Ukraine unnecessarily allowed themselves to be invaded and have territory stolen.
Here are some soundbites from Gianni and they are prophetic.

“Donald Trump brings peace and unity”.
“Football is the No 1 sport in the world and we have to bring everyone to the table”.
“We want to have all the countries playing”.

I have a sneaky feeling that Russia and King Donald are linked deeper and in more ways than we know, for now.

3. Should it Be Ordinary Taxpayers?

Man charged after woman assaulted before Hampden cup tie - BBC News

As of now the bills for polis outside and around big games and also over-exuberant displays of fan affection and the trashing of George Square are picked up by the public purse.
By everyone including non fans.
At a time when local government can’t cope and when budgets everywhere are being frozen and cut, Chief Constable Mark Roberts, Chair of the UK Football Policing Unit said, “It is wrong that teams can spend millions on transfers and wages but only foot part of the bill for officers”.I can’t disagree with what he is saying. Maybe football’s extraordinary free run will be coming to an end sometime soon?
That would hurt our biggest clubs.4. Just a Debate for Now

Scottish Rugby posts £11.3m loss, targets profit in 2027 - BBC Sport

Tomorrow fans at Scotland v Wales at Murrayfield can enjoy teas, coffees, food and wines and beers watching the match.
Rugby sees it as a day out and wants to part us with as many of our pound notes as it can.Football is part of the same entertainment industry and competes for both leisure time and downstream revenues but with one hand tied behind it’s back.I can guarantee if drinks were allowed at Elgin v Forfar it would not cause public disorder.
So this week’s announcement by Police Scotland about having sensible discussions around the subject is to be welcomed.
Fans broadly approve but also realise that it will be a long time before alcohol is served at a Glasgow derby.
Horses for courses.
And isn’t it a sad indictment of what has become acceptable behaviour at some clubs over the years.

5. Oceania Thinking Bigger

Oceania is a far, far away equivalent of Uefa and includes Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua NG, Samoa and others.
There are now new plans for a new 8 team pro football league across the area and 24 teams have applied for the league due to kick off next year.
I like the idea of small countries working together to offset the problems that their restricted size causes.

Maybe Scotland, Ireland, and Scandinavia are watching with interest.

6. Who Took Platini Out?

Sepp Blatter & Michel Platini appeals against bans rejected - BBC Sport

The Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini corruption appeal started this week.
I’ve always wondered who took Michel out with the corruption allegations.
Yes they are all in Fifa and probably Uefa too for what it delivers personally but ask yourself who stood to gain the most from Michel Platini’s absence.
The Baldy man himself who has flourished in the vacuum and has a house in Qatar for his winter holidays.

7. Good Luck Jenni against the Ex Accies Defender Rubiales

Jenni Hermoso intends to appeal in Luis Rubiales World Cup kiss case - reports - BBC News

Jenni is not just appealing that the verdict was just a wee smack with a wet dock leaf.
Her lawyer is accusing the judge of being guided by the establishment and is asking for a re-trial.
The kiss was wrong, for sure, but the real crime was the post smacker coercion and the initial closing of ranks.
Too many eyes are now watching this one now so we are all Jenni Hermoso.

Andy’s Sting is:

A weekly column about stuff and football that has a growing regular readership of fans in more countries than I’ll ever visit.
I don’t like what is happening to our game at the top and feel money has usurped any pretence at sporting merit as an ethos.
Money and power increasingly dominate what was a working class game in our industrial cities.
Combined and unchallenged they are indeed a curse.

As always, any opinions are mine and like John Maynard Keynes I reserve the right to change my mind if I get better information.

Andy’s Album of the Week

Steely Dan’ Finest Album

Many of you found my choice of Steely Dan’s ‘The Royal Scam’ last week appropriately funny at a time when Sir Keir was mirroring the album title during his meeting with King Donald of Mar-a-Lago.
I rashly said I would reveal and feature my favourite Steely Dan album this week and that binary choice has proved as hard as when Hearts were due to play ICT at Tynecastle in the 4th round of the Scottish cup in January 2003.
My two teams, used to live in different spheres, worlds apart so it was OK to support both.
I genuinely didn’t know who I wanted to win on the day.
But sitting with my two boys and various pals in maroon, when the championship team’s player, Ross Tokely, hit a 20 yard screamer to open the scoring on the way for an underdogs 3-1 win I knew why my team really were.

Anyway, it was easy enough to identify my top three SD albums, ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’, ‘Pretzel Logic’ and ‘Aja’, and this week I’ve been revisiting them and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ was their first and there is a rawness, and edginess that comes from Becker and Fagen still not being sure where the whole thing was heading.
It is still remarkably current.
(And none of us know where the hell we’re heading to anyway).

‘Pretzel Logic’ is more mature, more tightly produced, jazzier and a classic piece of work.

And ‘Aja’, lauded by most rock critics as their ultimate work was what I thought I’d be featuring today.
It’s the peak of the Steely Dan project.
But I’m thrawn.
My favourite Steely Dan album after a week dominated by listening to these three brilliant albums for the first time in yonks is their edgier, first album, ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’.

Becker and Fagen had met 2 or 3 years before in The Red Balloon coffee shop near Bard College in New York and were part of various college bands including ‘Leather Canary’ with Chevvy Chase as their drummer.
Somehow they shortly after became staff writers at ABC Records in LA and after a couple of years ‘Can’t Buy a Thrill’ was the outcome.

It was and remains a great album and ‘Do it Again’ and ‘Dirty Work stand out still.

But listen to all three.

Posted in: Andy’s Sting in the Tale, Latest News

Andy’s Sting In The Tale (07/03/25) “At Long Last Some Welcome News”

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