From: mcsbc2gw@dct.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Uniteds' principles
Date: 27 Jan 93 08:40:25 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology

FERGUSON : NOBODY DOES IT BETTER.

The Duncan Ferguson saga being discussed in Scotland has been escalated 
out of all proportion. What started as a simple relegation to the reserves
due to poor form, has become a transfer saga with a war of words being
bitterly exchanged between the player, the agent, Mr McLean and Mr Murray.
Wether he moves or not is a separate question, but the fact is that
the player himself has broken numerous disciplinary measures on more than
one occassion and is now persueing a course of action to recover some of 
those fines by challenging the clubs' disciplinary system.

This system was drawn up by the senior players with the management and, 
was agreed on by the entire playing staff at Tannadice, Ferguson
included. The whole aim was to ensure that conduct on and off the park
was befitting a professional player in this country. Unfortunately, this 
season has seen a marked rise in the number of red cards at Tannadice 
together with bookings which are also up. This is a worrying trend but at 
least the players know by now how to conduct ones' self as a professional
on the field of play.

The main point of this article is how the journalists have handled this
situation. It has turned out to be as welcome as a Celtic fan in the Rangers
End during an Old Firm game! The clubs' good name, a reputation preserved
since the early 60's, has been called into question and our chairman/manager
is also called a liar on two fronts. McLean is many things, but one thing 
he isn't is a liar. Since he became manager, he has demanded and given 
complete honesty from his players at all times. He has fallen out with many 
players, accusing them of rocking the boat, but at all times he has been 
seen to be fair and also protects a players' right to confidentiatley.

He even put his job on the line when he resigned in 1988 because he had 
brought shame on the club by incurring the wrath of the SFA disciplinary 
committee. He withdrew his offer when it turned out that most Arabs pleaded
with him to stay. For this man to publicly announce he was wrong in saying
a bid wasn't received for Ferguson from Rangers is typical of the man and
he deserves praise for keeping the clubs fans in the picture. Instead he
gets harsh treatment from the media, which he has a love-hate relationship 
with, and gets headlines like, "McLean : I'm a liar", "McLean reveals the 
truth" from Scotlands' gutter press who are only interested in selling news
papers rather than reporting facts. 

Why didn't the same press entitle David Murrays' revelations on Saturday, 
over a confidential matter, as "Illegal approach made", "Rangers guilty of
poaching"? Simple, Rangers are a west coast Glasgow side, these papers are
printed in Glasgow, therefore, since Glasgow is a big city, papers have
to be sold and what attracts the public eye more than a juicy bit of 
misceif making? 

Also, these papers have now made a public slur on McLeans' character by
calling him a cheat, fibber and liar. Obviously, the Conservative Paper, 
the Sun, is no stranger to the libel courts and McLean should sue them
for deformation of character, but then McLean is not like the grotty 
journalists who work for this rag and it should not surprise anyone if 
he doesn't sue but instead tries to rescue what is left of his clubs'
reputation.

Dundee United are not as big a club as Rangers but then, they've had
over 110 years to compile their image since they were in at the start of
the Scottish League and as such, have always been in the top division.
United meanwhile are relatively young(formed 1910 changed name in 1923) and
we have had to scrape through some lean times, our 1st team had to
play a season in the Scottish Reserve league at one stage due to lack of
funds. Rangers have never been poor financially, but they are poor morally
since the vast bulk of their support only support the team because they
are strictly protestant and, before Mo Johnstones' brief stay, pursued a
course of signing and playing protestant players. Some Rangers fans will even
travel from Dundee and the surrounding areas to watch Rangers play, strictly
due to the fact that they are a protestant club. These fans are born and 
bred Dundonians but because of the image of Rangers, they would rather pay 
extra money just to see Rangers play. Celtic also have the
same effect on Catholics, even at present when they are well below their best.

United have never had that burden but in 80 odd years of Scottish League 
membership, their best years came in the late seventies / early eighties 
just after the arrival of Mr McLean and the highest their support has ever 
been was in 1988-89 when their average attendance was nearly 13,000. Now, 
although they share Dundees' footballing support with neighbours Dundee, in
a city of approx  177,000 people, we should at least attract 20,000 to each
home gate. This is lost revenue to United and a huge gain to Rangers who 
don't really need the extra 10,000 they get from this area every week.
This is what fundamentally is wrong with Scottish Football, greed, fans
hungrey for success, and bigotry. I do not wish to say that all fans aren't
bigotted but consider this..........................

If most people in Scotland are affected by religous bigotry, then how
can our refs be impartial when given the choice, they may favour one
side more than the other. If these decisions were restricted to even one
advantageous decisions to that side during every game(i.e. they score from
the dispute) and this is multiplied by the number of home league games we 
play, it is easy to see that 20 odd points per season could be accumulated.
It is easy to see that this maybe influential to a clubs' final league 
position. Hard men are part and parcel of the game but they should not
go out to cripple the oppositions' players (ala Vinnie Jones, John Brown,
Craig Leven). If we want to we can get rid of many of our problems by 
banning sine die anyone found of delibarate foul play or constant
vicious tackling. Hackers have no place in the modern game and should
be kicked out. Agents are another specisis to have evolved during the
lifespan of the game, these people should be castrated at birth since they
offer nothing but trouble. They claim to represent the players' interests, 
but we have Tony Higgins mob to do that(SPFA). If most players realised
how much an agent can earn off them, they would sack them on the spot
and start to recover the real meaning of the game. 

Pele would weep if he saw the state of the game and
the manner in which it is played in Scotland. It is like a war, it is after
all only a game but some people would prefer it if it was a war.

Being an Arab(i.e. Dundee United supporter) you may think this view
is kind of baised and fellow Arabs may not agree with me but freedom of
speech is central to a free society, if you don't like what I say or
write, then thats' fine by me. I love constructive arguments but I cannot
condone some of the language which has been directed at myself during my time
on the r.s.s. newsgroup. As I say, Sticks and Stones may break my bones but
names will never hurt me. 


Graeme Wright
at Dundee Institute of Technology
(formerly Bell Street Tech)
Bell Street
Dundee

e-mail : cbs%uk.co.mcsbc2gw
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