Will SFA's call for FIFA election postponement backfire

[Keith_M]

In East Germany, for forty years, every citizen was duty bound to vote for one of the candidates standing for election as president. The fact that there was only ever ONE candidate was neither here nor there, it was quite obviously 'democratic'.

Sepp Blater has just re-enacted this scenario, acting like one of the Eastern European dictators of old. I'm quite sure that he won't be the least bit pleased that some national associations, Scotland and England among them, made the quite extraordinary request that perhaps the election should be postponed until there was actually more than one candidate to vote for.

Does anyone think there will be some kind of payback to those he views as having opposed him? For instance, will the rights of the Home Nations to field separate teams now be in danger?

What do you all think?

[Beefster]

In East Germany, for forty years, every citizen was duty bound to vote for one of the candidates standing for election as president. The fact that there was only ever ONE candidate was neither here nor there, it was quite obviously 'democratic'.

Sepp Blater has just re-enacted this scenario, acting like one of the Eastern European dictators of old. I'm quite sure that he won't be the least bit pleased that some national associations, Scotland and England among them, made the quite extraordinary request that perhaps the election should be postponed until there was actually more than one candidate to vote for.

Does anyone think there will be some kind of payback to those he views as having opposed him? For instance, will the rights of the Home Nations to field separate teams now be in danger?

What do you all think?

I don't think that it'll make much difference. I'd rather an SFA that did the 'right thing' than one that just kowtowed because it was worried about the consequences.

[BEEJ]

Does anyone think there will be some kind of payback to those he views as having opposed him? For instance, will the rights of the Home Nations to field separate teams now be in danger?

What do you all think?
Not immediately - that would be too obvious.

But in the fullness of time I'm sure it will become an issue.

[clerriehibs]

In East Germany, for forty years, every citizen was duty bound to vote for one of the candidates standing for election as president. The fact that there was only ever ONE candidate was neither here nor there, it was quite obviously 'democratic'.

Sepp Blater has just re-enacted this scenario, acting like one of the Eastern European dictators of old. I'm quite sure that he won't be the least bit pleased that some national associations, Scotland and England among them, made the quite extraordinary request that perhaps the election should be postponed until there was actually more than one candidate to vote for.

Does anyone think there will be some kind of payback to those he views as having opposed him? For instance, will the rights of the Home Nations to field separate teams now be in danger?

What do you all think?

I think it's likely - but painted so as not to look like a punishment.

There's been mutterings for years that FIFA aren't as transparent as they should be.

So dry yer Eyes, England. The English FA has never seen fit to act before - but they lose out on a World Cup, and now they lead a crusade (or make a feeble attempt to start one) in an attempt to cleanse FIFA.

The Scottish FA should choose its battles carefully - blindly following the English FA into this shouldn't be one of them. If the English had started something before, without having a different axe to grind, then fine. But much of the rest of the world just sees them as moaning minnies.

And maybe we should be asking; did Stewart Regan (born County Durham) do this in the interests of the Scottish FA ... or because he was born in County Durham?

[PatHead]

I find the whole "England sorting out the corrupt world" very hypocrytical. If their member of the board had abstained rather than voted for England during the WC bid I may have had sympathy but they are as bad as the rest of them. I hope we didn't just cowtow to England but fear the worst for our feeble SFA.

Hope it all changes tomorrow after the SFA meeting but still fear we will be left with a bunch of blazers who do whatever the infirm tell them to as long as they get a freebie out it.

[basehibby]

In East Germany, for forty years, every citizen was duty bound to vote for one of the candidates standing for election as president. The fact that there was only ever ONE candidate was neither here nor there, it was quite obviously 'democratic'.

Sepp Blater has just re-enacted this scenario, acting like one of the Eastern European dictators of old. I'm quite sure that he won't be the least bit pleased that some national associations, Scotland and England among them, made the quite extraordinary request that perhaps the election should be postponed until there was actually more than one candidate to vote for.

Does anyone think there will be some kind of payback to those he views as having opposed him? For instance, will the rights of the Home Nations to field separate teams now be in danger?

What do you all think?

Interesting point as, up to now, Blatter has been happy enough to maintain the status quo re the home nations despite pressure to do otherwise from some quarters.

In a straightforward idealistic sense though, I feel that the SFA did the right thing in backing their English counterparts' abstention as it is plainly ridiculous to hold a leadership "election" with only one candidate, and makes it obvious just how much of a bunch of self serving back scratchers FIFA really are when only a handful of nations objected to the lack of any opposition to Blatter in this election (and this on the back of major enquiries over corruption which involved Blatter and saw his only opponents withdraw).

It will be interesting to see what Blatter does in the wake of this challenge as it will maybe give a real indication as to the true nature of the man. If he trully is a self serving corrupt individual then he will no doubt take the huff and change his stance because of this challenge to his authority. If he is a man of principal then the actions of the FA/SFA on this single matter should make little difference to his opinions on the rights of the home nations to exist independantly.