Former Hamilton chairman Ronnie MacDonald on "in-fighting in Scottish football"

[StewGer 606]

Ronnie MacDonald bemoans in-fighting in Scottish football

Former Hamilton chairman Ronnie MacDonald says what he describes as "in-fighting in Scottish football" as "absolutely embarrassing".

MacDonald, who has been involved in the Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League in recent years, fears fans are becoming disillusioned.

And he feels self-interest is at the root of the problem.

"Everybody's at everybody else's throat. Nobody's speaking for the fan," MacDonald told BBC Scotland.

"What's happening to fans at various clubs just now is absolutely disgusting.

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The link between the fans and the club has been broken in many, many places.

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Ronnie MacDonald

"Surely we can see Scottish football going down the pan. Where's the fun? On every front, we're under attack.

"The fun and the passion's gone out of football and all these politcal chairmen have kicked things about. 'Here's the chance, Rangers are down, let's get them'. It's absolutely pathetic.

"We've got a structure that works perfectly well. We've got expert people, we should listen to them.

"Every single agenda that's coming out is all about how it affects each individual club, which is nonsense. We've got to say, 'What is the best for Scottish football?'"

MacDonald insists Scottish Football Association president Campbell Ogilvie and chief executive Stewart Regan as well as Scottish Premier League chairman Ralph Topping are "the best calibre we've ever had" and has urged clubs to support the game's leaders.

"I take the view that they're the chiefs, they set the map, we try to follow them and that's how business works," he said. "You get good people in and you take their advice.

"The situation we've got in Scottish football, and I include the Scottish Football League, is that they should be seen as the chiefs and point the way for us. We should take their advice and back them.

RONNIE MACDONALD

Became Hamilton Accies chairman in 2003 when side were in Scottish Second Division

Accies won promotion to First Division following year

Promotion to top flight was secured with First Division title triumph in 2008

Club relegated to First Division in 2011

Stepped down in 2012 and passed chairmanship onto Les Gray

"Unfortunately, every chairman in the SFL and the SPL think that they're Chief Sitting Bull and that's the problems. We've got chiefs everywhere and not any Indians."

The 10 non-Old Firm SPL clubs are pushing for change to voting rights in the top flight, a move that has come since Rangers entered administration.

"I'm old fashioned," added MacDonald. "I believe, when you sit on the SPL board, what happens on the SPL board stays there. Others don't take that view.

"Everybody can give a bit and we can't have 10 people meeting in a room and leaving Celtic outside the room. We can't have discussions about whether Rangers' administrators can vote on something else.

"We all need each other and we've all got to give a bit, but we must get this sorted soon and there's got to be one league.

"The SFL is full of people that have also got interests and, if you put a mic in front of them or a photo opportunity, it makes their day. We've got to get away from this.

"The link between the fans and the club has been broken in many, many places.

"I think what's happening at Rangers, personally speaking, is disgusting; the way the fans have been left out of every decision-making process.

"Whether it's Rangers or Hearts or some of the other clubs that are rumoured to be in a state, I just think it's all wrong."

Not sure about his comments on Regan and Topping but all in all I like this fella.

[Creampuff 22,628]

Makes some good points.

[Ozblue 4,331]

His points are valid and make more sense than some of the shite spruked by SPL chairmen. I'm not sure whether his comments on Mr Topping are correct,because I'm not familiar with this gentlemans comments as such,but his views on S.R. leave a lot to be desired by what I've seen and heard since he has came to the job.