Friday, April 3, 2009

Scottish players shamed and suspended **Updated**

So it has come to this. If you are Scottish and a football player, you are not allowed to binge drink after getting outclassed on the pitch. Well, at least not if you play for Rangers.

Last Saturday, Scotland lost at Netherlands 3-0 and were pretty much run off the pitch. Barry Ferguson was the team captain and Allan McGregor started in the goal, deputizing for the normal number 1, Craig Gordon. The team reconvened that night at their usual Scottish haunt, Cameron House on Loch Lomond. Here's a picture, it's pretty swell. It's supposed to be an out of the way place where the Scots can relax while preparing for upcoming home games. Unfortunately, a Scot's way of relaxing is consuming alcohol in copious amounts, something manager George Burley took exception to.

The story that leaked out of camp was that Ferguson and McGregor had gone too far and had been kicked off the team by Wednesday morning. By afternoon, however, Burley had relented and had only relegated the duo to the bench. A bruising blow to the ego for the two in question, but nothing with long-term implications, or so it seemed.

The Scottish FA wedged itself into the mix yesterday, saying that it did not back Burley's decision to bench the two and that it would have to perform its own investigation into the mess before it was decided what should have been done. Great job there fellas.

Then some other news started to make the rounds, as much as you can trust The Sun to be actual news, at least. Now there were seven players said to be involved in the late night to early morning booze up. Perhaps the inequity in punishment got to Mr. Ferguson, because at the Iceland game, he gave the press an indication of what he thought about them.


As the above article mentions, Walter Smith--previous manager of Scotland and current Rangers boss--was livid at the actions of his players and especially ticked off with that picture making the rounds. Apparently, making such a gesture in Scotland colors really sent Smith off the deep end. How deep is pretty amazing. Rangers have suspended both players, fined them two weeks' wages, stripped Ferguson of his captaincy, and some are reporting that both have been transfer-listed.

The SFA seems to have made up its mind as well. Today the association announced that Ferguson and McGregor will no longer be considered for a Scotland call up.

Wow. Just, wow. If you ever wanted to see an athlete's career go up in flames, here it is. Maurice Clarett is looking at these guys and saying "What the **** were they thinking?" On the upside, two more players with international experience just became available for MLS duty. As long as these Huns don't end up at DC United, I think I would be OK with that.

8 comments:

BackBergtt said...

You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame, you know. And then you get free.

Unknown said...

Wait, what is so offensive about the "V" sign? Is it V for Victory, Vendetta or Vagina?

King Garry I Of Swandanavia said...

As a hardened Celtic fan, this gives me the right raging horn.

Nothing would please me better than sending these two individuals to play in the provincial Helmand League in Afghanistan. On a minefield. With RPGs for goalposts.

However, as a Scotland fan, this fucks up the delicate(and ultimately, shite) balance of an already under-talented squad.

I'm horrendously torn, but I'm still happy that Ferguson is no longer captain. Gobshite only ever played when it suited him anyway.

The Fan's Attic said...

yes, why is the "V" sign so bad?

Unknown said...

After a little research on wikipedia/Chick Young's BBC blog, it is basically the same as giving someone the finger.
So, really? Their Scotland/Huns careers are over because they gave someone the equivalent of the finger... Really?

jjf3 said...

yep. The outward V is equal to the middle-finger here in the US. The theory is that they were giving it to the press and photogs who had turned a team-internal disciplinary issue (drinking late the night before a game) into an issue of "national disgrace"/etc...

As near as I can tell, it really is that simple, and fucking stupid...

jjf3 said...

sorry, "before" = "after"

/not very smart

Jacob said...

jjf3 has it correct. It is the Brit equivalent of the stateside finger. I would add that I think all of Rooney's "fuck"s on the pitch are more accepted than any player doing this. Except Robin Friday.