Latest news with #IanMaxwell
The National
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
SNP to consider banning football fans caught using flares at games
Justice Secretary Angela Constance announced plans to consult on the measure after a meeting with top Scottish clubs and the police on Tuesday. She said the Scottish Government would launch a consultation on whether Football Banning Orders should be extended to include people using pyrotechnics at games. Pyro displays at games are divisive among fans, with many considering them part of the atmosphere while others complain that flares are dangerous and make it hard to see the game. Football bosses are also split on whether fans should be banned from setting off flares at games. The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) last week called for greater use of Football Banning Orders to deter people from using pyrotechnics. But Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Ian Maxwell has insisted he did not want to see people banned from using flares at games, telling BBC Sport Scotland: 'You would absolutely never want to get to that stage and we need to look at the steps that we can take to avoid that.' Tuesday's meeting involved the SPFL, the SFA, Rangers, Celtic, Hibernian and Aberdeen football clubs as well as supporters' associations, the police, prosecutors. Glasgow and Edinburgh city councils and the local authority umbrella organisation Cosla also attended. Constance said: 'We must all do everything possible, individually and collectively, to rid football of dangerous and harmful behaviours. We will publish a public consultation on Football Banning Orders legislation and how they can be effectively used to address disorder, in particular the reckless and illegal use of pyrotechnics at matches, and work closely with our partners to develop the consultation and consider next steps.'
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Scotsman
16-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
SFA send Hearts and Hibs a message over dual ownership amid Bloom and Foley factor
The SFA's chief executive has tackled the topic of dual ownership and Tony Bloom at Hearts Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Ian Maxwell admits the Scottish FA won't be standing in the way of dual ownership models amid Black Knight involvement at Hibs and Tony Bloom's proposed Hearts investment. Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has invested into Hibs via his Black Knights Football Club stable that owns clubs across the world. He stated last week "I was only allowed to buy 30 per cent of Hibs but if larger ownership percentages are allowed, you'll see many more Americans investing in Scottish football' amid 49ers Enterprises and US health insurance tycoon Andrew Cavenagh taking charge at Rangers. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Meanwhile, Brighton owner and Royale Union Saint-Gilloise investor Tony Bloom has big money investment proposals on the table at Hearts. Such deals can only go through with SFA approval and they are not set to stand in the way, according to CEO Maxwell. SFA stance on dual ownership He said of deals to date: 'They've not been particularly complicated. To be honest, we've definitely been more open. Multi-club ownership is here. It's part of football. When you look across Europe, the number of clubs that are involved in some multi-club structure is growing by the day. We need to be part of that. Why would you limit that investment? 'It was actually interesting when you start to think through the process. We had dual-interest regulations which meant that, if you're involved in a club, you can't get involved in a Scottish club unless we say yes. But someone like a Tony Bloom, for example, that's getting involved in Hearts, he has a track record at Brighton, understands football, has Union Saint-Gilloise, knows other clubs. 'We actually make it harder for him to come into Scottish football than we do for someone who's just sold a company for £10m that's got no understanding of the Scottish game. When you actually get into it, you go: 'That probably doesn't make a lot of sense.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Avoiding Crystal Palace style scenarios There is no Scottish club fully involved in a multi club ownership model like the City Group, with Manchester City as its crown jewel linked to clubs like New York City and Melbourne City, new investment does bring questions of such a prospect. Dual and multi-club ownership has been put into view by Crystal Palace's situation, who are seeking to meet UEFA rules so they can play in the Europa League after their FA Cup win. They are owned by John Textor who has a stake in Ligue 1 side Lyon and seemingly did not clear any potential European involvement before the March deadline. Maxwell said: 'Our board, we're looking at it from two perspectives. Does it grow and develop the game? Will it generate financial investment into Scottish football? Does it give us an integrity issue? The integrity issue falls away because that would only happen if it was two Scottish teams playing under our jurisdiction, which it's not. 'The jurisdictional matter becomes a UEFA point and we've been clear in all the dual interests, all the multi-club investment models that we've done. If, similar to a Crystal Palace scenario at the moment, there's a question mark about which one's going to play in Europe, it can't be the Scottish club that's the unintended consequence or has to step aside from European competition.' He added: 'The good thing is, because the vast majority of clubs (and their shareholders) that have come into Scotland have got other multi-club ownership models, they're used to it. You speak to the guys involved in the Hearts deal and they're very aware of what UEFA need, what they want and how that structure needs to look to make sure we don't get ourselves those problems. So, I think it's here. We can't ignore it. Why would you want to step away from it? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Why would you want to block investment coming into the game if it's going to be good for our clubs? The trick is the club need to then go and spend that money as wisely as possible. We don't get involved in that bit. But, from a broad perspective, there's definitely a willingness to look at anything that generates more investment into Scotland.'
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Dual-ownership model is here to stay in Scotland, admits SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has claimed it would make no sense for Scottish football to now discourage dual-ownership models. Previously reluctant to allow parties with stakes in teams playing in other countries to buy into clubs here, the governing body have recently approved a number of such deals. Last year, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley bought up 25 per cent of Hibs for £6million. In May, Hearts shareholders agreed for Brighton owner Tony Bloom to take 29 per cent of their club in return for £10m. Earlier this month, 49ers Enterprises, who own Leeds United, formed part of an American consortium which took control of Rangers. The deals were only able to happen after the SFA gave them a seal of approval, with the trend set to continue. While Maxwell says the SFA will reserve the right to judge each case on its merits in future, he believes the right owners in the right circumstances should now be welcomed with open arms. 'They've not been particularly complicated,' he said of the deals. 'To be honest, we've definitely been more open. Multi-club ownership is here. It's part of football. 'When you look across Europe, the number of clubs that are involved in some multi-club structure is growing by the day. We need to be part of that. Why would you limit that investment? 'It was actually interesting when you start to think through the process. We had dual-interest regulations which meant that, if you're involved in a club, you can't get involved in a Scottish club unless we say yes. 'But someone like a Tony Bloom, for example, that's getting involved in Hearts, he has a track record at Brighton, understands football, has Union Saint-Gilloise, knows other clubs. 'We actually make it harder for him to come into Scottish football than we do for someone who's just sold a company for £10m that's got no understanding of the Scottish game. 'When you actually get into it, you go: 'That probably doesn't make a lot of sense'.' While no Scottish club yet falls into the multi-club model seen at the likes of the City Group, allowing individuals with stakes in other sides to own percentages of clubs here does raise questions over dual ownership. However, with wealthy individuals now buying up shares in teams in different leagues throughout the world, Maxwell believes it's something that must be embraced. 'The good thing is, because the vast majority of clubs (and their shareholders) that have come into Scotland have got other multi-club ownership models, they're used to it,' he said. 'You speak to the guys involved in the Hearts deal and they're very aware of what UEFA need, what they want and how that structure needs to look to make sure we don't get ourselves those problems. 'So, I think it's here. We can't ignore it. Why would you want to step away from it? 'Why would you want to block investment coming into the game if it's going to be good for our clubs? 'The trick is the club need to then go and spend that money as wisely as possible. 'We don't get involved in that bit. But, from a broad perspective, there's definitely a willingness to look at anything that generates more investment into Scotland.' The issue of dual and multi-club ownership has been given greater prominence in the past week due to Crystal Palace's situation. The FA Cup winners are battling to satisfy UEFA that there's no impediment to them playing in the Europa League. The club are owner by businessman John Textor - who also has a stake in French side Lyon - and apparently didn't clear any potential European involvement before the March deadline. But Maxwell is adamant that any Scottish side's participation in European competition would have to be set in stone before a change of ownership is waved through. 'Our board, we're looking at it from two perspectives,' he said. 'Does it grow and develop the game? 'Will it generate financial investment into Scottish football? Does it give us an integrity issue? 'The integrity issue falls away because that would only happen if it was two Scottish teams playing under our jurisdiction, which it's not. 'The jurisdictional matter becomes a UEFA point and we've been clear in all the dual interests, all the multi-club investment models that we've done. 'If, similar to a Crystal Palace scenario at the moment, there's a question mark about which one's going to play in Europe, it can't be the Scottish club that's the unintended consequence or has to step aside from European competition.'
The Herald Scotland
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Does Dumbarton fate prove Scottish game needs independent regulator?
And, as administrators for Dumbarton prepare to dissolve one of Scotland's oldest clubs and start again as a newco, years of mismanagement of the League Two club have reinforced the conviction of the local MSP that football clubs should be offered some form of protection from rapacious owners. Whether they want it or not. 'My experience with Dumbarton Football Club strengthens the case for an independent football regulator. 'In the past few years, Dumbarton has lost out to too many owners whose true interest lay beyond the club itself. 'I would like, at the very least, the SFA to be given greater responsibility and power to clamp down on speculative owners. However, inaction by the football authorities makes the case for an independent regulator stronger.' While independent regulation is common in other industries, the Scottish football authorities are member organisations run by clubs for clubs. And those same clubs don't care for the idea of an independent regulator telling them how to run their business. Owners and directors might be subjected to fit and proper checks more stringent than a self declaration form or the limited rules set down in Article 10.2 of the SFA handbook. Clubs might see a light being shone on their darkest alcoves. The game might be forced to confront sectarian singing or bottles, vapes and fireworks being lobbed around grounds by adopting strict liability, a justice system clubs virulently oppose. There might even be a review of the decision by Premiership sides to ban artificial pitches in the top flight by season 2026/27. Addressing Holyrood's health, social care and sport committee in December 2023 Scottish FA Chief Executive Ian Maxwell flagged up the significant differences between the game north and south of the border and described Scottish football governance as "robust" when it came to dealing with financial issues. A regulator, he argued, was unnecessary. Since then Dumbarton and Inverness Caledonian Thistle have endured insolvency events. Livingston have been embroiled in a lengthy court battle with their shareholders and Hamilton Academical have been docked 15 points and incurred the wrath of fan groups for announcing plans to leave their home town and move to Cumbernauld instead. The SFA and SPFL argue that the levers are already in place to to deal with rule breaches and misbehaviour. Hamilton's application to move 14 miles to Broadwood is under review while the league recently handed Celtic and Rangers suspended punishments for unruly supporter behaviour at the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals. The SFA have introduced measures to deal with misconduct at domestic cup games. Clubs which suffer an insolvency event as a result of financial mismanagement, meanwhile, can expect a 15 point deduction. Simon Barrow, co-founder of the SFSA and lead author of the 2023 report 'Rebuilding Scottish Football', which led to a parliamentary debate last year and the establishment of a Scottish Government-hosted roundtable on the development of the game, believes football is tinkering while Rome burns. 'With clubs like Dumbarton and Inverness Caledonian Thistle going into administration and the need to strengthen and invest in the game from the grassroots upwards increasing in urgency, effective transparency and accountability in financial and related matters is crucial,' argues Barrow. 'It is important to see through the cloud of dust that can easily be thrown up by the issue of whether, like England, Scotland should move towards having a statutorily backed regulator for football. 'That is clearly a backstop. But it does not have to be the starting point for discussion. We should first agree the principle that a public facing industry in receipt of the public's money in a variety of ways should be publicly accountable. 'Independent scrutiny is the way to achieve that. It is also essential for building confidence and trust in Scottish football, and for encouraging people to put money into its future. It's a win-win situation. Dumbarton Rock towers above Dumbarton Football Stadium (Image: Christian Cooksey) Read more: What future for Albion Rovers, a storied name of the past? Scottish football needs to say no to newco and get 'robust' governance 'What it means is qualified assessors having the power and information to examine who owns and runs the game, how public interest can be made central, and how Scottish football's finance, governance and conduct can be improved and strengthened. 'Practically, there are a variety of ways that independent scrutiny, short of a statutory regulator, can operate. That is what the conversation should be about.' Critics of an independent regulator argue that the scheme is an expensive and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. Some of the issues which plague Scottish football – such as pyrotechnics and missiles - are matters governed - in theory at least - by the criminal justice system. Clubs pay Police Scotland good money and expect them to earn it. Speaking after a Hampden AGM where clubs signed up to tougher rules around crowd disorder for cup games governed by the SFA CEO Maxwell acknowledged that football had to do more to combat anti-social behaviour in the stands. The Scottish Government, meanwhile, are scheduled to host another Round Table to discuss some of the issues surrounding the game. The implied threat underpinning the talks is clear. If football fails to clean up its act then the politicians reserve the right to step in at some unspecified date in future. Even if the will to do so is weak. One senior figure – speaking on condition of anonymity - told Herald Sport that an independent regulator in Scotland had always been an idea promoted by former first minister Henry McLeish as a vehicle for Henry McLeish. 'The regulator down south was a tool to stop the Super League, something which was never relevant in Scotland. To stop heritage assets being removed like changes to colours and crests, which has already been achieved through the SFA and to get 20% of income through to the lower leagues, which is roughly where we are in Scotland anyway. 'Clubs like Dumbarton, Inverness and so on are where they are because of their own individual circumstances. It has nothing to do with anything that a regulator could change. All a regulator brings is bureaucracy, costs and administration paid for by the industry. 'All we will see down south is a rising number of legal fights between clubs being regulated and the regulator.' Legal disputes in football are now commonplace. Last season the English Premier League spent £45million on legal costs due to various disputes and arbitration revolving around financial fair play regulations. Cases involving Manchester City, Everton, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Leicester City demonstrate that wealthy owners of football clubs don't care much for external scrutiny of how they spend their money. Some believe that the main benefactors of a football regulator will be lawyers. In Scotland, at least, the issue is hypothetical because there is currently no plan for a Football Governance Bill. Unless Labour secure power in the Holyrood elections next year there appears to be no political will to introduce a regulator in Scotland. 'The row over the Offensive Behaviour in Football Act put the SNP government currently in power off the idea of legislating football,' says Paul Goodwin, co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association in 2015. 'I think we are still in a recovery period from that.' A critic of the SFA and SPFL Goodwin senses no real movement towards an independent regulator in Scotland, but believes there should be. 'Part of the challenge football faces is the history of being anything but open and anything but transparent. There are conflicts of interest everywhere. 'I am not saying that an independent regulator will go in and say, 'you can't get your league structures right, I am going to fix it.' 'But what an independent regulator might do is look at the financial distribution model and say, 'why is Scotland the only country in Europe where solidarity money coming from UEFA is not filtering down to the lower levels of the game? 'The problem here is that the SFA, like the SPFL, is run by the clubs for the clubs. It's self interest that dictates everything. 'The SFA should be overseeing the governance of our game but they come under so much influence from clubs in the SPFL. And, let's be honest here, turkeys do not vote for Christmas.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
SPFL call for greater use of football banning orders
The Scottish Professional Football League says there is a greater need for football banning orders to tackle "unacceptable" conduct at a statement, the league body highlighted the "dangerous, irresponsible and selfish behaviour" from a minority of fans in SPFL pointed to the use of smoke bombs and flares as a particular concern and welcomed more discussions with Police Scotland and the Scottish government about how to best to crack down on the issue. The league have also confirmed Celtic, Aberdeen and Partick Thistle face punishment for the use of pyrotechnics by fans near the end of the 2024-25 season. It comes after Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell insisted he wants to avoid a situation where supporters are banned for using pyrotechnics. "You would absolutely never want to get to that stage and we need to look at the steps that we can take to avoid that," he told BBC Sport Scotland. The SPFL confirmed attendances have risen for a third consecutive season and thanked fans for their "incredible support".Crowds across all leagues, cups and play-off matches totalled more than 5.3 million, a rise of nearly 185,000 from the 2023-24 season."We will be having further meetings with key stakeholders over the summer to review the most recent season and look ahead to 2025-26," the SPFL statement ends. "We remain committed to ensuring a safe and enjoyable matchday experience for players and supporters - they are the lifeblood of our game and deserve nothing less."
