SFA Vs. SRU
Many people know me as a fan of Rugby and to a slightly lesser extent Football. As a kid I loved football and followed it with passion, as I got older and into my early 20s I felt that I was more of a Rugby fan then a Football fan. A big reason was not so much in the games but how each sport was run.
I have never been a "Die Hard" team follower and could not care less if a team wins or not. It is fun and as long as it is entertaining I am happy. So as a kid I never really supported a football or rugby team. I more supported the national sides. Something I still do today and will pretty much always do. But my interest has moved as I get older due to how both organisations are run.
Scottish Football Association
The SFA are the big boys in Scottish Football. They run the national team and also the FA Cup. The money that comes into the SFA is from all areas of the international team And SFA Cup. All sponsorship and ticket sales is done buy them.
When the SFA makes all this money they are expected to spend this on areas that need attention in the sport. Mainly youth football and the training youngsters for the future. But the SFA spend practically nothing on this area at all. Some small junior tournaments and a chosen few get to be trained for a few weeks via professionals.
The SFA are also the employer of all referees in Scotland. And assign them to the designated games and leagues. Anyone who has seen a game here will know most of the refs are useless. Again the SFA don't spend any money on this area. And in fact it was not long ago the referees were going to go on strike due to payments being very low.
Gordon Smith was appointed Chief executive in 2007 and instantly wanted to make changes. As he was an experienced player, spectator, manager, agent and also a TV pundit, many regarded his experience to be what was needed for the job. But three years later he left, he blamed the SFA for not letting him change anything and accused them of being too stubborn. He is right the SFA has done nothing to change the shape of Scottish football in years and is still just sitting back making money.
The money machine generates 30 million pounds a year and after wages where is the money going? The new chief executive Stewart Regan was employed after Smith. His background is in business and that is why he was taken on. Where he gains knowledge in sport is by running Yorkshire County Cricket Club. A club who have lost millions due to poor ticket sales. But he did help the English Championship "re brand" to what you have today. The same league with a new sponsor is not a success.
SFA are to promote football to people and the best way to do this is to have a good TV deal. They did have a good deal with a PPV company in SKY TV and Setanta Sports. If you can't get the channels like me or if you just don't want to spend nearly £500 a year extra to watch a few games then you lose out. Also a great way to show the game is to get it to more people say the BBC or ITV. SFA took the extra money over the promotion of the game. Where is the money going to?
Scottish Rugby Union
Both sports have a similar background but in Scotland are run totally different. The SRU unlike SFA do promote and back the playing of rugby very well. Youth teams and leagues are paid for by them and professional coaches are used to get the best from the kids. Teaching in schools is regular as is free tickets and days out playing touch rugby (Kids version of the game).
The four leagues in Scotland are run by the SRU as is the international teams. The money that the SRU makes is more than the SFA but the SRU makes sure it never makes a profit and puts the money right back into the sport.
The SRU runs the Scotland international team and the other Scotland teams like Scotland A, U21 and U18. They also own and run the two professional teams in Scotland. This is a big plus for sport as the governing body running a professional club is a great set up as the money can then be dispensed fairly.
The sort of set up that they have is unique to the sport. The pro players in Scotland are assigned to a armature team as well. They are expected to play for the club team whenever they can or give coaching and advise when free. Another thing that helps to keep the game genuine is the introduction of a wage cap on the players. No more than £120,000 a year. And even that amount has only been paid out a few times. The wage cap is something that has come into French Rugby this season and soon you will see a big change in the game in France.
Ticket prices and TV deals are very important to the teams in Scotland. The TV for the Six Nations is via the BBC. This means all 5.5 million homes in Scotland can see the games. The SRU make money and get a great advertisement for the sport for 8 weeks a year. Ticket prices are kept as low as can be. The lowest in the sport, £15 to see Edinburgh or Glasgow compared to when I was in Dublin it was 70 Euros!
Any Spare Change?
The two companies are set up to do the same thing but one is far smaller in peoples eyes than the other. Rugby is a dieing sport in Scotland due to the game turning Pro in 1995 many people turned there backs on it. But now the game has evolved into a much better sport and can draw the crowds Internationally. Football has always been the dominant sport in Scotland and deservedly so.
But where are the SFA spending all the money? They have only to pay the players and keep a few projects going. It was not that long ago the footballers played for free on international duty. I just can't help but feel ripped off when paying money for a ticket for the footie.
