UEFA vote has Regan running for cover

THESE are dangerous days for SFA chief executive Stewart Regan. Within the ranks of member clubs, snipers lurk. Attending the UEFA presidential election in Athens this week Regan cast Scotland’s vote for Aleksander Ceferin. The decision to vote for an unheralded Slovenian was hardly unanimous. Ralph Topping and Mike Mulraney — SPFL representatives on the SFA board — wanted old Dutch warhorse Michel van Praag instead. Van Praag’s trump card was a vow to fight UEFA’s pathetic bowing to the greedy big four leagues, while promising to maintain access to the Champions League for SPFL Premiership title winners. Ceferin kept his cards close to his chest. But a winning margin of 42-13 suggests his pitch was persuasive. Regan could have ridden out a 24-hour storm had he resisted an interview request from Sky Sports in Athens. Quizzed on the depressing scenes at Parkhead last week, where blow-up doll effigies of Rangers fans were hung from the stands, ‘hun scum’ banners displayed and away toilets trashed amidst the usual sectarian bile, the Englishman spoke out. ‘It is not acceptable and it is something I hope the whole of Scottish football will take seriously and try to do something about.’ The chairmen already know what it is Regan wants them to do. Wary of losing Scottish Government grassroots funding, the SFA want Strict Liability. The trouble is that the clubs don’t. They think it doesn’t work and have twice voted against it unanimously. And some of the chairmen who pay Regan’s wages are now openly asking why he refuses to heed their wishes. There is no secret to Neil Doncaster’s bombproof status at the SPFL. He earns £200,000 a year for doing what he’s told. If Regan sets himself against the wishes of his member clubs, there should be no surprise when they set themselves against him. Reasons to smell blood are piling up. In recent months, the SFA have lost a second performance director, the senior team have missed out on Euro 2016 and the Under-21s have failed to qualify for an 11th straight tournament. It’s a grim cycle of failure and, if another World Cup campaign ends badly, fingers will be pointed. No prizes for guessing who at.