Ministers must make presence felt in the people’s game

WITH that unwarranted Capital Letter stuck in the middle of his surname, you might expect Joe FitzPatrick to feel right at home in the Land of Club Statements. Yet Scotland’s own sports minister cannot be said to have stamped his authority all over Scottish football’s struggle to stay afloat. Indeed, given his lack of public statements on issues of major importance to a massive national industry, you’re entitled to wonder exactly how ‘across his brief’ the minister is. When representatives of the SPFL and SFA return to their virtual meeting room for talks with FitzPatrick on Friday, they’ll be seeking more than just a willingness to listen. The Scottish Government should be expected to provide solid guidance to football, rugby and any number of other sports at a time when so many organisations are facing extinction. At the moment, clubs and leagues are being left to put together their own rescue plans with minimal input from on high. They’ll then be asked to present the government with a solution that may, or may not, be deemed acceptable. Compare and contrast the public debates over return-to-play protocols in countries like Germany, Spain and Italy, where politicians have led from the front. Sports ministers and health ministers delivering daily updates on progress and, yes, stumbling blocks. Opposition types offering support and suggestions. Here in Scotland, our political leaders just won’t go near the subject. In the wider UK, the most telling contribution came from Matt Hancock picking on Premier League footballers. Actually, that probably revealed plenty about how those in power — north of the border as well — view the people’s game. At Holyrood, you can easily imagine some of the big hitters replying to any questions about football by quoting Miss Jean Brodie herself, declaring: ‘For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like.’ In other words, it’s fine for the plebs. But not really all that important to the folk who matter. Say it ain’t so, Joe. Honestly, we’ll be Delighted.