Fleck taken to hospital before Chesterfield game
Former Scotland midfielder John Fleck was taken to hospital shortly before he was to take his place on the substitute's bench for Chesterfield's League Two game against Doncaster Rovers.The treatment given to the 33-year-old at SMH Stadium meant the game's kick-off was delayed by 10 minutes."We can confirm that John Fleck has been taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after being taken ill during the pre-match warm-up," Chesterfield wrote on X.Michael Jacobs replaced Fleck among the substitutes for the game against second-placed Doncaster.The former Rangers and Sheffield United player joined the Spireites as a free agent in September after leaving Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season.He joined Rovers from the Blades but suffered a shin injury 17 minutes into the derby game with Preston on his debut in February that required surgery.
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The Herald Scotland
7 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Does Dumbarton fate prove Scottish game needs independent regulator?
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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. 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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.' 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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. 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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
16 hours ago
- BBC News
Wycombe sign Tilley after release from Wimbledon
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Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Beckham & Littler lead as 17 sports people recognised in King's Birthday Honours
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