Edinburgh Evening News reports
Currie man: 'Traditional clubs merit Euro crack'
BILL LOTHIAN
([email protected])
THE businessman who broke the mould at the start of the professional rugby era in Scotland today hit back at a Euro snub for traditional clubs, saying they should be allowed access to the Magner's Celtic League in addition to the Heineken and Challenge Cups.

Following the announcement of a five-year Strategic Plan SRU chief executive Gordon McKie said it would be impossible for the likes of runaway Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership leaders Boroughmuir to be rewarded by taking up an allocated place even in the second European tier - regardless of a situation where extra involvement could bring financial benefits as well.

McKie said it would be "too dangerous" for clubs to participate but John Connor, who bankrolled Watsonians in 1996 with a view to helping them go on and compete in Europe and now has financial input into champions Currie, said current Murrayfield policies were unsustainable and that clubs had to have their opportunities doubled.

"The SRU don't want clubs in Europe because they know crowds would be bigger than for the pro teams, which should actually be disbanded with the players re-allocated to Premiership One," said Connor.

The message is that nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without ambition according to ex-Forrester player Connor, who after starting working life at sea went on to compile a multi-million pound fortune in the wastepaper industry with his company, Stirling Fibre. He added: "My heart goes out to players who cannot be getting the same buzz out of turning out in a Murrayfield Stadium with almost 66,000 empty seats compared to the 5000 or so who packed into Myreside for a seminal match between Watsonians and Melrose eleven or so years ago and which set alarm bells ringing in the governing body.

"That was when they decided to take leave of their responsibilities for administering the entire game in favour of competing against their constituent parts.

"If they panicked at the thought of a challenge to their authority, instead of righting a wrong, they have tried to reinforce the policy. The original decision to put districts into Europe was tantamount to signing a death warrant for clubs who must be allowed to revive Scottish rugby at some stage, so the sooner the better.

"That can be done by not only entering Europe but also the Celtic League on the basis of the two highest finishers in the previous year's Premiership so that Scottish rugby becomes a meritocracy again and not a closed shop.

"Until the SRU recognise the need to be bigger than effectively competing against the people they are capable of serving well - they have so much more to offer than what they are presently doing - then money will continue to be wasted. How much better off would the game be if the cash generated from internationals was not spent on two teams nobody wants to watch, as current crowds averaging around 1600 are demonstrating, and instead spread around development projects and the Premiership?"

In siding with the Premiership clubs keen to experience Europe and redress a worrying imbalance where Six Nations rivals Italy have three times as many teams competing in cross-border competitions, Connor is typically keen to acknowledge the grassroots - from where he helped launch the initially unofficial knock-out Scottish Cup by spearheading a sponsorship from River Series.

"In the short term the SRU would have to pay players' wages because these individuals must be protected. When the current contracts expire though, clubs, buoyed by television rights and other revenue streams plus cash from businessmen like myself, who can get 40 per cent tax relief through sponsorship, may be in a position to foot the bill.

"That is the reality of a situation and there are others who could be persuaded to do the same as I did when selling my business.

"All the long-term options should lie with the traditional clubs and if players don't want to stay in Scotland they should be allowed to leave and hopefully come back for internationals.

"Surely that has got to be better for the game overall than two teams being used as development vehicles for the national side while the traditional clubs miss out. That shouldn't be allowed to continue. entry into Europe should be the first step forward."

This article was posted on 6-Dec-2007, 15:15 by Hugh Barrow.