Source: FOOTYMAD
Why Can't We Be Friends?
The SFA has has offered the dove of peace to Celtic as they invite Peter Lawwell to join their professional game board The SFA and Celtic appear to be on speaking terms once again after Chief Executive Peter Lawwell agreed to serve on the governing bodies new professional game board. Hopefully this move will mean that the two organisations can avoid the kind of spats which distracted from the football during last season. Hibs chairman Rod Petrie, a vice-president of the SFA, will chair the 10-man panel, which features the chief executives of all three governing bodies - Stewart Regan, Neil Doncaster and David Longmuir and includes Jim Ballantyne, Alan McRae, Campbell Ogilvie, Sandy Stables and Ralph Topping. The new structure is designed to ensure relevant members rule over the professional game, with another board to administrate the non-professional game. Alan McRae, Cove Rangers president and SFA first vice-president, appears on both boards while Highland League honorary president Sandy Stables also features on the professional board. The professional board also features SFA president Campbell Ogilvie, SPL chairman Ralph Topping and SFL president Jim Ballantyne, who is also chairman of Airdrie. McRae will chair the non-professional board, which also features Ogilvie, Petrie, Regan and representatives from schools, amateur, senior, youth, women's and junior football. A statement from Celtic on Tuesday night read: "It is well known that following events last year, Celtic called for a fundamental review of the processes and procedures within the SFA. We fully supported Stewart Regan's plan for reform and we feel that the creation of this new board is a very positive outcome of the SFA's own review. Peter Lawwell, on behalf of Celtic Football Club, will be pleased to accept this invitation to join the professional game board. He will aim to make an important contribution to the continued change and improvement of the game in Scotland."
