Now that IS the way to go

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

WORLD HATES YOUR GUTS

SFA chief signs off with pop at English and steps into political minefield after FIFA outburst

By Gavin Berry

SFA blazer John McBeth sparked an international storm last night by labelling the English arrogant and telling them: The world hates your guts.

McBeth also launched an astonishing attack on other FIFA members - just days before becoming their vice president.

The outgoing SFA president laid a minefield under himself with an amazing rant at his new colleagues.

He followed his pop at the English by describing new boss Sepp Blatter as a "tricky customer".

McBeth labelled poor African and Caribbean football nations greedy.

He also claimed some smaller associations want Britain to lose our place at the table of football's governing body - to avenge the days of the British Empire!

And he sneered that he "counts his fingers" after shaking hands with some FIFA delegates.

The explosive comments come as McBeth, a former chairman of Clyde, prepares to take up the top post at FIFA's Swiss headquarters.

Englishman Geoff Thompson and Northern Ireland's Jim Boyce were hot favourites for the job but a power struggle between the two allowed McBeth to nip in and take the position.

FIFA have been dogged by allegations of bribery and vote rigging and the Scot has vowed to clean up the game.

On his shock win in the ballot, McBeth said: "I was surprised. I said when I came back that I won because I was the least unliked. We'd had the vice presidency for 17 years with David Will so I thought it wouldn't be a Scot.

"The two men touting were Geoff Thompson and Jim Boyce.

"Unfortunately when you deal with the English it tends to be THEIR game. I try to keep telling them that their notion of themselves is unbelievable. The rest of the world hate their guts.

"They made a balls of it and I wandered through the middle."

McBeth is leaving the SFA to take up his role as Britain's representative on the FIFA executive committee.

It's a seat Jack Warner, president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), wanted the UK stripped of.

FIFA's executive committee voted to keep the set-up by 194, although Warner is still pursuing the three-quarters majority he needs for change.

McBeth thinks Warner could be holding a grudge going back HUNDREDS of years. He said: "Mr Warner wants to do away with the British seat.

"To a certain extent I can understand what he's saying - it's the old British Empire stuff.

"The British have an attitude of fair play but sometimes the Empire didn't play fair and that's coming back on us. For the ones that were under the Empire it's payback time.

"By and large the four British countries know what fair play is and when we're stepping out of line. But as soon as you hit Africa it's a slightly different kettle of fish. They're poor nations and want to grab what they can.

"I presume the Caribbean is much the same - they just come at it in a different way. "Britain has a traditional seat that nobody else has. We have to try to make use of it and ***** a few consciences."

FIFA have been heavily criticised in recent years and they even tried to ban a book - Andrew Jennings' "Foul" - that exposed the organisation.

So McBeth is bracing himself before going to work for new boss Blatter (left).

He said: "I'd like see if Mr Jennings has it right.

"I know two or three of the characters in the book who are reasonable individuals. But I also know two or three whom I'd want to count my fingers after shaking hands with them.

"I'm sure my name will appear in places soon. After I got the job there was a piece in Private Eye.

"It went into the expenses that I'm about to get - which I knew nothing about.

"At that point I thought: 'Do I really want this job?'

"The corruption is an aspect that has maybe been cranked up. If I come across corruption I have to expose it. I must try to stay true to my beliefs and hope I don't get seduced.

"You have to do your duty, get involved. If I walked away from it I'd never find out.

"I know Sepp Blatter and I've dealt with him for 10 years on the International Board.

"He's a consummate politician and switches from one language to another. If you question him on the language he was speaking, he says: That's not quite what I meant. I meant something else'.

"He's a tricky customer but I suppose anyone in that position has to be because you're dealing with people who have a totally different code of ethics.

"David Will had a go at Blatter and was one of the few who survived it. I'm not sure if that was because of the position he held."

McBeth will step down as SFA president at Friday's agm.

Asked how he will depart, John said: "I thought of Martin Luther King and his 'I Have A Dream' speech. I was thinking of the bit where he says: 'Free At Last'."

He might be free of the SFA but McBeth could be ready to walk into a FIFA storm.

:clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

[Dmacca]

WORLD HATES YOUR GUTS

SFA chief signs off with pop at English and steps into political minefield after FIFA outburst

By Gavin Berry

SFA blazer John McBeth sparked an international storm last night by labelling the English arrogant and telling them: The world hates your guts.

McBeth also launched an astonishing attack on other FIFA members - just days before becoming their vice president.

The outgoing SFA president laid a minefield under himself with an amazing rant at his new colleagues.

He followed his pop at the English by describing new boss Sepp Blatter as a "tricky customer".

McBeth labelled poor African and Caribbean football nations greedy.

He also claimed some smaller associations want Britain to lose our place at the table of football's governing body - to avenge the days of the British Empire!

And he sneered that he "counts his fingers" after shaking hands with some FIFA delegates.

The explosive comments come as McBeth, a former chairman of Clyde, prepares to take up the top post at FIFA's Swiss headquarters.

Englishman Geoff Thompson and Northern Ireland's Jim Boyce were hot favourites for the job but a power struggle between the two allowed McBeth to nip in and take the position.

FIFA have been dogged by allegations of bribery and vote rigging and the Scot has vowed to clean up the game.

On his shock win in the ballot, McBeth said: "I was surprised. I said when I came back that I won because I was the least unliked. We'd had the vice presidency for 17 years with David Will so I thought it wouldn't be a Scot.

"The two men touting were Geoff Thompson and Jim Boyce.

"Unfortunately when you deal with the English it tends to be THEIR game. I try to keep telling them that their notion of themselves is unbelievable. The rest of the world hate their guts.

"They made a balls of it and I wandered through the middle."

McBeth is leaving the SFA to take up his role as Britain's representative on the FIFA executive committee.

It's a seat Jack Warner, president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), wanted the UK stripped of.

FIFA's executive committee voted to keep the set-up by 194, although Warner is still pursuing the three-quarters majority he needs for change.

McBeth thinks Warner could be holding a grudge going back HUNDREDS of years. He said: "Mr Warner wants to do away with the British seat.

"To a certain extent I can understand what he's saying - it's the old British Empire stuff.

"The British have an attitude of fair play but sometimes the Empire didn't play fair and that's coming back on us. For the ones that were under the Empire it's payback time.

"By and large the four British countries know what fair play is and when we're stepping out of line. But as soon as you hit Africa it's a slightly different kettle of fish. They're poor nations and want to grab what they can.

"I presume the Caribbean is much the same - they just come at it in a different way. "Britain has a traditional seat that nobody else has. We have to try to make use of it and "sexy beast" a few consciences."

FIFA have been heavily criticised in recent years and they even tried to ban a book - Andrew Jennings' "Foul" - that exposed the organisation.

So McBeth is bracing himself before going to work for new boss Blatter (left).

He said: "I'd like see if Mr Jennings has it right.

"I know two or three of the characters in the book who are reasonable individuals. But I also know two or three whom I'd want to count my fingers after shaking hands with them.

"I'm sure my name will appear in places soon. After I got the job there was a piece in Private Eye.

"It went into the expenses that I'm about to get - which I knew nothing about.

"At that point I thought: 'Do I really want this job?'

"The corruption is an aspect that has maybe been cranked up. If I come across corruption I have to expose it. I must try to stay true to my beliefs and hope I don't get seduced.

"You have to do your duty, get involved. If I walked away from it I'd never find out.

"I know Sepp Blatter and I've dealt with him for 10 years on the International Board.

"He's a consummate politician and switches from one language to another. If you question him on the language he was speaking, he says: That's not quite what I meant. I meant something else'.

"He's a tricky customer but I suppose anyone in that position has to be because you're dealing with people who have a totally different code of ethics.

"David Will had a go at Blatter and was one of the few who survived it. I'm not sure if that was because of the position he held."

McBeth will step down as SFA president at Friday's agm.

Asked how he will depart, John said: "I thought of Martin Luther King and his 'I Have A Dream' speech. I was thinking of the bit where he says: 'Free At Last'."

He might be free of the SFA but McBeth could be ready to walk into a FIFA storm.

:clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

African & Caribbean football nations greedy..........blokes a racialist  :001: