Anyone smell a Fry/Ferguson Fiddle ??

[SaintRichmond]

Will Peterboro's match on Fridat be postponed ??

 

They already had Grant McCann away on Intl duty

 

Now, "mysteriously" Craig Mackail Smith is called up by Scotland

 

Could it be the "Ferguson" connection having a word with Levein ??

 

How many players have to be away before a Team can request a postponement ??

[S-Clarke]

Apparently as Scotland's game is on Sunday, Mackail-Smith is still available for Friday nights game.

[Gemmel]

3 .... one ,more to go

[Lallana's Left Peg]

He isn't joining up with the squad until after the Bristol Rovers game anyway.

[Turkish]

what a ridiculous post, do you seriously think an international manager would call up a player just so a club he has no connection with in the third tier of another countries football pyramid can get a game postponed?

[polegategavin]

On Sky tonight they suggest CMS has joined up with the squad in La Manga today!

[Saint-Fred]

However, Mackail-Smith must first avoid injury himself on Friday night, when he will play for the Posh against Bristol Rovers before joining the Scotland squad in London ahead of the match at the Emirates Stadium.

 

Hope he isn't too distracted...not

[SaintRichmond]

what a ridiculous post, do you seriously think an international manager would call up a player just so a club he has no connection with in the third tier of another countries football pyramid can get a game postponed?

 

Oh contraire

 

Anything connected with the Ferguson's is open for debate, and YES, I do think that sort of thing could happen

 

They all KNOW each other don't forget

 

Good God, I suppose you actually think Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with a bullet that changed direction 90 degrees ??

[John B]

Oh contraire

 

Anything connected with the Ferguson's is open for debate, and YES, I do think that sort of thing could happen

 

They all KNOW each other don't forget

 

Good God, I suppose you actually think Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with a bullet that changed direction 90 degrees ??

 

what a ridiculous post, do you seriously think an international manager would call up a player just so a club he has no connection with in the third tier of another countries football pyramid can get a game postponed?

[jam]

Oh contraire

 

Anything connected with the Ferguson's is open for debate, and YES, I do think that sort of thing could happen

 

They all KNOW each other don't forget

 

Good God, I suppose you actually think Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with a bullet that changed direction 90 degrees ??

 

Fear the not so secret society of scotsmen, who all... know each other...

 

If only there was a facepalm icon.

[Pancake]

If only there was a facepalm icon.

[St Chalet]

Not mysterious, Scotland have a woeful team - amazed CMS hasn't been called up before.

[scotty]

Oh contraire

 

Anything connected with the Ferguson's is open for debate, and YES, I do think that sort of thing could happen

 

They all KNOW each other don't forget

 

Good God, I suppose you actually think Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with a bullet that changed direction 90 degrees ??

 

if mackail smith gets fouled and falls backwards and to the left, we'll know for sure its a stitch up.

[The9]

As posted on the Plymouth reschedule thread t'other day :

 

Article 1 Principles

1. Clubs are obliged to release their registered players to the

representative teams of the country for which the player is eligible

to play on the basis of his nationality if they are called up by the

association concerned. Any agreement between a player and a

club to the contrary is prohibited.

2. The release of players under the terms of paragraph 1 of this

article is mandatory for matches on dates listed in the coordinated

international match calendar and for all matches for which a duty

to release players exists on the basis of a special decision by the FIFA

Executive Committee.

3. It is not compulsory to release players for matches scheduled on

dates not listed in the coordinated international match calendar.

4. Players must also be released for the period of preparation before

the match, which is laid down as follows:

a) friendly matches: 48 hours;

b) qualifying matches for an international tournament: four days

(including the day of the match). The release period shall be

extended to fi ve days if the match concerned is held in a different

confederation to the one in which the player’s club is registered;

c) qualifying matches for an international tournament that are staged

on a date reserved for friendly matches: 48 hours;

d) friendly matches that are staged on a date reserved for qualifying

matches for an international tournament: 48 hours;

e) the fi nal competition of an international tournament: 14 days

before the fi rst match in the competition.

Players shall join the association team no later than 48 hours before

kick-off.

There's also another bit saying

Players complying with a call-up from their association under the terms

of this article shall resume duty with their clubs no later than 24 hours

after the end of the match for which they were called up. This period

shall be extended to 48 hours if the match concerned took place in

a different confederation to the one in which the player’s club is

registered. Clubs shall be informed in writing of a player’s outbound

and return schedule ten days before the match. Associations shall

ensure that players are able to return to their clubs on time after the

match.

 

Seems pretty clear to me that Mackail-Smith has gone there NOW to comply with the 48 hour rule, and therefore in theory will be able to play on Friday for Peterborough and Sunday for Scotland.

 

There are international qualifiers scheduled this weekend so it's clearly a designated date in the international calendar and the meet up rules definitely apply.

 

The fact that the Peterborough match is on Friday at 7:45pm before the international on Sunday might be relevant as it's not 48 hours before the Scotland game, which is a 2pm kick off on Sunday.

 

I guess if he meets the "meet 48 hours before" criteria by going now (and Scotland don't have another match before Sunday) then if they can geographically get him to the matches they've met the rules.

 

It's a weird situation because usually there's not a possibility of someone playing for club and country in the same weekend with enough time to meet the international requirements, but as Scotland don't have a midweek game they can get away with it.

[Fowllyd]

Oh contraire

 

Anything connected with the Ferguson's is open for debate, and YES, I do think that sort of thing could happen

 

They all KNOW each other don't forget

 

Good God, I suppose you actually think Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK with a bullet that changed direction 90 degrees ??

 

Whenever I read stuff like this, I think of the words of David Hume, the great Scots empiricist of the 18th century. He wrote some very wise things about miracles, the basic thinking behind which is very pertinent here:

 

The plain consequence is (and it is a general maxim worthy of our attention), 'That no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind, that its falsehood would be more miraculous, than the fact, which it endeavours to establish....' When anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself, whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority, which I discover, I pronounce my decision, and always reject the greater miracle. If the falsehood of his testimony would be more miraculous, than the event which he relates; then, and not till then, can he pretend to command my belief or opinion

 

So, what would be more miraculous in this case? That there is some nefarious collusion involving Alex Ferguson, Darren Ferguson, Craig Levein and various others - or that Craig MacKail-Smith has simply been selected for the Scotland squad?

 

And why are you addressing your post to somebody called 'contraire'?

[jam]

 

I knew someone would be along to help

[benjii]

Ahh, David Hume. Britain's finest philosopher. Great stuff.

 

Going back to The9's post, surely the material question is "what does 'period of preparation' mean?". If it means the 48 hours in the run up to the match then it looks like he is out of the Friday game.

[NickG]

their OS says he is playing

[revolution saint]

Whilst I can see the logic in P'boro wanting to postpone the match if arguably their best player gets called up I can't see the logic in trying to manufacture that possibility themselves. What would be the point? Do they want a fixture backlog like we have? I doubt it.

[The9]

Ahh, David Hume. Britain's finest philosopher. Great stuff.

 

Going back to The9's post, surely the material question is "what does 'period of preparation' mean?". If it means the 48 hours in the run up to the match then it looks like he is out of the Friday game.

 

As far as I can tell, because they don't have a midweek match this week he's only got to pitch up with Scotland at some point prior to 48 hours before the match, and as long as Scotland are fine with him playing on Friday then no-one else can do anything about it.

 

It's only the national association which can take umbrage with the club and prevent the player from representing his club in the lead up to the international, and Scotland are not currently attempting to do that.

 

Pretty sure there's a precedent with Michael Essien / Chelsea / Ghana if you Google...

[Minty]

So basically, this is a non-story?

[Pancake]

So basically, this is a non-story?

 

Yes, and Im still trying to work out why its in the Saints section.

[Tac-tics]

bit of a cvntish post but meh, why change a habit of a lifetime? I hope CMS get a bloody injury with Scotland.

[hughieslastminutegoal]

I smell 1st degree paranoia (or hear it, or read it).

[Window Cleaner]

bit of a cvntish post but meh, why change a habit of a lifetime? I hope CMS get a bloody injury with Scotland.

 

He probably won't even get a game