Scotland Debate

[mappingmum]

Letter circulated by my local Sports Council, from the Scottish Govt:

To: Chief Executive Officers, Scottish Sporting Bodies

THE REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE IN 2014

As you will be aware, the First Minister launched the Scottish Government's consultation paper on the Independence Referendum, "Your Scotland, Your Referendum" on 25 January setting out the options for taking forward the democratic future of our country. A copy is available at http://www.scotland.qov.uk/Publications/2012/01/1006.

I am taking this opportunity to contact you to begin what I hope will be an informative, enlightening and constructive debate as to the vision we all have for sport and physical activity in the future, including what that might mean in an independent Scotland. I have attached in Annex A a series of questions around how sport and physical activity in Scotland can develop and how the governing structures for sports may need to change and adapt in response to that development.

I would welcome your views on any aspect of how you envisage sport, and its governance, to operate within an independent Scotland and what arrangements maybe appropriate with other nations across the British Isles.

I look forward to joining you in the debate.

Annex A:

THE FUTURE OF SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND
Q1. We all want to see Scotland as a successful sporting nation. In your view, how
should sport and physical activity in Scotland be developed to help achieve this?

Q2. In an independent Scotland, what would be your vision of how Scotland's
sports governing bodies should be structured?

Q3. In an independent Scotland, what is your vision of how sport governing bodies
would interact and work with governing bodies across the British Isles, Europe and at
World level?

[Gross]

Obviously the first step would be to ban all English competitors (including eddieh) from running in the Scottish Relays

[smf]

Obviously the first step would be to ban all English competitors (including eddieh) from running in the Scottish Relays

No the first step is to ban people like you, with your unhelpful comments.

[Gross]

2nd step will be to ban freedom of speech

[mappingmum]

This isn't about England and Scotland. England is not mentioned in the letter. It's about Scotland and our relationships with "other nations across the British Isles."

In the event of a no-vote we all carry on as before.

However, in the event of a yes vote the Scottish Govt will initiate negotiations with Westminster with a view to implementing Independence.

If Independence follows, and there is no guarantee that it will, we would have to
negotiate our relationship and responsibilities with BOF. Possibly terminate it.

I would welcome all my sports membership affiliation fees staying within Scotland and being administered by a Scottish body in the interests of Scotland.

[Gross]

A serious point.... BOF at present is GB's orienteering represtative at the IOF. An independant Scotland would join the IOF as a member country. BOF in it's present form would cease to exist. The SOA would need to fill the gaps of services and functions of BOF

[mappingmum]

Scottish Govt confirms that responses from individuals are welcome to the debate. Contributions should be sent to alan.nicholson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

[AndyO]

Some interesting questions there, and you can equally consider the questions in a UK or England/Wales/Norn Irn only context

Q1. We all want to see Scotland as a successful sporting nation. In your view, how
should sport and physical activity in Scotland be developed to help achieve this?

Biggest issue for most sports is a dreadful lack of good quality facilities, particularly indoor facilities. This has stemmed from a complete failure of successive governments to invest in sport, and since the development of the National Lottery Tax, Government money has virtually ceased altogether, although Ministers still like to take credit for projects funded from the Lottery Tax. Shameless!

One problem that would have to be solved is how to co-ordinate the provision so there is a network of good facilities around the country, instead of very ad hoc provision that relies on a mixed bag of Local Authority (including schools) and private clubs, including senior football and rugby clubs. Developing multi-sport clubs that can have an overall governance structure while supporting coaches and competitive individuals and teams across many sports allows better use of and access to facilities, access to physio/coach/medical support, and the opportunity to find athletes of similar standard to train with.

Funding for this could come from club membership fees, spectator ticket receipts (eg for a club based around a professional football club), sales of club gear and branded goods, sponsorship, and some support from national and local government.

The relatively recent development of Centres of Excellence in some sports (swimming, cycling) has shown the benefits of grouping elite athletes together with top class coaches to compete at World Class, and this programme should be continued and supported by Government, across national boundaries if necessary. Appropriate financial support should also be provided to those athletes who achieve defined standards to allow them to train and to compete at national and international level.

Q2. In an independent Scotland, what would be your vision of how Scotland's
sports governing bodies should be structured?

I'd prefer to see sport governing bodies as enabling their sport and not getting bogged down in needless detail on rules, eligibility etc. There may be a case for having a structured umbrella governing body for all sports with sector-based groups for different sports. This might allow for sharing of office premises and admin support, and provide for good communication with the clubs. The danger would be whether this would itself become so big that arrogance would transcend support and communication, and whether some sports would have professional staff and others run by volunteers. Some sports may be so minor that it might be better (by agreement) to regard a governing body in another country as acting in that capacity in Scotland. It's difficult to imagine the Scottish Skeleton Bob Association having loads of members!

Q3. In an independent Scotland, what is your vision of how sport governing bodies
would interact and work with governing bodies across the British Isles, Europe and at
World level?

Scotland has a good history of effective contribution to governing bodies in sports at all levels, and I would expect nothing less than a constructive relationship with governing bodies in other countries. Having the kind of umbrella organisation envisaged in Q2 would lend a measure of professionalism to the Scottish bodies and resist any criticism of being thought of as too small, and for very minor sports an agency arrangement might be reasonable at least until there is a critical mass within the sport in Scotland.

[Kitch]

I think these questions are narrow and reflect the self interest of sports governing bodies themselves.

The first question is the only one of any merit.
It is the only one that is actually about sport itself.
I'm glad to see that it also includes physical activity.
I suspect that the statement "successful sporting nation" is aimed at competitive success.
I would rather there was a far broader definition of sporting success for Scotland - one that encompassed mass participation and involvement, where the scale and scope of sporting activity at any and all levels was a measure of success.

Questions 2 and 3 I really don't care about, and I really don't think it matters one bit
As long as
They have clear, sensible, measurable objectives
And they achieve them.

I think its a bad omen that these poeple are asking -- "ooh how should we organise ourselves?"
Instead of "what do we want to achieve for sport in Scotland?"
Step one - define success.