Gordon Smith, do something decisive for Peat’s sake!

By Ray Hepburn

If Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor have had a damned awful week, SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has seen his credibility nose-dive as sharply as RBS shares.

The whole justification for his appointment to succeed David Taylor was to apply whatever experience he had in commerce to the post, plus his background as a player.

The circumstances that arose in the early hours of last Sunday morning were exactly the scenario the SFA had in mind when they hired a man with a football background.

What they got was dithering and indecision from manager George Burley, as the players were out of the squad and then back in it after five other drinking buddies lobbied on their behalf.

Even after the disgusting, infantile V-sign incidents at Hampden, as what was left of the team defeated Iceland 2-1, Smith revealed a chat with the manager that drew a line under the whole affair.

But just hours later, SFA president George Peat provided the first leadership of the week when announcing a full enquiry into the affair and its aftermath – directly contradicting Smith.

And then, five days after the original incident, with Ferguson still Scotland captain and both players chastised but intact, Rangers boss Walter Smith strode in and played the devasting trump card.

Their banishment from Ibrox stampeded the bewildered Hampden hierarchy into suspending both for life.

For make no mistake, the pair would still have been an integral part of the international squad had their club manager not brought some decisiveness, judgement and decency into the whole debate.

This morning Burley is accused of naivety for allowing the players to have a beer on their return from Holland – no problem with that, but without giving them a specific bedtime and policing it.

Managers will always err on the side of supporting players given the chance, but they must also have a feel for the nature of the offence and the mood of the paying public.

While Walter judged both perfectly, Burley and the other Smith sought to minimise the debacle – and with that decision came a lenient punishment. They locked themselves into that.

So the SFA chief executive stands in the dock charged with evasion, a diabolic lack of leadership and, for a man who fancies his use of words, a complete breakdown of communication with colleagues.

The man dubbed “the ego” by BBC workmates, where he seemingly gained all the experience needed to do this tricky,

trappy job, has just not been up to the task.

Most of what happened this week, after the original, unforgivable behaviour of Ferguson and McGregor, has been clouded with half-truths, smokescreens and a determination to cover up.

In fact, both players were dispensible – McGregor would always have been second-best to Craig Gordon and Ferguson, at 31 and with his recent injuries, has been looking like yesterday’s man.

Both could have been easily ditched without risk or recrimination, the World Cup ship back on an even keel and discipline strengthened.

Experience and not arrogance would have told Gordon Smith that.