My rsnt.
My opinion
My arsehole
Although many would debate it, I do have one, fairly unique experience set, and one superpower.
Both of these I have needed to use to try and get my head around the absolute horrors that Saints FC (and the EFL) have inflicted on us lately.
Cross Cultural Awareness. My experience of building a new life in TWO Foreign Countries. There is a huge leap of awareness and understanding that one needs to make when you move to a new Country. There is no handbook or AI solution, you have to seek to understand people, values and tradition. (And language IF you have that skill set)
I needed to understand and not offend so many Nationalities across the Middle East. I had to understand rules, expectations and behaviour expected were different.
Eventually I had good coaches - all friends with Experience. But in those first months/yearsā¦ there were many laws and rules it took me years to understand.
In fact in my corporate career, holding a mirror up and showing others how pre-conceptions could be wrong (long before & that type of thing became woke nonsense!)
The same coming to Poland - the simplest example - Pedestrian Crossing - Dubai? Whateverā¦ didnāt even see it
UKā¦ meh donāt have to stop inside the ZigZags..
For everyone itās 2nd nature.
Here? Oh no itās a heinous crime NOT to stop even if the pedestrian steps right in front of you.
Total Pedestrian right of way - took me 8 years of luckily not killing someone before I adjusted to āA Bloody Obviousā rule. (Be ready to brake when you see a sign in fact learning to SEE a sign without Orange Beacons)
So to Saints.
Cheating - why would an outsider (OK Foreigner) think cheating was a heinous crime? Your Politicians, Celebrities, Billionaires do it, nobody cares.
Football teams do it, Man City, PGMOL/Arsenal.
It is not illegal in many countries (especially the US).
Spying specifically is endemic in Europe and part of the game.
So here we are, brought down by the bloody obvious. Why would you think you need to tell someone? Itās obvious that is unacceptable
Why would you not do something youāve been doing for years? Itās obviously acceptable behaviour.
There is no excuse for cheating.
There is no excuse for allowing a spying DNA.
Because itās bloody obvious you donāt do it.
There is no excuse for NOT telling someone itās illegal, but you would never believe someone would do it
Just maybe, sometimes, qualifications and experience (in so many walks of modern life) forget the bloody obvious and common sense.
Saints developed a culture of spying we are shocked, angry, horrified.
My guess is that those involved in creating it are equally shocked to find it was wrong.
Leadership is shocked like us to find out it was happening.
They should have known
No. Do you know every rule of law or cultural attribute even in Scotland? Let alone Germany, or France, or Spain
I read so many stories of tourists jailed in UAE or other countries because they never imagined rules could differ.
Heck even Brits here falling foul of our āRespectā officers.
It happens so often.
Someone (Tonda or Spors) have destroyed our club likely through ignorance or misunderstanding culture and probably never realised when they started.
Iām not angry. Iām just sad.
And I expect many other Foreign coaching teams at other Clubs are offering up prayers they didnāt get caught.
May be some time before I spend money I donāt have to watch Saints play live again
