Scottish Football Association

National football association

Badge_size = 160px
Founded = 1873
FIFA affiliation = 1910
Region = UEFA
Region affiliation = 1954
President = George Peat [cite web | title=Scottish Football Association | url= http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?curpageid=183 | publisher=Scottish Football Association | accessdate=2008-01-26]
Coach = Vacant (men's)
Anna Signeul (women's)

The Scottish Football Association (also known as the SFA and The Scottish FA or the "worst league in the world") is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations. It was formed in 1873, making it the second oldest national football association in the world.

The Scottish Football Association sits on the International Football Association Board which is responsible for the laws of the game. The SFA is also a member of FIFA and founder member of UEFA. It is based at Hampden Park in Glasgow. In addition, the Scottish Football Museum is located there.

The Scottish Football Association is responsible for the operation of the Scotland national football team, the annual Scottish Cup and several other duties important to the functioning of the game in Scotland.

History

Following the formation of Scotland’s earliest football clubs in the 1860s, football experienced a rapid growth but there was no formal structure, and matches were often arranged in a haphazard and irregular fashion.

Queen's Park, a Glasgow club founded in 1867, took the lead, and following an advertisement in a Glasgow newspaper in 1873, representatives from seven clubs - Queen's Park, Clydesdale, Vale of Leven, Dumbreck, Third Lanark, Eastern and Granville - attended a meeting on 13 March, 1873. Furthermore, Kilmarnock sent a letter stating their willingness to join.

That day, these eight clubs formed the Scottish Football Association, and resolved that, "The clubs here represented form themselves into an association for the promotion of football according to the rules of The Football Association and that the clubs connected with this association subscribe for a challenge cup to be played for annually, the committee to propose the laws of the competition".cite web | title=Brief History of the Scottish Football Association | url= http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football.cfm?curpageid=183 | publisher=Scottish Football Association | accessdate=2007-06-06]

Chief executive

The chief executive of the Scottish Football Association oversees the development of football in Scotland and the administration of disciplinary matters, and is also responsible for the general organisation of the national side. One of the most prominent roles of the chief executive is to hire and dismiss Scotland national team managers. [cite web | title=New SFA chief ready to take flak | url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/6705941.stm | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=2007-06-06]

There have been seven chief executives since 1882: [cite web | title=Gordon Smith appointed chief executive | url= http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news.cfm?newsid=3001 | publisher=Scottish Football Association | accessdate=2007-06-06]

* John McDowall (1882–1928)
* George Graham (1928–1957)
* Willie Allan (1957–1977)
* Ernie Walker (1977–1990)
* Jim Farry (1990–1999)
* David Taylor (1999–2007)
* Gordon Smith (2007–)

National teams

As well as the Scotland national football team, the Scottish Football Association is also currently responsible for organising the Scotland B national football team, as well as men's national teams at under-21, under-19, under-18 and under-17 levels. There is also a semi-professional team. In women's football, there is the full Scotland women's national football team and an under-19 team.

Club competitions

The Scottish Football Association organises the Scottish Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup. Although the SFA are not involved in the day-to-day operation of the Scottish Premier League or the Scottish Football League, they do appoint referees to officiate the games in these leagues.

Affiliated associations

National associations

The Scottish Football Association has affiliated to it the following six national associations:

* Scottish Amateur Football Association
* Scottish Junior Football Association
* Scottish Schools Football Association
* Scottish Youth Football Association
* Scottish Welfare Football Association
* Scottish Women’s Football Association

Local associations

The following nine local associations are affiliated:

* Aberdeenshire and District Football Association
* East of Scotland Football Association
* Fife Football Association
* Forfarshire Football Association
* Glasgow Football Association
* North of Scotland Football Association
* Southern Counties Football Association
* Stirlingshire Football Association
* West of Scotland Football Association

See also

References

External links

* [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/index.cfm Scottish Football Association]
* [http://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/ Scottish Football Museum]