The FA allows clubs to submit paperwork after the 11pm deadline, but only if they submit a separate piece of paperwork in the 2 hours prior to the deadline, and only if the full paperwork is received by 1am of the following day or an hour earlier if it's an international transfer. The latter is because it's mandatory for FIFA's transfer system to receive the information by that time in order to be ratified. As far as I know the SFA has no such provisions in place, and the paperwork due from Celtic didn't arrive until after midnight (it also missed the SPFL's deadline of 11pm, but the SPFL agreed to waive its own deadline 'just because') so there was no legitimate transfer during the window.
I expect FIFA, just as the SFA and SPFL did, to ignore its own deadline restrictions and allow the transfer. My point is that these deadlines only appear to apply when and where it suits. If it's OK to come up with any old excuse to circumvent them - and let's face it, clubs could come up with all manner of reasons why paperwork was unexpectedly delayed for reasons outwith their control - then why bother setting them the way they do in the first place? I mean, it was pretty much known that Celtic were taking this player on loan for several days, but Celtic intentionally leave it very late with some of their transfer dealings to try to gain the most advantageous terms, though they're far from the only ones who do this among clubs and players. This time they were stung by it because something unexpected popped up and caught them out.
As far as I'm concerned a deadline should mean a deadline, and players and clubs should make sure they take care of their business well in advance to ensure they have time to deal with any unexpected details. If they then fail to make that deadline it's their own fault.
I expect FIFA, just as the SFA and SPFL did, to ignore its own deadline restrictions and allow the transfer. My point is that these deadlines only appear to apply when and where it suits. If it's OK to come up with any old excuse to circumvent them - and let's face it, clubs could come up with all manner of reasons why paperwork was unexpectedly delayed for reasons outwith their control - then why bother setting them the way they do in the first place? I mean, it was pretty much known that Celtic were taking this player on loan for several days, but Celtic intentionally leave it very late with some of their transfer dealings to try to gain the most advantageous terms, though they're far from the only ones who do this among clubs and players. This time they were stung by it because something unexpected popped up and caught them out.
As far as I'm concerned a deadline should mean a deadline, and players and clubs should make sure they take care of their business well in advance to ensure they have time to deal with any unexpected details. If they then fail to make that deadline it's their own fault.