AS someone who spent a few years covering second and third-grade football in Scotland, I used to enjoy those very-occasional matches when we members of the Poor Bloody Infantry of the Scottish Football Writing Army had to share a fox hole with the Officer Class, whose more-familiar beat went: Ibrox-Hampden-Celtic Park.
Some of these guys actually enjoyed getting back to basics, not having their pies and Bovril served-up in a press room, having to queue-up for telephone access (in the days before we all had mobiles), perhaps having to buy a programme, or share a team sheet.
Others, denied the luxuries they felt entitled to, were like bankrupt millionaires, suddenly having to endure cattle class at the back of the aircraft, or a dowager on a bus - they couldn't cope.
So, with the mince part of the mince and tatties which is the everyday food of these fitba writers currently continuing to thole life in the second tier, the "names" are having to, rather than enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to somewhere exotic, while the final polish is put on the pre-season preparations, get into the trenches in July.
Not that Easter Road is a tough place at which to work, but, since they cannot all prove their entitlement to membership of the Lap Top Loyal on Week One, I dare say, yesterday saw several in unfamiliar grounds.
Of course, all the interest in the first round of the Diddy Challenge Cup this season was around Easter Road. Sure, we had sunshine on Leith, but, the result was not what was expected.
I fancied Hibs, with a more-familiar with each other squad, could win yesterday. Again, it was just as possible that the Rangers Tribute Act might win. But, nobody, including me, ever envisaged the game ending-up 6-2 to the visitors.
A great result for Mark Warburton. I must admit, watching the F1 Qualifying from Hungary, I missed the first-half, when, according to most reports, the RTA were far from convincing.
But, watching the second-half, I thought they played the best passing football I have seen from the RTA yet. They thoroughly deserved to win. However, great result though this was, it is in some ways a problem for the new Ibrox boss. His men have, first time out, set the bar high.
If the RTA cannot beat the lesser sides in the Championship in the same manner as they beat their supposed main challengers, well some of the Bears will become restless indeed.
NOW we know we will have England in our group in the World Cup qualifiers, and we have got over the euphoria of a draw which means mega-bucks for both Associations - the England v Scotland and Scotland v England tickets will be the hottest ones in years and, given how much easier it will make gaining access to the precious briefs, I expect membership of the SFA Travel Club to soar.
However, we MUST NOT get it into our heads that, it is Us V Them for qualification. Slovakia and Slovenia will cause us problems; we should surely beat both Malta and Lithuania, but, the Baltic nation does have the ability to upset us, if we do not apply ourselves properly.
A lot may depend on how the fixtures work-out, but, if we can, somehow, treat the two meetings with England as just another game or two, I can see us qualifying.
I WAS writing an obituary this week, on the late Brian Hall, the Liverpool midfielder of the early 1970s - Shankly's second great team.
Brian was Scottish, born in Glasgow to Scottish parents. However, the Hall family relocated to Preston, where he was raised and schooled. The Preston connection did him no harm with Shankly, who was, of course, a North End Legend, and, after football, he returned to that town to live, and to work for a time, before returning to Liverpool to work in the club's Community section.
His last four years were blighted by a battle against Leukemia; Brian Hall died, in his Preston home earlier this month. One of those rare footballers whose brains were in his head rather than his feet - Brian Hall BSc was one of the last of what was once an extensive breed - the Scottish journeyman in midfield, who drove-on the top teams in England.
This educated man was a true descendant of the "Scotch professors", who, particularly in the legendary Preston Invincibles, were such a force in football's early years.
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