Discipline Dire During Dreich Disappointing Dens Dundee Derby

SINCE I had nothing better to do, I watched last night's BT Sport broadcast of the Dundee Derby. The match wasn't very good, however, since we were watching two of the lesser teams in one of the lesser leagues in Europe, what did I expect?

Dundee United's defending was so poor as to be almost non-existent. Against a good team, and Dundee are far from being a good team, they would have been humiliated. Also, the discipline of the players left an awful lot to be desired.

Paul Dixon

Paul Dixon is a Scottish internationalist; you expect better from a guy who has worn the lion rampant than to pick-up a stupid, needless yellow card – which could easily have been a red – after just three minutes. Then, three minutes later, he petulantly threw the ball away. Willie Collum did him a favour by not seeing this.

  Chris Sutton - I feared "commentator's curse"

There were other incidents which did football's image little good, not least an unseemly bout of “handbags” late in the game. I certainly feared things might become over-heated when Chris Sutton said: “Willie Collum is having a good game”. At that point, I predicted/feared a full-scale riot, (the dreaded commentator's curse) – however, compared to what followed via the highlights of the Chelsea v Tottenham game, the Dundee Derby was tame.

Mark Clattenburg is one of England's top referees. He is also, “England's answer to Willie Collum”: ie, stupid things go on when he is in charge. To be fair to Clattenburg, a lot of the hassle took place behind his back, but, maybe if he had - as he ought to have - sent-off Spurs' Kyle Walker for that early and stupid kick at a Chelsea player in the opening exchanges, he would have had an easier night.

 Mark Clattenburg - should have done this at Chelsea on Monday night

In the end, nine Spurs' players were booked, I am still trying to work-out how Clattenburg managed to keep all 22 players on the park – football really MUST get its act together and start imposing discipline on the players. I believe, they should seriously look at Rugby Union's policy of sending the recipient of a yellow card to the sin bin for ten minutes. If that doesn't clean-up football, nothing will. The appointment of Rugby Union-style citing officers, to look again at incidents which the referee missed, is I would suggest something else football ought to be looking into.

A final thought on last night's senior football. We all know, Robbie Savage is a 24-carat, platinum-plated, diamond-encrusted choob, but, when he said, as he did tonight: “Leicester could well finish in the bottom half of the league next season”; he might be right.

I HAD a quick look at the Juniors results while compiling this post. Ominously, Auchinleck Talbot have gone top of the McBookie.com West of Scotland Premier Division, after a 1-0 Beechwood win over Junior Cup finalists Beith. In theory, Hurlford, who have a few games in hand, could pip the 'Bot for the title, but, at this stage of the season, when the trophy-chasing clubs begin to face playing Saturday – midweek – Saturday, well that's when Talbot's squad traditionally comes into its own. 'Ford are a good team, but, I think they lack the depth to overhaul the 'Bot.

Hurlford had to go all the way to penalties to beat Glenafton in the quarter-finals of the West of Scotland Cup on Monday night. Tomorrow night (Wednesday), they entertain Irvine Meadow in the League, then, on Saturday, they face Beith in the semi-final of the West of Scotland Cup. The other semi-final, by the way, is the small matter of Cumnock facing Talbot – a nice wee earner for the polis in East Ayrshire.

In mentioning the Meadow, it should be noted, their dire league season has seen them already relegated to the West of Scotland First Division, where they may yet be reunited with the other Irvine club, the wee Irvine Victoria.

The Vics have a healthy lead at the top of the Ayrshire League, but, Girvan have games-in-hand and promotion to the West of Scotland First Division is not yet arithmetically guaranteed for Vics. It has been a long time since the Vics and their more-glamorous near neighbours Meadow have been in the same division, if it happens next season it will be culture shock for the Meadow.

The programme from that record-breaking 1951 Junior Cup final 

Ironically, the club almost certain to accompany the Meadow down is Petershill. Now, as every student of Scottish football history knows, these clubs have great histories: the record attendance for a Scottish Junior Cup Final is the 77,650 who watched the Peasies beat the Medda 1-0 in the 1951 final at Hampden. Petershill have won the Junior Cup five times, Meadow have recorded three wins. Both clubs will bounce back.