Politicians Are Still A Parcel O' Rogues In A Nation

WELL, the combined forces of the Opposition parties at Holyrood has sent a message to the Scottish Government – they really don't like the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

Fair enough – they want it repealed; except, not one of them came up with a viable alternative. We know Brexit was a case of a lot of politicians saying: “This is a good idea” - and persuading several million gullible mainly English voters to support that idea. But, as we all now know, that's all Brexit was – an idea, and not a particularly good one.

For me, this repeal OBFA vote is similar – an idea, not a particularly smart one, which persuaded a few numpties on the opposition benches at Holyrood to vote to repeal it.

This, of course, will not happen immediately – if at all. I have never hidden my concerns about the Act. It is not perfect, I can see flaws, but, it is better than nothing. Significantly, I was speaking today to a former Match commander at Ibrox, long retired from the Polis, but, with close family still in blue and in relatively-high positions. He was telling me, OBFA covers situations which were not covered by the old “catch-all”, Breach of the Peace charge. He agrees with me, however, the Act, as presently constituted, is not perfect.

OK, so, we have to replace it; let us hope the Tories, Greens, Lib-Dems and Labour MSPs engage fully in the process of debating then implementing the replacement act. However, that said, the best way of eliminating, as far as we can, offensive behaviour from Scottish football, is, in my humble opinion, to bring in “Strict Liability”.

I HAVE reservations about Scott Brown returning to the Scotland squad, whether for the single game, against the Auld Enemy at Wembley, or for longer. But, it is done now and I cannot really complain about the squad WGS has named for the game.

What I can, and will moan about, is the attitude of the Scottish football writers, who have in their infantile wisdom, decided, oor bums are oot the windae as far as qualifying for the 2018 World Cup Finals is concerned.

Yet strangely, the same fonts of (f**k) all knowledge are trying to convince the punters – Celtic can still qualify for the Europa League.

DO THE MATH, as our American cousins say.

SCOTLAND – has played 30% of their qualifying matches

Scotland has accumulated 44.44% of the available points

Scotland is one point behind the team in the second qualifying place

BUT – according to the Scottish fitba writers – oor bums are oot the windae as far as qualifying for the 2018 World Cup Finals is concerned.

CELTIC – has played 66.67% of their qualifying matches

Celtic has accumulated 16.67% of the available points

Celtic is two points behind Borussia Monchengladbach, the team in the Europa League qualifying place.

Both clubs have still to play the two top teams in their Group.

Yet – the fitba writers are trying to tell us, Celtic can qualify, while Scotland cannot.

AYE RIGHT!!

THE latest inductees to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame were announced this week, five new boys: Stevie Chalmers, Gary McAllister, John Wark, Alex Smith and Jock Wallace. With their induction, there are now 103 members in the SFHoF.

I have no qualms with any of the inductees. I believe the criteria for induction should be in line with similar Halls of Fame in the USA – where the Hall of Fame concept originated, however, should be brought into line with common practice across the pond – with nobody eligible for induction until they have been retired five years. This would have delayed, but not by too-long, Sir Alex Ferguson's induction, for instance.

But, once again the personal preferences of the “top” journalists on the induction panel have been starkly brought into play.

For instance, there are players with better Scotland records than Chalmers who are still not in the SFHoF, but, they don't have Celtic-supporting cheerleaders on the induction panel. But, lest any members of the Celtic family feel I am down on their great players, let me say: eight of the Lisbon Lions, Scotland's greatest club side: Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Gemmell, Bobby Murdoch, Billy McNeill, Jimmy Johnstone, new boy Stevie Chalmers, Bertie Auld and Bobby Lennox, plus manager Jock Stein, have been inducted into the SFHoF; but, what about the the other three – Jim Craig, John Clark and Willie Wallace? All 11 played on that unforgettable night in Lisbon, Celtic would not have won the European Cup with just eight players on the park.

I firmly believe, all 11 Lisbon Lions should be in there already.

Similarly, Rangers' “Barcelona Bears”, the team which won the Ibrox club's only European trophy, the Cup-Winner's Cup in 1972 is represented in the SFHoF by manager Willie Waddell, the newly-inducted Jock Wallace, the coach and by players John Greig, Sandy Jardine and Derek Johnstone – why are the other eight players: Peter McCloy, Willie Mathieson, Davie Smith, Tommy McLean, Alfie Conn Jnr., Colin Stein, Alex Macdonald and Willie Johnston not in there? For instance, there are players in there whose career was not as good as the likes of Stein, McLean, Macdonald and Johnston from the Barcelona winners.

They won as a team – the entire XI should be in there.

Scotland's third European club trophy winners – the Aberdeen “Gothenburg Greats” of 1983 is also represented in the SFHoF by manager Alex Ferguson and players Jim Leighton, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller and Gordon Strachan – but, there is no place as yet for: Doug Rougvie, John McMaster, Neale Cooper, Neil Simpson, Peter Weir, Eric Black and Mark McGhee – not forgetting substitute John Hewitt, who scored the winner should be in there.

Again - they won as a team – the entire XI should be in there.

The SFHoF panel has, wrongly I believe, consistently failed to honour the great Scottish players of the past. This, maintaining the theme of honouring Scotland's greatest teams, means only Hughie Gallacher, Alex James and Alan Morton of the 1928 Wembley Wizards are in there. What have Jack Harkness, Jimmy Nelson, Tommy Law, Jimmy Gibson, “Tiny” Bradshaw, skipper Jimmy McMullan, Alec Jackson and “Tim” Dunn done to be out in the cold.

In particular, the absence of Harkness, for so-long the doyen of Scottish football writers, skipper McMullan, one of the greatest Scottish captains of all-time and Jackson – the only Scot to score a hat-trick against England at Wembley grates. What have they done to avoid being inducted?

FFS, Geoff Hurst scores two goals and is wrongly-credited with a third for England against West Germany at Wembley – he becomes a knight of the realm, Jackson also scores three goals in a Wembley international and he cannot get into the SFHoF.

Again, in the case of the “Wembley Wizards” - they won as a team – the entire XI should be in there.

Finally, Scotland's other iconic Wembley-winning team, the side who became “Unofficial World Champions” when they beat England in 1967. Manager Bobby Brown, and seven of his side: Ronnie Simpson, Tommy Gemmell, John Greig, Jim Baxter, Billy Bremner, Denis Law and Bobby Lennox are already in the SFHoF – what have Eddie McCreadie, Ronnie McKinnon, Willie Wallace and Jim McCalliog done to be kept out? I particularly feel for Wallace, a member of both the 1967 Wembley winners and the Lisbon Lions, but, still on the outside of the SFHoF looking in.

And, don't get me started on the absence from the inductees of some of the true greats of the Victorian era, when Scotland was the world's best football team.

What does Bob Gardner, goalkeeper, captain and, as Queen's Park secretary the man who did most of the work at the Scottish end of introducing international football back in 1872 have to do to get into the SFHoF? He was the first of the to-date 1100-plus Scottish internationalists – he should have been in there lang syne.

Rant over.