Football's Transfer Dealings Leave Me Perplexed

I DO not want regular readers of this blog to think I am mellowing, or in any way going soft, but – Motherwell's £200,000 valuation to Celtic, when they enquired about the availability of goalkeeper Trevor Carson.

Trevor Carson - 2000% inflation on his value

Come-on Alan Burrows, y'er 'avin' a larf. Does he honestly mean to tell me, Carson, who the Steelmen signed from Hartlepool for £10,000 in the summer, has gone up in value by 2000% in half a season. I've heard of inflation, but, that is ridiculous.

I know it is a well-established and long-standing Scottish football tradition, to add a 0 at the end of your valuation, whenever the Old Firm come looking for one of your players, but, this is going to extremes.

I know too, goalkeeper is a specialist position, in fact, THE specialist position in any team, but, what message does this send out to the likes of 19-year-old Conor Hazard, the young Celtic goalkeeper who has just been sent out on-loan to Falkirk.

When Hazard joined the Bairns, we got the usual media spin from Bairns' boss Paul Hartley, all about: “I know how highly Brendan Rodgers rates him”, then guff about wanting him to gain first team experience.

That, of course, was before big Craig Gordon got injured. Well, for my money, if Hazard was good enough to be listed in Celtic's first team squad, then he was good enough to play if needed – inexperienced or not.

Let's look at it this way. Celtic ought to be able to win any domestic game without getting out of third gear, so, put Hazard on the bench, then, when the second or third Celtic goal goes in – put the kid on. All these 15 or 20-minute spells will soon add up, and Rodgers will know if his confidence in the boy was justified.

And, while a move to Celtic would be good for Carson – he will, should he move, only be a bench-warmer, whereas, at Motherwell, even if the money is less, he's playing every week.

Furthermore, as the Celtic Song goes: “If you know their history” - well, I can remember a very young goalkeeper named David Marshall being flung in at the deep end, and he hasn't done too badly in his career.

I've been watching Scottish football for a long time, and I can recall: Dick Beattie, Frank Haffey, Packy Bonnar and Marshall all getting their chance at 19 or 20, back when Celtic took pride in growing their own. Changed days now.

I SEE Rangers' Danny Wilson is going west, to Colorado, in the latest stage of a career which once promised so much, but, has somehow frittered-out.

Danny Wilson - he could have been a contender

Wilson, is 26, he is a Scotland internationalist, he really should be entering the peak years of his career. In fact, I would say, but for some bad advice, some not-so-bright decisions and maybe a wee bit of having it all too-soon, he would not be even contemplating such a move.

He was in the Rangers' first team at 17. OK, maybe, just maybe, he suffered a wee bit from having his talent over-boosted by the praise from the Lap Top Loyal, but, in those early outings, as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, learning from playing alongside David Weir, the thought was – here might be the centre-half who was a throwback to Woodburn, Young, McKinnon and Gough – a boy who would grow into a man and go on to captain Scotland.

He got an early, big-money move to Liverpool, where it all went wrong and he failed to establish himself. He got into the Scotland team when still just out of footballing nappies, but, he could not nail down a place at a time when we were not very good.

He became Scotland internationalist number 1115, when he replaced Christophe Berra during Scotland's friendly against Brazil, in London, in March, 2011; and was actually capped before, and at a younger age than Russell Martin, the man who has now displaced him from the Rangers' team.

Since Wilson was capped: Martin, Grant Hanley, Charlie Mulgrew, Liam Bridcutt, Gordon Greer, Paul Caddis and Kieran Tierney have all played in central defence for the national team. Indeed, if Wilson had been as-good as he was supposed to be when he first broke into the Rangers team, he might well have been looking forward to joining the exclusive 50 caps club by now.

He failed at Liverpool, he battled back and re-established himself in the Scottish game with Hearts, winning a return to an admittedly much-diminished Rangers from the club he had left. But, he has not taken the chance, and has now gone to America.

I wish him well in Colorado, but, the verdict has to be – Danny Wilson could have been a contender, but, didn't even make that might have been status. Truly, in less than a decade he has gone from The Next Big Thing to a Has-Been, and, that is sad.

GOOD luck too to new Hamilton Academical signing Mickel Miller, signed this week from English side Carshalton Athletic.

 Mikel Miller (right) - I wish him well, but, I reckon Hamilton could have found a Scot just as good

Nothing against the boy, but, what the Hell are Accies doing signing players from non-league football in Scotland, when there are so-many good Junior teams on their doorstep.

Once upon a time, the Juniors was where our young players went to learn their trade. I am certain there are still bargains and unpolished diamonds to be found there. So why are Accies, who are not exactly rolling in money, recruiting from England and ignoring what is under their noses. And, not just Accies either.

Maybe if Scottish managers stopped listening to silver-tongued agents and got out there looking, they would realise, Scotland is still producing promising young players – all they need is a chance.

Great Scot Of Awe Buddie To Pick As Keeper Of The Poisoned Chalice

JINGS, crivvens, help ma Boab, Scot Gemmill is the new favourite to take possession of the poisoned chalice, as the next Scotland team manager/head coach.

 Scot Gemmill - new favourite for the poisoned chalice

Nothing against Scot – Ah kent his faither, and the boay is a guid Paisley Buddie, albeit he has spent most of his life and career in England. I do not think his lack of club managerial experience is a bad thing: he has not, therefore, been tainted with club ways, managing an international team is an entirely different ball game.

Scot has enjoyed some comparative success with our age group teams, he knows his way along the Hampden Corridor of Power, so, presumably, he is well-aware, he is dealing with some exceptionally untalented people in the Hampden suits, and the club officials who supposedly make the decisions.

Given, the SFA and Scottish football is not fir for purpose, I suppose, and I don't want this to sound like damned with faint praise – Scot will be as good a manager as any one.

I HAD a quick swatch at the weekend's Scottish Junior Cup results. OK, there are still a few Fourth Round ties to be settled, and, yes, cup-holders Glenafton are already out, having chosen to put on their worst display of the season in losing narrowly to Rob Roy in Round Three, but, aside from the mighty Afton, there are some seriously-good sides still in the competition.

A familiar picture - Talbot's Tucker Sloan with the Junior Cup and, they're in the last 16 again

In fact, if most of the uncompleted ties go with known form, we might end-up with the best last-16 field for some time. It goes without saying, Auchinleck Talbot are still involved. They thrashed Cumnock 5-1 on the Townhead Park artificial surface on Saturday to go through. OK, the 2017-18 squad has shown some very unTalbot frailties this season, but, the Scottish is approaching the sharp end, they have just thrashed their nearest-neighbours and will probably be installed as favourites now.

But, there are other clubs with serious Scottish Cup pedigrees still involved. In the closest thing the East Region perhaps has to the Cumnock-Talbot rivalry, Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic beat Newtongrange Star 5-2 on Saturday. The Rose has threatened to bloom again in the Scottish over the last couple of seasons, might this be the year when they go all the way?

Irvine Meadow, aiming to re-establish themselves under big Brian McGinty, put six goals on Dunbar United, a team you never under-estimate in the Scottish on Saturday, to cruise into the last 16, while there were big wins too for Linlithgow Rose and Rob Roy.

Pollok are through, while some other big names, such as 2016 winners Beith involved in as yet unplayed games, the later stages will surely see some epic clashes.

I HAVE never been big on conspiracy theories, not even about guys on grassy knolls and did Lee Harvey Oswald act alone, but, here's a wee one I would like to throw into the mix.

On Thursday, the Axis of Evil which is the combined Scottish arms of the British Conservative and Unionist and Labour Parties, aided by the Greens and the Liberal-Democratics, forced through the Holyrood Parliament, a motion which should see OBFA, the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act, wiped from the statute book.

I repeat here, again, my caveats:

• Offensive behaviour at football is largely, but not entirely a problem caused by the followers of two Glasgow football clubs.
• There is a considerable sectarian/religious bigotry element in the problems these cubs' followers cause.
• Religious intolerance and bigotry is not altogether learned at football matches, but, in the home and at school.
• Bogotry and sectarianism, as seen at and around football matches is unacceptable.
• The two clubs mainly involved have not done enough to stamp out the trouble
• The SFA is strangely unwilling to bring these clubs to heel.
• OBFA was bad law, hurriedly introduced, not properly thought through, but, it was necessary.
• The passing of James Kelly MSP's motion on Thursday had a little to do with the issue, but, was mainly about the minor parties trying to give the SNP a bloody nose.
• The Opposition might have forced through the defeat of the Scottish Government, they have singularly or collectively failed to come up with alternatives to OBFA.
• James Kelly's objections to OBFA were more about Celtic anthems being caught in the legislation, when he thought OBFA was all about banning Rangers' hymn sheet.

For my part, banning I not all offensive behaviour at football, but, at least “Scotland's secret shame” of football-related bigotry and sectarianism is easy – just make clubs responsible for the behaviour of their fans, by adoring UEFA's “zero tolerance” approach.

If Rangers were docked three points for every match in which their support rejoiced in being: “Up to our knees in Fenian blood”, and Celtic were similarly penalised for every hymn of praise to the IRA, well, within a season bigotry and sectarianism would be a thing of the past in Scottish football.

There would still be sectarianism in Scotland, but, not inside football grounds.

Of course, the SFA will NEVER bring in any bye-law which might hurt the untouchable Bigot Brothers. No, no, no, no, that would never do. They must be free to keep fighting Irish political history in the football grounds of Scotland.

Well, I offer this wee idea to Nicola Sturgeon and her Government.

The "Nippy Sweetie" with the Scottish Women's team - might she do a deal with the "suits"

I believe, the SFA would rather like to remain at Hampden post-2020, but, the old lady needs a near-total and very-expensive rebuild. However, we do need a neutral venue for Scottish football, and, great stadium though Murrayfield is, if the option was there, most Scottish football fans would prefer a rebuilt, fit-for-purpose, 21^st century-class Hampden as the home of Scottish Football.

So, the Scottish Government tells the SFA: “OK, we will pay for the modernising of Hampden into a say 75,000 capacity, state of the art football stadium, fit for the 21^st century. But, here are the conditions:

• Queen's Park are decanted to a rebuilt Lesser Hampden as their home to keep the main stadium free for big games, concerts etc.
• Before we start, the SFA brings in “zero tolerance” of sectarianism and bigotry, the clubs are held responsible for their fans' misbehaviour – no deal on this, no deal on rebuilding Hampden.

If the suits cannot be persuaded otherwise, what is wrong with holding a gun to their thick heads?

That Was The Week That Was, Except, Scottish Fitba Is Beyond Satire

TOP-FLIGHT Scottish football might be back, but, this small impediment has not prevented the mainstream Scottish football media from extending their mid-season silly season.

 Ally McCoist as Scotland Manager - naw, Ah'm no buyin' that

I appreciate, it never does much good to under-estimate the stupidity of the suits along Hampden's sixth-floor corridor of power, but, come-on: Ally McCoist or Neil Lennon for Scotland manager!!! OK, Coisty, lovely guy though he is, disqualifies himself via a lack of managerial talent, while Lenny, good club manager though he is, surely disqualifies himself on grounds of temperament.

Mind you, between flaggate and their coverage of OBFA in Holyrood, even by the abysmal standards of 2018 Scottish journalism, this has been a bad week for the dead tree press.

MY esteemed colleague in the Scottish Sports Philosophy department at the School of Hard Knocks, within the University of Life, Professor Aristotle Armstrong, has, of late been getting aerated at the efforts of Mr Mark Dodson, CEO of the Scottish Rugby Union, to railroad through plans to dump the BT Premiership, the top level of Scottish club rugby, in favour of a new competition, to be contested by six franchised clubs – part-owned by the SRU.

I have mentioned this plan before, think of it as: the two Edinburgh clubs, the two Dundee clubs, the Old Firm, Ayr United and Kilmarnock, the Fife clubs, St Mirren and Morton, all being forced to amalgamate, with the SFA taking a share in each club, and appointing the managers. Well, apparently, Mr Dodson and his board, having persuaded the clubs back in 2016 to back a motion handing more powers to the SRU board, can now do as he pleases, and, in the face of massive opposition – he has said: “Super Six will happen.”

The SRU's Mark Dodson, would make a good successor to Stewart Regan, and, I know a lot of Scottish Rugby guys who would happily write him a great reference 

I mention this, because, IF, the SFA decided, following the string of recent disasters which poor old Stewart Regan's fingerprints have been all over – not least the needless sacking of WGS and the failed chase to recruit Michael O'Neill (and let's forget liquidation, Charles of Normandy and Sevco ever happened) – the Yorkshire lad's jaiket is seemingly on a shoogly nail at Hampden.

Well, IF he is sent homeward to think again, why, might not Mr Dodson be the perfect replacement? He has, after all:

• presided over much-better finances at Murrayfield.
• On his watch Scotland has risen to its highest position in the World Rugby rankings
• He has funded Glasgow to the extent it is now one of the leading clubs in Europe
• He presided over what I understand was an impressive presentation on the merits of Murrayfield as a replacement for Hampden when it comes to hosting the biggest football matches in Scotland.
• His buddies from his days in newspapers in Manchester include SAF and the other United big noises.
• He is English

I'd say these qualities earmarked Mr Dodson as a potential replacement for Regan.

And, if he can get Super Six past some of the members of Scottish Rugby's influential Aye Beenism brigade – he would run rings round the SFA High Heid Yins.

Keep your eyes on this one.

THE long-awaited European Nations League draw was made this week, with Scotland being placed in the three-team group in League C, with Albania and Israel.

Once upon a time we'd have looked at that draw as a skoosh-case, but, these days, can we be so-certain? However, Scotland is ranked 32 in the FIFA world rankings, with Albania ranked at 60 and Israel at 99. If we cannot win the group and be promoted to League B, then we ought to simply give-up.

If we win our league, as we should, then we will, in the summer of 2019, be involved in play-offs against the other three League C group winners, which will get us to the 2020 European Championship finals.

Received wisdom has always been, Scotland does better in competitive matches than in friendlies, so, maybe it's time we justified this belief and actually did something.

FINALLY, can somebody please inform Brendan Rodgers – Scottish football is not all about you. You are not the most-important team in Scottish fitba – the Scotland A team is. Remember this.

 Brendan Rodgers - a hissy fit about end of season tours

Wee Brendan got his knickers in a twist this week, because the SFA wants to play games in Latin America at the end of this season, and he feels this will impact on his preparations for next season's Champions League qualifiers.

Maybe if Brendan was a wee bit better at squad rotation and usage, he would not have so-many tired players on his hands. The Celtic website identifies 26 players as belonging to the First Team Squad, with a further six “First Team Squad members out on loan”.

Celtic still has 14 Premiership games, a possible four Scottish Cup ties to get through, plus a possible nine Europa League games to play between now and the end of May – 27 games.

If Rodgers cannot rotate his squad, particularly in the Premiership games, where we are always being told Celtic are so-much-better than their opponents, it is embarrassing, then he should not be managing.

Mind you, Celtic could always ask their friends across the city at Ibrox how you go about having players fit for club games, but unfit for Internationals, after all, Rangers wrote the book on this.

Or, they could, again taking a leaf from the Rangers play book, simply tell the SFA, you are not getting our players for these games. I mean, if Rangers could do this for the 1954 World Cup Finals, surely Celtic could do it for a two-game junket to the Americas.

You never know, we might end up with a squad of guys who actually wanted to play for Scotland.

Hello, Hello, We Are The Silly Boys (And Girls) - AS OBFA Is Booted Into Touch

SO, the gruesome twosome of Scottish Politics – the British Labour Party in Scotland and the Conservative and Unionist Party – North Britain Branch have flexed their muscle, and aided and abetted by the taxi-strength parties, led by Pinky and Perky – or Patrick Harvie and Willie Rennie, they have used their majority in Holyrood to have it agreed in principle, to scrap OBFA – the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act.

James Kelly MSP and

They'll be dancing in the streets of Larkhall and Croy tonight right enough. Of course, this decision had nothing to do with football – well, maybe wee James Kelly will get to sit in a posher seat at Celtic Park, and Murdo Fraser might get closer to the power broker at Ibrox, but, mainly, it was just another way to say: “EssEnnPee BAD!! - and to give the SNP a rare kicking.

 Murdo Fraser MSP - maybe hoping for better seats at the fitba

I have never deviated from the view, OBFA is bad law, badly written, hurriedly-introduced and not fit for purpose. It never would have and never will put an end to bigotry and sectarianism in Scotland; that sort of stuff is learned in the home, down the pub and doon at the ludge. It does not soley exist within football grounds, but, OBFA could have taken such behaviour out of our football grounds.

However, I have to say, faced with several thousand Rangers fans singing about being up to their knees in Fenian blood, or the same number of Celtic fans belting out one of their sectarian anth..., sorry, old Irish folk songs, with or without OBFA, the polis were never going to do more than make a few token arrests.

The other thing which has led us to today's ridiculous flexing of political muscle was the instigator of the repeal move, Labour MSP' Kelly's belief, the Act was designed to stop the Rangers fans singing – it was never meant to stop the Celtic fans, and, when this happened, he didn't like it.

There is only one way, in my view, based on thirty-plus years covering football, to stop offensive behaviour at football – and that is for the football authorities, to make clubs responsible for the behaviour of their fans, and, if these fans misbehave, then don't fine the clubs – deduct points.

I reckon, within weeks, offensive behaviour at football would be on the wane, and, by the end of the first season in which it happened, it would be over. It only needs the SFA to bite the bullet.

But, they will not,because they are scared shitless of the Bigot Brothers, and will never dare offend them and their Offensively Behaving Football Aficionados by clamping down on their offensive behaviour.

 Rangers fans, 40-years on are still proving "Dan" Archer was right

The Bigot Brothers don't give a toss about their fans, and they certainly don't give a toss about their large lunatic fringes. Forty years ago, my hero and inspiration, the late Ian “Dan” Archer, as good a Partick Thistle man as ever drew breath, categorised the core Rangers support as: “A permanent embarrassment and occasional disgrace”. The green Brigade wasn't around then, or Dan might well have had the same thing to say about them.

Forty years ago, Rangers could have done something about their lunatic fringe, but they didn't. Celtic have delivered how many slapped wrists to the GB, and still they misbehave. Celtic have tried the carrot and stick approach, neither has worked – but, to be fair to the men at the top in the East End, they have tried harder to make the boys behave than their opposite numbers along Paisley Road West.

It would actually be very easy to shut them up. Perhaps the majority of the offensive singing is done by the hard core, the Bigot Brothers' away support. Now, since their total support is so-big, away tickets are almost rationed out, and mainly distributed via season ticket holders or official supporters clubs. So, it would not be too-difficult to work out that say, the members of official supporters club 1690 (to pluck a number out of thin air) was metaphorically: “Up to our knees in Fenian blood” at Dens Park one Saturday; then tell that club: “Sorry, your behaviour was unacceptable – you will not receive away tickets for the next three away games.”

As things stand, I can think of only one person who was ever named and shamed for singing offensive ditties – not at a football match, but at a post Cup Final victory celebration, and that person was a member of the Faculty of Advocates – Donald Findlay QC. This, of course, rather boots BLiS's (British Labour Party in Scotland's) claim the Act was an attack on the working classes into the long grass.

An oppressed member of the working class, reflects on being caught behaving offensively at football

In short order, the offensive singing would stop.

And, if a wee bit of marketing nous, membership benefits for good behaviour, a real and genuine effort to engage with the fans, was thrown in, the clubs would benefit too. A wee bit of imaginative thinking would go a long way, but, that said, thinking of any kind is discouraged in Scottish Fitba's corridors of power.

No, the Bigot Brothers only want the public to buy their season tickets and the official merchandise to turn up and hand over the cash – they don't give a toss about the offensive behaviour which drives people away from their games.

I repeat, again: if the clubs an the football authorities are not prepared to take a stand, and do something to cut-out offensive behaviour at football, then we will need OBFA, a better version of OBFA.

And the challenge to the Unionist political parties and to the Greens is this – OK, you have probably forced the repeal of OBFA – are you prepared to work, to co-operate with the Scottish Government and replace it with something better, something you can all agree is fit for purpose?

Or, is it simply, as I and plenty of other commentators believe it to have been, a shameful, not to say shameless exercise in EssEnnPee BAD!!!

Might Wee James Be Playing A Blinder For The Team He Really Supports

THE public perception is that wee James Traynor is the “inter-galactic PR mastermind” (copyright the Donegal Blogger), operating at Level 5, who is behind the public statements of a certain football club, based in the South-West quadrant of Glasgow.

 Wee James - Intergalactic PR Mastermind

The story is, wee James has put the fear of death in the churnalists and stenographers in the mainstream media in Glasgow, to the effect – they write exactly what he tells them, or, more-often, they copy and paste his press releases for their newspaper's style and production systems.

The wee man from Airdrie is now seen as: “A Real Ranjurrz Man”, preaching to the converted of the Lap Top Loyal. Trouble is, the Scottish football writer who knows him better than anyone else, has always insisted, once he got over being released by his beloved Airdrie as a youth, James turned his affections southwards, towards a club based in the East End of Glasgow.

Good tale, the veracity of which I cannot comment on, but, if wee James is indeed a “Sellick Man” albeit a closet one, then he's playing a blinder, and his latest stunt is an absolute cracker.

Even Real Rainjurrz Men that I know laughed like a drain at the thought of Alfredo Morelos being worth £10 million. To be fair to Wee James, with the weather we've been having in Scotland of late, we needed a right good laugh – and we got one.

Mind you £22 million, or whatever for Moussa Dembele, well that just shows how too-much cash has ruined English football. It will, if it happens, be nice work for both Celtic and the young Frenchman, but, I would say, going to any of the other clubs, except possibly Everton, would be a downward move.

AND on a subject which compliments discussion of the proposed Dembele move, nice bit of work by Aberdeen in getting to keep hold of Kenny McLean for the remainder of the season, following his transfer to Norwich City.

It continues to grate with me that a 26-year-old Scotland cap, playing with the number 2 club in Scotland, can be so-easily transferred to the number 33 club in England – then be loaned back!!

I know, only too-well, Scotland has always been England's poor relation, but, this is ridiculous. Yes, players have a short career, of course they have to make big money when they can, but, as Hunter Davies clearly knew, when he wrote his seminal book nearly half a century ago now, football is The Glory Game.

McLean has turned his back on guaranteed European football, playing in the top division of his home league, for what – a bigger pay packet – to continue my theme: what price Glory?

MEANWHILE, back at the Hampden ranch, Stewart Regan is earning his corn, taking all the flak for the SFA's failure to land Michael O'Neill as their next national team boss – after the SFWA (Scottish Football Writers Association) think tank had prematurely anointed him as Da Man.

Stewart Regan - Scapegoat for the failures of the elected "suits"

So, we are back where the SFWA foot soldiers like to be, avoiding hard work. They can, between now and our next meaningless friendly, get back to making telephone calls round the former Scotland players in their contacts books, asking: “Who do you think should get the job?” They can allow Wee Jim to write their copy for them, depending on which ex-Ranger is front runner, or coming up on the rails for the job.

At the moment it is big Alex McLeish who is the favoured son, seeking his second sip from the poisoned chalice. To be fair, Eck did very well the last time, but, still could not get us to either of the big shows. Since then, his managerial star has waned somewhat, however.

I might also point-out, twice before, the SFA gave a former manager a second go at the job. Andy Beattie, our first Team Manager, whose tenure in 1954 saw him preside over a couple of major disasters, ended with him posting a 33.33% winning average.

Against his better judgement, perhaps, he took the job again in 1959 and ended-up, if anything even more sick of working with the SFA, an with a 25% winning average.

In 1965, Jock Stein was persuaded to dig the SFA out of a hole of their own making, when they arbitrarily sacked Ian McColl, Stein's first spell saw him rack-up a 42.86 wins percentage, and us fail to reach the 1966 World Cup finals, from a strong position.

He again came to the SFA rescue after Argentina, holding onto the job until his untimely and tragic death in Cardiff in 1985. Second time round, he had a 42.62% winning record. So second chances have not been as good as first dibs for Scotland bosses.

FINALLY, that wee ynaff James Kelly MSP will be moving his Bill to scrap the Offensive Behaviour At Football Act in Holyrood tomorrow.

 James Kelly MSP - liked OBFA, until he realised Celtic songs were included

Kelly, like quite a few of the holier-than-thou section of the Celtic Family was all for the Act, until he suddenly realised some of their traditional songs would be considered every bit as offensive as those on that great CD, Donald Findlay Sings the Blues. Then, he lost all his enthusiasm for OBFA.

I have never deviated from my view, OBFA is bad law, badly and too-hurriedly drafted, but, it is needed and, flaws and all, it is better than nothing. Scrapping it will be a huge mistake.

The Scottish Government, if the combined opposition parties succeed in having it scrapped, ought to get touch with the SFA. They are the people who could end offensive behaviour at football overnight – all they have to do is tell the clubs: you are being monitored, if your fans misbehave, we are holding you responsible, and you will be deducted points. First offence, you lose three points, second six, third nine and so on.

I reckon, almost overnight, things would improve. It's worth a try.

And, if the SFA will not act – no more government money or help.