Own Goals - An SFA Speciality

AS I have been insisting for years, when it comes to intelligence, good sense and doing the right thing, the sixth-floor corridor at Hampden is a genuine desert. Never mind Flower of Scotland, their anthem appears to be 'My Way', and probably the Sid Vicious rather than the Frank Sinatra version.

Is Sid Vicious an SFA role model - they want to run Hampden his way

Take the latest own goal from our high heid yins. If reports today are to be believed, the sensible deal for the SFA to buy Hampden Park and redevelop it appears to have stalled, because of the governing body's refusal to allow Glasgow City Council a seat at the top table.

FFS, do they not realise – Glasgow has turned SNP, they are the Masters now; the days are past when sweetheart deals could be concluded over a half-time pie in the corporate seats at Celtic Park, by coonsillors who got a Parkhead season ticket along with their seat in the Council Chamber.

Who will have the big shout when it comes to redeveloping the now faded Old Lady? Why, the City Council. The most-spectacular own goal I ever saw was a rocket, past Alan Combe into the postage stamp corner of the St Mirren goal, by Jamie Fullarton, at Tannadice. Jamie's rocket was a tap-in compared to this SFA own goal.

Mind you, being around Hampden too long does strange things to football administrators' limited supply of brain cells. Why, I still remember that great line reported by the late Hughie McIlvanney, as he departed Hampden after the European Cup Final of 1960, to be told by a then service SFA councillor: “Of course, the Scottish football fan would not pay to watch that kind of football every week.”

If only he had given us the chance to prove him wrong.

Hopefully, common sense will win in this latest Hampden stand-off, but, as ever where the SFA is concerned, Ah hae ma doots.

“WEE LUGGIE,” or Paul Whitehead Sturrock, to give him his Sunday name, had a wee rant on the 'Scottish Football of Yesteryear' pages of Facebook this week – about the mind-numbing, boring, lack of invention in today's top football.

Paul Sturrock

The Dundee United and Scotland legend had a point, when he wrote: “I watch football most nights and must admit that I am becoming more disheartened by the style of play and the system which most teams adopt. Square and back passing seems to be the main element of the modern game which I believe is detrimental to the fans enjoyment and dare I say it, I am becoming bored of. I thought i would never see the day I would make comment of the game I love but I have seen many changes over the year so I hope time will again make our game enjoyable to watch.”

Well said Wee Man, and he didn't find any dissenting voices, with several other weel-kent former players weighing-in in support.

Sammy McGivern was quick to say: “Don't hold your breath Paul.”

Simon Stainrod joined in, adding: “All because it is coached by educators not footballers.

“It is criminal how boring some of these people have developed the way of playing.

“Get rid of them and get some fun, character and excitement back.”

Simon then added this helpful nugget: “Actual conversation with top scout at top English Premiership club: 'Simon can you look out for players in France that haven't had the flair and individuality coached out of them, we can't get them in England any more'.”

Austin McCann joined in with: “Used to watch every game going on the TV. Find it a struggle now.”

 Joe Harper doing what Joe Harper did

Joe Montgomery Harper, that man of many clubs and many more goals, mainly for Aberdeen, Hibs and Scotland offered this pearl of wisdom: “The more times you get the ball into the box the more chance you’ve got to score “ SIMPLE“.”

Mind you if you found goal-scoring as easy as wee Joe used to make it appear, everything is simple.

Another former Pittodrie favourite, Ally Shewan, offered this contribution: “I agree with you Paul, the game has been spoiled by the foreign managers , we miss the likes of Jock Stein and Eddie Turnbull and of course Sir Alex Ferguson.”

Yet another contributor offered some criticism of Pep Guardiola, but did not find much support, indeed, David Winnie, a Scottish Cup winner with St Mirren, now a lawyer specialising in sporting matters and one of the small number of Scottish coaches to have coached in Europe, with KR Reykjavik, came up with this telling contribution: “The game evolves and will continue to do that. Blame cannot be attached to Pep Guardiola. He's taken the game to another level frankly.

“The problem as far as I can see in Scotland is that there isn't an identifiable style to the way we play. Frankly, our players don't have the nous or technical ability to match the Spanish, Germans or English for that matter. But yet, we haven't found a system that we're comfortable with.

“Our climate doesn't help and the lack of decent facilities. However, getting the ball forward at the earliest chance is also foolhardy. Do that against a decent Euro team and they outwit you and let you run around for 5 mins trying to get it back again. In short, no easy answer!”

M'learned friend Mr Winnie's contribution brought Luggie, who had kicked the whole debate off, back to the table with this: “David I agree Barcelona is the complete team due to the quality players, for example Neymar leaves, Coutinho takes his place. My problem is with coaches trying to put square pegs into round holes trying to force players who are incapable of a high standard of passing plus trying to play a system that they are uncomfortable attempting.

“We played one player up the park who got early support from four players. When out of possession one player was left up the park - again positive forward passing and running.

“When out of possession Barcelona are the best pressing side in the world, which was the reason our team defeated so-many European sides.”

I commend the Scottish Football of Yesteryear Facebook site to anyone with an interest in our game. To see what legends such as Luggie, Wee Joe and  others think of today's game is an education, and Luggie, one of the official moderators of the site, is hoping to see more, similar debates, kicked-off in the future.

Scottish football needs such sites, and more discussion on fitba above the "personality" guff and Old Firm nonsense which is the staple diet of our mainstream media.