We're Still Shite, But Refuse To See We Are

I GAVE UP on Celtic's Champions League campaign after about 12 minutes on Tuesday night. By then I had established, that lot could play until Doomsday and still not win in the CL. Or is simply, 21^st century football is shite? All this passing for the sake of passing, it turns me off – the idea is to go forward and put the ball in the opposition's net, something which, while it might be easy-peasy in the backwater of the Scottish Premiership, is awfy hard for Celtic in Europe.

Of course, the Celtic Apologists in our mainstream media will tell us it was another hard-luck story; how enough chances to win two games were made, and squandered and how this is an unlucky team. Pish – they were a miss of near Van Vossen proportions away from another home defeat last night.

And, while you can fool some of the people all of the time, even the famously loyal Celtic Family are wising-up. I noticed a good number of empty seats at Celtic Park on Tuesday night. Mind you, when I mentioned this on Facebook, I got an indignant response from a member of the Celtic Family, who accused me right out of lying.

The official attendance was given as 57,478 – which means the ground was only 95% full. I appreciate, they always leave empty seats near the small section of away fans, but, watching on TV, I noticed banks of empty seats in areas where you would expect to see Celtic fans.

Well, the old eyesight isn't what it used to be, but, when I got my new glasses, just a couple of months ago, the optician said my eyesight was remarkably good for a man of my age – and it hasn't deteriorated in the intervening short time.

I can also still work a calculator, and I have to say 3 goals scored from 68 shots – that's a 4% success rate. I think that notoriously unsuccessful would-be striker Lorenzo Amoruso had a better completion rate than that.

MIND YOU, at least Celtic create chances in Europe. The other lot, on Wednesday night, once again demonstrated, they are woefully out of their depth at this level.

I didn't actually switch-on the TV for the Breengers' game, I preferred to watch the Repair Shop special featuring the King and Dumfries House. However, reading the reports from Napoli post-game, it pretty much went as I assumed it would.

I see Dave King has plenty to say on the current position at Ibrox. To my mind, he is second only to Craig Whyte in the pecking order of people whose actions caused the recent chaos at the club. Of course, his chorus in Club 1872 (or Club 1690) as I think they should be named, are also chipping-in from the sidelines.

The last bout of mismanagement didn't finish Rangers – the club was deemed: “too big to fail.” It seems to me, using the same management model, in the hope of a different result is asking for the same result – liquidation.

The club MIGHT get away with L2, but, unless there is a major change of mind and management, they will not get away with another – it will be three strikes and out.

Given his upbringing in the game, I sense GVB would be happier managing a club wherein they grow and nurture their own players via a proper Academy. Give him the chance to take Rangers down that road, and you might be surprised at what happens.

However, I remain convinced, for as long as the Old Firm goes along their current chosen paths, and we have the stumble bums running things at Hampden – Scottish football will continue to go down the stank.

AT LEAST Hearts did what was expected of them, and beat their Latvian opponents Rigas FS, to secure third place in their Europa Conference League group.

Mind you, if you examine the various UEFA Co-efficients, you maybe get a better idea of where Scottish expectations meet reality.

In the Champions League groups the Club Co-efficients and National Association Co-efficients, as they apply to our clubs were:

• Napoli (Club) 20 – (National) 4

• Liverpool (Cl) 3 – (N) 1

• Ajax (Cl) 10 – (N) 6

• Rangers (Cl) 30 – (N) 8

• Real Madrid (C) 6 – (N) 2

• RB Leipzig (Cl) 17 – (N) 3

• Shakhtar Donetsk (Cl) 24 – (N) 15

• Celtic (CL) 53 – (N) 8

In the Europa Conference League group the Club and National Co=-efficients were:

• Istanbul Basakshir (CL) 58 – (N) 16

• Fiorentina (CL) 104 – (N) 4

• Heart of Midlothian (Cl) 176 – (N) 8

• Rigas FS (Cl) 139 – (N) 35.

So, in terms of Club Co-efficients measured against their group opponents all three Scottish clubs: Rangers, Celtic and Hearts finished where they might have been expected to finish. In terms of National standings against the other teams in their groups, Rangers finished where they might have been expected to, while Celtic and Hearts under-performed.

I see Rangers and in particular their manager copping lots of incoming flak. Apparently he and the players have shamed the jerseys. OK, football is a results business, and, as the boss, GVB gets the blame. But, this is a poor Rangers team, it has been a poor Rangers team for years – having nowhere near the quality of past teams from Ibrox.

Similarly, this is a poor Celtic team, a pale shadow of the Lions and other sides of the Stein era, while the current Hearts team, Craig Gordon apart, have nobody who would have got into the reserve team during the Tommy Walker era.

Stevie Clarke is doing a marvellous job in keeping us relevant internationally, but, at club level – we are honking; and I fear it can only get worse. We are now closer to the minnows we used to patronise than to other mid-level nations such as Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden or Portugal.

As for getting back to competing against the English, French, Italian, Spanish and German clubs – forget it. Until we get change at Hampden, we will continue to fail.

 

VAR - Very Angry Reaction

WELL, that was totally-predictable: the howls of complaint from the Celtic apologists in the media, even though their heroes managed to beat Hearts and remain top of the Scottish Premiership. However, the introduction of VAR cost Celtic a couple of decisions – so, with the world badge-kissing champions, Sutton and Hartson to the fore, the squeals of complaint started.

It's going to be a noisy season – just wait until the first time VAR comes back to bite the other cheek of Scotland's sectarian erse. You know, VAR just might be the beginning of the end (or maybe the end of the beginning) of Scottish football being run to suit these two clubs.

Mind you, I had to laugh at the explanation of the Scottish VAR system. Apparently, the referee, when summoned to the VAR monitor, is faced with two buttons.

• He pushes the green button and up pops the message: “Penalty to Rangers.”

• If he pushes the red button, he gets a message: “Now push the green button.”

Still on media focus on the Bigot Brothers, have you noticed all the comments about Steve Gerrard getting his jotters from Aston Villa? A large section of the Rangers family will never forgive him for abandoning ship and taking the Villa job. Others, mindful of how he won them that longed-for 55^th title, will perhaps want him back, given the turbulent waters in which the club is currently wallowing.

For my part – he came up here in an effort to gain some management experience, win something and enhance his already high profile in England. He then went to just about the last English club any ambitious manager should join, and has failed.

He perhaps needs to get a job in the Championship, win promotion and keep that new side up. Then, maybe, he still has a chance of the job he really wants – at Anfield as perhaps the next but one Liverpool manager after Jurgen Klopp.

For my part, I put Rangers' current troubles down to one thing – sheer stupidity. For the past 36 years, since Lawrence Marlborough recruited Graeme Souness as player-manager, Rangers have been a buying club.

To be honest, they may have bought the occasional diamond: Gascoigne, Laudrup etc., but, they have also bought an awful lot of duds. The need to buy-in talent now appears to be hard-wired into the club's DNA and I fear, until they find a cure for this, Rangers will struggle, regardless of who is manager.

AWAY FROM the I can piss more money away on useless players than you competition at the top of the Premiership – has anyone noticed just how competitive the Scottish leagues are this season.

In the top flight, with the exception of the Bigot Brothers and a Ross County side who apparently cannot buy a win, every side can, on any given day, beat any other side.

It's even more frenetic in the Championship, with five clubs battling for top spot, and equally-close fights further down. Indeed, I would say Raith Rovers are emerging as the “par” team in the division, and anything to do with Pars will not go down well in Kirkcaldy. But, here I mean, if you can beat Raith, you're in the promotion battle, if you cannot, you're in relegation trouble.

THE TELEVISION cameras were at Townhead Park, Cumnock, on Friday night, then they were at Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow last night, to cover Pollok v Annan Athletic.

Good exposure for the wee clubs, but, I think they missed a trick. If they are going to televise a match involving non-league clubs, I would suggest the place to be will be Beechwood Park, Auchinleck, this Saturday.

That's when the Scottish Junior Cup holders, Auchinleck Talbot, will face Darvel Juniors, the West of Scotland League Champions, in a third round clash.

Now, Talbot don't lose too-many home games; they tend to lose just as few Junior Cup ties. However, Darvel has seemingly had a hex over the 'Bot over the past year or so. Tucker Sloan's men are also, by their own high standards, playing pish at the moment. However, they remain the biggest challenge Darvel face.

This one just might see Talbot lose, and throw open the chances of some other name going on the magnificent Junior Cup, come June. This game should be a cracker, worthy of television.

The trouble with football coverage in Scotland today is, the major national newspapers are all – from a Scottish perspective – Glasgow-based. Given thus, they take the easy option and concentrate on The Old Firm. There are football writers in Scotland who are lost if they are not covering either one of the Bigot Brothers, or Scotland.

OK, in Aberdeen, the P&J and its associate evening paper's football writers have to concentrate on events around Pittodrie, but, they also have Cove Rangers, in the north of their area Ross County, Inverness CT, plus other 'senior' football teams such as Peterhead and Elgin City, plus the vibrant Highland League and North Juniors scene.

It's the same on Tayside, where the main football writers trudge up and down Tannadice Street between The 'Dee and The Arabs. However, both the Courier and the 'Telly' (Dundee Evening Telegraph) also cover St Johnstone, the Angus clubs such as Forfar Athletic and Montrose, plus the Fife clubs. Here too there is a flourishing junior scene.

In the capital, The Hootsmon and the Evening News cover Hearts and Hibs well, but, they also look after Livingston and the Fife clubs along the Forth shore, plus the Lowland and East League teams.

So, unless you're in Glasgow, if you support any club other than what Andy Cameron called 'The Dibs and The Dobs' – you are pretty-well looked after. But, the big money follows the Big Two, so there is the assumption of lack of interest elsewhere.

I think, if the big bosses in Glasgow decided to broaden their coverage from the usual suspects, it would benefit Scottish football greatly.

 

Private Frazer Was Correct - Scottish Football Is Doomed

WITH ABSOLUTE confidence in RB Leipzig's ability to beat Celtic in Glasgow last night, I opted for 'coonsil telly' and the BBC Alba coverage of the crucial Scotland v Ireland Women's World Cup play-off.

Since I was watching an excellent Simon Reeve documentary on The Lake District on BBC 2 – which I commend to the House, I turned over to Alba just before the kick-off and must admit, Scotland's early play did not fill me with much confidence, as they allowed Ireland to seize the early initiative. Then, when Caroline Weir had that first half penalty saved, I recognised, this was the 2022 remake of an old movie: Disaster For Scotland. I've seen this one before, many times.

No harm to the girls, who will be more-gutted than even the most-experienced Tartan Army foot soldier, but, as I saw it, on the night, they didn't turn-up. The best Scotland performances are played out to the skirl of the pipes: the sound of Scotland The Brave, Black Bear, Heiland Laddie, The Barren Rocks Of Aden going through our heads. Last night was more Flooers O' The Forest paced.

I expect Scotland teams to pass the ball quickly and accurately along the ground, at pace. The way we slowly and painstakingly came out from the back, often taking seven or eight passes just to get to the centre circle – that's not how Scotland play at their best.

I remember seeing a film of the 1970 Brazilians, arguably the greatest team ever, in training. It was put to a Samba beat. Sure, they brought the ball out from the back, but, the rhythm and beat increased in intensity after they crossed half-way. We never saw that crispness, far-less Barcelona-style 'tiki-taka' from Scotland last night.

There was a lot of passing, but little passing and moving; nobody tried to pass through the Irish, indeed, I felt the normally excellent Ms Weir – so-often our play-maker, if she got the ball at all, got it maybe 30 yards too far from the Irish goal.

In any case, she was subjected to what was almost a basketball-style 'box-on-one' defensive structure, put together by Vera Pauw, who used her knowledge of the Scottish girls to good effect.

However, if four Irish girls are boxed around Weir – why weren't the Scottish girls they freed up, making good passes and better using the space they had?

The long throw-in has been around almost as long as football. I can remember Ian Hutchison setting-up Dave Webb's FA Cup-winning goal for Chelsea v Leeds United back in 1970. That's 52 years ago. More recently Stoke City's Rory Delap used to regularly cause chaos with his missiles from the touchlines. Last night Ireland's Megan Campbell wrought havoc in the Scotland box every time she went to the touchline to take a throw-in.

OK, fair play to Sophie Howard for knowing the Laws and ducking under one such throw-in to allow the ball to pass safely into the goal, but, as a former goalkeeper, I was screaming at Lee Gibson, that one, plus several other balls into the box, were crying out for a goalkeeper to go and collect them. Sadly, it appears Mrs Gibson is the latest in a long line of Scottish goalkeepers to have graduated from the Count Dracula School of Goalkeeping – they don't go near crosses.

Ach! I've been living through Disasters for Scotland all my life, this was just another one to add to a long list. I console myself with the knowledge, some day that thing that's for us – winning the World Cup for instance – will no go bye us. I just hope I am still around to see it.

AT LEAST, if you're a member of The Celtic Family, another embarrassing Champions League exit was partially-soothed by events across the city at Hampden.

By the way, I almost have some sympathy for whoever has possession of the biscuit tin these days. Imagine escorting the UEFA delegate to his seat in the Celtic Park Directors' Box, having assured him he is about to witness the greatest display of home fan dedication in all of football, then to look out and see that: “Against Hunger and the crown” banner, displayed by the Green Brigade, and wondering: “Fuck, how much is that one going to cost us?”

Back in the 1970s, my great football-writing hero Ian 'Dan' Archer, described Rangers as: “A permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace.” This quote allowed Celtic to claim the moral high ground, I think the Green Brigade are doing their very-best to take their club down beside their great rivals in living down to Dan's verdict.

BBC Shortbread's Sports Department, like its News Department, has for many years provided a home from home for reporters with no discernible talent. One of the best/worst of these was the seldom-remembered Colin Calder, a boring nyaff from Kilmarnock who swapped accountancy for giving poor accounts of football matches.

Dear Colin's Shortbread career ended shortly after, on the day David Murray bought Rangers, he asked 'The Great Waldo,' Hearts' owner Wallace Mercer, if: “Football clubs are now rich men's playthings?”

Waldo, to his great credit, nearly skewered Calder to the Tynecastle wall and, shortly thereafter, Calder's dulcet tones vanished from the BBC Shortbread airwaves.

Maybe the Irish billionaire, to whom Celtic is now something of a plaything should be considering if he is getting a good return on his investment. Celtic's collection of expensively-recruited non-Scots are clearly good enough for our wee diddy league, but, totally ill-equipped to compete at the top level in Europe.

Maybe Celtic should use some of that clout they appear to think they have, from being one of Europe's iconic football brands, to ensure, the team which finishes fourth in their group in the Champions League, drops into the Europa Conference League, so they can continue to make money out of European competition – even after they have been found out.

THE ABOVE noted, if Celtic have problems, they are minor compared to those facing Gio van Bronckhorst after Wednesday night's hammering at the hands of Liverpool.

I missed the worst of the Ibrox horror show, switching channels at half-time, after seeing how easily Liverpool had equalised, and the way too-many Rangers players were making it clear they didn't want the ball, I knew it would all fall apart after half-time. So, I switched to watching Jason Statham, (the greatest-ever Scottish goalkeeper – when he played 'The Monk' in Guy Ritchie's Mean Machine) flirting with Jo Lo in 'Parker.' At least, I was entertained.

I have been writing on here for years – the majority of this current Rangers squad are simply: NRC – Not Rangers Class. I accept, the days are gone when The Old Firm had the financial muscle to compete with the top English clubs and thereby retain their best talent. Nowadays, any Old Firm player who gets enough good right-ups from the less-than-impartial Glasgow press corps will quickly get a move to a mid-table English Premiership or Championship club, immediately doubling his salary, but probably without advancing his career very much.

The paradox is – there are only a handful of English clubs which have the caché of being 'A Big Club' in the Old Firm sense: Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool certainly meet that criteria, while you could make a case for Chelsea, Tottenham and maybe anywhere but on the pitch Newcastle United.

So, if the oft-mooted British League ever happens, the two Glasgow giants would probably be top half of the table clubs, in the mix for the title and able to compete at the sharp end in Europe.

However, I honestly cannot see such a league ever happening, so perhaps, if the NFL-style pan-European competition ever happens, we might see them in there – certainly in terms of following, core support and history, they have a chance of being considered.

Sir Robert Kelly is a controversial figure in the Celtic Family of today; in many of the wider family's view, tainted by his leadership of the 'Four Families' who allegedly held-back the club for many years.

Certainly times were different, but, Kelly was a veritable giant in football administration circles of his days. Perhaps the kindest view is that, by the time he was in-power at Celtic Park, between 1947 and his death in 1971, the 'Corinthian standards' to which Kelly held were already out-dated.

Kelly joined the Celtic board in 1932, becoming Chairman in 1947. While he was a board member, Celtic were consistently second-best to the Bill Struth-managed Rangers. It is generally agreed, the Celtic board of the time didn't manage the club well, and results back this up.

In Kelly's first decade as Chairman,, yes there were highs – a Scottish Cup win in 1951. plus victory in the one-of St Mungo's Cup competition; the Coronation Cup success in 1953; a League and Cup double in 1954, however, the club's average league finish in that decade was 6^th.

Then, Kelly had the idea of the club growing their own stars and introduced the Kelly Kids, coached by Jock Stein. This had little short-to-medium term effect; the average league position rose to fifth, but, while some future Celtic Greats, including the bulk of the Lisbon Lions were 'Kelly Kids' – the League Cup wins in 1957 and 1958 were scant reward before Stein's return brought a Scottish Cup win in 1965, the double in 1966 and the years of plenty which were to follow.

Sir Robert Kelly's vision and belief took a long time to bear fruit. I raise this in a section of this blog devoted to Rangers, merely to make this point. Gio van Bronckhorst came through the Feyenoord youth development system, which, if not as celebrated and feted as that at Ajax, has also produced an awful lot of top players, including GVB himself.

I just wonder if GVB could persuade the Rangers board to allow him the time to develop their own players in the way he grew-up at his first club. I wonder even more, would the Rangers' support stand for the possibility of a period of fallow seasons, while the kids matured.

Past experience tells me, Rangers would never countenance such a move – we will never see a Rangers version of the Kelly Kids, or their successors 'The Quality Street Gang' come out of Ibrox. They had the chance to do this when the club was demoted to Division Two, but didn't take it.

The mistakes made back then are now coming home to roost for the Blue half of Glasgow. They did what they have always done, tried to spend their way out of trouble and, again they have failed – the very proof of madness.

Losing a big game 1-7 is not a new experience for Rangers. I just wonder, however, how quickly they will learn from this one, and can they recover? Because, the Ibrox theme song on Wednesday was that old favourite: “The Cry Was No Defenders.”

THEN, as if to prove calamities come in triplicate, we had Hearts' abysmal display in Florence on Thursday night.

Michaelangelo's David has more cover than Craig Gordon got, as once again: “The Cry Was No Defenders.” At least, in Robbie Neilson's defence, he has such a lengthy injury list to cover, this one was always going to be a perilous journey for the Gorgie club.

Under the circumstances, a thumping for Hearts was always on the cards. But, I just wonder, and this one applies to all three Scottish clubs – why cannot our guys defend set pieces? Time and again we see our sides embarrassed by the opposition's movement and awareness at such set pieces.

I would suggest, defending set pieces is one skill a side can easily practice in training. Perhaps they do, but, if they cannot perform in real time, in games, then maybe the players should not be being paid to play in any case.

There was this mate of mine, who sadly toddled off to the Great Pavilion in the Sky earlier this year, who had played in the old First Division in England – what is now the Premiership. He was down at his old club for a celebratory reunion and speaking to one of the club coaches, who asked him: “What are you doing up there in Scotland? It used to be, you guys came down here and could dominate games, you demanded the ball, then used it. The Scots guys I see these days, they can run all day, but, they don't want the ball and, when they get it, they tend to trip over it – what has happened?”

That conversation was reported to me at least a decade ago. I think, since then, things have got worse. We really are in a bad way. And again I say, for as long as they can shove their snouts in the trough, the blazers along the sixth floor corridor at Hampden don't seem to give a monkey's or the failing state of Scotland's game.

Not for the first time, Private James Fraser, Walmington-on-Sea Home Guard, is proving to the Northern Nostradamus.

WE ARE ALL DOOMED!

 

Battle of Britain - I've Seen Fiercer Fights In Lewis's Sale

AFTER Tuesday night's 'Battle of Britain' between Liverpool and Rangers, I am more than ever in the Henry Ford camp. Because, when it comes to Battles of Britain, real aerial warfare or media-hyped sporting, “History is more or less bunk”, as old Henry maintained.

We are told that in the near-mythical Battle of Britain, in 1940, “The Few” - a bunch of boys in their teens and early twenties, straight out of England's public schools and universities – with the odd Grammar School product – Sergeant Pilots – turned back the might of Hitler's Luftwaffe.

The reality was, RAF Fighter Command had a bit of help from Americans, Australians, Canadians, Czechs, Free French, Indians and Poles, to name but a few other nations – but, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

So, let's look at the line-ups for that little dog fight at Anfield. Liverpool began the game with a mere two Englishmen on the park: goal-scorer Trent Alexander-Arnold and skipper Jordan Henderson.

Rangers also began with two Scots in their line-up, veteran Allan McGregor and teenager Leon King. To be fair, in skipper James Tavernier, Conor Goldson, Ben Davies, John Lundstram and Ryan Kent, they actually had more English players than the side nominally representing England. Indeed, even after Jurgen Klopp sent on James Milner and Harvey Elliott, Rangers still had the greater number of English players involved, while they managed to get another Scot involved, when Ryan Jack entered the fray in the 67^th minute. Rangers also had a Northern Irishman in their squad in veteran Steven Davis.

So whereas the 1940 BoB – the real one, was fought by a mix of conscripts and volunteers, last night's sporting version was very-much fought-out by a multi-national collection of mercenaries.

I have nothing against football as sporting art. The likes of the Royal Opera Company, or Scottish Opera or Scottish Ballet may well recruit overseas talent, as principal performers or musical directors, but, the bulk of the company – the chorus singers, the corps de ballet, the sword bearers, the orchestra members – they tend to be locals.

So, I can live with top-flight football as the muscular equivalent of grand opera or classical ballet – by all means pay big bucks to attract world-class talent, but, you need your locals as well.

The added element in football's Battles of Britain over the years of potential European clashes is always the Anglo-Scottish element. Scotland skipper Andy Robertson was injured, otherwise he'd have been in the Liverpool team, indeed, this thought just popped into my head, how's this for an All-Time Liverpool team: Tommy Lawrence; Stevie Nicol Andy Robertson; Graeme Souness, Ron Yeats, Alan Hansen; Kenny Dalglish, John Wark, Ian St John, Gary McAllister and Billy Liddell. The Liverpool Scottish have always been an elite regiment.

Ryan Kent spent 14 years in the Liverpool system, in their Academy before getting a playing contract. However, he didn't meet the standards Herr Klopp expected, so, he was let go, ending up at Rangers. He showed nothing on Tuesday night to possibly persuade Klopp his judgement of Kent as a player was faulty.

Well, my argument is, if Kent wasn't Liverpool-class, then he could not possibly be Rangers' Class. Rangers' left wingers are judged against a very-high level of predecessors – in the 20^th century: Alex Smith, Alan Morton, Johnny Hubbard, Davie Wilson, Bud Johnston, Davie Cooper. In more-modern times, Brian Laudrup – Kent is a long way from being mentioned in the same sentence as these genuine classy wingers.

Rangers were totally out-classed on Tuesday night. It was Men beating Boys, but for Allan McGregor, it might have been an embarrassing thumping. And this, let's not forget, against a Liverpool team playing some way short of their best. Rangers dodged a bullet there, however, it is difficult to see them surviving into the knock-out stages of this season's European Cup – and highly-unlikely to even earn the consolation prize of a run at the Europa League.

THEN, on Wednesday night it was Celtic's turn. Like Rangers, struggling at the foot of their group, but, with the consolation of one point from their draw against Shakhtar Donetsk. They had high hopes against RB Leipzig, but, like their pals across the city, they would end up disappointed.

Now, straight away let's admit, fourth in the Bundesliga last season and currently lying 11^th in that league table, Leipzig don't have the history, prestige or European experience of the likes of Liverpool, Napoli, Real Madrid, Ajax, or even Donesk. At the very least, Celtic should have been aiming to get a draw in Germany.

They didn't get the showing-up Rangers had to endure the previous night, but, they still finished a poor second over the game. Once again, the Old Firm apologists in the Scottish media were reduced to making excuses and trying to put a brave face on another embarrassing night for one of our big two.

At least, Celtic managed to, thanks in part to a lengthy injury list, get three Scots into their starting line-up, one more than Rangers managed. But, the sad fact is, the teams representing one of the greatest football cities in the world are Scottish only in their name – even if that claim can be reasonably made about only one of them.

IF, as they perhaps should be, The Old Firm were playing in a North American-style, pan-European competition, only playing against clubs of similar size from across the continent and in a competition where the financial playing field is as level as it can be – then I could tolerate them putting-out teams almost free of Scottish players.

But, until this happens, and for as long as their principal area of playing is in the domestic Scottish League, then they ought to be putting-out sides in which the majority of the players are Scottish. The quicker the SFA cracks the whip and imposes Chick Young's “eight diddies rule”, whereby Scottish sides have to have eight Scots on the park at all times, the better for the game in the country which gave it form.

Buying-in and fielding, second and third rate non-Scots is not the way either of our two biggest clubs will ever get back to the top table of European football. And it is certainly not the way our other clubs will get away from being also-rans in the minor European competitions.

We need root and branch reform of Scottish football, but, I don't see the stumble bums along Hampden's sixth floor corridor ever admitting this, far less implementing the necessary changes, or even having the backbone to stand-up to the Big Two to make it happen.