JOCK STEIN famously had little time, or even regard for goalkeepers. Perhaps it's just, we net-minders are totally misunderstood by the numerically superior outfield players, whose errors we are on a weekly basis, called-upon to mitigate against.
This disregard for goalies has long been particularly evident in Scotland; and, speaking as a Scottish goalkeeper, I feel it proof that Johann Lamont was at least correct in one of her points against the Scottish electorate – the too stupid one fits in well when it comes to our regard for our keepers.
I fear, the disease is catching, when I look at Stevie Clarke's latest squad, for the June matches against Iceland and Liechtenstein. OK, we have to go on without Craig Gordon at some point, so these two games – while he is on the injured list in any case - are as good as any to leave out arguably our best-ever keeper, but, succession selection has hardly ever been something our managers or before them selectors were good at, so why should Stevie be any different.
For these two games he has selected Angus Gunn – by far the most-experienced of the trio, but without a club after leaving Norwich City at the end of his contract; Robbie McCrorie – second choice at his club, Kilmarnock, and Cieran Slicker, at best, second-choice for relegated Ipswich Town, for whom he has played just one game – in the FA Cup.
OK, right now, there are not that many Scottish goalkeepers playing regularly in the SPFL, far-less in England or abroad, indeed the fourtysomething Gordon has been the stand-out Scottish goalkeeper this season.
Liam Kelly did ok, without being exceptional, during his run in the Rangers' first team, but he has been over-looked, while there really are few obvious alternatives elsewhere.
The onus would appear to be on Gunn and his agent, to find him a new, high-profile club and for him to display the sort of form which cements his international place, or, for some young Scottish 'keeper to make such a case for selection, Clarke cannot over-look him. But, until either thing happens, we definitely have a problem at the back.
I see Clarke quoted as looking for non-Scottish goalkeepers, who maybe have a Scottish grannie. Many in Scottish rugby are not happy that, of late Scottish National Coaches have been too-keen to go down that route; Football doing likewise might not go down too-well with the Tartan Army.
Which brings me back to a point I have repeatedly made, but to no effect on the erseholes along the Sixth Floor Corridor at Hampden: We could start by, as I have repeatedly said, initiating Chick Young's “Eight Diddies” rule and encourage Scottish talent.
As things stand, assuming he recovers from his current injury, I can see Craig Gordon still being picked for Scotland as a 50-year-old.
Clarke has named a 25-man squad, but, only 7 of them, 28% play their football in Scotland, and of those, only 2 – John Souttar and Lee Miller could be said to be first picks for their club sides.
Now I appreciate we have been selecting players who earn their weekly wages outside Scotland for some 130 years, and as in so-many walks of life, “The High Road to England” and of late beyond that, has long been an enticing prospect for our brightest and best, but, maybe if the High Heid Yins at Hampden spent less time jockeying for their places on the SFA gravy train and spent a bit more time promoting young Scottish players at their clubs, we could see a few more home-based players.
I am not one of these romantics who calls for an all-tartan XI; that idea was, I think, firmly kicked into touch around 1966, but, while the bigger money available in England and abroad will always be an attraction in a job with a limited shelf life, we really have to make real efforts to raise the standard in our domestic game, so we can maybe get more home-based Scots into the international squad.
Speaking of which, the SFA came up with the notion of “Performance Schools” in 2012, to “hot house” our best young talent. There are currently seven such schools: Hazelhead Academy, Aberdeen, St John's RC High School, Dundee, Broughton High School, Edinburgh, Graeme High School, Falkirk, Holyrood Secondary, Glasgow, Grange Academy, Kilmarnock and Braidhurst High School, Motherwell.
The scheme has been operating for 13 years now, but only four of the current squad, 20% are identified as Performance School graduates. They are: Max Johnson, Billy Gilmour, Connor Barron and Nathan Patterson; I might be wrong, but, I would have hoped for a higher figure by now.
KILMARNOCK is my Senior team, although, for family reasons, I keep an eye on Liverpool (the Shankly connection) and Carlisle United. The Cumbrians dropped out of the English League this season, but, another of my teams is celebrating.
Lugar Boswell Thistle is my Junior team of choice, but, because I live in their home village, I have a wee interest in Glenafton Athletic. But, I was born in Muirkirk, my Maternal Grand-Father was President of their predecessor club, Muirkirk Athletic, so, I have a soft spot for Muirkirk Juniors.
Well, they are currently celebrating promotion to Division One of the West of Scotland League, perhaps the first thing they have had to cheer about since those far-off days when they had the teenaged Eric Caldow at full-back.
I am delighted for Secretary Billy Tait and the other die-hards on the committee, who have kept the club going through the lean years, they deserve their season in the comparative sun. Well done too to the management team and the players, they have given a village which has known too-many hard times of late, a reason to smile.
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