Midweek Musings

THE JURY will be out on the latest Ibrox incarnation for a few games yet; that much is clear following Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Panathinaikos. For the first 50 minutes or so, I honestly thought they had regressed from last season's European form, but a cracking individual goal, a red card for the Greeks, then, after a few half-chances weren't taken, a second goal meant a good night for the watching Bears.

Findlay Curtis's stunning opener struck a blow for the under-appreciated young Scots on the roster, while the equally-youthful Djeidi Gassama also looks like a player, but, elsewhere, first impressions are that one or two who were NRC – Not Rangers Class – have been replaced by newcomers of a similar standard. It was good, from a Rangers' point of view, however, to see the real Jack Butland back between the sticks.

I MUST BE the kiss of death to England's Women's opponents in the ongoing European Championships. In the quarter-final, Sweden were going well, until I checked-in; whereupon they threw away a two-goal lead then lost on penalties.

On Tuesday night, I turned over after the Rangers' game, to find Italy holding a comfortable one-goal lead, only for them to surrender it at the death, before going out to an extra time penalty. Nothing against the award, but, referees have been ignoring such challenges from Italian defenders for at least the last 75 years, so I was surprised that the referee gave it. She probably didn't fancy adjudicating over a penalty shoot-out.

The Italians seemed somewhat upset at Chloe Kelly winning the game by netting the rebound after her spot kick was saved. Maybe they wrongly assumed it was the same ruling as for penalty shoot-outs: if the kick is saved, that's it. While, of course, in real game time, rebounds can be knocked-in.

Nothing against the English girls, but, I so want to hear the excuses from their media cheer-leaders when they do lose. Their myopic bias is still, and after all these years you'd think we'd be used to it, a red rag to any red-blooded Scot.

One thing I have noticed from these two games, is how the players shut-down once the game goes into Extra Time, with fear of making a mistake seems to become their main focus.

I believe, if we do have to have Extra Time as a means of deciding a drawn game, then it ought to be, as it was when I was a boy playing in a field, with jumpers for goalposts – first goal is the winner. Either that or, ignore Extra Time and go straight to Penalties to sort the game out.

WELL WE KEN NOO. Y Viva Espana is Scotland's theme song for Sunday night's Women's Euros Final. ABE and all that. I always thought, watching their semi-final against Germany, that the Spanish lassies were the likelier to snatch victory. I did, as a lifetime member of the Goalies Union, feel sorry for Grman keeper Berger. She had played brilliantly, then, one half-pace too far to the right and she left that gap to be undone at her near post. She will take a while to get over conceding that goal.

What really stuck in my throat about the game was the way the BBC covered it on the 10 O' Clock News. OK, they were always going to cover it from the perspective of their over-hyped “Lionesses”, but, to devotre more time to a blatant puff piece about the latest big thing from the squad than to the actual match – well, the Beeb now has truly dumbed down as far as they can.

They even ignored the first day of the Test Cricket – taking place a boundary hit from the BBC News Centre in Manchester – to slot in that latest bit of Lioness cheer-leading. “The world's most-respected news organisation” - Aye Right! Not in Scotland.

 

Socrates Has Gone Off Agnetha and Freida

BEING “A BABY BOOMER” - I am now something of a dinosaur. I might have had the first pair of Puma boots in Scotland, but, what a change they were from the Manfield Hotspurs I wore before that. I was brought-up to believe: “Fitba's no fur lassies” even though big May Stark, from the year above ours at Primary was a better centre forward than the boy who did wear the nine jersey. I have also come to the conclusions: Julie Fleeting was the best Scottish striker since “The King”, while Caroline Weir has the best Scottish left foot since “Jim Baxter's Claw”.

But, still I have never been a cogniscenti of Women's Football – something in my DNA says it's not right. However, I had been partially won over by the occasional clips I had seen of the ongoing Women's Euros. Unlike the top-tier Men's game, with its ethos of: “Don't lose, don't give the ball away, never try a risky forward pass”, the Women seemed prepared to try things.

Thus, in the spirit of let's give them a shot, I decided to watch last night's England v Sweden game. I survived, and my psychiatrist tells me, with time and the proper care, I should make a full recovery.

I joined the preamble as late as I could, but Mrs Logan and her panel were already in full-on “Engurland, Engurland, Engurland” mode; however, experience has taught me, that is the Television companies' default setting for games involving England – so I let it pass.

Then, on came the match commentators: Robyn Cowen and Rachel Brown-Finnis, who over the following two and a bit hours, managed to give the best impression of the late Marty Feldman's legendary England v Uruguay sketch I have ever heard. If you don't know this particular little gem – it's on You Tube.

I thought the pair were going to fall on their microphones as Sweden surged into a two-goal lead, totally dominating the game. However, the Swedes then conspired to miss a handful of chances which the likes of Henrik Larssen or Zlatan Ibrahimovic would have converted in their sleep and, to be fair to the English girls, some inspired substitutions and sheer grit got them back to 2-2 and into a penalty shoot-out.

We didn't have penalty shoot-outs when I was a goalkeeper, but, I used to love facing spot-kicks; mind games come into play and I had a reasonable stopping record. But this one: it was Keystone Kops in the low quality of the misses.

Again, credit to the English girls, at least they forced the Swedish goalkeeper to make saves, albeit from poorly-struck penalties. However, the failure of three of the Swedish takers to even force the England goalkeeper into making a save – that's criminal. If you cannot even hit the target, you don't deserve to progress in a tournament.

Sweden might have ruled the roost for the bulk of the two hours' play, but, if you cannot put the ball in the net, you go out.

I do hope the two BBC Commentators have recovered, they were close to hysteria by the end, and they still have – potentially – two more games to cover. However, once again, we Scots must ask: why do we have to be subjected to such biased English commentary overkill?

I know, it's no use complaining, the English bosses, plus the “House Jocks” within the BBC hierarchy will not listen. At least, if we were Independent and had our own Scottish broadcasting body, we would not be subjected to such blatant English propaganda.

I am now going off to destroy my ABBA CDs and bin my copies of Mama Mia and Mama Mia HWGA.

 

New Fitba Season - Yawn - So What!!

I REMEMBER one July Saturday, 40 years ago now, when a group of us convened by the grandstand snack bar at Somerset Park, buying pies and cups of coffee as we waited for the new Football season to kick-off. There were about five of us, representing the Sunday papers.

The late, great Doug Baillie was there, wondering what was new for this fresh season, but the Chief Football Writer of the Sunday Express, like Doug, sadly no longer with us, chimed-in: “nothing new, it's still 22 men kicking a round ball about for 45 minutes at a stretch and we will be bored stiff of it by October.”

He wasn't far wrong; but, at least back then, the start of a new season was an occasion we looked forward to. Then, the blazers who set the fixtures schedule had the decency to allow the sports writers to warm-up at The Open, before sending them back to the long march towards the following May and the end of another campaign.

These days, in their continual homage to: “never mind the quality – feel the width” the game's rulers have turned 'The Beautiful Game' into an all-year-round slug fest – the sporting equivalent of the Western Front – although without the mud.

The NFL season starts for real in September, the 17-game regular season ending in January, before the post-season run to the grand finale – 'Superbowl' extends the campaign to late February. At most, the team which wins Superbowl will be involved in American Football for a maximum of 26 weeks, with perhaps a further four for pre-season warm-ups.

This, to me, makes more sense than Football's fixation with all-year-round play, where we have Chelsea playing their final game of Season 2024-25 – the ludicrously-named World Club Championship Final, on the same day as Liverpool, the defending Premiership Champions, were playing their first Season 2025-26 warm-up.

Player burn-out, not Football's concern; a diminution of playing standards – not our problem: the players are there to keep playing and keep the money rolling-in.

This new season will be the 70^th anniversary of my first as a regular attender at games. To be honest, none since has quite matched the excitement of that first, the season in which our village team – Lugar Boswell Thistle defied the odds and all expectations, to reach the final of The Scottish Junior Cup. Losing that match 1-4 to Petershill remains my worst lost ever. “The Jaggy Bunnets” have never come close to another trip to the final, but, and it maybe served “The Peasies” right for beating us. That win was a then record fifth in the competition for Springburn's finest, they have not won the great trophy since.

That season started on the last Saturday in July, 1955 and was done and dusted by the start of May, 1956 – done and dusted in 40 weeks. Dare I suggest the quality of Football would be improved if we reverted to that sort of time scale?

Professional Golf is an all-year-round circuit, as is Professional Tennis. However, the top talents, the likes of Rory McIlroy or Jannik Sinner do not play every week; no, they take time-out to rest and recover, but, when it comes to the big Grand Slam events, they are there.

Between Domestic and European matches, the top Football clubs play over 60 games per season. I accept, it is rare to find an ever-present on their squad rosters, but, top international talent playing 40 or 50 games per season for their clubs, and then turning out for their countries in International matches is not unusual.

We wonder at how some of the great American Football Quarterbacks: Tom Brady & Co are still playing into their forties. Well, even a top Quarterback will only be on the field for 30-40 minutes of a game, which lasts 60 minutres of playing time – these conductors of the plays are only involved when their team is attacking.

Compare that work-load with that of a top international Footballer, such as oor ain Andy Robertson or John McGinn, running around for 90 minutes, in 40 or more games per season. No wonder it is a rare professional Footballer who plays much past 35.

In Season 1959-60 I graduated to Senior Football, and began to follow Kilmarnock regularly. That season, Rangers were in the European Cup, reaching the semi-finals. In all, that season, they played 61 games, between 6 August and 11 May – 34 League games, 7 Scottish Cup ties (including 1 replay), 6 League Cup ties, 3 games in the Glasgow Cup, 2 games in the Glasgow Merchants Charity Cup and 9 games in Europe.

Billy Stevenson, who died last month, was their most-used player that season, missing only one of Rangers' games in that campaign. Skipper Eric Caldow played only 37 games, plus 7 full Scotland games and 1 game for the Scottish League took him up to 45 games. For comparison, in the season just ended, James Tavernier played 58 games for Rangers.

Chelsea's victory over PSG in the World Club Cup at the weekend was their 64^th game of the season, but these matches were squeezed into 47 weeks, which works-out as nearly 1.4 games per week. No wonder the club needs a 46-strong squad of players. Add the seemingly obligatory trip to sunnier climes to play maybe a couple of lucrative but meaningless friendlies – to increase “Brand Awareness” and I reckon the players have to exagerrate an injury or two, just to get a break from all-year-round play.

Dare I suggest, a shorter season (or at least fewer games) might mean smaller, more-talented squads and a better product for the fans to watch. I for one, am a tad weary of the present fashion for possession football, of two passes sideways, two passes backwards for every pass forward as teams try to pass each other off the park.

Are we maybe heading for the imposition of new Laws, directing that if a team hasn't at least tried a shot at goal after a given time or a given number of passes have elapsed, they lose possession? Or: why doesn't IFAB suggest a law amendment whereby, a team cannot pass the ball back into their own half once they have taken the ball over the half-way line. That might brighten things up.

American Football makes money, because the League plays hard ball with the TV companies, the sponsors and everyone who wishes to become involved. The mantra is: “We've got a great product here, but you're going to have to pay top dollar to watch it, either live or on TV.”

I don't think Football (or should I call it Real Football to differentiate from the inferior American product) sells itself as hard or as big as it could -although that might change now American sports organisations are starting to buy into British Football clubs.

If I was to be appointed Dictator 'Supreme Leader' of the SFA, I'd be telling the clubs: “Right guys, we now have a three foreigners rule – you're going to actively recruit and promote Scottish talent. No more third or fourth-rate non-Scots. And the Scots you do have, must be better coached and trained – lets think Waitrose or Marks & Spencer rather than Aldi and Lidl – or in many cases Iceland and Poundstretcher.

“While I'm at it, you will enhance the spectator experience by upgrading your grounds and you will sell the game better”.

I am sure there would be squealing, wailing and gnashing of teeth and a few rocky years, but, if Scottish Fitba does not wake-up, smell the coffee and join the 21^st century, ere lang, our so-called top clubs will be playing in the first rather than the second or third qualifying rounds in the European competitions; we will be down there with the real minnow nations.

I can but hope.

 

AH KENT HIS FAITHER – who I regularly chauffeured while part-time taxi-driving in Ayr, and always found to be a gentleman. I got to know the man himself while involved in Basketball in the early 1980s, and I once, memorably, was hauled over the coals verbally by some of the biggest names in the Scottish Football Writers Association, for calling him “David” after I addressed him as such when asking a question at a Rangers press conference. Apparently: “Mr Chairman” or “Mr Murray” were the accepted mode of address.

As I explained, he had been “David” when we were involved in Scottish Basketball meetings, or when socialising before or after games in that sport, so, I wasn't changing. Funnily enough, one of the leaders of the “A Team Gang” who was so-keen to put me in my place, was outed in Sir David Murray's autobiography 'Mettle' as the one major Scottish Football Writer he had never spoken to.

Mettle has been much-hyped by the publishers, Reach Sports. {Reach owns the Daily Record, Sunday Mail and most of Scotland's surviving local newspapers].

I binge read it after it was delivered on Saturday afternoon, I enjoyed it, it's a very-good read, but, in the end it left me a tad disappointed. David was not well served by his Book Editor, there are one or two factual errors which ought to have been spotted and rectified before publication, for instance.

Of course, the “hook” on which it was authorised was Murray's 23 years as owner of Rangers, but for me, the bits about his inter-action with the players and managers at Ibrox are the weakest sections – for all his obvious high regard for Walter Smith. Much-more interesting for me were his tales of his lengthy and successful business career and of the wheeling and dealing which he did in that part of his interesting life.

I can understand why he might wish to gloss over the accident which cost him both legs, and his recovery from this huge blow. But, I would loved to have read more about that and his time running Murray International Metals then Livingston Bulls Basketball Clubs. What he did for that club and for that sport, in the years before he bought Rangers, that is a story which deserved telling.

He also modestly plays down his other generous support of other amateur clubs, in hockey and volleyball for instance, plus some sponsorships in other areas.

I feel, some of the Basketball players he employed then, guys such as Alton Byrd, Bobby Archibald, Graeme Hill and Ian McLean, are as-interesting, if not more-so than Ally McCoist, Paul Gascoigne & Co. Indeed Byrd, regarded at the time as: “The best player in the world under six feet tall” was as big a star as anyone in the Ibrox dressing room.

Another two players, MIM and Multi-Metals' American Lewis Young and oor ain Jim “Tober” Morrison, who captained the Rangers Basketball team, could out-score Ally McCoist any day.

Then there was the tale of how David Holmes, Murray's predecessor as Rangers Chairman started a Rangers Basketball team, with a view to making the club a multi-sports one, like Barcelona and Real Madrid, then, when Murray bought Rangers, he found himself owning the two top teams in the British Basketball League.

As it is, the Basketball Years get barely three mentions, while the only hoops star to get a name-check was Alan Baillie – one of several to work in Murray's businesses and mentioned in that regard.

But, these caveats raised, it is a cracking book, well-worth reading and I commend it to the House.

ONE OF MY best mates, when I was “On the tools” and covering live Football matches was Graham Scott of the Evening Times/Herald. Graham made his reputation as THE Junior Football reporter with the Times, before, as he scaled down towards retirement, taking his particular brand of highly-competent football writing into the Senior ranks. He was always great company in the hurly-burly of the press box.

Graham was also, inadvertently, partly the cause of my lengthy ban from that wonderful pre-Junior Cup final lunch, after the odious Joe Black let Graham into the dressing room area and kept the rest of us outside, after one Junior Cup Final. I did not miss Mr Black and hit the wall when we did finally get in – after which, I became a non-person.

Any way, I reckon Graham could really get his teeth into a wee something I noticed this week, when my local paper: The Cumnock Chronicle, surprised us all by publishing a story which was worth reading – about the latest raft of changes that are afoot in what we are now obliged to call: “The Community Game.”

Apparently, at the end of the season which is about to start, there will be huge changes around Tiers Five and Six of the Scottish Football Pyramid, that's where the top “Senior Non-League” clubs; Highland and Lowland League teams and the former Junior sides such as Auchinleck Talbot play.

At the moment, Tier Five Lowland League clubs play in a single division, but, in season 2026-2027 there will be a change to form Lowland League East and Lowland League West, and, that's where things will become interesting. This will call for a larger number of teams to be promoted from Tier Six – The West of Scotland League. However, to be promoted, a club will have to be “licenced”, which calls for a certain level of infrastructure and club organisation, and not all the West of Scotland League clubs meet the licencing criteria.

So, we might see a team which doesn't meet the SFA's stringent requirements for promotion finishing above a club which does, and losing out on promotion to that other club – cue outraged fans shouting the odds.

Given some of these club officials could start an argument in an empty hoose, I don't envy the League officials such as my old mate John Dalton, the West of Scotland League Secretary, in trying to keep the peace, explain the changes and get them implemented.

 

Random Ruminations On A Sunday Morning

I WAS THINKING of dear old Meat Loaf on Sunday, as I reflected on the sporting week-end; in particular to his song: “Two out of three aint bad.” England's cricket team is enduring a bit of a doing from the Indians at Edgbaston – and while you can never discount “Bazball” - it isn't looking good for them, even if the heavens over Birmingham have opened this morning. Meanwhile the hugely over-hyped “Lionesses” lost to France in the opening game of their European Championship defence. Against this, let's be fair, congratulations to their Rugby Union team for a terrific win over Argentina in La Plata.

Not quite full-on Schadenfreude for we “Rebellious Scots” to relish, but hey – cue old Meaty.

Meanwhile, up here in the football boondocks, BBC Shortbread had a fascinating interview with wee Billy Dodds. Billy and I are in an exclusive club of two: John “Big Swim” Hunter” - Sir Tom's uncle and for many years, Director of Football at Cumnock Academy – told me one day: “in all my years at the school, the only two players I ever had that I couldn't see what they brought to the game were You and Billy Dodds.”

I'll take that, even though I had to occasionally kick his erse when he was a young boy, I have always had a lot of time for Doddsie. He worked bloody hard for his success and if a few more-naturally-talented Scots had had Billy's enthusiasm and work ethic, our game would be in a much-better state.

Now back adding a bit of class to the Shortbread tin of talking heads – ok, that wouldn't be difficult, but, credit where it's due – Billy was giving us a look behind the scenes at his time back at Rangers as a member, with Barry Ferguson and Neil McCann of the reformed “Boy Band – Hun Direction”.

There was a lot of intelligent good sense in what Billy had to say and I still feel, history might show, Rangers should have stuck with the boy band rather than – again – bringing in new blood without a deep understanding of what it will take to turn things around at the club.

Mind you, although the Glen isn't my primary Junior side, I'd still rather see him back home in New Cumnock, sorting-out Glenafton Athletic.

SPEAKING OF “Junior Football” - I see The Scottish Junior Cup is no more. I understand the trophy itself, a magnificent example of Victorian silversmithing, will continue to be the prize for winning what we must now call: “The Scottish Communities Cup”. That's great, but, I think the new name is a bit naff; never mind, we don't expect incisive thinking along Hampden's Corridor of Power.

The management model in Scottish Fitba has long been a combination of muddling through and It'll be alright on the night. Great brains don't hang around Hampden too long, it can be a lonely place when you have more than one working brain cell, so, I don't see my idea ever being taken-up, but, having made this plea regularly over some 30 years or more, I will make it again.

The first and second round draws for the renamed competition were made and released last week. On the basis of, it's the small details which make the difference, I hereby suggest – again – that, the organisers release the various cup draws in alphabetical order. Thus, if Auchinleck Talbot get a home tie, that is listed before Cumnock Juniors' home tie, and so on. But, as things stand, if Yoker Athletic's tie comes out of the pot before Clydebank's, then that's the order in which it is printed.

TEST MATCH SPECIAL on Sunday morning, with the start of the final day of the Edgbaston Test Match delayed by rain, was broadcasting gold. First they repeated a minor classic from Saturday, a piece involving 12 year old, visually-impaired cricket fanatic “Ravi” - the kid was magic. They followed this up with former England Captain Michael Vaughan and the legend that is Jonathan Agnew selecting the England attack for the Lords Test, from the leading bowlers in the County averages.

Such an exercise would never work in Football, since, even in these days of OPTA ratings, we don't really have the statistical evidence to make an applied judgement of one player over another. I fear it will be a year or so, perhaps a decade or so, before – for all Brighton and Hove Albion's current reliance on analytics – we see “Moneyball” being used in Fitba.

Mind you, Vaughan did say there is a difference between even the top tier of club play and international play – a fact which holds perhaps even more in Football than in Cricket. There might still be something to be said for Craig Brown's occasional ploy of capping someone, just to prove the press were talking mince when boosting certain players' international credentials.

I'VE KNOWN Charles Young Esq since the days when he had a clear chin and hair on top of his head. One of my favourite one-liners from the Court Jester of Scottish Fitba was his classic: “This season's Junior close season is on a Thursday”. There was occasional truth on that, I remember one year, covering Annbank United's first pre-season friendly on a Saturday, and Auchinleck Talbot's final game of the previous season the following Tuesday.

In truth, I am against the modern fashion for “never mind the quality, feel the width” as Fitba becomes ever-more an all-year-round sport. It's been coming for years, Arthur Milton, in 1954 was the last English dual-internationalist (Cricket and Football). Scotland's last such dual-internationalist was, of course: “The Goalie” Andy Goram, in 1991. The Goalie looks increasingly likely to be the last member of an exclusive club: Dr John McDonald (Edinburgh University) back in the 1880s, future Rangers' Manager Scot Symon in the 1930s, Hearts Legend Donald Ford in the 1980s are the others.

One of the reasons, other than self-interest on the part of England and Scotland, for the demise of the Home International Championship 40 years ago was the feeling, the season was going-on for two long and the players wer over-tired; it hasn't been curtailed in the intervening period.

There is, I feel, something to be said for the shorter seasons in the mega-bucks North American professional sports. I fear for the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea in the new season, following their participation in the absurd World Club Championships, which is dragging on at the moment.