Scottish Fitba Is Corrupt To The Core

CELTIC GIVE UP A LEAD then have a player red-carded, dropping behind Rangers in the title race and failing to cut into Hearts' lead at the top of the SPL table – cue outrage, a media storm and yet another example of that old chestnut: “Celtic: Never defeated – always cheated”.

The Cellik Man in the next bed to me in the hospital ward had a relapse watching the game, before unleashing a tirade of abuse at VAR Official John Beaton. In this instance, with justification – Auston Trusty was never the last man, it was never a red card. You could chalk it up as yet another in the lengthy litany of “honest mistakes” made by Scottish officials. However, John Beaton has what in legal terms is known as “previous” when it comes to decisions which have cost Celtic.

The High Heid Yins of the game have made a total bollocks of VAR. Rugby Union hasn't got it right, but, their use of Television Match Officials – not least the protacol whereby the exchange between the team on the park and the man in the TV truck is broadcast live to the crowd in big games means, everyone knows the thinking and the process – there are no secrets.

Mind you, even if Football went down the Rugby Union route for clarity, where the Bigot Brothers are concerned, there would still be controversy and claims of nefarious practices.

Scottish Fitba – the basket case that keeps on giving. That said, on Sunday, following events at Tynecastle and Ibrox via the BBC Shortbread website, with Rangers toiling to break down a stubborn Dee defence, I was wondering when the home team would get their penalty.

This duly arrived late in the second half, James Tavernier slotting home his 100^th League goal, before a further two strikes enabled the blue half of Glasgow to overhaul the green half into second place in the table.

THE CURRENT manification of: “I may have mentioned the War, but, I think I got away with it” is probably the Scottish mainstream media's attitude to the suggestion – apparently being driven by Falkirk - that we revert to a 16-club top league.

As I see it, going back to a 16-club top flight, while it has its merits, would be nothing other than shuffling the deck-chairs on the Titanic. I am a fan of the moves which have seen a Scottish Football Pyramid formed, but for all its merits, I feel we should go down the North American road of having one Major and a few Minor Leagues.

We all know, the biggest problem in Scottish Football is – we have two teams who are individually, far less together, bigger than the other 40 “Senior” clubs combined – as long as they have a determination to act together, given the rules governing the game here, they will influence matters unduly. The sooner they can be hived off into an NFL-style European League, or integrated into the English Premiership, the better.

Without the Bigot Brothers, there would be some half a dozen clubs each season fancing their chances of winning the league – and, IF the revamped Scottish League was properly set-up and managed, with a CBA – that's a Combined Business Agreement, an essential part of how the NFL is managed, was in place, so much the better.

Even with the Bigot Brothers involved, a revamp might work, but I would suggest we would need to have certain changes in-place: stadium infrastructure, pitch protection, stadium capacity and seating. If 16 clubs could meet the agreed criteria, great, but we ought perhaps to be looking at a maximum of 20 clubs to begin with.

Ideally, we could go further down the North American organisation road, by having two conferences: for me the DALGLISH and LAW Conferences have a nice ring.

And finally – any changes to the roganisation of the Scottish Leagues MUST include introduction of Charles Young Esq's suggestion: “The Eight Diddies Rule” whereby, each team must have eight Scotland-Qualified players on the field at all times. We have to pro-actively advance the cause of home-grown players.

FINALLY – I am indifferent to Celtic FC, I don't care who beats them domestically. I am pissed off by their victim attitude and their “Never defeated – always cheated” whining.

That said, the decision not to rescind Auston Trusty's red card is nothing short of disgraceful and demonstrates that the High Heid Yins of our game couldnae run a menauge.

 

A New Giant Is In Football Valhalla

THIS HAS BEEN a mixed week for Fitba here in God's County. Delight at the return to home turf of one of our own, Wee Billy Dodds, who has joined Kilmarnock as Assistant to new Manager Neil McCann, but despair at the passing, aged 88, of the Legend that was Willie Knox – arguably the greatest Manager in the History of Junior Football, a level of the Beautiful Game which we hold dear here in Ayrshire.

Willie was a Schoolboy Internationalist, going on to play for several clubs, nost-notably Raith Rovers and Barrow, where he was praised for his attitude by no less a figure than Sir Matt Busby. However, if he never really hit the heights as a player, once he turned to coaching and managing, he found his true forte.

It is one of Scottish Fitba's great myths that Talbot could barely win a corner before Knox arrived in 1977. The terrible days of constant defeat were already behind them and Jamesie Kirkland had already started to turn things around, when he was replaced by Knox, but, the new gaffer definitely took the team to a new level and with on-field success came off field improvements and over his 16-year tenure in the Beechwood Park hot seat, Knox saw the club grow massively in stature.

The trophies began to arrive, in all, Knox guided Talbot to no less than 43 league and cup successes during his managerial tenure. The initial break-through came in the West of Scotland Cup, which took up near-permanent residence in the Beechwood clubhouse; however, the big one, the Holy Grail, The Scottish Junior Cup proved elusive, until that great Hampden afternoon, in 1986, when Talbot put the mighty Pollok to the swordL: raging back from two goals down to bring the magnificent trophy back to Auchinleck for the first time since 1949.

If you've won a trophy, the best thing to do is defend it, which Talbot duly did, beating Kilbirnie at Rugby Park, to make it two in a row. History now beckoned and a third straight final, against Petershill offered Knox and his squad immortality – they would not spurn the opportunity, making it a Threepeat and history.

A couple of fallow seasons in the Scottish followed, but, in 1991 at Brockville,

Talbot were again dominant, seeing off Newtongrange Star, before a fifth win in seven years, perhaps the most-satisfying, since it was over near-neighbours Glenafton Athletic, further enhanced the legend of Willie Knox.

Fitba folklore tells us all managerial reigns end in failure and after some internal politicking in the committee room, Knox left Talbot, He had later spells in-charge at Cumnock and Irvine Meadow, but the magic wasn't there.

Willie Knox recruited good players to the club, he managed them brilliantly and if he wasn't a great tactician, he was up there in the Ferguson/Shankly class as a man manager and motivator; getting extra out of comparatively ordinary players, while at the same time having one or two in his dressing room who were, in Junior Football terms, exceptional. He demanded excellence and success and he got it.

In retirement from management, he was always a welcome guest at Talbot games, while he took great enjoyment from his involvement with his grandson's boys club team in Kilmarnock. He also played his part in the Ayrshire Football Memories Club, particularly on the afternoon when he wound-up the great Eric Caldow to unprecedented levels of anger, by reminding him of a game in the 1950s in which Knox's Raith Rovers had stuck five goals on Rangers. I don't think Eric ever fully believed Willie about that one.

In 1989 he was awarded the BEM – British Empire Medal – to mark his managerial successes and I know for a fact, the new High Heid Yins of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame are intent on getting Willie Knox into that august body just as soon as they can.

Scottish Junior Football has lost a Giant.

IF IT IS well done thou good and faithful servant of the game. When it comes to Knoxie, it's Good Luck to another Ayrshire Footballing Great, with Billy Dodds' appointment as Assistant Manager of Kilmarnock.

Neil McCann of course has the big job at Rugby Park, but he will lean heavily on his old club mate in the remainder of the season. Killie have got themselves into a major pickle and it will take eerything McCann and Dodds can bring to the job to get them away from the basement fo the league.

I wish the pair well.