A Chance Lost

SO, David Weir is seemingly about to ride off into the Govan sunset, still raging agaist the dying of the light as he attempts to prolong a playing career which has already entitled him to a congratulatory telegram from the Queen, through its great length.

Given that he has left his family living in England throughout his successful sojourn with Rangers, his short-term football future looks likely to be spent in the Football League.

I wish him well, but, it is a pity there is the lack of nous in Scotland, and in particular with the apparently troubled ranks at Rangers, to keep him in the land of his birth.

Weir, of course, was never your normal, run-of-the-mill footballer; the kind who (allegedly) wear their IQs on their back. For a start he is a product of the North American collegiate sporting student system. Therefore, being college-educated, Weir had brains in his head. He was also exposed to the better habits of American collegiate sport.

That does not mean he body-swerved drink, women and the many pitfalls which successfully derail too-many promising sportsmen. But, he came through a system whereby progress on the field had to be matched by progress in the class room. He had to work for his degree and that hard work has continued throughout his career.

I reckon Weir will make a cracking manager, I feel, however, Rangers missed a trick in not finding a role for him as a guide and mentor to the younger players, or by creating him a role which originated in American Football and is now big business in Rugby Union - that of defensive co-ordinator.

Look at Rangers' technical staff: Ally McCoist was the arch-penalty box predator; Kenny McDowall was a terrific front man, continually stretching defences; Ian Durrant had few peers in the midfield battle-field; Jim Stewart was a top-class goalkeeper.

All areas of the team are well-covered, except one - nowhere in the technical staff is there a defensive expert. I accept that football, being more free form that American or Rugby football, isn't as suited to the thought processes of a defensive specialist - but, there are still set pieces to defend, strategies to work out. I feel Weir, kept on as a player-coach with defensive responsibilities, could have made a significant contribution to the future of Rangers FC.

HOWEVER, if you read the ravings of certain cyber-warriors of a green-and-white hue, Rangers don't have a future. The First Tier Tribunal in the case of HMRC v Rangers FC has now concluded taking its evidence, the "judges" are now sifting through the evidence and will in due course - the popular money is on the fact that this will come in late March or early April - deliver its verdict.

Then, Rangers will either be home free, or in administration. I do hope they get off, and not through any love of Rangers. It is simply this, I don't think the police, ambulance services or indeed the NHS could cope with the hordes of suicidal Celtic fans whose reason for living would vanish if Rangers got off. Whilst an equal number of Rangers fans might die laughing, that the forecasts of impending disaster proved had proved false.

AS Davie Weir rides off into the sunset (or not), an other old face re-appears, with Mark McGhee back in management at Bristol Rovers.

I have always felt Bristol is one of those cities in England which could benefit from putting local rivalries to one side and amalgamating its two clubs, who have under-achieved for generations, into one potentially big club.

Bristol Rugby Club was, for many, many years, one of the top teams in England. Of course, they have been in the doldrums more or less since Rugby went professional, but, they will be back in the top flight soon enough. That's not something you can safely say about either City or Rovers, however.

Still, it will be good to see how McGhee gets on in winning his battle for local bragging rights over City, led by Derek McInnes. As usual in a battle between Scots - you under-estimate the Paisley man at your peril and I can see McGhee's side continuing to play second-fiddle to McInnes's.

WELL done Morag Pirie, in being promoted to the Elite grade of women referees. Wee Morag has battled hard for recognition in Scotland and deserves this promotion, as do her male counter-parts. This month seven male Scottish referees have been confirmed as FIFA-listed.

I reckon we now have far more "world-class" referees than we have players, yet still we abuse them - ach, that's fitba.

I SPOTTED an absolute gem from my big mate Shuggie Macdonald, in the Herald this week. Writing about the on-going Olympics row, Shuggie revealed that SFA Honcho Stewart Regan isn't too-bothered about the possible SFA loss of independence, should a proper, all-UK "Team GB" play in London - but he is worried about the possible loss of Scotland's individual place on IFAB.

Since, under the current legislation, we cannot lose our IFB place for so-long as we are an independent football nation, I would have thought the loss of that independence would make the loss of the IFAB place inevitable. So, all his efforts should be geared to staying independent and therefore keeping our IFAB place.

The SFa's conduct of the whole Olympic debacle has been disgraceful. If Craig Levein had managed the national team so-badly, he'd have the entire Tartan Army on his back, yet the SFA's poor display over the Olympics goes relatively unreported.

Nearly 100 years on and the Tartan Army (football version) is like the Tartan Army (the real military version) - Lions led by Donkeys.