It's ABE time again

IT'S that time again - the Scots football fan has got himself into ABE (Anybody But England) mode, we're in our usual place - outside looking in - and the big summer tournament is about to kick-off. So, before the TV pundits get down to discussing the main topic of the Polanyd v Greece opener: just how will England cope without Wayne for the first two games? Followed by the supplementary question: should Rio have gone? How do we find escape from wall-to-wall Ingerlund, Ingerlund, Ingerlund - and that's merely Clive Tyldesly?

This year might be even worse, between Diamond Jubilee fever and Olympic expectations. After all, an "English" club did win the Champions League, "the lads" are under the command of an Englishman- none of these mercenary foreign johnnies, yes, hope springs eternal in the land of the three lions.

Of course, this time round, even the English media doesn't think they merely have to turn-up to collect the trophy, but, if England do get through their group, with Wayne restored, expect full-on England Expects rhetoric, 24/7 - until the inevitable failure.

So, how do we escape, or at least find relief. Well, can I suggest we all become Shotts fans for the next week. The boys from Hannah Park done good, performing Mission Impossible to beat Auchinleck Talbot and win the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup the other Sunday. They have since followed-up on this by making inroads into a dreadful fixtures backlog to secure promotion back into the West of Scotland Superleague's Premier Division. They and Glenafton Athletic will go up, all that needs to be resolved is which club will be promoted as champions.

The Glen have completed their league programme, Shotts still have three games to play and they need five of the nine available points to pip the Glen for the title. Tomorrow afternoon, at Hannah Park, they entertain Girvan in the first of these three games - which will be played inside the next seven days.

This one is, on-paper, a cracker, Shotts obviously don't want their title challenge to go down to the last match, so will wish to make home advantage count; but Girvan have something to play for too, in this their final league game. They go into the match in second-bottom spot in the Superleague First Division, with the bottom four clubs going down into the Ayrshire or Central League, dependant on where they are from.

If Girvan can beat Shotts, they stay up and Hurlford United will go down; even if they can get a draw, they will stay up, since both they and Hurlford will have 34 points and a goal difference of minus five, however, Girvan will have scored more goals and will go above Hurlford in the final standings.

Hannah Park is therefore, well worth a visit, to see some REAL, meaningful football tomorrow afternoon.