Plus Ca Change.....Yawn, Yawn

THE thought processes of the people running the sports desks in the mainstream Scottish media never cease to amaze me. In the year since the last meaningful Old Firm game, they have been like lost sheep; then, last night, as the Under-17 sides from the best and third-best football teams in Glasgow squared-up in the Glasgow Cup Final, what did they do?

Did they send out their top football writers to cover the game, perhaps to give us a steer as to which of the two had the more-promising talent coming through the ranks, or to perhaps pass judgement on the respective youth development programmes (not that it matters, on current form and practices few, if any, of the players concerned will ever get to wear the hoops or the light blue consistently at first team level).

No, they left the match reporting to the great Craig Stewart - the Ayatollah of non-SPL football in Scotland - although, they did cover the off-field excitement as the respective lunatic fringes demonstrated the terrible effect the sight of the opposition colours within the same ground continues to have on them.

A plague on both their houses. I keep hoping the powers-that-be at even one of the clubs will say, soon: "We are going to clean-up our followers' act and this time, even though it will cost us money - we will do it".

But, as long as bigotry pays, this will not happen. Better to indulge in whitabootery and try to sweep it under the carpet.

Rangers, in SFL2 next season, certainly have more scope to blood the kids than Celtic will have in the SPL, but, I long for the day when both clubs are again going head-to-head in Scotland and consistently reaching the last-16 in the big European competitions, WITH MAINLY SCOTTISH SQUADS.

I FIND the Celtic-led calls for relaxation on the Licencing (Scotland) Act which would allow the consumpton of alcohol within grounds during games an encouraging one.

It has always struck me as strange that the erudite and funny guys who used to sit in front of the Firhill press box could enjoy a tincture with their rugger on a Friday night, but not when Thistle were at home the following afternoon. Same fans, different teams, different attitudes.

Of course the lunatic fringes, which are not, by the way, the exclusive property of the two best-supported Glasgow clubs, would have to be combed-out, which will take time; but, with proper and firm stewarding, the use of plastic containers and rigorous training of the bar and security staff, it could be achieved.

We have been scattered to the four winds by work calls, but, until recently I was one of a group of Scottish-based cricket fans who would make an annual trip to the Friday of the Leeds Test Match.

Five am start, breakfast at Scotch Corner; arrive in Leeds before start of play, on to the great West Terracing, there to enjoy the day. We had a designated driver, whose reward was the run of the a la carte menu at the hotel in Appleby on the way home; the rest enjoyed the day, with a good few swallies.

At Headingley, you can drink in your seat whilst watching play - they even provide containers which mean the guy going to the bar can carry eight pints at a time back to the seats, but, the "glasses" are all plastic.

There are two types of stewards - the salmon-jacketed ones, who direct you to your seats and try to make the day a pleasant one, and the taupe-jacketed ones. These guys are sourced from the packs of Yorkshire's Rugby League and Rugby Union clubs - and you DO NOT - if you wish to have a good day - argue with them. They tell you something once and if obedience is not immediate, you are in trouble.

I commend this system to the top floor at Hampden. It might be fun and games for the first season, but, in the longer term, more money would come into Scottish football and the atmosphere would, in time, improve.

WELL-DONE Kim Little, on winning the English PFA Women's Player of the Year award. Is it not typically Scottish and perverse that the two best footballers this nation, which invented the passing game, has produced in the last 25-years have both been women - Julie Fleeting and now wee Kim.

In fact, I reckon WGS could do worse than give Kim, Jenny Beattie (big Johnnie's sister, big John's daughter) and Ifeoma Dieke a run-out in his next squad - they couldn't be any worse than some we have capped of late.