The SFA As Honest Brokers - Don't Make Me Laugh

FROM this, they could attract a global television object and perhaps make money; it certainly promises to be more-entertaining than recent televised matches involving Scottish teams.

I refer, of course, to the suggestion that the SFA should be called-in to knock heads together in the civil war now engulfing the SPL and the potential future amalgamation war with the SFL.

So, we could see Peter Lawwell, wearing his hat as a member of the SFA's Profession Game Board, pittin the heid oan Peter Lawwell, wearing his hat as one of the movers and shakers in the SPL.

This "Get the SFA involved" suggestion conveniently overlooks the reality - the SPL effectively runs Scottish football in any case. The Professional Game Board is ten-strong: Chairman Rod Petrie (Hibs), Jim Ballantyne (Airdrie United), Neil Doncaster (SPL), Peter Lawwell (Celtic), Alan McCrae (Cove Rangers), Campbell Ogilvie (ex-Hearts/Rangers), Stewart Regan (SFA), Sandy Stables (Highland League) and Ralph Topping (SPL).

Five of the ten are either SPL appointees, or associated with an SPL club - a lot of independence there then.

The full 34-strong SFA Council contains 17 members who are attached to either a club in the SPL or the SFL, so, whilst undoubtedly less tied to the two main leagues, this body too is compromised when it comes to acting independently.

Since FIFA regulations prohibit government involvement in football, the Scottish Government, the obvious honest broker in the current dispute and perhaps our best hope for a swift resolution to Scottish football's current problems, would seem to be ruled-out.

This leaves us, perhaps, looking at somebody from UEFA or FIFA coming in to sort us out. This might be no bad thing, provided, of course, they realised Scottish football isn't all about the first and third-ranked clubs in Glasgow.

EUREKA - brainwave; Why don't we ask Jimmy Hill to come up and sort things out?

FOR all the abuse he gets from Celtic fans, and supporters of other Scottish clubs, and from large sections of the Rangers support - today, I think, Charlie Green got something right. Kenny  Miller isn't the answer.

Ally McCoist, please note.

If McCoist had to bring back a former hero to score goals for his club, he should have signed Kris Boyd. In SFL2 next season and SFL1 in 2014-15, Bydie would have scored an awful lot of goals, ensuring a rapid and relatively painless return to the top flight for the Ibrox club.

But, the Tarbouton Toerag is now back at Rugby Park. Mind you, I wouldn't be surprised to see him back at Rangers come September, once their signing ban is lifted.

If he survives the independent enquiry into his conduct, and I feel he will, Green will be in an even-stronger position to impose some reality into Rangers' signing policies and cost structure, and that will be no bad thing after the long years of excess.

His long-term strategy of raring from within with a degree of signing of outside players who can be improved and sold on is such a divergence from the management policies of the past 30-years, is the right one.

I do not, however, think Alistair McCoist is the right manager to work under such a policy.

Tick, tock, tick, tock.