Nice Kit - Shame About What's Inside It

OH dear! Our Saxon neighbours are becoming somewhat aerated today, following the introduction of the latest England strip. The 2013 effort, unfortunately for the sensibilities of some Little Englanders, bears a strong relationship to the West German kit of the 1960s and 1970s.

That classic Teutonic kit, as worn by Der Kaiser, Der Bomber and der rest was produced by those awfully nice chaps at Adidas, the new England kit is produced by those whizz-kids at Nike in Oregon.

Of course, the new kit will make the FA a lot of money, which is what is it is all about - where it comes to football, and more-importantly English football, money is all that matters.

I've got news for my English friends -it doesn't matter how many over-priced replica kits - all produced as inexpensively as possible in sweat shops in the far east - the FA sells; what really matters is the quality of the player inside the kit, and in this instance, England lacks quality.

After next year in Brazil, and I presume England will somehow scrape into the World Cup Finals, Baddeil and Skinner will have to do another re-write: ther will still be sea lions on the shirt, but, it will then be 48 years of hurt.

England has, since 1966, had some real horrors of strips, not least that British Airways inspired 1982 number, with its nod to "England's flag" - you know, the Union one with that huge splash of dark blue from the saltire.

Mind you, the SFA have had their moments of inspiration from the Stevie Wonder School of Design - suspender belts anyone? Or that purple number which was akin to an explosion in a paint factory.

Me, I'm old-fashioned: I just loved the Umbro number from 1956 to 1964 - the short-sleeved dark blue shirts with the broad white v-neck and the white cuffs, the white shorts and the dark blue stockings with the red tops.

That was a classic kit, it is timeless. We were a good team then, might not bringing back that kit help get us back there?

IT seems Hearts are safe; for the moment. Mind you, I sense the present dark days in Gorgie will get darker before they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I fear the club will start the season with a points deduction - in which case, and given the way they are trying to off-load the big earners to further cut costs, what will, next season, be a very young Hearts squad, might have been better-off with the points deducted now and a start in SFL1.

JIM Jefferies has always been seen as something of a grumpy old git; but he really didn't have to go and prove it by his petulant outburst after Alloa condemned the Pars to life in SFL2 next season.

The SFL didn't relegate Dunfermline Jim; your board - by living beyond their means for years and bringing the club to administration and the loss of your better players, managed that.

Cheer-up Jim; this is a division you can win, even allowing for Rangers' presence in the same level of football. I feel, if JJ stays around, his motivational skills just might cancel out Rangers' expected higher level of player; after all, he's a much-better manager than Ally.

SFL2, with Rangers and the Pars going neck and neck all season, just might be the most-exciting of the four in senior Scottish football next term.