MY principle watering hole in Ayr is James McSherry's wonderful Wee Windaes, the best pub in the town and the one, I am sure - were he alive today, in which Robert Burns would have supped. However, wonderful though the Wee Windaes steak pie is, when I seek slightly more-refined fare, I frequent another Ayr hotel, which is run by a former Ayr and Glasgow stand-off half and where the craic is of the oval rather than the round ball game.
Last week-end, mine host at the hotel told me: the previous evening a prominent Ayr business-man, who happens to travel to Ibrox for his sporting fix, had remarked that Lee McCulloch has now earned the right to be a Rangers' Legend - joining the ranks of such as Morton, Young, Waddell, Caldow, Greig, Jardine, Henderson, Wilson, Cooper, Laudrup and, of course, Jim Baxter.
Mine host conceded that, undoubtedly Lee Mac is Greig's equal as a footballer and effort-demanding captain, but, could not see the current Rangers skipper as being fit to lace the boots of some of the above. I have to agree with his assessment, however, it is equally true that, from his efforts as skipper and from his current core place within the re-birth of Rangers, McCulloch has indeed, surely earned Legend status.
It is indeed a funny old game.
SCOTLAND is, most-certainly, capable of getting at least a draw from tonight's Hampden meeting with the Belgians. After all, for all their good press and undoubted ability - the Belgians have, as yet, won nothing. One good European Championship campaign some 30-years ago, doth not a world power make.
The Tartan Army veterans know, Scotland might scrape a home draw against the Germans, or the Italians, they might get lucky if they catch-out the Spanish on a bad night for them, however, Belgium are not yet at that stage. So, let's not settle for a draw tonight - we can have a go at them; you never know, it might pay off.
I SEE Dundee United have spat the dummy with television, in the wake of Gavin Gunning's ban for his wee kick at the Celtic player. On one viewing, in real time, I realised Gunning had a case to answer, he's been found guilty, move on. I still say, the Celtic player's charge on him was also worth, at least a yellow card and the fact he got off Scot free , while Gunning has been done, shows that justice was maybe not fully-served.
But, that is no reason for United to go into a major sulk. In a fair world, the SFA and the SPFL would have an "official" camera recording each game, from the same position in each ground and this camera, and this camera alone, could be used in citing issues such as that involving Gunning.
That way, every club is treated fairly, there will be no "trial by television" lottery such as that which United are moaning about.
The way TV runs the game these days simply proves how wise Sir Robert Kelly was all those years ago when he warned about the dangers of too-close co-operation between football and the box in the corner.
Television could be a great advertising tool for football - these days, it seems, football is a tool of television.
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