Fitba - Who cares

CONFESSION time - I am struggling to live with my football head. I took this off after the World Cup, thoroughly enjoyed the Commonwealth Games, and am relishing the European Athletics Championships.

 

Putting my fitba heid back on and getting back to the cauld kale of another dreich Scottish season - well, it's bloody hard.

 

One week in and it's the same-old same-old, the whitabootery between those twin cheeks of an erse which is the internet faction of the Bigot Brothers; whole tracts of Scandinavian forest being felled to feed the print media's feeding frenzy as Celtic do the hokey-cokey with the Champions League, while, across the city, the Tribute Act stumbles from accident to calamity to big reddies all round.

 

Aberdeen, Motherwell and St Johnstone have all had their wee short breaks in Europe - honestly, not even the most-fervant member of the Celtic family is too-confident about the Hoops hopes of remaining long in the CL.

 

Meanwhile, on the Executive floor at Hampden, the blazers still slumber on.

 

 

 

I WAS at Rugby Park for the announcement that rugby would return there, for the first time since 1956, in November, when Scotland entertain Tonga.

 

The new pitch looks great, Billy Bowie, rather than Michael Johnston, is now the Honcho. OK Boydie has gone, but, he was always going to leave, if the Tribute Act whistled.

 

I would have expected a bigger crowd for Killie's first home game of the season, in midweek. New pitch being unveiled, attractive visitors in Aberdeen, but, barely 5000 fans could be bothered turning-up.

 

The ones who stayed away probably showed good taste - even my most-fanatical Killie fans are prophesying a long, hard season. Still, if that's the best they can do for a new season, I worry.

 

Mind you, a cup draw which pairs them with Ayr United, managed by former Killie Golden Child Mark Roberts, should attract a good gate. Why do I believe Marko is relishing the trip back to Rugby Park?

 

Just an aside - am I alone in fancying the combination of the Ferguson Brothers and their chance to say GIRFUY, just might add-up to a good night for Clyde, when they take on Rangers?

 

 

 

WATCHING the 3000-metres steeplechase final at the European Athletics Championships, I enjoyed the celebrations of the French winner, who took off his shirt as he cleared the final hurdle, the title already won.

 

He received an immediate yellow card; then the Spanish objected and he was disqualified.

 

As someone who has never enjoyed the shirt-off, windmilling goal celebrations of many players, followed by the obligatory yellow card - might I make a suggestion to UEFA and FIFA, and, more-particularly IFAB.

 

For the sake of those of us who cannot stand looking at, too-many bad tatooes, why not bring in a rule, whereby, if a goal-scorer takes off his shirt in celebration - the goal is disallowed.

 

That ought to tidy things up.