Psst! He's No Awa Awe The Gither - Yet

I HAVE bad news for those football fans who raised  glass in celebration this week, after Campbell Ogilvie stepped down as President of the SFA.

 

Given his long association with the Ibrox brand and his shorter spell at Tynecstle, Mr Ogilvie, who has a justly high reputation as a football administrator (ok, that is at best not much of a compliment, while some would suggest able football administrator is an oxymoron, but, I digress) was never going to be flavour of the month with the usual suspects.

 

But, in a field of endeavour not over-populated with great men, he was one of the best. However, now he no longer has the trappings of power, which actually lies with Peter Lawwell and his pet poodle Reagan, the CO will not fade away entirely. He gets a wee spell as Hon. President, before he is put out to grass - he can still have his say if he wants.

 

The new president is Alan McCrae of Cove Rangers. I don't know too-much about Mr McCrae, but, as a former player for his club, he at least knows what shape the ball is, and that will give him an advantage over some of the other "blazers" around Hampden. Also, he doesn't come from one of the big teams, or the big leagues, so, for once, the "diddy" teams have someone at the centre of power, which is no bad thing.

 

Speaking of the so-called "diddy" teams. I note that changes to the Scottish Cup for the new season will see the East and South of Scotland league Champions plus the winners of the Scottish Amateur Cup now having entry to the big competition, bringing closer that day when, as in England, every team can dream of a good cup run, and the first round will kick-off sometime in September.

 

 

 

BUT, the decisions from the SFA's annual meeting were not considered sufficiently news-worthy on Wednesday, given the King had spoken of his ambitions for the Rangers Tribute Act.

 

The mainstream media did their tame poodles act and rushed to record what was, in effect, another advertisement for season tickets at Ibrox: "Renew NOW - we need your money" was the sub-text.

 

No manager, only at best half a team, and a not-very-good one at that, and a ground which needs as much, if not more spent on it as does the team; a major investor wanting his £5 million back - aye, everything is coming up roses down Edmiston Drive - still.

 

 

 

AND, as the RTA lurches from crisis to crisis, how sad to have to mark the passing of a RRM (that's Real Rangers Man), with the untimely death from leukemia of big Colin "Bomber" Jackson.

 

Last season, one of the good, old-reliable Ibrox party songs was re-written to become: "The cry was no defenders", as the Moroccan Muppet and "Elbows" McCulloch under-performed badly.

 

How poorly they compare to "Bomber" a man whose worth to his club was never properly respected until he left. There was nothing flashy or showy about Jackson - his job was to defend, and this he did, very well indeed.

 

Not the best player to wear the number five shirt for his club - but, then the best will come from a handful of legends: Woodburn, Young, Meiklejohn and Butcher, but, still a far better player than he was believed to be.

 

He formed a great pairing with Ronnie McKinnon, another similar player, forged in the reserves, asked to do a simple job, which he did well.

 

Jackson then went on to have a stellar business career and to put something back through the Former Rangers Players Benevolent Fund. A big man, with a big heart - Rest In Peace Colin.

 

 

 

I NOTICED a wee piece in the Herald on Wednesday, to the effect that Queen's Park has done a deal with the University of the West of Scotland whereby young footballers whose brains are not entirely in their feet can get an education and play at a good level with the Spiders.

 

For all of their long existence, Queen's Park has been the natural home of footballers who were rounded - school masters, accountants, lawyers, bankers, doctors and so-forth have worn the thin black and white hoops with pride.

 

This new initiative is kind of like the US collegiate system, whereby sporting students get the best of both worlds. Obviously the millions which accrue to the big US universities such as UCLA or Duke, with their big-budget athletics programmes will not be coming to Hampden, but, it is a start and I hope it works, for both those players taken on, and a club for which we all should have a soft spot.

 

After all, without Queen's Park, there wouldn't be football in Scotland.

 

 

 

OK, I accept, for some, women's football isn't "real fitba". Yes, as usual the BBC's coverage of the on-going Women's World Cup, like their coverage of the Men's tournament, will be so-slanted towards England, it will turn-off would-be Scottish viewers in their droves.

 

But, that said, the footbal is good, and so-refreshing without the histrionics which accompany every hard tackle and every goal.

 

And, just to confirm that women's football is on the up, well done Glasgow City, on being seeded eighth for the Women's Champion's League next season. They really are Scotland's standard-bearers in Europe, much though that will grate elsewhere in Glasgow.