Vee Are Ze Masters Now Billy

I HAVE previously on this blog made reference to my wee mate "Billy" - a very good journalist who quietly worked away for over 30-years on the Sports Desk of the (Glasgow) Herald.

 

Billy used to say, when he began his career there, just before the move from Mitchell Street to Albion Street, there was an unofficial role on the sports team of "Token Tim" - the guy who covered Celtic. Even then, in the days of Jock Stein and the Lisbon Lions, the Herald was more Rangers than Celtic minded, regardless of the efforts of a hard core of Jags fans, including the great Ian Archer.

 

When a relieved Billy finally skipped down Renfield Street to freedom, he joked his post was that of "House Hun", inasmuch as the previously true-blue Herald sports desk now had a distinctly green hue. This he in part put down to the paper from which he retired had a Sports Editor who was, in Billy's not-altogether neutral view: "The worst kind of Celtic supporter - a Protestant one".

 

Hopefully, some day, this brand of institutionalised sectarianism will vanish from Scotland, but, I fear I will not live to see it.

 

Any way, if Billy, or any other bitter Bluenose needed confirmation of how the Herald, the one-time Journal of Ra Peepul has changed, it surely comes in this morning's on-line Herald.

 

There are no less than six stories from last night's Champions League qualifier at Celtic Park:

 

A "Quotes" piece and a post-final-whistle overview piece, both  from Stewart Fisher

A "Quotes" piece and a post-final-whistle overview piece, both from Matthew Lindsay

A virtual "Run-of-play piece from Graeme MacPherson

A minute-by-minute run-of-play piece, unbylined, but, I think from the Press Association.

 

Nary a mention online of the Ayr United v Rangers Petrofac Cup tie at Somerset Park, other than the pre-match interview with United boss Ian McColl.

 

I have no quibble with the way the Herald's news values judgement has operated. It goes without saying, the Celtic Park game was, by a few miles, the more-important fixture. It merited the greater cover, but, six pieces to nil. Once again I am left scratching my head at how the Herald's online section works.

 

As I write this, I have not seen the print edition of the Herald for Thursday, 20 August. I am assuming, there is a match report from Somerset Park in there somewhere.

 

But, to last night's game at Celtic Park; and: forward tho ah canna see, ah guess and fear, as regards next week's second leg in Malmó.

 

OK, Celtic won, but, sheer sloppiness has left them facing a much-more-difficult game next week than might have been. Both Malmó goals were the result of sloppy defending by Celtic. As John Collins pointed out, to much criticism the other week, they get away with this in Scotland, but, not in Europe.

 

I thought Celtic were on top for the first half-hour, but, in the following hour, the longer the game lasted, the less-comfortable they looked. They are now, at half-time in the tie, leading by a single goal, but, with the opposition having home advantage.

 

Remember, if Malmó score first next week, to level the tie - Celtic have to score again to restore their overall lead. They may have to score three away goals to be sure of going through; and, while I do not doubt their attackers' ability to do this, I most-certainly doubt their defence's ability to keep Malmó in check.

 

For all Celtic's good play last night, and there were many such passages, Craig Gordon was the goalkeeper last night who had to make the more-difficult saves. Leigh Griffiths took both his goals well, but, he lacked support in the Malmó "Red Zone" and, regardless of who plays up-front in Malmó, Celtic are going to find goal-scoring opportunities harder to come by than in the home leg.

 

I sincerely hope they can advance to the group stages, but, slackness last night may yet condemn Celtic to another season in the second tier Europa League, rather than at Europe's top table.

 

 

 

MY old mate Graham Spiers has a wee piece in today's Herald, in which he speculates that Jackie McNamara's jaiket might be hingin oan a shoogly nail at Tannadice, following United's indifferent start to the new season.

 

Well, it is hardly surprising, given the turn-over in players of first-team class at the club since January. To sack a manager who has nurtured talents such as Gould, Mackay-Steven and Armstrong, who had to be let-go cheaply to help balance the books, would be folly in the extreme.

 

For as long as football's management culture allows a club's finances, relative to those of the other teams in the same division, to slant the playing field, Scottish football will struggle.

 

Bad enough to have cash-rich English clubs, underpinned financially by the difference in what television is ready to pay for coverage of football north and south of the line twixt Solway and Tweed, making things difficult for hard-up Scottish clubs. Far worse that a single Scottish club (or even two of them) can afford to cherry-pick the best of the rest.

 

We need the guys who run the other clubs to collectively grow a pair and insist on some sort of North American-style leveling of the financial playing field, or we will never again see Scotland as a major player in football.

 

And, to suggest, as Spierso does, that the slow gelling of a largely new-look Dundee United should cost a fine young manager his job, is to show the short-termism and lack lack of foresight in Scottish football in all its shabbiness. 

 

 

I READ a good wee piece in the Guardian yesterday, about Partick Thistle's new mascot 'Kingsley'. The sort of piece one hopes the Scottish media will find space for, but which they seldom do. Like many media folk, I have a soft spot for the good old "Harry Wraggs", trips to Firhill have, over the years produced some wonderful wee nuggets of off-the-wall copy.

 

Certainly, to be sent to a Thistle game during the John Lambie years, was always a joy. I recall, after one match played in combined Monsoon/Typhoon conditions, the bold Lambie informed the assembled press: "Play fitba, ah widnae send oot ma doos in they fuckin' conditions ".

 

I used to wonder too, how come the erudite, wine-quaffing and loving Glasgow Warriors fans, who sat in front of the press box at Firhill, on Friday nights, could, less than 24-hours later, sitting in the same seats, become monster raving looney Jags fans . I think it was the lack of drink on Saturdays which changed them.

 

Aye Firhill, the Bermuda Traingle of Scottish football - strange things happen there.

 

Anent Kingsley, he may be a wonderful mascot, but, for me THE mascot in Scottish football was and always will be Paisley Panda, when "Andy" was inside the suit. Andy took his role so-seriously, when interviewed by the Paisley Daily Express at his Monday-to-Friday job, he conducted the interview wearing his business suit and Paisley's head.

 

The day he brought out a four feet high air freshener tree, a jubo version of those ones you tie round the interior mirron in your car, and put it behind the goal at Love Street, in front of the Morton fans - well, I honestly thought we were going to have a break-in, as the Greenock fans went ape shit.