UNTIL this morning, I had never heard of the Edusport Academy. If, as I did, you choose to google it, you will discover a story which, I think, deserves to be known across Scotland.
Edusport Academy is a body which brings hand-picked young French footballers to Scotland, where they are coached in both football and English language. The staff rota, as laid out on their web page, includes some weel-kent figures in Scottish Football, while their team is currently sitting atop The South of Scotland League.
OK, it's only the SOS League, but - Watch that space - bigger waves will be made.
My reason for seeking-out information on Edusport Academy was simple, I had heard of Eddie Walucki-Black's recruitment as Director of Football at Airdrieonians.
I would suggest students of Scottish Football should keep an eye on events at Broomfield - or whatever the club's stadium is called these days. New owner Eddie Wotherspoon has quickly shown he is not going to be dragged into the backward straight-jacket of club management which has held Scottish Football back for so long.
His recruitment of former Scottish Sun Head of Sport Iain King as Chief Executive Officer was, I think, an inspired move. Even as a young wannabee, with the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald, Kingie did things his way.
An award-winning journalist, turned excellent newspaper executive, he will bring fresh initiatives and original thought to running the club.
Airdrieonians has done very little since the 1920s glory days of Hughie Gallacher, Bob McPhail and so forth. It will not happen immediately, but, I can see the Diamonds sparkling in the SPFL Premiership before too-long.
Unless, of course, that other Scottish Football KIng -aka "the Glib and Shameless Liar" and the other big Bears come to their senses and, once they are free to do so, give King, one-time Right Worthy Master of the Lap Top Loyal, the keys to the Ibrox Kingdom.
Well, there is a long and distinguished history of unpolished Diamonds being snapped-up for Ibrox.
HIBERNIAN back in European Football. Who'd have thunked it, but, well done Hibernian Ladies, who will be playing in the Women's Champions League, alongside Glasgow City LFC next season.
Funny how, Women's Football in Scotland is doing so-much better than the Men's game. Do you not think, the dinosaurs on the Sixth Floor at Hampden should maybe be trotting along to the SWFA and asking them for some pointers.
Over the weekend, I caught up with the BBC Alba documentary on Jim Baxter. Now to me, Slim Jim is one of the Holy Trinity of Scottish Football. The other two are Denis Law and Dave Mackay for me.
The programme was a unique tribute to a unique and much-missed talent, Get onto the BBC iplayer and check it out while you still can. A marvellous programme.
Scotland squad to play Poland and Gibraltar:
Craig Gordon (Celtic)
David Marshall (Cardiff City)
Allan McGregor (Hull City)
Christophe Berra (Ipswich Town)
Gordon Greer (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Grant Hanley (Blackburn Rover)
Alan Hutton (Aston Villa)
Russell Martin (Norwich City)
Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic)
Andrew Robertson (Hull City)
Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen)
Steven Whittaker (Norwich City)
Ikechi Anya (Watford)
Scott Brown (Celtic)
Darren Fletcher (West Brom)
James Forrest (Celtic)
Shaun Maloney (Hull City)
James Morrison (West Brom)
James McArthur (Crystal Palace)
Kevin MacDonald (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Matt Ritchie (Bournemouth AFC)
Johnny Russell (Derby County)
Steven Fletcher (Sunderland)
Leigh Griffiths (Celtic)
Chris Martin (Derby)
Steven Naismith (Everton)
Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers)
I have no real beef about Wee Gordon Strachan's squad, except, the first call-up for Graeme Shinnie and the recall for Kevin MacDonald demonstrates yet again - very little thought goes into elite player development, or ensuring continuity of selection of the Scotland team.
Guys are brought-in or left-out according to current club form. There appears to be little attempt to build a Scotland system, or to provide career development for players beyond the Under-21 team.
We should have a B team, or an Under-23 team, to plug the yawning gap between our Under-21 and A teams. The majority of our squad members are with clubs which are regularly exposed to European competition. Surely, therefore, it falls to the SFA to find a way to plug this obvious failing.
I had posted this before I caught a glimpse of WGS speaking to the media, on the lunch-time edition of Reporting Scotland.
The Wee Man claimed, we didn't have a world-class player. I disagree, I feel, if you were picking an XI from the biggest idiots in world gootball, Scott Brown would be in there, probably as captain.
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