Brexit Has Implications For Fitba Too

WITH the January transfer window slamming shut in midweek, those clubs still seeking to freshen-up their squads will be beavering away on sealing deals. All the indications are that the Premiership clubs will be casting their sights southwards, rather than trying to bring-in unpolished diamonds from the Championship or the lower Scottish Leagues.

I have long felt, the big clubs' penchant for buying foreign players (and in this instance English, Irish or Welsh are foreign) rather than trying to recruit and improve Scottish talent is a self-defeating mistake. But, unless the SNP bring on Indyref2, and soon, the days of recruiting foreign talent will soon be over.

This is the elephant in the dressing room which nobody is prepared to speak of – but, when Brexit kicks-in, due at the end of March, 2019, the days when the big English clubs, and the Scottish Premiership clubs can recruit European talent willy-nilly will be over, while it will be a lot harder to recruit players from elsewhere in the world.

Free movement of labour, the means whereby the likes of Paul Pogba, Moussa Dembele and several hundred other European players can instantly join British clubs will be over. The clubs will have to abide by the far-stricter FIFA rules on international transfers, it will be an awful lot harder to recruit foreign players.

This should make Scottish players, once again, targets for the big English clubs, since they will be able to move south freely – unless of course, the SNP win Indyref2 and Scotland is in the EU and England not. This might also impact on the ability of our clubs to recruit English players.

I suppose we should hope that Project Brave is quickly allowed to be set-up and we suddenly have more and better young Scottish players coming through, however, I for one am not holding my breath on this – or on the implementation of the single rule which would do more than any other to help Project Brave and Scottish football have a future.

Let's quickly, go back to the three foreigners rule and make the Scottish clubs positively discriminate in favour of home-grown talent.

THE Herald recently ran a series on the 100 Greatest Scottish Sporting Icons. It was a load of mince, and reflected the fact, on the full-time sports staff of the Herald at the moment, they have nobody with a sense of history, the party line appears to be that Scottish football started in 1967 – thereby largely ignoring the previous 95-years.

No less than five Rangers managers were listed individually, but, missing from the list was Bill Struth, the greatest of them all. Similarly, Willie Maley, and Sir Robert Kelly, such influential figures in Celtic's past and, in the case of Sir Bob, within the SFA, didn't rate a mention.

George Young, arguably Scotland's greatest captain, didn't appear, neither did Alan Morton. Hibs' Famous Five were in, but, no mention of the Hearts' Terrible Trio, or Rangers' Iron Curtain Defence. Sir George Graham, for so long the SFA Secretary didn't rate a mention, neither did Jack Mowat or Tom Wharton, our greatest referees.

Andy Goram was in, but, no sign of Alan Rough – a more-universally loved keeper than “The Goalie” or of Celtic's tragic John Thomson. And that's just the football omissions – don't get me started on other sports.

TWO of Rangers' great players of the 1950s passed away in the past week or so. First of all full-back Johnny Little died, to be quickly followed by Northern Irish centre forward Billy Simpson. Little capped once for Scotland in 1953, was, for most of his career the third full-back at Ibrox, waiting for either Bobby Shearer or Eric Caldow to miss a game, but, whenever called upon, he showed real class. In retirement, he became a much-loved PE teacher in Greenock and Paisley.

Simpson is seldom mentioned these days when great Rangers' strikers are lauded, but, his strike rate was as good as any. Indeed, his Rangers' strike rate is better than Ally McCoist's, as is his overall strike rate. In addition, he was, apparently a really lovely man, a true gentleman.

One story I did hear concerns the 1957 League Cup Final, in which Celtic stuffed Rngers 7-1. Simpson headed home the Rangers goal, and, ever after, he was quick to remind his team mates, should their thoughts ever turn to that bad day of Hampden in the Sun, that, he at least had scored.

South African winger Johnny Hubbard, however, would apparently remind Simpson: “Yes Billy, and if you'd converted the seven good chances you missed – we'd have won 8-7”.

Simpson's greatest goal, however, came in Northern Ireland colours, when he headed home the winner when they beat England 3-2 at Wembley in 1957, their first win under the twin towers.

ANOTHER football giant who passed away last week was big Sam McCulloch, sometimes dubbed the hardest man in junior football. Yes, he was a typical junior centre-half, if it moved, he kicked it, but the hardness came from the fact, he played most of his career with several pieces of lead shot embedded in his leg, after an accident with a shotgun. He was a great countryman, who loved his shooting and fishing.

Sam was one of the mainstays of Willie Knox's wonderful Auchinleck Talbot team of the 1980s, winning five Junior Cup-winner's medals, and scoring the winning goal, at Brockville, when Talbot beat Newtongrange Star 1-0 in 1991. He was a lovely big guy and, at 57, he was taken far too soon.

FINALLY, was I the only guy in Scotland yesterday who wondered how Kris Boyd managed to get from half-way into a goal-scoring position to open Killie's account in 10.4 seconds, against Ross County yesterday?

Has WADA been informed? Kris covering that distance, that quickly, is definitely fishy to me.

Well Done Celtic, But, As Good As The Lions - Come Off It

  The Lisbon Lions - the benchmark for Scottish club sides

IT WOULD be churlish not to congratulate the current Celtic squad on equalling the Lisbon Lions' record of 26 straight unbeaten domestic games. Statistically, they have done this, and deserve praise.

However, as well all know, there are: “Lies, damned lies and statistics”. So, debunking hat on.

Times are different, football in 2017 is a whole different ball game from what it was back in 1967. We football historians, in doing the impossible of comparing the game across different generations always hold one thing sacred – the assumption that a star in one era would be a star in any era. So, taking that as our first benchmark, we must ask: how many of the current Celtic squad would get a game for the Lisbon Lions?

I reckon only three of the current lot could get a game. Good keeper though Ronnie Simpson was, I think Craig Gordon is better; I would play Kieran Tierney at left-back and switch Tommy Gemmell across to the right to displace Jim Craig, and, I would reckon both Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffith are better goal-mouth poachers than Stevie Chalmers ever was, so either one of them could go in. Otherwise, I'd pick the Lisbon Lions.

Then there is the competition. OK, the whole 2016-17 edifice might collapse on the back of a horrendous injury crisis, but, given the 22-point lead they currently have at the top of the Premierhip table, I cannot see Celtic not being crowned champions, and even before the top-six/bottom-six split. I shudder to think what the margin between Champions Celtic and the runners-up will be come May.

The Lions won the league by three points in 1966-67, the season in which they set that 26-game unbeaten record; they finished with 58 points to Rangers' 55. That was in the days of two points for a win, one for a draw. Under today's three points for a win values, the Lions would have gathered 84 points to Rangers' 79 points.

That season too, while Celtic were winning the European Cup in Lisbon, Rangers were losing in extra time in the final of the Cup-Winners' Cup in Nuremburg, Kilmarnock were beaten by Leeds United in the semi-final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and Dundee United reached the last 16 of that predecessor to the Europa League, where they lost to Juventus.

First Division Table - Season 1966-67

 

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Celtic	34	26	6	2	111	33	78	84
2	Rangers	34	24	7	3	92	31	61	79
3	Clyde	34	20	6	8	64	48	16	66
4	Aberdeen	34	17	8	9	72	38	34	59
5	Hibernian	34	19	4	11	72	49	23	61
6	Dundee	34	16	9	9	74	51	23	57
7	Kilmarnock	34	16	8	10	59	46	13	56
8	Dunfermline Athletic	34	14	10	10	72	52	20	52
9	Dundee United	34	14	9	11	68	62	6	51
10	Motherwell	34	10	11	13	59	60	-1	41
11	Hearts	34	11	8	15	39	48	-9	41
12	Partick Thistle	34	9	12	13	49	68	-19	39
13	Airdrieonians	34	11	6	17	41	53	-12	39
14	Falkirk	34	11	4	19	33	70	-37	37
15	St Johnstone	34	10	5	19	53	73	-20	35
16	Stirling Albion	34	5	9	20	31	85	-54	24
17	St Mirren	34	4	7	23	25	81	-56	19
18	Ayr United	34	1	7	26	20	86	-66	10

You may note, eight of that top-12 of 50-years ago, are still in the top-12 today. I would argue, their squads back then were stronger than the squads today.

Note too, that 13-point gap between the Old Firm and the rest back then. As I write, Rangers, in second spot, are two points ahead of Aberdeen, but, the Dons have a game in hand. Even if Rangers hang on to second spot, I cannot see them being 13 points clear of whichever club is third.

That league-winning (actually they won everything they contested that season) Lisbon Lions squad could only secure 82% of the available points in the Scottish League that season. Right now, Celtic have won 98% of the available points - which emphasises how far above their domestic challengers they are.

I would never try to belittle the achievement of the present-day Celtic squad in equalling that great 1967 record, records are there specifically to be match and beaten, but, anyone who suggests it has been as difficult for the current squad to go 26 domestic games unbeaten as it was for the Lions, is deluded. Stein's squad had it far-harder.

Rangers - The Unionist Club That Wants Nothing To Do With Europe

YOU can argue all you like about New Rangers, Old Rangers, call them what you like, but, one thing has remained constant through all the turmoil of the past nearly five years – the team in the blue shirts which plays its home games at Ibrox Stadium is still as much use as a three-pin plug in Europe.

Red Bull Leipzig might be the Gretna of the Bundesleague, but, they were still too-strong for Rangers in Saturday's friendly. Maybe the Gers should have stayed at home and tried to get some defensive cohesion going – the five outfield members of the Iron Curtain Defence, now all sadly gone, must be burlin' in their graves at the current comic cuts defending.

Of course, like Theresa May, Rangers have a plan – it only involves, if big Davie Weir is to be believed, spending upwards of £100 million, just to match, far less get ahead of Celtic. Davie son, guys of that quality will simply not come to play in our diddy league, just for four sold-ut Old Firm clashes per season.

These guys want to play Broadway – the English Premiership etc, they don't want to join a touring company going round the over-fly communities of Kansas and Iowa – which is roughly where the SPFL stands.

And, in any case, since that solid and upright citizen Dave King hasn't yet opened his £0 million war chest, I don't see many other investors being keen to come forward with the rest of the required readies.

WHAT is it with Ayr United and penalties? The great Johnny Hubbard, better-known for his spot-kick mastery during his Rangers' years, also tucked away a few while running down his career at Somerset Park, but, it is at the other end of the 12-yard zone that United excel.

Hughie Sproat, the only goalkeeper I can think of who could out-extrovert Alan Rough, was a dab hand at saving penalties, but, current United back-stop, Greg Fleming has really made a name for himself when it comes to saving penalties.

He was at it again at the weekend, with a save against Falkirk which got his side a crucial point in their battle to keep some daylight between themselves and St Mirren at the foot of the Championship.

As one who spent years covering games at Somerset, and who fondly remembers some of Ally MacLeod's marathon post-victory press conferences, I have a soft spot for the Honest Men and sincerely hope they can stay in the second tier, in spite of being one of the few part-time clubs there.

I have a lot of time for Ian McColl too. My mates who are regular Somerset Parkers tell me, if wee Ian could unearth a consistent scorer, all would be well for the wee club.

MIND you, THE game in God's County this week will be up at Bellsdale Park, Beith, where Scottish Junior Cup holders Beith entertain Auchinleck Talbot. It goes without saying, whichever side wins this one will be short-odds favourites to go on and win the Junior Cup.

Long experience has taught me, you never write-off the 'Bot, particularly when it comes to the Junior Cup, but, the black and gold machine has not been firing consistently this season – they have already lost twice to Beith in important cup-ties, and, with home advantage, I can see John Miller rather than Tucker Sloan being the happier boss on Saturday night.

But, as I said, you never discount Talbot.

I will also be keeping an eye on the game at East Kilbride Showground, where my own wee village team, Glenafton Athletic are the visitors. Some of the Glen regulars are suffering nose bleeds – it's been a long time since the 'Afton were as high up the league as they currently sit. As one worthy told me: “We're playing some great stuff, but, maybe not scoring the goals our outfield play deserves, but, we're winning and sneaking under the radar”.

A wee flutter on the Glen for the Cup might not go amiss.

SAD to see Graham Taylor, the former England boss, die, so-young, last week. Nowadays, to pass on in your early seventies is a bum deal.

Taylor suffered greatly from the machinations of the English red tops; that Sun image of his face superimposed onto a turnip, and the headline: “Swedes 2 Turnips 1” might be one of the great Sun headlines, but, it was cruel on an honest and good man, trying his best after being dealt a poor hand with the England squad he inherited. What happened to Taylor does reinforce the England Team Manager's role as: “the Impossible Job”.

The fact he saw fit to replace Gary Lineker: “The Queen Mother of football” didn't help make him loved. But, he was a good manager at club level, and, at England level, by no means their worst manager – probably just unlucky in his timing.

Then, of course, there was that ill-advised documentary on England's failed 1994 World Cup campaign – which really helped bury him.

Latterly he had become one of the radio “talking head” analysts who was worth listening to, since he knew what he was talking about. In this latter role, he will be missed and be very difficult to replace.

Expand The World Cup - Ye'r 'Avin' A Larf

SO, the World Cup is to be expanded from 32 teams to 48 – yet further proof that, when anyone is sent to Switzerland to join the FIFA gravy train, the first thing the blazers in the background – the faceless guys who do all the work – do, is have three-quarters of their brains removed.

The way to make any sport better is to make it more difficult to operate at the highest-level. For example, in theory, any golfer on the planet can enter The Open Golf Championship; the very name is the give-away, the event is open to anyone.

Well, women golfers need not apply, ditto amateur golfers who do not have a low handicap, similarly, “professional” golfers – why do you think, after the Maurice Flitcroft affair (a Cumbrian crane driver who gate-crashed the Open and shot a 121) did the R&A work so-hard to close that door – Flitcroft had declared himself a professional to get round the amateur handicap rule.

The R&A has realised, the way to safeguard the integrity of what they hold to be the best golf tournament in the world, is to make it bloody hard to get in.

Ditto Wimbledon and the other big tennis tournaments. If you are ranked among the world's top 100 players – you are in, otherwise, you have to qualify. Olympic Games – same again, there are qualifying standards to be met. They only want the best: look at the Olympic motto - Citius, Altius, Fortius, which is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger".

International football, regardless of the claims of the money no object leagues such as those in England, Italy, Germany and Spain is still the highest form of the game. So, to me it makes no sense to have more teams in the finals – to preserve the mystique, they ought to have fewer nations in the finals. I would go back to 16 countries. If FIFA wants more games and the chance to make more money, then, refine it so that at the end, the nations could be properly graded from 1^st to 16^th.

It's easily done, other world team events do it. You start with 16 countries; four groups of four. The top two in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, the four nations which finished third in their group then play each other to determine who finishes 9^th to 12^th; the four nations who finished bottom of their groups play-off to determine positions 13 to 16.

The four losing quarter-finalists play each other for positions 5 to 8; the losing semi-finalists play-off for 3^rd and 4^th, then you have the final. It keeps the tournament going, there are no two or three day gaps between games.

There are many unanswered questions about how this enlarged World Cup would be organised. Some have questioned whether or not Europe deserves the three additional places it stands to gain. Others question if the unfashionable FIFA confederations – ie anyone not Europe or South America – deserve the additional places they will get. There are a lot of unanswered questions.

Well, here's another onem but one that is simple to answer: Does anyone in Scotland think we can rise from our current European ranking of 23^rd into the top 16, by the time the new World Cup format comes in?

I for one cannot see it, unless we make the radical changes which the turkeys along the sixth floor corridor at Hampden simply will not countenance.

SPORTS writing can still be a great life, particularly if you have managed to brown-nose your way into membership of those two exclusive Scottish media clubs – the Lap Top Loyal and the Celtic Family Propaganda Unit. Budgets may be be being slashed, circulations may be dropping like a stone, production teams may be being cut back beyond the bone, but, the guys of the Scottish Football Writers Association's A team's inner circle can still pack their holiday gear and head off to the Middle East, to keep us up to speed on how Celtic and Aberdeen are enjoying their warm-weather winter break.

Once upon a time, Rangers too would have headed off to sunnier climes during a mid-winter break, but, now they are skint, frozen East Germany for a long weekend is as far as they are going – nae luck if you're the chosen scribe. Aye, if you're rostered to cover the wrong club, it can still be hard.

I remember once, back in the day, being kept back in the office to keep the other 50-odd sports covered, while my local paper's fitba reporter was sent off to Spain for ten days with the team. The stuff that came back could have been just as easily gathered via a daily 15-minute 'phone call to the manager – it was pure mince, and not even steak mince at that. Still, said reporter came back with a nice tan.

Maybe, just maybe, if our sports desk pilots started paying attention to the many good news stories in other Scottish sports, and put a bit less effort into the absolute shite which passes for a lot of current writing on Scottish football. And, maybe too, if they were honestly critical about the pap we are being served up, the guys running the game up here might put a bit of effort into improving the product, the players and our game.

I mean, Bertie Auld urging Celtic not to sell Dumbele – is that news? Willie Henderson suggesting Rangers should manage their finances better – come on Willie, you know and I know, everyone knows, that isn't going to happen.

AN English lady footballer, Kelly Smith, of whom I have barely heard, has apparently retired. This news got her a nice wee piece on the national BBC News last night. Nae harm to the lassie, who, just from her record, 117 caps for England and 46 goals, is clearly a decent enough player.

But, I wonder if the same coverage will be given when Julie Fleeting-Stewart eventually hangs up her boots. Julie has a far-more impressive football record – 121 caps, 116 goals for starters, but, she is Scottish, so, I doubt if the guys at the BBC in London even know she exists.

And Julie is, arguably, only Scotland's second-best ever woman footballer, after the marvellous Rose Reilly.

Good luck to Kelly Smith, but, compared to oor ain twa Ayrshire lassies – she's a wee bit average.