Stuff Fitba, Let's All Take Up Boolin'

RIGHT, after watching the Commonwealth Games, I think I have the answer for Scottish football. We turn every pitch into a bowling green, and we concentrate on a sport Scotland is good at. We sent ten boolers, male and female out to the Gold Coast, every one came back with a medal of some sort.

Alex "Tattie" Marshall - the epitome of Scottish sporting greatness

Alex “Tattie” Marshall, in skipping the victorious Four, took his gold medal tally past that of Allan Wells to become Scotland's most-successful gold medal winner in Commonwealth Games history. Nae harm to the great “Tattie”, but, he is surely the benchmark for a successful Scottish sportsman – baldie-heided, several stones overweight, but, absolutely brilliant at what he does. I've seen our sporting future.

THIS is Scottish Cup semi-final weekend. I will deal with the William Hill version of the national trophy below, but, I intend to start with real fitba, and the Junior Cup semi-finals.

That Auchinleck Talbot are involved is no secret, and nothing new. In today's first legs of the two-legged semis, they entertain Lochee United at Beechwood Park, obviously hoping to build-up a sufficiently-big first-leg advantage to make the second leg, in the City of Discovery, a formality.

But, the real surprise package this season has been Wishaw Juniors, who have home advantage in their first leg, against Hurlford United. Ever since an influx of sponsorship money and the arrival of Darren Henderson as manager, United have gone from being just another struggling Ayrshire side, to one of the regular contenders for the major honours.

“Weeshee” meanwhile have been in the doldrums for years. They are currently lying in mid-table in the McBookie, Central District First Division – albeit with a lot of games in hand and facing an end-of-season fixtures pile-up. That's the third level in the West, while Hurlford, although struggling in the relegation zone, play their bread and butter league football two leagues higher up.

On paper, United should win, but, this is knock-out, Junior Cup football and anything can and probably will happen. With near-neighbours Motherwell involved in the senior semi-final, against Aberdeen today, this is a big day for Motherwell and Wishaw.

 Scottish fitba's most-enduring love affair Tucker, Talbot and the Junior Cup

As I said above, Talbot will be firm favourites to make home advantage count against Lochee, but, Talbot boss Tucker Sloan will be taking nothing for granted and will treat the visitors with the utmost respect. These should be two good games – which isn't always the case with the tensions evident in semi-finals.

Elsewhere in junior football, and in God's County of Ayrshire - there is an intriguing local derby in the Garnock Valley, with West Premier Division leaders Kilwinning Rangers making the short trip to Kilbirnie, to take on fourth-placed Ladeside. No love lost between these two, ever, so this clash should be tasty, and Valefield Park no place for the faint-hearted.

THE Senior semi-final interest has, naturally, given the attention-span of the average Scottish fitba-writing hack, been all about the Bigot Brothers.

Can Rangers knock known form and league position on its head and win Sunday's meeting of the mindless at Hampden? Of course they can, particularly with a local derby but, that said – anything other than a Celtic win will be a major surprise. Brendan Rodgers and his squad really want that second straight treble, and should manage it.

But, as the late, great “Solly”, James Sanderson always cautioned, never forecast what will happen in an Old Firm game.

Today's first semi-final, between Aberdeen and Motherwell has, not unexpectedly, been somewhat overshadowed, but, of the two ties this one is the harder to call. On league position and current form Aberdeen should win but, Motherwell have turned them over already this season and, with the Dons missing three key men, are quite capable of doing so again, to set-up another cup final crack at Celtic.

MY MATE Johnny is getting a wee-bit excited this week. Johnny is a regular Somerset Parker who is hoping for an upset this afternoon, when Queens Park travel to Starks Park to take-on Raith Rovers.

Because, should the Spiders, languishing at the foot of the table, upset the odds and do a number on Raith, and the Honest Men turn over Stranraer at Somerset, United will win Ladbrokes League 1. Ian McCall's men have a five-point advantage over the Fifers, with just three games remaining, which, on-paper is a nice wee buffer to have.

Ian McCall - his Ayr team are on the cusp of promotion

But, there is nothing Stranraer like better than going up the A77 to put one over on Ayr – well nothing other than heading along the A75 to upset Queen of the South; so nobody around Somerset Road is taking anything for granted.

The automatic promotion spot to the Championship is now United's to lose, and, while the party might have to wait another week or two, I cannot see such an experienced boss as McCall letting such a great position slip.

GREAT expectations too, at the Paisley 2021 Stadium this afternoon, where St Mirren need a mere one point to clinch their return to the top flight.

The Buddies will be hoping to clinch that elusive point this afternoon, but, it will not be easy, since their visitors are second-placed Livingston. Everything adds up to another big day in Paisley, and, having lost to Dundee United last time out, Jack Ross will certainly want promotion done and dusted ASAP, which means tomorrow.

As an old Paisley Daily Express hand, I have a huge soft spot for the Buddies plus a good few friends who will be anxiously hoping to roar their favourites home this afternoon.

LADBROKES League 2 is all-too-often overlooked in Scottish football, which is a shame this season. Because the promotion and title battle in the bottom division has been the best over the four senior divisions.

The fight for the automatic promotion spot, between leaders Montrose and Peterhead, who trail the Gable Endies by three points, looks likely to go down to the wire. It's a case of top v bottom today, with Montrose entertaining second-bottom Berwick, while Peterhead host the basement-occupying “Blue Brazil.”