Why Import Non-Scots To Produce This Low-Quality Rubbish?

I MISSED the early part of the second-half of yesterday's William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final, between Motherwell and Aberdeen, while I watched the Scotland v South Africa match at the Commonwealth Games Sevens.

 Scott McKenna - one of the minority of Scots playing at Hampden yesterday

But, from what I did see of the game – it was shite. Aberdeen were terrible and to be fair, Motherwell didn't have to be particularly good to beat them. But, really, if that is a sample of the quality of football on offer in the top flight in Scotland – WE ARE ALL DOOMED!!!

Quite honestly, if that's the level of football you get when you pack both sides with cheap imports – WHY BOTHER. Aberdeen used 14 players, only 6 of whom were Scottish, while Motherwell's 14-man squad was even less tartan, with only 4 Scots. I accept Aberdeen were minus at least two Scottish automatic picks, but still.

Aberdeen began with: Lewis; Ball (both English), Arnason (Icelandic), McKenna, Considine (both Scottish), O'Connor (Republic of Ireland), Nwakali (Nigerian), Stewart, Christie, May (all Scottish), Rooney (Republic of Ireland). The three substitutes used were: Mackay-Steven (Scottish), McGinn (Northern Irish) and Cosgrove (English).

Motherwell used: Carson (Northern Irish); Kipre (French), Aldwel, Dunne (both English), Rose (Australian), Tait, Campbell, Cadden (all Scottish), Grimshaw, Main, Bowman (all English). Off the bench came Newell (English), Ciftci (Turkish) and MacLean (Scottish).

If the Scottish footballing public is to be asked to pay good money to watch such shite, well, the Scottish Football Association ought to be insisting, it's Scottish shite we see. The SFA's is charged with fostering and encouraging the game of association football, that is its core mission.

Frank Sauzee - that level of quality we will accept

I do not see how allowing our leading clubs to pack their squads with, at best journeymen non-Scots, to the detriment of home-grown Scottish talent meets this core mission. Nothing wrong with seeing quality non-Scots such as Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Henrik Larsson or Frank Sauzee, strutting their stuff in Scotland, but, we should be positively discriminating in favour of home-grown talent.

I repeat an argument I have used before, if Premier Rugby and the RFU (Rugby Football Union) in England can insist each club fields a match-day squad which is 70% “England-qualified”, then why cannot the same criteria be introduced by the SFA and the SPFL?

This 70% threshold means, there has to be 16 England-qualified player in each 23-man match-day; if that criteria was introduced into Scottish football, each 14-man useable match-day squad would need to include at least 10 guys qualified to play for Scotland.

We do not even need to insist on that high a percentage of Scottish players, we could go back to the old “eight diddies rule”, or, as it was known across the rest of the football world: “the three foreigners rule.” What is wrong with that?

I KNEW you can take very little on trust in football. One of the joys of this game is, it can rear-up and bite you on the bum at any time, particularly when you try forecasting results.

Mind you, I am delighted St Mirren will be back in the Premiership next season, following yesterday's home draw with Livingston, which got them over the line. I hope they have a great night celebrating, and that they can hold onto their top-flight status next season.

I thought Ayr United would have enough to beat Stranraer at Somerset Park, but, fair play to the men from the head of Loch Ryan. As I said, they like nothing better than sticking it to United or Queen of the South – their two closest neighbours, and they certainly put a spanner in the spokes in the Honest Men's seeming free-wheel into the Championship. And, with Raith Rovers making no mistake at home against Queens Park, that automatic promotion place is not as clear cut as it was prior to kick-off yesterday.

Ayr's defeat was met with particular joy just up the road in Kilmarnock, as, well Ayrshire football rivalry being Ayrshire football rivalry, schadenfreude is the rival fans' default setting. That feeling being even more-enjoyable, with Kilmarnock winning at Hamilton – as The Fat Man scored again, and making a real push for the highest-possible top six finish.

 Could Boydie and Stevie be celebrating again next month

Who would have thought, incidentally, that, in 2018 we would still be witnessing Kirk Broadfoot and Kris Boyd, Kilmarnock's goal-scorers at Hamilton, making headlines in Scottish football. Thirty-three-year-olds from Drongan, such as big “Clubfoot” and 34-year-olds from Tarbolton like Boydie, are normally to be found, if still playing, wearing the colours of one of the top Ayrshire junior sides, rather than still strutting their stuff on the senior stage. Football is indeed a funny old game Saint.

Those of us who are Rugby Park-minded are all hoping against known procedures that oor ain Boydie and Super Stevie Clarke can defy the Lap Top Loyal and the Celtic-Minded among the football-writers and be voted Player and Manager of the Year. Given his dabbling in the media and former Rangers service, I would say, Boydie has more chance of getting the nod than his gaffer, when the winners are finally announced next month.

SPEAKING OF Ayrshire rivalry, Kilbirnie Ladeside took bragging rights in the Garnock Valley Derby, by beating West Superleague table-toppers Kilwinning Rangers at Valefield.

This defeat cut the Buffs' lead at the top of the West Superleague to a mere two points, and, assuming they win their four games in hand, Auchinleck Talbot are now the favourites for the title. Mind you, they are not the only team who can now dream of the title.

Speaking of the mighty 'Bot, they suffered a rare home defeat in yesterday's Scottish Junior Cup semi-final, going down 1-0 to Lochee United. Next week's second leg, up in Dundee, promises to be an epic. Lochee better be ready for a siege, Talbot will throw everything, including yon statue of Desperate Dan, at United.

In the other semi-final. It's advantage Hurlford United, whose jaunt up the A71 yesterday saw them beat Wishaw 1-0 in the first leg of the other semi-final.