A Poor Product - Poorly Presented - But There Is Still The Juniors

I AM finding it increasingly difficult to blog about Scottish fitba these days; so little seems to be happening, and the game is stuck in a slough of mediocrity which is simply discouraging.

But, maybe with Celtic losing at Livingston and Rangers taking advantage to go top of the table, things will brighten up. Certainly there will be a surge in whitabootery on social media and in the radio phone-in spheres of activity.

'Tis a pity for Steven Gerrard that his side should go top of the table at this time. The Rangers Gaffer would surely prefer to kick-on from hitting the peak of the table, by going again on Saturday; thing is, they don't play again until Sunday, 20 October, when they visit Hearts. The chances are, they will go into that game back in second spot. If Celtic beat Ross County at Celtic Park on 19 October, they will go back to the top.

I am afraid, I do not get this modern fad for cancelling all matches while internationals are on. I can perhaps see the sense of a clear fixture schedule if the national team is playing at Hampden Park, in a match kicking-off at 3pm on a Saturday. Clearing the schedule that day makes sense, but, FFS, we play Russia on Thursday, then face San Marino on Sunday, so why should we not have a full fixture list on Saturday?

Celtic, the single club most relied-on by Stephen Clarke for players for his squad, have four players in the Scotland squad for the two internationals – from a 32-strong first team squad, yet they don't have to play a league game on Saturday.

Glasgow Warriors, the city's full-time professional rugby club, has 11 Scotland players, plus four players with other nations (that's a full team's worth) away at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but, they are still having to play normal Guinness PRO14 league games. If rugby can keep the bread and butter games going, why not football?

It didn't used to be like this. I remember doing an anniversary piece about the legendary Wembley Wizards, and, while reading through back copies of the various papers up in the Mitchell Library, I was struck by a line in the Daily Record.

Their reporter at the Rangers v Clyde game at Ibrox, on that afternoon of 31 March, 1928, wrote that the biggest roar of the day had followed the announcement of the score from Wembley.

When the Second Wembley Wizards – the Baxter, Law, Bremner inspired side thrashed England 3-2 on 15 April, 1967, there was a truncated domestic programme in Scotland; Aberdeen played Stirling Albion and Hibernian played Ayr United in the First Division, while there were five Second Division matches, and both Rangers and Celtic fielded Reserve teams in matches. No need for a blanket shut down back then. So why do we shut everything down today?

ANY WAY, enough of this over-priced and over-rated senior fitba, let's get back to the real thing, and the third round draw for the Macron Scottish Junior Cup was made in Glasgow yesterday.

An unusual picture of the Scottish Junior Cup - 

the ribbons are not black and gold

The ties are to be played on: Saturday, 26 October, and the draw is:

Aberdeen East End v Scone Thistle

Ashfield v Lugar Boswell Thistle

Auchinleck Talbot v Forfar West End

Banchory St Ternan v Larkhall Thistle

Bathgate Thistle v Irvine Meadow XI

Beith v Whitletts Victoria

Benburb v Deveronside or Dyce

Brechin Victoria v Neilston

Bridge of Don v Ardrossan Winton Rovers

Broughty Athletic v St Anthony's

Buckie Rovers v Blantyre Victoria

Burghead Thistle v Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

Cambuslang Rangers v Dundee East Craigie

Culter or Wishaw v Rossvale

Dalry Thistle v Dundee North End

Dufftown v Johnstone Burgh

Dundee Downfield v Tayport

Gartcairn v Kilbirnie Ladeside

Glenafton Athletic v Thorniewood United or Banks o'Dee

Islavale v Rutherglen Glencairn

Kirkcaldy & Dysart v Darvel

Lesmahagow v St Rochs

Linlithgow Rose v Pollok

Lochee United v Hermes

Longside v Stoneywood

Maud or Kirriemuir v Largs

Petershill v Clydebank

Shettleston v Kello Rovers

Shotts Bon Accord v Hurlford United

Stonehaven v Bo'ness United or Ellon United

Thornton Hibs v Fauldhouse United

Troon v Kilsyth Rangers

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