Sport Has A Different Meaning At Pacific Quay

WHEN sitting at my desk in what my children and grand-children call: “The Papa Cave” I generally have music playing in the background. On Monday afternoon, for a wee change, I had BBC Radio Shortbread on.

When John Beattie had finished with 'Drive Time' I kept the radio on and listened to 'Sportsound.' My normal intake of Shortbread sport tends to be 'Off The Ball' and listening to Peter Wright ranting on the station's PRO14 coverage. Listening to Sportsound was an eye-opener.

The first hour consisted of around 15 seconds of signing news, on the final day of the January Transfer Window – and 59 minutes and 45 seconds on the latest Celtic Crisis. This is what constitutes sports coverage on our national broadcaster – floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, 24-hours, 365 days per year, coverage of two football teams. Not very good coverage at that.

You could not make it up.

SPEAKING of the January Transfer Window, once again, on the final couple of days, when most of the deals were done, it seemed to be a case of Premiership clubs importing third and fourth-rate English players. This had me wondering: will the SFA ever remember, a major part of their remit, as the custodians of the game in Scotland, is to foster and support Scottish talent.

I honestly do not see us getting up among the leading nations in Europe, until we go back to what dear old Chic Young dubbed: “The eight diddies rule.” That is, enforce a rule where by a minimum of eight Scottish plaeyrs have to be the park, for each team, during games. Until we positively discriminate in favour of Scottish talent, we are going nowhere.

I HAVE just finished reading – and I got through it very-quickly, it was such a good read: 'One Life' the autobiography of the world's best woman player – Megan Rapinoe (pictured below) of the USA Women's National Team.

 

 

Ms Rapinoe has transcended her sport and is now one of the leading Gay Activists in the USA. She is an outspoken individual with views on lots of controversial subjects. She is the sort of lady who would easily qualify for the ultimate sign of respect from a Scotsman: “Ah widnae like tae tak a broken pay poke hame tae her.”

It's a terrific read, and there is one line in it which will appeal to every Scot, when she writes: “England's a good team, but, not nearly as good as Phil Neville thinks they are.” Back of the net.

Add the fact she got the better of Trump – she's some lady.

TUESDAY'S Guardian included an interesting piece about the Sporting Memories project, built around former England rugby full back Alastair Hignell. It is terribly sad, these stories of former sporting greats who, through the ravages of dementia, cannot remember their glory days.

One of the saddest stories I heard on this point was told me by Hibs and Scotland legend Lawrie Reilly. He recalled going to visit his perhaps even-more legendary Famous Five colleague Gordon Smith, then in the throes of dementia.

'The Gay Gordon' knew who Lawrie was, but, Reilly recalled, he asked me: Lawrie, did I really play for Hibs?” All those games, the league championships and European trips, and it had gone. That is desperately tragic.

WE DO tend, up here in Jockistan, to have a low opinion of our media – and at times they do justify this. Take Thursday morning, for instance. What was the big story in Scottish sport: Oh yes, I remember – Hamilton Academical had SACKED Bobby Bulloch, their “colour commentator” from Lanarkshire Sport Live.

His crime – he mentioned on-air that he had “gone for a jobby” at half-time and made light of his travails in the toilet. Of course, his case wasn't helped by having arch wind-up merchant Tony Haggerty as his co-commentator.

All I can say, is sacking him is a shite move by Accies, the boy's burgeoning media career has now gone down the toilet, Lanarkshire Live Sport now has a huge skid mark down its escutcheon, no amount of air freshener will clear the air, and, my final take on the whole thing – the Holy Wullies are still with us.

Never mind Bobby – I see a guest gig on Off The Ball coming your way soon.

I SEE Celtic's Swiss player Albian Ajeti has been charged with “simulation,” for allegedly diving to win the Hoops the penalty, which, when converted, put them 2-0 up against Kilmarnock on Tuesday night.

I refer to my pal “Wee Liam,” who holds the important post of “Token Tim” in this backward village of the in-breds deep in the eastern end of “Orange County.”

“Simulation, most of the bloody squad have been simulating being Celtic players all season,” was Liam's take on the matter.