Well Done The Lionesses - But It's Still ABE For Me

I DON'T do tattoos, I have never fancied one and, to be honest I have never seen the reason behind them. But, if I was ever to get one, I suppose it would be something like a St George's flag with ABE in blue lettering over it.

Call me a Sad Sweaty if you like, but, to me in international sport, it is always: “ABE - Anyone But England.” Not that I have anything against successful England sides, I have a lot of time for English sporting icons such as Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall. It's just, well, the way their media and in particular the BBC go on before, during and after any English campaign.

It's almost Third Reich or similar totalitarian regime thinking: “Zu vill support ze Englanders unt zu vill believe ze are ze greatest – unt ve have vays of making zu do azis.” Sorry, well actually I am not sorry, but, I stopped reading the Daily Heil years ago.

I will not be surprised if, very shortly, that rag tries to convince us Liz Truss was responsible for the assist which led to England's winner.

So, I am quite happy to let the English go over the top in celebrating The Lionesses' win on Sunday, while reserving total contempt for the House Jocks who are latching onto this triumph as if somehow it was one for the absurd idiocy of “Britishness.”

Because, we now know the over the top media cheerleading for the footballing women was merely a warm-up for the even more absurd BBC coverage of what we must now assume are the English Games – seeing as no other nation is getting more than a passing mention at the multi-sports fest now on-going in Birmingham.

I cannot help contrasting the current BBC obsession with English medals to the way they tried to be ultra-British back in Glasgow in 2014. The wee souls cannae help themselves – imagine, to have once ruled so much of the world, but be so-insecure, you had to over-celebrate every minor triumph.

Mind you, win of the week has to be that wee Welsh lassie, Olivia Breen in the Para 100 metres. Truly heart-warming. I am still massively upset that we discerning gentlemen of an advanced age are again being denied the sight of the wonderful Sharron Davies' magnificent bosom, in a skimpy top, pool side at the swimming. This has long been a Commonwealth Games highlight.

But, the English fans need not think this is the start of a reign of success for “English Women's Football,” the money men at the top of the English women's club game will continue to take their lead from the associated men's teams. Sure, if English girls are good enough, they will get signed, but, they will prefer to raid the rest of the world to attempt to buy the best talent – regardless of nationality.

Mind you, this is no bad thing for Scots women, since, unlike the top flight of the English men's game, the English Women's Super League realises – we've got some very-good talent up here. Scots women will, as they always have, continue to strut their stuff in the top flight down there.

Now the Bigot Brothers have started a distaff pairing: perhaps “The Sectarian Sisters,” I fear, we might see the women's game up here go the way of the men's and become a two-horse race between a couple of clubs who, these days, are more selling platers than Group One contenders.

MEANWHILE, the Scottish League season got underway on Saturday, and already there are only two questions:

1. In which order will the Ugly Sisters finish at the top of the table?

2. Which club will be third?

That's Scottish fitba for you, plus ca change adnd all that. As I have been saying for years, until we get a proper CBA – a Collective Bargaining Agreement, which levels the playing field, alongside a return of Chich Young's “Eight diddies rule” and a cut in the number of senior clubs – Scottish fitba will continue to struggle. It's that simple.

WE HAVE already seen the first managerial casualty of the season, with Motherwell parting company with Graeme Alexander after they were turfged out of Europe by Sligo Rovers.

Now, this isn't the first instance of a Scottish club – or even Motherwell themselves – being embarrassed in Europe by a part-time team from a league we Scots look down on. I reckon too, it will not be the last.

For as long as the SFA and the clubs themselves continue to avoid reality and think we are better than we are, we will see such results. It used to be, the Scottish League XI could pretty-much select any 11 diddies and easily beat the League of Ireland XI – that's where Sligo play. These days, I reckon the games would be a lot closer.

Then, we had Rangers losing in Belgium – a welcome boost for fiction writers such as Jacko at the Daily Ranger, who can now speculate that GVB's jaiket might be on a shoogly peg.