An Enlarged Scotland Squad Is An Accident Waiting to Happen

 SCOTTISH FITBA has come a long way in 150 years. We may hold up the 1960s and 1970s, perhaps even include the 1980s, as our Golden Era, when qualification for five successive World Cups was a given and we had the Fab Four of Baxter, Dalglish, Johnstone and Law – plus a conveyor belt of lesser talent to drool over.

The reality, however, is that Scottish Fitba's true Golden Era was much-earlier, in the 1870s and 1880s into the 1890s. Between February 1874 and March 1892, we played over 40 internationals, winning 34, drawing 5 and only tasting defeat 3 times, only once losing at home.

We had, in that time, one run of 22 games, between April, 19879 and March 1888, when we won 20 games and drew 2. Then, as England embraced professionalism and began to import our best players at an industrial rate, we lost our way somewhat.

Back then, we could send one Scotland XI to beat England in London on a Saturday, and a totally-different XI to beat Wales, in Wrexham on the Monday, on their way back up the road. The SFA selectors of the time could even pick a scratch team of uncapped players from some “diddy clubs” confident in their ability to beat Ireland.

Remember, for all England's claim to have invented the Beautiful Game, it took them over 100-years to go ahead of us in head-to-heads between our two nations.

Mind you, running the Scottish team for that first century of international football had its moments, such as the time Hughie Gallacher decided to drink Paris dry, indeed, the litany of embarrassing incidents is a lengthy one:

• Naw, we're no gaun tae Brazil if we're no British Champions (1950)

• Switzerland in June, that's skiing country – better arrange winter-weight woolen jerseys (temperatures were in the high 70s) (1954)

• We only need to take 13 players, and we don't need a back-up goalkeeper (again 1954)

• Send Tommy Docherty and Archie Robertson to scout Paraguay, our next opponents – then ignore their report (1958)

Things should have improved once we appointed a Team Manager, but, the SFA has still managed to mess things up on a regular basis even in these modern times:

• Andy Roxburgh falling-out with Richard Gough

• Barry Boozegate

• Copenhagen

• Various players spitting the dummy at not getting to start and withdrawing from international contention

So, given our lengthy record of getting things wrong, I have my concerns about this new suggestion, that each Head Coach can take a squad of 26 players to this summer's Euros in Germany. This, for Scotland, is a disaster waiting to happen.

Last time we went to Germany on tournament business was 1974, and while that tournament goes down as the greatest of Scotland's many Fantastic Failures – unbeaten but didn't make the knock-out stages – the legends around that campaign are not good:

• Jinky setting sail for Arran during the Home Internationals

• Jinky and Wee Bremner having a bevvy in Brussels

• Jinky and Wee Bremner reprising their act in Oslo

• Heidi the waitress

Given the fact, any gang of young Scotsmen, adrift in Europe either for work or play, are at some point going off to have “a wee swally” and the prospects of lurid headlines are there for all to see.

Mind you, the SFA “blazers” too have had their moments over the years:

• “Wullie Hard-on in Argentina (1978)

• A well-known journalist getting “A Glesca Kiss” from the SFA over his coverage of the Willie Johnston affair

• “The curfew doesn't apply to us – we're the SFA” in Chile 1977 – cue machine gun fire and various “blazers” running for cover in the hotel grounds

• The legend that a Highland League official stuck one on Bremner in Copenhagen after the players overturned his bed

I should add, the Scottish Press Corps – those legendary “fans with typewriters” are not immune to the national disease of misbehaviour on football tours. There is the legendary tale of the gentleman from the then Glasgow Herald who, on 19 June, 1954, as the fifth of an eventual seven Uruguayan goals went past poor Fred Martin, rose from his seat in the Sankt Jacob Stadion, Basle, apologised to his fellow Scottish scribes for what he was about to do and delivered a perfect “Glesca Kiss” to a crowing South American scribe.

Or, the gross dereliction of duty by the man from the Evening Times, who body-swerved the first leg of the legendary Celtic v Leeds United “Battle of Britain” European Cup semi-final at Elland Road in 1970, in favour of an evening in the arms of a welcoming Yorkshire lass he had encounteered in Leeds' Dragonora Hotel. Unfortunately for him, his Editor was at the game as a guest of a Celtic director and, his absence being noted, in spite of the sterling efforts of the Daily Record man who covered for him, his “jotters” were waiting on his return to Glasgow.

Mind you, when it comes to pushing the envelope of what is acceptable when covering a Scottish sporting achievement outiwith Scotland, my favourite tale concerns the legend that is the late Ian “Dan” Archer, who, while covering Sandy Lyle's Open win at Royal St Gerorge's, on one of the days, took the cross-channel hovercraft to France and had lunch at a Three Star Michelin restaraunt outside Calais. The paper paid the bill without a qualm – Dan always had class.

So, given this long and proud track record of kicking over the traces, isn't taking a larger than usual party of Scottish players, some of whom will rarely even make it as far as the bench, just asking for another Scottish Soccer Scandal and probably a highly-memorable Sun headline?

SO WEE Brendan got a one-game ban for spitting the dummy over VAR, and will have to sit in the stand. I wonder, is this such a bad thing?

I know that in some sports, the coach's place is on the bench, right beside the action, where he can instantly speak to the players and get his points across.

“The Coach as God” is an American notion, which has spread across the world. The British way was always: “The officials pick the team, it's then up to the Captain to make sure the team works”, although that began to lose traction somewhere around Walter Winterbottom's appointment as England Manager some 80 years ago.

But, while the top American coaches are effectively hands-on beside the action, they have a whole team of assistant coaches, high in the stands, analysing the plays and feeding them additional information.

In World Rugby, the top coaches all sit, high above the action, in the coaching boxes, going between the action unfolding in front of them, and the data they are getting from their lap tops. They then relay instructions for any tactical changes, to an assistant coach on the touchline.

Which is the better approach? Football might be resistant to change, but, you never know, maybe Brendan will get a new perspective from his new seat.

I think the last, indeed perhaps the only Scottish football coach to sit away from the action to get a more-panoramic view of proceedings was wee Jim McLean, at Dundee United.

None who saw the programme can forget the documentary on the club, with Wee Jim seemingly permanently on the telephone to the dug out, imploring them to: “Get Bannan aff, he's havin' a nightmare.”

It must be hard being a Coach. I remember Big Gordon Strachan – the original Rugby-playing one, telling me, when he took over as Coach of Ayr Rugby Club: “I'm not going to be prowling the touchline, shouting at the players; I am going to sit in the stand, analyse what is happening and take it calmly.”

Ten minutes into his first game, he was out of the stand, down on the touchline, screaming at his players. Mind you, Gordon was a good midfielder for Glenafton Athletic, before he decided to concentrate on Rugby, where he went on to play for Scotland; so maybe his early exposure to football stuck.

FINALLY – the ridiculous state of Scottish Football governance in one decision. Muirkirk Juniors, the team from the village where I was born, successor club to the one my grandfather played for and was then President of, got hit by a £50 ban this week – because some daft boy let-off a flare at one of therir home games.

When you consider the pyrotechnics you see going off in sernior football, and narry a fine for clubs, you've got to wonder. OK, you might say, it was only £50, but, £50 means a lot more to a wee club like Muirkirk than it, or even a fine one hundred times that, would to either one of the Bigot Brothers.

How Very Un-Scottish Getting The Disasters Out Of the Way Before The Tournament Even Kicks-Off

WHAT IS IT with us Scots? Not a lot of Kilmarnock fans were ecstatic when Stevie Clarke was named as Manager, but, he won them over with their best league finish since the glory days of Willie Waddell, more than half a century before.

Several divisions of the Tartan Army had their doubts about him getting the Scotland job, but, you've got to admit, it's been a glorious ride, as ever with Scotland, at times a roller coaster one. Now however, in the wake of losing to a limited but well-organised Northern Ireland team, questions are being asked about the Gaffer's fitness to take us to Germany in the summer.

'Twas ever thus with Scotland and Scotland managers. A good manager can make a difference, that's true – apart from Willie Wallace, every Lisbon Lion was already at an under-performing Celtic when Jock Stein succeeded Jimmy McGrory, to end a long trophy-less run.

Yes, Stein made a difference, but, the talent was already there and it is a fact of life, just as: “you win nothing with kids” - if the talent isn't there in the first place, the trophies will not follow.

In Scotland terms, Ian McColl and Willie Ormond are not looked on by those intellectual footballing giants of The Scottish Football Writers Association as being among the great Scotland managers, but, they were fortunate in having several genuinely World-Class players to pick from, and their results demonstrated this.

Craig Gordon apart, there isn't a current Scotland squad member who will get near any All-Time Scotland XI, so, to have got the results he has, with the talent at his disposal, I reckon Stevie has shown himself to be a very-good manager.

I watched Brazil beat England 1-0 the other night, and my take on the game was, had the Brazilians had a Pele or a Ronaldo at the sharp end of the park, England would have been seriously embarrassed.

Watching Scotland on Tuesday night, it was a case of longing for a Law, Dalglish, Gilzean or McCoist – jings, even a Kris Boyd, and we would have won easily. One small censure I would aim at Stevie Clarke, and this comes back to the Scottish Football Psyche – Scotland doesn't do one man up front – get it sorted.

Also, as I have been demonstrating for years via my writing, Scotland doesn't do friendlies either. For some unfathomable reason, it must have something to do with that Scottish Psyche, our record in games that count, has always been better than our results in “meaningless friendlies”. I think there might be something to be said for reverting to the old SFA practive of not awarding caps unless the game is a competitive one – in a recognised tournament.

Watching last night's game, I felt deflated, that's because I don't like watching Scotland lose, but, as we all know, with Scotland: “it's the hope that kills”. To have nearly 80% of the possession and still lose 0-1 cannot be excused away as anything other than a bad night at the office.

But, on the basis of: “bad dress rehearsal – great first night” I still harbour hopes of it all coming good in Germany. After all, if you look at our past record, we have been rather good at playing like world-beaters in the season or so before a big tournament, before imploding totally when it starts for real. Maybe, this time, we are getting the “Disaster For Scotland” headlines out of the way before things get serious.

Just remember, 'IF' is not, never has been and never could be a Scottish poem.

THE SFA has come in for a lot of criticism this season, over the way we do VAR in Scotland. Narry a week goes bye, but there isn't a strair-heid rammy womewhere over the decisions, or non-decisions, of the man in the TV truck.

I have long held that Rugby Union, with its use of the Television Match Official – their equivalent of VAR, does the job better, and perhaps football might benefit from looking at the handling game;s protocols.

But, at the weekend there were a couple of incidents which perhaps gave the poor, hard-done-to VAR officials a wee break, when Rugby's TMO's got it wrong.

The first outrageous boob came in Cape Town, when Scottish TMO Colin Brett missed a very-obvious (so obvious TV showed it twice in slow-motion replays) foul, when an Ulster forward illegally punched the ball out of a ruck to allow a team mate to pick-up and score, and the try stood.

The second was in the Harlequins v Saracens game when 'Quins' South African skipper Stephan Leweise delivered a late and high “cheap shot” on the grounded Owen Farrell. Initially, the reason for no action being taken over the Leweise foul (which was at the very least a yellow card and more-likely worthy of a red) was that the referee was playing advantage and Saracens scored.

Then it was suggested that TMO Stuart Terheege had seen the incident but decided to take no action because TV pundit Austin Healy had seen it first and called-up a replay to highlight the hit – and he (Terheege) didn't want to be accused of allowing TV to referee the game. I don't know what's worse, the lame excuse, or the fact Leweise got away with what was probably a red card earning foul.

See VAR isn't so bad. Like all such innovations, it's only as good as the humans making the decisions.

FINALLY – High on my list of books I'd like to have written but couldn't be arsed, is an anthology of Rangers players over the years who met my late Hun of a Faither's dismissive opinion: “NRC – Not Rangers Class”. High on my list of names for inclusion would be that of Joey Barton.

Whenever I see Barton mentioned, I immediately think of that classic Eric Morecambe line: “This boy is a fool”. He certainly reinforced that opinion this week with his latest “look at me – I matter” media snapshot – his unfair criticism of Partick Thistle's you goalkeeper Ava Easdon.

Joey has rightly been heavily criticised for his remarks, yes, they do amount to verbal bullying, but, if Joey had a working brain cell, he might have held his tongue. Let's just say, one of the very last guys I would upset would be Ava's dad Lex Easdon. - a former World Kickboxing Champion.

There are a lot of hard men in Paisley, there are a lot of bams as well, but, not even the bamiest Buddie Bam would dream of upsetting Lex. Joey Barton, of course, is a whole different level of bamery.

 

Scottish Fitba - So Bad It's Good

I HAVE long opined: the problem with elite football in Europe is, the players are now so technically-proficient, the games are boring. Drop down a couple of tiers or so, to something like Scottish Fitba, and, with less-proficient players, making more mistakes, you get a better game to watch.

OK, maybe it would be good for the game if we managed to get rid of the old (and cynical) description of a “gifted” Scottish footballer: “he can miskick with either shin”; but, for me, it would be even better if we got rid of the multitude of non-Scottish players, who are only better in that they can: “miskick with either foot”.

My two favourite Premiership clubs are Kilmarnock – I've been a Rugby Parker since my first game, in 1959 - and St Mirren – after an entertaining decade or so covering the club for the Paisley Daily Express. So, I was delighted to see the two clubs producing a minor classic on Saturday, with the Buddies running the show and going two goals up in the first half, before, after what I presume was a paint-stripping half time pep talk from Paisley-born Derek McInnes – Killie hit back with five second half goals, scored in jig-time, to take the points and climb above their visitors into fourth place in the top flight.

Then, with Dundee v Rangers called-off after a Tayside monsoon, Celtic went back to the top of the pile, keeping the heat on what was already a gripping fight for the title.

I actually think Phillipe Clement was quite happy at the call-off. His team has a long history of not hitting their straps in the first domestic match after a midweek European game and, following their loss to what was a very-good Benfica team, on Thursday night, a Sunday off was perhaps good for his squad.

Notwithstanding my aversion to our clubs preference for cheap foreign imports to home-grown Scottish talent, I reckon we will, years from now, look on this season's Premier Division campaign, as one for the ages.

OK, the Brothers Grimm are going to fight it out for the title (again); Hearts are probably safe in third, but, the battle for the fourth and final European place next season will be epic. At the other end of the table, Livingston appear to be doomed, ten points off the relegation play-off place and eleven off the safety of not having to contest those fraught play-off games.

But, between the extremes at both ends of the table, we're in Cole Porter territory.

IF THE top-flight is exciting, it pales into boredom when compared to events in the Championship. The title fight between Dundee United and Raith Rovers may lack the glamour of the tussle between the two cheeks of Scottish Football;s erse, but, it is every bit, if not more-intense.

With seven games to go, there they are, locked together, separated only by goal difference; it's the very essence of “squeaky bum time” - anything can and probably will happen on the run-in.

The fight to get into the promotion/relegation play-offs is almost as intense. OK, backing Partick Thistle is always a risky business, but, they have enough guys in their squad to ensure, they will finish third, but, that fourth place, well it will probably go to time added-on in the final games of the regular season, before we know which club will fill the position.

Airdrie, Morton, Dunfermline Athletic, Ayr United and Queen's Park, half the clubs in the division, are all in the dog fight, and, I wouldn't rule out a Duncan Ferguson-inspired Inverness Caledonian Thistle going on a late run to challenge for that final spot.

UNFORTUNATELY – the League One sides have not managed to keep to the script. Falkirk are two wins away from clinching the title, while Hamilton Academical and two from Alloa Athletic, Montrose and Cove Rangers will occupy the other places in the play-offs.

At the bottom, Edinburgh City's disastrous season has already seen them condemned to relegation, however, four teams are involved in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off games. These clubs are the two Solway Coast clubs – Annan Athletic and Queen of the South, Stirling Albion and Kelty Hearts. Their battle will be intense.

THE BBC SHORTBREAD Sport website lists each club's last five results at the end of their league table. Stenhousemuir are, on current form, sixth-equal in the ten-club division. However, with a 15 point lead over Peterhead, who are also sixth-equal on current form, The Warriors do have a comfortable cushion in the title race.

Dumbarton (second-equal on current form) also look good for the play-offs, but Spartans' current-form ranking of eighth could leave them vulnerable to a late run from East Fife, the form team in the division, with 11 points from their last five games.

The real interest in the bottom half of the division is the suggestion, from recent results, that that old fox Ian McColl could be about to pull-off one of his famour turnarounds.

When he took over Clyde they were lagging badly in the race to avoid the play-off to stay in Senior Football. They are still bottom of the pile, but, on current form they are joint-second, having taken 9 points from their last five games.

The Bully Wee still trail second-bottom Stranraer by three points, but the Galloway Irishmen are, on current form, justifying their ninth place and it might take more than the occasional wonder goal from Finn Ecrepont to save them.

By the way, seeing as his grand-father is a long-time friend of mine, can I just say, young Finn should never have been allowed to leave Ayr United. He is the sort of talented home-grown Honest Man that club needs more of.

FINALLY – I see Crawford Allen is stepping down from his role as Head of Referees at the SFA, and the inference is, he's had enough of SFA in-fighting and lack of support for our match officials and their support of the introduction of VAR.

The trouble there is, the top teams, and two in particular, appear to think they should not have decisions given against them. So, where do Hampden find a successor?

 

I reckon the ideal candidate is already in there.Douglas Ross could well lose one of his three jobs later this year, come the UK General Election. In his other “Day Job” as leader of the Scottish Conservatives, he already has ample experience of doing a job in which everyone hates him -DRoss is the ideal candidate, no matter how often things go wrong, it will not bother him one iota.

Since Alasdair Jackass has already bagged the ermine jaiket and the lifetime seat in "The Other Place" Wee Dougie, minus his £86,584 pa Westminster salary could well need a wee top-up to his meagre £67,672 pa Holyrood stipend, so, a wee sinecure at Hampden might be a good fit.

Come on SFA, you know it's time to promote The Linesman to the top match officiating job at Hampden.

A Contentious Race - Us??

SEYMOUR SKINNER wasn't the first to notice, but, he perhaps said it best when he told Groundskeeper Willie that the Scots were a contentious race. Generations of us born, brought-up and living in God's Country could have told him that lang syne. We love to fight, principally with the English, but, if nobody else will humour us with “a square go” - well, we quite happily fight among ourselves.

Brendan Rodgers may have been born in County Antrim – close to Scotland but not Scotland, However, he appears to have, in his two spells with Celtic, picked-up our penchant for arguing with authority. Or, is his outburst against John Beaton, which has earned him an invitation to come into Hampden for a dressing down, another example of the entitlement which appears to afflict the movers and shakers on both sides of the Old Firm divide.

OK, received wisdom has it that Rodgers and Beaton have “previous” but it seems to me, inside both Celtic Park and Ibrox there is a belief that their team should get every decision, every benefit, and not have to pay for it.

Of course, it doesn't help that, in introducing technology, apparently to assist referees, football got it badly wrong. But, when it comes to on-field discipline, “The Beautiful Game” has been an ugly place for years.

Rugby Union's TMO system isn't perfect, but it has Football's VAR system beaten all ends up. If Football had the same system as Rugby Union, here's how the Red Card incident which so-upset Rodgers would have played out.

• Yang and Cochrane have their coming together, Yang is seen to kick Cochrane in the head

• Don Robertson runs over and shows Yang a yellow card

• YANG LEAVES THE FIELD FOR TEN MINUTES IN THE SIN BIN

• John Beaton says “Review” - then tells Robertson: “I am going to show you another angle on this incident.”

• They then review the incident as they deem necessary. They establish:

• There was contact

• Assess degree of force

• Assess Yang's duty of car to an opponent

• THE REFEREE then decides if the yellow card was sufficient punishment, or if the penalty should be upgraded to a red card

All of this decision-making would be done via the big screen at the ground, visible to the crowd. Those fans who had purchased the “referee mike” option would have heard the entire exchange between referee and TMO and would be aware of how the final decision had been made.

Yang might still have rceived a red card, however, since he was going off for ten minutes either way – the spectators would have had clarity.

Alex Cochrane would, in Rugby Union, also have to leave the field for an HIA (Head Injury Assessment), this would mean him being off the park for up to ten minutes, but, he could be temporarily replaced during this time.

I have long argued, Association Football is the most free-form of all the various types of football played, as such, certainly at elite level, played discipline should be stricter to allow the game to flourish. The current system whereby players who are cautioned and shown a yellow card are allowed to remain on the park is a nonsense and ought to be tightened-up.

The way players get away with cynical fouls, which go against the spirit of the game – jersey-pulling, blatant trips etc – yet are allowed to remain on the field, it makes Football a laughing stock. Get them off the park for a spell, to reflect on their failings, it just might make for a cleaner, better game.

And, those coaches who refuse to discipline their players, I reckon, after a while and a few losses, they would be forced out of the game. For instance, in Rugby Union, it is rare to see more than a couple of yellow cards per game. In football, sometimes it is normal for more than half of one formation to be carrying yellow cards.

If each yellow card offence meant time off the pitch, you would see games of 8 v 11, with the side with more players scoring more goals. It would be a very-dumb board of directors not to take action to improve team discipline and make for a better game.

So, it's down to the game's movers and shakers.

• Sort out the operation of VAR

• make it clear and concise

• let the spectators know what is happening

• then back the officials. Of course, mistakes will happen, that's the human element

• Go back to “The referee is the sole judge of fact”.

• Accept the decision

• Tell the clubs – that's the decision, if you don't accept it, if your manager/head coach or any of the player dissents, we will punish them

Then, we might have a game worth watching, a healthier game.

And remind the press – “Facts are sacred but comment is free.”

VAR was again an issue on Thursday night, during the Benfica v Rangers Europa League meeting. Rangers conceded a penalty goal, following a VAR intervention, but, for once, this goal didn't overshadow what was a terrific match.

Some of the individual skills, particularly from the Portugeuse side, were of the highest order. Rangers bent a few times, but, they didn't buckle, took their chances and emerged with a draw. The second leg ought to be a cracker.

But, about that penalty.

No doubt, the ball hit John Souttar's arm, so, that justified the penalty. However, to my mind, just as in the Celtic game on Sunday, while the decision was correct “In Law” it again demonstrated, the game's lawmakers haven't got it right. They really need to sort-out this whole business about “Arms in an un-natural position.”

If players are going up to head the ball, almost invariable their arms go out to help stability, so, that makes an outstretched arm “natural” I would suggest. In both penalties, the ball came quickly off another legal part of the body, which seemed unfair – the players had only a split-second to react, which is impossible.

Surely it would be possible to re-write the Laws so that, for instance:

1. Straight ball to arm – a penalty every time

2. Ball to arm via another part of the body – no penalty play on.

OK, I accept, there would probably be occasions when a penalty via protocol 1 was unfair, but, everyone would have clarity, and, we could prevent most of the whining and moaning from managers and coaches, and perhaps save a few trees from the over the top press reaction.

 

Football, Rugby, Technology - It's The Human Element That's The Weakest Link

WE MAY NOT BE Bi-Polar, but, those gallant few of us in Scotland with an appreciation for both of the popular codes of football played up here are often seen, by both code's myopia sufferers, as “a wee bit touched.”

When you think about it, there isn't that much difference between a 50-yard crossfield pass, from the likes of John McGinn and a Finn Russell kick-pass – other than Duhan van der Merwe is more-likely to score off the Russell “assist” than just about any Scottish player you care to name from the McGinn pass.

Both codes have albeit grudgingly adopted modern technology of late; Rugby Union through the TMO, Football via VAR. Notwithstanding the moger that was the recent Rugby World Cup final, where TMO Tom Foley did his level best to mess-up Wayne Barnes' last game by over-stepping his authority. Or that even-greater travesty of TMO interference – Sam Skinner's try which TMO Brian MacNeice ensured wasn't allowed in the Scotland v France game – the general consensus is, Rugby Union does technology better than football.

But, and this is technology's great weakness. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the competence of the human being interpreting the pictures, and, human's make mistakes.

To go back to my classical Latin from my school days - Juvenal's timeless phrase - Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? In English: “Who watches the watchmen?”

Both the TMO and the VAR systems take that old chestnut to almost infinity, since the guys in the TV trailer are watching the guy on the park, but, now, since the watchman's watchman cannot apparently be trusted to get it right in revision, do we have to appoint another to check the check on the original decision. At which stage do we stop?

Are we going to have to have a sporting version of the Appeal Court, then the Supreme Court, on to the European Court of Justice then the International Court at The Hague – with no goals or decisions confirmed until all these appellate routes have been exhausted?

Sounds like a nice career progression for a trained lawyer turned referee such as Football's Craig Thomson or Willie Young, or Rugby's Wayne Barnes.

VAR, as ever, came under greater pressure with the calls during Sunday's Hearts v Celtic game, at Tynecastle. And with that particular game in mind, here's a wee notion.

Why don't we go back to First Principles, and one of the founding tenets TMO of the game of Association Football – Law V, paragraph 2:

“The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final. The decisions of the referee, and all other match officials, must always be respected”.

The above is a direct quote from the Law Book; maybe we should go back to respecting that particular publication and perhaps the Football authorities, from FIFA and IFAB down should be telling the television companies:”Look guys, we welcome the money you give us, we respect the generally good job you do in helping us sell the game, but, remember the wise words of one of the past giants of your media game: “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” So, if a referee says it's a goal, or a penalty – then that's a fact and your contrary opinions don't matter a jot.”

The TMO and VAR were brought in to try to prevent obvious miscarriages. Let's just accept, human fraility will guarantee that the odd mistake will sneak through. That's life, shite happens, whatever, let's get on with the game.

Nobody got killed at Tynecastle on Sunday – Celtic lost a game they expected to win; they failed to go top of the table, but, that was only match 29 of 38. They trail Rangers by two points, with another 27 points up for grab this season. There are still just under a quarter of the scheduled fixtures to play, plenty of time for them to overhaul that two-point deficit.

Celtic may yet win the League, there again, they may not, but, if they don't it is unlikely to be because VAR got it wrong on Sunday. Somebody should print-up Jock Stein's wise words about taking the referee out of the equation and stick it up on the home dressing room wall at Celtic Park.

For what it is worth, and on the basis of: “Opinions are like erse-holes, we all have one;” here is my take on Sunday:

• The match officials didn't have their best afternoon

• Hearts' penalty for handball – whatever happened to “The baw played him ref;” never a penalty – quite clearly, that's what happened

• The sending-off: soft, but, if you kick an opponent on the head, even unwittingly, you have to go. You have a duty of care to your opponent.

• The offside call against Lawrence Shankland: ludicrous, can we not go back to having the offside line measured on the most-forward part of the attacker's trunk, against the furthest-back part of the defender's trunk. The only part of Shankland's body that looked offside was maybe his left pinkie.

I had a hospital appointment on Monday, and the Phlebotamist accidently stood on my toes. She apologised and I quipped: “It's ok, VAR said 'No Penalty'.” Her response: “Aye, and neither were both penalties on Sunday.” She is not a Celtic fan by the way.

THE HAPPIEST man after the weekend was Scotland boss Stevie Clarke. Perhaps his biggest worry as we look ahead to this summer's Euros, is injury denying us the use of one or more of our small group of truly international-class players.

Since coming into the squad, goalkeeper Angus Gunn has looked the part. He was injured earlier this season, but, is now back between the sticks for Norwich City, which is welcome news for Clarke.

However, at the weekend, he saw impressive displays from our two back-up custodians, Motherwell's Liam Kelly at Ibrox and Hearts' Zander Clark at Tynecastle. That, as much as another impressive outing from the in-form Shankland, must have cheered the normally poker-faced Clark.