Hold Scotland, Hold, They've Won Nothing Yet

IT'S TURNING into a Dad's Army World Cup, if you're Scottish. Right now, the call is Lance-Corporal Jones' catchphrase: “Don't panic, don't panic.” They have still to get through a semi-final, and possibly a final, before we can all turn into Private Fraser and say: “We're doomed, doomed Ah tell ye.”

 

 Sound advice from the village butcher - they haven't won the thing yet

I must admit, I am not certain about the ability of Croatia to beat Them in the semi-final. I think the Croats have the better players, Modric and Rakitic for instance, however – they have been through extra time and penalties in both the last-16 and the quarter-final, and, that might tell on Wednesday night. But, even if England wins the semi-final, I am absolutely certain that whoever wins between Belgium and France will prove too-strong for Them in the final. But, there is always the feeling – it's fitba, and nothing is certain.

Actually, They are growing on me. I have long had a soft spot for Gareth Southgate, I like and admire the guy and the job he has done since being appointed keeper of the poisoned chalice.

They don't have quite as many bawbags and fuds in their squad as in the past; for instance, I really admire Harry Maguire. I don't think he is international class, but, by heck the big lad from Sheffield has played a blinder this far. He's the sort of big, solid defender who was supposedly out of fashion years ago. He'd be in my team at Kilbirnie, as we say in Ayrshire.

But, and what a shame there has to be a but – with England in the World Cup, you get the English media. Of course, since it is in effect the propaganda arm of the English/British Establishment, we in Scotland MUST be subjected to the ridiculously jingoistic and over-the-top pro-England cheer-leading which passes for commentary on BBC TV these days – Oh my McLaren and my Arlott long ago.

 John Arlott - proud Englishman, but never an England cheer-leader

At least, yesterday's game was on BBC. Bad and biased though they may be, the BBC commentary and studio talking heads teams are less overly pro-England than their colleagues on ITV. I personally think Clive Tyndesley is the SNP's biggest pro-independence asset.

Any way, why cannot we have a dedicated, less-biased BBC Scotland commentary? And, speaking of commentators, Ally McCoist and John Champion showed, yet again during the Croatia v Russia quarter-final, they are, by a lang Scots mile, the best commentator/analyst team at these finals – or any I can think of.

They have achieved the “Test Match Special” criteria, of sounding like a couple of pals, sitting together and watching the game as fans. Of course Champion wants England to win, but, alone of the ITV, and more-so the BBC commentators, he doesn't shove his pro-England view down the throats of the other UK nations. While Coisty, a natural broadcaster, also brings I feel, far more insider, technical knowledge than even the likes of the much-hyped Glenn Hoddle.

OF COURSE, we are a long way away from even qualifying for the World Cup, far less contesting a semi-final, so we need diversion, to stop us dwelling on events in Russia and what it might be like if They win the damned thing. No, best not to go there.

There was a wee diversion in Glasgow on Friday night, with Steve Gerrard's new-look Rangers sticking six goals on Bury, a team I would fancy Auchinleck Talbot to beat at Beechwood. Forty thousand of Ra Peepul turned-up to witness Stevie G's managerial debut; well, if nothing else, it gave some of the cross-Channel (North Channel that is) tourists something to do in Glasgow, as they readied themselves for a Saturday disrupting the traffic in the city centre and parading their bigotry and prejudices.

And, to be honest, poor team though Bury might be, it was fitting that wee Johnny Hubbard's old club was in town in the week the South African legend was buried. But, even a six-goal win cannot hide the fact, which is not being reported that much by the mainstream media – that all is not well off the field at Ibrox.

The Chairman – the Glib and Shameless Liar (GASL) is up to his erse in alligators in his ongoing fight with the Take-over Panel, and, should he ever enter Scotland, he could well find himself facing contempt of court charges. Then, we learn from The Donegal Blogger, who relishes such stuff – Mike Ashley is ratcheting-up the pressure in his ongoing battle with the club over who sells the replica strips.

Apparently, Ashley is sitting on a warehouse full of Puma replica kit, which may impact on Rangers' ability to flog their new Hummel kit – with a subsequent negative impact on Rangers' finances. There is a belief, the GASL and his allies have arranged an alternative replica retailer, and in so doing have breached the existing agreement with Ashley's Sports Direct business.

This is, as we say in the business – a developing story, but, don't expect to read too much about this in the mainstream media, where it doesn't do to upset Ibrox.

SPFL Chairman Murdoch McLennan - has upset the GASL

Elsewhere, Rangers are continuing what amounts to a witch hunt against SPFL Chairman Murdoch McLennan, who is also Chairman of the Irish Independent News and Media group once owned by rugby legend Sir Tony O'Reilly.

Apparently, the fact Celtic's principal individual shareholder, Dermot Desmond, and Denis O'Brien, his fellow Irish billionaire and Celtic shareholder are also shareholders in IN&M is unacceptable to Rangers and their GASL Honcho.

Responsible Rangers fans of whom there are many, are, at the least, somewhat shame-faced at some of the stunts which the GASL have pulled since taking control of the club. One friend, who has a seat in the posh area of Ibrox told me frankly: “He's not Rangers-class and to me, he is proof of Ian Archer's opinion on Rangers' fans. This was, in case you've forgotten: “They are a permanent embarrassment and ocasional disgrace.”

Still, there's European football next week, with the early qualifying rounds of the Champions League and the Europa League. I wonder, how much Progres will Rangers make, if any, this season.

Maybe With Consistent Selection Might Come Consistent Qualification

WATCHING this 2018 World Cup, which is certainly becoming more-exciting with each passing game, one thing has struck me – in a Scottish context.

OK, I accept, World Cup Finals have had nothing to do with Scotland throughout this millennium, for the 18-year duration of which, thus far, we have been very much on the outside looking in, but, bear with me.

In each game thus far, I have been struck by how so-many of the competing teams boast squads with a number of players who have over a century of caps. Now, I accept, since we have got out of the habit of competing in the finals of either the World Cup or the European Championships, Scotland perhaps doesn't play as many internationals as other countries.

Big George Young - Scotland's only half-centurion in the first century of internaitonal football

However, just look at this small statistic. In the first century of international football – from 1872 to 1972, Scotland, who had started the whole international football thing off, had produced just ONE player who had amassed 50 caps – that was George Young, who then held the Scottish record of 54 caps.

England, the other nation involved in that first international, had, in the same century produced almost a full team. They lacked only a 50-times-capped right back to go alongside: Gordon Banks; Ray Wilson, Bobby Moore, Billy Wright, Martin Peters, Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton, Johnny Haynes and Tom Finney.

Fast forward to today, and England boasts nine centurions, one man – Brian Robson – with 90-100 caps; 6 with between 80-89 caps, 10 with 70-79 caps, 14 with 60-69 caps, 18 with 50-59 caps, a total of 58 players who have featured in more than 50 full internationals.

Kenny Dalglish - nearly 32 years since his last cap and he remains our only caps centurion

Scotland's most-capped players list reads:

• 1 caps centurion, Kenny Dalglish, who won the 100^th of his eventual 102 caps, back in 1986 – 32 years ago
  
  
• 1 player – Jim Leighton - with over 90 caps
  
  
• 1 player - Darren Fletcher - with 80-90 caps
  
  
• 3 players – Alex McLeish (77), Paul McStay (76) Tom Boyd (72) – with 70-79 caps
  
  
• 7 players – Kenny Miller and David Weir (69), Christian Dailly (67), Willie Miller (65), Danny McGrain (62), Richard Gough and Ally McCoist (61) – with 60-69 caps
  
  
• 18 players -John Collins (58), Roy Aitken, Gary McAllister (57), Scott Brown, Gary Galdwell, Denis Law and Maurice Malpas (55), Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, George Young (54), Kevin Gallacher, Alan Rough (53), Craig Gordon, Joe Jordan (52), Colin Hendry (51) and Asa Hartford, Alan Hutton and Gordon Strachan (50) – with 50-59 caps.

That's a total of 31 players who have played in over 50 internationals, just 53% of England's total. Perhaps this is a reflection on our failure to put together a consistent policy on selection or tactics.

Maybe if we decided on a formation and way of playing, then picked the best guys we thought we had, able to make that formation and those tactics work, and stuck with them, we would have more players with the sort of caps total we see in so-many of the 2018 World Cup squads.

No fewer than 21 of the 32 squads at the World Cup contained at least 1 player with a century of caps. Indeed, 52 of the 736 players on-duty, 7% of the total, had played at least 100 internationals. Panama with 7 centurions, Uruguay, with 6, Spain with 5 and Japan with being the nations with the most centurions in their squads.

Last season nicely summed-up the problem of inconsistency of selection as it affects the Scotland team. We played nine games, winning four, losing four and drawing the ninth game. For the first four of these games, Gordon Strachan was the team manager. We won three of these games and drew the other – yet, Strachan was more or less shown the door, because we had failed to qualify for the World Cup Finals.

 Berti Vogts - capped 37 newcomers during his 31-match reign

In those four games, Strachan used 15 starters and a further 6 subs. After he left, Malky Mackay had one game as caretaker boss, in which he used five new starters and two subs who had not previously been in Scotland squads.

Mackay then gave way to Alex McLeish, who, in his four games as manager used a total of 20 new players, plus four new subs. That level of inconsistency of selection is no way to secure consistency of winning.

Mind you, selection has been a lot more consistent in the past 46 years than in the previous 100. During that first century of international football, selection was in the hands of amateur selectors for 95 years, and Scotland averaged 2. new caps per game. Since the manager was given selectorial responsibilities, this figure has fallen to 1.2 new caps per game.

We still have spikes, such as over the last four games, but, while things generally settle down, some how, we don't seem to give players the international longevity you see elsewhere, and particularly from smaller footballing nations like us.

While Wee Gordon Strachan only capped 26 newcomers over his 40 games as Scotland boss

Since we last qualified for a major finals tournament in 1998, we have played 180 full internationals, under 11 different managers, in which we have given international debuts to 168 players; an average of a new cap every 1.1 games.

Craig Brown was in charge for 25 games, awarding 26 new caps in that time. Then came Bertie Vogts – 31 games, 37 newcomers; Tommy Burns – 1 game, 1 new cap. Tam was followed by Walter Smith – 16 games, 10 new caps; Alex McLeish – 10 games, 11 new caps then George Burley – 14 games, 14 new caps.

Craig Levein then came along and awarded 23 new caps over his 26-match reign. Billy Stark then took temporary charge, but, didn't award any new caps in his solitary game in charge. Gordon Strachan then got the gig, and in 40 matches, he only awarded 26 new caps. This season, since WGS departed, Malky Mackay awarded four new caps in his solitary game as caretaker, and, since getting the job full-time, for his second spell, Big Eck has handed-out 16 new caps in his four games to date.

Gemma Fay won over 200 caps, while a further 11 girls have won 100 caps

Our Women's team has been going for a lot less time than our Men's team, but, already they have one double centurion in Gemma Fay, plus another entire team of caps centurions - and they do have a better record than the men when it comes to qualifying for recent championship finals - which demonstrates the benefits of consistency of selection. 

Maybe it's a case of our managers having a particularly Scottish sickness. Like weans in a sweetie shop, given free rein, they select indiscriminately and make themselves sick. Or, should we maybe put a woman in charge to keep the boys in order?

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Haverings During A Break In The World Cup 2018 Treadmill

DURING this break between the last-16 and the last-8 of the World Cup, one finds one's football mind wandering a wee bit. So, it was good to come across a thread on the Scottish Football of Yesteryear page on Facebook which is perhaps a mid-summer, close-season staple – pick your all-time Scotland team.

 

You could not pick an All-Time Scotland XI and not include these two

Naturally, I had to stick my oar in, and my All-Time Scotland XI, which I chose in 4-3-3 formation – with the players named in what was the club they are probably best associated with, this team, was:

Jimmy Cowan (Morton); Danny McGrain (Celtic), Willie Woodburn (Rangers), Alan Hansen (Liverpool), Eric Caldow (Rangers); Dave Mackay (Tottenham Hotspur), Graeme Souness (Liverpool), Jim Baxter (Rangers); Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool), Hughie Gallacher (Newcastle United) and Denis Law (Manchester United).

Of course, such exercises are all about opinions, and, given the choices available I don't suppose we would ever get a definitive Scotland XI.

Another Scotland side I like to select is an Uncapped Scotland XI – the guys who should have been capped, but, perhaps because they were with the “wrong” team at the wrong time, or, their career ran contemporarily with that of a legend – they never got to wear the shirt.

Selfishly I tend to put my cousin, the late Carlisle United goalkeeper Allan Ross into the XI, he did after all get into one Scotland squad, but, good keeper though Allan was, he was only the second-best in our extended family, so, I have left him out of the following team, which is in 4-4-2 formation:

Sorry Cous' - Allan Ross of Carlisle United, didn't make my all-time Uncapped Scotland XI

Malcolm Finlayson (Wolverhampton Wanderers); Matt Watson (Kilmarnock), Danny Malloy (Cardiff City), Ken McNaught (Aston Villa), John Murphy (Ayr United); Bobby Russell (Rangers), Billy Stark (St Mirren, Aberdeen and Celtic), Brian McLaughlin (Celtic and Ayr United), Andy Ritchie (Morton); Harry Hood (Celtic), Alex Ferguson (Manchester United).

On the thread, I “flew the kite” of an XI based on club partnerships. Of course, the benchmark for this is the notion, put forward by more than one football writer of the 1950s, that the Scotland team should have Rangers' “Iron Curtain” defence teamed with Hibs' “Famous Five” forward line in this team:

Bobby Brown; George Young, Jock Shaw; Ian McColl, Willie Woodburn and Sammy Cox (all Rangers); Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond (all Hibernian).

I then looked at a less-drastic selection, picking “pods” or club units: goalkeeper and central defenders, full-backs, midfield, and strikers, and eventually came-up with this team, in 4-4-2 formation:

Jim Leighton (Aberdeen); Danny McGrain (Celtic), Alex McLeish and Willie Miller (both Aberdeen), Tommy Gemmell (Celtic); Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Bertie Auld and Bobby Lennox (all Celtic); Jimmy Millar and Ralph Brand (both Rangers).

I WRITE a lot of sporting obituaries these days; it is always somewhat sad, to realise another of the giants of your youth has gone, but, I do feel a duty to let a later audience know just how good some of these guys were.

June 2018 was not a good month for older Rangers fans, with the passing of two of the greats of the 1950s – wee Johnny Hubbard and big Harold Davis.

Harold Davis - (picture courtesy of SNS)

I never met Davis, but, a football-writing pal, Alan Pattullo of The Scotsman, after writing a terrific profile of “the Hard Man of Ibrox”, kept in-touch with Davis and was a mourner at his funeral in Gairloch in Wester Ross earlier this week, penning a nice wee report on the day as well.

The legend is well-known, signed from Fife junior football by Scot Symon at East Fife, Davis went off to do his National Service with the Black Watch, turned down the chance of a safe billet as a pt instructor to go on active service with his mates into the Korean War and was damned near killed when he took a burst of machine-gun fire across his abdomen.

He came too in a hospital in Japan, then spent two years getting his health and fitness back, confounding the doctors by actually getting back to football with East Fife, and earning a move to Rangers, now managed by Symon.

He replaced a legend in Ian McColl, mentored another in John Greig – kept the back door firmly bolted while Jim Baxter, another Fifer, worked his magic, and became a legend himself over 260-plus games for Rangers, which included one European cup final, two League Championship medals, two League Cup-winner's medals and one Scottish Cup-winner's medal.

He then served Partick Thistle well and had a distinguished coaching career with Queen's Park, Rangers, Dundee and Queen of the South, before relocating to Wester Ross to open and run a hotel, play golf and fly fish.

A hard man on the field, yes, but, a gentleman off it, he will be much-missed.

The caption on this picture says it is Johnny Hubbard scoring from the spot against Celtic. He is actually scoring against Kilmarnock, and while goalkeeper Jimmy Brown did save one Hubbard penalty, it wasn't this one.

That applies too to wee Johnny Hubbard, arguably the most-popular South African ever to come to Scotland. He left Pretoria, aged 18, for a three-month trial with Rangers, was signed on a full-time deal even before that trial had expired and never went home, other than on-holiday.

He became Scotland's best and best-known penalty-taker. Dave Walker of Airdrie, Jimmy Brown of Kilmarnock and Bert Slater of Falkirk all saved Hubbard penalties – the other 61 he took were all converted, an incredible 95% success rate. Forced out of Ibrox by Symon, who seemed over-keen to move-on any remaining Bill Struth boys, he was well-liked at Bury, before running down his career at Ayr United.

He stayed in Ayrshire and for many years worked as a sports development officer with the local council. He captained Prestwick Cricket Club – he lived in the town and also promoted his other sports – tennis, golf, cricket and gymnastics.

His community service in South Ayrshire saw him made MBE, while his huge popularity locally made even walking down Prestwick Main Street, or Ayr High Street a series of meets and greets with well-wishers.

Spitting Image sang: “I've never met a nice South African.” They never met Johnny Hubbard, another legend who will be much-missed.

There Was Something Very Scottish About How England Made It Hard For Themselves Beating Colombia

WATCHING England stumble past a piss-poor Colombia team, into the last eight of the World Cup last night – my first thought was: “Are you Scotland in disguise?” Because, there was something strangely familiar and Caledonian about their win.

 

Scotland in disguise? The England World Cup Squad

England was the better side, however, the all-too-familiar failings of the modern British game prevented them from truly making their superiority tell. The match ought never have gone to extra time, far less “the lottery of penalty kicks.” However, England lacked the technical skills, the wit and the imagination, to comfortably see-off their South American opponents.

I still remember my second Old Firm game, at Celtic Park, on 10 August, 1963. Rangers won 3-0, Jim Forrest announced his arrival with two goals and long before the end, the home fans had streamed away in disgust, leaving vast, empty tracts of terracing.

Forrest scored his second, Rangers' third goal, with one-quarter of the game to play. Had they wished, Rangers could surely have scored more goals, but, Baxter decided enough was enough, and spent the final quarter orchestrating humiliation on his hosts – who incidentally included six future Lisbon Lions in their ranks.

Baxter - the master of piss-taking keep-ball tactics

The Slim One was the conductor in a concentrated spell of “keep ball”, mainly involving John Greig, Ronnie McKinnon and Davie Provan, with occasional solo cameos from Willie Henderson and Davie Wilson. Ra Peepul, naturally, lapped-up this virtuoso display of gallus superiority from Baxter, the master of the genre.

How I wished, England could have produced such a show last night. But, while, naturally, they didn't possess a player capable of lacing Baxter's drinks, far less his boots; they ought to have been able, as that Rangers team were, of passing the ball around at will, frustrating the Colombians, and killing the game.

Celtic, under Jock Stein, had their own unique method of running down the clock and frustrating opponents. As I remember Bobby Lennox explaining: “If we wanted to waste time, we just gave the ball to Jinky and told him to take it for a walk.” The Wee Man would simply take-off down the wing, tormenting his opponents to dispossess him, an act which usually involved Celtic being awarded a free-kick in a dangerous area, offering them the chance to score.

 Jinky - nobody came close when it came to taking the ball for a walk to run down the clock

Of course, dribbling skills, even remotely-close to those Jinky, or Davie Cooper might display, are all but lost today; and, in any case, individual displays of prowess are frowned-on by today's coaches, more's the pity.

I doubt if we will, anytime soon, see a British midfielder with Baxter's combination of sheer arrogant gallusness, and his ability to nonchalantly make the killing 60-yard crossfield pass. However, we are increasingly these days told, today's players have a technical prowess beyond all but the very best of the old timers.

Pish, if that was the case, how come so-many England passes, even the simple five-to-ten-yard variety, did not go straight to feet? Even passing the ball around to kill time and frustrate the Colombians looked to be a chore. Sure today's players have an athleticism most of even the greats of the past didn't have, but, even the much-maligned Davie MacPherson – remember the unkind quote: “He's a versatile Scottish defender, he can mis-kick with both shins,” had better ball control than some of those England players.

The English media are getting awfy-excited about “Our 'Arry”, England captain Harry Kane. OK, he's a striker, a sub-species known for being a bit selfish and self-centred. But, when real captaincy was called for on Tuesday night, when tempers were flashing and the verbals were being exchanged – where was the Skipper?

 Bobby Moore and Billy McNeill - two great captains, who led from the front

Missing in action, that's where he was. He ought to have been in there, dragging argumentative niggling players such as Jordan Henderson away from the flash-points. Mind you, Henderson, as a Liverpool captain, should have known better. Just get the England players away from the feuding; very quickly, the referee would have realised: only one team is giving me problems here, and started sorting them out. Billy Wright, Bobby Moore or Brian Robson would have shown more leadership.

Of course, we can talk – you never find the Scots walking away when the boots start flying. This, however, on Tuesday night was another case of: “Are you Scotland in disguise?”

Another thing which perplexed me about the England performance was, how naïve they were in their passing. I accept, they will never be able to play tiki-taki well. The notions of one-touch passing and moving which that 21st century version of the 19th century Queen's Park play book is beyond this England team.

However, their ponderous, back and forth passing was never going to break down that Colombian defence. Where were the ancient British staples of fast, along the ground balls between the central defenders and full-backs, for wingers to run onto? They are like England cricket batsman, whose first movements are across and back, rather than on to the front foot and playing forward.

British football, at its best, is about playing at pace and with passing accuracy, two facets which England failed to demonstrate. For instance, that Belgian winner the other night – that was a classic British goal.

A Chelsea goalkeeper bowls a quick out ball to a Manchester City midfielder, who runs 60-yards, passes ahead of a PSG player, whose low cross is dummied by a Manchester United player, for a Spurs man to score. OK, we cannot play-down the part which Thomas Meunier of PSG played in its execution, but, this was a goal made in the English League.

Wing Commander Charles Reep - Belgium showed his theory could work

Basically, it was an exemplary demonstration of dear old, much-maligned Wing Commander Charles Reep's theory: that most goals were scored via short, sharp three or four-pass moves. Just occasionally, good old-fashioned straightforward British football works – even if it takes four or five Belgians to demonstrate this.

And by the way, fear ye not all you Scots who can see our worst nightmare happening, and England winning the damned thing. Much as I like Gareth Southgate, and admire how well he is coping with the “impossible job” of being England manager. England just might be the best team in their half of the draw, and they are arguably, a better team than Sweden, Serbia or Russia.

But, some time soon, they have to come up against someone from the other half, and Uruguay, France, Brazil and Belgium are all better teams than England. All bar Uruguay are ranked above England in the FIFA-Coca-Cola World Rankings; and we all know one of the firmest rules of World Cup Finals play - England always lose the first time they meet a higher-ranked team in the knock-out stages.

That's another way in which they are Scotland in disguise – they will not win the 2018 World Cup.