Socrates Reflects On The Lessons Of Seville

IT WASN'T TO BE – They perhaps had to go all the way to penalties to do it, but Eintracht Frankfort ended Rangers' dream of winning the Europa League. Cue despair among the legions of Rangers fans, those who journeyed to Seville, and the greater number who watched on television.

Of course, this being Scotland, many of the Celtic Family and the followers of 'The Diddy Teams' (copyright – Charles Young Esq) were a wee bit chuffed at Rangers falling at the final fence – it's the Scottish way.

I copped some flak on Facebook, after a post in which I suggested it was par for the course that the team, a good percentage of whose fans identify as British/English rather than Scottish, should lose a penalty shoot-out to a German side. Some folk simply choose not to see a joke.

But, that's the Scottish way. Several of my Rangers-supporting friends were aghast at me poking fun at the way some of their fellow-travellers prefer to identify as British – often English, rather than Scottish. By the same token, supporters of other Scottish teams react badly to Rangers' fans wrapping themselves in “the butcher's apron” - but quite happily take any wee advantage their team might get in Europe, from Rangers' achievements in raising the Scottish Clubs Co-efficient with UEFA.

Then there was the other debate on social media, with some attempting to claim, had Rangers won on Wednesday night, it would have been a greater achievement than Celtic winning the European Cup, in Lisbon back in 1967.

Let's look at the two campaigns. Celtic played just five matches to win that iconic trophy back in 1967. They beat the Swiss champions FC Zurich 5-0 in the first round, to set-up a second round meeting with the French champions, Nantes.

Two 3-1 victories, in France and back at Celtic Park, took Celtic into the quarter-finals, and a meeting with the Yugoslav champions Vojvodina Novi Sad. Vojvodina won the first leg, in Novi Sad, 1-0, but, on an emotional night at Celtic Parik, a Stevie Chalmers strike, and a trademark last-minute header from skipper Billy McNeill, took Celtic through to the semi-final, and a meeting with Czech champions, Dukla Prague.

Celtic Park was jumping as Celtic won the first leg 3-1, before a Stein-plotted tactical master-class in the second leg produced a 0-0 draw and took Celtic on to meet holders Inter Milan, in Lisbon, in the final.

We all know how that went, with goals from Tommy Gemmell and Chalmers making Celtic the first non-Latin and the first side form the British Isles, to win Europe's premier trophy.

Looking back from today, you might argue Celtic only had to beat one absolute top-level team, Inter, to win the trophy. But, to even qualify back then, you had to be champion of your domestic league – no consolation place for the teams in second, third or fourth place in what UEFA considers a 'big league', or a major television market.

In comparing the Lisbon Lions with last night's Rangers' team, we must not forget this. The game in Lisbon was – to use a boxing metaphor: “For the undisputed championship of Europe.” Given the knock-out phase of the Europa League kicks-in after the group stages in both the Europa League and the top competition – the Champions League, the fact is, Wednesday night's game was between the 17^th and 18^th ranked teams in Europe this season – the best sides remaining who didn't qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Rangers' certainly had the longer campaign, they had to negotiate 12 ties to reach their final, against the four ties – in two different competitions, the Champions League and the Europa League - the Lisbon Lions had to play through. Perhaps we should use an athletics metaphor. When Celtic won, the European Cup was a sprint, getting to the Europa League final is like running a marathon.

Things were more cut-throat back in the days of the Lisbon Lions. Celtic won the trophy, which qualified them for the European Cup the following season; in fact, they double qualified, since they also defended their Scottish League title. However, they went out at the first hurdle, beaten by Dynamo Kiev – who were the then Champions of the Soviet Union.

That was it, Celtic's European adventure over for the season; they lost the first leg of their first round match, 1-2, on 20 September, 1967. A 1-1 draw in the second leg, in Kiev, on 4 October, 1967, was not enough to keep them in the competition.

Today, as Champions, they would have gone straight to the Group stages, and a defeat and a draw in their first two games would not necessarily mean elimination. Rangers supporters can come up with all the reasons they like as to why this season's run was good, but, until such times as another Scottish team wins the European Cup, under today's arguably more-intense framework, then the Lions's victory of 1967 will stand supreme as the greatest achievement by a Scottish club side.

There's another reason why we have, I believe, to hold onto the legend of the Lions – they were an all-Scottish side, 11 players, all born within an hour's drive of Celtic Park. Only three of the XI – goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson, Willie Wallace and Bertie Auld were bought-into Celtic, and Auld was a case of a player who had come through the Celtic development system, then been sold, being brought back home.

I would have enjoyed it, had Rangers won on Wednesday night. However, I would have enjoyed it far more, had they won it with an all-Scottish XI.

There have been, since Hibs played in the inaugural European Cup back in season 1955-56, 300 European campaigns involving Scottish clubs. (I reached this number by counting each competition campaign as one. So, this season, Celtic had three European campaigns – in the Champions, Europa and Europa Conference Leagues. Rangers had two, in the Champions and Europa Leagues.)

These 300 campaigns have produced just three wins: Celtic's European Cup triumph in 1967, Rangers' Cup-Winners Cup success in 1972 and Aberdeen's victory in the same competition, in 1983. That's a wins percentage of 1%.

A run-down of the 300 campaigns gives us the following record:

• Tournament wins: 3/300 – 1%

• Final appearances: 7/300 – 2.3%

• Semi-Final appearances: 14/300 – 4.6%

• Quarter-final appearances: 21/300 – 6.9%

• Last 16 appearances: 63/300 – 21%

Overall, therefore, since 1955-56, in 66 seasons' worth of football, Scottish clubs have reached the last 16 – the real knock-out phase of the season, just 63 times, 21% of the times we have entered.

However, since the turn of the millennium in 2000, our clubs have fought 118 European campaigns, reaching the last 16 or better a mere 14 times – or an 11.9% success rate in getting that far.

When it comes to the big one – The Champions League, Scottish clubs, mainly the big two, have fought 29 campaigns this century, just four of these – 13.9% have seen a Scottish club reach the last 16. Celtic have done this three times, Rangers once. They might well be “big” clubs, but on the biggest stage, they barely register.

Overall, Rangers, in spite of all the club's financial problems, have reached the last 16 or better in Europe nine times since 2000, Celtic have got that far five times Our other clubs have barely caused a ripple in European waters.

Are our other clubs happy to see the big two figuratively, if in reality seldom through their fans, carrying the Saltire in Europe? Do they not feel, they should be contributing more to the global image of our league and the game we gave form to?

Those three European wins all came before 1986, which was a special year in Scottish football history. That's when Graeme Souness became Rangers' manager and things began to change. Prior to what has become known as 'The Souness Revolution', Scottish clubs tended to have mainly, indeed heavily Scottish squads. Souness began to recruit from England, then abroad and before long, all the rest followed suit.

Given, Scottish Football cannot compete in financial terms, with the “big” leagues – the English, French, Italian, German and Spanish Leagues, we cannot hope to recruit the absolute best-available players. So, we are buying-in second, third and fourth grade non-Scots. I honestly believe, if we trusted Scottish talent and nurtured that native promise properly, then we could again become regular contenders at the sharp end of the European competitions.

Scotland remains, yes, in this 21^st century, esentially a tribal society. Maybe it's a hangover from the days of the clans, but, family and belonging still matters to Scots, particularly in football.

It's particularly true of the big two, but, all the best Scottish club sides have had a common ingredient – 'a Fan On the Park,' one or more guys who, if they weren't being paid to be out there performing, would be on the sidelines cheering-on their club. You can bring-in all the exotic foreigners you like, who can kiss the badge as often as they like, but, I contend, you will never get as much out of them as you will from the guy who has been keeping the fiath since he was a wee boy.

If I was, on Monday morning, put in total charge of Scottish Football, my first pronouncements would be:

1. Each team in the Scottish League would have to have eight Scots on the park at all times.

2. The Scottish League would impose a CBA – a Collective Bargaining Agreement – whereby there was a more-level playing field, beginning with a salary cap.

3. There would be just two senior leagues – fewer senior teams and fewer games in the season.

4. In the Scottish League Cup competition, clubs could only field all-Scottish sides, to encourage the development of Scottish talent.

5. All knock-out competitions would be seeded.

What we are doing isn't working for our wider game, it may even be holding back the two teams who do do comparatively well in Europe.

So, since our management model isn't working – why are we not changing it?

Socrates demands the righting of a long-standing wrong.

WHEN, AS I have been for the greater part of my 50-years in journalism, you are a freelance, you miss out to a degree on the office politics and rituals which are such a part of working in a staff environment. So, I have always been grateful for the friendship and encouragement I received during my all-too-short spell as a regular contributor to the late and much-missed Sunday Standard's sports pages.

The Standard's staff was recruited at great cost and included some sterling names. Alongside them, they gave a chance to unknowns such as I. Had the owners held their nerve and kept the paper going, I am sure it would have made an even-greater impact on Scottish life.

Harry Reid was the Sports' Honcho when I first got involved, but, for the majority of my time at Albion Street, Ian Archer was the main man on sport, with Doug Gillon as his number two. If you cannot learn from two such masters of their craft – then you are a hopeless case.

One of the things 'Dan' Archer did was, he shared the football work load. He was the Number One football writer, but, whereas on other titles the number one only ever covers Scotland and The Old Firm (this still works today), Dan made sure we all got our turn at covering games at the big Glasgow stadia.

Back then, 40 years ago, Alec Ferguson was making waves at Pittodrie, so we all got our turn at covering Aberdeen home games and the rich expenses pickings to be made by such trips.

I also learned much from Saturday night bonding sessions, once the paper had been put to bed, either in Tom's Bar or in one of the nearby hostelries. A certain midweek long lunch in The Horseshoe introduced me to that legendary establishment.

One of the joys of working for the Standard was, being based in Ayrshire, I got asked to cover a lot of Greenock Morton games. Here I first met the great Roger Graham, who I am still proud to call a friend today. Here too, I got to watch, on a regular basis, Andy Ritchie, weave his magic.

 

If I was asked to name the ultimate Scottish footballer, I would unreservedly nominate the great Jim Baxter. He exuded Scottishness. Totally gallus, he could when the mood suited him, win a match on his own, reducing even the best opponents to embarrassed straight man status as he put that left foot – dubbed “The Wand” to work.

“Stanley” didn't care a great deal for fitba. “For me, it was a way to get to shag nicer-lookin' burds, ken,” was the straight from the horse's mouth explanation of his motivation. But,. After Baxter, Ritchie has to be the Number Two. They were kindred spirits.

Dan Archer stole a line of mine, and I don't begrudge it him, when he said: “Jock Stein initiated a project for a 'Stepford Footballer,' Andy Ritchie was the outcome – the problem was, the final wiring was done by a Rangers' supporter, who built-in the failings.”

 

Make no mistake, when 'Ambling Andy' was in the mood, he could destroy teams single-handed. But, when he couldn't be bothered, or didn't fancy the weather in Greenock – well, you'd have been better-off with Shane Ritchie playing. Mind you,when he wasn't playing, but sitting in the row behind the cramped Cappielow press box, his one-liners would often be more-entertaining than the fitba on offer.

I remember one game, against the great Aberdeen side of the time, when the rain was coming in horizontally from 'The Dublin End.' The only part of the park offering some degree of protection from the elements was a ten-yard strip either side of half-way, in front of the dug-outs. This is where Andy stationed himself, impervious to the screamed instructions from Benny Rooney, that he get himself more-involved.

Then, Morton were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the Aberdeen D. Up stepped Andy, Miller, McLeish & Co were wasting their time forming a wall – the first Jim Leighton saw of the ball was when it came back off the stanchion through his legs. Game won, Andy spent the rest of his time on the park, trying to persuade Rooney to substitute him.

Another time, against Dundee, he delivered a pass to Jim Holmes which, as I wrote in my match report: “had 'please place in the corner of the net,' written all over it.” Holmes duly obliged.

Andy delivered that ball from inside the centre circle, Holmes met it about 16 yards from goal, but the placement and weighting were so-good, Andy took out half the Dundee side with that one pass.

This eulogy to a still-living player has been motivated by a thread on Facebook, inspired by some Ritchie magic. In particular contributors have written about how he used to regularly take great delight in beating Alan Rough from all angles. I love Roughie to bits, I am so-proud to call him a friend. I think, regardless of the Rangers' fan base's idolatry of “The Goalie” - Roughie is Scotland's most-beloved 'keeper.

It has been Roughie's misfortune to be left flat-footed by some goals, scored by some exceptional players – Zico, Oscar, Cubillas, to name but three. You could add Andy Ritchie to that list, when it came to scoring outrageous goals, he had few peers.

My favourite Andy Ritchie story, I have stolen unashamedly from the late, great, Tommy Burns. It came when Andy was back where it started, coaching at Celtic. It was Packy Bonner's birthday, and he had arrived proudly showing-off his present from his better half – a very-expensive sheepskin coat.

Ritchie decided such a Celtic icon's birthday had to be celebrated correctly, so, the players and coaching staff were lined-up on the half-way line, while a recording of The Soldier's Song was played. A proud Packy looked up, to see his new sheepskin coat flying from the flag pole – Ritchie had struck.

Aye, they broke the mould after Andy Ritchie – he only got one Scottish League cap and one Under-21 cap, as an over-age player. When will Scottish Football do the right thing and induct this flawed genius into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame?

Getting Bye With Little Help From Our Friends

IN THE crazy world of television advertising, we are currently “enjoying” some really daft adverts. One of my favourites is the Yorkshire Tea one, which has Sean Bean, with a nod to his Sharpe persona, waving a sword for no particular reason and demanding that new recruits to the company: “Do it for Yorkshire.”

“Aye, 'appen lad,” as they say across some of the broad acres.

Watching Mr Bean's histrionics in his new role as TV's favourite “Professional Yorkshireman,” I got to thinking – we seldom, if ever, ask any of our national treasures to: “Do it for Scotland.” Maybe it's time we did.

The first crew of “National Treasures” I want to see doing something, is the collective of paid and elected officials who occupy that sporting think tank – the offices along the sixth floor corridor at Hampden Park. (a wee aside here: my sparring partner here st the Scottish School of Sporting Philosophy – Aristotle Armstrong, the Scottish Rugby Philosopher – came up with the title: The Junta, for the ruling body across at BT Murrayfield. I am more than ever convinced, the Edinburgh-based Junta has more of a clue and more concern for their game than their Hampden-based bretheren.

We are down to the last-16 rounds of UEFA's three competitions. This means, a mere 48 clubs remain capable of adding-to their nation's co-efficient, or their own club co-efficient. These 48 clubs are drawn from 19 of the 54 UEFA member nations, the split is:

• Six clubs: England, France, Spain

• Five clubs: Netherlands

• Four clubs: Portugal, Germany, Italy

• Two clubs: Austria

• One club: Croatia, Russia, SCOTLAND, Turkey, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland.

A reading of the UEFA Associations Co-efficient shows the following Top Twenty Order of Merit:

• England, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Austria, SCOTLAND, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Turkey.

As an exercise, I looked at the 48 surviving clubs, I gave each one still in the Champions League, 3 points; each surviving club in the Europa League earns its nation two points, and the 16 Europa Conference League each earn their country one point.

This gives an Association Co-efficient Order of Merit based only on 2021-22 season's form as follows:

• England, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Croatia, Russia, SCOTLAND, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland

Therefore, in the actual Associations Co-efficient, Scotland lies ninth; Rangers have got us ranked ninth in my hypothetical listing, so, we've not lost anything.

Of the 19 nations with teams in the last-16 rounds, three: Croatia, France and Portugal are, this season, doing better than their co-efficient might indicate. Scotland is one of eight nations playing to their “handicap,” while seven nations: Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine are under-performing this season.

I can accept us being ranked behind the European giants: England, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. However, when you see Netherlands with five teams in the rounds of 16, Portugal with four and Austria with two – well, I get annoyed. We should, I believe, be doing as least as well as these countries.

Courtesy of Rangers, our only survivors, we are: “playing to par”; but, if you look at the UEFA Club Co-efficients, the picture is not as-good. Here is the reality of Scottish Clubs' places in the Club Co-efficient listings:

• Rangers 39

• Celtic 47

• Aberdeen 133

• St Johnstone 170

• Hibernian 171

• Motherwell 172

• Kilmarnock 173

We need the Big Two to get a wee bit of help from what Chick Young dubbed: “The Diddy Teams,” they simply are not even performing in Europe – far-less under-performing.

Here are the European records of Scottish clubs, other than the Old Firm:

Hibernian: European Cup 1955-56: semi-final: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1960-61: semi-final; Fairs Cup 1961-62: second round; Fairs Cup 19623-63: quarter-final; Fairs Cup 1965-66: first round; Fairs Cup 1967-68: third round; Fairs Cup 1968-69: third round; Fairs Cup 1970-71: third round; European Cup-winners Cup 1972-73: quarter-final; UEFA Cup 1973-74: second round; UEFA Cup 1974-75: second round; UEFA Cup 1975-76: first round; UEFA Cup 1976-77: second round;

Heart of Midlothian: European Cup 1958-59: preliminary round; European Cup 1960-61: preliminary round; Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1961-62: second round; Fairs Cup: 1963-64 first round; Fairs Cup 1965-66: second round; European Cup-winners Cup 1976-77: second round; UEFA Cup 1984-85: first round;

Dunfermline Athletic: European Cup-Winners Cup 1961-62: quarter-final; Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1962-63: second round; Fairs Cup 1964-65: third round; Fairs Cup 1965-66: quarter-final; Fairs Cup 1966-67: second round; Fairs Cup 1968-69: semi-final; Fairs Cup 1969-70: third round;

Dundee: European Cup 1962-63: semi-final; European Cup-winners Cup 1964-65: second round; Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1967-68: semi-final; UEFA Cup 1971-72: third round; UEFA Cup 1973-74: first round; UEFA Cup 1974-75: first round;

Partick Thistle: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1963-64: second round; UEFA Cup 1972-73: first round;

Kilmarnock: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1964-65: second round; European Cup 1965-66: first round; Fairs Cup 1966-67: semi-final; Fairs Cup 1969-70: third round; Fairs Cup 1970-71: first round;

Dundee United: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1966-67: third round; Fairs Cup 1969-70: first round; Fairs Cup 1970-71: second round;European Cup-winners Cup 1974-75: second round; UEFA Cup 1975-76: second round; UEFA Cup 1977-78: first round; UEFA Cupo 1979-80: second round; UEFA Cup 1980-81: second round; UEFA Cup 1981-82: quarter-final; UEFA Cup 1982-83: quarter-final; European Cup 1983-84: semi-final; UEFA Cup 1984-85: third round; UEFA Cup 1985-86: third round;

Aberdeen: European Cup-winners Cup 19667-68: second round; Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1968-69: second round; Cup-winners Cup 1970-71: first round; UEFA Cup 1971-72: second round; UEFA Cup 1972-73: first round; UEFA Cup 1973-74: second round; UEFA Cup 1979-80: first round; European Cup 1980-81: second round; UEFA Cup 1981-82: third round; Cup-winners Cup 1982-83: Winners; Cup-winners Cup 1983-84: semi-final; European Cup 1984-85: first round; European Cup 1985-86: quarter-final;

Greenock Morton: Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1968-69: first round.

St Johnstone: UEFA Cup 1971-72: third round;

St Mirren: UEFA Cup 1980-81: second round; UEFA Cup 1983-84: first round; UEFA Cup 1985-86: second round.

That takes us up to Season 1985-86, the one after which Scottish Football changed with the Souness Revolution. In those 31 seasons prior to Souness's arrival at Ibrox, 11 different clubs, outwith the Old Firm, had participated in 72 European campaigns. These produced:

• One outright win

• Eight semi-final appearances

• Seven quarter-final appearances

• In 22% of the campaigns, a “Diddy” team reached the later rounds in Europe

• Eleven different clubs qualified to play in Europe.

The “Diddy Clubs'” record post-Souness reads:

Aberdeen: Cup-winners Cup 1986-87: first round; UEFA Cup 1987-88: second round; UEFA Cup 1988-89: first round; UEFA Cup 1989-90: first round; Cup-winners Cup 1990-91: second round; UEFA Cup 1991-92: first round; Cup-winners Cup 1993-94: second round; UEFA Cup 1994-95: first round; UEFA Cup 1996-97: second round; UEFA Cup 2000-01 qualifying round; UEFA Cup 2002-03: first round; UEFA Cup 2007-08: Round of 32; Europa League 2009-10: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2014-15: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2015-16: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2016-17: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2017-18: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2018-19: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2019-20: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2020-21: 3 qualifying round; European Conference League 22021-22: play-off round

Dundee United: UEFA Cup 1986-87: Finalists; UEFA Cup 1987-88: second round; Cup-winners Cup 1988-89: second round; UEFA Cup 1989-90: second round; UEFA Cup 1990-91: second round; UEFA Cup 1993-94: first round; Cup-winners Cup 1994-95: second round; UEFA Cup 1997-98: 2 qualifying round; UEFA Cup 2005-06: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2010-11: play-off round; Europa League 2011-12: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2012-13: 3 qualifying round;

Heart of Midlothian: UEFA Cup 1986-87: first round; UEFA Cup 1988-89: quarter-final; UEFA Cup 1989-90: second round; UEFA Cup 1990-91: second round; UEFA Cup 1992-93: second round; UEFA Cup 1993-94: first round; Cup-winners Cup 1996-97: qualifying round; Cup-winners Cup 1998-99: first round; UEFA Cup 2000-01: first round; UEFA Cup 2003-04: second round; UEFA Cup 2004-05: fifth Group A; Champions League 2006-07: 2 qualifying round; then UEFA Cup : first round; Europa League 2009-10: play-off round; Europa League 2011-12: play-off round; Europa League 2012-13: play-off round; Europa League 2016-17: 2 qualifying round;

St Mirren: Cup-winners Cup 1987-88: second round;

Motherwell: Cup-winners Cup 1991-92: first round; UEFA Cup 1994-95: second round; UEFA Cup 1995-96: preliminary round; UEFA Cup 2008-08: first round; Europa League 2009-10: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2010-11: play-off round; Champions League 2012-13: 3 qualifying round, then Europa League: play-off round; Europa League 2013-14: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2014-15: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2020-21: 3 qualifying round;

Airdrieonians: Cup-winners Cup 1992-93: first round;

Hibernian: UEFA Cup 1992-93: first round; UEFA Cup 2001-02: first round; UEFA Cup 2005-06: first round; Europa League 2010-11: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2013-14: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2016-17: 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2018-19: 3 qualifying round; Europa Conference League 2021-22: 3 qualifying round;

Raith Rovers: UEFA Cup 1995-96: second round;

Kilmarnock: Cup-winners Cup 1997-98: first round; UEFA Cup 1998-99: 2 qualifying round; UEFA Cup 1999-2000: first round; UEFA Cup 2001-02: first round; Europa League 2019-20: 1 qualifying round;

St Johnstone: UEFA Cup 1999-2000: first round; Europa League 2012-13 2 qualifying round; Europa League 2013-14: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2014-15: 3 qualifying round; Europa League 2015-16: 1 qualifying round; Europa League 2017-18: 1 qualifying round; Europa League 2021-22: 3 qualifying round;

Livingston: UEFA Cup 2002-03: first round;

Dundee: UEFA Cup 2003-04: first round;

Dunfermline Athletic: UEFA Cup 2004-05: 2 qualifying round; UEFA Cup 2007-08: 2 qualifying round;

Gretna: UEFA Cup 2006-07: 2 qualifying round;

Queen of the South: UEFA Cup 2008-09: 2 qualifying round;

Falkirk: Europa League 2009-10: 2 qualifying round;

Inverness Caledonian Thistle: Europa League 2015-16: 2 qualifying round.

Seventeen clubs then, waging 98 European campaigns in those 34 seasons, these have produced:

• One appearance in the final

• One appearance in the last 32

• One qualification for the group stages

• 2% appearances in the knock-out stages

• 3% qualification for the group stages

I appreciate, particularly since the European Cup became the Champions League, 30 years ago now, the continental playing field has been somewhat skewed against the smaller leagues such as the Scottish one. However, to drop from 22% qualification for the sharp end of the European competitions to only 2% (two campaigns to the sharp end, but, only one to the really-competitive rounds) demonstrates how far Scottish football has fallen.

What are the high heid yins of our game going to do to reverse this trend? They have certainly done nothing over far too long a timescale.

A Good Few Days For Rangers - Then Big Doug Passed

THE FORMER East Ayrshire mining village in which I live is something of a Unionist/Rangers stronghold. I am told we have more Union Flags flying in front gardens here – and in a couple of similar nearby villages, than anywhere else in Scotland. The running joke up here used to be, when you got the keys to your Council house, you also got a picture of King Billy, on his white horse, to hang above the fireplace.

So, with that background, Thursday night was a wee bit wild – between Rangers winning in Dortmund, then Celtic being beaten at home by Bodo/Glimt; as one of the local 'Bears' commented: “If Carlsberg did Thursday nights, this would be it.” Another of the local branch of WATP pondered the great philosophical question of the night: “When Celtic bomb out of the Europa Conference League, where do they go – the Eurovision Song Conference perhaps?”

These are of course, part of the non-stop banter between the fans of the Bigot Brothers. Both Borussia Dortmund and Celtic are capable, with a fair wind behind them, of overturning a two-goal deficit in the second leg, but, until this Thursday, the Rangers' fans have the bragging rights.

But seriously, from an overall Scottish Football viewpoint, if Celtic go out in Norway, it dents our hopes of boosting our European co-efficient. Fair enough, however, for me, it is long past time the rest of our so-called top clubs to step up to the mark and help the big two enhance our co-efficient. In Europe, every result counts, and, for too-long, this has been a weakness in Scottish football.

 

BIG DOUG BAILLIE died at the week-end, aged 85. That's a good innings and my condolences go to his family – the big man will be much-missed.

He hailed from Rigside a mining village high in the South Lanarkshire hills. From here, every day, he caught the train to Lanark Grammar School, where he combined a good academic record with a starring role in a very-good school team.

He was in the Airdrie first team while still at school and aged just 18, he was chosen at centre half for Scotland's first-ever Under-23 team. Four of that team, full-backs Alex Parker and Eric Caldow, right-half Dave Mackay and outside-right Graham Leggat would go on to win full caps, with Caldow and Masckay captaining Scotland, so to be in that company demonstrates, Doug could play a bit.

Sadly, Scotland lost 0-6 to England, most of the damage being done by Duncan Edwards, the legendary Busby Babe. He was switched form his normal left-half role, to centre forward in the second half, scoring a hat-trick and giving Doug a torrid time. Years later, I broached the subject of Edwards to him and doug had no hesitation: “He absolutely murdered me that night, by far the best player I ever faced.”

Doug was a Rangers fan and when Rangers paid Airdrie a then big fee of £11,500 in the close season of 1960, he achieved his ambition of playing for the club. Sadly, he had a horrific debut, being run ragged by the young John Yogi Hughes as Celtic won 3-2. It was a foretaste of things to come and, in the face of competition from former Scotland B cap Bill Paterson, veteran internationalist Willie Telfer, then the breakthrough of the young Ron McKinnon, he only managed 41 games, in five seasons at Ibrox.

Perhaps his best performance in a Rangers jersey was in the first leg of the European Cup-Winners Cup semi-final “Battle of Britain” against Wolverhampton Wanderers, when Scot Symon handed him the number nine shirt with instructions to make life difficult for Wolves' captain and England centre-half Bill Slater. Doug did a sterling job, creating space for Alex Scott and Ralph Brand to score the goals which took Rangers into the final.

He left Rangers in 1964 to run down his playing career with Third Lanark, Falkirk then Dunfermline Athletic, before, after some 400 games in his 17-year senior career, he hung-up his boots, having found his true forte.

The Sunday Post held what were, in effect, open auditions, seeking new football-writing talent. Doug turned-up and got the gig. Initially, he understudied their Chief Football Writer, Wembley Wizard legend Jack Harkness; then, when that goalkeeping great retired, Doug became the Post's go-to man for football coverage.

He invented a whole new language for football-writing: “Doug-Speak.” They didn't play with a ball, but with a “spheroid.” “Custodians defended the onion bag.” During John Greig's tenure as manager, Rangers were 'Greig's Granadiers.'

You read a Doug Baillie match report with a smile on your face; his copy flowed. We lesser lights, sharing a press box with the great man, never filed our copy while he was on the telephone to the Post – listening to Doug was more entertaining.

He truly was a larger-than-life character, ever ready with a joke and a quip. He was also the embodiment of: “Once a Ranger – always a Ranger.” I remember one afternoon, at Ibrox, sitting between Doug and another former Rangers centre-half, the legendary Willie Woodburn. I was black and blue at the end, as they kicked every ball with their old team.

Rangers had a young centre forward playing that day, who was going to be: “The next big thing.” Doug wasn't impressed: “See that yin, he'll still be a promising boay when he's 30,” was the Baillie verdict. The next big thing was back in the juniors a couple of season later.

But, surely the best Baillie story is of the afternoon son Lex scored the winner for Celtic in an Old Firm Derby. “His mother is very proud,” is how Doug assessed the goal in his Post match report.

He had settled in Hamilton and, in retirement, he became something of a regtular at Accies' home games. He had been a successful president of The Scottish Football Writers Association, as he covered games around the World, at World Cups and European Champiionships.

Because he had played the game to a high level, Doug could get stories out of players which we lesser beings never could – he truly was a giant of Scottish Football Writing.

Our craft has lost one of its gianst and, as one proud to call him a friend, I mourn his passing. We will not see his likes again.