Raith Rovers are looking forward to their first Scottish Cup Semi Final appearance for almost 50 years. The town of Kirkcaldy will turn out in force to back the Stark’s Park club in their quest to reach the Final.
In the German language there is a term that is used to describe teams like the Rovers. If they were in Germany they would be known as a ‘traditionsverein’. The literal translation is a ‘club with tradition’.
However, the term means a lot more than that. A traditionsverein can trace a long history but not necessarily a great deal of success. They will have their occasional moments but they may be few and far between. They are usually from a ‘one club town’. For one-off big games they can draw out a huge support – both at home and away. To be a traditionsverein then certain things need to be missing – the club cannot be a recent amalgamation and it also helps if they have not moved ground to some out-of-town location.
The Rovers tick all the boxes as a traditionsverein. Their history dates back over 125 years. In their early days they had strong competition for the title of top team in Kirkcaldy, let alone Fife. But they saw off their rivals to take their place in the Scottish League as representatives of the ‘Lang Toun’. Success does not go hand in hand with Raith Rovers. Their excellent club history is entitled ‘Always Next Season’ which just about sums up their history.
Over the past 50 years their great moments have been infrequent. However, that very fact means that they are all the sweeter when they do come along. Other than Celtic supporters and possibly some Dunfermline fans, the whole of Scottish football was delighted when they won the League Cup in 1994/5. Raith’s European run from the following year is the stuff of legend. Every self-respecting Raith fan has that photo – the one from the Olympic Stadium in Berlin that shows the scoreboard reading ‘Half Time – Bayern Munchen 0-1 FC Raith Rovers’. Danny Lennon, currently the manager of Cowdenbeath, scored that memorable goal.
The idea of the ‘one club town’ is important in Scottish football. Kirkcaldy has its renegades who support Celtic or Rangers but most regard the Rovers as their ‘second team’. If they reached the Scottish Cup Final some of them will be there to support them. And if they do bring back a trophy to Kirkcaldy, just as they did in 1994, then the whole town will be out on the streets to greet the team. It’s something Celtic and Rangers cannot do and they are worse for it.
Crowds at Stark’s Park are not as large as they used to be but then the same is true for most Scottish clubs. They are a lot bigger than they were in the dark days of the 1980s when Rovers struggled in the lower reaches of the Second Division. They always managed to stay at around he 500 level but at times there were few more. But loyalties die hard and when the club’s fortunes picked up again the crowds did come back. This season more than 2000 followed the club to Dundee in the Cup Quarter Final, and many more than that will go to Hampden for their Semi Final.
Stark’s Park is a shining example of how to redevelop a football ground. The only part of the ground that is unaltered from 30 years ago is the quirky main stand, set on the corner of the pitch. The site of the ground is tightly hemmed in by roads and railway but Raith have made the most of what they have. Two decent new stands, one at either end, give the ground a tight, enclosed feel. And it is where it should be, in the town, close to pubs and houses . . . not next to PC World, KFC, Asda or any other symbols of 21st Century consumerism.
There are other ‘traditionsverein’ in Scotland. Queen of the South, Ayr, Kilmarnock, Morton, Motherwell and Dunfermline Athletic fit the bill perfectly. Falkirk, St Mirren and St Johnstone would if they hadn’t sold their souls to supermarkets and moved to new grounds. Dundee and Partick Thistle would tick the boxes if they didn’t share a city with other clubs.
Some clubs clearly do not fit the definition. Livingston and Airdrie United are modern creations. Stirling Albion, Arbroath, Cowdenbeath and the four Angus clubs lack any sort of meaningful success in their background. Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts are too big to fit the definition. Dundee United cannot be a ‘traditionsverein’ if Dundee are one – you cannot have two from the same town. Despite the last 40 years, Dundee are still a bigger club than United.
So back to the Rovers. Good luck to them in their upcoming Semi Final. They are a club built on tradition who deserve to succeed.
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Livingston - Where Next?
Sometimes radio phone-ins can make for depressing listening. Radio Five Live’s shows consist of person after person repeating the blindingly obvious. Real Radio’s are bigot after moron spouting on about the Old Firm. But on Radio Scotland you occasionally get a caller who has a really good and original point to make.
A week or so ago I head a supporter of East Stirlingshire FC commenting on the Third Division promotion race. His point was, in essence, that Livingston were much too good for Division Three. He also reckoned that the nine other Third Division clubs had been punished as a result of Livingston being demoted to their division. With only one automatic promotion place available, it was inevitable that a full-time club who had been preparing for First Division football in the Summer would walk off with the title.
This obviously long-suffering supporter felt that a much more appropriate punishment for Livingston’s financial shenanigans would have been a large points deduction but to have kept them in Division One. The points deduction - perhaps 30 points – should have been enough to ensure that they were relegated. In either scenario the end result, for season 2010/11, would have been to place them in Division Two. The application of a points deduction would not have disadvantaged any other clubs.
I hadn’t thought of this particular slant on the whole sorry affair. It seems a very sensible analysis and to me would have been an appropriate punishment for the West Lothian club.
Last night I watched Livingston and Shire battle it out in a League game. Livingston went into the match in top place, four points ahead of Shire and with a game in hand. Realistically, a win for Livingston would wrap up the title and promotion. That’s exactly what they got, and fully deserved it was too. Full-time coaching and training has given them a shape and flow to their play that Shire could not match. Full time wages means they can attract players that no other club in Division Three could hope to sign.
Livingston will go up ‘on a high’ and should be able to compete in the Second Division without any problem. The difference in quality is not huge – just substitute Arbroath for Montrose, Peterhead for Elgin, Stirling for Stenhousemuir.
However, despite their on-field success this season Livingston have not got the fans flooding back to Almondvale. Fifteen years ago, as they climbed the leagues, they could attract 3-4000 home fans. Last night, for a vital game, there crowd was less than 900 and 100 of them had made the trip from Falkirk. The Second Division is unlikely to be much more attractive, and the medium-term economics of running a full-time operation will be hard to justify.
Renewed talk of an expanded SPL could also have an impact. If any expansion within the next couple of years was based on league position then Livingston would almost certainly be excluded. However, it is quite possible that expansion would be by invitation in which case Livingston might be in. If the SPL clubs went down that route and cherry-picked their new members, then it would be the ultimate slap in the face for the rest of Scottish football.
It is difficult to work out where Livingston’s place in the pecking order of Scottish football should be. They are, in effect, a franchise that was set up in West Lothian in the mid 1990s. The area should be able to support a professional football club but history says otherwise. Bo’ness, Bathgate and Armadale all came and went in the 1930s. If the same rules applied now as did back then, Livingston would also have been consigned to history.
But the world has changed since then and with their excellent facilities Livingston deserve to survive. However, as the caller to Radio Scotland illustrated, there is still a great deal of resentment and ill-feeling towards the club from supporters across the land. Whether that is replicated in board rooms and accountant’s offices is another matter.
A week or so ago I head a supporter of East Stirlingshire FC commenting on the Third Division promotion race. His point was, in essence, that Livingston were much too good for Division Three. He also reckoned that the nine other Third Division clubs had been punished as a result of Livingston being demoted to their division. With only one automatic promotion place available, it was inevitable that a full-time club who had been preparing for First Division football in the Summer would walk off with the title.
This obviously long-suffering supporter felt that a much more appropriate punishment for Livingston’s financial shenanigans would have been a large points deduction but to have kept them in Division One. The points deduction - perhaps 30 points – should have been enough to ensure that they were relegated. In either scenario the end result, for season 2010/11, would have been to place them in Division Two. The application of a points deduction would not have disadvantaged any other clubs.
I hadn’t thought of this particular slant on the whole sorry affair. It seems a very sensible analysis and to me would have been an appropriate punishment for the West Lothian club.
Last night I watched Livingston and Shire battle it out in a League game. Livingston went into the match in top place, four points ahead of Shire and with a game in hand. Realistically, a win for Livingston would wrap up the title and promotion. That’s exactly what they got, and fully deserved it was too. Full-time coaching and training has given them a shape and flow to their play that Shire could not match. Full time wages means they can attract players that no other club in Division Three could hope to sign.
Livingston will go up ‘on a high’ and should be able to compete in the Second Division without any problem. The difference in quality is not huge – just substitute Arbroath for Montrose, Peterhead for Elgin, Stirling for Stenhousemuir.
However, despite their on-field success this season Livingston have not got the fans flooding back to Almondvale. Fifteen years ago, as they climbed the leagues, they could attract 3-4000 home fans. Last night, for a vital game, there crowd was less than 900 and 100 of them had made the trip from Falkirk. The Second Division is unlikely to be much more attractive, and the medium-term economics of running a full-time operation will be hard to justify.
Renewed talk of an expanded SPL could also have an impact. If any expansion within the next couple of years was based on league position then Livingston would almost certainly be excluded. However, it is quite possible that expansion would be by invitation in which case Livingston might be in. If the SPL clubs went down that route and cherry-picked their new members, then it would be the ultimate slap in the face for the rest of Scottish football.
It is difficult to work out where Livingston’s place in the pecking order of Scottish football should be. They are, in effect, a franchise that was set up in West Lothian in the mid 1990s. The area should be able to support a professional football club but history says otherwise. Bo’ness, Bathgate and Armadale all came and went in the 1930s. If the same rules applied now as did back then, Livingston would also have been consigned to history.
But the world has changed since then and with their excellent facilities Livingston deserve to survive. However, as the caller to Radio Scotland illustrated, there is still a great deal of resentment and ill-feeling towards the club from supporters across the land. Whether that is replicated in board rooms and accountant’s offices is another matter.
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Nostalgia - 35 Years Ago
I've been remiss in not updating this blog on a regular basis recently. Hopefully updates will now be added several times a week.
I’ve commented before on how interesting to look back at Schoolboy and Youth international teams from years gone by to see which players ‘made it’ and which didn’t.
Two fascinating programmes for Schools internationals played in 1975 came to my attention recently. The Under 15 team was always regarded as the ‘Blue Riband’ of schools football with the entire talent pool to choose from. The Under 18 side was different. The top players had almost certainly left school by that age and joined senior clubs.
From the class of 1975, a fair number of players from each team went on to have decent careers in the game. The Under 15 international was for a game against Northern Ireland at Tannadice in March 1975. Scotland were captained by Dundee United S Form signing Ray Stewart (Perth Grammar School) who would go on to play with distinction for West Ham United and Scotland. 'Tonka' had an amazing record with spot kicks at the highest level. Another member of the squad, Jim Bett (Earnock HS, Hamilton) would also win full international honours during his career with Rangers, Aberdeen and others. He was also a 'pioneer' in moving abroad to play with Lokeren of Belgium at a time when Scots abroadwere unknown, much like now! Of the other squad members the highest-achievements were probably from Stuart Robertson (Claremont HS, East Kilbiride) who went south to Burnley and Doncaster Rovers before playing out his career in Scotland with Falkirk, Dumbarton and Stirling amongst others. Stuart Cribbes (Craigmount HS, Edinburgh) was then on an S Form with Hibs but actually signed for Hearts without making much of an impact. Derek Strickland (Blackburn Academy) had an injury-curtailed career with Rangers and Hearts. John McCluskey (Holy Cross HS, Hamilton) was a Celtic S Form but never matched the achievements of his brother George.
The Under 18 side took on England at Kirkcaldy in May 75. Their captain was Sam Lynch (St Augustines HS, Edinburgh) who is now co-manager of Spartans. The side included Robert Aitken (St Andrews Academy, Ayrshire), better known as Roy, and a subsequent captain of Celtic and Scotland. 'The Bear' was Assistant Mqanager of Scotland under Alex McLeish. Stephen Paterson (Milnes High School, Fochabers) was signed by Manchester United and later became a successful manager with Inverness Caley Thistle. His time at Aberdeen was less successful and he has now quit football to return to his career in social work. Other players to make the grade included Arthur Grant (Holy Cross HS, Hamilton) with Clyde and Alloa, Billy Harper (Liberton HS) with Meadowbank an Brian Kinnear (Glenwood Secondary, Glasgow) with St Mirren.
Pre-match entertainment at Stark’s Park featured an Under 11 Primary School match between Fife and Edinburgh. Fife included Stevie Kirk (At Agatha’s PS, Methil), later of Stoke City, East Fife and Motherwell. Dave Beaumont (Pathhead PS) went on to play for Dundee United and Kenny Ward (Holy Name PS, Oakley) went to Forfar. Five of the Edinburgh side later joined Hearts with three having illustrious careers at the top level. John Robertson (Parsons Green PS), Dave Bowman (also Parsons Green) and Gary Mackay (Balgreen PS). All three were key players iun the successful Hearts side of the mid 1980s. The other two, Andy Bruce and Scott Maxwell, made the first team at Tynecastle, but not for long.
That was 35 years ago . . . a different age in football’s development. The Schools FA is marginalized now with the running of international teams entrusted to the SFA Coaching Department. Whether or not that is an improvement is debatable especially given the achievements of some of these lads.
I’ve commented before on how interesting to look back at Schoolboy and Youth international teams from years gone by to see which players ‘made it’ and which didn’t.
Two fascinating programmes for Schools internationals played in 1975 came to my attention recently. The Under 15 team was always regarded as the ‘Blue Riband’ of schools football with the entire talent pool to choose from. The Under 18 side was different. The top players had almost certainly left school by that age and joined senior clubs.
From the class of 1975, a fair number of players from each team went on to have decent careers in the game. The Under 15 international was for a game against Northern Ireland at Tannadice in March 1975. Scotland were captained by Dundee United S Form signing Ray Stewart (Perth Grammar School) who would go on to play with distinction for West Ham United and Scotland. 'Tonka' had an amazing record with spot kicks at the highest level. Another member of the squad, Jim Bett (Earnock HS, Hamilton) would also win full international honours during his career with Rangers, Aberdeen and others. He was also a 'pioneer' in moving abroad to play with Lokeren of Belgium at a time when Scots abroadwere unknown, much like now! Of the other squad members the highest-achievements were probably from Stuart Robertson (Claremont HS, East Kilbiride) who went south to Burnley and Doncaster Rovers before playing out his career in Scotland with Falkirk, Dumbarton and Stirling amongst others. Stuart Cribbes (Craigmount HS, Edinburgh) was then on an S Form with Hibs but actually signed for Hearts without making much of an impact. Derek Strickland (Blackburn Academy) had an injury-curtailed career with Rangers and Hearts. John McCluskey (Holy Cross HS, Hamilton) was a Celtic S Form but never matched the achievements of his brother George.
The Under 18 side took on England at Kirkcaldy in May 75. Their captain was Sam Lynch (St Augustines HS, Edinburgh) who is now co-manager of Spartans. The side included Robert Aitken (St Andrews Academy, Ayrshire), better known as Roy, and a subsequent captain of Celtic and Scotland. 'The Bear' was Assistant Mqanager of Scotland under Alex McLeish. Stephen Paterson (Milnes High School, Fochabers) was signed by Manchester United and later became a successful manager with Inverness Caley Thistle. His time at Aberdeen was less successful and he has now quit football to return to his career in social work. Other players to make the grade included Arthur Grant (Holy Cross HS, Hamilton) with Clyde and Alloa, Billy Harper (Liberton HS) with Meadowbank an Brian Kinnear (Glenwood Secondary, Glasgow) with St Mirren.
Pre-match entertainment at Stark’s Park featured an Under 11 Primary School match between Fife and Edinburgh. Fife included Stevie Kirk (At Agatha’s PS, Methil), later of Stoke City, East Fife and Motherwell. Dave Beaumont (Pathhead PS) went on to play for Dundee United and Kenny Ward (Holy Name PS, Oakley) went to Forfar. Five of the Edinburgh side later joined Hearts with three having illustrious careers at the top level. John Robertson (Parsons Green PS), Dave Bowman (also Parsons Green) and Gary Mackay (Balgreen PS). All three were key players iun the successful Hearts side of the mid 1980s. The other two, Andy Bruce and Scott Maxwell, made the first team at Tynecastle, but not for long.
That was 35 years ago . . . a different age in football’s development. The Schools FA is marginalized now with the running of international teams entrusted to the SFA Coaching Department. Whether or not that is an improvement is debatable especially given the achievements of some of these lads.
Friday, 12 February 2010
A Tale of Two Games in a City
Understanding the structure of football in Scotland outside the SPL and SFL is not easy. Seniors, Juniors, Amateurs, Juveniles, Welfare . . . there are different rules and practices associated with each grade. So why do so many different grades of football persist?
It would not be entirely correct to think of these as different ‘levels’ of football. Any notion of a ‘hierarchy’ is flawed. Senior sounds like it should be better than Junior but it frequently is not. Juvenile sounds like it should be for kids, but it operates to Under 21 level. Amateur sounds like it should be played on public parks and whilst it often is, it sometimes isn’t. These grades are separate strands that have become entangled. Each strand is separate and distinct but together they could form one stronger woven chord.
Two games that took place in Edinburgh last Wednesday night well illustrate some of the anomalies that exist in the twilight world of Scottish football. Edinburgh City and Civil Service Strollers met in the East of Scotland League Premier Division at Meadowbank Stadium. Both of these clubs are full members of the Scottish Football Association which allows them to compete in the Scottish Cup – City were one game short of a ‘local derby’ against Hibernian in Round Five. Across the city, an East Region South Division Junior match went ahead between Spartans Juniors and Edinburgh United at Ainslie Park. This is the lowest level of the Junior ‘pyramid’. The admission charge at both games was £4.
The Senior East of Scotland League and the East Juniors run in parallel with each other. The standard of the top teams in each is comparable. The Juniors have more strength in depth and their poorest teams are not as weak as the strugglers in the Seniors. But the real anomaly is that teams who are close neighbours never meet competitively. Whitehill Welfare play next door to Bonnyrigg Rose and Newtongrange Star. Preston Athletic’s closest geographic neighbours are Tranent and Musselburgh. Furthermore, teams like Coldstream who play in a public park get automatic entry to the Scottish Cup every year, yet Linlithgow Rose and Newtongrange Star with fine floodlit grounds do not.
To explain why these different levels survive is actually quite easy – self interest, self preservation and the desire to perpetuate positions of influence just about sums it up. Each grade of football has its own administrators who are all ‘important’ in their small spheres of influence. They guard their ‘Associations’ jealously with talk of ‘tradition’ and ‘heritage’. Yet the lack of an integrated structure is nonsensical.
I’m not necessarily talking about a ‘pyramid’ system here. Perhaps that could evolve through time if teams were interested. What I am arguing for is the streamlining of administration to bring the different strands of non-league football under a single umbrella.
Take the aforementioned Spartans Juniors as an example. Spartans also run a team in the East Seniors which they regard as their ‘first team’. They’ve had great success in the Scottish Cup in recent times. But the two teams have to be run as separate entities. Last Wednesday the Juniors wanted to field a player from the Seniors who was recovering from injury. The Seniors had to cancel his registration and he signed new forms for the Juniors in order to play. Same club, same ground, same strips . . . same silly old rules.
A fundamental difficulty is the administration of football by committee. By their nature committees tend to be resistant to change. The ‘status quo’ and ‘precedent’ are easy to understand. To progress change committees must abdicate some of their power in favour of an Executive. Sadly there is little chance of this happening. Turkeys will not vote for Christmas.
It can, of course, be argued that nobody really cares. Edinburgh City v Civil Service Strollers – reported attendance approximately 25. Spartans Juniors v Edinburgh United – reported attendance approximately 50. Of these numbers fewer than half will have actually paid to get in. But why did the authorities of both grades decide to schedule their games at the same time as Hibs were playing Aberdeen at Easter Road, half a mile from Meadowbank and a couple of miles from Ainslie Park?
The marketing of no-league football leaves much to be desired. Fixtures are often arranged or re-arranged at short notice. Finding out about postponements involves much ‘googling’. National newspapers don’t carry fixtures on a regular basis. It would be great if a governing body would take an advertisement in newspapers on a weekly basis promoting the lower levels of football with fixtures and other information, or if they would collate and promote a dedicated user-friendly website that gave full information. To the SFA’s credit they have tried to do this through ‘Football Central’ but the coverage is patchy and inconsistent. Why? Because, some grades and Associations prefer to do their own thing.
It’s time for the SFA to show some initiative and bang heads together. It will not happen through committees, working groups and reports. Decisive executive action is required to promote and streamline these levels of football which provide spectator enjoyment and the opportunity for players to continue their careers at appropriate levels.
It would not be entirely correct to think of these as different ‘levels’ of football. Any notion of a ‘hierarchy’ is flawed. Senior sounds like it should be better than Junior but it frequently is not. Juvenile sounds like it should be for kids, but it operates to Under 21 level. Amateur sounds like it should be played on public parks and whilst it often is, it sometimes isn’t. These grades are separate strands that have become entangled. Each strand is separate and distinct but together they could form one stronger woven chord.
Two games that took place in Edinburgh last Wednesday night well illustrate some of the anomalies that exist in the twilight world of Scottish football. Edinburgh City and Civil Service Strollers met in the East of Scotland League Premier Division at Meadowbank Stadium. Both of these clubs are full members of the Scottish Football Association which allows them to compete in the Scottish Cup – City were one game short of a ‘local derby’ against Hibernian in Round Five. Across the city, an East Region South Division Junior match went ahead between Spartans Juniors and Edinburgh United at Ainslie Park. This is the lowest level of the Junior ‘pyramid’. The admission charge at both games was £4.
The Senior East of Scotland League and the East Juniors run in parallel with each other. The standard of the top teams in each is comparable. The Juniors have more strength in depth and their poorest teams are not as weak as the strugglers in the Seniors. But the real anomaly is that teams who are close neighbours never meet competitively. Whitehill Welfare play next door to Bonnyrigg Rose and Newtongrange Star. Preston Athletic’s closest geographic neighbours are Tranent and Musselburgh. Furthermore, teams like Coldstream who play in a public park get automatic entry to the Scottish Cup every year, yet Linlithgow Rose and Newtongrange Star with fine floodlit grounds do not.
To explain why these different levels survive is actually quite easy – self interest, self preservation and the desire to perpetuate positions of influence just about sums it up. Each grade of football has its own administrators who are all ‘important’ in their small spheres of influence. They guard their ‘Associations’ jealously with talk of ‘tradition’ and ‘heritage’. Yet the lack of an integrated structure is nonsensical.
I’m not necessarily talking about a ‘pyramid’ system here. Perhaps that could evolve through time if teams were interested. What I am arguing for is the streamlining of administration to bring the different strands of non-league football under a single umbrella.
Take the aforementioned Spartans Juniors as an example. Spartans also run a team in the East Seniors which they regard as their ‘first team’. They’ve had great success in the Scottish Cup in recent times. But the two teams have to be run as separate entities. Last Wednesday the Juniors wanted to field a player from the Seniors who was recovering from injury. The Seniors had to cancel his registration and he signed new forms for the Juniors in order to play. Same club, same ground, same strips . . . same silly old rules.
A fundamental difficulty is the administration of football by committee. By their nature committees tend to be resistant to change. The ‘status quo’ and ‘precedent’ are easy to understand. To progress change committees must abdicate some of their power in favour of an Executive. Sadly there is little chance of this happening. Turkeys will not vote for Christmas.
It can, of course, be argued that nobody really cares. Edinburgh City v Civil Service Strollers – reported attendance approximately 25. Spartans Juniors v Edinburgh United – reported attendance approximately 50. Of these numbers fewer than half will have actually paid to get in. But why did the authorities of both grades decide to schedule their games at the same time as Hibs were playing Aberdeen at Easter Road, half a mile from Meadowbank and a couple of miles from Ainslie Park?
The marketing of no-league football leaves much to be desired. Fixtures are often arranged or re-arranged at short notice. Finding out about postponements involves much ‘googling’. National newspapers don’t carry fixtures on a regular basis. It would be great if a governing body would take an advertisement in newspapers on a weekly basis promoting the lower levels of football with fixtures and other information, or if they would collate and promote a dedicated user-friendly website that gave full information. To the SFA’s credit they have tried to do this through ‘Football Central’ but the coverage is patchy and inconsistent. Why? Because, some grades and Associations prefer to do their own thing.
It’s time for the SFA to show some initiative and bang heads together. It will not happen through committees, working groups and reports. Decisive executive action is required to promote and streamline these levels of football which provide spectator enjoyment and the opportunity for players to continue their careers at appropriate levels.
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Scoland's Managerial Merry-Go-Round Turns Full Circle
The transfer window has passed without much activity in Scotland, with the notable exception of the comings and goings at Celtic. More interesting has been the rotation of the managerial merry-go-round which has seen four of the twelve SPL sides change manager over the past couple of months. One of the outcomes has been the departure of two ‘outsiders’ to be replaced by two weel kent faces. Is this good for Scottish football?
One of the management changes is easily dealt with. The SFA lured Craig Levein away to Hampden as national team manager. Although his Assistant Peter Houston initially said that he didn’t want the top job at Tannadice, impressive performances combined with a lack of money to bring in anyone else mean that he has now signed up to stay in charge until the end of the season. Doubtless this is a pragmatic move on all fronts. United get to see if he is up to the job; Houston gets the chance to see if he really does want it. It is due reward for a highly-respected coach who has worked with Craig Levein throughout his managerial career.
The situation at Motherwell is more murky. The Fir Park side appointed ex Stockport boss Jim Gannon to succeed Mark McGhee at the start of the season. Motherwell’s season started at the end of June with their UEFA Cup run which saw them get to Round 3. Gannon cobbled together a squad that looked quite impressive, blending home grown youth with some bargain basement buys from the English lower leagues. Several stalwarts of recent Motherwell seasons were sidelined. Initially Gannon was viewed as a breath of fresh air. He seemed tactically astute and Motherwell fans looked forward to a good season.
Behind the scenes all was not well. It is now clear that the players grew to dislike Gannon and his methods with a vengeance. Club Chairman John Boyle was frustrated that Gannon continually refused to sign a contract. He was linked with several jobs in England. Results began to become a problem. Gannon ran into difficulties with referees and had a very public fall out with the SFA’s referee supreme Hugh Dallas. His employment at Motherwell was terminated – a decision that apparently sparked scenes in the dressing room akin to winning the Cup.
Motherwell’s next move was to install Craig Brown as their caretaker manager with Archie Knox to assist him. Unkindly labelled as Jack and Victor after the Still Game characters, both had been out of football for some time. However, results showed an immediate improvement and morale was restored to the dressing room. They’ve now been rewarded with contracts until the end of 20010/11 – not bad for two guys who have been using their bus passes for quite a few years already. Brown actually started his coaching career at Fir Park in 1974.
If what went on at Motherwell was a little unseemly, events at Kilmarnock and Hearts were worse. In early January a long-running feud between Chairman and Manager ended with a parting of the ways. It was by ‘mutual consent’ although most observers reckoned tat the Chairman’s interfering with team affairs had something to do with it. It now seems that those suspicions may have been unfounded.
Killie had former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood in charge within days. He’d been out of work since the Summer and was happy to take a short-term appointment until the Summer. If Kilmarnock stay up then he may choose to stay on. If they don’t then he’ll be off. Calderwood has made no secret of his ambitions to manage in England and that remains his goal. If he succeeds at Killie it might put him in the shop window for such a move.
Meanwhile, over at Tynecastle the soap-opera that is Heart of Midlothian rumbles on. The general view was that Csabo Laszlo was a personable man and a competent coach. His post-match interviews became legendary – often taking three our four minutes to answer a question without drawing breath. His passion for football was evident, as was his frustration at having to deal with the Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov. Laszlo had a limited transfer budget and felt that he could not bring in the players required. In particular he needed a striker to allow him to ditch the ineffective Christian Nade. Romanov seemed to take pleasure in denying Laszlo his wishes. Finally, on the eve of an important week for the club with a vital League game and a CIS Cup Semi Final, Laszlo was sacked.
Within two hours it was announced that Jim Jefferies would be his replacement, returning to Hearts for a second spell. Events began to fall into place. It may be more than conspiracy theory to say that Jefferies had been sounded out about a move to Hearts before his departure by ‘mutual consent’ from Kilmarnock. Laszlo may have been the last man to know that he was about to be fired.
The upshot of all this the departures of Gannon and Laszlo, the return of Craig Brown and Jimmy Calderwood, and a change of scenery for evergreen Jim Jefferies. It doesn’t really do much to ‘freshen up’ the management and coaching in the SPL – it perpetuates the existing ‘elite’. There’s been no move for Billy Reid who has done so well with Hamilton Accies. Perhaps he’s just not a member of the right cliques.
One of the management changes is easily dealt with. The SFA lured Craig Levein away to Hampden as national team manager. Although his Assistant Peter Houston initially said that he didn’t want the top job at Tannadice, impressive performances combined with a lack of money to bring in anyone else mean that he has now signed up to stay in charge until the end of the season. Doubtless this is a pragmatic move on all fronts. United get to see if he is up to the job; Houston gets the chance to see if he really does want it. It is due reward for a highly-respected coach who has worked with Craig Levein throughout his managerial career.
The situation at Motherwell is more murky. The Fir Park side appointed ex Stockport boss Jim Gannon to succeed Mark McGhee at the start of the season. Motherwell’s season started at the end of June with their UEFA Cup run which saw them get to Round 3. Gannon cobbled together a squad that looked quite impressive, blending home grown youth with some bargain basement buys from the English lower leagues. Several stalwarts of recent Motherwell seasons were sidelined. Initially Gannon was viewed as a breath of fresh air. He seemed tactically astute and Motherwell fans looked forward to a good season.
Behind the scenes all was not well. It is now clear that the players grew to dislike Gannon and his methods with a vengeance. Club Chairman John Boyle was frustrated that Gannon continually refused to sign a contract. He was linked with several jobs in England. Results began to become a problem. Gannon ran into difficulties with referees and had a very public fall out with the SFA’s referee supreme Hugh Dallas. His employment at Motherwell was terminated – a decision that apparently sparked scenes in the dressing room akin to winning the Cup.
Motherwell’s next move was to install Craig Brown as their caretaker manager with Archie Knox to assist him. Unkindly labelled as Jack and Victor after the Still Game characters, both had been out of football for some time. However, results showed an immediate improvement and morale was restored to the dressing room. They’ve now been rewarded with contracts until the end of 20010/11 – not bad for two guys who have been using their bus passes for quite a few years already. Brown actually started his coaching career at Fir Park in 1974.
If what went on at Motherwell was a little unseemly, events at Kilmarnock and Hearts were worse. In early January a long-running feud between Chairman and Manager ended with a parting of the ways. It was by ‘mutual consent’ although most observers reckoned tat the Chairman’s interfering with team affairs had something to do with it. It now seems that those suspicions may have been unfounded.
Killie had former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood in charge within days. He’d been out of work since the Summer and was happy to take a short-term appointment until the Summer. If Kilmarnock stay up then he may choose to stay on. If they don’t then he’ll be off. Calderwood has made no secret of his ambitions to manage in England and that remains his goal. If he succeeds at Killie it might put him in the shop window for such a move.
Meanwhile, over at Tynecastle the soap-opera that is Heart of Midlothian rumbles on. The general view was that Csabo Laszlo was a personable man and a competent coach. His post-match interviews became legendary – often taking three our four minutes to answer a question without drawing breath. His passion for football was evident, as was his frustration at having to deal with the Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov. Laszlo had a limited transfer budget and felt that he could not bring in the players required. In particular he needed a striker to allow him to ditch the ineffective Christian Nade. Romanov seemed to take pleasure in denying Laszlo his wishes. Finally, on the eve of an important week for the club with a vital League game and a CIS Cup Semi Final, Laszlo was sacked.
Within two hours it was announced that Jim Jefferies would be his replacement, returning to Hearts for a second spell. Events began to fall into place. It may be more than conspiracy theory to say that Jefferies had been sounded out about a move to Hearts before his departure by ‘mutual consent’ from Kilmarnock. Laszlo may have been the last man to know that he was about to be fired.
The upshot of all this the departures of Gannon and Laszlo, the return of Craig Brown and Jimmy Calderwood, and a change of scenery for evergreen Jim Jefferies. It doesn’t really do much to ‘freshen up’ the management and coaching in the SPL – it perpetuates the existing ‘elite’. There’s been no move for Billy Reid who has done so well with Hamilton Accies. Perhaps he’s just not a member of the right cliques.
Friday, 29 January 2010
Mowbray's Woes - Le Guen Revisited?
It would appear that a section of the Celtic support have already got the knives out for Tony Mowbray. Ten points behind Rangers simply isn’t good enough. Mowbray’s talk of a three-year project to build a new Celtic team cuts no ice. If it all sounds a little familiar, just turn the clock back a few years and cross the city to Paul Le Guen’s Rangers ‘project’.
Rangers supporters were jubilant when Le Guen was appointed to the Ibrox post. He was man with European pedigree. His reputation for developing young players was second to none. He ran marathons across the Sahara Desert. This was a 21st Century Jock Wallace. What the fans didn’t realise or chose not to notice was that Le Guen was operating with a much tighter budget than his predecessors. His signings came from the ‘bargain basement’ section of the transfer market.
Le Guen also had to deal with some heavily entrenched attitudes in the Rangers dressing room. The ‘Monster Munch’ brigade, led by captain Barry Ferguson, did not take kindly to Le Guen’s training regime, ideas about diet and health, and above all his resistance to the ‘booze culture’ which permeated the dressing room.
The relationship between manager and key players broke down, results declined, and by December the banners that had acclaimed ‘PLG’ were out again, but this time saying ‘Please Leave Govan’.
Le Guen discovered that breaking the mentality of Scottish football is nigh on impossible. There’s no other country where finishing second is totally unacceptable. Rangers, and Celtic, must win every game. They must win everything. If they don’t it is a crisis, and if they do it is just what is expected.
Tony Mowbray faces many of the same problems as Le Guen did. He’s operating on a reduced budget. To bring in new players he has had to move on some of the more experienced and higher paid members of the squad. He is also up against a fan-base who will not accept second place. They must finish ahead of Rangers. They may sign about ‘Playing Football the Celtic Way’ but they do not mean it. Winning is all that really counts.
Mowbray does not seem to have as serious a dressing room problem that Le Guen faced. There’s been no rumours of the sort of incidents that punctuated Gordon Strachan’s reign at Parkhead when boxing gloves might have been appropriate training gear. But he does have a number of big ego players to deal with who don’t always play as well as they might think.
Last week Mowbray made reference to ‘dark forces at work’ trying to unsettle things at Parkhead. He didn’t elaborate. Failing to do so leaves his meaning open to conjecture. Does he mean the press, printing half-baked rumours as fact? Does he mean that some players have been trying to undermine his authority?
Whatever, it remains to be seen how much time Mowbray will be given. Attendances at Parkhead have dropped sharply this season. Many season ticket holders simply don’t attend games. If they fail to renew their season tickets then business pressures may dictate that a change is needed. And watching Mowbray’s body language, it is easy to get the impression that he wouldn’t mind having the weight of Celtic and their expectations taken off his shoulders.
Rangers supporters were jubilant when Le Guen was appointed to the Ibrox post. He was man with European pedigree. His reputation for developing young players was second to none. He ran marathons across the Sahara Desert. This was a 21st Century Jock Wallace. What the fans didn’t realise or chose not to notice was that Le Guen was operating with a much tighter budget than his predecessors. His signings came from the ‘bargain basement’ section of the transfer market.
Le Guen also had to deal with some heavily entrenched attitudes in the Rangers dressing room. The ‘Monster Munch’ brigade, led by captain Barry Ferguson, did not take kindly to Le Guen’s training regime, ideas about diet and health, and above all his resistance to the ‘booze culture’ which permeated the dressing room.
The relationship between manager and key players broke down, results declined, and by December the banners that had acclaimed ‘PLG’ were out again, but this time saying ‘Please Leave Govan’.
Le Guen discovered that breaking the mentality of Scottish football is nigh on impossible. There’s no other country where finishing second is totally unacceptable. Rangers, and Celtic, must win every game. They must win everything. If they don’t it is a crisis, and if they do it is just what is expected.
Tony Mowbray faces many of the same problems as Le Guen did. He’s operating on a reduced budget. To bring in new players he has had to move on some of the more experienced and higher paid members of the squad. He is also up against a fan-base who will not accept second place. They must finish ahead of Rangers. They may sign about ‘Playing Football the Celtic Way’ but they do not mean it. Winning is all that really counts.
Mowbray does not seem to have as serious a dressing room problem that Le Guen faced. There’s been no rumours of the sort of incidents that punctuated Gordon Strachan’s reign at Parkhead when boxing gloves might have been appropriate training gear. But he does have a number of big ego players to deal with who don’t always play as well as they might think.
Last week Mowbray made reference to ‘dark forces at work’ trying to unsettle things at Parkhead. He didn’t elaborate. Failing to do so leaves his meaning open to conjecture. Does he mean the press, printing half-baked rumours as fact? Does he mean that some players have been trying to undermine his authority?
Whatever, it remains to be seen how much time Mowbray will be given. Attendances at Parkhead have dropped sharply this season. Many season ticket holders simply don’t attend games. If they fail to renew their season tickets then business pressures may dictate that a change is needed. And watching Mowbray’s body language, it is easy to get the impression that he wouldn’t mind having the weight of Celtic and their expectations taken off his shoulders.
Friday, 22 January 2010
The Pars, The SFA and the Integrity of Scottish Football
Yesterday’s decision by an SFA Appeals Committee to overturn the band handed to Dunfermline Athletic for fielding an ineligible player is astonishing, The Pars have been told they must replay the match, this time away from home, and they have also been handed various fines totalling around £30,000.
The initial ban was imposed by the SFA’s Emergency Committee. This Committee is a small group comprised of the top office bearers of the SFA. President George Peat, Vice President Campbell Ogilvie and Chief Executive Gordon Smith were three of the five men involved. The rules of the SFA do not state what punishment should be applied in a case of this nature. Instead, the Emergency Committee are empowered to deal with the offending club ‘as they see fit’.
Dunfermline’s decision to appeal was based on the severity of the punishment. They did not deny that they had breached the regulations but their argument was that punishments handed down to other clubs had been less severe. No two situations have been exactly the same so it is difficult to be sure about the relevance of previous instances.
The Appeals Committee is made up of a independent QC and several ‘ordinary’ SFA Council members – not office bearers of the Association. The presence of the QC is partly to advise on points of law. In Scots law precedent is all important. Their decision to overturn the cup ban given to Dunfermline must cast doubt on the ability of the Emergency Committee to undertake their work. Messrs Peat, Ogilvie and Smith have been over-ruled when trying to apply their own rules. The punishment they came up with has been deemed to be exscessive. The oft-quoted maxim that the SFA make up the rules as they go along never seems to have been more appropriate.
Even the decision to replay the game at Stenhousemuir defies precedent and logic. Any other time when a match has been effectively nullified, the replay takes place on the same ground as the first game. It is not, in fact, a replay. It is a re-staging of the first game.
This time the replay is a one-off game to be played to a finish. This is a sensible decision but it does contradict precedent and the SFA rules.
Dunfermline are delighted to have a second chance, despite having fielded a player who was not eligible to take part in the first game. Stenhousemuir, who did not lodge a protest, but trusted the SFA to investigate the matter and deal with it, are left confused.
After their win over Morton it is Celtic who await the winners. That means a major pay day for either Stenhousemuir or Dunfermline. If it is Dunfermline who go through then it seems to suggest that cheating pays off. OK, they may have not intended to break the rules, but that has never been much of a defence in a case such as this.
And all this on the same day that the SFA issued a statement saying they would not allow clubs to change names because it called into question the integrity of the game.
Integrity? Scottish football? Aye right.
The initial ban was imposed by the SFA’s Emergency Committee. This Committee is a small group comprised of the top office bearers of the SFA. President George Peat, Vice President Campbell Ogilvie and Chief Executive Gordon Smith were three of the five men involved. The rules of the SFA do not state what punishment should be applied in a case of this nature. Instead, the Emergency Committee are empowered to deal with the offending club ‘as they see fit’.
Dunfermline’s decision to appeal was based on the severity of the punishment. They did not deny that they had breached the regulations but their argument was that punishments handed down to other clubs had been less severe. No two situations have been exactly the same so it is difficult to be sure about the relevance of previous instances.
The Appeals Committee is made up of a independent QC and several ‘ordinary’ SFA Council members – not office bearers of the Association. The presence of the QC is partly to advise on points of law. In Scots law precedent is all important. Their decision to overturn the cup ban given to Dunfermline must cast doubt on the ability of the Emergency Committee to undertake their work. Messrs Peat, Ogilvie and Smith have been over-ruled when trying to apply their own rules. The punishment they came up with has been deemed to be exscessive. The oft-quoted maxim that the SFA make up the rules as they go along never seems to have been more appropriate.
Even the decision to replay the game at Stenhousemuir defies precedent and logic. Any other time when a match has been effectively nullified, the replay takes place on the same ground as the first game. It is not, in fact, a replay. It is a re-staging of the first game.
This time the replay is a one-off game to be played to a finish. This is a sensible decision but it does contradict precedent and the SFA rules.
Dunfermline are delighted to have a second chance, despite having fielded a player who was not eligible to take part in the first game. Stenhousemuir, who did not lodge a protest, but trusted the SFA to investigate the matter and deal with it, are left confused.
After their win over Morton it is Celtic who await the winners. That means a major pay day for either Stenhousemuir or Dunfermline. If it is Dunfermline who go through then it seems to suggest that cheating pays off. OK, they may have not intended to break the rules, but that has never been much of a defence in a case such as this.
And all this on the same day that the SFA issued a statement saying they would not allow clubs to change names because it called into question the integrity of the game.
Integrity? Scottish football? Aye right.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
What's In A Name?
Money is tight in football these days and clubs must consider all avenues to raise funds. The Supporters Trust group at Stirling Albion who are currently trying to buy the club from elderly Chairman Peter McKenzie have been investigating many fund raising ideas. Their spokesperson, Paul Goodwin, announced at the weekend that they were in discussion with ‘comparethemarket.com’ about a groundbreaking sponsorship deal. For a payment of £50,000 per season, the price comparison website would see the club name changed to Stirling Albion Meerkats.
No, it isn’t April 1st. Apparently the idea really has been floated. The SFA have been quick to respond saying that they will make a ruling outlawing such changes because they ‘damage the integrity of football’.
It’s an interesting response and typical of the sort of knee-jerk reactions that have come out of the SFA in recent times. One would have hoped that they would have learned from ill-judged soundbytes when further reflection would be more appropriate.
The naming of football clubs after commercial ventures is nothing new. The Heart of Midlothian may be a novel by Sir Walter Scott and a cobbled mosaic in the centre of Edinburgh but the football club was named after the Heart of Midlothian Dance Hall. It’s where the players used to meet up and may well be the first example of sponsorship in Scottish football.
In Aberdeen Junior football the prominent clubs include Lewis United and Hall Russell United. Both were the works teams of shipbuilding and engineering yards and bear the company names. In the 1970s the SFA were happy to allow Ferranti Thistle to compete in the Scottish Cup – it was the Scottish Football League that insisted they change their name to Meadowbank Thistle.
In other countries commercial interests have their title in club names. PSV Eindhoven and Bayer Leverkusen are prominent examples, but Central and Eastern Europe have many more instances. Artmedia Bratislava anyone? Red Bull Salzburg?
If naming clubs after their sponsors in ok in these places, why should it be outlawed in Scotland? Football is in no position to turn down lucrative sponsorship. The obvious answer to the problem is for clubs to be allowed to add the name of their sponsor to their official title, but not to replace their name entirely. Stirling Albion Meerkats would be fine. Meerkat Manor FC would not.
From the perspective of the sponsor, such name changes certainly achieve their purpose. Every football fans has heard of Total Network Solutions although they may not be exactly sure what they do. Re-naming of stadia is less successful in terms of publicity. In Scotland, who knows where the Intelligent Finance Stadium was? Or the First To Finance Stadium? Or even the wonderful Rainbow Taxis Stadium?
The SFA’s stance reeks of double standards. It’s ok to re-name the Scottish Cup in return for financial game. The Scottish Cup Final, sponsored as the Active Nation Scottish Cup, may go ahead with two teams running about with booze adverts on their jerseys. And that damages the integrity of the game?
If the SFA’s point is that clubs should not be able to improve their playing potential through lucrative sponsorship then we might as well go back to the 1880s and become Amateurs. Clubs must be allowed to maximise their revenue sources. And if, in so doing, they can secure new income streams that allow them to reduce admission prices, then that would surely be good for the game.
Stirling Albion supporters might have their reservations about becoming meerkats. But they will have even bigger reservations about their club going out of existence. Surely that is more of a threat to the integrity of the game than anything?
No, it isn’t April 1st. Apparently the idea really has been floated. The SFA have been quick to respond saying that they will make a ruling outlawing such changes because they ‘damage the integrity of football’.
It’s an interesting response and typical of the sort of knee-jerk reactions that have come out of the SFA in recent times. One would have hoped that they would have learned from ill-judged soundbytes when further reflection would be more appropriate.
The naming of football clubs after commercial ventures is nothing new. The Heart of Midlothian may be a novel by Sir Walter Scott and a cobbled mosaic in the centre of Edinburgh but the football club was named after the Heart of Midlothian Dance Hall. It’s where the players used to meet up and may well be the first example of sponsorship in Scottish football.
In Aberdeen Junior football the prominent clubs include Lewis United and Hall Russell United. Both were the works teams of shipbuilding and engineering yards and bear the company names. In the 1970s the SFA were happy to allow Ferranti Thistle to compete in the Scottish Cup – it was the Scottish Football League that insisted they change their name to Meadowbank Thistle.
In other countries commercial interests have their title in club names. PSV Eindhoven and Bayer Leverkusen are prominent examples, but Central and Eastern Europe have many more instances. Artmedia Bratislava anyone? Red Bull Salzburg?
If naming clubs after their sponsors in ok in these places, why should it be outlawed in Scotland? Football is in no position to turn down lucrative sponsorship. The obvious answer to the problem is for clubs to be allowed to add the name of their sponsor to their official title, but not to replace their name entirely. Stirling Albion Meerkats would be fine. Meerkat Manor FC would not.
From the perspective of the sponsor, such name changes certainly achieve their purpose. Every football fans has heard of Total Network Solutions although they may not be exactly sure what they do. Re-naming of stadia is less successful in terms of publicity. In Scotland, who knows where the Intelligent Finance Stadium was? Or the First To Finance Stadium? Or even the wonderful Rainbow Taxis Stadium?
The SFA’s stance reeks of double standards. It’s ok to re-name the Scottish Cup in return for financial game. The Scottish Cup Final, sponsored as the Active Nation Scottish Cup, may go ahead with two teams running about with booze adverts on their jerseys. And that damages the integrity of the game?
If the SFA’s point is that clubs should not be able to improve their playing potential through lucrative sponsorship then we might as well go back to the 1880s and become Amateurs. Clubs must be allowed to maximise their revenue sources. And if, in so doing, they can secure new income streams that allow them to reduce admission prices, then that would surely be good for the game.
Stirling Albion supporters might have their reservations about becoming meerkats. But they will have even bigger reservations about their club going out of existence. Surely that is more of a threat to the integrity of the game than anything?
Monday, 18 January 2010
Paul Lambert and Owen Coyle - Born to Win?
Owen Coyle’s high profile move to Bolton as manager may have been big news in the past week, but there are other Scottish managers working miracles in the English Leagues. None are doing better than Paul Lambert, who has taken Norwich City into the promotion spots in League One.
There are many parallels between Coyle and Lambert. They have similar personalities. Both are hugely motivated and ambitious. Both are serious students of the game and expect the highest levels of commitment from those they work with. Where they differ is that Lambert’s playing career was mainly fulfilled at a higher level.
It’s not a well known fact that he was the first UK player to win a Champions League winners medal, or that he was the first UK player to win the European Cup or Champions League with a non-UK club, dating back to the start of the tournament in 1955.
Coyle and Lambert began their careers in similar fashions. Coyle was at Dumbarton when Lambert stepped up from Juvenile football to St Mirren. As a teenager he was quickly promoted to the first team and played in the winning Scotish Cup Final side of 1987. Buddies manager Alex Smith rated him highly and made sure that his name was to the fore in youth international squads.
By St Mirren standards Lambert was well-rewarded and he stayed with the Paisley side until 1993. By then his career had stumbled a little. St Mirren had been relegated and Lambert was often described as a ‘luxury player’. By his own admission he had lost some hunger from the game and was failing to live up to his potential. And that potential was still considerable. Whilst Coyle was a prolific scorer in the Scottish Leagues, he was never likely to reach the highest levels of the game. Around 1993 Lambert made a decision that he had to move on and push himself harder.
Motherwell signed him. Under Alex McLeish the Lanarkshire side had a brief spell as the ‘third force’ in Scottish football. Lambert’s midfield skills helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup. For provincial Scottish clubs playing in Europe is a major achievement. The draw was awaited with anticipation – Motherwell avoided the thankless trip to Eastern Europe and came out of the hat against Borussia Dortmund. Although beaten over the two legs Motherwell acquitted themselves very well and Lambert stood out as an influential midfield player.
Dortmund, under Omar Hitzfeld, were starting their spell as one of European football’s major forces. But it was something of a surprise when, in 1996, they came back to Motherwell to sign Lambert. They’d tracked him since the UEFA Cup meeting and were impressed with what they saw.
Lambert was a key player in Dortmund’s team of 96/7. They marched all the way to the Champions League Final with Lambert in their team. In the final, when they defeated Juventus 3-1, Lambert was given the job of man marking Zidane. Most people reckoned Lambert was the man of the match.
He learned a great deal in Germany. He learned about training methods, health and the commitment expected from top professionals. It contrasted with the ‘booze culture’ of Scottish football and made a lasting impression on Lambert. However, his family were unable to settle in Germany and it was as a consequence of that he moved back to Scotland with Celtic late in 1997.
Honours piled up as he was central to the success of the Celtic side of the late 90s and early 2000s. He won 40 international caps, compared to Own Coyle’s single appearance. Lambert played in the World Cup Finals and was generally regarded as Scotland’s top player at that time. But he was already looking to the next stage of his career, as a Coach. He undertook courses with the SFA at Largs but he wanted to widen his horizons. In his final year at Celtic the Glasgow club gave him leave of absence to complete his UEFA Coaching Licence in Germany. It was almost unknown for the German FA to allow non-nationals onto their course but Lambert’s credential were impressive.
Having gained all the necessary qualifications, Lambert’s career again began to parallel that of Coyle. Both started their coaching carers at middle order Scottish sides. Coyle was at Falkirk, Lambert was at Livingston. His tenure at the West Lothian side was unhappy as the club were split by boardroom difficulties and financial woes. Unhappy at his own performance, he resigned – just as Coyle left Falkirk because he felt it was not the right move for him at the time.
Lambert looked around for a job and was rewarded by Wycombe Wanderers. He helped them to a League Cup Semi Final against Chelsea. But he again re-signed because he felt that he could not take the club any further. Next stop was Colchester where he felt there was more potential – in his final game in charge they won 7-1 away to Norwich City. The Canaries moved in and offered him the job at Carrow Road and he took it.
Meanwhile Coyle had returned to management with St Johnstone, and then to Burnley and now Bolton. He may be the man in the Premiership at present but Lambert will not be far behind him. If it isn’t with Norwich in two years time then some other top flight club will recognise his potential and give him the opportunity.
Both men are talented and highly ambitious But the one word which sums up both of them is ‘winners’.
There are many parallels between Coyle and Lambert. They have similar personalities. Both are hugely motivated and ambitious. Both are serious students of the game and expect the highest levels of commitment from those they work with. Where they differ is that Lambert’s playing career was mainly fulfilled at a higher level.
It’s not a well known fact that he was the first UK player to win a Champions League winners medal, or that he was the first UK player to win the European Cup or Champions League with a non-UK club, dating back to the start of the tournament in 1955.
Coyle and Lambert began their careers in similar fashions. Coyle was at Dumbarton when Lambert stepped up from Juvenile football to St Mirren. As a teenager he was quickly promoted to the first team and played in the winning Scotish Cup Final side of 1987. Buddies manager Alex Smith rated him highly and made sure that his name was to the fore in youth international squads.
By St Mirren standards Lambert was well-rewarded and he stayed with the Paisley side until 1993. By then his career had stumbled a little. St Mirren had been relegated and Lambert was often described as a ‘luxury player’. By his own admission he had lost some hunger from the game and was failing to live up to his potential. And that potential was still considerable. Whilst Coyle was a prolific scorer in the Scottish Leagues, he was never likely to reach the highest levels of the game. Around 1993 Lambert made a decision that he had to move on and push himself harder.
Motherwell signed him. Under Alex McLeish the Lanarkshire side had a brief spell as the ‘third force’ in Scottish football. Lambert’s midfield skills helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup. For provincial Scottish clubs playing in Europe is a major achievement. The draw was awaited with anticipation – Motherwell avoided the thankless trip to Eastern Europe and came out of the hat against Borussia Dortmund. Although beaten over the two legs Motherwell acquitted themselves very well and Lambert stood out as an influential midfield player.
Dortmund, under Omar Hitzfeld, were starting their spell as one of European football’s major forces. But it was something of a surprise when, in 1996, they came back to Motherwell to sign Lambert. They’d tracked him since the UEFA Cup meeting and were impressed with what they saw.
Lambert was a key player in Dortmund’s team of 96/7. They marched all the way to the Champions League Final with Lambert in their team. In the final, when they defeated Juventus 3-1, Lambert was given the job of man marking Zidane. Most people reckoned Lambert was the man of the match.
He learned a great deal in Germany. He learned about training methods, health and the commitment expected from top professionals. It contrasted with the ‘booze culture’ of Scottish football and made a lasting impression on Lambert. However, his family were unable to settle in Germany and it was as a consequence of that he moved back to Scotland with Celtic late in 1997.
Honours piled up as he was central to the success of the Celtic side of the late 90s and early 2000s. He won 40 international caps, compared to Own Coyle’s single appearance. Lambert played in the World Cup Finals and was generally regarded as Scotland’s top player at that time. But he was already looking to the next stage of his career, as a Coach. He undertook courses with the SFA at Largs but he wanted to widen his horizons. In his final year at Celtic the Glasgow club gave him leave of absence to complete his UEFA Coaching Licence in Germany. It was almost unknown for the German FA to allow non-nationals onto their course but Lambert’s credential were impressive.
Having gained all the necessary qualifications, Lambert’s career again began to parallel that of Coyle. Both started their coaching carers at middle order Scottish sides. Coyle was at Falkirk, Lambert was at Livingston. His tenure at the West Lothian side was unhappy as the club were split by boardroom difficulties and financial woes. Unhappy at his own performance, he resigned – just as Coyle left Falkirk because he felt it was not the right move for him at the time.
Lambert looked around for a job and was rewarded by Wycombe Wanderers. He helped them to a League Cup Semi Final against Chelsea. But he again re-signed because he felt that he could not take the club any further. Next stop was Colchester where he felt there was more potential – in his final game in charge they won 7-1 away to Norwich City. The Canaries moved in and offered him the job at Carrow Road and he took it.
Meanwhile Coyle had returned to management with St Johnstone, and then to Burnley and now Bolton. He may be the man in the Premiership at present but Lambert will not be far behind him. If it isn’t with Norwich in two years time then some other top flight club will recognise his potential and give him the opportunity.
Both men are talented and highly ambitious But the one word which sums up both of them is ‘winners’.
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Mo Mo Not So Super Mo
Montrose FC. One of the many provincial Scottish clubs who rattle around the lower leagues with little prospect of reaching the top level. Their loyal fans live in the hope of the occasional good season which might bring a promotion; They anticipate the odd Cup run that might lead to a decent tie against lucrative opponents.
But for Montrose, more than any other club, recent years have brought nothing but failure. Last week they took the initiative and switched their fixture with Stranraer from an away game to a home game, taking advantage of the artificial surface at Links Park. Montrose, known in the reerence book as the Gable Endies but more often just called the Mo, were still looking for their first League win of the season. We are more than half way through January, and halfway through the League programme, and still they do not have a win on the board.
With fifteen minutes left to play at Links Park yesterday the stalwarts who had turned out must have been anticipating some celebration. 4-2 up and seemingly cruising against Stranraer, hopes of a first win were growing. But Stranraer fought back with three goals in the last fifteen minutes to win 5-4. It's not the sort of result that will boost morale prior to Monday's visit to Edinburgh City for a tricky-looking Scottish Cup tie.
Yet it has not always been such doom and gloom for Montrose. In the 1970s they were, for a brief spell, one of the leading Second Division teams. Their neighbours Arbroath enjoyed a few seasons in the top flight of the then two-division structure. Others such as East Fife, Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton made it to Division One. But during a spell when Montrose should have done it, they were thwarted by league reconstruction and last-gasp failure.
It was season 1974/5. The Scottish Football League gad decided that from 1975/6 they would move to a three-division structure. In 1974/5, the top ten clubs in the First Division one would qualify for the new Premier Division. The remaining eight, plus the top six Second Division teams would form Division One, with the remaining 14 clubs consigned to Division Two.
The Second Division campaign of 1974/5 took on an unusual feel. Target for clubs was a 'top six' place. Whereas before, finishing in the top two meant promotion and games against Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen and the other leading clubs, in 1974/5 it didn't matter who finished first and second. First place would at least lead to a Championship medal, but the top six was the target.
In any normal season it would have been the most exciting Second Division title race for years. Falkirk, Queen of the South and Montrose led the way for most of the season. In fact, throughout February, March and into April, Montrose led the table. Going into their final game, they were assured of a top six place, and had a great chance of finishing in the top two. The positions were thus:
P W D L GD PTS
Falkirk 36 26 1 9 45 53
Montrose 37 23 7 7 36 53
Queen of the South 37 23 6 7 44 52
Montrose travelled to Albion Rovers knowing that a win would guarantee second place, at least. Even a draw would get them second spot if Queen of the South failed to win at Raith Rovers. And what happened? Falkirk lost at Clydebank, Queen of the South drew at Raith Rovers and Montrose crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Coatbridge. Given Falkirk's result, a win for Montrose would not only have got them second place, it might well have given them the Championship.
However, in terms of promotion it made no difference - the Gable Endies were safely into Division One. And amazingly, in 1975/6, they finished third behind Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle , making them the 13th best team in Scotland.
Teams that finished below Montrose included Falkirk and Queen of the South, as well as St Mirren, Airdrie, Hamilton, Morton, Dunfermline and sundry others who would regard themselves as bigger clubs.
Those were halcyon days for the Mo. The Cups brought their own highlights. In 74/5 they put twelve goals past Vale of Leithen in the Borders. In 75/6 they really surpassed themselves. In the early season League Cup section they were comfortable winners. Drawn against Hibs in the Quarter Finals they lost the first leg at Easter Road 1-0. The second leg, at a packed Links Park, went to extra time before Les Barr's 80-yard punt secured victory. That led to a Semi Final appearance against Rangers, played inevitably at 'neutral' Hampden. Amazingly Montrose led 1-0 at half time before succumbing to a 5-1 defeat.
In the Scottish Cup Montrose reached the Quarter Finals and played Hearts. More than 8000 were squeezed into Links Park to see a thrilling 2-2 draw. There were more than 16,000 at the replay in Edinburgh, which ended 2-2 after extra time. By this time the draw for the Semi Finals had been made with the winners due to face Dumbarton. It wasn't a bye into the final but it was certainly a favourable draw. And with Rangers looking likely to win the double, then even reaching the Cup Final could guarantee European Football. So, as the teams met for a third time at St Johnstone's Muirton Park, Montrose knew that a win, followed by a win over Dumbarton, could have them in the hat with the cream of Europe.
Again the match went to extra time. There were over 10,000 there, with Hearts eventually squeezing through by 2-1.
Since then it has been pretty much downhill for Montrose. Their team of little-known players proved to be the most successful the club has ever produced. Les Barr, Dennis D'Arcy, Bobby Livingstone, Davie Gorman, Harry Johnston and their mates may not be household names in the history of Scottish football, but in Montrose at least they are revered.
Back to 2010. Montrose Manager Steven Tweed has played football all over the world. As well as Scotland and England he's played professionally in Japan and Germany. But he'll never have faced such a challenge as he has at Links Park. Eighteen games without a League win; A banana-skin of a Cup tie tomorrow night . . . He'll need all his experience to turn things around at Links Park. Those successful days of the mid 70s seem a long way off.
But for Montrose, more than any other club, recent years have brought nothing but failure. Last week they took the initiative and switched their fixture with Stranraer from an away game to a home game, taking advantage of the artificial surface at Links Park. Montrose, known in the reerence book as the Gable Endies but more often just called the Mo, were still looking for their first League win of the season. We are more than half way through January, and halfway through the League programme, and still they do not have a win on the board.
With fifteen minutes left to play at Links Park yesterday the stalwarts who had turned out must have been anticipating some celebration. 4-2 up and seemingly cruising against Stranraer, hopes of a first win were growing. But Stranraer fought back with three goals in the last fifteen minutes to win 5-4. It's not the sort of result that will boost morale prior to Monday's visit to Edinburgh City for a tricky-looking Scottish Cup tie.
Yet it has not always been such doom and gloom for Montrose. In the 1970s they were, for a brief spell, one of the leading Second Division teams. Their neighbours Arbroath enjoyed a few seasons in the top flight of the then two-division structure. Others such as East Fife, Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton made it to Division One. But during a spell when Montrose should have done it, they were thwarted by league reconstruction and last-gasp failure.
It was season 1974/5. The Scottish Football League gad decided that from 1975/6 they would move to a three-division structure. In 1974/5, the top ten clubs in the First Division one would qualify for the new Premier Division. The remaining eight, plus the top six Second Division teams would form Division One, with the remaining 14 clubs consigned to Division Two.
The Second Division campaign of 1974/5 took on an unusual feel. Target for clubs was a 'top six' place. Whereas before, finishing in the top two meant promotion and games against Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen and the other leading clubs, in 1974/5 it didn't matter who finished first and second. First place would at least lead to a Championship medal, but the top six was the target.
In any normal season it would have been the most exciting Second Division title race for years. Falkirk, Queen of the South and Montrose led the way for most of the season. In fact, throughout February, March and into April, Montrose led the table. Going into their final game, they were assured of a top six place, and had a great chance of finishing in the top two. The positions were thus:
P W D L GD PTS
Falkirk 36 26 1 9 45 53
Montrose 37 23 7 7 36 53
Queen of the South 37 23 6 7 44 52
Montrose travelled to Albion Rovers knowing that a win would guarantee second place, at least. Even a draw would get them second spot if Queen of the South failed to win at Raith Rovers. And what happened? Falkirk lost at Clydebank, Queen of the South drew at Raith Rovers and Montrose crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Coatbridge. Given Falkirk's result, a win for Montrose would not only have got them second place, it might well have given them the Championship.
However, in terms of promotion it made no difference - the Gable Endies were safely into Division One. And amazingly, in 1975/6, they finished third behind Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle , making them the 13th best team in Scotland.
Teams that finished below Montrose included Falkirk and Queen of the South, as well as St Mirren, Airdrie, Hamilton, Morton, Dunfermline and sundry others who would regard themselves as bigger clubs.
Those were halcyon days for the Mo. The Cups brought their own highlights. In 74/5 they put twelve goals past Vale of Leithen in the Borders. In 75/6 they really surpassed themselves. In the early season League Cup section they were comfortable winners. Drawn against Hibs in the Quarter Finals they lost the first leg at Easter Road 1-0. The second leg, at a packed Links Park, went to extra time before Les Barr's 80-yard punt secured victory. That led to a Semi Final appearance against Rangers, played inevitably at 'neutral' Hampden. Amazingly Montrose led 1-0 at half time before succumbing to a 5-1 defeat.
In the Scottish Cup Montrose reached the Quarter Finals and played Hearts. More than 8000 were squeezed into Links Park to see a thrilling 2-2 draw. There were more than 16,000 at the replay in Edinburgh, which ended 2-2 after extra time. By this time the draw for the Semi Finals had been made with the winners due to face Dumbarton. It wasn't a bye into the final but it was certainly a favourable draw. And with Rangers looking likely to win the double, then even reaching the Cup Final could guarantee European Football. So, as the teams met for a third time at St Johnstone's Muirton Park, Montrose knew that a win, followed by a win over Dumbarton, could have them in the hat with the cream of Europe.
Again the match went to extra time. There were over 10,000 there, with Hearts eventually squeezing through by 2-1.
Since then it has been pretty much downhill for Montrose. Their team of little-known players proved to be the most successful the club has ever produced. Les Barr, Dennis D'Arcy, Bobby Livingstone, Davie Gorman, Harry Johnston and their mates may not be household names in the history of Scottish football, but in Montrose at least they are revered.
Back to 2010. Montrose Manager Steven Tweed has played football all over the world. As well as Scotland and England he's played professionally in Japan and Germany. But he'll never have faced such a challenge as he has at Links Park. Eighteen games without a League win; A banana-skin of a Cup tie tomorrow night . . . He'll need all his experience to turn things around at Links Park. Those successful days of the mid 70s seem a long way off.
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Amateur FA - Moving Forward?
The Scottish Amateur Football Association, are currently recruiting a Chief Executive Officer. A quick scan of the Person Specification and Job Description suggests that the Amateurs are looking to significantly raise their profile within the Scottish game. Just how easy it will be for the new appointee to do this remains to be seen.
Getting to grips with the structure of Scottish Football is hugely complex. The Scottish Football Association is the governing body but it has an enabling role rather than an organisational one. They do run the national teams and the Scottish Cup, and they coordinate the refereeing system, but much of the day-to-day running of the game is devolved to the Affiliated Association s and Leagues.
The SPL and SFL are the most prominent of these. But the Scottish Junior FA, Scottish Amateur FA and Scottish Welfare FA are the main organising bodies for adult football below these levels. The Welfare FA are pretty much an irrelevance these days, but the Junior and Amateur FAs have substantial membership.
Just as the SFA is an enabling body, in some ways so are the Junior and Amateur FAs. Each organises a national cup competition but devolves responsibility for other leagues and competitions to their own member associations and leagues. In the case of the Amateurs there are upwards of 60 member groupings covering Saturday and Sunday Amateur football, and both Summer and Winter seasons.
Most of the Amateur Leagues cover a smallish geographic area but not all. The Caledonian League has teams from all over Central Scotland and the top clubs are at least as good as middle order Junior teams. In a few geographic areas where there is no Junior or Senior non league football the Amateurs are the top level outside the Scottish Football League. In the Stirling area, for example, Bannockburn Amateurs, Milton and Cambusbarron Rovers have traditionally had set-ups that are equivalent to Junior clubs. In Fife, clubs in the Kingdom Caledonian League mainly have grounds that are close to Junior standard.
Two Amateur clubs retain ‘grandad rights’ to enter the Scottish Cup. Burntisland Shipyard and Glasgow University have retained their SFA membership when many others let it lapse.
The new man at the Scottish Amateur FA is tasked with raising the profile of Amateur football. He, or she, will also be expected to develop the ‘Community Clubs’ concept that the SFA are so keen on. The Amateur football club should be at the centre of the community in small towns and villages across the land.
The problem for the Chief Executive is that they will be responsible to the Executive Committee of the Scottish Amateur FA. The committee structure bedevils Scottish football at every level. It may, in theory, be democratic and retains power in the hands of the clubs, but it also encourages self-preservation. Resistance to change seems to be endemic amongst football committees with their members fearful of losing their power, influence and perks.
Still, if the Scottish Amateur FA get the right person in post, then they have a fine opportunity to gain greater recognition. An ambitious and forward-looking person could also get them involved in talks about a pyramid structure feeding into the proposed North and South Leagues.
We'll just have to wait and see who they appoint. if it is a time-served 'committee man' from within Amateur football then nothing much will change. If it's a new man, with fresh ideas and perspectives, then the future for the Amateurs could be very bright.
Getting to grips with the structure of Scottish Football is hugely complex. The Scottish Football Association is the governing body but it has an enabling role rather than an organisational one. They do run the national teams and the Scottish Cup, and they coordinate the refereeing system, but much of the day-to-day running of the game is devolved to the Affiliated Association s and Leagues.
The SPL and SFL are the most prominent of these. But the Scottish Junior FA, Scottish Amateur FA and Scottish Welfare FA are the main organising bodies for adult football below these levels. The Welfare FA are pretty much an irrelevance these days, but the Junior and Amateur FAs have substantial membership.
Just as the SFA is an enabling body, in some ways so are the Junior and Amateur FAs. Each organises a national cup competition but devolves responsibility for other leagues and competitions to their own member associations and leagues. In the case of the Amateurs there are upwards of 60 member groupings covering Saturday and Sunday Amateur football, and both Summer and Winter seasons.
Most of the Amateur Leagues cover a smallish geographic area but not all. The Caledonian League has teams from all over Central Scotland and the top clubs are at least as good as middle order Junior teams. In a few geographic areas where there is no Junior or Senior non league football the Amateurs are the top level outside the Scottish Football League. In the Stirling area, for example, Bannockburn Amateurs, Milton and Cambusbarron Rovers have traditionally had set-ups that are equivalent to Junior clubs. In Fife, clubs in the Kingdom Caledonian League mainly have grounds that are close to Junior standard.
Two Amateur clubs retain ‘grandad rights’ to enter the Scottish Cup. Burntisland Shipyard and Glasgow University have retained their SFA membership when many others let it lapse.
The new man at the Scottish Amateur FA is tasked with raising the profile of Amateur football. He, or she, will also be expected to develop the ‘Community Clubs’ concept that the SFA are so keen on. The Amateur football club should be at the centre of the community in small towns and villages across the land.
The problem for the Chief Executive is that they will be responsible to the Executive Committee of the Scottish Amateur FA. The committee structure bedevils Scottish football at every level. It may, in theory, be democratic and retains power in the hands of the clubs, but it also encourages self-preservation. Resistance to change seems to be endemic amongst football committees with their members fearful of losing their power, influence and perks.
Still, if the Scottish Amateur FA get the right person in post, then they have a fine opportunity to gain greater recognition. An ambitious and forward-looking person could also get them involved in talks about a pyramid structure feeding into the proposed North and South Leagues.
We'll just have to wait and see who they appoint. if it is a time-served 'committee man' from within Amateur football then nothing much will change. If it's a new man, with fresh ideas and perspectives, then the future for the Amateurs could be very bright.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Beaten 7-1 But Still In The Cup
This afternoon the SFA got round to dealing with Dunfermline Athletic who fielded a suspended player in their 7-1 Cup victory over Stenhousemuir on Saturday. The outcome of the SFA's deliberations - Dunfermline have been ejected from the Cup and Stenhousemuir re-instated. The Ochilview side will now have a home tie against Morton or Celtic in Round 5.
I don't think anybody expected the punishment to be as severe as explusion from the competition. A replay was anticipated and possibly a fine.
However, there are factors that make this scenario different from other similar ones in the recent past. Brechin City, Elgin City and Spartans have all fallen foul of registration errors. They played players who had been signed too late to take part in the match. Brechin were intially fined £10,000 and ordered to replay their game but when it transpired that they had fielded two ineligible players they were thrown out.
More facts about the case have emerged as the week has gone on. Dunfermline intially alleged that the SFA had not told them about Woods suspension. This proved to be a bare-faced lie. Every week, since the start of the season, the SFA have circulated clubs with the weekly suspension list which includes players with Cup tie bans to serve. Apparently, the updated e-mail with Woods name on it has been sent to the Pars, and every other club, 25 times this season already. Denying that they knew and pointing the finger at the SFA will not have helped Dunfermline's cause.
Fans can check these suspension details on the SFA website and some are anal enough to do it on a weekly basis. It is now known that the club received phone calls from worried supporters between 2.30 and 3pm on Saturday, telling them to change their team lines. The warnings were ignored.
Then there is the fact that Calum Woods was a player who was suspended from the competition which might be regarded as more serious than a registration technicality.
But it gets worse. Dunfermline have also admitted to three other breaches of the Cup rules. They did not register two outfield Under 21 players as is required in the Scottish Cup. They altered the team lines without informing the referee and the substitutes named were not those who were actually stripped.
The SFA will have known that fining the club in the current circumstances might just cause more problems, as they would be unable to pay it. Dunfermline make no secret of the fact that they are skint.
Dunfermline also have a little bit of 'previous' this season. In the Challenge Cup tie against Arbroath they listed a substitute who was not a signed player - they escaped with a censure and warning for that indiscretion.
The consequences are severe. If Celtic account for Morton then the Dunfermline v Celtic might well have been the television game. That would have brought in a total of around £150,000. Even if it wasn't on tv, a half share of the gate receipts would have probably netted the Pars £50,000 plus.
Instead it is Stenhousemuir who will be praying that Celtic beat Morton - I reckon it would be the first time they have met competitively since 1975/6.
I don't think anybody expected the punishment to be as severe as explusion from the competition. A replay was anticipated and possibly a fine.
However, there are factors that make this scenario different from other similar ones in the recent past. Brechin City, Elgin City and Spartans have all fallen foul of registration errors. They played players who had been signed too late to take part in the match. Brechin were intially fined £10,000 and ordered to replay their game but when it transpired that they had fielded two ineligible players they were thrown out.
More facts about the case have emerged as the week has gone on. Dunfermline intially alleged that the SFA had not told them about Woods suspension. This proved to be a bare-faced lie. Every week, since the start of the season, the SFA have circulated clubs with the weekly suspension list which includes players with Cup tie bans to serve. Apparently, the updated e-mail with Woods name on it has been sent to the Pars, and every other club, 25 times this season already. Denying that they knew and pointing the finger at the SFA will not have helped Dunfermline's cause.
Fans can check these suspension details on the SFA website and some are anal enough to do it on a weekly basis. It is now known that the club received phone calls from worried supporters between 2.30 and 3pm on Saturday, telling them to change their team lines. The warnings were ignored.
Then there is the fact that Calum Woods was a player who was suspended from the competition which might be regarded as more serious than a registration technicality.
But it gets worse. Dunfermline have also admitted to three other breaches of the Cup rules. They did not register two outfield Under 21 players as is required in the Scottish Cup. They altered the team lines without informing the referee and the substitutes named were not those who were actually stripped.
The SFA will have known that fining the club in the current circumstances might just cause more problems, as they would be unable to pay it. Dunfermline make no secret of the fact that they are skint.
Dunfermline also have a little bit of 'previous' this season. In the Challenge Cup tie against Arbroath they listed a substitute who was not a signed player - they escaped with a censure and warning for that indiscretion.
The consequences are severe. If Celtic account for Morton then the Dunfermline v Celtic might well have been the television game. That would have brought in a total of around £150,000. Even if it wasn't on tv, a half share of the gate receipts would have probably netted the Pars £50,000 plus.
Instead it is Stenhousemuir who will be praying that Celtic beat Morton - I reckon it would be the first time they have met competitively since 1975/6.
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Is Irvine Meadow's Cup Run An Own Goal By The Juniors?
Irvine Meadow’s good performance in defeat at Easter Road on Saturday ended the third year of participation by Junior clubs in the Scottish Cup. By Scottish football standards the decision to allow Junior clubs to play in the national competition was revolutionary – three years on, it is worth reflecting on the decision.
At the time the idea was mooted the purposes were two-fold. Firstly, as part of a revamp of the Cup involving scrapping the Qualifying Cup tournaments, it as hoped that including Junior sides would help raise the profile of the early rounds. Secondly, the aim was to forge closer links between Junior and Senior non-league football with a view to integrating the two within a pyramid system.
As far as the first of those aims goes there is little doubt that the addition of Junior clubs has made the early rounds of the Cup a more attractive proposition. The old Qualifying Cups were barely reported at all outwith the most anorakish of websites and publications. The revamped Rounds One, Two and Three, with staged entry for lower division Scottish League clubs, have had much more publicity than the Qualifying Cup ever got.
The relative success of the Junior clubs has helped this. In 2007/8 Linlithgow Rose fought their way through to Round Four before going out to eventual runners-up Queen of the South. In reaching the same stage in the current season Irvine Meadow became the first Junior club to defeat a Scottish League side. In 2008/9 Lochee United held Second Division Ayr United to a draw. Helped by friendly draws, north participants Culter and Banks o’Dee have both made good progress.
The high level of publicity for Junior sides is helped by the fact that it is the elite of the grade that enters. The Champions of the three regions and the Scottish Junior Cup holders will inevitably be amongst the best-supported and resourced Junior sides around. It is little wonder that they have been too strong for some of the sides that enter from the lower reaches of the Senior Non Leagues.
However, in relation to the second aim of bringing Junior and Senior football closer together, there is little sign of progress. Plans for the development of a pyramid system in Scottish football are foundering as the Junior FA are resistant to becoming involved. Yet their top clubs, several dozen of them, are as strong in playing and economic terms as the top dozen Senior non league clubs. It seems that a pyramid, if it goes ahead, will not involve the Juniors.
At the same time, voices within Junior clubs are suggesting that the success of Irvine, Auchinleck, Pollok and Linlithgow should be the catalyst for allowing more Junior clubs into the Scottish Cup. Other teams are casting envious eyes on the money generated by these clubs and want a share of it. However, Senior non league clubs are less happy as their chances of a potential ‘pot of gold’ are diminished as the top Junior clubs bulldoze their way through the early rounds at their expense.
The ideal solution would be for more Junior clubs to ‘do a Girvan’. Formerly a Senior club playing in the backwoods of the South of Scotland League, Girvan switched to Ayrshire Junior football but kept their membership of the SFA. There would be nothing to stop ambitious Junior clubs from applying for Associate Membership of the SFA – of successful they would get to play in the Scottish Cup every year. Linlithgow, Irvine and Auchinleck, to name but three, are close to having the facilities necessary to make the move. They could still play in the Junior leagues but they would benefit from the SFA’s largesse to member clubs and have the opportunity to embark on a Scottish Cup run every year. It seems strange that Linlithgow, as an example, who made a lot of money in their Cup run, did not invest it in the improvements necessary to achieve SFA membership. They’ve not been back in the Scottish Cup since 2007/8 and the chances of them ‘qualifying’ every year are slim.
The criteria for Associate Membership of the SFA are strict but they are not unreasonable or unattainable. If Junior clubs demonstrated a little lateral thinking they could enjoy the best of both worlds – retaining their Junior status yet benefiting from Scottish Cup participation.
Another school of thought suggests that the Scottish Cup, Scottish Junior Cup and indeed the Scottish Amateur Cup could be restructured along the lines of the three major competitions in England, the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase. The Scottish Cup would be open to virtually all, with a massive First Round draw on a regional basis. The Scottish League and Premier League clubs would come in at a much later stage. The Scottish Junior Cup would be for non league clubs, both Senior and Junior, with a decent level of facilities. The Scottish Amateur Cup would continue as it is, with some of the Senior and Junior clubs with poorer facilities dropping into it.
Sounds good on paper. But the problem with Cup competitions in Scotland is one of scheduling. Because very few non league clubs have floodlights, midweek replays are impossible. The quality of pitches is not good. Consequently, postponements and fixture congestion become a real problem. This season, Vale of Clyde and Johnstone Burgh are still attempting to play a Junior Cup tie originally scheduled for October. Because it has been arranged for every Saturday since then, neither has played a single match in that time.
Of course, there is no sign that the Scottish Junior and Amateur Associations would be open to this sort of change. These grades are permeated by a culture of self-preservation and isolation. It may have served them well in the past but it is less helpful now.
Finally, to return to Irvine Meadow’s trip to Hibernian on Saturday. They took more than 2000 fans with them, gave a good performance, and will have banked upwards of £50,000 from their Scottish Cup run. Outsiders may think that this is a great boost for Junior football and can only help their cause in achieving more Scottish Cup places.
The truth is quite the opposite. Treasurers and Committee men at Highland League, East of Scotland League and South of Scotland League clubs will be thinking ‘that could have been us’. But rather than planning how to defeat the Juniors on the field, they will be more likely to plan how they can exclude them from the competition entirely.
At the time the idea was mooted the purposes were two-fold. Firstly, as part of a revamp of the Cup involving scrapping the Qualifying Cup tournaments, it as hoped that including Junior sides would help raise the profile of the early rounds. Secondly, the aim was to forge closer links between Junior and Senior non-league football with a view to integrating the two within a pyramid system.
As far as the first of those aims goes there is little doubt that the addition of Junior clubs has made the early rounds of the Cup a more attractive proposition. The old Qualifying Cups were barely reported at all outwith the most anorakish of websites and publications. The revamped Rounds One, Two and Three, with staged entry for lower division Scottish League clubs, have had much more publicity than the Qualifying Cup ever got.
The relative success of the Junior clubs has helped this. In 2007/8 Linlithgow Rose fought their way through to Round Four before going out to eventual runners-up Queen of the South. In reaching the same stage in the current season Irvine Meadow became the first Junior club to defeat a Scottish League side. In 2008/9 Lochee United held Second Division Ayr United to a draw. Helped by friendly draws, north participants Culter and Banks o’Dee have both made good progress.
The high level of publicity for Junior sides is helped by the fact that it is the elite of the grade that enters. The Champions of the three regions and the Scottish Junior Cup holders will inevitably be amongst the best-supported and resourced Junior sides around. It is little wonder that they have been too strong for some of the sides that enter from the lower reaches of the Senior Non Leagues.
However, in relation to the second aim of bringing Junior and Senior football closer together, there is little sign of progress. Plans for the development of a pyramid system in Scottish football are foundering as the Junior FA are resistant to becoming involved. Yet their top clubs, several dozen of them, are as strong in playing and economic terms as the top dozen Senior non league clubs. It seems that a pyramid, if it goes ahead, will not involve the Juniors.
At the same time, voices within Junior clubs are suggesting that the success of Irvine, Auchinleck, Pollok and Linlithgow should be the catalyst for allowing more Junior clubs into the Scottish Cup. Other teams are casting envious eyes on the money generated by these clubs and want a share of it. However, Senior non league clubs are less happy as their chances of a potential ‘pot of gold’ are diminished as the top Junior clubs bulldoze their way through the early rounds at their expense.
The ideal solution would be for more Junior clubs to ‘do a Girvan’. Formerly a Senior club playing in the backwoods of the South of Scotland League, Girvan switched to Ayrshire Junior football but kept their membership of the SFA. There would be nothing to stop ambitious Junior clubs from applying for Associate Membership of the SFA – of successful they would get to play in the Scottish Cup every year. Linlithgow, Irvine and Auchinleck, to name but three, are close to having the facilities necessary to make the move. They could still play in the Junior leagues but they would benefit from the SFA’s largesse to member clubs and have the opportunity to embark on a Scottish Cup run every year. It seems strange that Linlithgow, as an example, who made a lot of money in their Cup run, did not invest it in the improvements necessary to achieve SFA membership. They’ve not been back in the Scottish Cup since 2007/8 and the chances of them ‘qualifying’ every year are slim.
The criteria for Associate Membership of the SFA are strict but they are not unreasonable or unattainable. If Junior clubs demonstrated a little lateral thinking they could enjoy the best of both worlds – retaining their Junior status yet benefiting from Scottish Cup participation.
Another school of thought suggests that the Scottish Cup, Scottish Junior Cup and indeed the Scottish Amateur Cup could be restructured along the lines of the three major competitions in England, the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase. The Scottish Cup would be open to virtually all, with a massive First Round draw on a regional basis. The Scottish League and Premier League clubs would come in at a much later stage. The Scottish Junior Cup would be for non league clubs, both Senior and Junior, with a decent level of facilities. The Scottish Amateur Cup would continue as it is, with some of the Senior and Junior clubs with poorer facilities dropping into it.
Sounds good on paper. But the problem with Cup competitions in Scotland is one of scheduling. Because very few non league clubs have floodlights, midweek replays are impossible. The quality of pitches is not good. Consequently, postponements and fixture congestion become a real problem. This season, Vale of Clyde and Johnstone Burgh are still attempting to play a Junior Cup tie originally scheduled for October. Because it has been arranged for every Saturday since then, neither has played a single match in that time.
Of course, there is no sign that the Scottish Junior and Amateur Associations would be open to this sort of change. These grades are permeated by a culture of self-preservation and isolation. It may have served them well in the past but it is less helpful now.
Finally, to return to Irvine Meadow’s trip to Hibernian on Saturday. They took more than 2000 fans with them, gave a good performance, and will have banked upwards of £50,000 from their Scottish Cup run. Outsiders may think that this is a great boost for Junior football and can only help their cause in achieving more Scottish Cup places.
The truth is quite the opposite. Treasurers and Committee men at Highland League, East of Scotland League and South of Scotland League clubs will be thinking ‘that could have been us’. But rather than planning how to defeat the Juniors on the field, they will be more likely to plan how they can exclude them from the competition entirely.
Monday, 11 January 2010
Killie Chairman Takes Big Risk
The news that Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown have tonight left Kilmarnock 'by mutual consent' is one of those stories that both surprises and comes as no surprise. There has been clear tension between the management and Chairman Michael Johnston, yet Jefferies seemed to be 'in with the bricks' at Rugby Park. Results have been poor this season but Jefferies has had to work within very tight financial constraints.
The Chairman has acted in response to two issues. The past week has seen a major row erupt over a newspaper article by striker Kevin Kyle. He 'leaked' that while in contract negotiations with the Chairman, he was asked his views about the management and organisational abilities of the manager. The fact that Kyle handed this story to 'The Sun' would indicate that the players were on the side of the Manager. It's not the first acrimonious dispute of the season. Before a ball was kicked an offer of a coaching post made to Paul Ritchie was withdrawn. Then, a hastily-imposed set of fixedpenalties for on-field offences was announced. Both incidents seemed to undermine Jefferies authority at the club. Chairman Johnston, who runs a one-man show in the Boardroom at Rugby Park, has acted decisively to show them who is boss. He's really stuck his neck out now and must be prepared for the consequences, whatever they turn out to be.
The second issue facing Kilmarnock is relegation. If the season ends with them going down then it could well be the end for the cash-strapped club. Jefferies had the experience to get Killie out of that situation. It is now imperative for the club to get somebody in place quickly to steady the ship. With the players seemingly behind the now-departed manager, the new man needs to get in and establish himself fast. With the transfer window closing in three weeks time, there is little space for the new man to add to the squad. Jefferies has carried the can for poor results, dwindling crowds and lacklustre performances. The next incumbent will be tasked with bringing about a dramatic improvement. but the tools at his disposal may be little different to those Jefferies worked with.
Jefferies has earned respect over the years as a reliable manager who produces teams that are effective if not particularly exciting. He worked his way up from Gala Fairydean to Berwick Rangers, Falkirk and Hearts before a brief and unsuccessful spell in England at Bradford City. Billy Brown, whose journeyman playing career makes Jefferies playing experiece seem stellar, has been his loyal assistant throughout. The inescapable thought is that Kilmarnock's Chairman might have been better trying to repair his relationship with Jefferies than disposing of him at this time.
The wisdom of his move will become apparent as the second half of the season unfolds. Killie need points badly to get themselves clear of the relegation dog fight that they find themselves mired in. They also need to get their local community on board once again. Crowds at Rugby Park were better in the early 1990s when the club climbed two disivions in quick succession. Back then the fans were enthused by attacking football and a sense of purpose. Charismatic managers like Jim Fleeting and Tommy Burns breathed fresh air into a club that had stagnated for too long.
The cycle that clubs go through seems to have swung round to stagnation again. Perhaps Jefferies would not have been able to get the club moving in the right direction? Or perhaps it is change at Boardroom level that is required to move things on? If the club recover and climb the SPL table then Johnston will be hailed as a hero. If things go even more pear-shaped than they are now he might be run out of town.
The Chairman has acted in response to two issues. The past week has seen a major row erupt over a newspaper article by striker Kevin Kyle. He 'leaked' that while in contract negotiations with the Chairman, he was asked his views about the management and organisational abilities of the manager. The fact that Kyle handed this story to 'The Sun' would indicate that the players were on the side of the Manager. It's not the first acrimonious dispute of the season. Before a ball was kicked an offer of a coaching post made to Paul Ritchie was withdrawn. Then, a hastily-imposed set of fixedpenalties for on-field offences was announced. Both incidents seemed to undermine Jefferies authority at the club. Chairman Johnston, who runs a one-man show in the Boardroom at Rugby Park, has acted decisively to show them who is boss. He's really stuck his neck out now and must be prepared for the consequences, whatever they turn out to be.
The second issue facing Kilmarnock is relegation. If the season ends with them going down then it could well be the end for the cash-strapped club. Jefferies had the experience to get Killie out of that situation. It is now imperative for the club to get somebody in place quickly to steady the ship. With the players seemingly behind the now-departed manager, the new man needs to get in and establish himself fast. With the transfer window closing in three weeks time, there is little space for the new man to add to the squad. Jefferies has carried the can for poor results, dwindling crowds and lacklustre performances. The next incumbent will be tasked with bringing about a dramatic improvement. but the tools at his disposal may be little different to those Jefferies worked with.
Jefferies has earned respect over the years as a reliable manager who produces teams that are effective if not particularly exciting. He worked his way up from Gala Fairydean to Berwick Rangers, Falkirk and Hearts before a brief and unsuccessful spell in England at Bradford City. Billy Brown, whose journeyman playing career makes Jefferies playing experiece seem stellar, has been his loyal assistant throughout. The inescapable thought is that Kilmarnock's Chairman might have been better trying to repair his relationship with Jefferies than disposing of him at this time.
The wisdom of his move will become apparent as the second half of the season unfolds. Killie need points badly to get themselves clear of the relegation dog fight that they find themselves mired in. They also need to get their local community on board once again. Crowds at Rugby Park were better in the early 1990s when the club climbed two disivions in quick succession. Back then the fans were enthused by attacking football and a sense of purpose. Charismatic managers like Jim Fleeting and Tommy Burns breathed fresh air into a club that had stagnated for too long.
The cycle that clubs go through seems to have swung round to stagnation again. Perhaps Jefferies would not have been able to get the club moving in the right direction? Or perhaps it is change at Boardroom level that is required to move things on? If the club recover and climb the SPL table then Johnston will be hailed as a hero. If things go even more pear-shaped than they are now he might be run out of town.
Rangers Happy With Draw At Hamilton
Listening to the post-match interview with Rangers Assistant Manager Ally McCoist following their 3-3 draw at hamilton on Sunday, he seemed content thast Rangers were still in the Cup and happy at the prospect of a replay. Hopefully, for the sake of Scottish football, that's not really the case and he was just being polite about the efforts of Hamilton.
Contrast the resources of the two clubs . . . Rangers, with a reguklar home support of 45,000 plus, Champions League participants this season and many times previously and apparently with ambitions to play in the English Premiership. Many Rangers players earn wages of £6000 per week plus. Hamilton on the other hand have a core home support of around 1500. The nearest they have been to Europe was an end of season break in Cyprus in 1975. They may be an SPL side for now, but within a few years they'll have slipped back down again. Since they were last in the SPL in the mid 1980s they have been to Division three and back - and it will happen again. Some of their players will struggle to have a top line of £1000 per week on their pay slip.
Why cannot a club like Rangers deal with Hamilton Accies first time around? Watching the match yesterday, the obvious answer is lack of quality in key areas. Kirk Broadfoot is a willing trier. David Weir is past his best. Kyle Lafferty, for £3 million, is hugely disappointing. Their squad has been ravaged by injuries with big-name players missing for long periods of time. Of course, the thought is always there that some of these guys miught be less injured than they are letting on. Perhaps they have a dose of 'Van Bronkhorst Syndrome' whereby they run down the last year of their contract sitting on the sidelines.
Some of the players recruited by Rangers have arrived with the expectation of playing regular Champions League football. The prospect of playing Hamilton Accies and Falkirk doesn't really appeal to them.
Rangers (and Celtic) have this perennial problem of trying to compete in two levels of football. On their day Rangers are too good for the SPL clubs but even at their best they are not good enough for the Champions League. Sunday's game at Hamilton was one of those days when they underperformed and Hamilton capitalised. But it is still disappointing to hear their Assistant Manager accepting that a draw at New Douglas Park is an acceptable result.
It would be remiss not to be positive about the Accies. Manager Billy Reid has done a fantastic job there. He wheels and deals in the transfer market to good effect. But his biggest strength is his willingness and ability to switch tactics during a game. He's learned that the hard way after a few early defeats in the SPL when he tried to stick to his principles. He's learned pragmatism and it works for him.
In the past the Old Firm have bemoaned the lack of competition in Scotland and blamed it for their underachievement in Europe. It's hard to accept that when they regularly struggle to beat teams like Hamilton.
Supporters of Rangers, who regard their club as a national institution, must be heartily sick of the standard of football they are having to watch. It will be interesting to see how season ticket sales hold up for next season - that will be a test of whether or not the fans agree with McCoist that a draw against Hamilton Accies is a good result.
Contrast the resources of the two clubs . . . Rangers, with a reguklar home support of 45,000 plus, Champions League participants this season and many times previously and apparently with ambitions to play in the English Premiership. Many Rangers players earn wages of £6000 per week plus. Hamilton on the other hand have a core home support of around 1500. The nearest they have been to Europe was an end of season break in Cyprus in 1975. They may be an SPL side for now, but within a few years they'll have slipped back down again. Since they were last in the SPL in the mid 1980s they have been to Division three and back - and it will happen again. Some of their players will struggle to have a top line of £1000 per week on their pay slip.
Why cannot a club like Rangers deal with Hamilton Accies first time around? Watching the match yesterday, the obvious answer is lack of quality in key areas. Kirk Broadfoot is a willing trier. David Weir is past his best. Kyle Lafferty, for £3 million, is hugely disappointing. Their squad has been ravaged by injuries with big-name players missing for long periods of time. Of course, the thought is always there that some of these guys miught be less injured than they are letting on. Perhaps they have a dose of 'Van Bronkhorst Syndrome' whereby they run down the last year of their contract sitting on the sidelines.
Some of the players recruited by Rangers have arrived with the expectation of playing regular Champions League football. The prospect of playing Hamilton Accies and Falkirk doesn't really appeal to them.
Rangers (and Celtic) have this perennial problem of trying to compete in two levels of football. On their day Rangers are too good for the SPL clubs but even at their best they are not good enough for the Champions League. Sunday's game at Hamilton was one of those days when they underperformed and Hamilton capitalised. But it is still disappointing to hear their Assistant Manager accepting that a draw at New Douglas Park is an acceptable result.
It would be remiss not to be positive about the Accies. Manager Billy Reid has done a fantastic job there. He wheels and deals in the transfer market to good effect. But his biggest strength is his willingness and ability to switch tactics during a game. He's learned that the hard way after a few early defeats in the SPL when he tried to stick to his principles. He's learned pragmatism and it works for him.
In the past the Old Firm have bemoaned the lack of competition in Scotland and blamed it for their underachievement in Europe. It's hard to accept that when they regularly struggle to beat teams like Hamilton.
Supporters of Rangers, who regard their club as a national institution, must be heartily sick of the standard of football they are having to watch. It will be interesting to see how season ticket sales hold up for next season - that will be a test of whether or not the fans agree with McCoist that a draw against Hamilton Accies is a good result.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Loyalty, Ambition and Owen Coyle
Owen Coyle's decision to make the move from the manager's office at Burnley to the undoubtedly plusher one at Bolton Wanderers has taken many people by surprise. After all, it's barely six months since he rejected overtures from Celtic to take up the reigns at Parkhead, declaring his loyalty to Burnley and signing a contract extension with the Turf Moor club. Coyle has burning ambitions within football and sets himself the highest standards. In terms of loyalty, he has shown throughout his career that the person he is loyal to is himself.
Burnley fans have been left saddened and confused by Coyle's decision. To many, Burnley are every bit as big a club as Bolton. To some, brought up following football in the 60s and early 70s, Burnley remain a far bigger club than Bolton. Coyle's decision is apparently motivated by the promise of a bigger player budget giving him more chance of competing on an even footing with the best the Premiership has to offer.
During his long career Coyle has never been one to hang around for long. As a young player he followed brothers Tommy and Joe to Dumbarton, and then moved to Clydebank, Airdrieonians, Bolton Wanderers, Dundee United, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic, Ross County, Airdrieonians (again), Falkirk, Dundee United (again), Airdrie United and St Johnstone. Four seasons seemed to be his maximum stopping time although fans of most, if not all, of these teams would pay tribute to his enthusiasm and goalscoring ability. It is apparent that Coyle has always tried to better himself and sees new challenges as the best way of extending his experience and skills set.
His first management post was as co-manager of Falkirk alongside John Hughes. For a variety of reasons Coyle moved on and returned to playing before taking over as manager of St Johnstone in 2005. He built a decent side at McDiarmid Park, coming within seconds of promotion in 2007, and laid the foundations for Derek McInnes to complete the job two years later. His tactical astuteness, man mangement skills, motivational ability and meticulous planning attracted the attention of Burnley. Before taking the job Coyle did his own 'due diligence' on the Turf Moor club. He liked what he saw, and guided them back into the top flight of English football after a gap of more than thirty years.
Bolton were just one of several clubs to take an interest in employing the likeable Scot. It's worth saying that he considers himself Scottish despite making one international appearnce for the Republic of Ireland. That too was a calculated move. He wanted to play international football but knew that his chances of a game for Scotland were slim. When Ireland came calling, Coyle was happy to swap navy blue for emerald green and said yes.
Coyle enjoyed his time as a player with Bolton. His talents were appreciated there as he contributed to succsseful Cup runs at a time when Bolton were emerging from years in the doldrums. But you will not hear Coyle coming out with the usual quotes about 'a dream come true' to be returning to Bolton. Coyle's ambitions lie beyond that. He is aiming for the very top in the game and he has the qualities to get there. When Sir Alex finally decides to hang up his coat and pack away his chewing gum, Coyle could very well be the man to take over from him. In the meantime he'll devote boundless energy and enthusiasm to Bolton Wanderers and he'll expect everyone else to do the same. Coyle is unlikely to compromise his tactical principles which are based on a philosophy of passing, attacking football. The idea of long ball football and blanket defence is certainly not for him.
When he turned down the Celtic job he passed up the opportunity to manage a team that compete regularly in Europe. Coyle may not have been a Champions League player but he wants and expects to be a Champions League manager. That's unlikely to happen to him at Bolton, but don't bet against it happening somewhere in the next five years.
Burnley fans have been left saddened and confused by Coyle's decision. To many, Burnley are every bit as big a club as Bolton. To some, brought up following football in the 60s and early 70s, Burnley remain a far bigger club than Bolton. Coyle's decision is apparently motivated by the promise of a bigger player budget giving him more chance of competing on an even footing with the best the Premiership has to offer.
During his long career Coyle has never been one to hang around for long. As a young player he followed brothers Tommy and Joe to Dumbarton, and then moved to Clydebank, Airdrieonians, Bolton Wanderers, Dundee United, Motherwell, Dunfermline Athletic, Ross County, Airdrieonians (again), Falkirk, Dundee United (again), Airdrie United and St Johnstone. Four seasons seemed to be his maximum stopping time although fans of most, if not all, of these teams would pay tribute to his enthusiasm and goalscoring ability. It is apparent that Coyle has always tried to better himself and sees new challenges as the best way of extending his experience and skills set.
His first management post was as co-manager of Falkirk alongside John Hughes. For a variety of reasons Coyle moved on and returned to playing before taking over as manager of St Johnstone in 2005. He built a decent side at McDiarmid Park, coming within seconds of promotion in 2007, and laid the foundations for Derek McInnes to complete the job two years later. His tactical astuteness, man mangement skills, motivational ability and meticulous planning attracted the attention of Burnley. Before taking the job Coyle did his own 'due diligence' on the Turf Moor club. He liked what he saw, and guided them back into the top flight of English football after a gap of more than thirty years.
Bolton were just one of several clubs to take an interest in employing the likeable Scot. It's worth saying that he considers himself Scottish despite making one international appearnce for the Republic of Ireland. That too was a calculated move. He wanted to play international football but knew that his chances of a game for Scotland were slim. When Ireland came calling, Coyle was happy to swap navy blue for emerald green and said yes.
Coyle enjoyed his time as a player with Bolton. His talents were appreciated there as he contributed to succsseful Cup runs at a time when Bolton were emerging from years in the doldrums. But you will not hear Coyle coming out with the usual quotes about 'a dream come true' to be returning to Bolton. Coyle's ambitions lie beyond that. He is aiming for the very top in the game and he has the qualities to get there. When Sir Alex finally decides to hang up his coat and pack away his chewing gum, Coyle could very well be the man to take over from him. In the meantime he'll devote boundless energy and enthusiasm to Bolton Wanderers and he'll expect everyone else to do the same. Coyle is unlikely to compromise his tactical principles which are based on a philosophy of passing, attacking football. The idea of long ball football and blanket defence is certainly not for him.
When he turned down the Celtic job he passed up the opportunity to manage a team that compete regularly in Europe. Coyle may not have been a Champions League player but he wants and expects to be a Champions League manager. That's unlikely to happen to him at Bolton, but don't bet against it happening somewhere in the next five years.
Making A Pars Of It
Dunfermline Athletic went to considerable lengths to ensure that yesterday's Scottish Cup tie against Stenhousemuir went ahead. The undersoil heating was switched from simmer to vigorous boil and all available manpower was used to clear the approaches to East End Park. The players rewarded those efforts by easily brushing aside tricky looking opponents in the shape of Second Division Stenhousemuir. By all accounts the 7-1 scoreline did not flatter the Pars. Stenhousemuir's only goal was a late consolation at a time when they could easily have been ten down.
But Dunfermline's on-field efforts may turn out to be in vain. It appears they have fielded a player who was actually under suspension. Calum Woods, a second half substitute, should not have been playing after picking up two bookings in last year's competition.
There is much room for confusion in the rules and regulations concering suspensions, not least because they are changed from time to time. The last re-writing took place a few years ago. It was designed to 'help' players who found themselves suspended for the Scottish Cup Final. Things used to be clear. All bookings accumulated in League, League Cup and Scottish Cup ties were lumped together and once a player eached the 'points total' they were suspended. This meant that at the end of a long hard season clubs were sometimes without key players in the Cup Final as a result of bookings totaled up over the season. At least that's how the SFA spun it - it could also be said that players could commit thuggery in league games yet still get to play in the big showpiece finale to the season.
The SFA decided to split the cumulative totals by competition. League bookings don't count towards Cup ties and vice versa. The situation in the Scottish Cup is that two bookings in the competition means that a player misses the next Scottish Cup tie they are eligible to be involved in. However, outstanding suspensions are not wiped at the end of each season, although playersitting on one booking do have the slate wiped clean.
Woods was booked twice in the Scottish Cup last season as the Pars reached the Semi Final stage. The second of those bookings came in the Semi Final so his Cup suspension carried over to this season. The player should have known that and his club should have known that.
Being the SFA things are not as clearcut as that. They issue a list of 'suspended players' before each round of the Cup. They do this in case players have moved clubs in the intervening months. Apparently Woods name was not on the list that was issued this week, so Dunfermline played him 'in good faith'.
Precedent would suggest that the game will have to be replayed. Last season Elgin and Spartans both fielded ineligible players when they met in a Cup tie and the game was replayed. The previous year Brechin City fouled up against Hamilton Accies. Initially, when it became clear that they had played someone they shouldn't have, the game was ordered to be replayed. Then it transpired they had fielded two ineligible players and they were thrown out of the competition.
These infringements were slightly different to Dunfermline's 'offence'. Another rule states that players can onlyplay in a Cup tie if they are signed before the date originally scheduled for the game. Elgin and Brechin's games were postponed and players were brought in on loan after the original date who then played when the games were re-arranged. Spartans' misdemeanour was even more complex and regarded the 'transfer' of a player from Spartans Amateur side (their reserves) to their first team. Because the two teams were members of seperate Affiliated Associations, moving a player from reserves to first team was regarded as a 'transfer' and was carried out too late.
So what will happen to Dunfermline when the SFA meet tomorrow? Presumably the Pars will claim that it is the SFA's fault for not telling them and, in part, they have a point. However, the SFA will say that the club and the player should have known and checked anyway. It would be harsh if Dunfermline are ejected from the competition entirely but it would be overly lenient if they are not punished at all.
And what should the outcome of all this be? One - simplify the rules as much as possible. Two - clubs must check and double check who is eligibile and who is not. Three - discipline someone at the SFA if it turns out Woods really was omitted from the 'black list' issued this week.
But Dunfermline's on-field efforts may turn out to be in vain. It appears they have fielded a player who was actually under suspension. Calum Woods, a second half substitute, should not have been playing after picking up two bookings in last year's competition.
There is much room for confusion in the rules and regulations concering suspensions, not least because they are changed from time to time. The last re-writing took place a few years ago. It was designed to 'help' players who found themselves suspended for the Scottish Cup Final. Things used to be clear. All bookings accumulated in League, League Cup and Scottish Cup ties were lumped together and once a player eached the 'points total' they were suspended. This meant that at the end of a long hard season clubs were sometimes without key players in the Cup Final as a result of bookings totaled up over the season. At least that's how the SFA spun it - it could also be said that players could commit thuggery in league games yet still get to play in the big showpiece finale to the season.
The SFA decided to split the cumulative totals by competition. League bookings don't count towards Cup ties and vice versa. The situation in the Scottish Cup is that two bookings in the competition means that a player misses the next Scottish Cup tie they are eligible to be involved in. However, outstanding suspensions are not wiped at the end of each season, although playersitting on one booking do have the slate wiped clean.
Woods was booked twice in the Scottish Cup last season as the Pars reached the Semi Final stage. The second of those bookings came in the Semi Final so his Cup suspension carried over to this season. The player should have known that and his club should have known that.
Being the SFA things are not as clearcut as that. They issue a list of 'suspended players' before each round of the Cup. They do this in case players have moved clubs in the intervening months. Apparently Woods name was not on the list that was issued this week, so Dunfermline played him 'in good faith'.
Precedent would suggest that the game will have to be replayed. Last season Elgin and Spartans both fielded ineligible players when they met in a Cup tie and the game was replayed. The previous year Brechin City fouled up against Hamilton Accies. Initially, when it became clear that they had played someone they shouldn't have, the game was ordered to be replayed. Then it transpired they had fielded two ineligible players and they were thrown out of the competition.
These infringements were slightly different to Dunfermline's 'offence'. Another rule states that players can onlyplay in a Cup tie if they are signed before the date originally scheduled for the game. Elgin and Brechin's games were postponed and players were brought in on loan after the original date who then played when the games were re-arranged. Spartans' misdemeanour was even more complex and regarded the 'transfer' of a player from Spartans Amateur side (their reserves) to their first team. Because the two teams were members of seperate Affiliated Associations, moving a player from reserves to first team was regarded as a 'transfer' and was carried out too late.
So what will happen to Dunfermline when the SFA meet tomorrow? Presumably the Pars will claim that it is the SFA's fault for not telling them and, in part, they have a point. However, the SFA will say that the club and the player should have known and checked anyway. It would be harsh if Dunfermline are ejected from the competition entirely but it would be overly lenient if they are not punished at all.
And what should the outcome of all this be? One - simplify the rules as much as possible. Two - clubs must check and double check who is eligibile and who is not. Three - discipline someone at the SFA if it turns out Woods really was omitted from the 'black list' issued this week.
Friday, 8 January 2010
Levein Sidelines the Largs Mafia
Craig Levein has wasted little time in blowing away some of the cobwebs festooning the SFA hierarchy. His appointment of Mike Oliver as his National Scout bucks the trend of keeping SFA posts within the ‘Largs Mafia’, the somewhat incestuous brotherhood of SFA managers and coaches.
Oliver is not exactly a household name. Seven years senior to Levein, they played together in the heart of the defence for Cowdenbeath when Levein first played senior football. Oliver already had plenty experience from his time with Falkirk. His career eventually took him to Queen of the South (twice), Stenhousemuir, Albion Rovers (twice), Stranraer, East Stirlingshire and Arbroath. He managed Albion Rovers and was Assistant at Ayr, as well as General Manager of Clydebank. More recently he was a scout for Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic, identifying and watching transfer targets across the globe. Levein had him working in a similar role for Dundee United over the past couple of years. His new full-time role will include identifying players for Scotland squads, analysing opponents and watching key club games around the world involving players who Scotland will come up against. He will be awaiting the draw for the 2012 European Championship with keen interest to see where he will be heading next.
Previously such work has been reserved for the supposed ‘great and good’ of Scottish football. George Burley and Walter Smith employed men like Alex Smith, Craig Brown and Archie Knox on these tasks – all members of the shadowy secret society that grew up at Largs in the 1980s.
They called themselves the ‘Dexys Midnight Runners’. They produced minutes of meetings held late at night at the National Recreation Centre, written in coded language. Members were known as ‘Brothers’. Key functions included ensuring an adequate supply of ‘solpies’ for the duration of their stay.
Out of that group of then young(ish) managers and coaches came a generation who have dominated Scottish football coaching for 25 years. As well as the two Smiths, Walter and Alex Smith, Craig Brown and Archie Knox, there were men like Jocky Scott, Jimmy Bone, Alex Miller and Alex Ferguson. Their achievements have been considerable and their service to the Scottish game unquestionable. But perhaps the time has come for change?
The recycling of the same old names and faces has become a feature of Scottish football. In Jimmy Bone’s case it might be easier to list the clubs he’s not been associated with than those where he has worked. Alex Smith, aged 70, is the Director of Football at Falkirk, Craig Brown, not far off three score years and ten himself, is the new man in charge at Motherwell. Jocky Scott is enjoying an Indian Summer in charge at Dundee.
Back in the 80s these were the innovators in Scottish football. The days of the suited managers overseeing training from afar were gone. Even the early tracksuit bosses like Jock Wallace were being viewed as dinosaurs. The SFA’s coaching system was a model for others to follow. But it might be rue to suggest that it became a self-perpetuating group? The very people who were initially lauded for their modern methods and approaches became a blockage in the system that prevented the development of new coaching talent.
The appointment of Craig Levein may be the ‘Dyno Rod’ for that blockage. He’s an intelligent and self-reliant man. He speaks his mind and doesn’t bother if others agree with him. The SFA themselves have been on the receiving end of his vitriol in the past. He will not surround himself with the usual suspects. His team will be his and his alone. Good on him, and good luck to him.
Oliver is not exactly a household name. Seven years senior to Levein, they played together in the heart of the defence for Cowdenbeath when Levein first played senior football. Oliver already had plenty experience from his time with Falkirk. His career eventually took him to Queen of the South (twice), Stenhousemuir, Albion Rovers (twice), Stranraer, East Stirlingshire and Arbroath. He managed Albion Rovers and was Assistant at Ayr, as well as General Manager of Clydebank. More recently he was a scout for Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic, identifying and watching transfer targets across the globe. Levein had him working in a similar role for Dundee United over the past couple of years. His new full-time role will include identifying players for Scotland squads, analysing opponents and watching key club games around the world involving players who Scotland will come up against. He will be awaiting the draw for the 2012 European Championship with keen interest to see where he will be heading next.
Previously such work has been reserved for the supposed ‘great and good’ of Scottish football. George Burley and Walter Smith employed men like Alex Smith, Craig Brown and Archie Knox on these tasks – all members of the shadowy secret society that grew up at Largs in the 1980s.
They called themselves the ‘Dexys Midnight Runners’. They produced minutes of meetings held late at night at the National Recreation Centre, written in coded language. Members were known as ‘Brothers’. Key functions included ensuring an adequate supply of ‘solpies’ for the duration of their stay.
Out of that group of then young(ish) managers and coaches came a generation who have dominated Scottish football coaching for 25 years. As well as the two Smiths, Walter and Alex Smith, Craig Brown and Archie Knox, there were men like Jocky Scott, Jimmy Bone, Alex Miller and Alex Ferguson. Their achievements have been considerable and their service to the Scottish game unquestionable. But perhaps the time has come for change?
The recycling of the same old names and faces has become a feature of Scottish football. In Jimmy Bone’s case it might be easier to list the clubs he’s not been associated with than those where he has worked. Alex Smith, aged 70, is the Director of Football at Falkirk, Craig Brown, not far off three score years and ten himself, is the new man in charge at Motherwell. Jocky Scott is enjoying an Indian Summer in charge at Dundee.
Back in the 80s these were the innovators in Scottish football. The days of the suited managers overseeing training from afar were gone. Even the early tracksuit bosses like Jock Wallace were being viewed as dinosaurs. The SFA’s coaching system was a model for others to follow. But it might be rue to suggest that it became a self-perpetuating group? The very people who were initially lauded for their modern methods and approaches became a blockage in the system that prevented the development of new coaching talent.
The appointment of Craig Levein may be the ‘Dyno Rod’ for that blockage. He’s an intelligent and self-reliant man. He speaks his mind and doesn’t bother if others agree with him. The SFA themselves have been on the receiving end of his vitriol in the past. He will not surround himself with the usual suspects. His team will be his and his alone. Good on him, and good luck to him.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Generation of Failure
Sometimes a really interesting piece of football memorabilia crosses my desk. One such item was a Scottish Schools FA Magazine from 1995. Perusing it concentrated my thoughts on whether we Scots are any good at spotting young footballing talent.
The back page lists the 32 finalists in the B and Q Soccer Skills competition. Scanning the list of names – these guys will be around 30 now – not many have made a career in senior football. Tadg Moriarty still struts his stuff with Arniston Rangers in the Juniors; Stephen Hughes genuinely did well and still plays for Norwich City . . . and that’s about it. Thomas Robertson, Kevin Joyce, Darren Connolly, Barry McCleish, Ian Lynn and many others have disappeared off the footballing radar. I find it interesting and not a little worrying that so few of the players identified for their skills should fall by the wayside.
And what of the list of ‘Recent S Form Signings’. Clubs were notorious for signing up hordes of lads on these forms, as much as to deny other teams the opportunity of signing them as any other reason. From the list of 50 or more names, the ones that jump out as having ‘made it’ are Chris Templeman (Dunfermline Athletic), Brian Carrigan (Clyde), Paul Gallacher (Dundee United) and . . . well that’s it, really. How many of the other lads on the list had their ambitions thwarted by signing one of these archaic forms which bound them to terms of servitude with the club concerned?
Oh well, surely the flagship Under 15 International side must have contained a host of players destined for greater things. The magazine reports on their 1-0 win over Brazil at Hampden – perhaps a sign that a generation of players was coming through to challenge the best in the world?
The aforementioned Paul Gallacher, now of St Mirren, was in goal. Alex Notman headed to England and Manchester United and vanished from the face of the earth. Jim Paterson is, I think, the one who had a spell with Dundee United. And the Neilson might be Robbie Neilson. The rest? Duncan, K Brown, Clark, Duggan, McLelland, Porteous, Mason, Donachie – I canot think that any are household names these days.
It would seem that the cream of the mid 1990s schools talent has come to nought. Maybe these were the wrong lads? Perhaps better players were ignored and went on to overtake those who shone at that age? Or perhaps our youth development system was just rubbish?
Not long after that the Schools FA was relieved of responsibility for organising age-group teams. The whole system was brought under the single control of the SFA. The move was probably necessary but I remain unconvinced that the new system is any better for identifying and developing young talent.
The back page lists the 32 finalists in the B and Q Soccer Skills competition. Scanning the list of names – these guys will be around 30 now – not many have made a career in senior football. Tadg Moriarty still struts his stuff with Arniston Rangers in the Juniors; Stephen Hughes genuinely did well and still plays for Norwich City . . . and that’s about it. Thomas Robertson, Kevin Joyce, Darren Connolly, Barry McCleish, Ian Lynn and many others have disappeared off the footballing radar. I find it interesting and not a little worrying that so few of the players identified for their skills should fall by the wayside.
And what of the list of ‘Recent S Form Signings’. Clubs were notorious for signing up hordes of lads on these forms, as much as to deny other teams the opportunity of signing them as any other reason. From the list of 50 or more names, the ones that jump out as having ‘made it’ are Chris Templeman (Dunfermline Athletic), Brian Carrigan (Clyde), Paul Gallacher (Dundee United) and . . . well that’s it, really. How many of the other lads on the list had their ambitions thwarted by signing one of these archaic forms which bound them to terms of servitude with the club concerned?
Oh well, surely the flagship Under 15 International side must have contained a host of players destined for greater things. The magazine reports on their 1-0 win over Brazil at Hampden – perhaps a sign that a generation of players was coming through to challenge the best in the world?
The aforementioned Paul Gallacher, now of St Mirren, was in goal. Alex Notman headed to England and Manchester United and vanished from the face of the earth. Jim Paterson is, I think, the one who had a spell with Dundee United. And the Neilson might be Robbie Neilson. The rest? Duncan, K Brown, Clark, Duggan, McLelland, Porteous, Mason, Donachie – I canot think that any are household names these days.
It would seem that the cream of the mid 1990s schools talent has come to nought. Maybe these were the wrong lads? Perhaps better players were ignored and went on to overtake those who shone at that age? Or perhaps our youth development system was just rubbish?
Not long after that the Schools FA was relieved of responsibility for organising age-group teams. The whole system was brought under the single control of the SFA. The move was probably necessary but I remain unconvinced that the new system is any better for identifying and developing young talent.
Strachan - About to Become a Celtic Hero?
Gordon Strachan's period as Celtic manager was, by any assessment, successful. Yet many Celtic supporters continue to refuse to accept that Strachan achieved anything during his spell at Parkhead. Could that be about to change?
Strachan's three consecutive league titles make him the most successful Celic boss since Jock Stein. Reaching the second stage of the Champions League on two occasions eclipsed the record of Martin O'Neill. Strachan did this while implementing the other part of his remit - to slash the wage bill at Celtic Park. The enormous wages on offer during the period of Martin O'Neill's management were no longer on offer. Strachan's squad was smaller and made up of players recruited at knockdown prices and on lower wages.
So why wasn't Strachan fully accepted by the Celtic support? It was often stated that he 'wasn't Celtic minded'. To an outsider, and indeed to lifelong residents of Scotland, the concept of Celtic-mindedness takes some explaining.
Celtic are a complex club. It's too simple to say that they are a Catholic institution. Many of their greatest servants have been non-Catholic. Jock Stein, for example, was the club's first Protestant manager but he would not have been accused of not being Celtic-minded. Neither would Billy McNeill, the first British player to lift the European Cup, and another Protestant. What those two have and Strachan lacks is a pedigree of playing for Celtic.
As a player Strachan performed for Dundee and Aberdeen before moving to England. Brought up in Edinburgh, he was a Hibernian supporter and an 'S' form signing for the Easter Road club. Sectarianism doesn't bite so deep in Edinburgh. The nominally Protestant Strachan attended Craigroyston High School but supported Hibs - and nobody thought there was anything unusual about that.
When he was with Aberdeen Strachan produced some wonderful performances, including many against Celtic. His cockiness, verging on arrogance, made opposing supporters loathe him while the Dons fans loved him. During one match at Parkhead a Celtic fan ran on from the Jungle to attack Strachan - he had that effect on people.
Many Celtic supporters grew to dislike Strachan's attitude to the media during his tenure as manager. The sort of quips and one-liners that had gone down well in England were lost on the average Celtic fan. Being manager of Celtic is all about doing better than Rangers. So long as Celtic are above Rangers in the League and beat them when they meet almost anything else is forgiveable. What cannot be forgiven is any suggestion that Celtic are not the most important thing in the world. When asked about the pressure of the job Strachan observed that depending on the kind of day he had at the office, millions of people would be emotionally affected.
Strachan probably saw the Celtic job as just that - a job. A chance to pit his management skills against the elite of Europe in the Champions League; A chance to go head to head with Rangers in the most volatile of local derbies. After four years Strachan was ready to move on. Celtic fans could not relate to this attitude - to them Celtic was a devotion, a religion and an obsession.
Now, half a season after he left the post, Strachan could be about to endear himself to the Celtic support in the most unlikely way. After a short sabbatical he's returned to football at Middlesbrough. It might only be Championship football but his transfer kitty and wages budget far exceeds what he had at Celtic. And now he is set to 'raid Scotland' as the tabloids would have it, in search of players to boost Middlesbrough's promotion bid.
Top of his shopping list is Gary Caldwell, the Celtic defender who is not the most popular man at Parkhead. High profile own goals, metaphorical and actual, mean that Celtic fans would be delighted to se him move on, especially for a high fee. Willo Flood, a Strachan signing who has never broken through at the Glasgow club, is another man on Strachan's radar. His waygoing would not be mourned.
But the move that would clinch Strachan's elevation to Celtic hero would be if he takes Kris Boyd, Rangers talismanic striker. Strachan's status in the eyes of Rangers fans would be similar to that of the Pope. Wallowing in the schadenfreude of it all, the Celtic fans would simply love it.
Strachan's three consecutive league titles make him the most successful Celic boss since Jock Stein. Reaching the second stage of the Champions League on two occasions eclipsed the record of Martin O'Neill. Strachan did this while implementing the other part of his remit - to slash the wage bill at Celtic Park. The enormous wages on offer during the period of Martin O'Neill's management were no longer on offer. Strachan's squad was smaller and made up of players recruited at knockdown prices and on lower wages.
So why wasn't Strachan fully accepted by the Celtic support? It was often stated that he 'wasn't Celtic minded'. To an outsider, and indeed to lifelong residents of Scotland, the concept of Celtic-mindedness takes some explaining.
Celtic are a complex club. It's too simple to say that they are a Catholic institution. Many of their greatest servants have been non-Catholic. Jock Stein, for example, was the club's first Protestant manager but he would not have been accused of not being Celtic-minded. Neither would Billy McNeill, the first British player to lift the European Cup, and another Protestant. What those two have and Strachan lacks is a pedigree of playing for Celtic.
As a player Strachan performed for Dundee and Aberdeen before moving to England. Brought up in Edinburgh, he was a Hibernian supporter and an 'S' form signing for the Easter Road club. Sectarianism doesn't bite so deep in Edinburgh. The nominally Protestant Strachan attended Craigroyston High School but supported Hibs - and nobody thought there was anything unusual about that.
When he was with Aberdeen Strachan produced some wonderful performances, including many against Celtic. His cockiness, verging on arrogance, made opposing supporters loathe him while the Dons fans loved him. During one match at Parkhead a Celtic fan ran on from the Jungle to attack Strachan - he had that effect on people.
Many Celtic supporters grew to dislike Strachan's attitude to the media during his tenure as manager. The sort of quips and one-liners that had gone down well in England were lost on the average Celtic fan. Being manager of Celtic is all about doing better than Rangers. So long as Celtic are above Rangers in the League and beat them when they meet almost anything else is forgiveable. What cannot be forgiven is any suggestion that Celtic are not the most important thing in the world. When asked about the pressure of the job Strachan observed that depending on the kind of day he had at the office, millions of people would be emotionally affected.
Strachan probably saw the Celtic job as just that - a job. A chance to pit his management skills against the elite of Europe in the Champions League; A chance to go head to head with Rangers in the most volatile of local derbies. After four years Strachan was ready to move on. Celtic fans could not relate to this attitude - to them Celtic was a devotion, a religion and an obsession.
Now, half a season after he left the post, Strachan could be about to endear himself to the Celtic support in the most unlikely way. After a short sabbatical he's returned to football at Middlesbrough. It might only be Championship football but his transfer kitty and wages budget far exceeds what he had at Celtic. And now he is set to 'raid Scotland' as the tabloids would have it, in search of players to boost Middlesbrough's promotion bid.
Top of his shopping list is Gary Caldwell, the Celtic defender who is not the most popular man at Parkhead. High profile own goals, metaphorical and actual, mean that Celtic fans would be delighted to se him move on, especially for a high fee. Willo Flood, a Strachan signing who has never broken through at the Glasgow club, is another man on Strachan's radar. His waygoing would not be mourned.
But the move that would clinch Strachan's elevation to Celtic hero would be if he takes Kris Boyd, Rangers talismanic striker. Strachan's status in the eyes of Rangers fans would be similar to that of the Pope. Wallowing in the schadenfreude of it all, the Celtic fans would simply love it.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
The Local Derby - Highlight of the Season?
As a young football fan in the 60s and 70s, 'local derby' day was the highlight of the football calendar. These matches were usually played on the second Saturday of the season and on New Year's Day. They attracted bumper crowds, with thousands of people who didn't normally go to matches turning out to see local honour settled. Yet by the early years of the 21st Century local derbies seem to have becomde devalued and less important in the fabric of Scottish football.
So what were the big local derbies in Scottish football? Books have been written on the Celtic v Rangers fixture. In truth it isn't really a local derby - it's a meeting of two diametrically opposed forces. They repel each other like conflicting poles on a magnet. Drawing support from across the country, games between these teams have long been 'above' mere local rivalry.
Hearts v Hibernian, on the other hand, was a true local derby. So too was Dundee v Dundee United, at least from the 1960s onwards. Before then United were habitually in the lower divisions so Dundee v Aberdeen was the big game. More recently, when Dundee have been the strugglers, Aberdeen v Dundee United has taken on the mantle of 'North East Derby'. St Johnstone have long viewed Dundee as their local rivals although the strength of feeling is not reciprocated. Dundee fans would regard games against the Saints as a poor second to matches against their near neighbours within the city.
Angus, with four teams of a similar standing, should be a mecca for derby afficionados. Montrose v Arbroath is the fixture with the strongest local rivalry, followed by Brechin v Forfar. The other games have no more significance than other run of the mill fixtures.
In Fife arguments can be made for both Dunfermline v Raith and Raith v East Fife as being the most significant derby. Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy are the largest towns, but Kirkcaldy and Methil are closer together. With teams bouncing around from division to division, it was always hard to determine which was the most keenly felt local rivalry in this part of the world. Cowdenbeath look to Dunfermline as their big neighbours, but over the past 30 years it is east Fife who they have come up against on the most regular basis.
Central Scotland poses a derby problem. Over the years Falkirk have been by far the most powerful side. East Stirlingshire, Stenhousemuir, Alloa and particularly Stirling Albion would see games against Falkirk as a big local match. Bairns fans, on the other hand, have developed a huge rivalry in the 'Kincardine Bridge' derby against Dunfermline. Shire v Stenhousemuir and Stirling v Alloa have become the derbies of preference for the also-rans of the area.
Airdrie and Coatbridge are adjoining towns but Albion Rovers have seldom aspired to the heights of Airdrieonians or Airdrie United. The last time them met was in 1983. The riot that ensued confirms the strength of local feeling but down the years it has been the Airdrie v Motherwell fixture that has been the top Lanarkshire Derby.
In Glasgow, the rivalry between Partick Thistle and Clyde has centred on who is the 'third force' of Glaswegian football. Even since Clyde moved out to Cumbernauld the rivalry has been maintained as most of their loyal support continue to travel from Rutherglen. Queen's Park and Clyde was a true local derby in the geographical sense, but Queen's Park have always tended to be above such distractions.
The Renfrewshire set-to between St Mirren and Morton raises the passions. Even today Renfrewshire Cup ties between the sides would be regarded by the police as 'Category A' security risks. In Ayrshire as well, the emnity between Kilmarnock and Ayr United seldom fails to produce explosive matches.
Poor Queen of the South have usually been out on their own without a proper local rival. Stranraer, Kilmarnock and Ayr have, at times, been their derby day fixture, and the match against Hamilton Accies is also keenly anticipated. Accies have lost out in the Lanarkshire stakes with Motherwell looking down their noses at their nearest geographical neighbours.
Ignorant hacks have sometimes classed Berwick v Stranraer as the 'Borders Derby'. It must be one of the most awkward and lengthy away trips in the land - 'derby it most certainly is not. The brief rise of Gretna gave Queen of the South a new local rival but it was not to last.
In the North the match between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County is one that retains the features of a true local derby. When these two meet, be it at Inverness or Dingwall, the attendance is usually more than the normal combined home crowds of the two teams. That is the mark of a fixture with real appeal and significance.
But the local derby isn't quite what it was . . . for two main reasons.
The four-division structure of Scottish football, with mini-leagues of 10 and 12 clubs, means that many teams are removed from playing their traditional local rivals. It is quite different from the days of two divisions when rivalries built up over a long period of time with clubs remaining in the same division. Elgin City suffer more than most. As a Highland League club they had half-a-dozen local derbies. In Division three their nearest away game is at Montrose, more than two hours drive away. It's no coincidence that their biggest crowd since joining the SFL was for a Scottish Cup tie against Buckie Thistle. Peterhead, in Division Two, would look to Brechin for their closest away game. Their traditional rivalry with Fraserburgh is reduced to a pre-season friendly, which still attracts one of their best crowds of the season.
Such a high proportion of Scottish clubs jump divisions each year that it is difficult to build-up the long-term rivalry associated with a true derby game. Yes, competition is important, but football may have lost something as a result of it.
Derbies have become like waiting for buses - a real famine or feast. If teams are in the same division then they meet four times in the season. That's just too many to make the games feel important. When teams met twice there was a greater sense of anticipation for something special. And back in the 60s and 70s you didn;t have to book tickets weeks in advance and games weren't moved to Sunday lunchtimes and Monday evenings to suit television. The New Year's Day match was just that - played in the afternoon and a vital part of the ritual that surrounded the celebrations for many people.
So what were the big local derbies in Scottish football? Books have been written on the Celtic v Rangers fixture. In truth it isn't really a local derby - it's a meeting of two diametrically opposed forces. They repel each other like conflicting poles on a magnet. Drawing support from across the country, games between these teams have long been 'above' mere local rivalry.
Hearts v Hibernian, on the other hand, was a true local derby. So too was Dundee v Dundee United, at least from the 1960s onwards. Before then United were habitually in the lower divisions so Dundee v Aberdeen was the big game. More recently, when Dundee have been the strugglers, Aberdeen v Dundee United has taken on the mantle of 'North East Derby'. St Johnstone have long viewed Dundee as their local rivals although the strength of feeling is not reciprocated. Dundee fans would regard games against the Saints as a poor second to matches against their near neighbours within the city.
Angus, with four teams of a similar standing, should be a mecca for derby afficionados. Montrose v Arbroath is the fixture with the strongest local rivalry, followed by Brechin v Forfar. The other games have no more significance than other run of the mill fixtures.
In Fife arguments can be made for both Dunfermline v Raith and Raith v East Fife as being the most significant derby. Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy are the largest towns, but Kirkcaldy and Methil are closer together. With teams bouncing around from division to division, it was always hard to determine which was the most keenly felt local rivalry in this part of the world. Cowdenbeath look to Dunfermline as their big neighbours, but over the past 30 years it is east Fife who they have come up against on the most regular basis.
Central Scotland poses a derby problem. Over the years Falkirk have been by far the most powerful side. East Stirlingshire, Stenhousemuir, Alloa and particularly Stirling Albion would see games against Falkirk as a big local match. Bairns fans, on the other hand, have developed a huge rivalry in the 'Kincardine Bridge' derby against Dunfermline. Shire v Stenhousemuir and Stirling v Alloa have become the derbies of preference for the also-rans of the area.
Airdrie and Coatbridge are adjoining towns but Albion Rovers have seldom aspired to the heights of Airdrieonians or Airdrie United. The last time them met was in 1983. The riot that ensued confirms the strength of local feeling but down the years it has been the Airdrie v Motherwell fixture that has been the top Lanarkshire Derby.
In Glasgow, the rivalry between Partick Thistle and Clyde has centred on who is the 'third force' of Glaswegian football. Even since Clyde moved out to Cumbernauld the rivalry has been maintained as most of their loyal support continue to travel from Rutherglen. Queen's Park and Clyde was a true local derby in the geographical sense, but Queen's Park have always tended to be above such distractions.
The Renfrewshire set-to between St Mirren and Morton raises the passions. Even today Renfrewshire Cup ties between the sides would be regarded by the police as 'Category A' security risks. In Ayrshire as well, the emnity between Kilmarnock and Ayr United seldom fails to produce explosive matches.
Poor Queen of the South have usually been out on their own without a proper local rival. Stranraer, Kilmarnock and Ayr have, at times, been their derby day fixture, and the match against Hamilton Accies is also keenly anticipated. Accies have lost out in the Lanarkshire stakes with Motherwell looking down their noses at their nearest geographical neighbours.
Ignorant hacks have sometimes classed Berwick v Stranraer as the 'Borders Derby'. It must be one of the most awkward and lengthy away trips in the land - 'derby it most certainly is not. The brief rise of Gretna gave Queen of the South a new local rival but it was not to last.
In the North the match between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County is one that retains the features of a true local derby. When these two meet, be it at Inverness or Dingwall, the attendance is usually more than the normal combined home crowds of the two teams. That is the mark of a fixture with real appeal and significance.
But the local derby isn't quite what it was . . . for two main reasons.
The four-division structure of Scottish football, with mini-leagues of 10 and 12 clubs, means that many teams are removed from playing their traditional local rivals. It is quite different from the days of two divisions when rivalries built up over a long period of time with clubs remaining in the same division. Elgin City suffer more than most. As a Highland League club they had half-a-dozen local derbies. In Division three their nearest away game is at Montrose, more than two hours drive away. It's no coincidence that their biggest crowd since joining the SFL was for a Scottish Cup tie against Buckie Thistle. Peterhead, in Division Two, would look to Brechin for their closest away game. Their traditional rivalry with Fraserburgh is reduced to a pre-season friendly, which still attracts one of their best crowds of the season.
Such a high proportion of Scottish clubs jump divisions each year that it is difficult to build-up the long-term rivalry associated with a true derby game. Yes, competition is important, but football may have lost something as a result of it.
Derbies have become like waiting for buses - a real famine or feast. If teams are in the same division then they meet four times in the season. That's just too many to make the games feel important. When teams met twice there was a greater sense of anticipation for something special. And back in the 60s and 70s you didn;t have to book tickets weeks in advance and games weren't moved to Sunday lunchtimes and Monday evenings to suit television. The New Year's Day match was just that - played in the afternoon and a vital part of the ritual that surrounded the celebrations for many people.
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