Sunday, 09 September 2012 14:33
39 Comments
By a Newsnet reporter
The sounds of wailing could be heard around the country within moments of Scotland’s latest footballing failure.
Saturday’s draw against an ordinary Serbian team put Craig Levein’s men on the backfoot in a world cup qualifying campaign that is surely now destined for disappointment.
Levein sported what looked like a pair of sunglasses throughout the match, no doubt in anticipation of a dazzling display. However by the time the final whistle blew, the hapless Scotland manager could have been forgiven for using them as a means of disguise in order to escape the howls of protest and the cacophony of boos.
Scotland won’t qualify for Brazil 2014 – anyone who has witnessed Levein’s brand of safety-first knows that the writing is already on the wall. If Macedonia take anything from Tuesday’s must-win match then this campaign will become little more than a series of preparatory friendlies as the SFA start the process of finding Levein’s replacement.
Having witnessed Scotland’s slow footballing death from the halcyon days of West Germany in 1974, where a naïve Willie Ormond narrowly failed to qualify for the World Cup second stage, it is now evident that football has become too big a burden on the Scottish psyche for the profile it enjoys to continue.
It must surely be time for other sports to be given a look in as football’s stock continues to fall north of the border. The obvious replacement is rugby, where the game is thriving at club level and our international side does not regularly fail to meet even modest expectations.
Edinburgh drew fantastic crowds this year on the back of their Heineken Cup run, losing narrowly to Ulster in the semi-final. Glasgow didn’t quite manage to emulate their east coast rival’s cup run but the signs of improvement are there and with a higher profile from the Scottish media who knows what can be achieved.
Rugby has enormous untapped potential and could yield significant return if some of the resources currently soaked up by football were to be re-directed. The Olympics showed how youngsters can be persuaded away from football into other areas and such an opportunity awaits for Scotland’s Cinderella sport.
Of course it isn’t just rugby that would benefit from a radical change in sporting focus. There are many sports currently languishing in the media deadzone just waiting to inspire rather than depress.
Shinty for example is a sport that generates passion and excitement, yet few will ever have witnessed one of Scotland’s national sports. Take a look at how Ireland’s indigenous sports of Hurling and Gaelic football thrive to see what could be achieved.
Croke park in Ireland is the home of Hurling and Gaelic Football. Thousands regularly attend Hurling matches to watch ‘the fastest game on grass’ as fierce rivalries between counties are played out. Gaelic Football also attracts fans in their thousands keen to watch highly skilled and frenetic exchanges.
Here in Scotland, basketball and ice-hockey are also attracting crowds, and have the added attraction of being significantly more family friendly than football. Given Andy Murray’s achievements, isn’t it time we had more coverage of the ATP tennis tour?
All it needs is for someone to waken up to the fact that football isn’t cutting the mustard anymore and these continual inquests are little more than self-indulgent exercises that help feed the myth that Scotland is a footballing power.
The sooner people realise we reached our footballing zenith decades ago the better – it’s time to move on.
Tuesday will probably see a full house at Hampden and massive media exposure to boot. If, however, Scotland do not win then it could well be the last full house at the national stadium for some considerable time.
The media will have a decision to make when it becomes clear that Scotland has blown another chance to qualify for a major football final. Do they continue to flog a dead horse or do they finally admit defeat and turn their attentions to other less psychologically damaged sports?
Sadly, I think I already know the answer.
Comments
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2012-09-09 15:40
The media will continue to follow the sports that their consumers consider important. That will continue to be football. And like the overwhelming majority of countries, Scotland will continue to have unrealistic expectations of its footballers, at club and national level. It isn't the 'psychologically damaging' sport that needs to change, it's the psychology of the fans.
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2012-09-09 15:40
YES!
it's high time we concentrated on what we're good at... athletics, and got rid of this religion-manipulated distraction.
it's high time we concentrated on what we're good at... athletics, and got rid of this religion-manipulated distraction.
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2012-09-09 15:50
YES - shadows on the wall (Plato's cave)
The next unionist offer will be cheaper booze and more fitba for all.
You can all attack me now!
The next unionist offer will be cheaper booze and more fitba for all.
You can all attack me now!
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2012-09-09 15:51
The manager/coach has been given enough time to prove he's got what it takes and the answer's "nope, sorry old chum" - that's the reality. Players can be cut out of the option - same goes for failing managers. In rugby - it's an honest go and a ruthless outcome for failing - what's so different with footie?
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2012-09-09 16:08
Sorry , keep the football and get rid of the manager .
I was at the game and a change of tactics in the 2nd half would have brought the desired result .
The serb team did not live upto their hype and it was clear by the end of the first half that a change of tactics might change things our way .
It would have been nice to have a couple of wins to celebrate with after all the brit fest we have had to put up with .
I was at the game and a change of tactics in the 2nd half would have brought the desired result .
The serb team did not live upto their hype and it was clear by the end of the first half that a change of tactics might change things our way .
It would have been nice to have a couple of wins to celebrate with after all the brit fest we have had to put up with .
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2012-09-09 16:11
By all means fire a manager if he's no good, but have a realistic idea of what 'good' is for the team. Currently, Scotland qualifying for the World Cup is not 'good', it's 'miraculous'.
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2012-09-09 16:17
All this guff and negativity is determined on the notion that Scotland should easily beat Serbia.
Why should that be the case?
Serbia are obviously not a bad team yet we probably should just about have beaten them even though they are several places above us in the national rankings.
Thirty years and more ago we were higher up the ranking mainly because we had the benefit of decades of competitive, professional league football which many other countries did not then have. But they do have now and we are just in the mix now like everybody else.
Under Craig Brown we were higher that England in the rankings not so long ago and I expect steady progress upwards will be made under the sensible management of Craig Levein. Only a ludicrous refereeing decision prevented us qualifying for the last Euro championships finals but this truth doesn't suit our football correspondents who write absolute uninformed rubbish most of the time.
I am completely fed up with the so called Scottish media who continually destroy any support for our teams by the gallons of pish I see published this morning
Why should that be the case?
Serbia are obviously not a bad team yet we probably should just about have beaten them even though they are several places above us in the national rankings.
Thirty years and more ago we were higher up the ranking mainly because we had the benefit of decades of competitive, professional league football which many other countries did not then have. But they do have now and we are just in the mix now like everybody else.
Under Craig Brown we were higher that England in the rankings not so long ago and I expect steady progress upwards will be made under the sensible management of Craig Levein. Only a ludicrous refereeing decision prevented us qualifying for the last Euro championships finals but this truth doesn't suit our football correspondents who write absolute uninformed rubbish most of the time.
I am completely fed up with the so called Scottish media who continually destroy any support for our teams by the gallons of pish I see published this morning
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2012-09-09 16:24
Before you put all your eggs in rubgy's basket, take a look at how the 'pro' game treated the amateur game in rugby's heartland, the South of Scotland. How can you trust an organisation like the SRU which wants to improve Scottish rugby by throwing away the borders platform of competitive rugby? That setup saw novices rubbing shoulders with British Lions and inspiring a network of feeder teams recruiting and developing new players which was second to none. It just wasn't elitist enough for Edinburgh and Glasgow however, who'd rather chase the money and don't care about the game. This particular rugby fan has never been back to Murrayfield since. Representative teams like the mighty South would draw crowds the pro game can only dream about. Untapped potential? Squandered potential more like.
Success in sport comes as a result of investing in your own people and domestic game, whatever that game is. Spend the bulk of your capital on ringers and foreigners, and you leave your domestic sports impoverished and your native talent undiscovered. I don't care if your Granny's cousin twice removed was born in Scotland, you shouldn't be capped unless you're born here and play your rugby in Scotland.
Blame the media all you like, but two fellas and one ball is all you need for sport to break out. The roll of any sports management is find the talent and develop it's excellence, and you won't do that spending all your cash on two super teams crammed full of Aussies and Kiwis.
Success in sport comes as a result of investing in your own people and domestic game, whatever that game is. Spend the bulk of your capital on ringers and foreigners, and you leave your domestic sports impoverished and your native talent undiscovered. I don't care if your Granny's cousin twice removed was born in Scotland, you shouldn't be capped unless you're born here and play your rugby in Scotland.
Blame the media all you like, but two fellas and one ball is all you need for sport to break out. The roll of any sports management is find the talent and develop it's excellence, and you won't do that spending all your cash on two super teams crammed full of Aussies and Kiwis.
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2012-09-09 19:59
Well said Breeks !
I never understood why the SRU disbanded the Border Reivers. The south of scotland is scottish rugbys heartland yet they disbanded the team but kept Glasgow. Why ?
I never understood why the SRU disbanded the Border Reivers. The south of scotland is scottish rugbys heartland yet they disbanded the team but kept Glasgow. Why ?
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2012-09-09 22:06
Quoting Breeks:
That's the problem with rugby in the Borders. They still think it is an amateur game.
Hopefully, Borders rugby will realise that times have changed forever and embrace the reality that modern rugby is a business and that the labourer is worthy of his hire, not just an opportunity to rub shoulders with aging former British Lions.
When they do, and can raise the crowds and sponsorship that funds the much higher quality of the game today, they will be a power again.
Before you put all your eggs in rubgy's basket, take a look at how the 'pro' game treated the amateur game in rugby's heartland, the South of Scotland.
That's the problem with rugby in the Borders. They still think it is an amateur game.
Hopefully, Borders rugby will realise that times have changed forever and embrace the reality that modern rugby is a business and that the labourer is worthy of his hire, not just an opportunity to rub shoulders with aging former British Lions.
When they do, and can raise the crowds and sponsorship that funds the much higher quality of the game today, they will be a power again.
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2012-09-09 16:34
Yes, I think Scottish football is damaged, in part because of the problems between Rangers and Celtic, people are not comfortable letting their kids out wearing the tops of the respective teams in case they get attacked. Parent also are scared to let their kids out alone to play football perhaps for fear of kids becoming lured by allsorts. Then there is the association with alcohol. The fans drink, and some players also in recent years develop reputations to go out drinking, clubbing, getting involved in violence. But then football is probably the same the world over. What Scots palyers may lack is dedication, some of them don't like it when the manager leaves them out, so they take the huff. Anyway, the number of players we bring through is not enough or this would not be a problem as we would and should have enough very good players to fill every position on the national side. That is a cultural anomaly as when we are old enough to be able to play professionally - by 18, how many of us have already followed our friends down a common path of work during the week and play at weekends. That is not good enough when you have to be in top physical condition to play on the international stage and compete well.
For the next world cup though I would try my best to get behind the while team. The scottish psyche will be full of emotion in 2014 so lets not degrade the national side by giving up on them yet.
For the next world cup though I would try my best to get behind the while team. The scottish psyche will be full of emotion in 2014 so lets not degrade the national side by giving up on them yet.
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2012-09-09 16:44
Let's concentrate on Shinty. As we're the only country that plays it, we can honestly say we're the best in the world at it - for now anyway !
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2012-09-09 17:07
There are agreed rules for Shinty and Hurling cross sport games, so we can play Ireland and Irish teams in an international capacity at least ;)
I would like to see Shinty promoted more however but not necessarily at the expense of football.
I would like to see Shinty promoted more however but not necessarily at the expense of football.
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2012-09-09 21:26
Quoting alasdairmac:
now theres is teams in USA, England & Cornwall on a side note found this page on facebook
www.facebook.com/.../
Let's concentrate on Shinty. As we're the only country that plays it, we can honestly say we're the best in the world at it - for now anyway !
now theres is teams in USA, England & Cornwall on a side note found this page on facebook
www.facebook.com/.../
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2012-09-09 17:34
In a word, no.
If you don't like football you can stand in the kitchen and discuss recipes or whatever it is the folk in the kitchen talk about?
Leave the talkin football to those that like talkin football.
If you don't like football you can stand in the kitchen and discuss recipes or whatever it is the folk in the kitchen talk about?
Leave the talkin football to those that like talkin football.
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2012-09-09 19:09
This article has about as much credibility as Craig Levien...if you don't like fitba don't watch.
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2012-09-09 19:39
Just back from Glentress near peebles that even on a slightly murky Sunday had 1000 mountain bikers out on the trail. Scotland hosts one of the world cup events each year and our country is one the best places on earth with tourists coming all over the world to ride here.
There are many mass participation sports in Scotland - we need to balance out football, rugby, shinty, winter sports, high octane sports, water sports...
Although, I think its funny that the daily record has suddenly been diligently covering 3rd division football.
There are many mass participation sports in Scotland - we need to balance out football, rugby, shinty, winter sports, high octane sports, water sports...
Although, I think its funny that the daily record has suddenly been diligently covering 3rd division football.
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2012-09-09 19:42
Good article.
I find scotlands obsession with football very frustrating. I like watching football but I also like watching rugby and other sports. As your article mentions, there is great potential for our rugby sides, as well as tennis et al but the media obsession with football continues. Scottish TV, Radio and Newspapers are wall to wall football coverage. Other sports don't get a look in but they need media coverage to attract participation and funds.
An interesting comparison is irish rugby. Twenty years ago irish rugby was nothing special but now they have the greatest club sides in europe and there national side are regular challengers for the six nations. Rugby isn't even there national sport but it attracts huge crowds, media coverage and sponsorship. If only this could happen here.
Other sports need to be given a chance.
I find scotlands obsession with football very frustrating. I like watching football but I also like watching rugby and other sports. As your article mentions, there is great potential for our rugby sides, as well as tennis et al but the media obsession with football continues. Scottish TV, Radio and Newspapers are wall to wall football coverage. Other sports don't get a look in but they need media coverage to attract participation and funds.
An interesting comparison is irish rugby. Twenty years ago irish rugby was nothing special but now they have the greatest club sides in europe and there national side are regular challengers for the six nations. Rugby isn't even there national sport but it attracts huge crowds, media coverage and sponsorship. If only this could happen here.
Other sports need to be given a chance.
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2012-09-09 19:49
Serbia are rebuilding and fielded a team of youngsters. They didn't play particularly well. In any case, to have a realistic chance of qualification, we have to win our home games. However, if we continue to put out teams set up to minimise the chance of losing, how can we hope to win. One striker in a home match against a moderate team?
I saw an interview with Levein before the match, where he claimed he was a better manager now. Better? Now he admits that he was too late making substitutes. No score and no chances in a must win home game, but he waits until 8 minutes from the end to give someone else a chance. Perhaps he thinks he has learned, but not many will agree with him.
I watched Willie Ormond's team in 1974 (yes, I am that old). They had better players but they also knew that the object of the game is to score more goals than the other lot. And they tried. They took the field with a realistic chance of success. Then I was a supporter.
In my view, that all changed when Jock Stein became manager. He wanted the team to play in a European style. Scotland stopped being a team that played at 100 mph and often annihilated opponents but still lost and became a team that played with caution, carefully seeking out opportunities. But the excitement went out of the game and we started to play in a way that really didn't suit the Scottish players.
Successive managers have continued the style, though none before Levein have taken it to the extreme of playing with no strikers, of playing with caution combined with fear.
I still go to watch occasional games, though I no longer consider myself a supporter.
I saw an interview with Levein before the match, where he claimed he was a better manager now. Better? Now he admits that he was too late making substitutes. No score and no chances in a must win home game, but he waits until 8 minutes from the end to give someone else a chance. Perhaps he thinks he has learned, but not many will agree with him.
I watched Willie Ormond's team in 1974 (yes, I am that old). They had better players but they also knew that the object of the game is to score more goals than the other lot. And they tried. They took the field with a realistic chance of success. Then I was a supporter.
In my view, that all changed when Jock Stein became manager. He wanted the team to play in a European style. Scotland stopped being a team that played at 100 mph and often annihilated opponents but still lost and became a team that played with caution, carefully seeking out opportunities. But the excitement went out of the game and we started to play in a way that really didn't suit the Scottish players.
Successive managers have continued the style, though none before Levein have taken it to the extreme of playing with no strikers, of playing with caution combined with fear.
I still go to watch occasional games, though I no longer consider myself a supporter.
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2012-09-09 19:51
I spent Saturday afternoon watching a rugby match between the top two sides in Division 1 with a crowd of about 500. It was non-stop, great play and mistakes on both sides and ended with the home side pressing on the visitors' line for the try and conversion that would have won them the game. They just missed out - it finished 19-24 for the visitors.
I got back to the house to hear that the Scotland-Serbia match had finished 0-0. Yawn.
I think football's a bit like the Union. Some people grow up with it and think there's nothing that could replace it. If we were all starting from scratch though, who in their right mind would pick that as their "national game"? There are far more exciting options out there - some of which, as has been pointed out, Scots are quite good at.
I got back to the house to hear that the Scotland-Serbia match had finished 0-0. Yawn.
I think football's a bit like the Union. Some people grow up with it and think there's nothing that could replace it. If we were all starting from scratch though, who in their right mind would pick that as their "national game"? There are far more exciting options out there - some of which, as has been pointed out, Scots are quite good at.
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2012-09-09 21:31
Too late for me. I will be obsessed with football as long as I have my faculties.
Remember the BBC pay Alan Hansen for his bland comments on match of the day three times more than they pay for the whole of Scottish Football.
If Scotland had a better manager in 1978 we could have won the World Cup in Argentina. (As an Aberdeen fan I loved Ally MacLeod but he did not even have Peru and Iran watched) We beat Holland and they got to the final.
We will have a good team again.
Remember the BBC pay Alan Hansen for his bland comments on match of the day three times more than they pay for the whole of Scottish Football.
If Scotland had a better manager in 1978 we could have won the World Cup in Argentina. (As an Aberdeen fan I loved Ally MacLeod but he did not even have Peru and Iran watched) We beat Holland and they got to the final.
We will have a good team again.
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2012-09-09 23:25
Why should we drop our obsession with fitba? after all we invented it. Our game is in the state it is for the same reasons as our country: all the money is diverted from our pockets via SKY and BBC into the bloated English game. (Someone has already posted the actual figures on here) and in addition our game is run by a combination of hidebound conservatives and bought-in carpetbagging outsiders, who continually appoint unimaginative fearties to manage our national team. i hope the fans will take matters into their own hands, like they did with the Rangers fiasco, by pressurising the SFA to reform itself and appoint somebody with vision. It'll happen eventually anyway..one more failed campaign and they won't be able to fit the support into a phonebox, never mind Hampden.
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2012-09-10 00:03
Fitba - smitba .... there is no real hunger in the professional ranks of the game, they all expect everything laid on a plate for them and it is always everybody elses fault that Scottish football is p!sh.
What is wrong is the SPL clubs mealy mouthed approach to developing youth players and the general approach that fitness and being a 'big lad' is what you need to be a success.
On this basis the likes of Jimmy Johnson, Archie Gemmil, Willy Henderson and others of similar stature would never had a chance in the modern game, they would never have made it past the Youth team - sorry wee man, great talent but you're no big enough fur the top flight.
As Messi has shown there is room at the very top of the top flight for mesmeric ball skills of the sort which were common during the 60's in the Scottish league. The young lads are still there with these skills but there is something that kills them and that can only be coaching with its focus on effort, pace and size.
What is wrong is the SPL clubs mealy mouthed approach to developing youth players and the general approach that fitness and being a 'big lad' is what you need to be a success.
On this basis the likes of Jimmy Johnson, Archie Gemmil, Willy Henderson and others of similar stature would never had a chance in the modern game, they would never have made it past the Youth team - sorry wee man, great talent but you're no big enough fur the top flight.
As Messi has shown there is room at the very top of the top flight for mesmeric ball skills of the sort which were common during the 60's in the Scottish league. The young lads are still there with these skills but there is something that kills them and that can only be coaching with its focus on effort, pace and size.
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2012-09-10 00:09
Angry Weegie
Much to agree with in your post. We have been gulled into playing football a way that doesn't suit us. I can't be bothered with all the fannying about in the middle of the park. We use to play with the idea of getting the ball into the opponents penalty box as often and as quickly as possible, preferably to a big bustling centre forward who terrorised the opposition defence - and they don't like it up'em at all.
WE suffer from an official notion that there is one way to play football. Actually as long as you get the ball into the opponents net more often than they do in yours you win. And if that means that Paddy Crerand (I played in the same school team)or Jim Baxter were on their game playing sixty and seventy yard passes from our box into theirs we won lots of games.
It is sad to think that Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Jinky Johnstone wouldn't get a game in today's game.
And though there were a few young players in the Serbian team most of it plays at the highest level and as a team it is no more in a rebuilding mode than Scotland's is.
Much to agree with in your post. We have been gulled into playing football a way that doesn't suit us. I can't be bothered with all the fannying about in the middle of the park. We use to play with the idea of getting the ball into the opponents penalty box as often and as quickly as possible, preferably to a big bustling centre forward who terrorised the opposition defence - and they don't like it up'em at all.
WE suffer from an official notion that there is one way to play football. Actually as long as you get the ball into the opponents net more often than they do in yours you win. And if that means that Paddy Crerand (I played in the same school team)or Jim Baxter were on their game playing sixty and seventy yard passes from our box into theirs we won lots of games.
It is sad to think that Jim Baxter, Denis Law and Jinky Johnstone wouldn't get a game in today's game.
And though there were a few young players in the Serbian team most of it plays at the highest level and as a team it is no more in a rebuilding mode than Scotland's is.
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2012-09-10 00:29
Quoting sneckedagain:
But we still have to win our home games and Serbia didn't really play well.
Have to agree with you on the point of getting the ball into the opponents area. We need to be more dangerous. Five shots on target in 90 minutes isn't doing it. Not only does it limit the chances to score, but where's the excitement?
And though there were a few young players in the Serbian team most of it plays at the highest level and as a team it is no more in a rebuilding mode than Scotland's is.
But we still have to win our home games and Serbia didn't really play well.
Have to agree with you on the point of getting the ball into the opponents area. We need to be more dangerous. Five shots on target in 90 minutes isn't doing it. Not only does it limit the chances to score, but where's the excitement?
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2012-09-10 00:25
As a motorsport fan and one time participant I find it sad that neither the BBC in Scotland nor STV cover club racing at Knockhill.
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2012-09-10 07:24
Football is the whole world's national sport. we should not even consider giving up; the answer is to get back to producing better players. Players who have the tand get outside with a football more like...
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2012-09-10 13:59
Actually I find it incomprehensibl e that the article suggests that because we are not doing so well at this moment we should then give up our support of our teams.
Incessently negative writing...wailing, failure, hapless, boos, death, self-indulgent, dead horse...something I would have expected from the press across the border and not this site.
There are a multitude of issues that make our team less prepared, lack of TV coverage, lack of training facilities, negative press and doom monger commentators, imbalance in revenue amongst Scottish teams and then there is the TV money that ends up going south. I would rather address these issues and fix the sport rather than whinge about how bad it is.
Incessently negative writing...wailing, failure, hapless, boos, death, self-indulgent, dead horse...something I would have expected from the press across the border and not this site.
There are a multitude of issues that make our team less prepared, lack of TV coverage, lack of training facilities, negative press and doom monger commentators, imbalance in revenue amongst Scottish teams and then there is the TV money that ends up going south. I would rather address these issues and fix the sport rather than whinge about how bad it is.
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2012-09-10 15:29
I think to be fair what we're being asked to question is our national "obsession" with football, meaning that no other sport gets anything like the same coverage. BBC Scotland's "every kick of the ball" - the previews, the round the grounds coverage, the interviews, the phone-ins. Same old same old even when there's an international event going on in another sport.
Just a bit of variety, a bit of coverage and encouragement to those who commit to other sports......?? Those who enjoy football (and I don't mind it at all) are welcome to carry on enjoying it, but there are so many other aspects of sport in Scotland which are currently completely neglected.
Just a bit of variety, a bit of coverage and encouragement to those who commit to other sports......?? Those who enjoy football (and I don't mind it at all) are welcome to carry on enjoying it, but there are so many other aspects of sport in Scotland which are currently completely neglected.
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2012-09-10 17:05
Yes but the article puts the boot into Scottish Football rather than BBC Scotland which is ultimately to blame for the lack of coverage of other Scottish sports.
And when you see sites like www.scottishrugbytv.com/ fail because of lack of sponsorship and advertising you just have to wonder how much interest exists.
Well there is always the opportunity to go and watch these other sports and give the money directly to the team, isnt that a better idea than to be worried about what BBC Scotland put out.
And when you see sites like www.scottishrugbytv.com/ fail because of lack of sponsorship and advertising you just have to wonder how much interest exists.
Well there is always the opportunity to go and watch these other sports and give the money directly to the team, isnt that a better idea than to be worried about what BBC Scotland put out.
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2012-09-10 14:22
Yes! I've found football to be profoundly over-rated and particularly in the west of Scotland, the initiation of a football-related conversation by someone you've just met is usually a veil for something more insidious. In fact the game bores the sh*t out of me and I'd rather watch athletics, cycling or boxing than a limp-wristed bout of windbag kicking.
What's even more galling is the attitude of 'the faithful' when you declare a lack of interest in football - it's enough to get your mental health and your sexual orientation questioned! Personally, I rather cover myself in Marmite and jog through the local kennels than watch ninety minutes of this keech! ;-)
What's even more galling is the attitude of 'the faithful' when you declare a lack of interest in football - it's enough to get your mental health and your sexual orientation questioned! Personally, I rather cover myself in Marmite and jog through the local kennels than watch ninety minutes of this keech! ;-)
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2012-09-10 14:57
YES - very definitely!
I can easily separate out the negative, sad and juvenile jingoism which accompanies so much of the so-called 'support' of Scottish football from the upbeat, positive and forward-looking attitude of the case for independence. However, I fear that many others consider that their country's identity is solely represented by the performance of the national football team and is therefore doomed to be influenced by its current ability or otherwise.
In addition, the cheating, lying, corruption and sectarianism which is rife in the football of West Central Scotland is a blight which needs to be eradicated before the national game is ever going to be something to be proud of again.
In the meantime, let's help to support Scottish Rugby, or even Scottish Golf, our true national sport which, unlike the others, was invented here!
I can easily separate out the negative, sad and juvenile jingoism which accompanies so much of the so-called 'support' of Scottish football from the upbeat, positive and forward-looking attitude of the case for independence. However, I fear that many others consider that their country's identity is solely represented by the performance of the national football team and is therefore doomed to be influenced by its current ability or otherwise.
In addition, the cheating, lying, corruption and sectarianism which is rife in the football of West Central Scotland is a blight which needs to be eradicated before the national game is ever going to be something to be proud of again.
In the meantime, let's help to support Scottish Rugby, or even Scottish Golf, our true national sport which, unlike the others, was invented here!
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2012-09-10 15:50
Anent your headline question – not in my life time I would rather suspect although with the ridiculous glorification of players and sky high wages it could only be a matter of a generation or so away.
Meantime, it is nice to consider some of the alternatives proposed by the many respondents to this article. Oh for a broadcaster that would reflect the sports that other bits of Scotland work at and enjoy, think what a window it would be to the world. Why other people might want to come, enjoy it and perhaps even stay for a lifetime.
(sighs.....considers BBC/STV......and drops into Edvard Munch mode)
Meantime, it is nice to consider some of the alternatives proposed by the many respondents to this article. Oh for a broadcaster that would reflect the sports that other bits of Scotland work at and enjoy, think what a window it would be to the world. Why other people might want to come, enjoy it and perhaps even stay for a lifetime.
(sighs.....considers BBC/STV......and drops into Edvard Munch mode)
#
2012-09-10 16:00
It is over the top.
As regards the national team, We need to look at why we were so successful in the 70s and not so good now.
As regards the national team, We need to look at why we were so successful in the 70s and not so good now.
#
2012-09-12 22:40
It,s oor ain fault for declaring fitba as oor national sport. Noo tennis, that's the new fitba - we're world beaters at that! Seriously, how thrawn is Craig Levein!The fans wanted Jordan Rhodes,so Levein shows he's boss by delaying bringing him on. Same with Steven Fletcher. Pick up the phone Craig while there's still a chance to make it to Brazil - I'm an optimist!!
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