GLF 55: GB tells it as he sees it from the back of the stand.
A View from the Press Box
FAIR PLAY - it was interesting to read Chick Young's comments on the BBC website and the Daily Express about the drop ball incident during the Aberdeen game, when Derek decided to contest the drop ball after the play was stopped to treat an Aberdeen player.
First of all it was no surprise that he chose a game like this to mention the subject and not the Old Firm who have also failed to return the ball to teams this season, either booting the ball into a corner, or even off Hammell's face !But that apart he had a point in his columns when he said that this " fair play " guideline needs to be either scrapped or turned into a law.I thought it was brought in to aid head injuries now we stop the play for any injury with the ball being returned to the keeper at best,removing any advantage that an attacking team had.
FIFA need to sort this out and provide refs and players better guidelines or regulations that we all understand..
DEREK ADAMS - I felt a bit sorry for Derek when he came off the bench in the game at the Fir Park when he was roundly booed by the home fans.Derek was a good servant for the club when he was here and I felt that he should have been given a warm welcome,although after the drop ball he was maybe fair game !!
KILMARNOCK - how pathetic is their home support,particularly for a Cup tie, that's two years out of three we have almost out - numbered them at Rugby Park in the 3rd Round, and if we haven't outnumbered them we have out - shouted them.
I thought it was all summed up when the PA announcer had to cheer the Killie players names himself when he read the teams out to drown out the jeers from the visitors stand.Even his pleas for " some noise " were met with a half hearted " Hello Hello " chant ( Huns without bus fare ?? ).I also wasn't impressed by the Steptoe and Son tune being played when they were waiting on us returning to the field.I know it was tongue in cheek,and in the same spirit I would like to see us run out to Star Wars at Fir Park and then the other team to the Darth Vader ( the dark side ) theme from the same series !!
I also find it frustrating when we go to places like this on Scottish Cup duty and they don't have the correct number of seats open and available.It happened at Rugby Park two years ago-but the number of travelling fans seemed to take them by surprise again.The same debacle happened at Perth last year,when additional seats in the Main Stand had to be made available to the Well fans.
I also found it strange that the crowd the following week was less than 1,000 smaller than the cup tie with 2,000 less Well fans there.Was there really 1000 extra Killie fans there a week later - didn't look like it to me !!!
FOOTBALL FINANCES - When will some of our teams learn, look at Dundee United.They are deep in relegation trouble, having already been forced to make cut backs in the paying squad,what's the answer to their problems,sign Crawford, Ritchie and Mair.
I guess that Thomson is helping fund this,which is okay as long as he is there,but what happens when he moves away or decides he has spent enough ?Yes,you've guessed it,the same route as Motherwell, Dundee and Livingston - administration with Thomson probably being forced to write off his debts.
It's also a huge gamble when you look at the other signings that McCall has made and the team still struggles,the whole picture could be even darker if they do end up getting relegated - there could be a complete melt - down !
I was even more amazed when I heard that Dundee were prepared to offer Tam McManus from Hibs more than we were prepared to offer.All you ever hear about is that it will take them 15 years to clear their debt,making offers like this may take them 17 - 18 years !You also have to check the greed of the player,what if Dundee get relegated ( as could happen ), they could end up backing administration and who do you think would be the first to go - yes,probably McManus !
Then we have Livingston brining in four players,although it seems they at least had the good sense to sign them up on contracts to the end of the season,without having any commitment to them if they do go down.
LOWER DIVISION TALENT - this season I have had the privilege of covering a number of Clyde games in the first division and I am shocked that they are second in the table given the type of player that they have available.I remember a number of years ago that a team like this would have a number of players who are ready to step up to the top League but they don't have anybody that I could see.
I have seen them play against Airdrie, St. Johnstone, St.Mirren and again there was nobody in any of these teams that you would consider for the SPL.I may be judging harshly on one game, but Gow and McLaren are not the prospects that I have heard people rave about. I would find it strange that Hearts were prepared to pay £100,000 for Gow.
This is a major worry for me that there is no bedrock of talent in the lower Leagues to flow up to the top tier, making it even more imperative that we continue to grow our own players.
CRAIG BROWN - what a media whore he has turned into since losing the job at Preston to MFC legend Billy Davies.He pops up on Sky, Radio 5, Radio Scotland and anywhere there happens to be a microphone open...the only thing is that he has nothing interesting to say !!He will criticise no one,and constantly harks back to how good he was with Scotland and / or Preston.Please give us a break and keep the wee man in the old folks home and spare us from his Sunday Post couthy "banter" !!!!
GRETNA - I read with the usual bemusement Chick Young's comments about how wonderful things are at Gretna, after he had visited the ground for the Scottish Cup replay with Dundee United.Why do people keep thinking that a club like this being bank-rolled by a sugar daddy is a great idea.
There is no sound economic reason for Gretna being able to succeed without the support of Mileson.But as usual Chick is taken in by what he saw but doesn't think about the long term effect of a club in a town with a tiny population having a ground with a seating capacity bigger than that population !!
If he walks away what happens to the club !Yes you've guessed it, they go down the tubes.Hasn't Young learned from the bitter experiences of teams like Motherwell, Dundee and, of course, the real model for comparison, Livingston.All three tried to spend under pinned by a profligate Chairman and what happened - all went into administration - with Livi still there !!I think it is great for the fans down in that area of the country but I believe that they can go through the Leagues with this level of financial backing but I think it will all end in tears.
PC OR JUST A STEP TOO FAR - I felt that it was a bit hard of SKY Sports to sack pundit Rodney Marsh for his joke about the Toon Army and what they had done to Thailand and how this stopped Beckham signing for Newcastle.
I don't think he needed to lose his job, as sadly every time I heard the word Tsunami I couldn't help think about the Toon Army and what they had done in Asia.Surely we can have a bit of a snigger at this rather than sacking someone for thinking what a huge part of the show audience probably thought within themselves.
Graham Barnstaple
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