FITBA Issue Three

McCall + HAMPDEN PARK + Hearts

+

Scotland WNT

SCOTZINE

FITBA

WWW.SCOTZINE.COM

NOVEMBER 2014

AULD ENEMY

RIVAL REVIVAL

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STOP PRICING FANS OUT OF GAME + TOT ZIENS MARK, WOTTE NEXT?

Contents

05 07 11 13 17 20

22 26 29 31 36

McCall: A Football Man

Tot Ziens Mark, Wotte next?

With the departure of manager Stuart McCall from Motherwell, Calum Crowe pays tribute to a football man through and through.

With the surprise resignation of the Scottish FA Performance Director Mark Wotte, Donald C. Stewart asks what next?

Romanov Revolution makes way for Budge bounce

Lowland v Junior Football

Stop pricing fans out of the game

Scottish keepers falling behind the continents best

With the introduction of the Scottish Lowland League to bridge the gap between Junior Football and the SPFL, Andrew Watson compares the two leagues as playoffs for promotion to Senior football fast approaches.

After all the highs and lows under Vladimir Romanov, Steven Kellow says it looks as though re-building job under Ann Budge at Tynecastle is working.

With the feel good factor returning to the Scotland national side, the Scottish FA have come under increased criticism over their pricing of the EURO 2016 qualifiers - Andrew Watson calls on the powers-that-be to halt pricing fans out of the game.

With the departure of manager Stuart McCall from Motherwell, Calum Crowe pays tribute to a football man through and through.

Scotland’s women meet expectations but is that our lot?

Rival Revival: Scotland and the Auld Enemy

For the third successive campaign in a row, Scotland’s women fail to get past the play-off stages. Andy Muirhead asks is it time for fresh blood in the manager’s role.

Ahead of the Auld Enemy ‘friendly’, Daniel Lafferty looks at the revival of the oldest international rivalry in world football.

Rejected by Celtic spurred Andy Robertson on

The History of Hampden Park

With the future of Hampden Park, as the national football stadium potentially at stake, Daniel Lafferty looks back at the history of the stadium that Scotland used to be proud of.

The fairytale rise of Andy Robertson from a Queen’s Park amateur, Dundee United regular to the bright lights of the English Premier League with Hull City.

But Robertson tells Ryan McDonald rejection at Celtic pushed him to do better.

The Future of Hampden Park

Is Hampden Park really the best place for our national stadium? Lewis Barnes considers the possibility of following Spain’s lead and play games around the country instead.

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The Dugout Andy Muirhead, Editor

Welcome to the third issue of FITBA, Scotzine’s Scottish football magazine. The only magazine on the market that covers the Scottish game.

nation on a high after Friday night, hopefully we can give the English a right good battering on the pitch, sending them homeward to think again.

After some teething problems between Issue two and three, we are back with another issue delving into all areas of the Scottish game.

Scotzine are currently looking for nominations for their Top 25 Scottish youngster of 2015 - so if you have a couple of minutes spare then go to Scotzine.com and nominate your five young players. Remember they must be under-21 and Scottish. We will announce the 25 in January.

Friday night saw Scotland triumph over our Celtic neighbours, the Republic of Ireland, thanks to a fine solo goal from Shaun Maloney. With three vital points secured, Scotland are now in third spot on seven points with World Champions Germany [in second] and leapfrog Ireland [in fourth]. Next up for Scotland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers is Gibraltar. The minnows have taken a battering from the nations they have faced in their debut qualifying campaign and hopefully the Scots can pile up the goals against them. We will have to wait until March for that spectacle however.

Turning to the women’s game briefly, I would like to pass on my congratulations to Glasgow City after they qualified for the quarter finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League after a dramatic last 16 clash against FC Zurich, winning 4-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate.

The status quo seems to have returned in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic returning to the top after a poor start to the season. Ronny Deila’s side are also on the cusp of qualifying for the knock out round of the Europa League, and it seems that the Norwegian has finally found his feet despite pundits and fans taking pot shots at the young and exciting manager.

The international week is not complete yet as Scotland ‘welcome’ their Auld Enemy rivals, England, to Celtic Park for a friendly. Can games against England be regarded as friendlies though?

Praise has to be handed to Hamilton Accies for a surprising but well deserved start to their Premiership campaign. They may have stumbled of late, but Alex Neil has done wonders at New Douglas Park and is surely an early candidate for Manager of the Year.

I expect the game against England to be a blood and guts affair, with a few meaty challenges possibly a red card or two - Rooney to get wound up and sent off hopefully!

Last season, Scotland faced England at Wembley with many fearing the worst. But that performance, despite a last gasp winner from the geriatric Rickie Lambert, showed the early signs that what Gordon Strachan was doing was working. I expect the English were surprised at how hard a game they faced also.

The big news though, is we will have an Old Firm clash for the first time since Celtic beat Rangers 3-0 at Celtic Park before the Ibtox side were liquidated. The League Cup semi final is some time away but that hasn’t stopped the Scottish mainstream media talking about it until boredom sets in.

Until Issue Four,

Come Tuesday night, England will face a tougher test than the one they faced last year. And with the

Andy Muirhead @scotzine

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THE FINAL

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McCall: A Football man Words by Calum Crowe

Allow me to be the first to say that, to his very bootstraps, Stuart McCall is a football man through and through. A true thoroughbred of the game in every possible sense.

position at its summit, Motherwell have struggled.

As McCall approached his fourth anniversary in the job, the 50-year-old was coming under intense scrutiny, often by his own admission as his own worst critic, as his side toiled at the foot of the table so far this campaign, their form long having since deserted as they plummeted down the league table at an alarming a rate of knots.

Anyone with even a passing interest in Scottish football cannot fail to have been impressed by Motherwell’s second-place finishes in each of the past two seasons – finishing as best of the rest behind runaway champions Celtic.

While an explanation for Motherwell’s sudden and drastic loss of form continued to escape both McCall and critics alike, the writing was perhaps on the wall even before the season really began in earnest when they were calamitously bundled out of the Europa League in July by Icelandic minnows Stjarnan.

An assortment of modest journeymen, bargainbasement signings and some prodigious young talents, the Fir Park outfit were a joy to watch.

Working under a shoestring budget, and continually having to sell his top performers each summer, McCall’s continued feats of overachievement were the work of a footballing alchemist in the way that his side continued to defy the odds and upstage a raft of clubs with far superior financial resources.

The Fir Park club have since carried that form into the new season and, after one full round of fixtures, find themselves languishing second from bottom after having only won twice in their opening 12 games. It is a run which has seen Motherwell lose nine games already. To put that into some sort of perspective, they only lost 12 games throughout the whole of last season.

If you were to ask any Scottish football fan to name the biggest clubs in the country, you would without exception - be met with a response which offered little in the way of a surprise; Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen would all roll of the tongue with a ubiquitous frequency. Rarely - if ever – would Motherwell have found their way into such a debate, despite their sustained punching-above-their-weight exploits.

As the bags under his eyes have darkened and his fingernails shortened, McCall admitted last week to having suffered many a sleepless night during the club’s dire run of results. And it’s little wonder given that his side’s defence has so far shown about as much solidity as a Cadbury’s crème egg. Jonny Hayes’ goal for Aberdeen in their 1-0 victory over McCall’s men last month was symptomatic of all that is wrong with Motherwell at the moment; a comedy of errors in a defence which bordered on being laughably bad at times.

Fans of the Steelmen might well scoff at the idea, but overachieving rarely comes without its own dangers; with a meteoric rise often comes an inevitable fall from grace. And, at least so far this season, McCall and Motherwell have, sadly, proven to be a case in point for this harsh reality.

Not that McCall will see the funny side of it, mind you. The now-departed manager blasted his players after their 3-1 capitulation to Dundee in October - a result which *Sportsmail* understands had McCall

With a refreshing look to this year’s Premier League table, the likes of Hamilton Accies, Dundee United and Inverness Caley Thistle jockeying for

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ready to tender his resignation weeks before he actually did. Yet he stood firm and vowed to carry on the fight. But two successive defeats away from home, to Aberdeen and St Johnstone respectively, finally pushed him to the point of no return - a man who had clearly done all he could for his club and felt that a response from his players was not forthcoming.

that and, you might say even embrace it, the better equipped the club will be to safeguard its Premier League status

So, just how do you go from second-top to secondbottom in the space of little over five months?

How can a team’s form fall off the edge of a cliff in quite such spectacular and sudden fashion? Are Motherwell *really* too good to go down? You know, that’s probably exactly what Hibs fans were saying at this very stage last season.

Motherwell’s players must now show the kind of ability and character that their former manager forged a career on. For Stuart McCall is, indeed, a football man through and through; the type of man who would roll up his sleeves and relish the kind of scrap which Motherwell now find themselves in if he were still a player.

The Hibees know all too well just how difficult it is to arrest the slide once it starts. How a chronic loss of form can totally suffocate a football club and bring it to its knees. In a squad that boasts players such as former Celtic and Scotland skipper Stephen McManus, the goalscoring prowess of John Sutton and the enigmatic talents of Estonian Henrik Ojamaa, Motherwell fans might tell you that their players are simply too good to go down and that, sooner or later, their form will improve.

He may have taken them as far as he possibly can, but there is still a lot that Motherwell’s players can learn from Stuart McCall.

Football is rarely a place for moral substance to come to the fore. But sometimes out of a crisis comes opportunity. An opportunity where character can count just as much as ability.

But Hibs also had some fine players among their ranks last season when they sank without a trace from Premier League existence. At this very same stage last year, after 12 games played, Hibs had 15 points and sat in the relative sanctuary of midtable. In comparison, having played 12 games so far this campaign, Motherwell have amassed just a paltry seven points. Relegation form? You would certainly be hard pushed to argue otherwise.

But the question must be asked: just where do Motherwell expect to be? Did they really expect to waltz their way to another season of overachievement after another summer of whealing and dealing and cut-price business?

Maybe so, but what is clear is that overachieving undoubtedly left McCall susceptible to becoming a victim of his own success.

Because of an unsustainable run of glory, fans of the club are disbelieving of the idea that this is now a very real and definite relegation battle.

Frankly, the sooner all those at Fir Park accept

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Romanov revolution makes way for Budge bounce Words by Steven Kellow It has truly been a tumultuous time at Tynecastle for Hearts and their loyal supporters, going through tremendous highs and crushing lows over the last decade.

replacement Graham Rix was himself fired in the following March as he complained that Romanov was taking control even so far as picking the team.

Hearts appeared in the qualifying stages of the Champions League the next season, but couldn’t make it to the lucrative Group Stages and eventually crashed out of the UEFA Cup and never recovered the sort of form they had in Romanov’s honeymoon period.

Hearts are in the process of re-building themselves back to the sort of club that they want to be again, and both on and off the pitch it seems like they are having great success and will be back to the place they feel they belong in Scottish football once again very soon.

A combination of Romanov’s erratic nature and the global financial crisis is what turned Hearts into a tailspin from which they are just recovering.

Of course, when Lithuanian tycoon Vladimir Romanov took over at Tynecastle back in 2004-05, there was talk of a Romanov Revolution in Scottish football. Going from a financially uncertain time where even Tynecastle might have been up for sale to balance the books, Romanov was welcomed with open arms with his promises of huge cash injections to help Hearts challenge the dominance of Celtic and Rangers.

Romanov went through a string of managers in trying to find a winning combination again, but no-one could find the right group of players or strategies to best the Old Firm again. At the same time, Romanov tried to spend money on players but his narrow focus on signings meant that many of the new imports, primarily from his own country of Lithuania, had little effect.

After taking third place two years on the spin they went one better in 2005-06 and became the first side to split the Old Firm in over a decade. They also managed to win the Scottish Cup, although they were taken to penalties by Scotland’s Icarus team Gretna, who flew too close to the sun only a few years later themselves although with a much more unhappy ending than there’s been for Hearts. Even then there were signs of trouble at the club though.

Hearts fans were obviously concerned that their club had gone from wonderful success to being an alsoran despite having a wealthy owner. There was a backlash against Romanov’s control of the club, but it was a tempered one. Fans at-large did not want to bite than hand that fed them and while many questioned Romanov’s intentions at the club they also felt that given his personal investment in the team and his iron grip on the club that he should be given a chance to redeem himself once more.

Hearts’ flying start to the season was curtailed slightly when George Burley, who had managed the club since Romanov’s takeover, abruptly resigned in October citing “irreconcilable differences”; with the considerable influence of Romanov in day-to-day managing of the team rumoured to be the problem. Burley’s

But the collapse of Romanov’s UBIG bank, a key supplier of capital to Hearts and a company that held most of Heats’ considerable pre-Romanov debt, showed him for what he was as he let Hearts flounder.

The bank had suffered as many did across the world

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during the global recession, and when it began to lose money its priority was not on the sports team on the other side of Europe but on saving itself.

claimed that she would only stay in charge for three to five years, when she thinks the club will be back on its’ feet. This is one owner who can’t be accused of an ulterior motive.

The Foundation of Hearts now have a seat on the Hearts board, and will have another next season. The club’s ruling consortium have committed themselves to transferring to full fan ownership in due course, although rather sensibly are taking a guiding role in nursing Hearts back to health.

The troubles began in earnest for Hearts in November 2011 as the club began to stall on paying wages to players. A year later they began to struggle with paying their tax bills as well and were even issued with a winding up order by the courts.

Of course in May 2012 they did have a ray of light in the darkness with their famous Scottish Cup final drubbing of Hibs but in June 2013 the club went into administration, in a desperate attempt to save themselves from the threat of liquidation, and surely into the darkest period in the club’s history.

Romanov had led them to the brink of extinction and surely no Hearts fan could defend him now.

As FoH chairman Ian Murray MP put it in a statement to fans during the summer, it is a sort of “Dragon’s Den” situation whereby Budge and co. can use their capital and experience to get Hearts into a situation where it can thrive. And it seems to be doing just that already.

Hearts have implemented the Living Wage for their staff, which is a fantastic gesture that will mean that the people that make the club tick will be much more fairly rewarded for their hard efforts and won’t be penalised for choosing to work for the club they love.

This means that the club’s new minimum wage will be £7.85 per hour, which is £1.35 (21%) higher than the national minimum. The costs for the club will undoubtedly be higher, but the fact that they consider their staff’s financial security as well speaks volumes for the nature of the new regime. They are the first Scottish club to implement a living wage for their employees, with Celtic rejecting their Celtic Trust’s motion to do the same last year.

Around the same time, fans began a campaign to take back control of their club. The Foundation of Hearts was formed in 2010 by local businesspeople and fans to provide a vehicle for change, and it grew exponentially during 2013 as Hearts fans and supporters group from across the world began to join and pledge money to FoH to help them towards an eventual goal of getting the club out of administration.

Such fan ownership is extremely rare in the UK, and a polar opposite from the Romanov days, and is relatively untested as a way of running a club effectively but as a theory it has resonated with fans across the country as most would agree that handing control of the club to the people that care about it most is a good idea.

The club also chose to forego having shirt sponsors this year to honour the Hearts players and fans who fought as part of McCrae’s Battalion in World War I, which began 100 years ago. Considering the financial climate surrounding Tynecastle and football in general, nobody would have batted an eyelid had they chosen to grab that little bit extra revenue by signing a deal with the likes of Wonga, their rather ironic sponsors last year, to adorn their famous maroon jersey but they have taken an admirable level of morality by making a sterling statement of their club’s ethics and that is to be applauded.

In June this year Hearts finally exited their ordeal of administration as they were bought by a consortium headed by entrepreneur Ann Budge and backed by the Foundation of Hearts.

Although not the fan ownership that many had envisaged for the club, Budge is not only a shrewd financial mind, given her massive profit on selling her own IT company, but also a died-in-the-wool Jambo that attends every match. When she took charge of the club she donated the £2.5 million needed to kick start the process with the intention of being paid back when the club was ready and

Just last week chairwoman Budge released another of her regular memos to fans about the work being done at the club, including work on lighting, IT infrastructure and even the toilets. She also laid down the law to fans about the increasingly worrying trend

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of flares being let off at games, stating that there will be a zero-tolerance policy at the club that could see miscreants handed life-time bans. Those in charge are overseeing an overhaul of the club from top to bottom and are keeping fans in the loop as much as possible. It’s incredible to see in an age where football clubs are becoming ever more corporate and ever more detached from the people who support them.

during the summer. Along with Chelsea and Bristol City, Hearts are the only side in British senior football not to have lost a league game this season, startling considering that we’re now three months into the season and with an average of nearly three goals per game they’ve managed to do it in style.

Despite Rangers being the heavy pre-season favourites to take the Championship, it now looks like Hearts are the most likely to take the honour and bounce straight back to the Premiership. Spending only one season out of the top flight after staring liquidation in the face isn’t just okay, it’s miraculous.

We’ve seen an example of exactly how not to do rebuilding your club in Govan, with Rangers’ acrimonious revival near to running into a fourth year of backroom conflict and battles with the media that have completely overshadowed the work of the players and staff in getting the club back-to-back promotions. Hearts have had none of that. The fans and the board now seem to be working in tandem at the Edinburgh club and are an example of the benefits of listening to their wider audience.

Scottish football isn’t known for its love-ins, and although I know that many of us fans love to indulge in a bit of schadenfreude now and again I don’t feel that there is much ill will towards Hearts for what they have managed to achieve (although I suspect that there’d be a few folk in Leith who would disagree).

They are moving on from their troubles and doing so by supporting their staff and fans that have helped them survive, and for me that’s a sign of a well-run football club.

Rangers have been playing at a level lower than the considerable sum of their parts for most of their time in the lower leagues, with their Third Division campaign being not as much of a cakewalk as was presumed and their inability to succeed in cup competitions. Although in the latter they may be improving, considering their qualification for the League Cup semis where they will rekindle the fiercest rivalry in Scottish football as they play Celtic, it’s fair to say that even diehard Gers have not been singing the praises of their team’s performances over the last few years.

The Romanov Revolution might not have faired so well, but perhaps the more important thing for Heart of Midlothian football club is that the Budge Bounce seems to be laying the foundations for years to come.

In contrast, Hearts have been a good side even despite their off-the-field difficulties. Last year, despite having a young squad and being lumped with a 15-point deduction the team kept fighting and played good football all season long.

Had they not been sanctioned for going into administration, they would have still been in with a chance of keeping their place in the Premiership on the final day of the season – which given the chance to condemn rivals Hibs to the trap-door they might well have seized.

This year they have been sensational again, even though some key players such as Jamie MacDonald and Ryan Stevenson left the club

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Stop pricing fans out of the game Words by Andrew Watson Many comparisons can be drawn from Scotland’s first home matches in the Euro 2008 and Euro 2016 qualifying campaigns. Both were away from Hampden, against unattractive opposition, but with the national team on a high.

cost from £45. Why your average Scotland fan should be compared to a teenager in a field is a good question, and unless the DJ is appearing at Celtic Park for a halftime set at the England friendly, where the minimum ticket price is a handsome £50, it’s an irrelevant comparison.

In 2006, the Faroe Islands were beaten 6-0 at Celtic Park in front of a crowd of 50,059. This time round, Georgia lost 1-0 with a crowd of 34,719 at Ibrox.

The return friendly with England is the second of a double header at Celtic Park, coming four days after Ireland visit for a qualifier. Like the Georgia game, tickets start at £35, but unlike the Georgia game, a sellout is expected.

Why, then, with so much to compare about the two matches, coupled with the expansion of the European Championships giving us our best chance to qualify for a major tournament since that very campaign for Austria and Switzerland, was there a 16,000 difference in the crowd? The answer is simple. Scotland supporters were priced out of watching their national team.

Two 60,000 sell-outs in a week will only encourage the SFA. This, in the minds of the hierarchy, will justify the increases. Yes, events at Hampden have been disrupted, and as a result the SFA has to pay Celtic and Rangers for use of the stadia, but when starting prices are steeper than our group rivals, there is a problem.

Tickets for the Faroes game started at £12 for adults. For the Georgia game, they started at £35.

The SFA claim tickets had been under-priced for years, and the rise compared to earlier campaigns – where tickets started at £25, with a £115 season ticket – was fair.

The biggest test of whether the pricing is fair will come at Scotland’s first match back at Hampden, in March against Gibraltar. When the Rock played Ireland last week, a sensible pricing structure, with tickets starting at £20, saw a respectable attendance of 35,123. The only way we will be returning to the National Stadium with a similar crowd is if we win every game until then, and admission is set at a similar level. Otherwise, the number of empty seats could be embarrassing.

That would send a clear message to the SFA if the Georgia attendance didn’t. Stop pricing the Tartan Army out of supporting Scotland.

A small increase would have been fair enough on the grounds of losing event income while Hampden is reconfigured after the Commonwealth Games, but a rise of a minimum of £10 a ticket is taking Scotland fans for granted.

These fans turned up in force through years of misery under George Burley and Craig Levein.

The rewards of appointing Gordon Strachan are being felt on the pitch, but not enough fans can afford to see it. Then there was the SFA’s attempt to justify the prices by comparing other event’s admission fees. Not football matches though, concerts. Specifically, David Guetta’s appearance at Bellahouston Park last summer, where tickets

It’s not just at international level where loyal supporters are feeling the pinch of following their club each and every week, to every corner of Scotland.

A quick glance at the BBC’s Price of Football survey, which is carried out annually and compared to the leading European leagues, shows that the cheapest season ticket to see League Two Montrose for a season

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is £190. That is £10 less than the lowest paying fans of Championship side Livingston have paid for their 2014/15 season books.

Aside from the benefit of TV money from league visits from Rangers benefitting lower league clubs – Brechin, of course, hosted the Ibrox club’s first ever match after its financial oblivion – and the obvious boost from a dramatically increased away following from Govan, those in the lower SPFL are only parttime, so need to make ends meet.

By comparison, looking across to continental Europe, these prices are made to look expensive by the rates at Champions League giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich at £103 and £110 respectively.

So, although the Bayern model is undoubtedly a superb gesture from a club to its supporters, it simply could not work in Scotland, especially in the lower reaches of the SPFL.

At this stage, it seems appropriate to dig up a line from former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, who said: “We could charge more than £104. Let’s say we charged £300. We’d get £2m more in income but what’s £2m to us?

There are some cases then where it is simply not possible to subsidise the cost of attending a football match, however in the SPFL, more can be done to ensure the average fan can take his family to the game. Taking St Johnstone as an example, where a season ticket costs from £295 and the cheapest Matchday ticket is £22, it is easy to see why the cost of football is increasingly becoming an issue for fans to consider.

“In a transfer discussion you argue about that sum for five minutes. But the difference between £104 and £300 is huge for the fan. We do not think the fans are like cows, who you milk. Football has got to be for everybody.”

Football has got to be for everybody. That’s the punchline in that particular soundbite. Sadly, the adage that football is the working class man’s sport seems to be long forgotten in the minds of some of the powers that be within the SFA and SPFL.

Though for some matches, such as Motherwell and Dundee United’s Scottish Cup meeting at the end of November, sensible pricing options have been mutually agreed between both clubs, this is an approach which is all too rare.

Having said that, it might seem easy to present the Uli Hoeness quote and say the case is closed, all SPFL clubs should follow the Bayern Munich model. Sadly, for the vast majority of SPFL clubs, with the obvious exception of Celtic and possibly Rangers, simply cannot afford to charge such low prices.

What has to be considered here is whether a day at the football represents value for money any more.

Ticket prices are just the start, and once the paying fans are through the turnstiles they are expected to open their wallets once again for food, drink and a programme in the stadium, and it all adds up.

A day out at the football is much more than just the ticket price, especially if it’s a family of four on a cold December day next to the North Sea at Inverness, where the minimum price for a day out per supporter is just under £21.

The reason for this is fairly simple. Bayern is a world famous club, with millions of supporters around the world and 70,000 plus inside the Allianz Arena every other week for Bundesliga matches. It can afford to give something back to the fans.

Football clubs in Scotland have to realise that its supporters are a commodity. They pay their money religiously through good times and bad, trudging up and down the country to follow their club. All the fan is asking for is that little bit back.

Compare this to Brechin City. A club from Angus, with room for less than 4,000 inside it’s Glebe Park home, which is known more for the hedge which runs parallel to the pitch more than the action on it. The cheapest season ticket here is £170, and it is conceivable that this is the absolute minimum price the club could possibly charge.

The message is simple. Football is the traditional working man’s game. Don’t price him out of it.

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Rival Revival: Scotland and the Auld Enemy Words by Daniel Lafferty This month will see the return of the world’s oldest international fixture when Scotland face England at Celtic Park. This will be the first game between the two sides on Scottish soil since 1999.

This is a perception that seems to be felt only off the pitch, games have been fierce in the past, with the rivalry sometimes spilling out of the stands and on to the pitch as happened in the famous Wembley game of 1977.

Scotland look to bolster their standing after a respectable meeting last year at Wembley that saw the English win 3-2 with a late Rickie Lambert winner. The fixture is likely to be relished amidst a Euro qualification campaign that has seen Scotland grow hopeful and England fans grow cynical with a team seemingly worn out after a disappointing World Cup.

The football rivalry began officially in 1872 with a friendly in Glasgow. With a score that might appeal to the seasoned and cynical Anglo-Scottish fan, the game ended in a 0-0 draw. It wasn’t until their next meeting in 1873 that a goal was scored by William KenyonSlaney for England. The second meeting was played at the Oval in London, ending in a 4-2 win for England.

The first meeting was played in front of 4000 fans all admitted for a shilling each. England, an arguably more established footballing nation, faced off against a team made entirely of Queen’s Park players - the most successful club in Scottish football at the time.

The fixture may be Scotland’s most intense though it is only registered as a ‘friendly’. What fans hope for is a game with edge and this edge comes from its history. Scotland and England have been forced into a long and rich history on and off the pitch. It is their history prior to their football meetings that makes the game about more than just sporting competition. The fixture brings forth patriotism, nationalism and other deep regional and political feelings.

The 1872 game was played on St Andrews day which is perhaps evidence of the importance of the fixture for Scotland.

The rivalry has been as much about club football as it has been about international teams. Scotland have come a long way since fielding only Queen’s Park players in 1872.

England have often said that the game means more to Scotland that it does to them. Nobby Stiles - 1966 World Cup winner - once stated: “Sometimes it goes beyond the bounds of partisanship and only points to one thing: an inferiority complex that can only be satisfed by reviling the English.”

Since the founding of British football, players have travelled north and south of the border. Often a game featuring Scotland against England would feature clubmate against clubmate. Scottish players are often to be found playing in England. Famous Scottish sportsmen have been crucial in Liverpool’s history, as well as in Spurs and Manchester United.

England have always been keen to associate themselves with football elite, claiming bitter rivalries with Germany and Argentina over the Home Nations. They left the Home Nations tournament, played for over 100 years from 1884, in order to find more competitive matches elsewhere.

Scotland manager Gordon Strachan has announced a squad ahead of the games against Ireland and England that feature only four players from Scottish clubs. The rest are all to be found on English rosters.

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Gordon Strachan has brought back the feel good factor to the Scotland national side and the Tartan Army.

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The club rivalries at Home Nation games is somewhat diluted nowadays, especially where England are concerned. English players can be found playing abroad and many of the players in top flight English football are foreign themselves.

It seems more likely that Arsenal teammates should meet each other head to head when England play France for example.

having been the first team to beat England after they lifted the trophy.

The Scotland team brought with them some respectable ambition, including four players from the Celtic team that famously went on to win the European Cup the month after. Though the game did not offer Scotland a vengeful scoreline similar to what England produced in 1961, the game was symbolic and well remembered.

Regardless of the diminished club appeal, Scotland against England internationals have been of benefit to the development of club level football, especially in Scotland.

In 1977 Scotland once again beat England, this time by a 2-1 scoreline. As important as this result was to fans it is the aftermath of the game that is often remembered. Upon winning the game, the Tartan Army stormed the pitch in celebration, ripping up the grass and climbing the goalposts.

The Scotsman wrote in 1872 that at the time of their first fixture against England, Scotland only had 10 teams playing at club level. That is a far cry from the many teams and various divisions in Scottish football today.

Many point to this as symbolic of the growing problem of football hooliganism in the UK though many Scottish fans remember it fondly. Current Scotland manager Gordon Strachan and singer Rod Stewart were on the pitch with fans claiming some of the turf for themselves.

Famous Fixtures For the first 100 years of the rivalry there have been a number of memorable fixtures. Some, like the game in 1928 that saw Scotland’s famous ‘Wembley Wizards’ defeat England 5-1 on English soil, are relegated to the history books which stands testament to the historical reach of the rivalry.

A more modern fixture saw another clash at Wembley and this time with more at stake. England drew Scotland in the draw for the 1996 European Championship in England. Quickly selling out, the game bred speculation and excitement as the teams were to play one another for the first time in seven years.

One game from the rivals’ past in 1878 saw Scotland conquer England 7-2. John McDougall became the first ever Scotsman to score a hat-trick.

This was also the first game to be played between the teams at Hampden Park.

The game began with the booing of the Scottish national anthem at Wembley and ended in a 2-0 win for England, with goals from Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne.

The English may remember more fondly than the Scots the 1961 game that saw Scotland thrashed 9-3 at Wembley. The game was fatal for the career of Celtic goalkeeper Frank Haffey. It ended his international career and led him to leave Scotland altogether to live in Australia. Haffey has not been involved in football since leaving the country instead trying his hand as a cabaret singer and comedian.

It wasn’t the goals that England scored, but a goal they conceded that knocked Scotland out of the competition as England let in a late goal against Netherlands that sealed Scotland’s fate with goal difference.

In 1999, the teams met again competitively in hopes of qualifying for the Euro 2000 tournament. The first leg was at Hampden park, with England securing a 2-0 win with goals from Scholes.

But from a terrible defeat to some meaningful wins for Scotland. A game in 1967 saw Scotland take on a World Cup winning England. Scotland beat England 3-2 at Wembley, earning them the adopted title of Unofficial World Champions

The second leg saw Scotland and the Tartan Army travel south to Wembley, with Scotland winning 1-0

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thanks to a Don Hutchinson goal in the first half.

Though a good victory for Scotland, England moved on to the finals winning 2-1 on aggregate.

That game was to be the last meeting prior to the match played in August 2013, as part of the Football Association’s 150th anniversary.

The game brought new life to the rivalry that has spilled over into this year when the teams are to meet again. There has also been talk of an emergence of another Home Nations tournament, though when that is likely to come to fruition is anyone’s guess - the Carling Nations Cup was heralded as the new Home Nations tournament, but without England participating it flatlined after just one competition.

What is interesting about Scotland’s rivalry with the Auld Enemy is how important it has been for football. The creation of the world’s first two international teams has lead to an ever changing football landscape, played out around the world in various tournaments.

Though Scotland and England may no longer be the world’s greatest fixture, we have their rivalry to thank for the great games that make the likes of 2014’s World Cup so impressive.

As well as international advancement, the rivalry has been important in the crafting of clubs within the Home Nations. Teams and players were kept fresh by the regular matches that pitted teammates against each other.

All this considered, the Scotland v England game is one to be anticipated and enjoyed. The teams are arguably more evenly matched now than they have been in recent years.

There may be no competitive reward at stake, but this game is far from friendly as the ancient rivals take to the pitch at Celtic Park, with bragging rights up for grabs.

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The History of Hampden Park Words by Daniel Lafferty

Though not the biggest stadium in the world, nor the most attractive, Glasgow’s Hampden Park has been a mecca for Scottish football for over 100 years.

once more to allow for a larger capacity, opening at its current location on 31st October 1903.

When it was opened Hampden Park could claim to be the biggest stadium in Europe. Scotland was home to the three biggest stadia in the world, all in Glasgow: Hampden, Celtic Park and Ibrox. It wasn’t until 1950 that Maracanã Stadium overtook Hampden in capacity.

Situated in Mount Florida, Hampden has been the home of the Scottish Football Association, hosting games for the national team, Scottish league, Scottish cups and European matches at different levels. The stadium has also been used for other sports, including rugby, tennis and, more recently, athletics at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Hampden’s peak capacity was 150,000 in 1937 - larger than the largest stadium in use in Europe today.

As safety regulations changed so did the stadium’s capacity. In 1977 the capacity was reduced to around 81,000. The most recent renovation work was completed in 1999, bringing the capacity down to it’s current 52,025.

This summer the SFA announced that they were considering moving out of Hampden upon the end of their lease. In 2020 the lease on the office space in which the SFA operate is due to expire.

It seems that the SFA are happy enough to let Hampden rest in the history books. But what legacy will the stadium leave behind? With a history that goes back further than the history of popular football in this country, it has a lot to be remembered for.

Hampden is divided into four stands: North, South, East and West. Up until the 1970s the South Stand was the only stand to be covered and seated. The others were left to stand against the best and worst of the Scottish weather. This was the way it was to stay until disasters elsewhere prompted call for reform. Disasters at stadia in England [Bradford and Hillsborough] and closer to home at Ibrox, highlighted the need for a change in safety protocol and development.

Hampden Park was first built nearby the current stadium. It was named after Englishman John Hampden who was known for fighting the roundheads in the English Civil War.

It took a while for proper development to go ahead.

It wasn’t until 1990 that the National Stadium Committee was formed in partnership with Queen’s Park and Scottish Football Authorities. They drew together £12 million for redevelopment of the North and East stands on which work was completed in 1994. Redevelopment on the South and West stands was completed in 1999, £8 million over budget at a cost of £59 million. The Millenium Commission, which also contributed funding to the Falkirk Wheel, Our Dynamic Earth and the Glasgow Science Centre, provided £24.2 million to help with redevelopment.

Since its opening in 1873, Queen’s Park have played at Hampden. They began their lengthy tenancy with a Cup tie on 25th October 1873. The ground also played host to Scotland’s first ever Cup Final and the Scotland match against England in 1874.

As a result of railway developments that would make use of the space taken up by Hampden, the stadium was moved 150 yards. The new stadium opened up in 1884 to allow Queen’s Park to continue their residency. Hampden moved on

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Hampden Park hosting the 1960 European Cup Final between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.

It would be unfair to delve into the history of matches hosted at Hampden Park without first mentioning Queen’s Park. Scotland’s only amateur team to still be playing in Senior Football, have been with Hampden from the very beginning and were important in development and change.

Now overtaken by other Glasgow teams in terms of reach and progress, they are still paramount in Scotland’s football history.

replaced the square posts in 1987.

The most impressive club level game held at Hampden was the European Cup Final of 1960. Scottish fans were able to relish a game between the mighty Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt , with the game ending in an impressive 7-3 win for Madrid.

Nearly 130,000 fans turned out for the 5th European Cup Final in history. Frankfurt made their way to Hampden at Ranger’s expense, beating them 12-4 on aggregate in the previous leg. Madrid were fresh from an El Clásico in the previous leg that ended in 6-2 win after two meetings.

Queen’s Park played their first game at the Hampden we know today, beating Celtic 1-0 in the Scottish league on the 31st October 1903.

Hampden also played host to a rare fixture between an Argentinian and a Scottish club in the Intercontinental Cup. Racing Club travelled to Scotland to play Celtic at Hampden Park in 1967.

The highest ever attendance at a European international match in history was recorded at Hampden park. When Scotland met England in the 1937 British Home Championship 149,415 people were in attendance. The 1937 Cup Final between Celtic and Aberdeen was equally highly attended with 147,365 and 20,000 outside.

The entertaining fixture ended in a 1-0 victory for Celtic, but it was Racing Club that won in the end beating Celtic 2-1 in Buenos Aires and then 1-0 in Montevideo. The fixture is remembered more for the hooligansm of the Argentinian players who kicked the recently crowned European champions off the park, in what was dubbed the Battle of Montevideo. It has been noted in recently released government documents that manager Jock Stein was in line to be knighted ,after becoming the first British manager to win Europe’s most coveted prize, but the scenes in Montevideo put paid to Stein’s honour.

Though the stadium may have a limited future in Scotland, it will always be fondly remembered.

As the spiritual home of the Scottish national team the stadium has been held in high regard, hosting talents from across the world.

It has also been a crucial neutral ground for club matches, be they European or domestic. It’s history stretches further than the history of many of Scotland’s premier clubs, who all owe gratitude to what Hampden has offered.

Celtic were particularly active at Hampden in the 1970s, moving their European Cup semi-final against Leeds United to Hampden in 1970 to make the most of the larger capacity. Celtic also hosted Ajax and Rosenborg in the 70s during European Cup campaigns.

Regardless of the history, Hampden’s future is still to be decided as the next leg of Scottish football commences.

German giants Bayern Munich played a controversial tie with French side St.Etienne in the 1976 European Cup Final. Munich won the game 1-0 leaving the French team in tears.

The French side argued after the game that two of their chances should have gone in, but did not because of Hampden Park’s use of square goalposts. It could very well have been a different result for St Etienne had the posts been rounded as they were in many other stadia. Hampden

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The Future of Hampden Park Words by Lewis Barnes

As Scotland faced Ireland on Friday night and await the visit of England to Celtic Park, the national stadium at Hampden sits silent and empty. Glasgow’s successful hosting of the Commonwealth games means Scotland are playing home games elsewhere until 2015. But is Hampden missed?

aside, Ibrox and Celtic Park are far better venues to watch football in and help create better atmospheres.

The national stadium has long been an unpopular venue. Many fans feel the atmosphere is compromised by the gradual inclination of the stands and the distance from the playing surface.

Views of the action are often poor. Long queues at turnstiles, toilets and eateries have also been criticised as has the position and infrastructure surrounding the stadium.

Supporters of the national stadium point to the history of Hampden and having major events there makes them more special. There were murmurs that last season’s Scottish Cup final between St Johnstone and Dundee United lacked a spark because it was not held at the national stadium. However most of these moans were from those of a tangerine persuasion.

In football results dictate everything. Most neutrals viewed it as a cracking cup final and event and St Johnstone fans certainly seemed perfectly happy.

In truth Hampden is a far better athletics venue than football arena. However, the lack of interest in track and field and dearth of large meetings means a 44000 capacity arena is redundant.

Supporters feel it is difficult and time consuming to get to Hampden from the centre of Glasgow, perhaps a strange complaint given how well the ground is served by train stations and bus routes but there is a lack of parking available as well as restaurants and pubs around the ground.

The necessity of Hampden is also up for debate.

In Scotland’s central belt there are five stadiums which have hosted football matches successfully with capacities of over twenty thousand within sixty miles of each other. A country of Scotland’s size and resources does not need this, especially when

There is little doubt that restricted view seats

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Hampden’s most recent development cost over £59 million in the late 1990s. Two of the country’s biggest clubs have been in administration since then. Surely what little money exists in Scottish football could be better spent.

and Real Madrid or Real and Barcelona. Spain have found suitable venues for each of these without having a national stadium.

Finances and contracts dictate that Hampden will return to a national football venue for the short term at least. However with both the Scottish FA and the SPFL’s leases expiring in 2020 the long term future of the national stadium looks uncertain.

Many other nations, often far more successful than Scotland move international and large club matches around the country. The lack of a national team base has certainly not hindered Spain or Italy. This also allows more fans access to their national team. This is particularly pertinent for Scotland where a large number of the tartan army come from Aberdeen and the Highlands and Islands. They undoubtably enjoy their days out in Glasgow but would surely welcome some Scotland games closer to home.

Both organisations have made noises about exploring their options with the SPFL in particular openly stating that looking elsewhere may provide better value for their stakeholders - the clubs. One thing is for certain, other options are available.

Whilst the bigger games will always be at the larger stadiums in the central belt, grounds like Pittodrie and Tannadice are more than capable of hosting friendlies or qualifiers against smaller nations. In the not so distant past Scotland games against the likes of Czech Republic, USA and the Faroe Islands have attracted crowds far more suitable to some of Scotland’s smaller venues. For instance a friendly with Denmark at Hampden in 2011 was watched by less than 18000 people.

The neutrality of Hampden is a major selling point in the national stadium’s favour. If Rangers and Celtic are drawn together in the latter stages of cup competitions many wonder where else the game could be played. This has of course came more into focus with the recent league cup semi final draw. If splitting Ibrox or Celtic Park to create a more neutral venue is not an option then Murrayfield is a perfectly viable option. The home of Scottish rugby also holds over 15000 more people reducing the demand for tickets and disappointment of missing out. The cash strapped rugby union would surely also welcome such a move.

Despite their recent domination of the Scottish game there has only been eight Od Firm cup finals in the last 30 years. It is difficult to justify a stadium for this purpose alone. In the same time period despite only having one national club cup competition there has been five Spanish cup finals that could be classed as derbies between Atletico

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Tot Ziens Mark, Wotte next?

Words by Donald C. Stewart

For the first time in months the big talking point – for at least a week – was not Rangers. Strangely enough it did involve the departure of a figure head and much speculation over why.

may scorn and scoff at lower league pedigrees this was also someone who was once the First Minister of Scotland so he did know a thing or two.

As a distant observer it just seemed like we were on the cusp of getting somewhere when the very confidence in our own abilities was dropped and we brought in someone from abroad. Now before people reach for their copies of the Equality Act, I have nothing against anyone playing, coaching, managing or being in a Scotland set up if they do not come from Scotland.

Okay I might have an issue if they are playing for us but the fact is I like foreign football and I love the influences that immigration has brought us. Where would we have been without Jose Quitongo, Henrik Larsson, Terry Butcher et al?

Whilst the current focus at the Scottish FA, publicly at least, is our current shot at European glory there were plenty of pundits and commentators diverted into the question of did he jump or was he pushed?

Amongst the speculation sat the man who was driven by his mission, had a forceful persona, was the man who made claims, pushed agendas and was anointed by the SFA as the saviour. It was a critical time for Scottish football not least because we had missed out on the Rio experience. The big tournament experience has not been ours for decades, the reason for being so woeful? If you listened to our media, pundits and ones who know (because they say they know), was the lack of a coherent youth system.

The problem I had was that Wotte was deemed an expert not just BECAUSE he was a foreigner but because he came from Holland.

Wotte’s time as Southampton manager had included being involved in the youth set up which is now lauded as one of the best in Europe as it has produced some cracking players. I was suitably impressed but we heard little of these credentials as we just needed someone to do the work.

It has been long lamented that gone were the days when we were able to watch kids kicking the can in the street. We now have the fear of marauding paedophiles snatching weans like extras from Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang whilst mollycoddled weans sit inside playing Playstations and gizmos that have made them fat, lazy and unappealing to sport.

What work was outlined in the McLeish Report; Oor ‘Enry had 103 recommendations for the high heid yins to consider. It led to much scratching of heads and some change. What was hilarious was that as Wotte departed he claimed there were too many people unwilling to change in Scotland. There were people who actively thwarted his moves to make changes.

Against that backdrop of morbid obesity and distressing visual metaphors we Scots did what we always seem to do when we are stumped… We start listening to an “expert”. We begin to believe in a Messiah. We found that man and hoped that he was not just a very naughty boy. You see this was a man brought in on the tidal wave of optimism, based upon a report that ripped our game apart and sought to put it back together again. Its author knew what he was doing because he once played professional football for East Fife. Whilst people

If we need any examples of unwillingness to change we need look no further than the internal structure of what runs our game. Wotte actually meant that it was the coaches, clubs and coal face workers that resisted but the irony was not to be lost. So what did he do?

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There are question marks over what posittive influence, if any, Mark Wotte has actually had on the Scottish game.

Wotte brought innovation. He thought we should have an under-20s league. Why? It worked in Holland.

He brought in schools of football. These were innovative because it meant that in one geographical area the best young players were to be brought into the secondary school nominated to nurture young footballing talent.

Actually Wotte did not bring in schools of football, Celtic had been doing it for a wee while. Young people from throughout the UK, and beyond, were brought to Glasgow, housed, educated and trained to be young footballers. Versions of it existed throughout the top of Scottish football. It was the democratisation of it that Wotte oversaw. We now have seven.

The response by people to this was to take it on board and give it a go. They found it was failing almost immediately. Why? Because the Reserve League was gone and getting players coming back from injury game time or your young lads any experience of playing against seasoned professionals was lost with the reserves. It was meant to spur on the development of the youth within the clubs and all that it did was to ghettoise them. They fell out of the picture more often than not.

The biggest issue though is who runs these? The coaches at the SFA who have responsibility for overseeing the schools are neither seasoned educators nor high profile coaches. In many cases they are well educated coaches

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with some practical experience on the playing fields of Scottish Football. On top of that the pitches that are used for practice or games are not always at the same standard as those demanded from the elite Academies playing competitive football.

There is one rule for the Scottish FA and another for the clubs trying to play within Club Academy Scotland.

The trial is a Saturday morning and the scout takes them up to Kilmarnock for a 10am start; they leave Stranraer at 8am. Kevin is far and away the best striker there and the mum is asked in for talks about Kevin joining the Academy. Kevin is up for it and the training is once a week – Mondays and Thursdays and a game on a Sunday. Kevin would have to get to all three during the 40 week season.

Wotte sought to bring in Academies. Now these were massive for him as they worked in Holland.

There is a Forth Valley and Fife Academy. There is a Highland Academy. There are no elite squads under the age of 20 in Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Athletic, Stenhousemuir and so on. They have given them up to become part of this elite academy structure.

When it comes time for the young lads to choose to whom they should sign their first professional contract the biggest clubs will get the pick of the crop and the others will get the leftovers. Now the reality is that this is just what has been happening for years. To have it recognised as a future reality though makes it rather sour. The biggest threat to youth football that comes from Academies though is the threat to mass participation.

Kevin’s mum doesn’t have a car. By bus it would cost £116 per month per person on the bus whilst the train would cost £27.75 per journey if she bought the relevant railcards. The train wouldn’t be an option though for evening training as they would not be able to catch a train from Stranraer until after 7pm in the evening. Bus it is then, but the first bus that Kevin can catch is at 3 minutes before school ends. Kevin’s mum goes to see the headmaster and Kevin is allowed to leave early to catch a bus that takes 2 hours to get to Ayr and then another 45 minutes to get to Kilmarnock for around 7pm. Training is 7.30pm till 9pm and then Kevin has to get back to Stranraer. Mrs Kyle asks if Kevin can leave at half eight as that is the only way Kevin can get back to Stranraer in time – midnight. Reluctantly the coaches agree and young Kyle with his mum catch the bus, change at Ayr and makes the 60 mile trip with packed tea to Kilmarnock each Wednesday for training.

On a Saturday they make the same journey for games.

Over 10 months it costs Mrs Kyle £1,160 for travel for her alone and for Kevin there are no concessions. The entire cost in travel alone is £2,360.

The McLeish Report makes great claims for football being based upon the mass participation principle.

If we have hundreds playing we will get a couple starring for their local team. The Academies do not believe in that principle. They believe that focusing our coaching on the few will make sure the quality of that few gets better and we improve as a national team. Remember though it worked in Holland.

It was a successful year so Kevin is invited into the under 14 squad. Mrs Kyle buys a wee car. Training is now increased to twice per week. Kevin manages to leave school when school finishes, get to training from Stranraer for 7pm on a Tuesday and Thursday and he and his mum travel back afterwards for an hour and a half and be in bed by 11pm. The car does 40 miles to the gallon and with a 120 mile round journey three times a week Mrs Kyle has 9 gallons to put in the car it works out at about £54 per week. Mrs Kyle does not include the wear and tear of the vehicle doing 180 miles a week over 40 weeks as Kevin is thriving. The cost this year is down to £2,160 in petrol.

I did a little exercise on how Academies would affect local players. I used my home county of Ayrshire as an example. Now the likelihood is that with Ayr United and Kilmarnock the dominant forces they could sweep up Stranraer and Queen of the South as part of a South West Academy.

So let’s talk about Kevin.

A young Kevin Kyle aged 12 is seen by a scout playing for his local team. The scout approaches Kevin’s mother and asks if Kevin would be interested in playing for the Academy. Kevin’s mother is unsure as it is in Kilmarnock but Kevin is keen. Of the 13,000 residents of Stranraer and surrounding area there are none so keen as Kevin.

Kevin’s career from under-14s to under-17s sees Mrs Kyle continuing to drive Kevin to the Academy as he grows and gets noticed. It’s another three years of driving up and down at a cost of £2,160 per annum. The car she bought three years ago is struggling at times

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to make the journey there and fuel consumption may not be what it once was, but over the five years Kevin takes to make a first team squad she has spent £11,000 plus on supporting one child getting from Stranraer to Kilmarnock and into the first team squad at Kilmarnock. There may be few Kevins, but there will probably be even fewer Mrs Kyle’s. Kevin could have popped along to Stranraer and been coached until he was ready to move on, but they have got rid of their youth team.

representatives. Often you could be forgiven for feeling that they were making it up as they went along. Actually that is precisely what they are doing. What they need to do is say so and change publicly.

Finally the young squads, it was claimed, are doing really well – look at how we won the Victory Shield last year against the other under-16 teams from the Home Countries. As we are currently losing all of our Victory Shield games this year – what does that represent?

Oh and of the 18 players named in the squad 50% are Celtic/Rangers. It is the same story in the other squads at U21, U19 and U15. Marked change? Just how many of these young players are making it into the first team squads at the top two Glasgow clubs? And how many foreign players or players after a final pay cheque are being signed to thwart their progress?

You see the reason it works so well in Holland is geography. On top of that they have a great transport infrastructure. When you consider that the argument to combine Queen of the South and Stranraer makes as much geographical sense – they are the same distance apart – as combining Ayr and Hearts I hope you can see my point.

Wotte got pelters from the pundits on various programmes after he departed. Notwithstanding the suggestions above he had arrived with a ten year mission, said three years in, in March that he was at the beginning of it and by October of the same year had completed it all. Well… Wotte a lot of fuss about nothing…

That there should BE a structure is obvious but that structure can be built by being mature and involving clubs in its creation rather than acting as judge, jury and executioner.

Wotte brought in new elite structures that will benefit the game for years to come because it drives up new standards. At the beginning of the next year there shall be an elite league which shall see the top 12 or 14 teams competing against each other. The criteria for membership of this elite is the level of your coaches, the infrastructure of support for the Academy, the development of your youth in terms of first team games, international appearances and call ups, involvement in regional and school squads, the training facilities and the playing facilities. It’s a heady mix that seems to have been put together without one simple exercise – an audit of what we have.

Take coaches. If they wish 14 Academies in the elite league, each one has to have a certain number of level 4 coaches, Youth Licence holders etc. Due to the number of different aged teams – under 11s, 12s etc – that have to be carried in your Academy there is some doubt as to whether there are enough qualified coaches active in the whole of Scotland to support 14 teams!

The criteria being used to judge the quality of our youth systems has a number of sections open to interpretation that elude explanation from SFA

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Lowland v Junior football Words by Andrew Watson

Whenever a debate is had about the standing of the Junior leagues in the landscape of Scottish football, the main point of comparison has been between the top level junior clubs, and lower SPFL teams. Now though, this has changed.

So, instead of another comparison of how Junior sides would fare against their SPFL counterparts, the far more relevant issue at this time is how they compare to a fairly new set-up in the Lowland League. Though it may only be little over a season old, it provides the Junior set up with its best yardstick in relation to its position within Scottish football.

The Scottish Lowland League has arrived on the scene as a realistic benchmark for most junior teams to measure themselves against, and as a brainchild of the SFA, has one essential advantage over the junior ranks which has long been a talking point at that level of the game – proposals are in place to introduce promotion and relegation into the SPFL to the structure.

The reason for this is that the Lowland League was deemed to be a perfect fit into a gap which had been identified in the structure of the leagues below SPFL League Two. The Highland League, East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues already existed, but they operated as completely separate entities.

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While this continues to be the case, they have become linked to the Lowland League, which has effectively become a bridge between the three existing competitions, and the SPFL itself.

That’s not enough to say that the Lowland League is essentially stealing the Juniors’ rightful place in the pyramid of Scottish football. There are far more factors that must be considered, but are more difficult to measure. For example, the logistics of running clubs is difficult to compare despite the similarities. The vast majority of Junior teams pay their players, like Lowland sides, and ground upkeep and maintenance costs are likely to be similar. The management structures are comparable, and the committees who give up their time to run the behind the scenes operations at non-league level deserve enormous credit for the continued existence of clubs across the Junior, Lowland, Highland, East and South of Scotland leagues. Geographically, the locations of the bulk of the Lowland League clubs might also mean that competition for players might not be as fierce as it might have been had teams been based closer to each other. There are exceptions to that rule, however, with East Kilbride FC near neighbours to many Lanarkshire Junior clubs, and BSC Glasgow ground sharing with Maryhill Juniors at Lochburn Park.

The link works in that the respective champions of the Highland and Lowland Leagues will meet in a play-off to decide who progresses to a second play-off tie with the bottom-placed SPFL League Two side. In turn, the bottom placed Lowland League side will be relegated depending on its geographical location to one of the East or South of Scotland leagues. Proposals are also in place for a similar situation to operate between the respective winners of these two leagues to play-off for a Lowland League place.

The logic, then, is perfectly sound, and on top of the incentives for Lowland League clubs to graduate to SPFL level, it means that clubs at the bottom end of the SPFL have to improve dramatically in order to avoid what might be a disastrous relegation. The best example of this is East Stirling, who for four seasons from 2002-03 to 2005-06, finished bottom of what was then known as the Third Division and survived only due to the rest of the league’s clubs voting to keep it in the competition. Without this safety net, and the threat of relegation, the standard of League Two could also improve as clubs strive to avoid a playoff.

So, looking purely at on-the-field matters, there are some points for comparison, with the top Junior clubs now regulars in the senior Scottish Cup, which of course also includes Lowland League opposition.

According to many supporters of junior clubs, the potential of playing in the national competition is far more appealing than being part of the SPFL League Two. This could be especially true for followers of Auchinleck Talbot and Irvine Meadow, who have in recent memory been drawn away to then-Premiership clubs Hearts and Hibs, and returned having represented the Junior game superbly.

However, although the introduction of a link between the SPFL and non-league clubs in Scotland was long overdue, it could be argued that the infrastructure was already in place for this to happen before the Lowland League was created.

This season alone, Bo’Ness United travelled to Elgin City and earned an unlikely replay after a 4-4 draw, despite being 3-0 down at one stage, and Hurlford United forced a replay against Stirling Albion with a 1-1 draw at Blair Park in a match which was on course for a shock until a late equaliser for the SPFL side.

The Juniors already provide an almost identical set-up to that in the Lowland League. Established clubs which have become engrained in the local communities, at a good standard of football, with more than the occasional Scottish Cup scare against an SPFL club. Therefore, it seems perfectly reasonable that Junior clubs should have been afforded the same opportunities as Lowland League clubs are now. On top of this, ask most Junior followers and they’ll tell you that junior clubs have richer histories and attract bigger crowds than their Lowland counterparts.

Update: Bo’Ness beat Elgin City 5-4 in the replay to set up a fourth round clash with Arbroath. While Hurlford United lost 13-12 on penalties to Stirling Albion, after the two sides drew 2-2 after extra time.

There is no question that Junior clubs could compete, but there seems to be doubt as to whether they want

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to. Though there is an appetite for the Scottish Cup, that is not shared with an enthusiasm for playing in SPFL League Two.

Lowland League clubs to show that they deserve to fill the gap between SPFL and non-league, and they have taken well to the task – the best example being Spartans 1-0 victory over Barry Ferguson’s Clyde in the third round. Again, then, there’s very little to choose between the set-ups in terms of Scottish Cup progress.

This season, for example, seven Junior teams entered the William Hill Scottish Cup. Junior sides do want to test themselves at a higher level, but only through the Scottish Cup as the lower reaches of the SPFL are simply not attractive enough a proposition to consider.

That might change soon, however. SFA supremo Stewart Regan said in an interview with the Highland League website that from 2016/17 season, only clubs with both an SFA membership and an entry-level licence would be allowed to participate in the senior Scottish Cup.

The afore mentioned tie between Talbot and Edinburgh City is not the only time a Junior club has met a Lowland side on the field – but it is the only competitive meeting. Although only so much can be read into a friendly match result, it is the on-field matters which so far provide the best comparison.

This season, East Kilbride defeated recently-relegated Pollok 4-1 in non-competitive action, and EK have also previously drawn 3-3 with Pollok’s West Super League First Division rivals Kirkintilloch Rob Roy, as well as defeating Central Division Two side Rossvale.

Yet again, then, it’s very much even in on field matters as well.

“We have made decisions at board level that within the next four to five years that entry into the Scottish Cup will require both membership of the Scottish FA and an entry level license. We have set our stall out and we are giving notice to clubs that they have the next few years to start thinking about making progress and putting in place the necessary standards to achieve that,” he told Steven Rattray.

While the Lowland league is still in its relative infancy, it has made strides to prove that it deserves it place in the Scottish football pyramid. Though Junior clubs can and do compete regularly and well against SPFL opposition, there seems to be an acceptance of its position in the landscape of our national game.

Without being subjective, it is difficult therefore to say once and for all that the standard in one set up is better than the other, however what can be said is that the SFA identified a gap in its structure which needed filled, and did exactly that.

At the moment, only Linlithgow Rose and Banks O’Dee have such a licence, so when 2016 comes around, that might be a stance which has to be reconsidered.

Not that the Scottish Cup has always been kind to the Juniors. This season has seen an intriguing tie which pitched Lowland leaders Edinburgh City against Junior giants Auchinleck Talbot at Meadowbank Stadium, which the then-unbeaten home side won 2-1.

Depending on who you speak to, the result was either a shock or as expected. Junior supporters expected Auchinleck to complete a professional job, while Lowland followers see the result as a confirmation of the league’s growing stature in Scottish football. On the other side of the coin however, East Super League giants Linlithgow Rose defeated Dalbeattie Star of the Lowland League convincingly on the very same day in the very same competition.

The Scottish Cup also provides an opportunity for

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Scottish keepers falling behind the continents best Words by Craig John Shields

As the old saying goes, it’s not the size that counts but how you use it. There’s simply no other place to use an expression such as this, unless we’re talking about a goalkeeper’s tools their hands.

To start with a broader approach continental sides like Bayern and Barcelona have excelled themselves in evolving the short passing game while Scottish football has sat back and twiddled it’s thumbs. Becoming quietly content with not taking any notice of the technical input that the best sides in Europe now thrive on day in day out.

When it comes to keepers, great saves of yesteryear come to the forefront of most people’s memories. Possibly even some last minute goals scored by keepers too. But what sets apart those who guard the goals in Scotland to the rest of the continent?

Pep Guardiola in particular has been fundamental in not only prioritising possession of the ball, but making sure it travels at pace. After all, the key to winning football isn’t about how long you can hold onto the

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spherical object, but being able to put it in the net at a faster rate than your opponent.

attack or play the sweeper-keeper role on a regular consistent basis. They just haven’t been taught to do so. It’s a thought process that hasn’t been engrained in the DNA of Scottish football, despite the fact the passing game was developed here.

The sometimes drab and slow movement of Barcelona has, in recent years, been usurped by the quicker and more direct approach from both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But for all the marvel on the pitch, a lot of counter attacking moves start from the men between the sticks - but not always from their hands.

Watching on from the stands of Stair Park or Palmerston on a Saturday afternoon to see the man in gloves with the ball at his feet outside the box would be enough to give a fair few older fans more stress lines then what they arrived. The keepers in the SPFL just aren’t good enough. McGovern, Langfield and Brown are just a few of the names in the Scottish Premiership who will lump the ball forward with a swish of their boot without thinking about where it’ll end up. The next time you watch a top flight match I implore you to watch how they use their feet and sporadically aim to a position rather than picking out a player in space.

Having a keeper that is able to start an attacking move by passing to either full-backs or wing backs allows the ten outfield players to start the counter.

Widening the pitch and giving much of the team space to run into will frighten the life out of most defences. Using a keeper to do this job quickly, cuts out the middle man, so to speak.

A requirement of a top level keeper is to be able to play a short passing game as well as long distance, and most importantly be comfortable and confident enough to do it consistently.

There’s no doubt that Manuel Neuer has evolved the future role of the goalkeeper. It’s up to the goalkeeping coaches of Scotland to drill it into our young number ones to find the technical know-how and ability to progress further. If not, we won’t be seeing many young Scots lurking between the sticks at the highest levels for much longer.

Manuel Neuer is widely touted as the best goalkeeper in the world for a reason. While his saves rightly get most of the credit, his position outside the box gives Bayern an extra layer of defence when hit on the counter, it enables him to cut out through balls and pass straight to someone who can further the play - such as a Xabi Alonso.

Neuer’s ability with the ball at his feet led to Germany national team coach expressing that he: “…has the same technical skills as the others, he could play in the midfield, he also has great awareness and that’s why we are happy for him to take these risks, and that’s why he’s so valuable.

He can basically be a player behind the defence.”

Scotland has always produced great keepers.

From Leighton, Goram and Rough right up to McGregor and Gordon, but none have ever been able to reach the standard of technical ability displayed by a Neuer or De Gea. The latter of which routinely contributes to United’s short passing game from the back, as well as being a one man defence at times.

But none of the current keepers in our professional league would be able to start an

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Scotland’s women meet expectations but is that our lot?

Words by Andy Muirhead Scotland’s playoff defeat to the Netherlands was expected given the stature of the Dutch in today’s womens game, but the level at which the Scots gifted their opponents the victory raises question marks over the management of Anna Signeul and her team.

of Signeul. Time with their clubs were constantly interrupted by going to national team training camps or playing in meaningless friendlies ahead of the new season kicking off. This caused disruption in the plans of SWPL clubs days before the season kicked off - this wasn’t a one-off this happened year in year out.

The Scots were paired in a qualification group alongside favourites Sweden, Poland, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and the Faroe Islands. As expected Anna Signeul led the national team to second spot and therefore the play-offs. This was the expectations placed upon Scotland’s women, but that is where it ended as the Dutch ran out 4-1 winners on aggregate.

The national team took precedent over the domestic game, not only on the field but also financially.

The Scottish FA were handed funding by UEFA to increase coverage of the women’s game in Scotland, this resulted in a brand new identity, a website and marketing material for all clubs.

Despite the fanfare and the rolling out of Shona Robison MSP, this new look SWPL lasted less than a season. The funding ran out, the Scottish Government’s eye turned to the national team and the Scottish FA threw the SWPL to the wayside to focus solely on the national team - with finances diverted to the national team and grassroots, while the SWPL was neglected by those supposedly running the game.

Just like their European Championship 2013 qualification campaign, when they fell at the playoff stage thanks to a last gasp goal. Again in that campaign they met expectations, but never excelled.

While Anna Signeul has done great work in boosting the women’s game in Scotland - her interference at domestic level is seeing Scotland’s best players ditch club life in Scotland for professional life abroad. This has caused some consternation in the SWPL as the national manager acts like a football agent, with her ultimate goal to benefit her team at all costs.

The SWPL website has only been updated once since January 2014 - and in short the whole affair was a waste of resources. The mainstream media may be taking more notice of the women’s game in Scotland, but this is focused solely on Scottish champions Glasgow City and the national team - while the other clubs are given one sentence in a weekly report if they are lucky.

In fact, the Scotland national side has taken precedent above every aspect of the Scottish women’s game. Funding was put in place with the help of the Scottish Government to hand certain international players a ‘wage’ so that they do not need to work full-time - that funding will end this year.

So with Scotland failing to make it to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals in Canada, where does it leave Anna Signeul?

Well the Swede is adamant that Scotland will qualify for the next European Championships - a tad Ally MacLeod-esque!

However, despite this funding, some players were still working full time hours and saw their training regime increase under the stewardship

After the defeat to the Dutch, Signeul said: “We will qualify for the Euros in two years’ time, that’s for sure.

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Is time up for Scotland’s womens national team head coach Anna Signeul after falling at the playoffs for the third time in a row?

We are disappointed, but when you see steady progress, we should be confident.”

manager? Is it time she hands the baton to someone else? Maybe the Scottish FA could promote her to the role left behind by Sheila Begbie who ditched football for Women’s Rugby at the SRU. A sort of Performance Director for the Women’s game?

She added: “I think we need to develop the game on all levels. We need more players, we need a better league, a competitive league.

“We are very vulnerable when we have so few players, but we have done a fantastic campaign and it’s just sad that we can’t go on.

Looking at the talent pool of Scottish managers on the scene at this moment in time, the only candidate that jumps out at you is Glasgow City head coach Eddie Wolecki Black.

“We need to continue what we’re doing because it’s working and we have young players coming through.”

While Glasgow City would not like hearing me touting Black for the role, he is the best person for the job if or when Signeul departs the Scotland job.

Sadly for the domestic game in Scotland, it will not become competitive if the Scotland national manager pimps her charges to clubs across the continent, all the while the Scottish clubs lose out on not only the player, but also the investment they put in with no return.

Maybe it is time for a change, as Scotland international Megan Sneddon hinted at the failure of Signeul and her tactics during the defeat to Holland.

The 29-year-old, who has won 130 caps, has been an integral part of the Scottish side for seven years and was recently demoted despite being one of the team’s top players during the qualification campaign.

Domestically there is little protection for the top SWPL clubs from picking the best talent from the other clubs in the league and for free. This leads to the gap between the top half of the table and the bottom half increasing significantly.

A change of tactics, as well as the failure of Sneddon to committ to the national team for another two years, signalled her demotion to bench warmer rather than first team starter.

Likewise, foreign clubs can snap up Scotland’s top talent for nothing - while they would have to pay a fee for players in other countries.

Sneddon, speaking to Scotland Now, hit out at the Scotland manager, she commented: “A couple of times Anna has said why she wasn’t starting with me, but I’m not convinced by her reasons. Anna asked all the players if they would stick around for the next two years and there’s nothing unusual in her doing that, but the difference is I’m not 100 per cent sure I can.

There is no protection for clubs within the Scottish game and from foreign clubs - this can be laid squarely at the lap of the Scottish FA. While I understand that players want to better themselves, and face tougher opposition the clubs who moulded them, who trained them into the players that they became, are left with memories rather than finances to bring through new talent.

“I’m an all-or-nothing person, so if I don’t feel like I can answer that question right now, I’m not going to lie. I want to make the decision when I’m fully ready to commit either way.

If Scotland is to have a competitive domestic league then clubs must be handed fees when players transfer to other clubs, the national coach needs to ditch acting like a football agent and the Scottish FA needs to distribute funding evenly across the board rather than on areas that gets them more headlines in the press.

“I don’t know if not giving her a decision right now has played a part in me not playing. But I’m angry with the way things have played out and I couldn’t sleep because of it.

“I could accept it if I’m not up to the job, but we were trying to play with a disciplined midfielder against Holland and that’s the role I’m best at.

But what of Anna Signeul’s position as Scotland

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“It’s not just me who thinks that out of arrogance or something, a lot of people agree I should have been playing.

by the Scottish FA and Signeul, but there is certainly discontent in the ranks - not only from certain players but also coaches in the domestic game.

“In my opinion I should have been on the park and if you watched the game you could see we were missing a midfield and players were playing in the wrong positions. The way the team set up wasn’t right and it was frustrating to watch.

After failing to reach three major tournaments, falling at the playoff stage in all three, maybe it is time for Signeul to step aside and take on the job of developing the women’s game in Scotland?

The question is though, will she want to do that or could the Scottish FA justify dipping into the moth infested kitty to help the women’s game in such a way?

“Holland’s two wide players ran the show and I don’t feel our full-backs had any protection.

People have said we were unlucky to lose, but there was no question Holland were the better team.

One thing is clear from the past three qualification campaigns, meeting expectations is all well and good but if that is all Scotland can hope for then it’s not good enough.

“I don’t enjoy saying it, but they played us off the park and they deserved to go through.”

The European Championships in 2017 is Scotland’s next hope of qualifying for a major tournament for the first time, but Sneddon - given her outburst - may see herself out in the cold, despite being one of Scotland’s best players. And the treatment at the hands of Signeul, seems to have sapped the love of the game out of the Rangers midfielder - for the time being at least.

Scotland should have qualified for EURO 2013 - you can blame it on the referee playing a minute longer in injury time, you can blame poor defending or the failure of Signeul to close the door on a good Spanish side - but one thing you cannot blame is the desire and the dreams of Scotland’s women to qualify.

Now is the time for a rethink of the women’s game and not just in one or two areas, but across the board.

The domestic game needs focus, it needs funding, it needs coverage for all clubs not just the champions Glasgow City. The clubs need protection so that their best players don’t get poached by opponents or foreign clubs for free and above all the Scotland national side need to excel and push the boundaries.

Asked if she could play for Scotland again, she added: “The way I feel at the moment I don’t want to answer that question – I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to go back.

“I’ll never say never, but right now I need to take a break. I don’t want to play football right now and I’m just upset how things have gone.

Scotland may be 21st in the world currently, but that counts for nothing if they continue to fall at the final hurdle. Drastic changes need to be made not only in personnel and funding, but also mindset. The Scottish women’s game is fractured between the control of the Scottish FA and Scottish Women’s Football. The game is rudderless and if the powers-that-be are not careful the SWPL will be as empty as the Scottish FA’s kitty for the game.

“I’ve been involved with Scotland since I was 16 and, don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, but it’s a huge commitment when you have work as well.

“I don’t get to spend much time with my friends or go on holiday because of it and I want to get married soon.

We hear about women’s football in Scotland growing, but it is in real danger of hitting the buffers and stagnating because of interference, a lack of investment and a failure to do what is best for the game as a whole - time for the Scottish FA to do their job and run the game properly.

“I don’t get to see my fiance that much or his two kids either, so it’s really difficult.”

The Scotland camp may be seen as perfect from the outside, given the picture painted in the media

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Rejected by Celtic spurred Andy Robertson on Words by Ryan McDonald Dumped by his boyhood heroes at 15 yearsold. It’s the heart-breaking news any young footballer dreads to hear. Most see their dreams fade before them. Others use it as an incentive to prove people wrong.

Albion Rovers away at under-17s. That was the first game that the Queens Park coach played me at left back. I felt I played well that game and even grabbed a goal, which was nice. Since then I didn’t look back.”

Despite his rise to stardom, Robertson remains wellgrounded and admits he owes a lot of gratitude to his family who have backed him from the beginning.

And that’s just what Scotland star Andrew Robertson has done. The Hull City defender has experienced quite a remarkable few years. Only 18 months ago, the youngster was playing as an amateur for Queens Park in Scotland’s bottom division. Now, he’s pitting his wits against some of the best players in the world in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: “My mum and dad have supported me up and down the country from an early age, putting their faith in me and supporting my dream. I can’t thank them enough for all their efforts over the years and hopefully I can repay all their favours now.

It’s a fairy-tale story and the 20 year-old admits being let go by Celtic academy chief Chris McCart was the best thing that could have happened to him.

“My life’s changed in the way that makes my family and I’s life easier financially. That’s a given, but other than that I am the same person. There’s no reason to change.

He said: “I think it was every boys dream to become a footballer when they were young.

Initially it was hard getting let go from the club you support but I probably wasn’t physically ready and that’s what Chris thought.

Robertson’s form for the Queens attracted interest from a number of Scottish Premiership sides, with Dundee United eventually securing the signature of the full-back last year.

He enjoyed a brilliant season at Tanadice, scooping PFA Scotland’s young player of the year award and earning a call-up to the Scotland squad.

“He done what he believed was best for the club at the time and really I should be thanking him because he probably done me the biggest favour.

But it’s in the past now, I don’t think about it anymore.”

Since then, Robbo hasn’t looked back. He’s transformed from a skinny midfielder at the Hoops to a regular Scotland internationalist.

Robertson concedes he was surprised to have grabbed Gordon Strachan’s attention and recalled: “It was the proudest moment of my life. A couple of weeks before the squad was announced there were rumours that I might be included but I took no notice of it, it was too good to be true.

“I used to play centre midfield for Celtic in the early days. Then when I moved to Queens Park I started off at left midfield then moved to left back,” he said.

“Then I got the call and couldn’t believe it. The first thing I did was phone my mum and dad. My mum claims she never cried but I could tell by her voice she was.

“The turning point of my career that sticks out was

“I then told my flat-mates and I can say for certain

35

that Joe McGovern did cry – I couldn’t believe my eyes!

“My family comes down for most home games so I get to see them every second weekend, which is nice.

Every time I’m up the road I try and see as many of my friends as possible.

““When the manager called me back to go on there was a lot of things going through my head but it was a great honour and a night I’ll never forget.

“A few of them have been down so far, one more so than others. My friend Martin treats it like a holiday it’s hard to get rid of him!

“It’s a massive honour to represent your country and it’s what you dream of as a kid. I am very fortunate to have done that.”

“I only get back up the road when it’s international time so just now it’s good because there are a lot of games. Other than that it’s too long a drive to just go up for one day.”

After making his debut in the 1-0 win away to Poland, the defender has since become a regular in Strachan’s squad, making three appearances so far.

With fellow Scotland internationalists Allan McGregor and Robert Snodgrass already at Hull City, Andy insists the pair have helped him quickly settle in.

Domestically, his success prompted Hull City to swoop for the youngster during the summer. Most players would instantly jump ship at the prospect of playing in arguably the best league in the world.

But Robertson revealed the decision to leave United was a gut-wrenching moment for him.

He said: “It’s a lot easier to go into a changing room and know a familiar face. Both of them have been brilliant with me and have looked out for me, I can only say thanks to them. Greggs is easy to wind-up so Snods and I can get under his skin.

He admitted: “It was without doubt the hardest decision of my life so far. Leaving Queens Park was difficult but I knew to progress in my career I needed full-time football but when it came to leaving United it was really difficult.

“But it’s a great group of boys so we usually socialize together whether it be going out for dinner or just meeting up for a coffee.

“The coaches were brilliant with me since day one and I can’t thank them enough. The boys were an unbelievable bunch and we all got on so well.

Saying goodbye was the hardest part but I knew I was going somewhere to develop my career further so I just kept that in the back of my mind.”

The former St Ninians pupil has yet to find a girlfriend to keep him company, joking that he’s “waiting on the right woman”, but tries to keep himself occupied in his free time.

He added: “I try to keep myself busy whether it be going into town or watching box sets. I’m also looking into classes to do to keep myself busy.

Since departing Tannadice, Robertson has grown from a boy to a man. Originally from Giffnock, he admits living so far from home can be difficult, but still sees his family and friends as much as possible.

“I’ve been into town a few times and it’s a nice wee place. Hull is a one-team city so you do get recognized but the fans are great and it’s easy to give some of your time to them.”

He added: “I’m just renting a house just now.

Although I’m on my own it means when my family come down they can stay with me instead of trying to book hotels and stuff like that.

“I miss home of course, especially my mum’s cooking but the year living in Dundee helped me adapt. If I jumped straight from living at home to Hull I might have struggled a bit more.

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Acknowledgements If you are interested in contributing to Issue Four of FITBA, please contact us via editor@scotzine.com for more information.

EDITOR Andy Muirhead editor@scotzine.com CONTRIBUTORS Donald C. Stewart Lewis Barnes Ryan McDonald Daniel Lafferty Andrew Watson Calum Crowe Steven Kellow Craig John Shields PHOTOGRAPHERS Phil McCloy Brian Doyle COPYRIGHT All work in this magazine is copyright FITBA and Scotzine. All usage of material within these pages is forbidden without prior consent.

WITH THANKS: Yorkhill Children’s Hospital DISCLAIMER FITBA is not affiliated with any club or governing body. All views expressed within these pages are that of the author and do not always represent the views of FITBA magazine or Scotzine.

ADVERTISING For all enquiries please email us at editor@scotzine.com

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