20th century football rivalries won’t survive

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I remember the days (as a kid) when I’d get excited about Scotland-England games. At the time the countries were neck-and-neck in the number of wins each had over the other, we knew we’d punched well above our weight for a century. Since then, the inevitable verdict of demographics has taken its toll.

Now we know we’re a small nation, inconsequential to the football world, and we’ve even starved of developmental resources compared to the riches that ploughs into the English FA from Premier League TV deals each season.

The historical rivalry remains but I don’t feel it anymore and surely English fans care even less. They will have to dig deep to muster anything more than an interest in the three points available tonight, having long since moved onto Argentina and Germany for their rivalry. And Iceland, of course (forgive me).

Great sporting rivalries can endure for generations but that doesn’t mean they’ll last forever. Circumstances can change causing both sides to lose interest and find others to do battle with. None of our 20th century rivalries will survive. If we could bloody the nose of Barcelona for a third time in the 21st century later this month, our hit rate would place the Catalans in the crosshairs.  Bring it on.

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  1. VFR800

     

     

    Funny look ?

     

     

    Try ordering the Safe As Milk Lp from the Bet Lynch look a like in Cuthbertsons in the autumn of 67.

     

    Whos it by? -Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band

     

    Whats the label?-Kama Sutra

     

    “You better no be kidding me on son “

  2. I don’t have that problem mate when I pick up the hard copy. I love books. I treasure them.

     

     

    I can’t understand your procrastination regards The McCannTakeover….

     

     

    I wonder. I always wonder.

  3. a bit of trivia

     

     

    the top 21 capped scots who received their last cap before 1980.

     

     

    tim – played for us

     

    hun – played for you know.

     

     

    denis law

     

    billy Bremner

     

    george young – hun

     

    bobby evans – tim

     

    john greig – hun

     

    willie donnachie

     

    jim baxter – hun

     

    willie donnachie

     

    bobby collins – tim

     

    alan morton – hun

     

    billy steel

     

    willie henderson – hun

     

    billy liddell

     

    billy mcneil – tim

     

    bobby walker

     

    bill brown

     

    ronnie mckinnon – hun

     

    davie hay – tim

     

    jimmy cowan

     

    sammy cox – hun

     

    tommy docherty – tim

  4. Macjay from last article…

     

     

    ” How many should Ireland take?”

     

     

    …By ‘many’I assume you are referring to the souls that are sometimes called refugees. In 1845 the island of Ireland had a population of circa 8.5 million people. Post the genocide of the Great Hunger and enforced economic migration the population is now around 6.4 million.

     

     

    So there’s plenty of scope for population growth, given the current displacement due to the military and economic imperialism of the UK the USA and others.

     

     

    Hopefully Mr Trumps’ manifesto and his promised economic and monetary sanctions on China won’t have too adverse an effect.

     

     

    On another note, the Celtic PLC Board are the SFA.

     

     

    The business model is the ‘bigot pound.’

     

     

    Duty calls.

  5. vfr800@girfuy.co.uk on

    SOUTH OF TUNIS on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 3:41 PM

     

     

    I got caught out big time in 23rd Precinct.

     

     

    VFR “You got the new Ian Dury single mate?”

     

     

    Counter guy “What’s it called?”

     

     

    VFR “Hit me with our rhythm stick.”

     

     

    Counter guy then bangs me over the head with a plastic bat much to the amusement of all other staff. They had apparently being doing it all day.

     

     

    I was about sucker number 25 it seems!

     

     

     

    KTF

  6. Cops using tear gas against Trump protesters in Oregan. I have great friends there, hope their okay ?

     

    Trump has reacted to the protesters all over USA, ” THESE PROTESTS ARE CAUSED BY THE MEDIA, USING PROFESSIONAL PROTESTERS” !

     

    This chump ain’t real !

     

     

    If he thinks the media are bad in USA, he knows nothing, he should have a gander at our fitba media in Scotland !

     

    I’ve heard Trump call for transparency from politicians, maybe he’ll order release of ALL the USA military records with UFO’s, and as they say ” the truth is out there” ?

  7. vfr800@girfuy.co.uk on

    KITALBA on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 3:41 PM

     

     

    I had too many books so had to cut back and go digital.

     

     

    MIT – already listening to Songs From A Room.

     

     

     

    KTF

  8. All the best to the Celts involved v engurland tonite, come home fit and well Bhoys .

     

    I hope the Scots gub the English. I hate the English more than I hate Mexicans ! Lol.

     

    2-2 draw ?

  9. Heading home from Glasgow on the train and whilst I clearly realise that I’m in the minority here I’m personally really looking forward to tonights game. Out of the hundreds of thousands of teams on Gods earth there are only 3 that I honestly support – Celtic, East Kilbride and (maybe because I’m Scottish) Scotland.

     

     

    So in 3 hours time I’ll be planted in front of the TV, beer in hand and Scotland Jersey over my torso ready to roar on the team.

     

     

    Come on you boys in blue!

     

     

    ps Good evening friends. Harrrrrumph!

  10. I have a very old friend who was parachuted into Germany towards the end of the war ( near Cologne I think?). Some of the sights that he and his unit came across in cellars where the Nazis had tortured people is very difficult to describe on here. I shudder every to even think of what he told me of the scenes he witnessed, that left him and his closest buddy in tears.

     

    He also told me if some of the atrocities that some members of his parachute regiment got up to with German civilians, utterly horrific !

     

    He always cries when he tells me these stories 71 years on !

  11. BY IAN HOLYMAN

     

     

    Nathalie Boy de la Tour named French Football League president

     

     

     

    Nathalie Boy de la Tour (left) became the first woman elected to the LFP’s Administrative Council in 2013 .

     

    Nathalie Boy de la Tour has been elected president of the French Football League (LFP) after Raymond Domenech’s candidacy was rejected.

     

     

    Former France coach Domenech, 64, was put forward by the newly elected Administrative Council, but the man who steered Les Bleus to the 2006 World Cup final was rejected by two-thirds of the General Assembly.

     

     

    Subsequently, Domenech, who is the head of France’s professional coaches’ union (UNECATEF) and has been working in the media since ending his six-year tenure with the national team in 2010, withdrew his candidacy, paving the way for Boy de la Tour’s election.

     

     

    Boy de la Tour, who became the first woman elected to the LFP’s Administrative Council in 2013, had been the organisation’s Director General of their Football Foundation for the last eight years.

     

     

    She succeeds Frederic Thiriez, who resigned in April.

     

     

    Meanwhile, the 20 Ligue 1 clubs have come to a deal on the division of TV money in the coming seasons to end their conflict.

     

     

    Nine of the French top-flight’s smaller teams, including Montpellier and Rennes, were unhappy with how the annual jackpot of €748.5 million was to be split up over the next four years.

     

     

    The clubs, who are not included in France’s Premiere Ligue group of elite clubs that contains the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon and Monaco, complained the ratio between what the league’s top sides received and what those near the foot of the table got was too big.

     

     

    However, at a five-hour-long meeting in Paris on Thursday, representatives of the 20 Ligue 1 clubs agreed the ratio between the share for the champions and the bottom side will drop from 1:4.1 for this season to 1:3.6 next season and 1:3.2 for the following two seasons of the current TV deal.

     

     

    After that, should a new TV rights contract bring in €1 billion or more a season, the ratio between first and 20th will drop to 1:2.5 and 1:2.2 if the rights deal climbs to €1.5bn annually.

     

     

    To help make up the existing difference this season, the three teams that are relegated in May will receive a €2m parachute payment.

     

     

    Additionally, the discussions also brought agreement on which eight presidents will stand for election to sit on the French Football League’s Administrative Council.

     

     

    “I’m delighted to see the 20 Ligue 1 presidents get together,” Bernard Caiazzo, Premiere Ligue president and Chairman of Saint-Etienne’s Supervisory Board, said. “If we’re not all united, how will we be able to go up against the big foreign leagues?”

     

     

     

    Ian is ESPN’s French football correspondent. Twitter: @ian_holyman

  12. 8 stops so far on the way home and at dumpy one the train announcer has told everyone to Mind The Gap. Which is nice.

  13. Cosy Corner Bhoy on

    Jobo Baldie 4.04pm Don’t you mean ‘You boys in PINK!? They had better be wearing pink or I will look a right numpty with pink shirt on! Out in Spain and nothing resembling tartan in the house!

     

    No doubt I will stand out anyway as I expect to be the only Scotsman in the pub (unless all the Sevco hiding supporters come out for the night) !

  14. mike in toronto on

    for those that didn’t see my earlier post, the young Canadian actor Jay Baruchel and the Iriish writer Eoin O’Callaghan have done a movie about Jay reseraching his family roots in Ireland, and his love for Glasgow Celtic … it is called Celtic Soul …. it looks like it might be fun.

     

     

    here is the twitter link

     

     

    https://twitter.com/celticsoulmovie

  15. The Green Man says SACK THE Board on

    Evening Celts

     

     

    Scotlandio to get battered by the Roast Beefers tonight

     

    Probably about 5-0

     

    Cant say i will be to bothered:)

     

     

     

    HH

  16. Saint Stivs says SACK THE BOARD on

    Just off a flight from Heathrow.

     

     

    A wee tale to share. A light hearted overheard conversation.

     

     

    I don’t know how he wronged the old fella but here goes –

  17. mike in toronto on

    now that the US election results have sunk in, two things I am wondering about:

     

     

    1. Given that it is now clear that Melania was working before she had proper paperwork, will Donald have her deported (or wait until he finds his next, younger wife to do that)?

     

     

    2. anyone else think that Alec Baldwin will have a mysterious and fatal accident sometime soon?

  18. Being a mad Scotland fan I called into the shops there planning to buy a Scotland top, quite possibly the pink one. However not quite that mad to hand over 55 (fifty five) quid. Just for the Jersey! So it’ll be the ole France 98 one that gets yet another airing tonight. Did buy more beer though!

  19. Used to love Scotland England games.

     

     

    But I grew up.

     

     

    And realised that English people are like other people. Some good, some bad, some middling. But mostly alright. A good number of years residing there will do that to you. As it will any country. In fact maybe I’m more tolerant of them than I am of my Scots and Irish compatriots (for I’m kind of like Phil mac in that respect identity wise) because I have spent my adult life having my high expectations of my compatriots dashed against the rocks of reality. A half wit is a half wit regardless of where they were born. A selfish greedy conniving person of any nationality doesn’t get my respect just because they like the same flag as me….

     

     

    Still, I want Scotland to beat England but I just don’t really care if they don’t.

     

     

    Hail hail

  20. SAINT STIVS SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 5:06 PM

     

    Just off a flight from Heathrow.

     

     

    A wee tale to share. A light hearted overheard conversation.

     

     

    I don’t know how he wronged the old fella but here goes

     

     

    —————————————

     

    We’re waiting.

  21. 50 shades of green on

    JOBO.

     

     

    Going for 55 and they canny sell the jerseys. LOL.

     

     

    ——–””

     

     

    Hope Scotland win tonight only because my 2 oldest sons will be supporting them in Dingwall, if it makes them happy I’m happy

  22. vfr800@girfuy.co.uk on

    GERIHATRIC on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 5:14 PM

     

     

    Not tried either but I’m always open to suggestion!

     

     

    KTF

  23. 50 shades of green on

    Who am I kidding come kick off time I will be like Mel Gibson in braveheart.

     

     

    As opposed to the Mel Gibson—— NA better not go there after some of todays posts.

  24. VFR800@GIRFUY.CO.UK on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 5:41 PM

     

    GERIHATRIC on 11TH NOVEMBER 2016 5:14 PM

     

     

     

    Not tried either but I’m always open to suggestion!

     

     

     

    KTF

     

    I like them both so if you manage to acquire some and you don’t like them I will be happy to drink them for you. I haven’t seen the Green Spot anywhere else than the drink shop tho TBH I haven’t looked very hard. I first got the Connemara in the whisky shop but they are are bit pricey e.g. around £70 the last time I saw it there so not the place to get it.

  25. Paul67 et al

     

     

    Of course the SFA had a lot to do with the loss of the rivalry with England. Ditching both the WFA and the IFA they thought the Scotland- England fixture would survive outside of the old “Home Nations” into the future. That and the ‘Stanley Rous’ trophy. It didn’t. We were soon replaced by the Brazils and the Argentinas. Scottish football by and large has declined over that 20-30 year period. Even so, looking forward to a match that means something, and on terrestial tv into the bargain. Betting on Scotland has not been a profitable pastime in recent years, but there are are some good odds out there. If Griff gets a start. Which I doubt.

  26. Read a Ewan Murray article in the Guardian, on Barton. He says he left for a pittance. Just shows you how out of touch these so called Journos are. As if.

  27. 50 shades of green on

    Can I just say that I thought the article about the wee turncoat tracksuit salesman was below my expectation of this wonderful site.

     

     

     

    Was about to give the MODS a wee wake up call but thought better of it,

     

     

    Can I just instead ask WHY O WHY do we have to have pics of the tracksuit salesman In his tax free top and scarf on here?

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