Should Scotland try being 'Inglorious Winners'?

"There are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns; there are things we do not know we don’t know."

A touch of dark humour in this quote from Donald Rumsfeld regarding a lack of evidence supporting the United States' claim of Iraq possessing Weapons of Mass Destruction. Although it smacks of the aloofness and disregard of emotion that surrounded their invasion of Iraq, it still gives us a template of some philosophical truth. The only terrorism we need to deal with this weekend will be the impact of David Villa, David Silva and Andres Iniesta on the Scottish defence a week on Tuesday.

Scotland were given a massive scare against Liechtenstein who at times would have flattered to deceive casual observers that they were the World and European champions. The game was ugly from a footballing point of view and highly frustrating from a Scottish one. Liechtenstein scored a goal of some beauty; however, Scotland managed to grab 3 points courtesy of a swing of the left leg from Kenny Miller and a header from Stephen McManus 7 minutes into 5 minutes of injury time! It was a classic in terms of drama, however certainly not in quality. From the very start of Craig Levein's tenure as Scotland boss, the catchphrase that accompanied every interview, every squad announcement and every stage of the saga regarding the now impossible return of Barry Ferguson has been "I want to make Scotland hard to beat". Does this in turn make it hard for Scotland to win? Though this was evident of the friendly with the Czechs, the performance in the 0-0 draw in Lithuania showed a lot of positivity and Levein had lined Scotland up in a very attacking fashion for the Liechtenstein game. Despite that attacking lineup, the way the game had panned out, the 3 points looked like the most unlikely Scotland had ever picked up. It certainly wasn't a performance that deserved them. To the nation that invented 'glorious failure', it had ventured into the new territory of 'inglorious victors'.

Glorious Victory

To win in a glorious fashion is something that is almost exclusively reserved for the greats of football. In this sense we are looking at teams such as the Brazil team of 1970, the Germany team of 1974, the France team of 1998, and perhaps from a Scottish perspective, the Celtic and Scotland teams of 1967. This is a label that Scotland, over the last 20-30 years, would not come close to attaining and today have been as far as they ever will. The Scotland teams of the 70s & 80s had every right to believe that they may reach the latter stages of major international championships. Any success there would have indeed been glorious. It is a great indictment of our already well documented poor footballing situation that qualification in this country has equal importance to World Cup success next door in England. So, what of any thoughts of opening up against Spain and trying to play attractive and effective football against them? It isn't worth thinking about. Spain are a team well versed in passing teams to death - the kind of teams that already line up to strangle their style of play and can still dispatch them in a convincing manner. To continue the terrorism theme, opening up our style of play against the Spanish would be football suicide.

Glorious Failure

This is a theme that is almost starting to become boring with the Tartan Army. The Scots invented 'glorious failure' in the 1974 World Cup by becoming the first team to be unbeaten in a World Cup and not win the trophy. We continued it in 1978 with a marvelous victory over the Netherlands and has followed us during the 80s and of course in our painful failure to qualify for Euro 2008 despite beating the French twice in the group, Ukraine 3-1 at Hampden and totally banishing any memory of Berti Vogts from Hampden Park. So shall we turn up against the Spanish at Hampden, defend valiantly, attack with enthusiasm and come away with a respectable 1 goal defeat? Teams that have any sort of ambition to succeed and get back on the international scene with some sort of respectability should not settle for this. As for the Czech Republic, no failure against them can ever be glorious. A win for the Czechs might turn out to be ill-deserved but given the fall from grace they have had since the 90s and the most part of the 2010s, this is a team that Scotland should be confident about taking 3 points off if they want to qualify for the Euros.

Inglorious Victory

This is something usually described of those that vanquish Scotland, particularly if we think about Italy and the free-kick that should never have been given in 2007. However, they still qualified. It is a source of pride of football in Britain amongst a culture of gamesmanship, perceived to have come from continental Europe, that we engage in fair-play, do not antagonise opponents off the ball and never dive. However, how successful are we compared to the teams of Europe? Should the mantra of 'win at all costs' now replace becoming 'hard to beat’? The 'hard to beat' mentality is already producing negative formations and is something that we shouldn't be too dissimilar with. Those wins against France came from parking the bus in front of goal and hitting on the counter attack. Catenaccio is fast becoming a recognisable feature of our national teams play. In Prague, we may need to play in an ugly fashion to succeed; against Spain, containing the World and European champions will not be pretty - win, lose or draw. Underhanded tactics should not be unfamiliar to the Tartan Army either. The Welsh would be quick to exemplify Joe Jordan using his own hand to win a penalty, handing Scotland a place in the 1978 World Cup at their expense. Likewise, John Collins unsubtly punching the ball off the line in Euro 96. Scotland is a team that needs to fight hard to obtain any sort of reputation these days, especially off the back of being let off the hook against Liechtenstein and our club teams failing so badly in Europe. If it is to earn that reputation, with the talent they have, Scotland may need to start playing dirty and a so-called 'anti-football' style of play to keep a match against Spain competitive.

Inglorious Failure

Something we avoided against Liechtenstein and something we face if we come away from the Euro-qualifier double header with less than a point - either playing football the right way, or the wrong way. There are doubters claiming that we can expect to walk away with 1 point from the two games. If we are to qualify, we should be expecting at least four. As mentioned before, we cannot expect to start qualifying for major tournaments and not show any sort of ambition. The manner with which we play and show that ambition, will determine whether or not we qualify and not by the pool of talent that we have.

In football we have the teams that win in the beautiful way - the Glorious Victors; there are the teams that show magnificence but yet miss out on the prizes - the Glorious Failures; there are teams that employ underhanded tactics and go against the spirit of the game to achieve - the Inglorious Victors; and there are those whose shortcomings are matched by their lack of achievement - the Inglorious Failures. There's every chance that whatever the result may be in Scotland's next two games, it won't be pretty on the eye. Behind the scenes, Scottish football will still need to address the problems it faces regarding the quality of footballers it is producing to bring the game in this country up to pace with the rest of Europe. For the current national team, they may need to address how far they will need to go 'to win at all costs' - with or without the glory.

Interview: Pete Burgon, Abertay Sport Development Officer

For those that are active in the running of Abertay’s sport clubs, Pete Burgon is instantly recognisable as the man at the head the university’s sport union and it’s operation. For others who may use the gym or play for any of the teams, he may simply be seen as the man sitting behind the desk at the sport office taking in the sport fees or manning the desk while gym-users sign in and out. His surroundings which make him appear almost unnoticeable in the Graham Building, belies the importance and the impact his role has.

Many of the students that have been at the university long enough to remember the times when Ian Lowe was Sport Development Officer will recognise that a lot has changed within the Sport Union without knowing too much about the new man in charge. Pete comes across as a typical enthusiastic sportsperson, obviously willing to expend his energy into what he can in the field. “I’ve played sport all the way through school; jack of all trades, master of none, I suppose!” he says. “I was happy to get involved in everything but never found anything I particularly excelled at.” His interest in sport led him to Stirling University to study Sport & Psychology, also working in sport for Stirling Council and was then elected president of Stirling Uni’s Sport Union.

Two years followed working for the University of London Union to further broaden his own understanding of University Sport. “The University of London is made of 20 colleges varying in size.” He states that they ranged from the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine which had 96 undergraduate students at one point, to University College London with 20,000 students – Abertay has just over 4,000. “Each of those colleges could deliver their own student union up to a certain point. The University of London Union, who I worked for, had to fill in the gaps. We were running sport clubs for those that couldn’t run on their own, and we were running leagues for those who could do their own teams. It was a real mix; that as a job was not comparable to what I’ve done before but that it gave me experience of the full spectrum of what goes on in university sport.”

Along with his girlfriend, he made the decision to end his time in London after two years and so took up the opportunity at Abertay back in Scotland. Though he had previously been working for Stirling, whose Sport Union is one of the leading Scottish universities in the BUCS rankings, and also working alongside one of the most prestigious universities in Britain, with Abertay he sees himself in a position where progression can be made and somewhere he wants to be while it happens. “There’s lots of potential here, a lot that could be really good. Abertay for its size does a lot of stuff but it’s a case of making improvements and it’s all about those 1%s. I’d like to be here for a good few years and I’d like to see a good progression.”

A feature of his role is one that he has difficulty comprehending in terms of a student service. Unlike many other Sport Unions in the country, Abertay’s Sport Development Officer is employed by the University in contrast to being an elected student officer being affiliated to the Student Association. Certainly, this holds particular issue with him as he describes what legacy he’d like to leave. “It’s no reflection on people who were here before me; I would like to empower everybody that does something here – the sport club captains, the students who work in the gym, the staff, across the board – have everybody feel capable that they can do things for themselves; I don’t think we are at that stage yet. I would like to leave here knowing, that people are in a situation where they can look after their own clubs, develop the gym using their own initiative, ask for the classes they want without having to be led.” This vision he admits may see that Abertay reaches that stage without anyone taking his role when he leaves. A student-led Sport Union is the direction that Burgon would like to lead, or perhaps send it.

“It’s a point I especially make to the sport clubs; this is their gig, I’m just the guy who helps it happen. Little things like the fixtures to the Sports Ball and the Varsity (annual Abertay vs. Dundee Uni competition), I want students involved and running these things as it’s them that are paying for them and enjoying it. I could run all that entirely how I’d like to and have a great time but it’s got to be what the students want otherwise there’s no point.”

So in his time with that philosophy, does he feel progress has been made on that? “I’d like to think so. Its baby steps, those 1%s.” Very clear on the matter, he feels that it’s key to student politics, that to have an active and motivated group involved is ‘gold’ however, if there is a group that doesn’t show the interest, to develop is a struggle. “Taking the Sports Clubs as an example, we try to run sport committee meetings and it’s a chance for two-way communication. That I’d describe as poorly subscribed last year but better this year. We now have a ‘sport union executive’; a group of captains that will be involved in organisation of the Ball, how Varsity runs and fundraising events. Involving students in Sport Union activities is a battle I feel I’m winning.”

To get any body or organisation to change when settled in their ways is always a battle, but is there a streak around campus of apathy to sport? Abertay is certainly more renowned for their developments in computing science than sport unlike a university like Stirling. “There are fewer barriers at Stirling Uni for sport. Here we do ok. Once people are engaged, we have all the services we need to offer people. We have a popular exercise programme, a gym open 13 hours a day during the week, successful health referral programmes.” The problem Pete states he has is awareness. On a visit to Stirling you see the National Swimming Centre and National Tennis Centre upon arrival. At Abertay, we have White Space and the new Centre for Excellence in Computer games. As for a culture of apathy, this is not an Abertay plight but one that is inherent in today’s culture. As Burgon says for example “nobody does it for you. We have a class called Body Blitz, if we called it a circuits class nobody would come – it’s a circuits class. We call it Body Blitz… and ladies love it. If you say to them if they want to do circuits, you’d get ‘nah, too hard, don’t fancy it’.”

A petition has been available to sign this semester pushing for the University to create our own sport facility complex and this is a step that Pete feels must be taken soon. However, he feels this is another area that the students must take responsibility for to push through by showing there is an interest. “The major stumbling block to step-up is facilities. We can only afford to have teams train once a week. Facilities would be everything. The petition is positive, it’s all very well saying it’s what we need but the students must be interested. We’ve been asking the university for facilities for ages, even before my time and have been ignored. If students can ask and push it through, it certainly won’t do any harm”. Abertay now has a new, shiny Centre of Excellence for Computing to go with White Space and also hosts the prestigious Dare to be Digital competition; so does the computing culture drown out the noise the sporting culture makes? Pete replies, “I don’t know; you could make all sorts of assumptions. We’re a university and we’re here for academic progress. The university may not be aware of the powers that facilities have in recruitment and creating a happier, more productive and retentive student body. That’s the responsibility of the staff - we should be making them aware”. So with students needing to press the university for facilities and staff having to press the advantages, it appears that the campaign for our own complex must become more strategically organised and delivered if this is to be achieved. Communication lines must be linked better between university and student. If the ‘sport union executive’ is the way forward then it must point to a way that Abertay’s sporting students are better represented and served. Certainly the grumblings of discontent among Abertay’s teams and athletes haven’t managed to attain suitable facilities in the last 15 years. Pete feels that if he remained for 5 years, due to the processes that would involve creating facilities, he doubts something would be in place in his time. Within the decade, though? “Yes! If I was to come back 10 years after finishing with Abertay and there were no facilities, I’d be gutted, and would bang a few doors down.”

Resources seem to be an issue and when questioned whether he felt there was enough in place to allow Abertay Sports to develop, his answer came without doubt - “Not far enough. The budget has remained the same as last year. In terms of that we can’t develop much. What I’ve seen is clubs have become more active to fund themselves. There are also opportunities to develop outwith the financial. I’m positive about the rugby team’s relationship with Morgan RFC. They can play their fixtures at Morgan that can lead to availability of equipment and coach support. The Dance & Cheer team have built on their foundations last year and have developed membership, brought in more income to use external facilities and become more active.”

So with the restrictions on the Sport Union’s funding, memberships of each club become critical to their operation. Sport Union fees go straight to the sport union and, with the heavy imbalance between Sport Union income and expenditure, the £20 a player would spend does become good value on travel and money for facilities to fulfil fixtures and to train. “Money at the end of the year that isn’t budgeted doesn’t get carried over so I have to look at how that money can be spent”, he adds. “In the gym, we had money to spend on portable mirrors that can now be used for any dance or exercise class. Beyond a club members £20, any more money that a club funds to me, that is ring-fenced for that club and is the clubs to spend.” What Pete then expects is that extra money raised gets banked through him so to be aware how each club’s money may be used.

So with the challenges facing Abertay Sport, Pete is assured that students will represent the university well when faced by others. “One of the things I like about Abertay is people do get involved and endeavour to ‘wear the crest’ - that gets me going. It’s difficult with the restrictions we have and we have to make the best of what we’ve got. I don’t expect to go climbing the BUCS rankings but people to make the best of what we’ve got. We have the women’s basketball team, who have won the league and cup last season, promoted and are undefeated this season; we have others who have struggled. The good thing about my job is the results in the Thursday morning from the students. The netball had a torrid time last season, and the first game of the season they beat Strathclyde 29-25 and reading the e-mail you can see the smile on Lela’s face typing that up.”

Pete’s message to the students is an all-encompassing “get involved, whatever that means to you.” There are so many ways that Abertay Sport needs everyone to get involved to progress forward as a whole. He has made it clear that facilities can’t be handed to us when we think it should and that he expects the Sport Union to become more self-determinate. Hopefully 2009/10 will bring the same if not more success for teams on the field this season however, the message from Pete Burgon seems that for the Sport Union to be able to develop, the club and union members may have to get a lot more involved off the pitch than what they have been on it.

How should Scottish football learn from having four weeks worth of action 'put on ice'?

As the long-awaited thaw starts to kick-in around the country, we can start to reflect on what we can learn from the harshest winter that Scotland has suffered since 1963. For the last month, football matches, sporting events and facilities have been under the lingering threat of postponement, cancellation and being out of service since the middle of last December. As ever with the Scottish football community, the calls for summer football and winter breaks are just as seasonal as the weather. So should we be changing the season which we play football in, keep it the same and treat ourselves to a few weeks off for the winter, or is this just an expression of the common British contempt of the weather?

One man that would have us all believing in the benefits of summer football is SFA chief executive Gordon Smith. Long prior to his appointment in his position, he has always been strong in his views of what can be changed to benefit football in this country and summer football has been a common feature. The benefit he sees however is for the development of the game from grassroots up, rather than the impact it’ll have from elite-level down. Certainly for children, who are learning the skills of the game, playing on surfaces that are boggy, marsh-like and like concrete in the winter with the effect of sub-zero temperatures, playing in the winter is going to be very difficult for them. That’s if these outdoor surfaces aren’t already out of service.

Councils around this country inexplicably take down goalposts during the summer months. If anything, this shows that the SFA need to build links with local government about the best ways to provide sport for children. This country constantly laments that children aren’t being children like in 'the old days'. A hazed memory of when kids used to head out and explore, get into trouble and build character now all ruined by a culture of health and safety restrictions and so-called “wrapping kids in cotton-wool”. Children that are into football won’t need much encouragement to abandon FIFA or Pro Evo for a few hours for a kickabout. They don’t require sport development teams to put on workshops to get them playing football; granted they can be very useful to teach skills but when that is the only opportunity to have a good kickabout in the summer it is very restricting for children. Furthermore, when are kids likely to take a ball outside – during the winter months when it’s dark by 4:30pm, they are at school during the day and have homework to do in the evening, or the summer, when they’ve nothing to do for seven weeks straight and when the sun’s shining until long after any parent will let a child stay outside?

As for organised football, there may be problems as the majority of youth football is run by volunteers with a 9-to-5, with families of their own and like to take a holiday at different points during the summer. Given that most private schools run traditional summer sports competitively during the spring term like cricket and athletics, would there be a possibility that youth football could run, similar to that system, without playing during December, January and most of February? However that is addressed, if children need to be given the best chance to develop in the game, consideration must be given to what environment they play in.

So how about the impact of senior football, a sport that has been running through the winter months for the last 120+ years? Well, this years calling for summer football has been rebuffed unceremoniously by SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster who states quite boldly “there is no evidence that fans want summer football”. A fascinating assertion considering that there is also no evidence that fans don’t want it either. We are also still awaiting Henry McLeish’s dossier into the game so unless Doncaster’s had a peek at the report which states exactly that, what conclusion can be made about what the SPL is willing to provide? Obviously nothing with the fans in mind – surely if that was the case then SPL stadiums wouldn’t be so hopelessly under-filled. There has also been a very recent fashion of abandoning games for the reason of fan safety around the stadium due to frozen over car parks, roads and pavements in spite of surfaces being playable. I’m sure if Henry McLeish went to one of these matches, thousands of fans would provide some evidence that they want change to the current system. Also, perhaps they may like to have a less patronising man in charge of the top-flight.

There are problems with changing to summer football but there are countries that seem to be able to operate by working around them. Especially some European countries who have stronger national teams than Scotland – namely Russia, Sweden and their neighbours, who gave Scotland a 4-0 hiding last year, Norway. Seeing as there is no evidence what Scottish football or its fans wants or don’t wants, perhaps a serious well researched study into the advantages and disadvantages or summer football and winter breaks needs to be done.

The star of the winter is undoubtedly the SFA's jewel in the crown, the Toryglen Regional Football Centre - a £15.7million facility with an indoor synthetic football pitch, proudly hosting a FIFA 2 star regulated surface and further amenities to entertain the country's senior clubs and the national team. Since many teams don't have the enviable training facilities such as Hearts' Riccarton training base and Rangers' Murray Park, and have seen their own training patches completely frozen out, Scotland's senior clubs have been in the unique situation of utilising this facility and having to train alongside other clubs sharing the facility and being able to observe them in their daily routine. Bounce games have also been able to take place as well. According to Toryglen's Operations Manager, 14 senior clubs have been using the facility. Given the current situation, surely more of these facilities should be provided to further reaches of the country so not only can the Scotland's senior clubs be supported with additional availability of facilities but to also benefit the public having access to genuinily world-class facilities.

For now, British sport will have to take stock of the damage of the last four weeks and what can be done so that it’s better prepared for the next 'big freeze'. Meantime, in the southern hemisphere, South Africa have drawn level with England in a Test Series finishing in controversy and Andy Murray is entering the Australian Open with confidence that he can win his first Grand Slam. Britain has had a tough introduction to the new decade, but hopefully as the snow clears and spring sets in, the sporting powerbrokers can use this opportunity to learn what can be done so that sport can benefit from experiences like this and not suffer more setbacks.

Togo withdrawal borne out of common-sense

The attack of the Togolese national football team prior to the start of this year's African Cup of Nations has shown how far footballing authorities are willing to handle tragedies such as this. Now the 'Blitz spirit' is certainly a laudable characteristic to have. Showing strength in the face of adversity is what pulled New Yorkers through after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Londoners through the July 7th 2005 terrorist attacks (as well as aforementioned blitz), however, to place such expectations on the Togo players is disrespectful at least.

The attack took place as the Togo team bus passed from the Democratic Republic of Congo's 'Polish corridor' into the exclave of Cabinda. Shortly after crossing the border, a group from Cabinda secessionist militia organisation FLEC machine-gun attacked the bus in an attack that took, according to the players, anything from 15 minutes to more than 30. As a result of the ambush, the Togolese team press-officer, the assistant coach and bus driver, of Angolan descent, had been confirmed dead. With the ensuing chaos, reserve goalkeeper Kodjovi Obilale had been reported as having died (resulting with a fury of activity on his Wikipedia page). Obilale is currently recuperating in hospital having had surgery and his condition is stable.

The Togolese captain and Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor stated he had wanted to leave the tournament, that players were upset, shocked and were unlikely to sleep. A flurry of reports and discussion boards covered the prospect and impact of the withdrawal of Togo, though not the attacks themselves. The one thing that could be taken for certain was that the players of the Togo team would want to be anywhere that wasn't Angola, preferably home. The diplomatic game of tennis that followed really showed some disrespect for those inside that bus during the attacks.

In one hand, there are the tournament organisers, the CAF and the government of Angola for whom the attacks have come as bad PR, a far way away from what the Togolese have felt. Comments made from Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos don't fully serve as any sort of sympathy as thoughts remain fully with the welfare of the tournament: "we fully condemn this act of terror, but the competition will continue in Cabinda. We are together, may the best man win." With that, the plan to have Cabinda stage matches for the Cup of Nations as a way of showing the progress that a war-torn area can make and to help regenerate the area has failed in it's first stride. It's unlikely that the Togolese government are going to get their apology from the dos Santos or the CAF for sending their players to Cabinda to play football.

The only party where there seems to be any genuine concern for the welfare of those attacked has been from the Togolese government who have been swift in getting the team home. Perhaps, it may be argued that the actions of their Prime Minister, Gilbert Huongbo has been a little too involved, given the way FIFA do not allow for interference from politicians and governments in the affairs of their member associations. The French media were the first to report that the Togolese players wanted to play on and this was confirmed by Thomas Dossevi who was quoted as saying they wanted to play on in memory of their dead. Adebayor later confirmed that on advice of the Togolese government, they were to return to Togo. As the kick-off for their opening match with Ghana passes, the CAF confirm Togo have been disqualified - which is where the interest in the handling of this lies.

It's almost certain that for this situation to be handled with any sort of decorum, then the CAF would need a specific protocol with any sort of guidebook they go by if a team is gunned down by terrorists. The severity seems to have not been taken fully into account given that whatever the players seem to have decided to do, either their government or the CAF have other ideas. This is a highly traumatic incident where related mental disorders develop from and the actions of event organisers seem only to protect their product. It is also an incident that isn't going to be covered by any existing protocol but where some basic human understanding will definitely come into effect. The first solution would be to let the players leave for home and deal with the emotional battering they had received. If however, playing their sport would be the best way for them to handle their ordeal then this enters a diplomatic situation where those involved will define their best interests. If any third party is to do that, then that would have to be at the advice of psychologists rather than politicians. The CAF's action of non-action and to let the event slide until their due kick-off on Monday against Ghana has been a missed opportunity, in World Cup year on their continent, to show that they are able to act in a positive manner. To confirm their disqualification as that time passes though, is as close to disrespect to the three dead as it is going to get.

The CAF's show is going on however and the football is proving to be eventful in it's opening stages. The opening ceremony was elaborate and entertaining, Angola's capitulation to Mali in the opening game was thrilling, the fancied Ivory Coast were held 0-0 to Burkina Faso and Algeria, who defeated five-time Egypt 1-0 in a heated World-Cup play-off prior to the tournament, were dispatched 3-0 by Malawi. On the pitch, the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations is proving to be an absolute gem of a tournament and a mouth-watering starter to the summer's World Cup in South Africa. Unfortunately, it is also likely to be overshadowed by the tragedy to have befallen the Togolese team at the start. While it'd be great to have the football be so enthralling that it takes away from the ills of the world, it would be just a great a tragedy if it affects how people are helped, looked after and treated should such a tragedy happen again.

Scottish football rediscovers inglorious failure

What a difference time can make to the fortunes of Scottish football! The new footballing season usually comes with a fresh air of excitement and in this non-major international football tournament summer a chance to become fully revitalised with the return of league football. However, though the Scottish football fan is well used to the feeling of hopelessness, this season begins with a new 'disgrace' for the Scottish national team and fresh questions to be asked of the way the national sport is being governed.

Rewind to season 2007-2008 and Scottish football was hitting the crest of a wave. A crest that peaked during the early months from September into Christmas. During this time, Celtic had qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League having beaten European champions A.C. Milan at Parkhead and also taken care of Benfica and Shakhtar Donetsk. Rangers were also in the Champions League and though they finished third in their group and demoted to the UEFA Cup, they went on a memorable run to final of the competition. Aberdeen also restored pride in their fans with a fine effort in the UEFA cup reaching the knockout stages bringing Bayern Munich to a 2-2 draw in Pittodrie having been 2 goals up.

Most gloriously however, the Scottish team reinstilled pride, and ultimately expectation in the Tartan Army. There was no fluke in the campaign that brought the team painfully close to qualification. The battle started in Montreux where we were drawn in a group with the 2006 World Cup finalists and a quarter finalist, tricky Eastern European opposition and an unwelcome return to the Faroe Islands. Two brilliant victories over France and a couple of tearing aparts of Ukraine and Lithuania and quite rightly Scottish football felt confident again.

It's a mighty fall to take, looking at what has happened recently.

Lamentably for supporters of Scotland's provincial clubs, the standard bearers of club football in this country are the Old Firm. While there is debate about supporting other clubs in the international stage, their performance is a reflection on all of us. That reflection starts with Kaunas. A league and cup double serves as a reasonable tonic for being unceremoniously flung out of Europe by Vladimir Romanov's side project like a reveller flung out the back door of a Dundee nightclub (also coming off the back of their fans' efforts on the streets of Manchester). Celtic's exit from Europe was also as swift as could be finishing bottom of their group below Danish minnows Aalborg BK.

While Hearts, Aberdeen and Dundee United still figure out a way of reducing the points difference between the Old Firm and 3rd position in the SPL, Scotland have plunged the largest over the past international season. Gone is the possibility of achieving results such as that in the Parc de Prince, gone is the evidence of the team actually looking like an international side, gone is the belief in the team, gone is the idea of needing to expand Hampden Park to 75,000 due to the demand for Scotland tickets... hello George Burley. Hello as well to that feeling in the pit of your stomach when Berti Vogts was manager.

It's hardly going to leave anyone completely confused as to why we are doing so badly. One only needs to look at the names of the likely candidates that were to succeed Alex McLeish to become Scotland manager - Mark McGhee, Graeme Souness, Billy Davies, George Burley. Otherwise translated as: a young manager with Motherwell who took them to third in the SPL (and retrospectively finished in the bottom six the next season); a man who has failed to be as succesful with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United as he was with David Murray's chequebook; a man with rich experience in the Coca-Cola Championship... and George Burley.

It's glaring how unattractive the manager's post is with Scotland. Especially considering the previous two incumbents left to manage for Rangers and Birmingham City. Alex Ferguson?... fantasy. David Moyes?... a dream, though it is one he has gone on the record saying it is not outwith the realms of possibility, but if he has "a lot to do" with Everton, then there are some amount of years for him to fulfil the potential he has as a club manager.

There can be no doubts of the quality of manager the 'Largs Mafia' produces, David Moyes is a good example. However, is the coaching setup at Largs a victim of it's own success? It seems that if a genuinally talented Scottish manager breaks through, they are bound to become bigger than the Scotland job itself. A manager turning looks with a team in the bottom six of the SPL or in the English Football League has every chance. In the meantime, England bag one of worlds truely elite managers and the Republic of Ireland have a manager who has won everything an Italian club manager can.

The only evidence of talent needed to fill the Scotland job is how well a man works with the SFA powerbrokers; not with how well they work with the best of Scotland's footballers. That is the shame in the matter.

Burley has had a very testing time compared to any Scotland manager. So far he has failed in the park (7 points from 18 and yet to play the Netherlands for the second time), with the players (Lee McCulloch and Kris Boyd removed from selection, Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor banned after having been on the lash behind the managment team's back with another five players) and the press conference. However much blame is shifted on Burley, it would be unfair not to make the SFA the crux of the matter. The Scottish game is broken between three organisations sharing the same building but unable to work as one, unable to support their clubs and unable to support the national team. Gordon Smith took up his role as a radical, free thinking young executive and is now constricted to being a stuttering suit.

The Tartan Army gathered outside the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo after the Norway game to be held back from the SFA entourage with a chorus of 'sack the board'. This is a chilling repeat of the Berti Vogts era when this became the soundtrack to a friendly, 4-1 reverse by Sweden at Easter Road days after his resignation. After Vogts left and Walter Smith was drafted in, Scotland still had a chance with qualification for the World Cup in Germany for 2006. In 2009 with Scotland still in with a chance of qualifying for South Africa, it is difficult to see that George Burley is a man capable of leading us there.

In January 2010, it is expected Henry McLeish, Scotland's second First Minister (and former East Fife half-back) will be releasing his "extensive and thorough" review of Scottish football. As McLeish, alongside Donald Dewar, headed Scotland into a new dawning with the creation of the Scottish Parliament, Scottish football can only hope that he too enters it into a radical redressing to prevent further international stagnation and domestic dysfunctionality.