Spain, to, have sen their international aspirations severely handicapped by a lack of height amongst their players…<\/p>\n
Genetically, we have to work at things. Don’t know if we can get big women and men together, and see what we can do. It is a problem for us because we have to fight harder for every ball and jump higher. Nobody tell me their technique apart from one player is better than any of ours but physically we have a problem.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I beg to differ, it’s a mentality problem, the traditional attitude of those who tug forelocks and sit at the back of buses.<\/p>\n It’s rampant throughout Scottish football-well, one section of it….<\/p>\n Maybe though, the blame lies elsewhere.<\/p>\n The SFA are ultimately responsible for the national team, and therefore they should be the ones under pressure this morning. If you can get any of them to come out and face the media.<\/p>\n The SFA are ultimately responsible for the success of Scottish football, and its image worldwide.<\/p>\n So far all they have done is give the rest of the world the impression that its a second rate footballing nation, on and off the field, and at the very least it needs is an image change.<\/p>\n Starting with new people in charge everywhere would go some of the way to attaining that.<\/p>\n The viewing figures for the recent Celtic -“rangers ” game have caused a bit of alarm among the powers that be. With a strong challenge unlikely to come from Ibrox this-or any other -season, the focus has been on the demise of “rangers “, presumably before BBC Scotland\u00a0 do one of those telethon appeals to save a Scottish institution.<\/p>\n Although Aberdeen have matched Celtic this season, and share the top spot on points, it’s all about the “Old Firm”.<\/p>\n ( Younger readers may like to google the term. )<\/p>\n Alan Brazil, in the Sunday Presbyterian, said;<\/p>\n THE Old Firm game will always be a hot ticket in Glasgow.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Oh. good start. Maybe he means “hot ” as in “counterfeit”.<\/p>\n But with Rangers languishing so far behind Celtic, it is in danger of losing its box office appeal elsewhere.<\/em><\/p>\n I was stunned by the TV viewing figures for this season\u2019s first Old Firm clash.<\/em><\/p>\n Just 275,000 people tuned in across the Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event channels to watch Celtic\u2019s 2-0 victory at Ibrox.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s 26,000 fewer than watched the same day\u2019s Championship clash between Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.<\/em><\/p>\n It\u2019s a whopping 145,000 fewer than the following day\u2019s Sheffield derby.<\/em><\/p>\n Talk about a wake-up call.<\/em><\/p>\n We can say all we like in Scotland about how big a fixture the Old Firm clash is \u2013 and boy do we like to talk about it!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Er, when you say “we “….<\/p>\n But the figures don\u2019t lie. Fewer people than ever south of the border feel the same way.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Maybe they know something we don’t-or at least don;t want to accept. Not us, as such, you now who…<\/p>\n The Old Firm don\u2019t register \u2013 and that\u2019s a terrible thing for Scottish football.<\/em><\/p>\n Fans of other clubs might say it doesn\u2019t matter, that I\u2019m wrong. But I\u2019m not.<\/em><\/p>\n Because when it comes to renegotiating Scotland\u2019s TV deal, it puts the SPFL in a position of weakness.<\/em><\/p>\n Like it or not, the Old Firm game is the Scottish game\u2019s big bargaining tool.<\/em><\/p>\n If it isn\u2019t drawing in the viewers, it spells trouble for every other Scottish club.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n As long as this mentality continues, the game is knackered.<\/p>\n This fear of not having these four games to sell as the brand’s flagship product is tearing apart some people. Yet they are people who have little to do with the game, and even less to do with improving or selling it.<\/p>\n The fact is the Old firm is dead.<\/p>\n What Brazil is alluding to is the fact it’s been noticed outside Scotland, and the same club myth so regularly fed to audiences in the north isn’t acceptable down south.<\/p>\n As a result, audiences are dropping, simply because it isn’t the Old Firm and it isn’t exactly much of a contest these days, and it certainly won’t be relevant when the medals are handed out in May.<\/p>\n Those who donated to the recent foodbank appeal may want to know what was raised..<\/p>\n Sorry to interrupt your weekend guys & gals but thought I\u2019d give you the total for donations received at Celtic park… 4.8 tonnes<\/em> That’s excellent.<\/p>\n A magnificent achievement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n Hoe lonely does this fellow look, away from all his pals ?<\/p>\n And then…<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/image.slidesharecdn.com\/proverbs-090403160215-phpapp02\/95\/proverbs-48-728.jpg?cb=1238774598\")
<\/p>\n![\"\u2764\ufe0f\"](\"https:\/\/abs.twimg.com\/emoji\/v2\/72x72\/2764.png\" "\\"Heavy")
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\u00a0On Saturday we showed this picture..<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/jpress\/image\/fetch\/w_700,f_auto,ar_3:2,c_fill\/http:\/\/www.scotsman.com\/webimage\/1.4580339.1507308117!\/image\/image.jpg\")
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