Buying Newcastle - What Next From The Murrayfield Brains Trust?

WHEN is someone going to exert the authority of the clubs – you know, all those wee independent entities which, together, are supposed to BE the Scottish Rugby Union – and yank back the leash on the collective individualism of Murrayfield?

Rob Flockhart - thinks there are just six trouble-makers around Super Six

Because, it seems to me El Duce Dodson and the Murrayfield “suits”, the guys who are supposed to administer Scottish Rugby on a daily basis, for the benefit of the clubs who own the Union, and for the good of the game – are out of control.

Yesterday, Owen Slot in the Sunday Times had a piece about the SRU taking a stake in Newcastle Falcons; this comes not that long after there was a media story that Murrayfield was about to purchase Worcester Warriors. What next – will we be buying the Highlanders, who certainly are a more-Scottish-sounding club than the other two?

From where I am sitting, in the hairy-ersed end of Ayrshire, if the SRU has that much money to chuck around, then they should be getting that long-fabled third PRO14 team up and running, or maybe chucking more of their (our?) mullah at, if not Super Six, then the Premiership clubs and the club game in general.

To be fair, buying, or buying into Falcons, given their proximity to the Borders clubs, makes a lot more sense than buying into Worcester, but, to me, it remains a wrong move.

Time somebody asked Dodson and Co straight-up: “What the fuck are you guys playing at?”

Not that we can expect our board members and council members to stand-up for their constituencies. They appear to be far-too-busy getting their own snouts into the trough to remember where they came from. Time for a bonfire of the vanities methinks.

I was hearing this week, our esteemed President is not happy at the little bit of bother and dissent the likes of Aristotle Armstrong and one or two others seem to be spreading abroad. As I understand it, Mr President Lockhart believes there are just some six of us causing all the bother – everyone else is on-board with Super Six, Agenda 3 and so forth.

Aye Right! Maybe on Planet President, but, here in Scottish Rugby, I think you might find there are only about six people – Dodson, Lockhart, the Lesser-Spotted Johnson, Dom McKay, Robert Howat and Peter Laverie who think Super Six etc is a good idea. Everyone else's opinions vary from mild scepticism to the firm belief, this plan is Grade One Shite.

Just like the Maybot and her Brexiteers down in that there Lunnon, the SRU hierarchy are in full-ahead mode; there is no alternative to their vision. I suppose then we will have to await the inevitable shite implosion before we can sort things out – by which time, Mr Dodson will probably have moved-on to cause chaos in some other sport.

As I have said before, I do not have a problem with the SRU running the High Performance arm of Scottish Rugby. To me, it makes sense to have them controlling the national sides, the Academy and the PRO14 teams. But, while the Union has a duty to support the club game, cutting the Premiership from the current ten independent clubs, to just six, and bringing these clubs, even partially under the control of the Union is a step too far.

It is all about Murrayfield control, it will not make the game any better than the current set-up. It makes no sense. Drop it and save everyone a lot of hassle.

SCOTTISH Rugby lost a Titan last week, with the passing of former Scotland and British Lions scrum-half Angus “Gus” Black, at the great age of 92.

The late Angus W "Gus" Black

Gus was a Fifer, born and raised in Dunfermline. His father was a career soldier, who reached the rank of Brigadier in the Royal Artillery, and was garrison commander at Windson Castle during World War II, having been a Scottish trialist in his youth.

Gus attended Dollar Academy, then went up to Edinburgh University to study Medicine. As Cadet AW Black, he won the first of seven war-time Scotland caps when Scotland beat England 18-11 at Leicester in early 1945. His war-time international experience included being in the Scotland team which beat the New Zealand Army team (the All Blacks in all but name) in 1946 – still the only Scotland XV to beat a New Zealand one.

With the return of regular rugby in 197, he went on to win six full caps, and, in 1950, after a sterling display in the Calcutta Cup match – he was twice a winner in the game against the English – he was named in the Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia that year.

The Tour took him away from wife Meg and young son Jock for five months, during which time he played in the first two Tests in New Zealand, before, as he admitted, home-sickness and boredom got to him and his performances faded.

He returned home, captained the Rest in the 1951 Trial, but, never again played for Scotland. He was a former cap, aged just 25. Gus joined the RAF, played on for Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire, Leicester, Bristol, the RAF, Combined Services and he was also a Barbarian, but, at his height, he never again played for Scotland.

His eldest son Jock puts this down to his Dad being, even for a scrum-half: “A gobby wee so-and-so”, who was not afraid to tell the SRU committee where to go.

Gus retired as a Group Captain, Consultant in Psychiatry to the RAF, back to Lundin Links, where he died on St Valentine's Day. When he died, he was the oldest Lion, and a genuine great of Scottish Rugby.

FINALLY, I hear dear old “Kaiser” Bill McMurtrie took ill during the Glasgow game on Friday night and is in hospital.

Kaiser Bill McMurtrie - get well soon Bill

Bill just might be the best President the SRU never had, certainly I can think of few people who have given more to Scottish Rugby over such a lengthy period of time.

Get well soon Bill, we are all rooting for you.