Murrayfield's Duty Of Care Towards The Club Game Is Almost Non-Existent

NOTHING, not even that ridiculous: “Not fit for purpose” slander, sums-up Murrayfield's disdain for the top flight of the club game quite like the moger they made of this final round of regular season games.

Dodson and Johnson react to being invited to a club game

When the dust settled, Melrose, in spite of seeing their under-strength side hammered at Mansfield, confirmed their status as the top side over the 18-match schedule. Marr, in spite of doing their bit with a bonus-point defeat of Stirling County, are relegated, while Boroughmuir pulled-off 'The Great Escape', beating Heriot's and Glasgow Hawks in their final two fixtures to escape the promotion-relegation play-off match, and consign Hawks to that 80-minute lottery.

Fair enough. I was at Marr on Saturday, and NOBODY was begrudging Hawick their survival. They have gone from ten straight losses to six wins in eight games and a final 34 points, well clear of the real or potential relegation slots.

George Graham

If with that record, George Graham does not win Coach of the Year – and, no disrespect to Rob Chrystie in writing this – the poll is a pauchle.

However, EVERYBODY and I mean everybody I spoke to at Marr, felt the Murrayfield “suits” had got it wrong, in forcing Melrose – who again were absolved from all blame in the matter – to play their final game, a Borders Derby, without half a team.

As one Marr veteran said: “Even with a full team, Melrose would have faced a really tough day at Mansfield, against a Hawick side fighting for survival. I would actually still have fancied Hawick to pull it off. But, to ask Melrose to go there so-badly under-strength was ridiculous.”

Another Marr “Silver Back' raged, quite rightly too IMHO: “This is not about Marr, or Hawick, or Melrose, the way the final round of fixtures was arranged had implications for four teams. That game at Hawick impacted on four clubs: Hawick, ourselves, Glasgow Hawks and Boroughmuir. The Club international impacted on that.

“There are no fixtures arranged for 31 March, why not play the game then?”

Admittedly, playing a game the week after the play-off semi-finals might not seem right, but, he has a point. Melrose v Hawick had no impact on the top of the table, but immense impact on the bottom. The integrity of the league appears to demand that game is played between two clubs able to pick their strongest XVs.

Ach! It's only the top strata of the club game – The Lesser-Spotted Johnson and the Ayatollah Dodson don't know anything about, or care a jot about the clubs, other than as cash cows – and it shows.

OK, I accept, some might say, as a “made man” member of the Ayrshire Rugby Mafia, I have an interest in Marr staying-up. Fair enough, I wanted them to survive, but, like the guys at Fullarton, I can accept, over the 18-game season, for all of their considerable efforts, Marr were found wanting. That's the reality of league play.

Greg Peterson - has bought-into playing for Marr

But, Marr will be missed – both home and away. They have been a breath of fresh air, a genuine, old-fashioned CLUB. They don't have a stand, they lack match-grade floodlights, the whole ethos of Marr RFC is: “We play rugby, we play to win, but, we mainly play for enjoyment.” How refreshing.

Their travelling support will also be much-missed, they really were a credit to the club, travelling in numbers and supporting their club with passion and good humour. Well done guys and gals.

I will miss covering games at Fullarton next season. Standing there on “Hecklers' Hill” was a return to my days covering Ayrshire Junior Football. Fewer expletives, however, and those which were uttered were delivered in politer accents.

I was, I am certain, the only person in the area where I stood, not to be a member of Royal Troon GC. These gentlemen were a pleasure to mingle with.

In Kevin Quinn, Marr has probably the hardest-working and most-approachable Club President in Scotland. The Marr hospitality towards the press corps was exemplary, guys such as Fullarton's answer to Jack and Victor – Tony “Motors” Peters and Glenn Davis have become firm friends.

 Kris Boyd - was the toast of Fullarton on Saturday night

When Glen, former Marr centre David Haywood and I raised a glass to Kris Boyd on Saturday night, nobody blinked, it was a way of raising spirits metaphorically and physically.

The professional draft is another bone of contention in club rugby. Mos pros simply want to play, and put-in a shift when sent down to the Premiership. One or two seem to think they are better than this, and merely go through the motions. The odd ones, however, make a difference, and, in the past I have cited Al Kellock, Dougie Hall and James Eddie as being paragons in this respect.

To their numbers, can I add the name of Greg Peterson, to whom I gave the Man of the Match accolade on Saturday. The big man was just that, the Big Marr Man. They got all six foot nine inches and 19-stones out of him – plus a bit more.

The other three Warriors in the Marr ranks, who also contributed, all left early, back to their West End of Glasgow territory. Big Greg was still there, sitting among the home-grown Marr men, enjoying a few beers.

He told me: “Listen Mate, I love it here, it's like being back in my old clubs in Australia and the US – just a bunch of guys who work all week, and let-off steam by playing rugby and having a few beers on a Saturday.”

There you have it, from an experienced professional, international-class player, who has played in the World Cup – the definition of club rugby. Hopefully some of the Murrayfield “suits” will pay attention.

Fin Gillies - "squeaky-bum time for him and his Hawks

(picture shamelessly nicked from the Offside Line)

FINALLY, after Saturday's games, it is squeaky bum time for Glasgow Hawks, who will now play either Edinburgh Academical, or, Jed-forest, who captured Accies' unbeaten record with a 22-6 Riverside victory on Saturday, in the promotion-relegation play-off, at the end of April.