Sometimes Your Words Come Back To Haunt You

THE FOLLOWING paragraphs are taken from my old mucker Bill Lothian's Facebook page, Bill posted it on Tuesday. And thanks to him for letting me use it:

'From an interview I did with Mark Dodson in Jan, 2015. Think it stands comparison with anything flying around today in terms of what the SRU are about. Money. Full stop.'

Bill Lothian

“I agree we don’t have private investment, it is the model we run.

“Because we have only two pro teams we have to keep hold of the levers because they fund the international game.

“We can’t just put those pro franchises out to tender for the simple reason that if there is a problem it blocks one of our key channels to the international team where our money is made from.

“So, not for Scottish rugby any emulating football nations who have won World Cups with almost an entire squad of players employed outside their home country and without too many complaints back home when the trophy is paraded.”

So, it was clear three years ago, no loss of control over how Murrayfield runs the pro game could be countenanced. Today, however, although neither Dodson, the Lesser-Spotted Johnson nor any of the other “suits” - whether “track” or “business” has yet told us the purpose the BT Premiership is not fit for; nor have they told us the measurement criteria which was used to arrive at this decision; nor even who made that decision – they now not only have to have control of the two professional sides. It seems they also must have control of the next level down.

It really is, all about money, control and power – BUT – they want the six franchised clubs to put-up most of the cash, and take the risks.

And, can anyone from Ayatollah Dodson down please tell me – how and where does buying a minority stake in Newcastle Falcons sit alongside: “we have to keep hold of the levers because they fund the international game.” Just asking.

MEDIA MANAGEMENT is, apparently, one of today's growth industries. Much to the chagrin of this old “hot metal man”, the media world is changing. With Facebook, twitter, Instagram and so on, a younger audience has arrived, which wants its information - “now”.

By the time your morning paper hits the breakfast table, assuming you are one of the declining number who still gets a paper delivered, (just think of the damage this decline has done to the teenaged economy – no need for paper boys), the “news” you will be reading is “old news”, almost a full day old in some cases.

The SRU tries hard to manage the rugby media. Matt Horler and the Media Department are very good at sending-out press releases about most aspects of Scottish Rugby, but, they don't in all honesty do a lot for the general club game – you know the 167 clubs, playing each other in the 15 different adult leagues (not counting the 2^nd XV ones) across Scotland, plus the 27 Women's clubs, playing in four leagues across Scotland.

 SRU Media Department Head Matt Horler

Sure, they send-out press releases informing the media of the things they want the media to know, about the various national squads, Edinburgh and Glasgow. They let us know about any non-contentious SRU initiatives, but, about the vast bulk of the game in Scotland – nary a nurdle. And they certainly didn't let-on about Stupid 6 and Agenda 3 until the Ayatollah Dodson sprung them on the world back in August.

One of the side issues about Stupid 6 and Agenda 3 is – how does the SRU intend to “sell” this new all-singing, all-dancing “improved” level of the club game? If one of the main purposes of the Union's media department is to sell Scottish Rugby to the media and ensure good coverage, that department is, to use a favoured SRU expression: “not fit for purpose.”

Sure, they bash our bland press releases about the things Murrayfield cares about – the national and age group squads, the two professional sides and peripheral issues which make the “suits” look good. But, that, if you like, is the apple pie and cream or pavlova end of the game – they are doing nothing to boost the consumption of the mince and tatties end – the real heart of the meal.

The excellent BT Premiership, which is a fantastic competition, gets virtually NO coverage in the mainstream media. Sure, Graham Bean and his team at The Scotsman print match reports every Sunday and Monday, but, The Herald, increasingly vying with Rangers News and the Celtic View for its core sports readership, is not interested – other than to print a brief round-up which the estimable David Barnes cobbles together from his Offside Line match reports.

In fact, if you want to know what is going on in the club game, log onto The Offside Line, their coverage kicks the mainstream media's into the long grass. There are also some more-localised websites which are worthy of support – Weegie R Ugby for one. But, sadly, Stuart Cameron is winding-up his excellent Borders Rugby site at the end of the season.

I cannot see where the media presence which Stupid 6 will need, if it is to have a chance of succeeding, will come from.

Two World Class Scottish talents

The fact is, right now, Glasgow Warriors have on their books, four “World Class” players – Stuart Hogg, Huw Jones, Finn Russell and Jonny Gray. My definition of “World Class” is – if a “World Team” was being chosen, would their names come-up during the selection process? These four, definitely.

Rangers have no players who are even what my late “Hun” of a Dad would term: “Rangers Class”, Celtic's present squad is similarly bereft of player who are “Celtic Class” - and that class is someday short of “World Class”. Yet, Rangers and Celtic and their over-paid present-day “Stars” get more publicity in one day in the msm (mainstream media) than the genuine World Class stars at Scotstoun get in a week.

So, just where do the Murrayfield Ayatollahs think the publicity for a new brand of rugby which is the equivalent of Junior Football will come from? If you struggle to market it, you will struggle to sell it.