Something Is Stirring In The West Of Scotland

WEST of Scotland's late winning score at Orkney on Saturday has already gone viral on social media, after a film of the try was posted. Let's just say, the scoring pass was VERY flat, and, in a professional game, would surely have been referred to the TMO. The comments of the Orkney support, caught on the video, would not have been out of place either, had the late and controversial score come in an Ayrshire junior football match.

 

Gavin Blackburn - pictured during his spell at Biggar

Any way, it counted, to tie the scores, with the successful last-kick-of-the-game conversion giving West a 36-34 win, a most-welcome outcome for a team 12-0 down after seven minutes and needing two scores to win with only eight minutes remaining.

“Aye, it was a great way to win, and a smashing weekend up there for the boys,” said new West coach Gavin Blackburn, who has now seen his young side win their first two matches of the new season – Saturday's opening league outing, which followed a 36-12 National League Cup win over Murrayfield Wanderers.

Blackburn admits, at the end of last season he was “scunnered” with coaching at Stirling County, and, with his new landscaping and gardening business taking-off, the experienced former Scotland Under-21 prop wasn't that bothered about staying involved. Then he got a telephone call from old chum Millan Brown, Head of Rugby Development at Burnbrae, who invited him to get involved.

Pete Rhodes and Mark Zoma on the charge as West beat Murrayfield Wanderers in the National League Cup (Picture courtesy of the Milngavie Herald)

Following his chat with Millan Brown, Gavin has signed a three-year contract and with his enthusiasm renewed, he is looking forward to seeing how far he can take the youngsters, who have the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of legends such as Peter and Gordon Brown, Sandy Carmichael, Dave Shedden, Gordon Bulloch, Chris Rea and the other greats who have worn the famous red and yellow hoops.

“Millan has done a terrific job with getting youngsters to play at West, and the team we had out on Saturday had an average age of 22. These boys have grown-up together, they are all strictly amateur and we have high hopes for them,” says Gavin.

“We have tried to give them as much off-field professional support as we can. We've got a sports psychologist on-board, we got good strength and conditioning systems in place and are attempting to develop a winning rugby culture again at Burnbrae.

“We are under no illusions, it's a young team, so we expect a bit of a roller-coaster season, but, from what I have seen so-far, the future is bright for West,” the coach continued.

“We had 32 players training last Thursday, so we were able to run two teams in the session, while the way the boys put-in extra sessions, either in the gym or working together on skills is rewarding and uplifting for any coach.

“The boys have made a great start, now it is up to us and them to get West back up the leagues and I am confident we can do this.”

The demise of West in recent seasons has been sad for all those who can remember, if not the halcyon days of the 1970s, then the fact that it is not that long since they were a Premiership club, losing that status only in 2011.

West Legends Sandy Carmichael and Gordon Brown

The legendary “drove road” from Ayrshire, over which the likes of the Browns, Shedden, Ecky Wilson, Quintin Dunlop, the Gray brothers, the Gossmans, Sandy Service and Ian Murchie travelled to Burnbrae may be overgrown, but, Gavin is certain, if they get the breaks, one or two of the present XV have the potential to develop into future Glasgow players, to follow the Bullochs and Rob Hartley in making the step-up from Burnbrae to Scotstoun.

I am not the only old romantic who wishes him, Millan Brown and the other guys at Burnbrae all the best in their mission to restore one of the great names of Scottish club rugby. If he succeeds, Burnbrae will soon be buzzing again.

West are at home to Murrayfield Wanderers on Saturday, hoping for a repeat of that National League Cup victory of two weeks ago.

MEANWHILE, at the other end of the M8 another rugby “blast from the past” is stirring, with the return of Royal High School Rugby to the fixture card.

Following last season spent in the guise of “Barnton” - a move which followed their “divorce” from Corstorphine Cougars, Royal High are back in the familiar black and white hoops, playing out of the school's Barnton grounds and looking to follow-up last season's runaway win in East Division 2, with another promotion run in East Division 1.

At the moment, in something like (without the collateral damage – not least to Scandinavian forests to provide newsprint) a “Rangers” scenario, Royal High is an Associate Club. All that history – from the likes of Mark Morrison through to Iwan Tukalo, means nothing. But, I would not bet against the lads from Barnton getting the name of Royal High back into the National Leagues, sooner rather than later.

ONE OF Scottish Rugby's equivalent of a member of the House of Lords contacted me this week, to voice some concerns. He's OK, he gets his tickets for Murrayfield internationals as part of his “pension” for services rendered. But, he is still concerned for those not as-fortunate.

As he points out, his interest was piqued by a concerned club supporter, who can no longer afford to take his wife and two kids, en famille, to a home 6Nations game at BTM. This Scotland supporter pointed-out:

• Two years ago an adult “bronze” ticket (the cheapest seats) for the Irish and Welsh games cost £40
   
• For the 2019 6Nations, these same tickets will cost £57 – an increase of £17 or 42.5%
  
  
• Two years ago, an adult “silver” ticket – the next level up for the public, were £50
  
  
• For the 2019 Nations, these same tickets will cost £62 – an increase of £12 or 19.35%
  
  
• Two years ago, “gold” tickets, the poshest seats available to the public, cost £85
  
  
• For the 2019 Nations, these same tickets will cost £97 – an increase of £12 or 14.1%
  
  
• So, those supporters who can only afford the cheapest seats are being penalised most
  
  
• My contact asks: “How much of this is a result of pre-selling "Season Passes" before the stakeholders - the clubs, receive their allocations?”

The cost of the cheapest 6Nations adult tickets for the 2019 tournament are: Italy - £42, Ireland and Wales - £57. The most-expensive tickets will cost £87 for the Italian game and £97 for the Irish and Welsh games.

There are no concessions available for the Irish and Welsh matches, so, that's a minimum of £228 for a family of four attending these games together. Add travel costs, programmes, snacks etc, and you are looking at somewhere above £300 for the game, and, if the family is travelling any distance to the game, perhaps £400.

This emphasis on increasing the costs to Scotland fans contrasts somewhat with the position in France, where, by law, 10% of all match tickets have to be made available for around 15 Euros.

We should maybe be grateful the SRU doesn't – as yet – charge us for the pleasure of signing-up to their new super-duper electronic ticketing scam.