Aristotle Is Buzzing

I ADMIT, this last wee while, I've allowed a bee to take up residence in my bonnet around the Scottish Rugby Calendar, because, having ruminated on how we do things up here, I think we can do it better than at present. The problem will be, persuading The Junta, with their proud motto of NOSTRA VIA VEL VIA, to change.

I am old enough to remember the good old days of the early 1970s, when we spent many evenings discussing what might happen when the then ground-breaking notion of official Scottish Leagues was the talk of the various steamies across the game.

When the leagues did come in, in 1973, the Bufties who ran the game back then were at pains to safeguard the many long-established fixtures which were in danger of falling by the wayside, when clubs were placed in different divisions, and appropriate action was taken.

As we all know, back then the season's boundaries were set in stone: no 15-a-side games before 1 September, and the long version of the game finished on 30 April. But, when the leagues were formed, the High Heid Yins at Murrayfield decreed, they couldn't start until October, to give the clubs time to work-up to a proper state of readiness, and to allow the Borders Callants the pleasure of kicking the shit out of any posh Edinburgh or Glasgow boys who still wanted to tour that part of the world for their September weekend.

Just for fun, I consulted the Glasgow Herald of Monday, 3 September, 1973, to remind myself of how that seminal season had kicked-off. Game of the Day for the Herald was at Old Anniesland, where Bill McMurtrie was able to report on a kicking masterclass from Andrew Little, as Glasgow High (having dropped School FP from their name), beat Glasgow Academicals 16-15. This must have been a big game, AM Hosie of Hillhead HSFP had the whistle.

The second feature on the Herald's rugby page was the Centenary game at Fort Matilda in which an SRU President's XV beat a Greenock Wanderers President's XV 34-10. Here John Downie reported on a game in which among those on duty were: Andy Irvine, Tom Grace, Lewis Dick, Rodney Balfour, Alistair McHarg, Jim Telfer and Nairn McEwan. There was also a front row confrontation for the purists, with Ian McLauchlan, at loose-head for the SRU XV, locking horns with his old Jordanhill pal Struan McCallum, restored to his former club for the day. I suppose, on reflection putting those two head-to-head was the lesser of two evils, with McCallum's favourite sparring partner, Ayr's Jock Craig, at tight-head for the SRU XV.

Other opening day fixtures saw Kelvinside Academicals taking on Hutcheson's GSFP, Allan Glen's visiting Hillhead HSFP, and a raft of Scotland v Ulster club games: Hawick v Ballymena, Ardrossan Academicals v RUC, Wigtownshire v Larne (which is 'Shire's local derby).

There were also numerous Sevens tournaments, with West of Scotland in action in the Harlequins tournament at The Stoop, where they, unfortunately ran into injury trouble and two masters of the short game, Ian Robertson for Public School Wandrers and Mike Gibson for North of Ireland.

Kelso won the Earlston Sevens, Portobello won the Gala YM event and another West VII won the Bearsden event.

Interesting too, to reflect on the active clubs that day 50 years ago, who have since fallen by the wayside. What became of: Old Grammarians (now part of Paisley), Dumbarton, Bellahouston Accies, Barrhead HSFP, Bearsden, Craigielea, St Mungo's Academicals, Watt Memorial College, Strathbungo FP and Stobswell.

The results round-up also included more than a few second and third XV matches. I can hear quite a few Millennials asking: “What is a third XV?”

The new National Leagues did not actually start until Saturday, 6 October, 1973, so the clubs had five weeks in which to bed their XVs in for the big kick-off. OK, I realise today, the clubs start in August, playing pre-season games before the leagues kick in at the start of September, but, am I the only old-timer thinking maybe it was better back in the day?

I honestly believe, our seasonal calendar isn't quite right and maybe the Club Rugby Board should have a serious look at amending things.

I still maintain, we have too-many National Leagues, I know the clubs appear to want them, but, that doesn't make it right. If we localised the amateur club game more, I am sure we could get more interest and more players prepared to keep playing once they left school or youth rugby behind them. With a broader and deeper player base, we would get more players coming through to the elite level of the game, without damaging the grass roots player base.

JONNY GRAY'S forthcoming move to France could well be good for the international team. Maybe what we asked of him was too-much, but, for all his 77 Scotland caps, the younger Gray has perhaps under-achieved. When he first broke through, we imagined British Lions selection, and saw him as a future Scotland captain – two honours to have thus far eluded him.

I certainly feel, although he has had perhaps more than his fair share of injuries, Jonny has marked time over the past two or three seasons, ones which ought to have been the peak ones of his career.

Hopefully, the fresh challenge of the Top 14 can see him regain his hunger and become, finally, the player we all hoped he might become some years ago.

FINALLY – I see Jim Mallinder is to step down from his role as Performance Director with the SRU at the end of the season. No harm to him, but, I have never felt he was a good fit for us and just another English failure taking a salary out of the Jocks.

The SRU has said the recruitment process for his successor is already under way – good, but, can I please make this plea to the High Heid Yins within The Junta – Get a Fucking Scotsman in – we don't want another English failure, we've had too-many of them.