Make Your Mind Up Time Is Almost Here Folks

The try line is looming for Bill Gammell and his committee

AS DEAR old Hughie Green used to say on Opportunity Knocks: “It's make your mind up time folks – which act do you want to see come back next week.” Today, however, it isn't the general public who get their say, but Sir Bill Gammell's tribunal of the great and good – who will need to tell the Ayatollah Dodson and his Murrayfield minions which six clubs will be allowed to inhabit the new, sun-kissed uplands of that land of milk and honey: Stupid 6.

With the big reveal scheduled for Tuesday, the worker bees deep in the bowels of HQ have to have everything tied-up by Monday; and, with Silver Saturday getting in the way, they don't have much time left.

Yesterday, I mentioned Ayr's small problem with Millbrae's somewhat rickety infrastructure. Now, as at least two distinguished Scottish rugby writers could tell you, my suggestion as to a way round this seemed fanciful. Indeed, one went as far as to tell me: “Nobody else would dare think that Aristotle.” But I was not alone.

Yesterday, on a Facebook thread, John McHarg - former Glasgow lock, elder brother of the esteemed “Big Al” McHarg and himself the Godfather of those capped Ayrshire locks – Brother Al, the Broon brothers, “Gulliver” Cuthbertson and the Gray brothers, distinguished coach or adviser to most of the Ayrshire clubs at one time or another – came up with the same notion as I had: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.

Rugby at Rugby Park - why not?

OK, several of the Millbrae “Silverbacks” would have a seizure at the thought, but, consider this. One of the planks of Billy McHarg's franchise plan was to brand the Ayr bid as being a “South West District” bid, based on the Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway clubs involved in Bill Nolan's SWARC proposal – South West Area Rugby Clubs. Indeed, when Billy first spoke to me about Ayr bidding for a franchise, he stressed it would be as something like “Ayrshire Bulls”, rather than “Ayr”.

Ayrshire Bulls, playing at Rugby Park, with its 3G pitch and excellent corporate hospitality facilities might be a move too-far for some Millbrae stalwarts, but, on some levels – it makes sense. And, the esteemed Mr McHarg and I were not the only guys who thought this might be worthy of consideration.

THE Murrayfield “suits” are, I would suggest, somewhat troubled by this blog's persistent poo-pooing of the concept of Stupid 6. A wee bird telt me, this week's meeting of the National League 2 and 3 clubs was preceded by a Trump-style denunciation of the “Fake News” Aristotle is allegedly punting; delivered in presidential style by “Rob Who?” Our current leader – the only current President I can think of who can make The Donald look fit for purpose.

President Rob had a message for the National League 2 and 3 clubs this week

If the writings of one seventy-something semi-retired old hack can worry the High Heid Yins that much, then they clearly hae their doots aboot their new product. Or perhaps, it's: will we really get away with this?

IN MY continuing quest to give a platform to those worried rugby men whose concerns about Stupid 6 are not being met by the mainstream media's policy of turning a blind eye to this, here are some of the comments posted below the line following yesterday's blog post.

Another disgruntled club official posted:

“The capital investment required to upgrade facilities to the level required far outstrips the financial investment that the SRU are asking the clubs to commit to in terms of funding their squads.

And to be asking clubs to achieve that in a tight time-scale when they don't have the money and when things like planning are completely out of their control is ridiculous.

Clubs are being bullied into submission - time to collectively stand up and walk away!”

Clubfan posted:

“May you live in interesting times
 

I always took that to be more a curse than good wishes.

It’s the details that always get in the way.

As someone who lives in an area with several floodlit 3G pitches I can attest to the light pollution these cause.

The question is how will the clubs find the £500k required for the 3G pitch? And additional cash for floodlighting. On top of the cash required to fund their super 6 side. Tricky one that.

And what’s Sportscotlands view on all this? What largesse do they have to support 6 3G pitches and what projects (more worthy?) will be downgraded or canned to fund these?

I mean these types of problems were unknown and not foreseen before this concept kicked off.

I always had a sneaking admiration for Donald Rumsfeld and his unknown unknowns quip.”

Disgruntled Club Official posted:

“I don't know what more to add other than " I told you so " I can't see Dodson or the weak council ably led by Corporal Jones ( Flockhart) letting this stupid idea die of natural causes.

They will need to blame:

1. The Clubs for being indecisive.
2. The Clubs for submitting sub standard applications.
3. The Clubs for not having suitable facilities.
4. The Clubs for relying on the pro draft etc etc.,!

Karma is a strange thing ! If as I have previously stated stupid 6 is a non starter ! Collect your jackets at the door, walk away and let people who are committed to Club rugby take charge of Council and exercise their power of holding the board to account for their reckless actions,!

No more hiding behind the articles for Howatt and co. New broom sweeping clean!!”

I said from the moment Dodson announced Stupid 6 at the AGM, it was a nonsense. Then, when he began to flesh-out the details, it became clear, this is a blatant power grab, designed to disguise the failings of the “suits” and to give Murrayfield greater control of the leading clubs – it will do nothing for Scottish Rugby.

The proposals to start the Celtic Development League are a torpedo to the engine room of Stupid 6; the WRU's proposed Under-23 Development squads further demonstrate the SRU is applying an Elastoplast, when other similar Unions realise it is reconstructive surgery which is required.

This will all end in tears. Stop Stupid 6 now.