Have Melrose Signed Glen Campbell?

KUDOS to Melrose, for a very-slick video clip, announcing their Super-6 side would be named SOUTHERN KNIGHTS. They put the clip out on their Facebook page this morning, and I even had a Hawick and a Gala man, independently, praise it, so it must have been good.

Is this the new stand-off for the Melrose Super-6 side?

I have to agree, just one wee thing though, to a good ole West of Scotland red-neck country boy like me: Southern Nights always will be, first and foremost, a Glen Campbell song.

I did have a quiet chuckle at the old legend of Thomas the Rhymer, spending seven years in Fairyland, under the Eildons. I always thought he spent those seven years on the wing for Gala, waiting in vain for a pass.

I know what the Ayr franchise will be called, but, if I tell before Friday, I will be sentenced to a life-time of cleaning Jock Craig's and Glen Tippet's worn underpants, so, my lips are sealed.

However, the word is, the six will have some sort of local identity, so we can but stir it. My suggestion for The Stars o' Rabbie Burns for Ayr was swiftly kicked into the long grass by Billy McHarg. Mind you, with Melrose taking inspiration from Glen Campbell, Ayr could always name themselves The Beach Boys.

There are rumours of Stirling County channelling their inner Bravehearts with something Wallace-orientated, but, what will the three Edinburgh franchises call themselves? Colinton Courtiers, Stockbridge Stallions and Boroughmuir Barons are three rumours I have heard.

At least two of them will doubtless have some grand name, just to remind the rest of us they are the Establishment clubs.

IN MY last blog, I had news of top referee Lloyd Linton handing-in his SRU-issue Acme Thunderer, as he heads off to Germany. Now comes news that another of our Elite level referees, Linton's fellow refugee from Ulster, Keith Allen, has also hung-up his whistle.

Keith Allen - the latest top referee to quit

Like Linton, a medical man, Keith is starting GP training, so has resigned before the start of what will be an important season, and, just as he is nibbling on the edges of the big time, having had some exposure to the PRO14 last season.

To lose one top official at short notice, for reasons other than old age is bad enough, but, to lose approximately 40% of your top talent so close together, this reeks to me of poor management of the SRU's refereeing talent pool.

When you consider another young gun, Andy McMenemy opted-out when on the verge of big things – although he is now back and earning some good reviews as a TMO, well, you've got to ask: what is going on in the refereeing department at Murrayfield?

NICE TO note that it was the two peripheral regions, Caledonia and Borders and East Lothian who qualified for the Under-16 and Under-18 finals in Sunday's FOSROC Inter-Regional games.

They will get onto the big pitch at Netherdale in Sunday's final show-down.

Now, it is hardly a surprise that the Borders boys should do so-well. They may not have the numbers of Glasgow and Edinburgh, but, the rugby tradition still beats healthily down there.

And well-done too to the Caledonia boys.

I had a quick look at the make-up of the pools of players. The Borders and East Lothian seem to me to have got it right, nearly all the boys were dual-identified, as playing for their school and the local club. The tie-in between Earlston High School and Melrose, everyone knows about, but, nearly all the other boys, wherever they were from, identified with both the school and the town team – indicating a good, solid partnership.

In Glasgow, while there were one or two dual-identities recognised, most of the boys seemed to have come through the club system, a pattern repeated in Caledonia.

In Edinburgh, however, it still appears to matter which school you attend, of the 46 boys in their two squads, 37 were identified by their school. Aye, it's aye been.