Lego Sets Are Never Meant To Be Permanent

I HAVE never been a fan of “Legoland,” as I prefer to call the DAM Health Edinburgh Stadium. I can accept the need for a “mini-Murrayfield” for Edinburgh and other games, leaving the main ground for internationals and really big games, but, I still believe, what they built showed a lack of ambition.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, I was covering football and had a regular gig at Rugby Park for Kilmarnock home games. My press box seat was four or five rows back from one of the vertical pillars holding-up the stand roof – and you have no idea how many free kicks were awarded behind that pillar.

Eventually, I got an assurance from the Club Chairman, when Killie were able to modernise and upgrade the main stand, and that pillar had to come down, I could have a go at the cutting gun.

Forty years on, the Main Stand is The Frank Beattie Stand, the pillar is still there and, although the press box has moved, some Killie fans are still getting their viewing of the action blocked by that pillar.

Legoland's stand roofs are held up by (admittedly narrower) pillars, but, I have heard complaints from some of the fans who watched Sunday's S6 final, about how annoying these pillars are.

Legoland, which is largely constructed of temporary stands, will become a permanent feature of the greater Murrayfield “footprint.” I may be wrong, but, I can never see Edinburgh's crowds growing to the extent whereby they need to play in the National Stadium, to accommodate their 60,000-plus crowds for home games against Benetton etc.

Since the smaller ground is going to be a permanent fixture – why didn't they build it as such? Proper, modern stands, with no pillars getting in the way. Sure, it might have been costlier in the short term, but, in 10 or 15 years time, when Legoland has to be pulled down and upgraded, the costs will be greater still.

And, if I am still around, heading for my 90^th birthday – don't think I will not remind the SRU of the small thinking and short-termism of the by then reputation-trashed TCD.

Another complaint from Sunday concerned the potential for injury from that in-goal race between Ayrshire Bulls' Bobby Beattie and Southern Knights' Jacob Henry, which saw Beattie thump into some temporary barriers and end up lying on a bed of what Dougie Vipond so-eloquently called “large chuckies.”

The SRU really needs to have a look at that particular part of the ground. Methinks there should have been a wider run-off area behind the in-goal area, which seems a tad short to me.

Beattie, fortunately, didn't appear to suffer injury, but, given his lineage it would probably take a far-harder thump to hurt him. But, surely the lesson from Sunday is, a softer landing and a bit more padding is required.

But, as I say, if they'd built a proper stadium in the first place, we wouldn't be having to raise these issues.

I WAS born and raised and have lived most of my life in villages in the East Ayrshire coalfield. Your average male citizen of this part of the world is about five foot seven tall, almost as broad and has a flat top to his head, for use as an emergency pit prop while hewing coal.

Like most of Scotland, we are a race of wee men, angry wee men. The occasional big man we produce, who makes an impact in sport is usually held back by being a really nice guy – think the Brown or Gray brothers. We don't produce big, rough bar stewards who would kick their grannies, like several Saffers and All Blacks I could name.

Right now, Scottish Rugby is suffering from a shortage of big men, as witness the national squad which Gregor Townsend named this week. Jonny Gray, Scott Cummings, Alex Craig, Ben Toolis, Glen Young and Cameron Henderson are all injured, Richie Gray and Tim Swinson are apparently now too-old to be considered, which has been good news for young guns Marshall Sykes and Jamie Hodgson.

By my reckoning, this leaves Andy Davidson and Callum Hunter-Hill as the only unused taxis on the rank.

Pity old Bill Baillie is not around, when he was Head of PE at Cumnock Academy he managed to grow a succession of giants, schoolboys who were taller than six foot five, maybe he had a secret growth plan. In fact, there was one family of basketball-playing brothers, of whom two were six foot eight inches tall, another was six foot six and the shortest was six foot four. We should be actively monitoring such families for the good of Scottish rugby.

The best lock Scottish Rugby never had was Bobby Archibald Senior, six foot six, could leap tall buildings, a great ball handler and as mean a Paisley Buddie as ever walked up New Street. He captained Scotland and played for Great Britain, while his even-taller son Robert is considered the greatest-ever British player. But, Bobby would have been one helluva lock forward.

I SEE heads are rolling at BT Murrayfield, with Jim Mallinder overhauling the High Performance Department. We already know that Tapee Henning is leaving his post as head of referees. No harm to the Saffer, but, I don't think his waygoing will lead to a flood of tears and it may create an opening for the likes of Andy Macpherson, who has gained a lot of kudos with his work in promoting the likes of Mike Adamson, Ben Blain, Hollie Davidson and Sam Grove-White.

With regard to Henning, maybe he can go back home and help the South African clubs come to terms with northern hemisphere law interpretations, They'd have been better-off perhaps consulting him rather than John Lacey on differing interpretations.

Less certain is the status of Sean Lineen. As one of the 1990 Grand Slam Heroes, “The Kilted Kiwi' has a guaranteed place in our hearts. However, in sport, the hardest thing to do is time your departure. Sean turns 60 on Christmas Day, he's a full generation away from even today's most-senior players, so maybe it's time for him to step back, perhaps into an advisory role. But, one thing is sure, if he is going, he's made a hugely-significant contribution to Scottish rugby and he will be sorely missed.

I have seen other names mentioned, for promotion and advancement. Most them can be filed under” “rose without trace,” in my view. Oh! And strangely, one or two others appear to have somehow survived.

Murrayfield moves in mysterious ways.