The initial information came from an anonymous e-mailer who appeared to have created a special account in order to deliver the tip off...

That was soon followed by a more detailed telephone briefing from another who did not want to be named because he was fearful of consequences for his family.

He redirected me to a school official who said his employers had warned him he would face disciplinary action is he spoke publicly.

Such intrigue might just have been understandable in a sporting context had it been people offering the inside track on events at FIFA. This, though, was the reaction to a decision by the Scottish Schools Football Association last weekend.

Among their claims was that the restriction being imposed for SSFA competitions of no more than four outfield players attending SFA performance schools who were there as part of the performance school programme, was "discriminatory" and that it would prevent newcomers from being integrated into those schools.

That may or may not be so, but it was the fear of repercussions among those complaining that was most disconcerting because it is symptomatic of so much that goes on in grassroots sport in Scotland.

It all seems rather melodramatic, but time after time, whether from club officials who believe they will not have projects funded by governing bodies, teachers who think they will lose their jobs or parents who believe their youngsters will not be selected for representative honours, the messages are similar from those who, privately, are highly critical of how Scottish sport is run.

However misplaced such perceptions this paranoia stifles debate, so to that end Edinburgh University's decision to set up an 'Academy of Sport' has the potential to be transformative since its remit is to consider all relevant areas including health, social justice and poverty.

All the moreso because it has been announced just weeks after Charlie Raeburn, Scotland's representative on the International Schoolsport Federation, revealed plans to set up what he is calling a Scottish Observatory of Sport, seeking to follow the Nordic model in producing independent analysis of the policies and strategies being applied by sporting agencies and governing bodies in Scotland.

The reason he is seeking to do so is reflected in both the disturbing figures emanating from the other side of the border regarding the drop off in participation numbers in sport since the Olympics and the absence of comparable figures in Scotland.

Also in the way issues such as the departures of Tennis Scotland's President and Vice President from office last year citing concerns about "cronyism" were handled. Without any public evidence of an enquiry the governing body which has been repeatedly heavily criticised by the first family of British tennis, has simply kept its head down and quietly gone about replacing them, while dissenters within the domestic scene have apparently been advised to keep quiet.

If, then, the resources of an institution like Edinburgh University can be directed towards the analysis and investigation Raeburn has identified as being required after consultation with Scandinavian experts who are so far advanced in this area, it could make a huge difference in terms of how quickly and effectively things can be done.

Were he cynical Raeburn, who has consistently been among those who have identified the need to examine Sportscotland's practices might, given the reach of the agency's tentacles, have registered concern that Grant Jarvie, the Edinburgh University academic who is driving their project, is also a Sportscotland board member.

Instead, to his credit, he has welcomed what could become a useful tool for the type of research he believes is required, indicating in his latest 'Spotlight on Sport' blog, that he is growing confident of attracting funding for his own plans and looks forward to opportunities for cooperation with this Academy as well as other Scottish universities.

Key to that work will be the extent to which it is seen as independent of funding organisations, so reassuring those raising concerns that they can do so with impunity.

And Another Thing...

News of the Scotland rugby team's plans to undertake altitude training ahead of their World Cup prompted a wonderfully tangential message this week from Glasgow Accies and Hawks sage Hugh Barrow.

"Given Cotter et al going to altitude at Font Romeu how about this effort from a guy from Stirling in Mexico City?" he asked, appending a link to a tale of Mike Ryan's success in - having emigrated to New Zealand in his twenties - claiming for his adopted country a bronze medal in the marathon at the 1968 Olympics.

Hugh thought I would be particularly interested because Ryan attended a school I have long associations with - St Modan's HS - and he got me thinking about the timing. A quick check and it would seem that Ryan was in the year ahead of one Billy Bremner.

From exactly the same era I remember having been told about the school rugby team Ayr Academy once fielded which contained three Scottish sporting greats, Ian McLauchlan, the Scotland rugby captain and British & Irish Lions "invincible", Mike Denness, the England cricket captain and Ian Ure, the Scotland and Dundee (as well as Arsenal and Manchester United) centre half.

Those were the days in Scottish state school sport.