The FA Cup final in early May, with no Scots? It's just not right

Chief Sports Writer

Saturday 5 May 2012

SO it's missiles on the roofs of homes near the Olympics, is it?

Custom byline text:

Hugh MacDonald

So it is special forces squads sitting on the tiles with hi-tech power to repel the terrorist threat for London 2012, is it?

It makes one wonder why the organisers of the jamboree in the metropolis did not take a leaf out of the book of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Organisers here have nullified all security threats by finding a big bag, filling it with £1 coins and giving it to a group of street urchins who have offered "to watch yir gemmes for youse".

Years of experience outside Hampden, Ibrox and Parkhead testifies to the certainty that nothing bad can now happen. Al Quaeda is frankly no match for the specialist squad of Glesca weans who wear a badge with the motto Who Cares Who Wins, with the backdrop of a snottery nose and a skint knee.Liverpool tried a similar scheme to London when they had missiles on the roofs of Toxteth to repel art critics fuming at the city being named City of Culture. They would have been better off using the Glesca weans. The details of the deployment of billion-pound weaponry may be somewhat sketchy, but it may suffice to sum up the whole sorry story with the observation that a slightly-used surface-to-air missile can be obtained in any snug bar in the city centre.And this all brings us to Wembley. There should be tight security this evening as the masses of fitba supporters march on the home of English football to demand why the FA Cup final, one of the great sporting occasions, is being held at a time when the working man should be having his tea or a pint. Or both. The traditional climax to the season is also a subject of premature elation. It is occurring so early in the unfolding story of a season that it could be part of a winter break.One does not intend to bang on about this. Football's increasing disdain for the fan and tradition is so brazen that one wonders why one winces when one is kicked in the testimonials by the corporate forces.My problem with this year's final is more parochial and is steeped in nostalgia. Or I hope it is nostalgia, I may have stepped in something else. Anyway. My hurt is that two teams will contest the great trophy at Wembley with the only Scots standing on the touchline. Charlie Adam, the Scot who could have kicked a ball today, has a sick note so the final will be played out to a script without a Scottish accent.It is, of course, no surprise and it even has precedent. However, it is made exquisitely painful by my reading of Ian St John's biography (it's a life on the edge for me, you know). The Saint scored a wonderful winning goal in the 1965 final, in a match where the Scots were the top performers – there were eight of them, excluding the winning manager, Bill Shankly. The FA Cup was built to be lifted by Scots. Random memories – and all my recollections now fit into this category, particularly the whereabouts of my house keys – are filled by people of this nation celebrating the biggest day in English sport. It is not just about Bremner, Law, Crerand, St John, Yeats, Souness, Dalglish, McQueen, Jordan, McLintock, Gray, Mackay and many other legends. It is about Jim McCalliog, Willie Young, Billy Hughes, Bobby Kerr, Jim Gabriel, Andy Lochhead, George Burley, Ray Stewart, George Reilly, Kevin McNaughton, Steve Clarke (on the touchline today) and dozens of other Scots who had decent careers that almost routinely included an appearance in the showpiece of the English season.They were all part of an impressive body of evidence that testified to the accepted truth that English football could not survive without Scots. There is a slight resurgence in the participation of our compatriots in the Barclays Premier League, but today only King Kenny and Clarke will represent the Caledonian fraternity and they will be restricted to tactical duties.The final thus loses a bit of its appeal to those of us who have loved to support Scots. It may lose its allure to a wider audience if, as expected, the final is played next March at 3am in Dubai.

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

The FA Cup final in early May, with no Scots? It's just not right

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED