Last week was a pretty unexceptional one in Gary Grant's all-encompassing world of rugby.
He set about organising a social touring event for his grassroots club, having previously escorted them to Cuba and Canada; took the scaffolding down in and around the Dumbreck ground; carried out his duties as head coach at Cartha Queen's Park, before watching his players record a comprehensive 52-0 away win over struggling West of Scotland; and followed that up by getting involved in the organisation's burgeoning youth structure on Sunday.
As he said, almost bashfully when we finally caught up, he has spent so many hours devoted to the club's cause during the last 20 years that it has simply become part of the everyday fabric of his life. Think of Dave Christie at Freuchie Cricket Club or Les Thomson at East Stirlingshire FC, or numerous other individuals who beaver away out of the spotlight. Grant is in their mould and, although he does not dispute the fact that his job occasionally resembles pushing a piano up Ben Nevis, one suspects he doesn't just relish the task, but absolutely loves bringing through the next generation of wannabe Beatties and Barclays in his environs.
Cartha have always been a go-ahead bunch, blessed with some resilient characters and a determination to preach to the unconverted. They reached the heights of Premiership 2, when Kenny Murray was weaving his Potteresque spell, before bringing unprecedented success to Ayr, and they have been at the forefront of such innovations as the City of Glasgow Sevens, an event which invariably attracts a high-class array of talent.
Grant was in their ranks when they surged up the leagues and he has adopted the same indomitable approach to moulding the class of 2013 as he used to display in the heat of battle. The trouble is that professionalism has transformed the whole culture of the sport, to such an extent that he is honest about their future prospects.
Can they maintain their status in the RBS Championship A? Yes, they can. Have they the ability to contemplate challenging seriously for the highest echelon in the future. Erm, not unless one of their committee members wins the Lottery.
"Nobody's complaining - it's just the way it is - but we are finding that players, no matter their background, want paid these days, and we don't have the cash to make that happen," said Grant, who has watched the rugby revolution gather pace since the International Rugby Board sanctioned the pay-for-play era in 1995. "I am not paid to be the coach, but I can give modest expenses to boys who have to travel from such places as Dundee, Edinburgh and Linlithgow.
"That is as far as we can go in that direction, and it boils down to the fact you have to produce your own talent and get used to seeing your best youngsters get snapped up by your rivals every summer. We have managed to get ourselves out of debt, and we are working incredibly hard to encourage the kids, by entering into partnerships with local schools and other bodies and we have been doing that for the last few years, with a positive effect. However, you can't hope to keep up with your opponents if they are spending significant sums and signing up quality guys and increasing the size of their squads. I don't blame anybody for asking for money - if they are good enough, they will probably find somebody who is happy to pay for their services - but it is not sustainable at this level. We have to create an environment where they don't want to move on, but we are only being practical in knowing there will always be a big turnover of players.
"That is why we want to be in contention for promotion in the months ahead. But the main priority at this stage is to stay in the division. It doesn't mean we don't have ambitions, but we have to consolidate and build on what we already have."
Grant's team have thus far posted emphatic wins over Dumfries and West, and have yet to concede a try in 160 minutes of action. But he appreciates that he will have a better idea of where his squad stands, once they have locked horns with Hamilton this weekend, in a contest where some of the pre-match entertainment will be provided by the presence of New Zealand legend, Zinzan Brooke.
"Hamilton have won their two games, as have Marr and Falkirk, so this should be a truer test of where we stand at the moment," said Grant. "That's not being disrespectful to West, but they spilled a lot of ball and I wouldn't claim we have beaten great opposition so far. As long as we keep moving forward, and our u7nder-18s and other age-group sides continue to thrive, we should be fine. The one thing you can't do is stand still and ignore the grassroots. If you do, you will be in trouble."
TEAM OF THE WEEK
Anybody who wondered how Melrose might respond to losing their talismanic coach, Craig Chalmers, was offered a resounding answer on Saturday when the Borderers travelled to Millbrae and trounced the reigning Premiership champions, Ayr, by 33-11. John Dalziel, the new man at the helm at The Greenyards, was quietly confident, in advance of the campaign. On the evidence available so far, he has every reason to be optimistic.
TALKING POINT
The predictions, in the build-up to the 2013/14, suggested the championship would be close and the action has backed that up. Of the 10 Premiership matches staged to date, half have been decided by seven or fewer points, with three matches split by a single point. Considering the lack of live sport on terrestrial television these days, it makes you wonder why nobody screens highlights on a weekly basis . . . particularly the BBC, given we are all paying the licence fee.
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