GLF 72:Graham's thoughts as the season gets underway.
A VIEW FROM THE MAIN STAND
TV COVERAGE - Well here we go again and another season of crap TV coverage for the lower clubs in the SPL!The deal with ESPN and Sky sees us treated as second class (or is it third) behind the Premiership (no surprise there!) but also the Football League.
For example, Goals on Sunday has shown the goals from the SPL but it is as quick as they could get them out of the way and get back to talking about the two English Leagues. Or if they are not doing that Kamara and the other presenter are hanging out the arses of their guests.
ESPN has been landed with the crap games at crap times, again for example, Falkirk v Hibs on Sat 22nd August at 12:30.How many people would take out a £9 a month subscription for that sort of game?
Sky even showed a highlights show on Sunday 23rd August that only showed the highlights from the Hearts v Rangers game they had shown live earlier!The week before they shoe-horned in the four games involving the four non old Firm games in the space of five minutes.
On the BBC, Sportscene is alive and well with some half decent clips but spoiled by the musings of Pat Nevin!
On the subject of Nevin and other pundits, it was with a heavy heart I heard Andy Walker was one of the co-commentators on Sky - what a bitter wee man this is.He is also confused, he spent all his time on Scotsport encouraging forwards to "win" free kicks.He then spent all of the Hearts v Rangers game condemning anybody who fell over!!
Away from telly, BBC Radio Scotland has signed up Ma Ba Barry's brother Derek as a pundit.While he said some interesting things on the show I listened to, he did manage to murder the English language with his misuse of "dones" and "seens" - even worse than Murdo McLeod!!
If you want to listen to sensible coverage of a Motherwell game you need to tune in to Lanarkshire's L107 and you will hear a very articulate summary from one of your own contributors!
KEVIN KYLE - I remember when this big balloon was a Scotland Under International under the great Berti Vogts and thinking at the time how much of a plank of wood he was back then.
I thought he had maybe improved with experience having played for a clutch of clubs down South throughout the divisions.I then heard how great he had been at the end of last season, although noted he didn't score against us in a 0-0 draw at Rugby Park.
Then he was billed as Scotland's saviour after scoring two goals against Lanarkshire's second side!
Watching him in the flesh in the second game of the season put an end to any of these positive thoughts - he was awful.It looked as though h thought it was a question of turning up and the goals would come, then he met Shaun Hutchinson!Even when he did get a change he fluffed it!!
George Burley - please ignore this dumpling!!
BIG DOMINATING CENTRE HALF - this is now the fifth transfer window our manager has been looking for one of these, and so far we haven't managed to find one yet!
Mark McGhee wasted four of them, while Jim Gannon appears to have had the same problem since he joined up.
At least Gannon has now been prepared to give a chance to one of our own youngsters, with Shaun Hutchinson starring in the European run and then in the opening stages of the SPL.
Does this mean there aren't any of them out there or are there just none we can afford?
Having said that I would stick with the experience of Craigan and the youthful exuberance of Hutchinson from what I have seen so far……
NEW AWAY STRIP- I quite like the new away strip but when I first saw I wondered where I had seen the style before, and the uniform of "Futurama" Zapp Brannigan came to mind!!
Norman Blake randomly mentioned, "Don't take Cigarettes to the Match", adding this was something he remembered on the roof of the Enclosure at Fir Park.
Sadly I don't think we can include them as celebrity fans as it would appear there are Celtic season ticket holders in their number!
Graham Barnstaple
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