Half Time Bovril

So the season has began and the news has been coming out slow from us at halftimebovril due to a variety of reasons, but this hasn’t reflected the amount of controversy thats went on. From the sectarian chanting being under extreme scrutinty from the media and sporting bodies to Jimmy Calderwoods freshly tangoed skin for the new season (The discussion is made every year but has half the transfer budget been spent at the sun beds? Or is it some sort of Dutch summer concoction he has taken from his time over in Holland?) It is one of those questions like the meaning of life which will probably remain unanswered to us mere mortals.

The SPL has started off fairly as expected with the two old firm sides at the top of the table and Hearts fans not knowing who is in charge of their club. But the main topic of conversation has been due to the new Chief Executive of the SFA Gordon Smiths proposed introduction of reviewing bookings after the match caused by simulation or diving (also known as Stan Petrovs). It has been talked about by many in the media that this would contravene FIFA rules but the main aspect that has to be discussed is would this benefit the game?

Since the dawn of football it has always been a footballers competitive nature to take advantage of the opposing teams mistakes, so should this include a player taking advantage of a situation that could be considered a foul? It is really an issue that is down to opinion with several attacking players opposing the rules as it would hinder their opportunities whereas defensive players would fully back this as it would help in making their jobs easier. But would the introduction of this rule prove the opposite? Where players have made bad challenges that went unpunished and then un-reviewed? I think personally that it would imbalance the rules to have such a rule implemented unless every area and challenge would have to be reviewed and changed, but this would then make the sport all about seeing the result of the review rather than going to the game and would ruin the excitement of the 3pm on a Saturday so therefore the introduction of reviewing is one in which has to be balanced if it has to be introduced but the line has to be drawn before the game is one of which passion, excitement and drama is removed.


The next topic of discussion has been the sectarian chanting heard at Rangers first away match which has prompted a discussion into the severity of punishment which can be given to teams that have a clear discriminative element within their support. This has boiled over from last season and it really has to be addressed for the progression of the game in Scotland and Rangers have to realize that thousands of wee blue books with acceptable songs is not going to change matters. It is now time for the main element of the support to stand up and make sure that the club is not punished by this minority (and lets face it, it is a minority that actually mean what is sang). As the club cannot be tarnished with a bad name which could immediately tar the opinion of the rest of Scotland around the world with the same brush. It is not Rangers that are the only club that are to blame with this and it should be mentioned that it appears that Rangers are being made scape goats due to the size of the club, this has to be addressed around every ground around Scotland.


So with these important issues out of the way it is time to reflect on the first three games, and it looks as if Rangers have not started on a light note with a clear hunger for the title this season which will undoubtedly give a much closer battle at the top end of the table. It is only three games into the new season but the introduction of some French class such as Darcheville and Cousin who have started the season in contrast to the French fairies introduced the year before may have reinjected the SPL with a competitive nature that has been sadly lacking from one half of Glasgow for a couple of years. Celtic on the other hand started slowly with the first game of the season but have bounced back looking like they will not be expecting an easy title win this year. The statistics have shown that the club who have drawn in the first game of the season have won the league in 3 of the previous 4 years and this might suggest that it will be Celtic celebrating at the end of the year. But it has to be one of my favourite quotes from Ebbe Skovdahl that should be remembered by the other clubs “Statistics are like mini-skirts… they give you good ideas but hide the most important parts.”.