Sorry for the late update, but we were invited to the neighbours house to watch the Holland vs Russia game and partake of a few cans of Heineken and/or Russian vodka whilst the two teams slugged it out. Typically for Inside Left however, a build-up of excess Heineken required a visit to the toilet towards the end of the second half of extra time and we somehow contrived to miss both the Russian goals. Not that we care of course; as regular readers know, at Inside Left we're not at home to European football. There's just something about the full stadiums, the intricate passing and intelligent interplay of the teams on show that makes us regard that style of football in much the same way a French farmer treats a donkey. It's so alien to the long ball up the middle, first touch of an elephant, players with a turning circle of a fully laden supertanker style football in front of 988 people that we're used to.
But wait, this is a blog about Scottish football right? Why then am I banging on about Russia, and the Euro's. Well, the answer is this: a cunning link.
Ex-Aberdeen midfielder Barry Nicholson has said he's playing (here it comes) Russian roulette (wahey!) with his future. His plan which involved not re-signing for his current club and then waiting by the telephone for the offers to come pouring in has somewhat backfired. Nicholson, 29, is only weeks away from having to start a back-to-work scheme, but whether that'll be with a football club or McDonalds remains to be seen. "I'm still not in panic mode" he said, before adding "yet". Well, tell us to mind our own business Barry, but we'd be panicking about now! Clubs to have shown an interest in the past include German side Bochum and Sweden's IFK Gothenburg and a host of English clubs of various repute. Quite why Nicholson has not been snapped up is a mystery to all at Inside Left. Easily the best player Aberdeen had last year, surely there must be some team out there looking for a battling midfielder?
The Scottish League has been out and about, travelling the length and breadth of Scotland to cast their critical eye over the applicants for the Third division spot left by that team, you know, the one that went bankrupt. Jings, what where they called again? Och, it'll come to us. Anyway, the big Wallace Arnold coach pulled up outside Allen Park, Cove yesterday for a quick look around the pitch and go on the pinball machine in the players lounge. David Longmuir, who runs the SFL reckons the race is too tight to call, which is League-speak for "the wife could do with a new dress <wink>". Allegedly.
We came across this interview with Hamilton's James McCarthy (sorry about the advert, keep watching though!). He's seems like a sensible lad with his head screwed on, but it's slightly unsettling to keep hearing him say he'll "be here for another season and then we'll see what happens", something he says about five times throughout the interview. We've said it before, but we'll say it again: something has to be done to make football in Scotland attractive enough for talented players to want to stay in Scotland and play their club football here. It's a discussion that's as old as the hills and one which has no easy answer. Nevertheless it's a discussion which we'd like to see kept on the agenda of every SPL, SFL and SFA meeting between now and the World Cup in 2010.
Finally, just to finish off the weekend, a quick news- trawl through the leagues:
+ St Johnstone will be without veteran keeper Alan Main for the start of next season. The 41-year-old former Dundee United players needs an operation on his shoulder.
+ Queen of the South's Ryan McCann turns down an offer to stay at Palmerston. McCann is best known for his 84-yard goal against Dundee, seen here in glorious VideoCameraupagainstheTV-OVision®
+ Dumbarton cancel their pre-season friendly against Blyth Spartans and sign former Alloa defender Ross Clark and Pollok midfielder Raymond Logan on one-year deals.
+ Livingston add Romanian side FC Unirea Urziceni to their pre-season schedule. The team, managed by former Chelsea player Dan Petrescu will visit Almondvale on July 10th. Championship side Coventry head north on July 29th.
+ Brechin City are - like Inside Left - looking for contributors to their match programme. See the club site for more details.
+ Albion Rover's annual Jock Stein Trophy match against Celtic has been announced for Thursday 17th July at Cliftonhill with a 1930 kick-off. Tickets are £5, no concessions. Jock Stein made over 200 appearances for the Wee Rovers between 1942 and 1950.
+ Highland League side Deveronvale played their first ever game in the Shetland Islands today when they played a Shetland FA select side. The Banff based side lost 2-1, Jack Meldrum scoring for the Vale.
Alrighty, that's it. We're away next-door to finish off the neighbour's vodka and for a quick look through their sideboard when they're looking the other way.
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