THERE seems to be an assumption among journalists that taxpayers' money will be available to upgrade Hampden park after the SFA purchases it. I have no objection to Scottish football getting its fair share of any sports funding being dished out by government at UK or Scottish levels. However, I would find it objectionable for the SFA to be given any special considerations given the poor, and declining, state of Scottish football in recent decades.
I, like many thousands of Scots in the late 1960s and early 70s, was in a Wembley club, saving and raising money to stay in London for a week for the England/Scotland game. On route, to pass the time, we would often pick teams: a home-based team; an Anglo team; an Old Firm team; a non-Old Firm team – you get the picture. Now the national team struggles to get 11 players of any calibre onto the pitch, due to the unwillingness of Scottish clubs over decades to nurture any kind of grass roots. They prefer short-term solutions – freebies, loan players and players who cannot make it in the own leagues, while Scottish kids give up due to a lack of a youth structure. If Scottish clubs (who form the SFA) don’t care about Scottish football, and will not place a limit the numbers of non-Scots in a team, then the Scottish taxpayer should not fund them in any way.
GR Weir,
17 Mill Street,Ochiltree.
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