Scottish footballers... where are they?

Big Ron ****... why can't you say his surname? It probably get scrubbed again.

OK... Yates

Y e a t s.  “Take a walk around him.  He’s a colossus”.
It is not un-noticed that your nom-de-plume is that of a very famous Scot who, as a young player, once filled the boots of an even greater Scot, Willie Bauld.

TGV On a different site the other day I was highlighting the absolute dearth of Scottish players in the EPL compared to times gone past. LFC had a thread that ran from **** to Robertson with some of their all time greats coming from North of the border but alas those days have gone as similarly as PL teams snaffling a player from the lower divisions (The rise of academies largely killing that golden goose for the likes of Doncaster and Scunthorpe)

For some reason Ronnie's surname gets ***** by Betfair - what's he done wrong

John McGinn would be most prominent nowadays captain at Villa. I'm not his biggest fan to be honest.
Dalglish is still greatest player to play in England despite all the money nowadays IMO.

I still think my ambivalence to supporting England is largely due to growing up in the 80s and being drawn to Scotland where the king, Souness and Hansen were playing. Why bother with England's bunch of second rate Utd and Forest players when the gods were playing in a different team?

Not denying that there are less talented players in Scotland nowadays but surely there are far less English players in the English Premier League than there used to be ?       Foreigners were few and far between in the old days but now they can't get to the Premier League.

Can't get to the Premier League quickly enough.

World wide selection pool now, 60 years ago just Scotland, wales an Ireland to pick from.

So instead of 15 million it is now over a billion.

League 1 is probably most can aspire to.

The dearth of top class Scots in English football is now an aged one.  Craig Brown, who was a teacher at one time, accused the teacher’s strike of the seventies as a root cause.  Because teachers gave up (completely) their extra curriculum efforts of running schools football he argued that youngsters were denied the chance to learn their skills.  Was never able to go along with that but it may have been a contributory factor.  Somewhere, and somehow, the game lost its appeal to kids and has never returned.  The all-day Sunday take-on just disappeared, as did football before, during and after school. It simply disappeared into the ether as a succession of other entertainments found their way into the hearts of kids.
I know there is still organised youth football in Scotland but it produces footballers no better than McGinn and nowhere near as good as Souness.  Pick any examples you want.
Top flight football in Scotland, played by Scottish footballers is done, sadly, never to return.

Excellent points honcho, Teachers in the past and children took pride in playing and winning for schools and there county/regional  select teams. All gone now sadly and won't be back.

Brian Clough seemed to like a few Scottish players in his team. I think the Scottish team at the moment is very poor and its very hard to see it improving anytime soon.

I played in the team that won the Scottish schools under 14 cup in 1962, the team included John Blackley Hibs, Newcastle and Scotland, Alex Rennie, Rangers Hearts and St Johnstone, Wilson Hoggan Falkirk, and the rest of the team weren't too shabby, won 4v3 in the final, scored 3, got a trial for West Brom but wasn't quite up to the standard. ended up with Linlithgow Rose. cheers.

great stuff bairn i knew wilson

do you ever go to Linlithgow rose games Bairn ? I'm sure that would be an enjoyable wee day out, pie and bovril, I know you have had some bad things to deal with in last few years, maybe wee bit enjoyment there.

Good on you bairn and same best wishes.
My mate Bobby was spotted and invited for a trial with Broxburn.  Aged 19. Like you Bairn he scored goals for fun.  But the bold Bobby was a playboy. Drink and babes were the order of a Friday night. Out to Broxburn on Sat. lunchtime and Bobby sat on the bench, never got on.  ?   When he asked why he was told they’d phoned his home several times on the Friday night added two and two together and told him if he was swerious about playing Junior he’d have to change his ways.  They gave him another date, made sure he was in on the Friday night and told him he’d be on the bench but get on in the second half. Bobby sat for an hour, was told he was going on.  Desperate to do well and thus adrenaline streaming he jumped off the bench, forgetting where he was, cracked his head on the concrete plinth above the pre-war bench and was knocked spark out.  Was never asked back either. Bobby still swears it’s true.  Played top level amateur thereafter. 

Back in the 80's our club had 8 teams and we competed in the Southern Olympian League and the London Old Boys League during the time I was there. With 8 teams we attracted a lot of local lads, including a measurable amount of Scottish lads.

From what I witnessed, most, if not all of these Scots were technically very good and rarely would you see them outside of the top 2 sides, adding weight to this thread that even in the 80's, the Scottish lads that made their way down were well-versed in the art of football. Never quite understood why the national side did not reflect this.

For me the decline started in the eighties and the national side has bit by bit reflected it.  I hate being unkind to players who are all terrific pros but  crazy, modern -day fan-led euphoria about our ability and prospects of doing well anywhere just beggars belief.  Then, when they boo them at Hampden, as they are prone to do, it makes me sick to my stomach.  I look at the side that Brazil kicked off the park in 1974 and WEEP every time I hear the so-called Tartan Army telling us how good we are!
Which is why I give Steve Clarke such credit.  Taking away two, maybe three first class players he has worked wonders with a load of dross.  Up till last tournament that is.  When a Scottish manager decides to play backs to the wall football and to leave out Scotland’s top scorer from every group match then give him a paltry 15 mins. at the end of group match three it is time for him to go.  And he will very soon in my view.

Adam’s and Dykes in the same line up.  Souttar and Hanley paired again in defence.
Despair.

i like clarke too honcho, a guy celtic missed out on as player and manager, scotland done ok last night, not great but got a result

Yes.  We stifled Denmark and got the point.  The result sets them up for Belarus.  Did you see Lovenkrands slip up and call Scotland Rangers?  Broon got right into him.  He was embarrassed by it.  Quite funny.

no loyal it was irish lads here, i don't like the guy commentary analysis , but he is only doing a job and getting few quid, my opinion on him as pundit is irrelevant

Agreed but his embarrassment at doing it was funny.

I can just about remember, mid 70's , Martin Buchan as captain of Man Utd and being a key player for Scotland.

good Scottish footballers are almost as scarce as successful English Managers

Buchan was a rock solid central defender who had exceptional pace - that set him apart from most.  Fancied himself as a guitarist driving squads mad, so I gather.

The toon had some cracking jocks in the fiftys Ronnie simpson,frankie Brennan,bobby Mitchell,Jimmy sçoular,

those days are gone and in the past they must remain. cheers.

The Scots are in Belarus. What a waste of airtime this game is? Belarus vs Scotland. Can it get any worse? Any fixture of an inferior quality to this game?

A blatant con to stage a game like this.

Couldn’t agree more.  It’s like being forced to fed English ODI cricket.

Scotland a better side with Ferguson and Gilmour in the middle together.  Something to build on there.
Mind you Belarus are surprisingly moderate.

I’ve never seen us outplay a side quite like we have done this one tonight for a long time.  We have looked a pretty solid outfit tonight.  These players know each other so well having played so much together.  Well done Scotland.