Quote Originally Posted by Onion View Post
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Without question, the social shift in kids pursuits is at the heart of the National tram’s decline. You could easily argue that Scotland was punching well above its weight in the 50-80s due the sheer volume of young lads playing football day and night. However, the football authorities have failed to recognise and replace that, so we are where we are - finding our own level among the worst footballing nations in Europe.
I agree with the latter part about the football authorities. The SFA and the clubs are all culpable in their own ways. Our professional game still places an over reilance on physicality at the expense of skill and creativity and this is part of a wider culture that permeates all the way down the chain. The pro youth system has failed too. Has the standard changed or have produced any more high quality players because of it? The social changes you refer to are no different though in any other European nation, it is a culture and facilities issue that stops progress.


Quote Originally Posted by lord bunberry View Post
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There’s still plenty football being played by kids in this country. I was at pitreavie playing fields on Saturday morning and there was hundreds of kids playing in the weekly U9s festival. It’s far more organised than it used to be all through the agegroups. Something is going wrong with turning talented youngsters into professional footballers. Personally I think it’s down to the professional clubs. I refuse to believe that with all these kids playing every week that there isn’t talented players out there. Our current captain was released by Celtic and ended up at Queens Park ffs.
I agree Bunberry, I was down at the Jack Kane watching my pals laddie. The place was busy loads of kids and lots of games. Sadly the12’s were playing a side at a much better standard and there were a lot of boys who barely had a kick of a ball- that makes it seems like a miracle they carry on.

When you mention the failure to convert talent into professionalism, I wonder what can be done differently? I,’m not sure how it gets resolved. I watched some equivalent of juvenile football in Spain, all played on astro. It was competative and robust, but there was very little lumping the ball away. The emphasis was on passing, always.

Scotland is still one of the most passionate football nations on this earth. We love the game, watch and play it in huge numbers ( relative to our population). I feel sorry for younger guys who haven’t had the chance to appreciate how much passion the national side created in past decades.