Andy's Sting In The Tale (06/11/26) "Judy Calls it as it Really is"
But among the tired, coordinated but predictable media mega-bull and the usual tick-box stampede by politicians to be part of a ‘positive announcement’, here’s a question.
Is anyone who can do anything about it actually listening.
The headlines and reportage were mostly respectful and straight off the press releases.
But not Andy’s mum, Judy Murray.
Her three wise words aimed at those who can make a tangible difference were apposite.
“Backwards, Backwards, Backwards”.
If you’ve been on the moon there was a general girls sports meeting held at an Edinburgh school earlier this week following on from a platitudinal Easter Road meeting where Mr Swinney and our SFA proudly announced ‘Project 2035’.
Judy said, “In my lifetime strike action by teachers resulted in extra-curricular activities like sport and clubs melting away overnight. The SNP executive are just not seeking to listen to experts who know what’s best.
So we’ve seen:
- Misallocated funding for the ‘Summer of Sport’.
- No addressing plan for our drop-out crisis.
- PE has to be a priority at all schools and it is not.
- We need more female coaches.
- And where are the safe girl-only recreational and competitive spaces to play without intimidation or sexism.
The reality from a cynical fan is there are good intentions from the SFA and Holyrood.
As of now, they are hampered by logic if you dig a little, the usual political overclaiming, and the ugly words but an if.
Yes, the plan sets out and wants to transform women and girl’s football and ensure that every girl who wants to play, coach or referee has options and a pathway.
I like that.
I like that a lot.
But £250K, the headline announcement, won’t touch the sides and deep down I believe the real money that I needed should mostly come from within the game.
Yes, a quality taskforce has been formed for the project with some good people on it, but the danger is it will just become a talking shop with no deliverable plan for change.
And yes this was presented as a distant follow-up to the announcement in the spring when the ‘Game On’ announcement was first made and indeed to remind you I’ve enclosed the main plan points below in Sting.
But for now, in all honesty the hairs on the back of my neck are on alert, I don’t believe the numbers and if you smell smoke and mirrors with the metrics, I’d concur.
Maree Todd, who is Sports Minister, alongside her testing time consuming Health job, had her name added to a PR quote she probably didn’t write herself.
“The additional £40M for sport in 26-27 included £20M to strengthen clubs, coaches, volunteers and pathways. It has demonstrated the impact targeted funding can achieve and crucially has helped connect participants to local clubs and programmes creating pathways into sustained participation.
it was all developed by sportscotland to encourage children and young people to get active, stay active, and enjoy the benefits of physical activity”.
Football in Scotland has long failed our youth.
I couldn’t agree more with Judy Murray about the role of schools, as part of the future not just 40 year old memories.
Yes it will need imagination and resource to reignite but it will be seminal and I’m pro-supporting all sports too because football will take it’s share.
Andy’s Sting in the Tale
1. The Wrong Channel
2. Gone to the Dogs and More
3. Anger Spreads Like Wildfire
4. Utterly Disgraceful or Just a Dip Stick
1. Air a Dheanamh an Alba
BBC Alba showed a ‘Made in Scotland’ 30-minute show mostly in Gaelic with sub titles.
Presenter Calum Maclennan examined and contrasted the mess we have allowed youth and grass roots football to become compared to what or Norwegian near-ish neighbours have achieved.
It should have been on the main channel because it’s a big story.
We’re not producing enough players and that’s a concern.
The SFA’s Craig Mullholland initiative would come with mandated restrictions on what clubs see as their personal freedoms of choice and will almost certainly wither.
Our quite bizarre voting structure in effect delivers huge power to any two clubs but we all know the usual suspects.
It will be watered down to half of bugger all.
And meantime and the foreseeable, we’re on a serious and accelerating slide.
For instance:
In 2013 or SPFL had 80,000 ‘under 18’ pitch minutes.
in 2025 just 18,000.
That’s a fall of 78%.
The Scottish Premier isn’t very Scottish just now and our clubs choose to field lower level outsiders who only come to the North of the Wall league when they have no alternatives.
Our Uefa coefficient, now number 21 is tumbling in free fall and I think, is quite shocking.
Very shocking indeed.
But at last there seems to be a sense of some urgency.
However there is also no general belief deep in our top few clubs that everyone can benefit including them when home grown players are in resurgence.
Yes there are issues and mostly about club power and freedom of choice at the end of the day.
Graeme McDowall’s excellent book “The System’ laid our academy and selection processes bare a few years ago and basically it’s not good reading.
Why?
Because we pick the bigger older kids and there is no real back door.
In Norway plastic pitches are free to play on.
In Scotland kids football can be expensive.
Last words for now to Tom English, “If nothing changes Scottish football will be in a bad place”.
My last words are our game owes it to our nation.
2. Miami Vice
I’ve been through Miami International Airport many times.
Quite a trachle.
Infantino’s 5 daughters and their dogs had a cosy wee deal to get ‘escorted through seamlessly by a friendly officer’ quickly and without any fuss.
Said to have happened extensively between 2024 and 2026 when trips to Qatar and other interesting places were on their agenda.
Nice when your dad has clout.
Only in Zurich
You’d think senior director level employees should have the right to be cogniscent of the documentation and discussions about Jahnnie’s plan to sell off the World Cup.
Well some of the documentation will be shown to them, some, but only in Zurich and the rule is under maximum confidentiality, no cameras and no records.
Uefa Scrambling But Confident
Murmurings of a few candidates to stand against the man for the top job including a Danish and a Japanese official.
At the same time Miguel Maduro the ex-head of Fifa’s Governance has a couple of potential bombs.
Article 33 para 2 says, “No person serves as president for more than 3 terms”.
He will ask Fifa Review Committee to rule on eligibility.
When they side with the boss it looks like it will end up at the CAS.
Asia Congress Fifa Style
The first two days the group talked about football and football stuff.
On day 3 it was the politics of a falsely declared group position, a bar on open discussion, and media contacts were completely barred.
Disunited.
Tax Bills for Jahnnie?
No for Fifa for his undeclared USA payments.
Last Word for Prince Ali bin al Hussein
Infantino has hijacked Congress to help his re-election bid.
Well Ali, what a surprise.
3. Fan Anger Spills Over
This week saw Barca having serious ‘discussions’ with GOI 1957 their influential fan group who crossed the line last week when one banjoed a Real player on the pitch with a flagstick.
Anger over diverse stuff is all over Europe and getting worse.
Football is an easy target and media-friendly vehicle for fans misbehaving behind an intrinsic veil of confidentiality.
So, is it reassuring that bad and damaging behaviour is not confined to pyros and balaclavas pre-league cup semis?
No. Is a local, national, and international black hole and football has no answers because the only solution is a joint campaign uniting self-policing from fans and escalating punishments into the serious and costly zone for the clubs they purport to love.
4. Oh, To See Ourselves as Others See Us
Israel are raising a formal complaint with Fifa following their recent clashes with Ireland.
The FAI are challenged for “repeated disrespect towards the Israeli National Anthem, the polarisation of sport by Heimir Halgrimsson their Danish coach, and Irish accusation of ‘genocide’ and other matters.
I know whose side I’d be on.
5. Smoke and Mirrors with New Budgets and central funding.
(The Key Details of the Pre World Cup ‘Summer of Sport’ Announcement)
Funding: A £20 million Scottish Government investment (part of a £40 million sport budget uplift for 2026–27), administered by sportscotland.
Target Audience: Children and young people aged 3 to 26.
Core Goal: To provide free and low-cost local community sporting events, remove participation barriers, and create sustained pathways into local clubs.
Inspiration Events: Tied to major 2026 international fixtures, including the Scotland men's FIFA World Cup return and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Activities: Includes football (with a £2 million allocation to the Scottish FA), rugby, padel, swimming, cycling, golf, and athletics, managed locally by councils, youth organizations, and partner clubs.
Why do I feel there has been double counting all along?
Why my lack of trust?
Sting is: Andy’s Friday Night Take on Stuff
A fan sharing some insight into stuff that some of us know about but which our media is too busy enjoying the ride to spend enough time on.
The Scottish Football Union
A fan group who care more about the future of the game than the authorities seem to.
We have a research programme underway that needs your input.
Please have a look and over a cup of coffee tell us what you think.
Join Today https://www.thesfu.co.uk/
Andy’s Album of the Week
Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars
I was looking for an album to celebrate my current scenery as I type and found this beauty.
His 19th studio album and no East Street Band.
His thoughtful and tuneful tribute to the untamed Western states, peoples and their lives.
A kind of cowboy album.
Sleepy Joes Café, and Moonlight Motel are my favourite tracks.
The album is loose, fresh and there is a film of The Boss and an Orchestra of the tracks in a very special venue.
A real find.
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