I'm talking about the Scottish national team
Are we at the start of a new era of Scottish footbal being able to compete with the best or are we just lucky we have a quality crop of players at the same time?
I say it is the dawn of a new era.
Everytime the national team took a heavy or embarassing defeat we were told we have to rip up grassroots. The problem is that we did that 25 years ago - for the better, it just takes time for new habits and new mindsets to change.
Many of us will remember that we started playing football at under 10's and were straight into 11 a side where the teams with the biggest players who could kick it the furthest and highest always won for the first few years.
For the past 25 years we have seen our kids start at fun 4's at the age of 5 on a tiny pitch with no keepers and it is just about getting touches of the ball; that progresses into fun 5's where a keeper is added. Up to 7's on a third of a pitch before progressing to 11 a side. What this means is that all players have learned to play football by the time they are playing competitive football and so most (not all) teams actually try to play football therefore the players we are producing are better footballers.
We are only just seeing the output of this. It doesn't happen overnight but what we are seeing is the start of the second generation of this "new" grassroots football. The original kids who went through this methodology are now starting to become the young parents of the current crop. I firmly believe that the quality of players being produced is improving. Look at our squad and you will see very few of the old school hoof it and kick them type of players. Look at the best players coming through the ranks they have learned the same football. The further we get away from just kick it the better.
I'll flip it and say that I still don't think we have our academy set up right. I know that Silver disagrees and he has seen the best of Scotland's pro youth system but I see the otherside of it and I see how many quality young players have been lost to a potential professional career because of pro youth. It is a sausage factory from the age of 8. Academy take in the best players at any given time and drop them at the drop of a hat. The appeal for a kid going to a pro-youth team is massively outweighed by being unceremonously dropped by them within a year. Some teams keep the same players that were the best players aged 8-10 which is just as farcical as by the time the kids are 15/16 these teams get easily beaten by the better "grassroots" teams.
Go back to the 90's. We had boys training with pro youth but stayed with their local teams up until the age of 15 or 16. That allowed them to get experience of training with the better players but the pro clubs did not formally bring them on until they were definielt going to play them at an appropriate level. Back then we had U18, U21, Reserves and 1st Team. I do not think the scrapping of this and the reserve league is coincidental with the fall of our national game that hasn't recovered until the new generations of grassroots players are coming through.
Anyway - lucky or by design?
Dawn of a new era or a lucky generation?
posted on 5/7/23
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
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Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
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I'll try and go for at least one game. The timing might not work for me for family reasons (Silver - you know). I go to most games but the most recent games I have went with Master Ginger so have no points in my own name so as usual it will be beg, steal and borrow to get tickets.
I went to Euro 16 for Spain v Italy and the party atmosphere was electric, just gutted we weren't part of it
posted on 5/7/23
comment by Call Sign (U3627)
posted 50 minutes ago
I went to Euro 16 for Spain v Italy and the party atmosphere was electric, just gutted we weren't part of it
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Half'n'half scarf and get in about the Latino girls
posted on 5/7/23
I've got points for the last 3 years for every home game so i'll be spitting feathers if i don't get tickets to at least one game.
The final will do.
For only 6k you can buy a final hospitality ticket now. I looked at it, thought about it and then thought about what would happen if it ended up two duff countries that made it, would be lucky to make half back.
posted on 5/7/23
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 14 seconds ago
I've got points for the last 3 years for every home game so i'll be spitting feathers if i don't get tickets to at least one game.
The final will do.
For only 6k you can buy a final hospitality ticket now. I looked at it, thought about it and then thought about what would happen if it ended up two duff countries that made it, would be lucky to make half back.
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England v Greece
posted on 5/7/23
Plastic routes was the solution. We didn't have grass roots football. We had mud roots football. Now kids can learn proper technique instead of just who can be the biggest and do the longest sliding tackles
posted on 5/7/23
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye a few of us have booked.
One way, no accommodation, no plan.
Can’t wait
posted on 5/7/23
comment by lauders (U9757)
posted 47 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye a few of us have booked.
One way, no accommodation, no plan.
Can’t wait
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Like life in general for you mate.
posted on 5/7/23
comment by lauders (U9757)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye a few of us have booked.
One way, no accommodation, no plan.
Can’t wait
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But you are following England
posted on 6/7/23
comment by Call Sign (U3627)
posted 10 hours, 40 minutes ago
comment by lauders (U9757)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye a few of us have booked.
One way, no accommodation, no plan.
Can’t wait
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But you are following England
----------------------------------------------------------------------
England getting battered everywhere they go again then.
posted on 6/7/23
comment by Call Sign (U3627)
posted 11 hours, 19 minutes ago
comment by lauders (U9757)
posted 2 hours, 21 minutes ago
comment by Silver (U6112)
posted 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
comment by HB Fashion Sakala is offside again (U21935)
posted 22 minutes ago
Anyone going to the Euro's? I'm not sure how many points i'll need for a ticket but i must be in with a shout.
Probably go anyway but it's straight after a stag do in Ibiza so i'll be fried but if I get a ticket i'll dingy the stag early.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pretty sure Lauders said he'd booked though that might be for the sesh?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye a few of us have booked.
One way, no accommodation, no plan.
Can’t wait
----------------------------------------------------------------------
But you are following England
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Only once we go out. I’ll bring both tops