But forward, though we canna see, we guess and fear

BURNS was Ayrshire's third-greatest writer: behind The Two Hughies - McIlvanney and Taylor, and with that single line he encapsulated a Scottish failing which is still evident today.

We as a wee nation are comfortable with what has gone before: "It's aye been (done that way)" is a Caledonian catch-all with which, regardless of our calling or interest, we are all familiar.

So, while we gaze apprehensively forward (not least towards our forthcoming meeting with newly-crowned World Champions Spain), guessing and fearing what might become of Scottish Football - not too many Scots are doing a Mel Gibson: "Follow me, they can take oor players but they can never take oor FITBA!!"

Rinus Michales, Ernie Walker and Co had a go at changing things: their deliberations are gathering dust in what is probably a well-padlocked Hampden cupboard. Assuming that is their dossier was even carried there in the move from Park Gardens.

Now Henry McLeish has had a go - I'm not holding my breath for the implementation of some of the reasonable suggestions his review panel made about youth development.

Gordon Smith arrived, fired-up with enthusiasm and good ideas gleaned from a far more cosmopolitan football journey than most Scots have made. He too retired hurt, beaten down by the Hampden "blazers".

Meanwhile, we slip further down the international ladder - at least we're still in the top 30 nations as regards World Cup records, but for how much longer.

But, enough of international football. Now we're gearing-up for the domestic season, and here again, I don't see much changing.

Between 1945 and 1965, uniquely in the annals of the Scottish League, Celtic and Rangers weren't the top teams. Between 1945 and 1955, when European football kicked in, the top two in Scotland were Rangers and Hibs. In the ten years from 1955, Rangers and Hearts ruled the roost. Then Jock Stein returned to Celtic. By the time the Premier Division was formed in 1975 the top two were Celtic and Rangers; then, in the first decade of a Top Ten the top two were Stein's Celtic and Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen.

In 1986 came the Souness Revolution and since then it's been situation normal with the Old Firm on top of the heap, the rest increasingly losing touch. How we long for a Russian billionaire or an oil-soaked sheik to come in, but say Aberdeen or St Mirren and by throwing money at their club reducing the Old Firm to poverty-stricken also-rans.

Don't hold your breath - it will not happen.

And don't hold your breath for an early influx of good Scottish kids breaking through. Those that do manage to beat our culture of "aye beenism", don't work too hard and mistrust of the young will - at the first sign of interest from a mid-ranking Championship club in England, be onto their agents: "I'm a star, get me outa here". In football, as with so much of life, Boswell's High Road to England will remain a most-pleasing prospect to the ambitious Scotchman, of whom, as Boswell again suggested: "Much can be made if he is caught early enough".

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This coming season will be a tad less interesting, partcularly for the red top rats of our leading mass-circulation newspapers, with the suggestion that Artuc Boric "the Holy Goalie" will be off to Italy. He'll be missed, not least by Allan McGregor, who will be expected to shoulder the duties of token tabloid tit on his own. I think he'll manage.

It will be interesting to see who Celtic bring in to replace Boruc. I will be amazed if his replacement is a Scot however. I cannot think of one young(ish) Scottish goalkeeper who might fit the gloves. Ian Turner at Everton perhaps.

Mark Brown looked as if he could grow into the role when Celtic signed him, but having risen from Stefan Klose's number two at Ibrox, via a disappointing spell at home town team Motherwell, he prospered and became a Scotland B cap at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. However, he couldn't cut the mustard at Celtic and is now trying to rebuild his career in the Goalkeeper's Graveyard, as Easter Road has become, after a fine spell at Rugby Park.

So far, wee Lennie has given the rest of Scotland a body swerve as a recruitment ground, which I think is a shame. Times were of course different, but Stein did rather well through encouraging youth and augmenting it with the best players gleaned from the rest of Scotland.

For all he buys a few foreigners along the way, that's the system Fergie has followed at Manchester United. His sides always have a home-grown core, maybe there's a lesson there for Lennon and for McCoist, when he goes from Heir Presumptive to King at Ibrox.

Then, maybe, Scotland will be on the way back - at long last.


But forward, though we canna see, we guess and fear.