Saturday
The tributes were generous and genuine.
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Cliff Morgan was probably the first sportsman to move seamlessly from being a player to becoming a broadcaster. A few since have made the same transition, though perhaps not with the same effectiveness, or dare I say genius. Morgan, for ever, will be remembered for calling ‘that’ Gareth Edwards try for the Barbarians. Not a bad epitaph to someone who was only called in at the last minute to replace the flu-bound Bill McLaren.
For me, Morgan was twice the broadcaster on radio, and Saturday mornings meant listening to his Welsh tones as he presented Sport on 4. And while his words, especially “What a score!” will never be forgotten, this probably means just as much to me, and countless others
Sunday
If Deadline Day in Scotland was uneventful, then the momentum was really starting to build south of the border with the biggest purchase of all finally agreed.
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Neville Southall
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Gareth Bale’s long anticipated switch to Real Madrid was confirmed, the £85 million fee making him the most expensive player in the world.
Trying to explain to my son how he could be the costliest player of all time, but not the best, did take a wee while, as did my Twitter debate when I suggested Bale would be lucky to make the all-time Welsh top 5. For me, John Charles, for Juventus and Leeds United, and Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs would be a distance ahead of Bale, while even with his talents, I’d still have Mark Hughes and Ian Rush ahead of him. Then Bale?
Maybe for some, who might even have him ahead of the quartet I’ve mentioned. But not for me. Personally, I’d have Neville Southall. I know, controversial, a goalkeeper, but my judgement is based on what he meant to what was a winning Everton team. And a winner, good as Bale might be, is something he can’t be called …
Monday
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The story on the front page of The Sun really has me shaking my head, the news that Paul Gascoigne is headed to Italy to appear in their version of Strictly Come Dancing. His inclusion begs just who is most desperate; the TV producers or the former player. The answer is probably both.
But Gazza is a pitiful soul, a troubled alcoholic who is a danger to himself and others. So what better idea could there be than to give a guy in his condition £400,000 to perform like some kind of choreographed freak. More like Sickly Come Dancing….
Tuesday
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As I announce on talkSPORT Extra Time to host Mike Graham, Celtic may have to consider playing their Champions League qualifying ties in 2014 away from Parkhead given the stadium is being used for the Commonwealth Games jamboree. I know some might see this as being slightly presumptuous, particularly when Inverness Caley Thistle are sitting on-high in the Elite League (or whatever its called this month), but contingency plans have to be made early.
With Hampden and Ibrox also rented out as venues for Glasgow 2014 (talk about building a sporting legacy), Murrayfield, home of Scottish rugby, was touted as a possible location for Celtic’s home ties. An interesting and obvious shout. Pittodrie, Rugby Park and the likes have either been considered too far away or too small, so 67,000-capacity Murrayfield appears the obvious choice. Or at least it would be if there wasn’t such a history of the authorities in the capital baulking at even the notion of playing major football matches.
I mean, they won’t even entertain Friday night football currently. So what chance of a midweek invasion of 40,000? No, Celtic could have a problem or two finding a suitable or available venue. So only a matter of time before Croke Park is mentioned …
Wednesday
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Ricky Burns
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Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn claims Ricky Burns will become the best Scottish boxer ever if he defends his WBO lightweight title for the fourth time this weekend against Mexican challenger Raymundo Beltran on Saturday in Glasgow.
“The run of fights he’s had and the string of defences puts him up there as the greatest Scottish fighter of all time,” said Hearn as he filed names like Buchanan, Watt, Lynch, Paterson and even McGowan under the category of ‘others.’ But Hearn would say that, wouldn’t he, given that he has a fight and a fighter to promote, and that he presumably is made of the same DNA as his father, Barry, a man with record quantities of the ‘hype’ gene coursing through his veins …
Thursday
And with time to kill, Ricky Burns went along to Hampden to see the Scotland squad training ahead of their unimportant World Cup qualifier against Belgium, leading manager Gordon Strachan to suggest that this could be a great weekend of sport for Scotland, with the football team in action, Burns, and of course, Andy Murray at the US Open.
A great weekend prediction Gordon, one that doesn’t see past Thursday …
Friday
And former Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas finds himself at Rangers, yet another player who over recent months have found themselves on trial at Murray Park – or ‘Nuremburg’ as one player referred to it. Who says players don’t know their history???