By Stewart Weir
Saturday
Nothing much wrong with your Saturday evening sport this week. If you didn’t fancy a bit of the "gas cooker" (work it out yourself) from the UK "Lite" Championship, then there was some boxing along later in the night. And more of that later.
But those with a passing interest in football would have lapped up the offering from Spain – Real Madrid versus Barcelona, El Clásico. And it wasn’t too far short of the billing.
Everyone believes there is nothing quite like their derby, be it Linfield against Glentoran, the Old Firm, Merseyside, Tyneside, North London or those in and around Birmingham, or Sheffield, even Norfolk.
Can’t imagine all of them put together attracting a global audience of half a billion. Probably only the Manchester rivals could pull in a similar figure.
In the end, Barcelona won, comfortably, almost as if they save their best for when people watch them most.
And as I tweeted during the match, for those who had watched Hibs versus Rangers from Easter Road, yes, Real and Barça were playing the same game.
Just playing it a little differently …
Sunday
I suppose for most it was just a continuation of Saturday night. And it was over the other side of the Pond.
But in the early hours of Sunday morning, Amir Khan put his WBA and IBF light-welterweight titles on the line in Washington DC against Lamont Peterson, a capable fighter, but someone Khan was going to be able to beat in front of a big American audience. Wasn’t he?
No, is the easy answer. Peterson was up for it – and, for me, won the fight long before referee Joseph Cooper docked the Brit a crucial point in the last round for pushing.
Cooper heaped pressure on himself and left the decision open to debate because of when he penalised Khan – who would have been deducted points long before round 12 had a British referee been in charge.
That intervention would give Khan and his entourage reason to appeal – although there were plenty who also wanted their say, one of them being part-time Manchester United striker and racehorse owner Michael Owen.
“Gutted Amir Khan got beat last night," he tweeted. "Controversy over the scoring I hear. Is there no better way to score a fight? Seems outdated to me.
“I wouldn't fancy my career being so dependant on 3 old guys watching from below the ring. I'm sure the rich promoters have influence too!”
Nice to show such support Michael. A bit rich given that on some occasions contests you participate in have twice as many judges, and none of them can get it right …
Monday
And Jonny Wilkinson announces his retirement from international rugby.
To be honest, he could have done so a while ago, given some of the injuries and knocks – both physical and mental – that he’s bounced back from.
In 2003, Wilkinson – and England – reached the peak of their collective powers, becoming world champions with the number 10 landing the winning drop goal, off his supposedly weaker foot.
And I may have told the story before, but it's worth it again.
Around 1997, I went to see Doddie Weir at Kingston Park. Chatting away, I was aware of the relentless practice going on in the background – and, more impressive, the accuracy of it.
“That’ll be Jonny,” said Dod. Asked if the youngster was good, George replied: “Oh aye. The best. A star. A superstar in the making.” He wasn’t wrong.
He could also have said a machine. For while others had impressive hauls when it came to points, none did it quite as clinically, or quite as often as Wilkinson.
How good was he? It’s all about opinions. But he’s England’s best-ever stand-off. An argument you’ll never really have until the next time they win a World Cup …
Tuesday
Aberdeen beat St Johnstone 2–1 in Perth. Both sides had to beat the elements to get this game started and finished.
McDiarmid Park was battered by wind and rain, with just 1,607 turning up to watch this SPL encounter.
The weather and the size of the crowd had many debating summer football again before the final whistle had sounded, including me.
Tuesday evening’s game was all the proof or evidence some needed that summer football was the way to go.
But don’t be so quick there. Look first at the circumstances behind Tuesday’s game going ahead.
Both managers wanted to play the game when the referee offered them the chance to call it off. That would have been the second postponement of the fixture, it having been cancelled a few weeks prior due to weather.
It was a stinking night, and police and Met Office were issuing travel warnings, so the 200-mile round trip from the Granite City might not have been entirely safe.
And, the game was televised. Another good reason to stay at home and listen to the informed Ian Crocker call the plays.
All contributory factors to why so few turned out. But not even all those reasons could silence the fair-weather brigade.
However, if summer football was the way to go, then the clubs would surely have jumped at change years ago. But they haven’t – because, commercially, there are many more distractions during the "good" weather (if you know what it looks like).
Scotland has tried winter shutdowns and holidays before. But the problem we have, if you haven’t noticed, is the unpredictability of our weather.
Currently we play August (even July) to May. Call it ten months, for argument's sake. So pick a period of ten months during the year.
January to March is hardly reliable weatherwise. And you would still be playing in September into October – when, if I’m not mistaken, a league match between Dundee United and Rangers was washed out by half-time.
Of course, the rest of the continent would have to alter their timetable as well, otherwise some of our clubs might still be playing a full 12 months if they were to get luck in European competition.
A nice idea, but practical? Nah.
Oh, and before we leave the subject, those advocates of summer football might want to cast their minds back to August 1998. Oops. Some might still have been at school. Well, read about it.
Because back then an SPL match, broadcast by Sky on a Sunday evening, attracted just 3,641. Last time I looked, August was still considered summer, even then.
So what are the excuses for that paltry crowd? The wrong kind of summer? Wrong kind of derby? It was Dundee against St Johnstone. Wrong kind of promotion? Oh, that was Sky’s big entry into the fray.
You can find causes and reasons and a case for playing summer football, playing on plastic, playing on the moon. But if all these ideas were so great and radical, why is it 30 years later we’re still hearing the same gripes without one inch of movement?
Wednesday
A slightly different take on sport, perhaps, with news that a Royal Navy destroyer was dispatched to Scotland in a major security scare after a Russian aircraft carrier came within 30 miles of British shores for the first time in 20 years.
HMS York steamed 1,000 miles from Portsmouth keep an eye on the 65,000-tonne Russian visitor.
However, it could have stayed in the south, according to my Admiralty sources. You see, the Russian import was none other than the Admiral Kuznetsov.
And I am reliably informed that, on reaching British territory, it immediately broke down with a mechanical defect. Something to do with its cruciate ligament …
Thursday
Celtic go out of the Europa League, a draw against Udinese not good enough, although the same couldn’t be levelled against their performance against the high-flyers from Serie A. Still, they are out.
So too are Birmingham City, finishing with ten points but behind Bruges and Braga. Bottom of that group table interested me, though. NK Maribor, with a single point.
That’s the same NK Maribor who knocked out Scottish champions Rangers in the qualifying round. Maybe they just peaked too soon …
Friday
And it might not be just on the pitch where Celtic lost out.
Days after being fined by UEFA for signing illegal songs, an element of the Celtic support decide to set off flares – against Italian law – and unfurl a banner stating "F*ck UEFA" – probably against their better judgement.
These people believe they are above the law and beyond reproach – a belief probably not without some foundation given how woolly and open to various interpretations the new Scottish legislation is.
Not that UEFA are governed by Scots law – or any law come to that – other than their own.
Perhaps that was why Celtic last Monday – 27 years to the day after the infamous replayed game at Old Trafford against Rapid Vienna – decided to accept the £13,000 fine imposed by Europe’s football governors for those illicit songs.
You wouldn’t want such a fine doubled or trebled should you contest it. But then, neither could you really contest it if you were willing to accept it in the first place – or are people missing that bit of the story…?
– Tweet Stewart Weir with thoughts and comments, @sweirz
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