We must reverse decline in our beautiful game

Some people think football is a matter of life and death.

That is why the appalling results from the early stages of the European competitions require we take a long, hard look at the future of the Scottish game. The position is bleak. Celtic, Motherwell, Dundee United and Hibernian are all are out of the Europa League already. Rangers have drawn Manchester United in the Champions League and, while anything is possible, their prospect of progress is slim.

And because of these poor results, Scotland's ranking in the Uefa "co-efficient" - the mechanism which provides the seeding for European competitions - is heading south. Only one of our teams, the winner of the Scottish Premier League (SPL), will be in the Champions League next season and will compete in two, possibly three, preliminary rounds before the lucrative group stages. Failing to get to the group stages has devastating consequences financially, leading to reduced funds to spend on players, which further reduces their ability to succeed. The danger is Scottish football will plummet into a never-ending spiral of decline.

Does this matter? Yes. Football is our national game, part of our identity, our psyche, our soul. It cannot be allowed to decline any further. Much of the responsibility for that lies on the shoulders of former professional footballer Henry McLeish, who is reviewing the state of the game. The former First Minister has to address difficult problems, including league reconstruction and the relationship between the SPL, the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and Scottish Football League (SFL). It seems obvious this huge, cumbersome bureaucracy will have to be streamlined.

But beyond bureaucratic reform, much else must change. Celtic and Rangers must properly invest in growing their own young talent, not merely hoover up any player with prospects appearing for more "minor" SPL clubs. The Old Firm must also take their fans with them in demonstrating that investing in a youth policy can bring long-term benefits. In turn, fans will have to demonstrate a quality alien to them: patience.

Further, even in these straitened times, the Scottish Government must accept that funding football, in terms of support for facilities and coaching for the grass-roots club and schools game, is important, too in finding the stars of the future, but also in making Scotland a healthier country. Parents who want their children to grow up healthily have a responsibility to encourage participation in sport. Teachers who once coached might like to reconsider, and those who have never done so to consider giving some of their time to their pupils' extra-curricular activities.

We need collective action across Scotland to revitalise the beautiful game, to restore hope for the future, to lift the nation because we know in our heart of hearts the great Scottish philosopher of football, Bill Shankly, was only half joking when he said football is much more important than life or death.