Opinion

It can be tricky to see pivotal points in history when you are living them but to future rugby historians 2020 may prove almost as important as the dawn of the professional era in 1996. Private equity firm CVC already has a slice of the Premiership pie, they have one leg under the Pro14 table, and the active discussions on the Six Nations will surely be translated into filthy lucre some time over the next 12 months.

One of the great joys of this job – and always at this time of year it seems toppermost – is sitting down with a man with cauliflower ears and saying to him: “Tell me about playing rugby for Scotland.”

A currently unmarked grave at Lambhill Cemetery in Glasgow will soon be adorned with a headstone befitting one of Scottish football’s largely forgotten but most remarkable heroes.

The Finn Russell business is disappointing, but, one hopes, not too disruptive. If what is reported is correct, he has behaved unprofessionally. Such things happen in every walk of life. There are many who have phoned in sick after a night on the town. Cabinet ministers have been known to be what Private Eye calls “tired and emotional”. Finn’s very talented team-mate at Racing22 , Teddy Thomas, stepped over the same line after the Scotland-France match two years ago and was consigned to outer darkness by Jacques Brunel, then the French coach.

Scottish football is in great nick, isn't it? Celtic and Rangers are slugging it out in the first proper title race we've had in nearly a decade, each of them have slapped down some of Europe's elite en route to the latter stages of the Europa League, thereby restoring some much-needed respectability to a league that lacked any from outside our borders, and there's more money with a better TV deal about to kick in and clubs in better financial health after the long hangover from the late-90s, early-00s hedonism.

There’s perhaps only one response to the suggestion Scots should commemorate the centenary of Sir Alf Ramsey, who was born in Dagenham 100 years ago today.

It worked. The first event held under the European Tour’s new protocols on pace of play was played quicker than it had been in similar conditions a year ago. Now, one of the circuit’s most influential voices wants the foot kept to the pedal so that the tour can “send a signal to the world” in its attempt to tackle the game’s biggest problem once and for all.

In Scotland we once thought of heading the ball as being close to an art form. We might not have invented the header in football but diving full-length to head a goal, down among the thickety tangle of legs and desperate boots – who was doing that before the great Denis Law, or at least performing the feat with such panache?

The sentences imposed at Southwark Crown Court yesterday on football agents and a former coach have sent a strong message to all in the game.

What a long and fulfilling life Bobby Brown lived. The obituaries and tributes, with more to come, have already made this clear.

What do you mean where was the crime in Oli McBurnie standing among fans of his former team Swansea at last weekend’s derby v Cardiff City?

There has always been argument as to the best position from which to captain a side. Loosehead props, Jim Aitken and David Sole, 
captained Scotland to Grand Slam triumphs in 1984 and 1990 
respectively.

There’s no surer and welcome sign that routine has returned after the disorientation of the festive period than the Scottish Cup round when the largest clubs start mixing with smaller ones.

Projects would appear to have become more pricey for Celtic. And more pressing. It doesn’t seem to have raised any eyebrow that the champions were willing to splurge £3.5 million on 21-year-old striker Patryk Klimala this week. Yet, it is an investment in which the risk and reward equation can only be considered firmly in the balance.

It is shaping up to be a historically woeful season for Hearts. They have won just twice in the league, are trailing safety by six points and all this with a budget we can estimate with some confidence is around third or fourth largest in Scotland.

At 11am this morning Gregor Townsend will walk into the recently refurbished Cap and Thistle Suite at BT Murrayfield to discuss the naming of his training squad for the 
fast-approaching Guinness Six Nations.

Nine-hole golf was part of my upbringing. My golfing teeth were cut at Eyemouth while visits at the time to the two other Berwickshire courses, Duns and The 
Hirsel in Coldstream, also involved playing nine-holers.