Part Time v Full Time

In this edition I will be comparing the advantages and disadvantages of full time and part time football. I'll also be touching on a subject that has always annoyed me a bit, the feeling supporters have about footballers and also player power after the sacking of Di Canio.

After my first 2 months back at part time training I have finally started feeling as sharp as I should be and training the way I have when I was full time. It is not easy turning up for training twice a week and getting to the same levels you are when you train at least 4 times a week. I have been finding it difficult to adapt to the lack of football, but keeping busy in the gym and on my bike has at least got my fitness up and I feel stronger as a result. Part time and full time both have their advantages, but it probably isn't noticeable from the outside as to what they are.

One of the big differences for me is that when you get a touch of a ball every day and get used to passing and playing with teammates it is noticeable how much better your touch gets and your understanding with teammates. When you only train twice it isn't as easy to know what your teammates are doing and where they usually run or pass into. It has definitely taken longer to get into our stride at the start of the season as you try and get your touch and learn how everyone plays.
Also the fitness aspect is something that is always talked about when full time teams play part time. I personally don't think there is a massive difference, but I think sharpness is the big difference. Training every day really sharpens up movement and gives you an extra yard of pace. I feel like I have that yard back now after 2 months training, but I'm sure without the extra work in the gym and bike I would still feel slightly sluggish.

football friends

Another huge difference is the bond between teammates and a camaraderie when you see them every day. You become best mates and talk about everything together. You laugh together every single day, push each other hard and encourage. It is a strong friendship and you would basically trust your mate with anything. When you only see each other 3 times a week for a total of 6/7 hours it is totally different. There is still the same banter, but the difference is you don't have spare time together between double sessions or in the morning where you talk every day. There is a different atmosphere, it is still a fun place the dressing room but it isn't quite the same. Luckily for me I have always been in good dressing rooms with no real problems, no 'bad eggs', and no in team fighting, so it has always been a good place.

I think the main difference with part time is the fact you do less work time wise, the muscles recover better and therefore there will be less muscular injuries. Nothing can be done about impact injuries, but if there are less strains and pulls of muscles this should help players play more games, and extend careers. Obviously some people are lucky and never get injured anyway, but I do think there is less in general from part time.

With the inevitable sacking of Paulo Di Canio hitting the headlines this week it brought up a topic that has always annoyed me, the attitude fans have towards footballers. There seems to be a general feeling that all footballers are overpaid, lazy and don't deserve all the riches they get. This feeling doesn't just come towards the top players, it is even the same in Scotland in both full time divisions. It is understandable that people think the top players are overpaid, they earn 100's of thousands of pounds a week. But at the other end of the scale is the players who play football to earn a living and keep their families housed and happy. Having worked with quite a high number of players, the percentage of 'lazy' players is so small it is almost insignificant. Occasionally you get some players who don't try hard at training but this is so uncommon. Having played football I think it is much easier to appreciate how much hard work has gone in to become the best players. The Premiership is so elite that you just couldn't get away with being lazy and get a game every week. Even 'lazy' players like Berbatov must have worked endlessly on his touch for it to become one of the best in the world. He is also extremely strong and isn't as slow as some people think. It isn't by luck players become stronger and quicker, improve their finishing, touch, passing and heading. It is through hard work and like any other job, if you don't work hard, you don't keep your job. Add on pre season to that, where players will be hammered at training for 2/3 weeks 2 to 3 times a day, and they will all push each other to their limits. It isn't easy and most supporters couldn't do it, so maybe we aren't as lazy, overpaid and under worked as some people think.

The fact that Di Canio was sacked due to player power led some fans to inevitably blame the lazy players and that he was right to work them so hard. But it showed on the pitch he was wrong, and his attitude towards his players was completely unacceptable, the way he talked about them in the press. It is no wonder they got him sacked by speaking to the board, he isn't a good manager if he isn't a team player and thinks he is better than his team. Sunderland are better off without him and it wouldn't surprise me if they went on and moved up the table from now on in.

The International break

The first break of the season comes early in September with the International break. It is a time for me to sit and struggle through a couple of Scotland games and wonder how we will ever be good enough to qualify for a tournament again. Since I don't really have a club team I support Scotland more than most players. It really bothers me how bad we currently are and it is hard to see when, or if, we will come through the other side of this lull and make it to a tournament. Not since 1998 in France have we qualified, and that turned into a glorious failure with a close defeat by Brazil and a draw with Norway followed by a spectacular 3-0 defeat to Morocco.

After watching the Belgium game on Friday it is obvious how far away we are. We have no world class players, and if we are honest, we don't really have any top class players. There has to be a reason for this somewhere deep in the Scottish football system. There is no way that there is no talented young players, but where do they all go. It is noticeable that there isn't as many young people playing football in the streets and parks every day around Scotland like they did 10-15 years ago. But there is much more organised football for young players and many football camps held throughout school holidays. But I think that is the problem, there are no coaches in schools. School is where you spent most of your time as a kid, but at P.E you get taught nothing basically. The teachers aren't coaches and therefore you never progress at all at school, so you are only learning skills for football 2 or 3 times a week if you are lucky, under the age of 15. In other countries across Europe young players are receiving many more hours of coaching from top coaches and this make a huge difference to their technical ability.

Defour scores opener for Belgium

Another noticeable difference between Belgium and Scotland on Friday was the fitness levels and strength of the players. Every Belgium player looks like an athlete, they are all strong, quick and fit. Meanwhile we have players who look slow and get bullied. Obviously in relation to Scottish League football most of the players are good enough, but when it comes to stepping up to Premiership or international football it becomes difficult for them to compete. It can only come down to personal commitment and determination to get to the same levels as the top players. I personally think it is the Scottish footballer culture that has a big influence on this. Nights out, gambling and not enough training are all factors that stop players moving to the next level.


Something I really don't understand about Scotland managers that keep coming in, and eventually leaving with no tournaments reached, is that they all seem to want to play the exact same formation, the same way, with the same players. Nothing ever changes in the way we play (except once with the famous 4-6-0) with the team constantly setting up in a 4-5-1 formation. I know this is the modern formation of choice throughout Europe, but the way Scotland play it with 3 flat holding midfielders and 2 wide midfielders (not wingers) is far too defensive and leaves whoever is upfront on their own totally isolated. The top teams all play it with out and out wingers plus a playmaker in the number 10 role.

Hanley looking like he might have made another mistake

Take Belgium as an example since they beat us so comfortably on Friday. They had Benteke up top, then De Bruyne and Chadli playing as wingers with Defour (the goalscorer) in behind getting into the box whenever possible and linking play. We had Griffiths up front all on his own with Snodgrass and Forrest playing wide in midfield. A central defender played centre midfield beside Brown and Maloney which is so defensive. Maloney tried to get forward but likes getting on the ball so kept dropping deep. As for the defense, which is a huge weakness of Scotland and has been for years, Strachan continues to play Grant Hanley, who must be the worst Scottish defender in the squad, if not that's ever been in it!

It would be nice to see a change in formation just to see if something different helps. I'm not saying 2 upfront, but definitely one off a striker would be nice to see, and a slightly more attacking outlook. We have goalscorers in Steven Fletcher and Jordan Rhodes, we need to utilise them and create chances for them. But most importantly we need defenders who know how to defend, not constantly get caught out position and barge around like a rugby player with no brain. Mulgrew is Celtics best defender when he plays central defense, so we should play him there, it makes perfect sense.

One day it would be nice to see a Scotland team playing the way they used to when they had top class performers like Lambert and McAllister. Until we start nurturing our talent properly though, and progressing them consistently through their youth and into their careers then it could be a long long time before we get 'lucky' and bring through a group of players capable of qualifying. With the under 21's losing 6-0 and 4-0 to England and Netherlands respectively in their last 2 games, the future doesn't look bright! Nevertheless, we live in hope, I was born Scottish and I'll support them whatever the weather.

We have another game on Tuesday against Macedonia on Tuesday and here is what team I'd start with based on the current squad:

 Marshall

Hutton   Martin  Mulgrew  Whittaker

Brown  McArthur

Anya  Dorrans   Maloney

 Fletcher

It might not win, but it looks more attacking I think, and hopefully stronger at the back with Mulgrew. Hopefully we can get a win and get off the bottom of the group. It would be embarrassing to finish bottom and would seriously affect future campaigns with the pot seeding.

Being a Part Timer

I have to be honest and say that I didn't expect to be playing part time football by the age of 27 again. I left Queen's Park aged 20 and football was in a decent enough state in Scotland. Clubs were paying good money, the First Division was relatively strong with teams like St Johnstone, Inverness, Hamilton, Queen of the South and Partick Thistle all quite strong. Now the first division is pretty weak, clubs aren't paying any money, players are not making a living in football anymore outside the SPL. So part time is the option that people are taking and also being forced into. I am hoping to do some part time football, make some money doing something else on the side for a short time and try and get back full time or move abroad. It wouldn't be easy moving abroad, but if I can convince KA that Norway, Sweden or Denmark would be a good idea for both of us then maybe we will up sticks for a wee while.
One thing I have noticed about not training every day is how much harder it is to get up to the speed and sharpness where I feel like I should be. I have been in the gym a lot and training twice a week, but it is only this week I have actually felt sharp for the first time. I can hopefully get up to speed with 90 minutes in the next few weeks, starting with a return to Hampden on Saturday to play QP. It is always fun going back there where I have so many good memories.

I am looking forward to enjoying playing football and scoring goals again. I loved my time at Falkirk where the team had some great success and the fans, especially on the road, were fantastic. But since then I struggled to motivate myself and felt like I was falling out of love with the game. But in reality I knew once I got back to playing I would love it again and I can't wait to get a run of games. It isn't ideal only training twice, especially since some people can't always make training due to work commitments. You never get the same connection with your teammates on the pitch as you do if you see and train with them every day. Unfortunately that's how it is and I have to try and make the most of it, get my head down and work hard as I have always done throughout my career. I know if I can get my confidence up I will score and create plenty goals for the team and that can only help me personally. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

With tickets going on sale (well, you can apply for some) for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year I have been asked to do a run down on what is worth going to see and where you should go and do it. You can get a list of all the venues here so you know where all the events are situated. Obviously not everyone will agree with my opinion but here is the top 5 venues and events to apply for tickets to and the Scottish athletes to look out for:

1. Athletics at Hampden Park - Obviously the big attraction of any major multi-sporting event is the athletics. Hampden will be getting adapted to include having the running track round the football pitch, and with top athletes like Usain Bolt expected to be involved it should be a great day out. *Eilidh Child won silver at the last Commonwealths and finished 5th in the recent World Championships, look out for her to be going for gold in the 400m hurdles.
2. Cycling at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome - British cycling has never been more in the spotlight with 2 Tour de France winners and continued success on the track. The atmosphere will be amazing in the velodrome and you can expect plenty of medals from British competitors. Lets just hope that the Scots beat the English. *Callum Skinner is a young prospect on the track who recently won the British track cycling championships and should be in with a chance of a medal in the sprint.
3. Rugby 7's at Ibrox - The rugby 7's is always an exciting event with plenty of tries and tackles. It will be held at Ibrox which is a great venue for it, and since it is rugby, get yourself a few drinks while you watch, enjoy the sport and have a good time. *Being at home and also since all the top nations won't be here, maybe Scotland can get a medal, who knows?
4. Swimming at Tollcross International swimming centre - The swimming centre will be filled with 5000 fans and it will be a great atmosphere and potentially a great opportunity for Scotland to win some Gold medals. This should be a great event and definitely worth a visit. *Michael Jamieson won a silver medal at last years Olympics and the Glasgow born swimmer will be going for Gold in his favourite event the 200m breast stroke. 
5. Cycling on the streets of Glasgow - The road cycling event will take place round the streets of Glasgow and it will be a free event you can go out and support on the course. It is on the same course that held the British road race in the Summer. I went to watch some of that with my brother, and I can recommend standing at the top of Great George Street in the West End. It is right at the top of the biggest hill on the course so the riders won't be flying past you. That is unless you want to be in Glasgow Green for the finish. *David Millar is Scotland's best rider and genuine top level cyclist. He will be going for Gold in the Road Race and the Time Trial 
 

Michael Jamieson will be going for Gold

Since I have so much spare time at the moment, Karen Anna finally decided to try and sell her Arga Ankan stuff, so we have opened a shop together. So that is online with a few things to buy just now, with more to come in the next couple of months. Cards, mugs, wrapping paper and a few other things will be coming into the shop so go and buy something if you want and check out her website and facebook.
Click on the link below!
Angry Duck Shop

Friends for life...or at least while I'm here

I always think football is a funny job when it comes to making friends. It is a highly emotional game with ups and downs every week, lots of different characters in the dressing room and plenty of egos, but there is a great bond between teammates throughout your time at a club and for most players they will do anything to help their mates on the pitch. You will spend every day with them training, share your problems, talk about life, share the ups and downs of a team, socialise together and become very close friends with a lot of them. Obviously not everyone can be friends, like everywhere in life their will inevitably be a clash of personalities, but very rarely will teammates have a proper fall out or fight.


However, the day will come when you have to move on to a different club, and it is at this point you find yourself in a new dressing room, with a new set of mates and you find yourself in the exact same situation as you were at your old club. So with your time being taken up training and spending time with new teammates, it becomes harder to keep up with old teammates. You basically go from team to team and make new friends every year or so, depending how long your contract is, and how many new players come into or leave your club. It becomes difficult to keep up with everyone particularly if you have to move city for a new club, and also when people train at different times and have new teammates of their own.

It is always nice to walk into a dressing room and know people who are there before you get started. Obviously the older you get the more players you know, so it is likely you will come across an old teammate somewhere. For me, signing for Stirling for 4months was made easier by knowing 4 or 5 of the boys before I signed. Also it gives you an idea of the standard of the team when you know the players there and how good they will be. I knew I'd be coming to a winning team so that helps!

football friends

After moving to Edinburgh I have realised most of my best mates in football all live in the West, it isn't ideal especially when they are all starting to have babies. I spent 3 years at QOS so I had a great time there with my car mates, Reidy and Bob Harris. Plus I used to love listening to Mckenna moaning and wee Burnsy telling me he always sets up my goals. At Falkirk with the team being full of teenagers I felt properly old, so it was nice to have the Grandad of football Darren Dodds there and Mikey Mcgovern to keep me younger. I went to the races with Blair Alston a few months back and he won a fortune, so I'll be taking him back their for a few tips. The best thing about the football dressing room will always be the banter. I'm sure it is a unique environment from most work places. There is always something going on and I definitely miss it happening daily, I'm sure it is one of the main reason ex pros will miss football. Everyone who I have met in football will be remembered in a different way, good and bad. But one thing is for sure, it is a fun job, but don't let that fool you, because it is very hard work.

Arsene Wenger

I was reading an article about Arsenal the other day, it was by Talksports Adrian Durham telling us what he would have done this Summer as Arsenal manager. So it got me thinking, what would I have done, and what would everyone else have done? Arsene Wenger hasn't done a lot, except promise signings and not deliver. Personally I would have bought 4 players (goalkeeper, central defender, holding midfielder, striker). For me it is obvious Arsenal don't want to break the bank on players or wages, but I think to keep up with the top 3 in the league, they have to start or they will end up as also rans. Here is who I would have bid for:

1. Julio Cesar or Tim Krul
2. Pepe or Felipe Santana
3. Marouane Fellaini or Toni Kroos
4. Higuain(I'd have paid the extra) or Benteke

 I know it might have cost a lot, but surely they should have signed someone. Obviously I am not a manager for a reason, but I think with some of those players Arsenal could genuinely compete for the title, something they won't be doing this season. It is a shame because they have some fantastic players, a great stadium and a great pitch, but I think it might be time for Wenger to go and for Arsenal to look in a new direction.

Life after Football

As I get towards the middle/end of my career I have started to realise more and more how important it will be for me to be ready to move into 'the real world' and have a career path for the rest of my life. It is a common stereotype that footballers are all stupid, have no qualifications and would be no use in a working environment. Well, luckily for my I got a degree before I started football (I don't talk about it much) so that at least gives me something to fall back on. I am not naive enough however to think that I would just walk into a job as soon as I need to. I have started looking and planning out what I want to do, and with this blogging going on, other writing possibilities and my love of most sports it seems like something I should try and get into.
I am not claiming to be a great writer or have a fantastic vocabulary, but I am sure that is something that can be learned and practiced like everything else. I do have a passion for sport, a very good knowledge and grasp of a variety of sports, and hopefully from my football background I have some contacts that could come in handy (It's not what you do, it's who you know).

Something else that I am looking into is coaching. I don't know if I want to be a coach or a manager but I do think I have a decent understanding of the game and have picked up a lot of good ideas throughout my career. I think to be a successful coach would be hugely rewarding and to become a manager, although it would be stressful, would be a nice responsibility to have and is something I can look into. One problem however is the sheer volume of players and ex players who go down this route, so finding a job once you are qualified wouldn't be easy, but... it is who you know, a familiar theme.

With so many young players turning full time it is obvious they don't have any qualifications, and the biggest problem is that every single player thinks that they will make a living and a career out of football. Admittedly more and more youngsters are getting chances in first teams, but that doesn't mean they are making a lot of money that will support them if they live away from home, it just means they are getting good experience. This will hopefully help them move on, but not all of them will be able to, and it is at this point they will realise how difficult it is with no qualifications.
The PFA does help put them through highers and further education courses, but often they won't be taken seriously and therefore they aren't passed.

  

Scottish fans break the bar after beating England at Wembley in 1977

For anyone that is not a football fan, or has not being paying any attention to international football, Scotland play England this week at Wembley in a 'friendly'. Personally, for whatever reason, I am not that excited about it. I think perhaps the years of abject performances at Hampden have left me a bit of sick of Scotland. I don't really have a club team, so Scotland is the only team I really support (unless someone else plays England), therefore I usually go to Hampden for all the home games in qualifiers and some friendlies. Unfortunately since I started going there has been a distinct lack of good results which is leaving me a bit disillusioned with the team. There have been some great nights,  they have mostly ended in glorious failures, but some have been great wins and both wins and failures stick in the memory. The highlights for me include:

• Beating Netherlands 1-0 in 2003 (Lets not mention the return leg)
• Beating France 1-0 in 2006 (then repeating the feat away)
• Losing 2-1 to Italy in 2007 (glorious failure 1)
• Losing 3-2 to Spain in 2010 (glorious failure 2)
• When Iwelumo missed (below) against Norway in 2008, I called the headline 'Iwel Oh No' in the next mornings paper, a personal highlight.  

 It would be great to beat England, purely for the bragging rights, but the reality is we haven't qualified for a tournament since 1998, we are already unable to qualify for Brazil 2014, and the way the team looks, it could be a long time before we get close to qualifying for another one. Not since England beat us 2-1 on aggregate to qualify for euro 2000 in the playoffs have we genuinely come close, and it has been a downward spiral from there. Hopefully in my lifetime it happens, but the future doesn't look too bright, especially the way the club game in the country is heading.

 

The Season Started without Me!

So the football season started without me last week for the second time in 3 years, and it makes it very difficult on a Saturday afternoon watching the scores coming in and not playing. I find keeping myself busy instead of watching scores helps to keep my spirits up and doesn't let me get too down. I know a lot of footballers are in the same position as me, waiting on something happening or remaining undecided on what they want to do, so it is comforting knowing a lot of people are having the same feelings as me. It was good to see Falkirk, QOS and St Johnstone all winning at the weekend as my former clubs started the season well.

St Johnstone in particular have had a great start to the season. Defeating Rosenborg in the Europa League is a fantastic achievement, and it is testament to the hard work of the players over the Summer to get fit and ready to play games of that magnitude in the middle of July. The Norwegians aren't the team they used to be, but they are still a big club, so for a club in Scotland to beat them is great for the game and huge for the club. Now they look destined for the first round proper after a great 1-0 win away in Minsk, in the following round.

It is at times like these that it is good to have a supportive family and friends around you to help stay motivated and keep believing in yourself. Depression in football is often overlooked, and I am not saying I am depressed, because I'm not, but it is understandable at this time of year that somebody could start to feel depressed. Luckily for me I have girlfriend who keeps me going and believing that I am good enough, and also parents who have supported me throughout my footballing life.

At the opposite end of the football scale from me are the transfer sagas currently going on in the English Premiership. With Bale, Suarez and Rooney all seemingly wanting to leave for a combined total of more than £160m from their respective clubs, it is fair to say that this is a completely different world from the struggling game up in Scotland. Supporters inevitably become restless and start to vent their frustrations about their top players leaving for new clubs, but they are all understandable in my opinion. Bale can go to Real Madrid, who wouldn't want to go there? Suarez was one of the best players in the Premiership last year but he is at a club who have no Champions League football and no hope of winning the league. Rooney has been at Man United for 9 years and given everything he has for those years. Now he wants a new challenge and to play in his favoured position, so it makes sense to me.
One of my main gripes with football fans is when they say there is no loyalty in football anymore with players. The truth is that clubs have no loyalty either and as soon as a player has a bad season then he doesn't get his contract renewed or he is sold. I think sometimes the supporters forget that football is a job, particularly in the lower leagues and especially in Scotland. It is a job that can instantly be lost through serious injury, and since it is a game of opinions, all it takes is a new manager to not like you and you won't play and can end up without a contract. Therefore while it lasts it is important to make as much money as you can, and also prepare for the future(I'll discuss this in my next edition). Supporters always say they hate it when players move for the money, but honestly, who can say that they wouldn't switch companies to earn twice as much money than their current job doing the same thing?

The USPGA starts this week in Rochester, NY, and being the last major of the year, it is the last chance for eight months for someone to win a big one. Tiger Woods had a massive win at the Bridgestone at the weekend so that sets him up, again, to win his first major since 2008. He has won 5 times already this year, 4 of them being against all the top players(WGC Cadillac, WGC Bridgestone, Players Championship, Arnold Palmer Invitational), but he hasn't managed to get a major, even though he has been in contention going into the weekend in more than one. The old Tiger used to be unbeatable and it was inevitable he would win on the Sunday, but nowadays he is beatable, and I don't think he will follow up last weeks win with another this week.
Mickelson will be high in confidence going in and will be right up there, but a first major win for Jason Day is my tip this weekend.
I hope Martin Laird has a good week for Scotland, and as usual I'll be betting on my cousin hoping he can win me money for a change. He has won 3 times on tour, none of which I have bet on, but I continue to bet on the majors and hope that his game comes together for that particular weekend.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy hasn't had a good year so he won't be one of the favourites, but if he plays the way he did last year he has a good chance. Unfortunately for Rory, the switch to Nike hasn't helped his golf, but he is too good a player to remain winless for long, so who knows, it could be this week.

Good times and Bad times

One thing is certain in football, it can never be good 100% of the time. Every player will have their ups and downs throughout their career, but hopefully by the end of it you will have had enough highs to feel like it has been a success. At 26 I look back on my career so far as somewhat of a success, but also a feeling of underachieving.
I have always been my worst critic, which can be a good thing as it drives me on to try and improve. But what I have found over my career is that the best players I have played with all have so much confidence in their ability and always trust what they are trying to do. For me self belief has always been an issue and it can affect performance dramatically. When my confidence is high I know I can beat most defenders I come up against for pace and can create chances and score goals for my team. But when confidence is low it can feel like you can't beat a player, and end up doing the simple thing and just passing backwards. For a winger, consistency has always been something that is difficult. Even at the highest level the wingers struggle to play consistently week in week out(Nani, Walcott, Pedro are 3 top level examples), but when they are on their game they can cause so much trouble with direct running and pace. As I have gotten older my consistency has improved but it is still difficult to be dangerous every week, which I know frustrates fans, but I guess it is the enigma of a winger.

I was sent a link to this interesting article (article on Stuart) about ex Queen's Park teammate Stuart Kettlewell(Ketts) earlier today, and it made me think about the good times had at QPFC. Ketts is one example of what was a great QP team back in 2006/07, that won promotion from division 3, who went on to better things. We had an extremely young team and played football the right way for the full season that included beating Aberdeen in the League Cup and winning all 4 games in the divisional playoffs to win promotion. The 4-2 win against East Fife in the first leg of the playoff final was a great night for us, and will always be remembered for 'the picture'(below) that shows how much it meant to us all. Steven Canning had just scored an unbelievable chip from the edge of the area, and it set us on our way to promotion.

from left to right: Paul Ronald, Steven Canning, Alan Trouten, Paul Cairney, David Weatherston, Mark Ferry, Paul Paton

Of that team in 06/07 their has been plenty of players moving on to better things, and it shows how good the team was when you look at the level the players have played at or now play:
Premier League
Stuart Kettlewell (Ross County, 1st division champion with Ross County)
Paul Paton (Dundee United,, 1st division champion with Partick Thistle)
Paul Cairney(Hibs)
First Division
Mark Ferry(ex Raith)
Alan Trouten(ex Ayr, Clyde, Airdrie)
David Weatherston(ex St Johnstone, QOS, Falkirk)
Mick Dunlop(ex Ayr)
David Crawford(ex Ayr)

Most other players went on to other clubs playing second division football, the majority being successful.

Personally I feel like I haven't fulfilled my potential from helping QP to promotion, but looking back so far, I have had decent success in my career. One promotion with QP has been added to with 2 Challenge Cups, 2 Hampden semi finals, and three 3rd place finishes in the 1st division. It isn't great, but it is something I can look back on when I am older. Perhaps I made the wrong choice or choices after leaving QP, but we live and die by our decisions, and I can't change them now. I have certainly had a lot of fun, and made some great friends along the way. Now it is on to the next chapter, wherever that may be, and hopefully I can have more success doing it. I always look back at my time fondly at QP, and I know the rest of the players do as well, because every time we meet up it is always talked about, the great nights at Firhill, Paton's 30 yarder at East Fife and the good times we had a training. It will never be forgotten.



Sooo, enough about me, lets talk about some other sports. Athletics is the big headline grabber this week with all the reports about failed drugs tests by Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay and Sherone Simpson(bbc article).
With the failed tests of another 2 of the fastest sprinters in history, Usain Bolts closest rivals, it again leaves everyone wondering if the best athletes are clean. Ben Johnson, Marion Jones, Carl Lewis, Linford Christie, Veronica Campbell, Justin Gatlin, Dwain Chambers, Butch Reynolds, to name a few, are all top Olympic performers from the last 20 years who have tested positive for some sort of banned substance. It means that Usain Bolt, who is at least 1/10th of a second faster than any of them, is either much better than them all, a complete freak of nature, or something isn't right. We all hope that he is a freak of nature, because it is special watching him running at full speed, and for athletics sake he needs to be clean. If it turns out the poster boy of athletics is another one to turn to drugs for that extra boost, then the reputation of sprinting and athletics in general could be completely lost and the public could lose interest.
 

Keeping Motivated and Entertained

Sorry for the delay on blogging, but I thought I would wait on a few major sporting events finishing before I wrote about them in this edition.

The hardest part of being out of a club is keeping motivated and having the self discipline to keep yourself fit and live your life the right way. For me one of the most important factor in this is getting out of bed in the morning at a proper time. I have been going to the gym most mornings around 8.45am and doing my running and weights early so I am awake and ready for the day. Also this keeps my body used to getting up at a normal time and stops me from becoming lazy. Since KA gets up before 7 for work it is easier for me to stay awake from then and eat breakfast so I am prepared for the gym. The work at the gym is never easy on your own when you feel like you are getting nowhere with your career. But I know myself that it will pay off eventually, when I am signed and ready to play football again.
Eating correctly and drinking the right fluids is so important as well when you have no game on a Saturday. One good thing about having no income is at least i don't have the money to buy sweets and crisps as much, so I have definitely been eating healthier the last 2 months.

The offers of part time football have been keeping my mind busy for the last few weeks. As time goes by it seems more and more likely I will have to decide which part time club best suits me and would hopefully help me get back to playing the way I know I can. Another option which I have been seriously considering is going to Denmark, Norway or Sweden. I could go over and trial with teams from the 2nd leagues, but it is a difficult decision financially, and also personally. Leaving everything behind potentially could be a hard decision, but it could also be great for my career, personal development and could positively influence my football with a different culture being trained into me. It is something over the next week I will have to weigh up, and decide if it is worth pursuing.

Froome wins yellow on the 100th edition of the Tour de France

Chris Froome (left) won the 100th edition of the tour de France yesterday, rolling over the line at the Champs Elysees with his teammates and the rest of the peleton after a gruelling 3 weeks. His winning margin of 4minutes 20seconds was a huge margin from his nearest rivals, and underlined what was a dominant performance from him throughout the tour. Comparisons with Lance Armstrong have been made such was the sheer dominance in the mountains, but in my mind their is no doubt that Froome is completely clean. Cycling has suffered a lot because of the Lance Armstrong saga, but it has moved on, and the riders are standing up against doping and helping the sport get its image back. When Lance was dominant, he was the best rider in a peleton full of people doping. Landis, Ullrich, Heras, Hamilton, and many others have all since been caught or admitted to doping and they were all his main rivals. Nowadays, Froome is the best rider in a clean peleton, in my opinion, and he deserves all the credit he will receive. The fitness of all the riders is incredible, they are an example of supreme sportsmen with their recovery and energy they have every day. Only extreme dedication to the sport is possible as a cyclist to even finish a 21 stage race, and that is something I admire and have admired since I started watching it as a boy.

Mickelson lifts the Claret Jug at Muirfield

Phil Mickelson won The Open yesterday with an unbelievable 66 in the final round to win by 3 shots from Henrik Stenson. I was at Muirfield on Friday and Sunday watching my cousin(Martin Laird) playing and unfortunately for him he had a bad day on Saturday that ruined his chances. But on Sunday with the weather slightly cooler and the breeze up I sat and watched the field come through the par 3 16th. The drama was unfolding out on the course as several players took the lead. But I had money on Henrik Stenson so I was hoping he would come good for me. Unfortunately Neil and I sat at the wrong hole as we didn't see a birdie for 4 hours, but we did see a lot of good golf shots and some great scrambling. I know everyone loves big Phil, but I really don't, and I am sure he just puts on a nice face for the cameras. Fair play to him though, he played some great golf and deserved to win.



And in other news... Kate Middleton is about to have a baby! But who really cares about that...

The hardest part of football

Apologies to those dedicated readers for the delay in this edition,


Summer time for a football player can either be the best time of year, or the worst time of year. If you have a contract and know that you are getting paid whilst on holiday, plus you also know you will go back to pre season with your club then you can have a good holiday and relax whilst you recharge the batteries. On the other hand, if you have been released at the end of the season it is a time to worry about your bank balance and fitness while you try and sort out a new club for the new season.
Last time i was out of contract I had 3 weeks of doing nothing in July except golf, sunbathing(yes it was sunny) and keeping fit before my agent got me into training at Falkirk for a trial. This year however i found out from the manager back in May so I have had time to think about everything in my life. Self doubt is a major problem that I'm sure a lot of players suffer with at this time of year. I like to think I have had an 'ok' career so far, and that teams will be interested, but when days go by without the phone ringing it can be hard. There is always a relief when a manager phones you, no matter what level it is at, and tells you he is interested. It makes you feel better, and you know that you can start getting on with your own fitness and mentally preparing for a new season wherever you decide to go.
It is never easy being out of any job, but in Scottish football at the moment it is very difficult to get a contract anywhere, unless you are willing to take a pay cut. All clubs in Scotland know the players that are out of contract, it is just a matter of waiting to see if any of them want to contact you, or you can get an agent to contact the clubs directly to see if they are interested. Clubs who are interested in signing you will generally offer you a place to train while you make your mind up.

I decided to go in and train at Stirling just to kick a ball again, but also it was good to see some old friends. It is much easier training somewhere when you know some of the other players, and in Stirling there is DC, Fez, Junior, Joe and big Jordan(all footballers have some sort of nickname). Football is strange in that you see your teammates every day, become very close friends with them then suddenly you leave, and most of them never see you again. Only 1 or 2 in each dressing room will really remain friends after, which i always find strange, but I guess you can't be friends with everyone. As my old manager KB used to say, "There is no fu*****friends in this fu***** game, just acquaintances.", he liked to swear a lot.



As a massive sport fan I have to admit to being pretty emotional last week when Andy Murray won Wimbledon. He is so dedicated to being the best at what he does that he is an inspiration to everyone. He works as hard as any sportsmen out there and deserves every credit and trophy that he gets. On top of that he is a proper Scotsman in that he hates England and loves supporting everyone else. I know he is slightly hated by some for his 'boring' personality, but he is a tennis player, who entertains us on the court with some unbelievable play and he doesn't need to humour us off it.

 Ok, so I am aware the most Scottish people find cricket extremely boring, especially the long form of the game, but I love watching the Ashes and hoping that England will lose. Unfortunately nowadays the Aussies aren't quite what they used to be so England will win it this year, and what a fantastic trophy it is to win. I only really learned about 10 years ago that it was the ashes of some old stumps from back in the day. I always presumed it was some old player who had their ashes up for grabs every 2/3 years. I know my big mate Matt will be a keen viewer and I thank him for igniting my interest in the game of cricket. Plus i get to watch him down Poloc cricket club whilst sitting in the sun enjoying a bbq and a game of donkey with my old mates. You can't beat it!

Young v Old and a Katt in puberty

A decent response yesterday meant I had to follow it up and answer some of the questions posed and please the fans. Apparently according to my good mate Neil I always split opinions with the fans anywhere I go, some people are never happy.

Old Doddsy

I never thought I would say it, but I actually miss pre season just now. I realise I don't miss the running, because it is bloody hard work, but I love getting fit, and there is a great team spirit during pre season where everyone comes together to get each other through the double and sometimes triple sessions. It is the first time since 2006 that I haven't been involved in a full time pre season and I have to say I am getting bored of big Darren Dodds banter at the gym and round the park. The big man is the nicest guy in the world, but his love for football is too much as he constantly talks about it. Usually moaning about what I said yesterday and adding that "the young boys get it easy these days".
I have to agree with him in that they do get it much easier than when he was 16/17. The jobs that used to be expected of apprentices don't get done anymore at most clubs. No cleaning boots, no cleaning kit, not a lot to be honest is done. Whether this is the reason that young players lack respect for old players these days is an entirely different question, but you can make your own mind up on that.
The biggest reason for so many young players in contracts is money. Football has no money in Scotland, especially down the leagues, and with ticket prices so high that fans refuse to come through the turnstiles it isn't a surprise really. Older players who were earning a lot more money 6 or 7 years ago are being let go because the club can't afford to offer them anything like what they need to pay their mortgages and bills. You can have 4 or 5 young players on a wage the equivalent to 1 senior player, and for the board that is a no brainer. Even though they might make no impact at all on the squad they are kept to boost numbers.

Katt's Wanket

Here is the main man himself with his new "burd". He has been strangely subdued today almost like he knows his antics have been let out to the nation(100 people) and he is embarrassed. No doubt when I go out later he will be at it. He drags it around the house and looks really stupid as he does it, trying to get his legs out the way while running away from me trying to cut his grass and steal his girlfriend. KA ordered this personalised wanket online, it is surely the best buy we have had since moving in to the flat last year.









Wimbledon semi finals today, Djokovic will cruise through I reckon, but Murray as usual will make it hard for himself. I saw Janowicz in round 2 and said to Neil (the only mate I have) that he is the big danger to Murray this year. So now they meet as i predicted it won't be easy for Murray, but he will dig deep and come through in 4!

Come on Muzza!

Keeping busy as an unemployed footballer

Football in Scotland

It has been 2 months now since the football season finished and I am still no closer to knowing where I will play next season. Professional football in Scotland is a dying game at the moment, lots of good players not in jobs, and lots of average young players being paid low wages to play full time at a good level.
When i look around teams in the first division they are full of players who have hardly played any first team games but will need to step up this year and try and make an impact. The problem is that fans still expect the same level of quality, but it isn't going to happen.

Part time football seems like an option that more and more good players are taking up, which means that the 2nd division is closing the gap slightly on the 1st because players are making as much money part time as they do full time. With a job on top of football they can make much more money, and when you play lower league in Scotland, money is the most important factor to support your families and to live comfortably, especially when you start getting towards and beyond 30.

Personally it has never been about money for me, I work as hard as i can every day at training to improve as a player, so i want to play as high a level as I can so I can keep enjoying my football. So with the help of the PFA and some calls myself hopefully I can get myself a club and have a successful season.

Keeping Busy

So i have basically become a house husband without a wife or child these days. Cooking and cleaning plus all the other boring stuff around the flat have to get done, and since my girlfriend is at work it means I'm in charge. I get to look after the cat, aptly named Katt Monsen, not by me, as he continues to try and hump everything around the flat. We got him his own 'wanket'(wank blanket) which he seems to have become fond of, so that might save the rest of the flat from his affection. He basically sleeps and humps, then occasionally stands out the window and enjoys the breeze, it isn't so difficult looking after him.


Also joined the gym so i can work on my fitness and strength while I have no club. The pure gym is extremely boring with the same songs on every day not a lot happening. So I do my work and get out before I get too annoyed by the 'gym wanks' that decide they need to let everyone know they are doing some weights by groaning and walking around like they just lifted the heaviest weight ever.

The summer is always good for sport, and much to the annoyance of my girlfriend I pretty much love watching every sport going. So I watch the Tour de France in between Wimbledon and also there is the under 20 World Cup on just now which is good for seeing the talent in other countries, and also because England failed miserably there too.

When it is difficult finding a club here it is times like this I consider moving away, and with a Norwegian girlfriend(KA), Norway seems like not such a bad option. The cost of living is high but the wages are great and it is a beautiful place to be. Would have to convince myself and KA that it would the best option for us though, so that might not be easy!

Well, first blog ever, pretty boring but it is down. Can start trying to be more fun when i get used to typing again and learn how to put videos and photos and stuff in.

Cheers