Some simple solutions for Scottish football that are easy to swallow

The side-effects are interesting. I am now half blind and have been awake for five days straight; however, it’s not all bad news. While quite tart on the tongue, it tastes a lot better than the bleach I was glugging a few weeks ago.

Hopefully, my body will close down soon and slip into a long and deep hibernation. I’m sure that everything will be sorted out when I wake up next year. Or the year after that.

Whether Scottish football will have moved on by 2021, meanwhile, is doubtful. There is a better chance of wet markets being introduced to downtown New York than peace being declared within our beautifully bonkers national obsession.

There isn’t much more to say about the unfairness of Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer being relegated except that there does seem to be a consensus that league reconstruction isn’t quite dead in the water – I hope that is the case.

At least in theory Scottish football can look ahead and ideally find common ground somewhere down the line

and a mature discussion can take place – oh, I know – about how things can be better once the first referee’s whistle is blown.

There is a chance now for genuine change to be implemented. It would be a waste to allow this unique break from football to end

and for everything to remain the same.

I have some modest suggestions here...

It is surely now time for Scottish football supporters to be treated as adults and have alcohol consumption reintroduced at our stadiums after a 40-year ban going back to the infamous 1980 Scottish Cup final.

We have a problem with the drink in Scotland. I concede that. But would society collapse if Joe Punter was allowed a pint or two inside their team’s ground before a game – and at half-time?

The clubs are desperate for the law to change. If they could sell beer, wine and spirits, it would raise much-needed cash which, if you have not noticed, is in short supply.

The days of getting the carry oot onto the terrace are, thankfully, gone. Nobody wants to see a return to the wild years. But a few beers at Livingston, Kilmarnock or Ross County will not result in riots. Rather, it would add to the match-day experience and make our clubs a few extra bob.

There will be games when a booze ban would be justified. But, come on, what is wrong with enticing some fans to the ground early on. They drink anyway, its just the money doesn’t go to the clubs themselves – except of course if you are in hospitality because it’s one rule for the posh, while the plebs cannot

be trusted.

Have you seen some of the pubs punters drinking before matches? They are mobbed. It takes ages to get served and you can’t take the kids in with you. Not that anyone would particularly want to.

People are not going to start downing shots between 2-3pm. All they are looking for is a beer or glass of wine while chatting to their pals.

Moving on, and Hamilton will have a pay-at-the-gate system installed. About time, too. I get why that would be problematic at Celtic Park and Ibrox, but you shouldn’t need to buy a ticket in advance to take in St Johnstone v St Mirren.

More people would go to games if they knew that at the last minute they could wander up and walk in at the turnstile.

Get rid of the plastic pitches. Get rid of cup replays. It’s ridiculous that more games aren’t played at the start of the season when the weather and surfaces are at their best.

And Sky Sports must play their part as well, along with the BBC. BT Sport raised the bar with their coverage and will be missed. Their pundits actually said something whether you agreed with them or not.

Match day coverage should begin an hour before kick-off. We need to see more shows about Scottish football, not just the actual games, with a Monday Night Football programme looking back on the weekend.

Radio Scotland does football well, the awful open-all-mics aside, so why not bring some of that format to the screen? Let’s let Tom English and Michael Stewart go at one another on the telly for our amusement.

This is a big one for me. Not every Celtic and Rangers away game should be live. That’s the deal at the moment and only four live games from the homes of these two are allowed.

We are trying to sell our game. I would far rather have Rangers v Aberdeen live on telly from a packed Ibrox than Celtic paying on astroturf in front of an empty stand at Hamilton.

The followers of the Old Firm would survive, honestly, if they had to wait for extended highlights of their team’s visit to Rugby Park which wouldn’t be far off capacity if the game wasn’t on the telly.

Clubs get most of their money through the gate so let’s get more people through the gate.

None of this is impossible or especially difficult. Much of it is common sense. Football will be back one day but do we really want it back exactly as it was? Change is needed. Let’s actually see something positive come out of this.