Durranty's Inferno

[jhunter 0]

Teacher's strike of the mid 1980s, mate - that's where you want to be looking. Teachers used to take the school clubs as a matter of course, unpaid work, something you did as part of your professional obligation. Along comes Thatcher and starts treating professionals like casual labourers and everything is costed and priced to the farthing. Result? Teachers give up their unpaid extra-curricular work; The schools no longer have 3 football teams, a couple of rugby teams, hockey, badminton, table tennis, swimming - all gone in the name of efficiency and putting the unions in their places.

The SFA can be blamed for not filling the void, but the void was created by Thatcher..

 

i agree with that 100%

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Our lack of player development is simply down to kids not playing out on the streets/fields as much as they used to (xbox generation as well as parents being frightened to lets their kids out). This combined with the poor physical condition and nutrition many youngsters have, plus the prehistoric attitude many coaches have to football. Still far too great an emphasis on speed and size instead of technical ability.

 

England still produce plenty decent players, though even they don't produce anything like the required level, as can be seen in their major tournament results.

 

By the law of averages you would think we would produce the occasional world class player but I can't remember the last one we have had. Wales, Ireland etc have had some in recent years but not us.

[JohnMc 3,054]

Our lack of player development is simply down to kids not playing out on the streets/fields as much as they used to (xbox generation as well as parents being frightened to lets their kids out). This combined with the poor physical condition and nutrition many youngsters have, plus the prehistoric attitude many coaches have to football. Still far too great an emphasis on speed and size instead of technical ability.

 

England still produce plenty decent players, though even they don't produce anything like the required level, as can be seen in their major tournament results.

 

By the law of averages you would think we would produce the occasional world class player but I can't remember the last one we have had. Wales, Ireland etc have had some in recent years but not us.

 

Nah, I disagree. They've got x-boxes and peadophiles in Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium and they manage to produce footballers with a modicum of talent fairly often. Societal changes are to blame. The schools being a huge one as RPB explained, but also the enormous and savage social changes that took place in central Scotland in the 70s and 80s played a massive part. Mining, steel and shipbuilding areas had genuine communities and these communities had all sorts of activities available often to a high standard. My father was born into a small mining village in the mid-forties, it consisted of only three miners terraces (rows) yet it had three friendly societies, a quoiting club, an ambulance corps, a juvenile football club, a Junior football side, a brass band, a dramatic society, and a phonetics class as well as an active trade union. That was replicated all across Scotland, it simply isn't anymore.

 

Konterman wasn't the best import we ever made but he was an interesting guy off the park. He set up home in Drymen when he signed for us and was astonished to discover their was no kids football club in the town. He'd come from a similar sized village in Holland where all the kids joined the local side when they were 6 or 7.

[andy steel 0]

Nah, I disagree. They've got x-boxes and peadophiles in Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium and they manage to produce footballers with a modicum of talent fairly often. Societal changes are to blame. The schools being a huge one as RPB explained, but also the enormous and savage social changes that took place in central Scotland in the 70s and 80s played a massive part. Mining, steel and shipbuilding areas had genuine communities and these communities had all sorts of activities available often to a high standard. My father was born into a small mining village in the mid-forties, it consisted of only three miners terraces (rows) yet it had three friendly societies, a quoiting club, an ambulance corps, a juvenile football club, a Junior football side, a brass band, a dramatic society, and a phonetics class as well as an active trade union. That was replicated all across Scotland, it simply isn't anymore.

 

Konterman wasn't the best import we ever made but he was an interesting guy off the park. He set up home in Drymen when he signed for us and was astonished to discover their was no kids football club in the town. He'd come from a similar sized village in Holland where all the kids joined the local side when they were 6 or 7.

 

JohnMc will be standing for UKIP next May for the Gersnet constituency.

 

The picture you paint is accurate and depressing, but if the very early signs at ground level are anything to go by, the newly engaged activist class who are burning with a desire to do something after last September's...eh...first round may very well see some of this ethos return - & although this movement is heavily female (not a problem afaic) there's no reason why football teams can't be part of it if they overcome their somewhat ingrained, ludicrous sexism. I can't promise a quoiting club, though.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

Nah, I disagree. They've got x-boxes and peadophiles in Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium and they manage to produce footballers with a modicum of talent fairly often. Societal changes are to blame. The schools being a huge one as RPB explained, but also the enormous and savage social changes that took place in central Scotland in the 70s and 80s played a massive part. Mining, steel and shipbuilding areas had genuine communities and these communities had all sorts of activities available often to a high standard. My father was born into a small mining village in the mid-forties, it consisted of only three miners terraces (rows) yet it had three friendly societies, a quoiting club, an ambulance corps, a juvenile football club, a Junior football side, a brass band, a dramatic society, and a phonetics class as well as an active trade union. That was replicated all across Scotland, it simply isn't anymore.

 

Konterman wasn't the best import we ever made but he was an interesting guy off the park. He set up home in Drymen when he signed for us and was astonished to discover their was no kids football club in the town. He'd come from a similar sized village in Holland where all the kids joined the local side when they were 6 or 7.

Yeah, do those nations also have the same levels of obesity plus alcohol and drug abuse among youngsters? Do their kids spend as much time indoors as ours do?

 

Also, impoverished African nations are producing streams of top stars so I don't read to much into the hard luck story.

[pete 2,511]

Nah, I disagree. They've got x-boxes and peadophiles in Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium and they manage to produce footballers with a modicum of talent fairly often. Societal changes are to blame. The schools being a huge one as RPB explained, but also the enormous and savage social changes that took place in central Scotland in the 70s and 80s played a massive part. Mining, steel and shipbuilding areas had genuine communities and these communities had all sorts of activities available often to a high standard. My father was born into a small mining village in the mid-forties, it consisted of only three miners terraces (rows) yet it had three friendly societies, a quoiting club, an ambulance corps, a juvenile football club, a Junior football side, a brass band, a dramatic society, and a phonetics class as well as an active trade union. That was replicated all across Scotland, it simply isn't anymore.

 

Konterman wasn't the best import we ever made but he was an interesting guy off the park. He set up home in Drymen when he signed for us and was astonished to discover their was no kids football club in the town. He'd come from a similar sized village in Holland where all the kids joined the local side when they were 6 or 7.

 

I knew the void was created when the schools dropped football but I did not know the rest of the story. i have always said the problem lies with the grass roots. Every village in Holland does have a football club with many small villages even having 2. Yes you guessed a protestant club and a catholic club.These days that does not play a big roll but in the past it did. I still find it crazy that a town like Renfrew having a junior team but no amateur set up under the junior team. Renfrew Juniors should have youth teams from 5 year olds with a whole complex of fields for youth and amateur teams. Stick a club on the complex and you have a cash source. Every member pays a monthly subscription as well to play and you have a well funded club. That is the Dutch system. I live near a town called Oldenzaal. It is a small town but they have at least 2 clubs. Quick 20 have 23 senior teams playing

This is their youth set up.

Under 18 6 teams

under 16 9 teams

under 14 10 teams

under 12 12 teams

under this age a team will probably only have 7 players I believe.

under 10 17 teams

under 8 10 teams

Every age group also has a girls team as far as I can see.

If you take it that the 23 senior sides have a minimum of 16 players who are paying 20 euro's a month

And the youth paying 10 euro's a month then they have a reasonable income. All these people sitting in the club drinking at least a few drinks is also a pretty large income.

I would say Oldenzaal is about the same size as Renfrew.

This is their youth setup.

http://www.quick20.nl/index.php?page=teams-jeugd

[craig 5,199]

Durrant was as good as gazza IMO - a genius.

 

Durrant coaching ian black

 

it just doesn't add up

 

i'm glad he's gone from that scenario.

 

Gazza regales a story of playing for England U21's against Scotland..... And spending all night chasing the shadow of Ian Durrant.

 

I love Gazza as a player ..... But Durrant was better. Sadly we never saw him reach his true potential due to injury.

Edited December 26, 2014 by craig

[jhunter 0]

I loved Durrant

 

probably the first player i was just in awe of

 

everyone goes on about laudrup but Durrant was on a par with him.

 

86/87/88 until he was cut down - one of main the reasons i fell in love with Rangers.

 

That and the fans - the 86 league Cup final - that is the sort of benchmark i can't stop hoping we return to.

[pete 2,511]

I loved Durrant

 

probably the first player i was just in awe of

 

everyone goes on about laudrup but Durrant was on a par with him.

 

86/87/88 until he was cut down - one of main the reasons i fell in love with Rangers.

 

That and the fans - the 86 league Cup final - that is the sort of benchmark i can't stop hoping we return to.

Durrant was potentially better than Laudrup imo.

[Blue Moon 1,525]

He was the best home grown player we have produced in my lifetime and would have made it on the world stage.

 

I was absolutely gutted that day at Pittodrie when he was cut down. He was running the show.