Life as we know it is full of uncertainties. As we wake bleary eyed and blinking into another New Year, how many of us know what lies in store for us? Old friendships may pass or be renewed, new ones are found or lost. Will Hibs win the cup? (Ok, given its 108 years since they won the damn thing it’s as close as you are going to get to a certainty that they won’t…you never know though, and some fools like myself still live in hope!) Will I finally learn how to open those little travel cartons of milk without spraying them all over me? Will someone do us all a favour and kidnap Simon Cowell, Bruce Forsyth and Ant and Dec, and save us all from the dross of Saturday TV?

One certainty is that it’s an election year and politics will take centre stage both here and in London. Whilst London will debate the economy, it appears that here in Scotland the thorny issue of whether or not there should be a referendum on independence will take top billing. The four options were presented by Alex Salmond in December – full independence, stay as we are, Calman, or Devo Max? (I can’t help thinking that this is some kind of super strength coke; “Drink? Yes please, Vodka and Devo Max.”) There he was resplendent in his Saltire tie, and Saltire lapel badge, standing in front of a huge Saltire and all of this on St Andrews day. This was no light-handed approach, the symbolism was there for all to see and hit you between the eyes with the subtlety of an exocet missile. The SNP is Scotland and Scotland is the SNP, all others are traitors, ne’er do wells or Unionist apologists! It’s not subtle, but it is effective and it pulls at the very heartstrings of the uncommitted. Just in case you weren’t listening, two weeks later Mr Salmond’s official Christmas card depicted a young girl, Saltire over her shoulder, ‘striding into the future’. The Act of Union of 1707 will once again become a hot topic as Union pragmatists will argue that it was a political and commercial necessity and one that Scotland benefited greatly from, Nationalists will repeat the line of ‘Rogues bought and sold for English Gold’.

In between talking about the football…...

Zoom In

Whilst politicians debate the pros and cons of dissolving the political Union, the two largest football clubs in Scotland spent the latter part of 2009 actively talking up the benefits of a football union with England, and as with the 1707 act, money is at the heart of this. The Rangers chairman stated that he could see that Rangers would be playing in the English league within 10 years, only by doing so could Celtic and Rangers increase their wealth and so be able to compete and trade on the global stage. (Parallels with 1707 anybody?) He was supported by Ally McCoist stating that people shouldn’t worry about the Old Firm’s ability to compete, yes it might take a few years but with the input of English TV revenue and their large fan base, they would soon be competing at the top. Sorry but this is good news for whom? Scottish fans in general? The English chairman and fans aren’t stupid, they want success for their own clubs; they aren’t fretting about whether or not poor Rangers or Celtic can cut it. Indeed their concern would be that they might just be able to do that, so why would any self respecting chairman who had spent millions of pounds, risk that money by encouraging a potential competitor to join the party?

The game in Scotland needs to become more competitive, that means sharing the money around the Scottish Premier League and Celtic and Rangers refraining from stealing the best talent from the other teams. A radical solution may be that the other SPL teams actually take advantage of the fact that the English Premier League has voted against Rangers and Celtic joining them – claiming it to be neither ‘desirable not viable’ – and press for reform, with all moneys shared equally between the clubs. The Old Firm have nowhere to go and would have to agree, additionally the other clubs should force through an amendment to stop the Old Firm ‘talking down’ the SPL, thus affecting TV and sponsorship deals.

Celtic and Rangers need to wake up, the EPL don’t want them and the other SPL members are increasingly fed up with them. Maybe 2010 will be a turning point, there have been signs of increased competition as financial constraints start to bite on the ‘Big Two’ and the gap between them and the rest of the SPL appears to be getting smaller. Increased competition would mean them losing more games and not winning so many cups, it would be interesting to see how long their much-lauded fan base would remain in place once winning was no longer assured.