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My own experience is they do not have to be top-level pros. Retired players from the seaside leagues still stand out a mile. They might not all run around as much as before but generally their touch and game awareness sets them apart from the DOT's of this world.

Blues plays whatever position he's asked to the best of his ability and rarely if ever let's the team down. Every squad needs a player like him that the manager knows he can rely on and will follow his tactical instructions. I do think there have been a couple of times over the years when he's been off his form that a week or two out the team would help him but I can always see why Imrie keeps him in the team. I'm a massive fan and become a bigger fan every year he's been at Morton.

Witnessed some bizarre and stupid decision making from stewards today. On the very day we’ve welcomed under 15’s for free into the stadium under supervision of an adult. Usual second half, lots of kids run behind to be behind the Sinclair St goal. They were generating some +ve atmosphere and looked like around 60 kids. I watched as stewards were on the terrace, attempting to push kids back away from the pitch side wall. A line of five stewards standing on the terrace to keep kids away from getting too close to the wall ? Whoever was in charge needs their head shaken. Stewards in the wrong place, getting hands on the kids to manoeuvre them - just the wrong approach and showing significant inexperience. You don’t put hands on kids……unless you’ve good reason to eject them. Half way through the second half, five stewards retreated onto the track (where they should have been in the first place) but still a line of five, blocking views of youngsters. I despair at these clowns in charge of the stewards………

"Astonishing" really is the word when you see actual top-level pros having a kickabout. I don't mean marginal guys but the absolute top-level internationals, they can be pushing 50 and unfit but you can tell immediately they aren't like mortal men. No doubt they worked hard to have the career they did but it would also be deeply obvious that they just "had it" and if they applied themselves they'd go on to great things.

I was joking, but never mind. Here goes. A bit of background. Those that have been around since the Topica days will know that I worked in the Philippines in the late 90s and played in the Philippine National League for two seasons - it was a mix of quality, with a few better players possibly Lowland League level. I was in the lower end quality wise, but was a reasonable finisher. The club I played for had the best playing facilities in the country, as it was part of a sports club complex. My colleague from the Dutch Embassy organised a tour by the Ajax/Feyernoord old boys to the Philippines. I got a place on the League select team bench for the match and got on for 10 minutes at the end. Rep played up front for them and was astonishing. He barely moved, everything stuck, every pass hit his target and he scored 3. I went up to him at the end of the match and in a proper creepy fanboy told him that he'd made me cry as an 8 year old. His quality response was, in a classic comedy Dutch accent "Yesh, I meet many Shcottish people. They all tell me that. Let me buy you a beer." He got a case in and told us all about the plan in 1978 and what they could cope with. They always felt that they could score if they needed to, and that they thought Rough was the weak link. But the Gemmell goal spooked them, hence his long shot. He was a top man.

Yeah, I'm absolutely sure they created a whole new training system just to test the commitment of a 37 year old works player. I'm sure if you had stuck at it you would have broken into the first team in your mid-40s. You don't half talk a lot of shite.