No-frills derby hostilities hold appeal of their own

IF the cup draws keep Rangers and Celtic apart, the Edinburgh derby will be the showpiece city rivalry of 2013.

The first encounter of the New Year proved scoreless but it did make significant points about the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. It is worthy of further scrutiny.

It may be dangerous taking one Hearts v Hibernian match and making in an emblem of an entire season covering 12 teams, but there were such obvious, almost traditional aspects to the match and they seem to lurk in the very DNA of the Scottish game.

The most obvious was that events at Tynecastle on Thursday did not constitute a match of quality. There is no surprise when a derby is marked with effort rather than elan but there were other factors that spoke to both the good and the flawed in Scottish football.

The first of the latter was the performance of referee Willie Collum, who had two major decisions to make and came to the wrong conclusions. The first was the non-award of the penalty when James McPake brought down Scott Robinson. There were later suggestions that the referee may have been playing advantage, If so, he did not follow the precedent he set in the Dundee derby when he brought the play back for a penalty after no advantage was gained.

The second error occurred after Ryan Stevenson launched into a tackle on McPake. This was simply serious foul play and should have incurred a red card. It was reckless and could have seriously injured the victim. Collum, who was close to the action, opted to give a throw-in. The SFA compliance officer has until Monday to review this incident and may come to a different conclusion.

There were, however, more heartening aspects to the match. First, the SPL is a league where coaches are forced to be disciplined and innovative. The standard of coaching is excellent, though some fans will almost inevitably disagree. However, teams are uniformly well set up, managers use their limited resources well and there is an organisation at set-pieces, though it must be said that one has winced at the defending of Dundee United whenever one has watched them live.

Scotland has consistently provided a stepping stone for coaches, whether native born or imported. The reputations of such as Stuart McCall, Terry Butcher and Derek Adams have grown considerably over the past season. Neil Lennon has had the most conspicuous success, with Celtic's defeat of Barcelona drawing widespread acclaim. All have tried to play enterprising football but, crucially, all have managed their resources to the best effect.

Second, the appearance of Jason Holt, the 19-year-old Hearts midfielder, strengthened the belief that not only are young players being given more of a chance in financially difficult times they are prepared to take it. Holt, once the bright young hope of Edinburgh youth football, was sprightly when he came on. He joins such as Ryan Fraser of Aberdeen, St Mirren's Kenny McLean, James Forrest of Celtic and the admittedly older Paul Cairney of Hibs – who incidentally produced the only brilliant pass of the night at Tynecastle – as talents to watch in 2013. The most heart-warming aspect of Thursday night, though, was it spoke to the nation's passion for football that extends far beyond an appreciation of the aesthetics. The 17,000 fans who bayed throughout a frenetic match accepted they would not see the more acceptable face of the beautiful game.

They also knew the match would have no bearing whatsoever on the destination of this season's title. Yet they turned up roared and supported their teams even though the match could be watched on television.

The loud soundtrack and desperate action eventually died, however, to be replaced by sober comments by both managers. John McGlynn, a fine coach with a grasp of the realities of his post, could only splutter when asked about the likely eventualities of the transfer window. His basic reply was that he was prepared for anyone to depart. Ryan McGowan has already left for China and others will go elsewhere if reasonable offers are made. Pat Fenlon admitted he was preparing for a meeting with Rod Petrie, the Hibs chairman, to see if he could afford to hold on to Leigh Griffiths, Ryan McGivern and Jorge Claros, who are all on loan at the club.

This was a recognition on a breathless night that Scotland's Premier League still struggles financially. This is a genuine downside with no magical rescue formula on the horizon. However, it was hard to walk away from Tynecastle without reflecting that the national game is still capable of producing a meaty encounter with some spice and there still is a healthy appetite for it.

Taken from the Herald