by Gordon Cralgle
As the long, hot, tropical Scottish summer has now finally given way to our more traditional weather the thoughts of many will be turning to the return of our national sport, football. (Disclaimer: That weather forecast may not turn out to be 100% accurate but, due to the idiosyncrasies of publishing deadlines, this is written while we’re still experiencing near 30-degree temperatures!) Also, talk of football ‘returning’ when the World Cup in Russia has been apparently omnipresent on TV screens may seem strange and inaccurate. But this month we feature two articles on ‘real’ football – not the overpaid, over-pampered, egotistical demigods of the World Cup, nor even the not-quiteso- overpaid yet still over-pampered wannabees of our Scottish professional game, but the genuine grassroots kind.