Lessons to be learned

By Chick Young BBC Scotland football correspondent

There's money out there in the Ukraine all right. And I think I have discovered how it is being made.

Some punter is running riot with a 1965 Kay's catalogue flogging fashions which were lost to the world until he stumbled across it all in an aircraft hanger sized lock-up. He dusted them down and hey, you're nobody if you're not cocooned in a black leather jacket.

Del Boyski I salute you.

But I'll tell you this. They sure are investing the profits wisely.

The president of Shakhtar Donetsk is Rinat Akhmetov who may or may not have accumulated his mighty conglomerate with a little help with the rag trade, but he sees the salvation of Ukrainian youth in the beautiful game and here lies a lesson for Scotland.

Akhmetov is reputed to be the richest man in the Ukraine, where blacked out Mercedes hiding those bankrolled by Mafia millions roar past clapped out Ladas which would blush at the threat of an MoT test.

Donetsk with its clouds of pollution from the steelworks and chemical factories loitering over pretty city parks, is a city of contrasts. Tram cars and trolley buses full of people seemingly rushing to go nowhere.

And as I watched them rattle along I wondered what persuaded the city fathers of Glasgow to rid the town of the tram nearly half a century ago. Edinburgh, I hear, is thinking of bringing them back.

But it is not just in the art of public transport we could learn from Donetsk. Celtic and Rangers and our national association should blush at the foundations currently being laid by Rinat Akhmetov for football in his country.

A new stadium, the construction of which is being masterminded by a Scot, at a cost of £125m is one thing.

But the baby of Austin Reilly who shaped the rebuilding of Hampden is only the headline act.

It's what is going on behind the scenes that counts.

Shaktar have developed 23 youth academies throughout the Ukraine, a ludicrous pro-rata investment in terms of producing professional players. More than 99 per cent of the kids involved have no chance of making the grade.

But it takes them off the streets and nurtures their love of football. And that is usually a lifetime love. It gives them a chance.

He has built a training camp twenty minutes drive outside the city and it is stunning. Eight pitches, a lake for fishing and boating, residential accommodation for the first team. By comparison Murray Park is a swing park.

Their old stadium will be razed to the ground to allow the construction of another youth academy and he has decided to up the stakes in the building of the new ground which will be built to Uefa five star standard in the hope that the Ukraine can attract a European final. And they will.

Meanwhile, the coaches who are teaching their kids and despatched to clubs like Lyon and Ajax for months at a time to study their methods. And you know what?

Before they go they have three month language courses in French or Dutch just to ensure they know exactly what is going on.

In short the Ukrainians are investing in their future and the blur you see is them whirring past Scotland in the outside lane.

They seem to know what the national sport means to a country. They realise that is not a bad idea to build places for the kids to play, rather than rip down goalposts so we can construct another supermarket.

One day soon this country will be so overrun with shopping aisles and trolleys that they will replace passport control with a checkout.

We're miles behind. Light years actually and until the Scottish Parliament and local councils play their part we will never catch up. And the odd philanthropist would help too.

The downfall of Scottish football isn't just about the game at the highest level. It is about the very fabric of society in this country.

And its salvation is about investment and caring and seeing the future.

And not about hanging a German out to dry...

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/scotland/3763532.stm

Published: 2004/10/21 14:13:59 GMT

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