Headed south

As an avid reader of your paper and an even more avid Hearts fan of over 65 years I would like to share my views on the subject of Scottish football. I am based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and at the age of 71 my visits to my homeland are somewhat restricted.

First of all my congratulations to Celtic for once again being Champions of a League where there is no effective opposition. Hopefully with the improvements at Rangers, Aberdeen and Hibs – and cautiously at Hearts – we will see at least a semblance of competition next season.

My local teams in England, Mansfield Town and Notts County play to an average crowd of more than 4,000 despite being in the 4th tier of English football and at a standard at the very least equal to our championship level, if not the lower levels of the Scottish Premiership .

For the foreseeable future Scottish football will continue to be dominated by one team and success will be measured by being second.

So much of football in general is dominated by the influx of foreign players on inflated wages, ultimately paid for by the fans, that it is somewhat rewarding to see the Hearts model of promotion from within – surely the only way that there can be a serious future both at club and national level for our game.

DAVID GIFFORD

Birch Grove Berry Hill, Mansfield