Qatar conundrum has been an issue for fans, but old habits die hard
The saying is Scottish. The experience it references, universal.
That moment when your holiday is over, and it is time to drag yourself back to the normal routine.
Mention of old clothes and cold porridge suggests a parking of indulgences, enjoyed when there is no work to get in the way.
It is a feeling the fans of Premiership sides may well experience this week as the country’s top-flight cranks back into action.
Armchair viewers around the world have thrilled to the sight of Brazil doing a fair impersonation of, well, 1970s Brazil in Qatar.
Of Lionel Messi channelling his inner Diego Maradona for Argentina, and of French striker Kylian Mbappe staking his claim to be considered the planet’s best footballer.
Then there have been the startling shocks. Think here of the exits of Germany, Belgium and Spain, and the exploits of Japan, South Korea, Morocco and Croatia.
While the issues with the decision to award the Finals to Qatar in the first place remain, in purely footballing terms it has been quite a spectacle.
For clubs around the world, however, the timing of the competition has always been a problem.
In order for players to be able to take part in what is the first-ever winter World Cup, it had to be rudely shoehorned into the middle of the domestic league schedules.
The fact the Scottish Premiership returns before the identity of the new world champions is known is just one of the oddities of the whole set-up.
Traditionally, supporters enjoy the international game’s big festival over the summer, then start getting themselves into the mood for the club action to come.
This year it is all sort of squished together.
For fans of Dundee United, as an example, that means a trip to the Tony Macaroni Arena on Saturday, followed 24 hours later by sitting down to watch the World Cup Final.
They would not have to go far for a first-hand account of what the experience will be like.
Just across the road, Dundee have been one of the lower-league sides in action while the competition in Qatar rages on.
It is easy to feel sympathy for those in charge of the finances of clubs at every level in Scotland.
Getting supporters along is a tough enough sell in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
Just last week, Stuart Murphy, chief executive of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, called for a summit to look into the financial pressure on fans.
Of special concern is the cost to those who travel to away games, with the average Premiership ticket costing £25, the most expensive £34.
Factor in the cost of transport and refreshments, and it becomes an expensive day out indeed.
The games in the immediate run-up to Christmas often see a drop-off, with the extra demands on time and disposable cash proving just too much for many to juggle.
Yet recent history tells us that tough times bring clubs and their fans closer together, with supporters putting together some remarkable fund-raising efforts to keep their team afloat during Covid.
And, when the barriers were lifted, the welcome return to full crowds generated record season-ticket sales.
It has been a two-way street, with clubs acknowledging the part they have to play with initiatives in the community.
Motherwell’s move to open part of Fir Park as a heat bank, the price reduction for the Friday night meeting of Hibs and St Johnstone, and Inverness Caley Thistle’s sale of boots for a fiver are just three examples.
Those efforts will be appreciated now, and bank goodwill that will lead to potential extra revenue in the future.
Turning out on a freezing afternoon in Scotland after weeks of oohing and ahhing at the skills of the world’s best in the heat of Qatar might come as a shock to the system.
However, auld claes and porridge get the job done nicely and, as such, have plenty to recommend them.