WHAT'S NOT TO MIC?

Excited armchair fans left deflated at bungling Scots bosses' breakdown in communication

- Michael Gannon

IT was a phrase that used to drive us nuts in the days when we only had four television channels.

Except for viewers in Scotland...

It tended to be on the Beeb when a belter of a show was due to be on at prime time but us north of the border had to wait an extra few hours as we were getting to see some local programme about an Elgin granny who'd knitted a new cottage or something.

Perhaps that was why folk got excited about the prospect of something being screened only in Scotland this week.

The promise of an added dimension to the Edinburgh derby with Hibs boss Nick Montgomery mic'd up during the action cranked up interest from the neutrals as well as the armchair diehards. But then Ian Maxwell went all bah humbug and pulled the plug.

In fairness to the SFA chief, he sits on these IFAB rulemaker meetings and spotted a few red flags with the plan, sparking an almighty row with broadcasters Sky, the SPFL and the SFA down the Hampden corridor.

Yet it's hard not to see this whole stooshie as nothing more than a breakdown in communication - that left the armchair fans short-changed.

The finger-pointing and buck-passing doesn't help anyone but this falling out should be what shrinks and nursery staff would call a teachable moment.