As we approach the end of another football season the future of the most
popular spectator sport in Scotland is in turmoil! Following a botched-up
attempt by the Scottish Premier League Clubs to set up their own
pay-for-view television channel, which was scuppered by Celtic and
Rangers, the other ten Clubs have now given notice that they will leave
the top league in two seasons time. Presumably they will either apply to
rejoin the Scottish Football League or set up their own league - only time
will tell. It could result in the biggest upheaval in Scottish Football
since eight clubs came together on 11 March 1873 in Glasgow to form the
Scottish Football Association. The meeting also decided to have an annual
cup competition which became the Scottish FA Cup. The first Cup winners in
1873-74, Queen's Park, the only one of the original eight clubs still in
existence, had been formed in 1867 and dominated the early days of
Scottish Football. The Spiders, as they are known, also still adhere to
their amateur status, having firmly resisted, through the years, the lure
of 'professionalism'.
Television money has become an essential part of the top club's finances
as the day of packed, standing room only, terraces are long past. Crowd
potential had already been vastly reduced by the insistance on all-seated
grounds. Armchair viewing has replaced being at the 'gemme'. Never again
in Scotland will we see a repeat of the two crowd attendance records set
in 1937 for an International match and a club game. Within the space of
eight days Hampden Park housed a massive crowd of 149,415 for a
Scotland-England International Match and a club crowd record of 147,365
for the Celtic-Aberdeen Cup Final.
But in all the ups-and-downs and changes in league structure that have
taken place since the first Scottish League Championship was inaugurated
in 1890-91, when Dumbarton and Rangers shared the League Title, one thing
has remained constant - the half-time pie and bovril! This weeks recipe is
for the traditional Scottish Mutton Pie - a welcome treat for any true
Scottish Football Fan.
Mutton Pie
Hot water crust
Ingedients : 8 oz flour; 2 oz lard or vegetable fat; 2 fl oz milk; 2 fl oz
water; pinch salt; 1 egg yolk
Filling
Ingredients : 12 oz lean mutton or lamb; 6 tablespoons meat stock, gravy
or water; salt and pepper
Make the filling first. Chop the meat finely and season. Set aside. Set
oven to 375 deg F or Mark 5. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Boil
the lard, water and milk together in a saucepan. Make a well in the flour
and pour in the hot mixture: mix well with a knife and knead until smooth.
Roll out two thirds of the paste on a floured surface, keeping a third for
lids. Cut into 6 circles and press into deep patty tins. Spoon the meat
into each tin, moistening each filling with a spoonful of stock, gravy or
water. Cut the remaining dough into 6 smaller circles for lids. Brush the
edges with water and seal. Make a split in each pie lid to allow steam to
escape. Brush with egg yolk. Cook for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
