The bampot that stole the airwaves

I suspect there are many football fans out there, and not just of a Celtic persuasion, who have spent their weekends hurling abuse at their radios and television sets in abject frustration and exasperation at the tired, agenda-ridden, woolly-minded punditry spouting from the mouths of football’s usual suspects.

The central character of Stephen O’Donnell’s new novel ‘Scotball’ feels exactly the same way, only he decides to try and do something radical about it; he takes his proposal for a brand new programme to the national broadcaster and offers to present it himself!

The Scottish Football Debate, or Scotball, is born. Editorially robust and intellectually rigorous, it’s a programme like no other in that it tackles the issues facing Scottish football in a forthright and reasonable manner, treating its audience with a degree of respect for their intelligence, for a pleasant change.

O’Donnell’s first novel ‘Paradise Road’ was hugely well received by Celtic supporters and, with second novel syndrome lurking menacingly just around the corner, ready to disappoint us all, this intriguing new Glasgow based writer has delivered a terrific follow-up.

The TV chapters of the book are presented on the page as production style scripts, which allows the reader to enter the world of television, hearing the directions in the presenter’s ear and eavesdropping on all the action on the set. The behind the scenes interludes in the offices and meeting-rooms paint a vivid picture of life behind the often closed doors of an (admittedly fictional) national broadcaster.

The programme runs successfully for two full seasons, discussing such everyday topics as referees, youth development and even the fluctuating fortunes of the national team, until the biggest story in the history of sport in this country begins to hit home, namely the liquidation of Rangers.

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but as my dad used to say whenever he was watching an old movie, this is where the trouble starts. If you’re still not sure about what exactly happened over at Ibrox two or three years ago, as administration was followed by liquidation, O’Donnell uses his fictional programme to spell it out, with panellists representing both points of view, including a former Rangers player vainly trying to defend the club’s actions, but getting hopelessly and hilariously confused about “the day when Rangers Football Club were liquidised”.

As well as the football debate, the author takes the cultural and political temperature of the nation on the brink of a referendum. The central character has recently returned from a stint overseas and is curious about Scotland’s apparent lack of self-confidence. One chapter transports us to Amsterdam and there O’Donnell explores Dutch pride, leaving a Scotland ruled by Westminster looking like a parochial distant cousin. Another chapter dips a toe into the shenanigans of the financial services industry and considers the ruination the banks have inflicted on our country.

You can see that this is more than just a football novel, it’s a book about contemporary Scotland, which captures the zeitgeist perfectly. An early review of ‘Scotball’ describes O’Donnell as “Scotland’s Roddy Doyle”, and previously ‘Paradise Road’ has in various outlets been compared to ‘Trainspotting’. Having read and enjoyed both these books so far to date, it’s hard to disagree. Highly recommended.

CLICK HERE to buy Scotball on Amazon