Late. Didn’t Hutch look the part on the box at tea-time when we received the SFA Quality Mark Community Club award at the Academy today. Contrary to what I read on a Forum tonight we are the first senior football club to receive it.

Hutch is making a habit of being on the box and a bit of a media tart he has become. Let’s hope someone wants to interview him later in the week.

I hope our readers from home and abroad like the look of the new improved website. I sure do. I’m still coming to grips with the technicalities of it all but there again I’ve only been working with computers for 20 years. Wheelie Jim and Bunnett – now there’s a double act – have put together some questions which we’ll post as the Players Profiles and Jim is coming down to training tomorrow armed with his box Brownie to take some head and shoulders to accompany their details.

I sent out the questions today and so far I’ve received one reply. It was from the Steamroller himself and modest he is not. From Business Guru to his Left Foot volley in Santa Ponsa he is a double for Herb Albert.

It looks like Villa’s loss could be a gain for Fabregas. Football can be a cruel sport at times and even Cesc getting a start isn’t a formality. Luis Aragones is his own man and may surprise everyone by going with Torres and Gormley’s big brother up front. Nothing would surprise me with the Spanish manager. He might even leave Fernando on the bench.

Germany will make it difficult for Spain and I only hope the Spaniards rise to the occasion and pass their opponents off the park. It’s a hard one to call but lets hope the game of football is the winner.

It was good to see the two D’s make their first training appearance of the season last night. Dan and Deano both had similar excuses relating to the opposite sex for missing the first two sessions. Dan has struggled to make it home from Lady’s Day at Ascot (he must have backed a winner – backed I said) and Deano’s had a tiff with his better half (schoolboy error using that as an excuse) and has been moving gear about. Anyway they and all the other players worked very hard last night and they may get a kick of the ball on Saturday.

Talking about working hard – how disappointing were the Russians last night? Don’t get me wrong I wanted Spain to win but like every other football fan out there I thought it would and wanted it to, be a lot closer. About 25 minutes into the second half the guy next to me in the pub asked when baby-face had been taken off. Ten seconds later he appeared on the screen only to give the ball away.

It was a game too far for this young Russian side.

The Final will be a different proposition and although the Germans will have more support than Spain in the ground I’d expect the football world at large to be supporting my Spanish brothers.

Getting into the SFL is like the election campaign in America. One minute your up after seeing or hearing something positive and the next your down after seeing or hearing the opposite. At least unlike the Yanks we’ve less than a week to go to hear the good or bad news.

We know by mid September we’ll have a ground fit for SFL football but how do we get that across to 29 chairmen. I’m confident the players would give it there all if they got the chance and I think our support would surprise a few but we live in an instant world.

A good flat surface needs time to grow but will we get that time?

I’m going to change my work option day from Wednesday to Thursday next week as I’d be a waste of space in the office the day of the vote.

If it was good enough for Denis Law in ’66 it’ll be good enough for, Sam, Dougie, Jimmy and myself on Thursday next as we’re heading for the golf course.

Short sharp night tonight. Started early and finished early to allow me to dash away to watch the semi. I wanted Spain to win of course but no matter how well they played the game was spoiled a bit by how inept the Russians were.

I also just missed out on the sweep because I had Luis Aragones down to take Torres off in the 70th minute but tonight it was the 68th. Still the Mallorcan Scott Gormley look-a-like Guiza came on and scored a very good second goal.

Roll on the final.

It appears we’ll get the green vote at least next Thursday (if there are any green chairmen) as we are the shortest combined journey to the 29 SFL clubs and by a long way compared by a couple of our rivals. A Spartans supporting anorak posted the Third Division distances on the P&B and later the full SFL totals.

It seems we are the closest club of the 5 applicants to 19 of the SFL clubs.

On the one hand it’s clutching at straws but on the other have you seen the price of petrol and diesel these days?

At the academy yesterday the Curvaceous Bentley and the Steamroller disappeared during their site visit for quite a while. I last saw them admiring the view together from the new boardroom.

“Where are they” Hutch asked. “Where are they” Sammy asked. “Where are they” Tarzan asked.

They must have eventually appeared as I received this text on my way home.

“The steamroller has only narrowly avoided being knocked down by a steamroller on the site…hammy didn’t seem to bother him as he leapt out the way. I think he’s at it.”

Bobby Dry was only keeping in with the press.

Finally for now my mobile went off as I was heading back to my desk after lunch. I checked and it was an incoming call from Ross Campbell so I answered “Hullo Naomi”

There was silence for a few seconds then “Hullo, it’s Ross Campbell here. Is Mike Lawson about?”

Good try son.

Lahms to the slaughter? We thought it might be but nothing could be further from the truth.

How wrong was I? How very wrong was I? Turkey deserve to be in the Final and they would have graced the Final. I’m sure Germany will be a different proposition come Sunday but no matter how much they improve they won’t be as easy on the eye as a Turkey team depleted by injury and suspension.

I was at the Academy today as were a few others. They must have let Bobby Dry out early, the Curvaceous Bentley was there (as well the guy who produced the banner by the way) and Cloudie and I got our picture taken playing keepie uppie.

Ronaldo video it is not as we headed the ball back and forward but we did ok in the circumstances (him being a player and me being an old man). There must have been a lot of takes as my forehead is hurting tonight.

I can’t wait until the place is finished and we can move in. Sorting out pre-season friendlies has been a nightmare for a few seasons now and even something as simple as that will be a lot easier next time round.

I caught some tennis this afternoon and Safrin v Djorkovic taught us another lesson in not always going with the favourite. Djorkovic has been magnificent this season but his style suited Safrin and he’s played that much tennis that this was maybe a game too far.

Safrin has been there, seen it all, done it all and earned a few roubles on the way. Wimbledon is the big one however and he’s trained a bit and was up for it today.

Put the two together and you get an upset which in hindsight isn’t as surprising as we thought it might be.

Talking of surprises a headline in the News caught my attention tonight.

Broxburn awash with delight after ending 106-year hoodoo

Broxburn Bowling Club haven’t won the big one since 1902.

Is that an omen?

Could it actually be Hibs year?

We’ll just have to wait and see.

I’m a big supporter of the underdog in any sport but especially football. When the wee team gives the big team a hard time there’s never a smile far from my face.

I have mixed emotions today as we all look forward to the first semi of Euro 2008.

Germany are overwhelming favourites especially will the injuries and suspensions the Turks have. By all accounts I should be cheering on the Turks tonight and I do hope they make a game of it but!!!!

Do any neutrals in the football world want to see Turkey in the final?

Spain or Russia v Germany has a much better ring to it and let’s face it Turkey have been ahead for all of two and a half minutes during the entire tournament.

Could the feat Greece achieved last time out repeat itself? I think not.

I’ve a busy morning ahead of me.

Take Murray to his last ever day at nursery.

Drop into Sava Centre for flowers and a card for Bobby Dry.

Nip round to Colin Campbell’s with the squad sizes and numbers for the new training gear.

Go back to the nursery for Murray’s graduation.

Down to the new Academy for a lunchtime meeting and tour. I haven’t been down for a month so I’m looking forward to it.

After lunch I’ll try and find out which private room Bob is in at Murrayfield Hospital and drop in with his card, flowers and maybe a bit of fruit to see how he’s doing. I need to show there are no hard feelings and that we’re all behind him as he hopefully recovers.

Talking of Bob I hope his injury isn’t career threatening. Before the dreadful event last night he was telling me all about the goals he scored in Santa Ponsa and how much he was looking forward to the new Jack and Victor league season.

It would be a nightmare for him and football in general if the “Steamroller” had to hang them up. The “Steam hammer” at Clyde and the “Steamroller” at Spartans – could the two meet?

Right, the two S’s them Murr to nursery.