Selection process can be perfected

A WEEK in sports reporting mirrors everyday life.

You get good news, bad news and thrown the odd surprise.

This week's positive soundings came from the mouth of our Commonwealth Games Association chairman, Peter Sirett.

Fresh from his three weeks avoiding moths and the like in Delhi, he has confirmed that there might well improvements to the Games selection process but, at the same time, offered the viewpoint that they might never get the method perfectly right.

Sirett gave encouragement to sports that rely on the watch to measure performance, by stating that the GCGA may well push back the deadline for selection.

That can only be right, as the existing format clearly works against the most sound and fair selection process.

But it is not all about deadlines, cut-off points, whatever you wish to call the completion of the qualifying process.

More importantly, it is ensuring that the selection criteria for each individual sport is valid and correct and while I have the utmost respect for the individuals sitting on the existing validation committee, I do not believe that as a group they got it right in each and every case for Delhi.

One sport clearly wrong-footed the validation committee on what is an appropriate level to play at – a level which, in that particular sport's case, was nearer to world championship standard than Commonwealth.

Also, if the selection process is close to perfect and, for the life of me I cannot see why it should not be just that, attaining set standards is one thing, maintaining them at a level which is worthy of the Commonwealths, is another.

Had close monitoring of performance and fitness existed this past year, one or two would never have made the plane to Delhi.

There will be many, I expect, who will be tut-tutting at my suggestion that not everyone who went to India and were part of nothing less than a fantastic example of island sport at its best, should be highlighted in this way, but I would argue that the Commonwealths is sufficiently major an event that all our selections should be worthy of competing at that level and, regardless of their own individual result, have benefited from a purely sporting perspective, not simply a social and cultural one.

Had the selection process been perfect, we would not have had a competitor going on radio and commenting that he should not be going because he's not fit. Which is what happened and went down like a lead balloon with the GCGA who did not want to hear that, but seemingly did nothing about it, except tick off that sport.

People who are unfit and know it, should not be going to the Commonwealths.

This individual went to the Games because his sport was not permitted to replace him when, with a little common sense, he could have been.

Yet, that individual travelled to India with the GCGA's blessing at the end of a season in which injury restricted him severely.

I felt sorry for him and sincerely hope he takes these comments the right way and not personally, but I have used them to try to help bring about a more perfect selection process for Glasgow in four years' time.

THE bad news...

I seem to be in a minority of very few who do not believe the transfer system in football is A-OK and should remain untouched.

I was not totally surprised by that, it's an age thing probably, and to the one signed 'HATER' – got a big fan there haven't I? – who responded on this paper's online 'Your Shout' slot.

I would respond 'HATER' by simply saying it is all very well allowing players free rein to play where they like in an amateur environment and yes football 'is primarily to be enjoyed', but the game is not just only about players.

There are a whole raft of people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to allow the sport to exist, let alone thrive, and when a player departs a club for no good reason, it is often a kick in the teeth to those individuals and to the club they serve.

As Mark Le Tissier alluded to with his response to the transfer system question, loyalty among footballers does not mean as much these days.

The game is the poorer for it.

The surprise...

That has to be Vale Rec turning over North, deservedly so by most accounts.

The home defeat was the first setback the chocolate-and-blues have seen under the new Cortez-Cameron regime, while as far as Carl Le Tissier's Vale side goes it is clear that they will make life difficult for most this season.

I like what I see in Ridunian new-boy Damian Larkin and am not all surprised to hear Le Tissier wax lyrically over full-back Geoff Robinson.

Almost a decade ago when involved briefly with minis coaching at the Vale Rec I considered that one day Robinson would play right-back in a Muratti one day and that Dave Hooper, who was in the same group, would be at left-back.

It's good to see them both progressing so well now that they have hit manhood and it is not out of the question that the two lads will make my Muratti prediction come true.