It's Football Jim - But Not As We Know It

I only pinched this to get a head shot of quiet man Scott Campbell

THE DRAW for the third round of the 2017-18 Scottish Junior Cup was made in the Scottish Sun's Glasgow offices on Tuesday. And why not? Scott Campbell - definitely one of the best guys - has done a sterling job as the main man in junior journalism for too-many years than he cares to remember – it's a terrible reward for serving his apprenticeship as a war correspondent, covering Auchinleck v Cumnock matches, back in the days when fewer than four red cards in one game meant the: “All Quiet On The Western Front” headlines went up.

For me, the tie of the round sends cup-holders Glenafton Athletic, fresh from their 5-1 win over Dalry Thistle in round two to Guy's Meadow, Cumbernauld, to face Kirkintilloch Rob Roy. This is a reprise of last season's Premier League decider, won by the Glen, and the Rabs will surely be hoping to overturn that result.

The question when discussing the Junior Cup is always – who have Talbot got. The mighty men from Auchinleck are on the road in this round, off to Fife to meet former winners Hill O' Beath Hawthorn in what is being seen as one of the glamour clashes of the round.

There is a replay of the 2008 final at Townhead Park, where Cumnock Juniors' new gaffer Peter Leonard will get a chance to see how his restoration work is going when the 'Nock play hosts to Bathgate Thistle. There's a nice wee North v South Derby in Glasgow, where Glasgow Perthshire will entertain Pollok, while, in the only other tie in the city, or for the pedants, just outside it, Rutherglen Glencairn will entertain Stonehaven.

Another two ties which caught my eye are the matches involving Carnoustie Panmure, who entertain the resurgent Petershill, the meeting of Bo'ness United and Kilwinning Rangers. The ties will be played on Saturday, 25 November, 2017.

Arthurlie or Lesmahagow v Couper Angus

Bellshill v Ashfield

Blackburn United v Annbank United or Colony Park

Bo'ness United v Kilwinning Rangers

Carnoustie Panmure v Petershill

Crossgates Primrose v Beith

Cumnock v Bathgate Thistle

Dundee Downfield v Wishaw

Dyce v Irvine Meadow XI

Forfar West End v Shotts Bon Accord

Forth Wanderers or Irvine Victoria v Lochore Welfare

Gartairn v Maud

Glasgow Perthshire v Pollok

Haddington v Vale of Clyde

Hermes v Dunbar United

Hill o' Beath Hawthorn v Auchinleck Talbot

Hurlford United v Musselburgh Athletic

Kennoway Star v Blantyre Victoria

Kirkintilloch Rob Roy v Glenafton Athletic (Holders)

Lochee United v Johnstone Burgh

Newtongrange Star v Cumbernauld United

Oakley United v Linlithgow Rose

Penicuik or Kilbirnie Ladeside v Lanark United

Rossvale v Banks O' Dee

Rutherglen Glencairn v Stonehaven

Sauchie v Camelon

Scone Thistle v Kilsyth Rangers

Thorniewood United v East Kilbride Thistle

Tranent v Jeanfield Swifts

Troon v Yoker Athletic

Vale of Leven v Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic

Whitburn v Benburb

THE BBC Sport website has a wee table running at the moment. It shows David Moyes' points-accumulating record with each of the clubs he has managed. They also ran a table of how the various West Ham United managers had gathered Premier Leagu points.

David Moyes - lucky to be back in the big time, or is he?

The drawback is, this is like comparing apples and pears. The Moyes' figures are a percentage, the West Ham figures are points per game. And, what do you know – the most-successful West Ham managers in terms of gathering points-per-game in the Premier League is – Slaven Bilic, the gaffer with the best ppg record.

Moyes might be a good appointment, he might be a flop. Overall, as a top-flight manager, at Everton, Manchester United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland, Moyes's teams have garnered just under 40% of the available points. The Hammers have 81 points still available to them in this season's Premier League – if he has an average season, and they win 38% of these, that will be 32 points to add to the 9 they have already won in the first 11 games of the season.

Forty-one points would be enough to keep them up. If his new side accumulates points at the rate of his best side – his spell as Manchester United boss, they will win 50% of the points, and they will most-likely finish up in the top half of the table.

Pointa accumulation at his Everton level, would leave the Hammers in mid-table, albeit probably outside the top ten. At his Real Sociedad level of points-gathering, he would be able to keep his new team up, only if he replicates his Sunderland disaster, will he fail, the Hammers will be relegated and he will again be unemployed. But, he is not that much of a gamble.

Fair play to Moyes for being able to get back into a top job, but the reality, to my mind anyway is, only a nutter would want to manage in that league. There are so-many teams of roughly equivalent ability, and with similar budgets, simply staying among the 20 clubs is difficult.

Slaven Bilic - not the worst Hammers' boss, but, still sacked

Over the last five games, Bilic had the fourth-best points-gathering record in the bottom half of the table, indeed, he had a better recent record than a couple of top ten bosses, but, suddenly – he's out. The short-termism and the ability to panic at a run of bad or even average results, by English directors is ridiculous.

Premier League directors make Theresa May and her misfit government seem competent.

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