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Tha an Litir an t-seachdain seo mu dheidhinn ball-coise. Ball-coise na h-Alba. Ged nach eil sinn, ann an Alba, cho soirbheachail ann an saoghal a’ bhuill-choise ʼs a b’ àbhaist, ʼs e geama mòr a th’ ann dhuinn fhathast. Tha Prìomh Lìog Ball-coise na h-Alba a’ cumail a-mach gum bi barrachd dhaoine a’ dol a choimhead gheamannan ball-coise ann an Alba seach dùthaich sam bith eile anns an Roinn Eòrpa, co-dhiù a rèir meud an t-sluaigh. 

Ach seo ceist dhuibh. Cuin mu dheireadh a bha a h-uile duine a bha a’ cluich ann an Cuairt Dheireannach Cupa na h-Alba, a’ gabhail a-staigh nam manaidsearan is nan rèitirean, nan Albannaich? Uill, bidh sibh a’ smaoineachadh, ʼs dòcha, nach robh Celtic no Rangers an sàs anns a’ ghèam. Agus bhiodh sibh ceart. 

Agus am fuasgladh? An gèam eadar St Mirren agus Dùn Dè Aonaichte ann an naoi ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a seachd (1987). Bha e air a chluich aig Pàirc Hampden ann an Glaschu air beulaibh caogad ʼs a dhà mìle duine, agus bhuannaich St Mirren 1-0. B’ iad na manaidsearan Ailig Mac a’ Ghobhainn aig St Mirren agus Jim MacIllEathain aig Dùn Dè Aonaichte.

Tha ball-coise ann an Alba air atharrachadh gu mòr bhon uair sin. A’ bhliadhna ron ghèam sin, nuair a bha sgioba nàiseanta na h-Alba air a slighe a Mheagsago airson Cupa na Cruinne, bha 97% de na cluicheadairean anns a’ phrìomh Lìog againn nan Albannaich. 

Bhon uair sin, tha am figear sin air a dhol an lughad. A-nise, tha an ìre mhath leth de na cluicheadairean anns a’ phrìomh Lìog nan Albannaich. Agus chan eil sinn air faighinn gu cuairtean deireannach Cupa na Cruinne airson còrr is fichead bliadhna. Saoil a bheil ceangal ann eadar an dà rud sin? No an e rudeigin eile as coireach ris an t-suidheachadh thruagh anns a bheil ar sgioba nàiseanta?

Agus seo ceist eile dhuibh. Cuin mu dheireadh a bhuannaich Alba gèam anns na cuairtean deireannach aig Cupa na Cruinne? Agus cò bha sinn a’ cluich? Uill, cha do thachair e an turas mu dheireadh a bha sinn ann – ann an naoi ceud deug, naochad ʼs a h-ochd (1998) anns an Fhraing. Aig an fharpais sin, bha sinn co-ionann 1-1 le Nirribhidh ach chaill sinn an aghaidh Brasil (2-1) agus Morogo (3-0).

An turas mu dheireadh a bhuannaich sinn, bha e ann an naoi ceud deug is naochad (1990) anns an Eadailt – aig an fharpais far an tàinig a’ Ghearmailt an Iar am bàrr. Agus seo an sgioba a chuir Alba a-mach an latha sin: Leighton, McLeish, Malpas, Levein, McPherson, Durie, MacLeod, Aitken, McCall, Fleck, Johnston. B’ e am manaidsear Andaidh Roxburgh. Chuir McCall agus Johnston na tadhail airson Alba ann an Genoa – an aghaidh na Suain. 

Ged a bhuannaich sinn an gèam sin, chaill sinn gu Costa Rica agus Brasil – a-rithist – agus an dèidh nan trì geamannan, bha ar cluicheadairean is luchd-leantainn air an rathad dhachaigh. Ach, bu chòir dhomh a ràdh gun do bhuannaich Alba rudeigin aig an fharpais mu dheireadh far an do nochd ar sgioba nàiseanta – anns an Fhraing ann an naoi ceud deug, naochad ʼs a h-ochd (1998). Bhuannaich an luchd-leantainn againn duais airson a bhith gan giùlan fhèin ann an dòigh laghach is spòrsail. Tha e math a bhith a’ buannachadh rudeigin!

Faclan na Litreach: Ball-coise: football, soccer; Cuairt Dheireannach Cupa na h-Alba: Scottish Cup Final; am fuasgladh: the solution; Dùn Dè Aonaichte: Dundee United; gu coimeirsealta: commercially.

Abairtean na Litreach: ʼs e geama mòr a th’ ann dhuinn fhathast: it’s still a big game for us; a’ cumail a-mach gum bi barrachd dhaoine a’ dol a choimhead gheamannan ball-coise: maintain that more people go to watch football games; seach dùthaich sam bith eile anns an Roinn Eòrpa: compared to any other country in Europe; a’ gabhail a-staigh nam manaidsearan is nan rèitirean: including the managers and referees; air beulaibh caogad ʼs a dhà mìle duine: in front of fifty two thousand people; nuair a bha sgioba nàiseanta na h-Alba air a slighe a Mheagsago: when Scotland’s national team was on its way to Mexico; tha an ìre mhath leth de na cluicheadairean anns a’ phrìomh Lìg nan Albannaich: pretty much half of the players in the Premier League are Scots; chan eil sinn air faighinn gu cuairtean deireannach Cupa na Cruinne airson còrr is fichead bliadhna: we haven’t reached the World Cup finals for more than twenty years; an e rudeigin eile as coireach ris an t-suidheachadh thruagh: is something else responsible for the poor situation; bha sinn co-ionann le Nirribhidh: we drew with Norway; aig an fharpais far an tàinig a’ Ghearmailt an Iar am bàrr: in the competition where West Germany came out on top; chuir X na tadhail: X scored the goals; an aghaidh na Suain: against Sweden; an dèidh nan trì geamannan, bha ar cluicheadairean is luchd-leantainn air an rathad dhachaigh: after the three games, our players and fans were on the/their way home; duais airson a bhith gan giùlan fhèin ann an dòigh laghach is spòrsail: a prize for behaving in a nice and sporting manner.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: tha am figear sin air a dhol an lughad: that figure has diminished. Lughad is an example of a noun that can be grammatically characterized as a ‘third comparative adjective’. It is formed by adding ‘-²¹»å’ to the comparative form of an adjective (eg nas lugha ‘smaller’) and is used largely today only with the verb rach. Other examples are chaidh e an gilead ‘it got whiter’; tha peatrail a’ sìor dhol an daoiread ‘petrol is continually getting more expensive’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a rèir meud an t-sluaigh: per head of population [‘according to population size’].