Bobo's eye was on the ball as well.

Byline: JOHN HILCOAT

WELL done to world athletics chiefs for grabbing the bull by the short and curlies and ordering women's 800 metres champ Caster Semenya to have a sex test over fears she is a man.

The 18-year-old has a deeper voice than Sly Stallone after a mad night on the bevvy and if she - or he - fails the so called gender verification test that's goodbye to the gold medal.

Back home, Alloa defender Scott Walker went into hiding after yesterday's game against Cowdenbeath amid fears football clubs in Scotland will carry out similar tests on players to make sure the same sort of scandal doesn't sneak into our game. Now I realise why the big man likes to watch hit movie The Crying Game so much.

Still on the subject of sexy football it is refreshing to see so many former full-time Scottish players taking the valuable experience they have gained over the years and turning it to good use.

It's a crying shame the amount of knowledge peed up against the wall by guys who lived for football in their early years then quit the game without injecting some of that hard earned experience back into young players' heads.

However, there are still ex-players all over Britain flying the flag gracefully as they make the transition to manager and hopefully help make the future a better prospect.

Take new Livingston gaffer Gary Bollan for instance. Bobo has been a full-time footballer for the best part of 100 years and served his apprenticeship under some of the best bosses - including me during a fivegame stint as Brechin caretaker gaffer - in the Scottish game.

Agenda Local boy Bobo broke into Jim McLean's Dundee United team in the late Eighties.

He played in an era when discipline was high on the agenda and players couldn't wipe their butt without wee Jum wanting to know about it.

But after working with Bobo at Brechin it was clear he would take the fundamental skills learned in his early days from guys like McLean and Walter Smith at Rangers and put them to good use.

Bollan has been seeking a job in management for the past few years and could have been forgiven if he chose to turn his back on the game after being dished up a deal that reeked of fish during his time at Clyde last season.

But the big man kept his head down and last week emerged as the new gaffer of debt-ridden Livingston.

Off the field problems the West Lothian outfit have faced over the past few months won't bother Bollan (below) or his assistant Brian Welsh.

Bobo has been told Livi will stay full time and last week's 2-0 win over Montrose proved he means business, despite yesterday's loss to Berwick.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing if the Lions were sent to the Third Division for good after their appeal. It would be great for Bollan's cv if my fellow shiny dome could win promotion by wiping the floor with the likes of Annan and East Stirling.

However, his first week in charge wasn't all roses as he faced all sorts of con artists trying to take advantage of his rookie status.

Gary got a letter from a young Italian saying he had played at a good level all over Europe and was in Scotland studying at one of our unis.

He backed up his tale with a list of references even Italian legend Toto Schillaci would have been proud of.

But you better rise early in the morning to get one over on the bold Bobo as he smelled a rat after some digging.

He confronted the shyster with his fantasy life and told him where to go. Bluntly.

By all accounts the phantom footballer has previous for this stuff and tries it on every time someone he thinks may be a bit wet behind the ears is appointed at a club.

It was also heartening to see another Scot putting the skills learned from an early age toward his bid to climb the ladder of managerial success.

Former St Mirren and Celtic star Paul Lambert had a great apprenticeship working with Alex Smith and Martin O'Neill.

Lambert accepted the vacant post at Norwich after Bryan Gunn was hounded out following a disastrous start to the season which resulted in a humiliating 7-1 defeat at the hands of Colchester who were, ironically, managed by Lambert.

Bet your bottom dollar the Canaries will fly up the league under their new gaffer only to miss out on promotion by goal difference. Then Lambo's heroics for his old club will come storming back to bite him on the bum.

Watch this space and the tables, folks.

IT'S great when a sportsman with the iconic stature of Lance Armstrong pays a visit to my home town of Paisley.

Around 300 fans and budding cyclists turned up in the hope they too will some day experience the ride of their lives.

Sounds like a typical Saturday night at the local night club if you ask me.