Mr Consistent - that's Malpas

and Michel Platini are just a few who have collected baubles to sit on

the sideboard, and worthy winners they are, too. Will Carling, Kris

Akabusi, and Roger Black also have been given honourable mentions, and

good luck to them.

Annual football awards, however, are not handed out during the festive

period, apart maybe from that excellent magazine World Soccer, but we

very seldom seem to have anyone good enough to figure highly on their

lists. Papin, of France, is their player of the year, his international

boss Platini gets the manager's award while, not surprisingly, France

are the top team.

Jim Bett got a vote in the players' poll, although Aberdeen manager

Alex Smith will be none too pleased that, according to the magazine, he

still plays for Rangers. Someone also voted for Aberdeen as the team of

the year but, then again, another person nominated Hansa Rostock.

Scotland's top football men of the year will be named by various

bodies next April and May, but it will really be a bit of a misnomer,

for the awards will be for achievements during season 1991-92.

That, however, does not prevent us making our own awards for the real

year, and, without hesitation, I nominate Dundee United and Scotland

full back Maurice Malpas as Scotland's Player of the Year. His ability

is without question and his commitment is admired by colleagues and

rivals. For sheer consistency there is no-one in the country who can

claim a better record.

From January 1 up until now, Malpas has played in every competitive

match for both club and country -- 56 in all. For United he has played

41 premier-division games, six in the Scottish Cup, and three in the

Skol Cup. For Scotland he has taken part in all six matches this year.

During that time he has been given only three cautions, two of them in

the international squad's successful run towards the European

Championship finals in Sweden next summer.

No player in the country can match that record. As this newspaper is

still officially banned from the Tannadice doorstep, we cannot ask

Maurice for his views, but he wouldn't have much to say in any case, for

another of his qualities is that he is such a quiet, unassuming

character.

Neither can we ask his manager, Jim McLean, to pay tribute. At the

moment I think he would rather spend an hour in Angus Cook's company

than a couple of minutes in conversation with any of us here at Albion

Street. I can, however, pinch a quote from McLean's book, Jousting With

Giants. He refers to Malpas as ''a manager's dream.''

There are two candidates for goalkeeper of the year, Andy Goram, once

of Hibernian and now of Rangers, and Pat Bonner, of Celtic. Now, I know

there are those of you who will boo as loudly as the wean at a Christmas

panto and put forward claims for the likes of Aberdeen's Theo Snelders

and Hearts' Henry Smith. But just as with Malpas, I am going for

consistency.

During the year, Bonner has had 20 shut-outs from 48 games, and Goram

18 from 47. Bonner has lost his place at Celtic, Goram has lost a few

silly goals, but for consistency you cannot look past this pair. Take

your pick.

The Old Firm also provide the candidates for striker of the year --

Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist, from Rangers, and Tommy Coyne and Charlie

Nicholas, from Celtic.

Coyne, with 23 goals, has scored more than the others, but he has

taken 50 matches to achieve the total. Hateley has scored 21 in 41

games, which is a fair strike-rate, but the other two edge out Coyne and

Hateley. Nicholas has hit 22 goals from 34 matches and McCoist 22 from

32. Again, you can take your pick. I wouldn't argue.

As you can see, I have been totally unbiased. Albion Rovers don't get

a mention.