SCOTTISH Sun on Sunday columnist Frank McAvennie gave Gaelic a real tongue-lashing last week.

Frank asked why so much public cash goes on promoting a language only 57,000 Scots can speak fluently.

6 Our columnist Frank McAvennie called for Gaelic to be scrapped

Macca said he’s fed up reading Gaelic on traffic signs, at railway stations and even on police cars — insisting the money would be better spent fixing our crumbling roads.

And he reckons fans watching footie on BBC Alba are left scratching their heads unable to follow the commentary. So is our native tongue as relevant now as it ever was?

Former Gaelic broadcaster and journalist JOHN MORRISON says yes — and with a third Gaelic primary school opening in Glasgow, it can only get stronger.

GIVING Gaelic a kicking might seem like an open goal but Frank McAvennie has blasted the ball over the bar.

Macca launched a scathing attack on the language of the Gaels at the weekend and the amount of cash spent promoting it.

I’ve got news for him — Gaelic is alive and well and it’s not going to disappear any time soon.

He claims that he has never met a Gaelic speaker. Well he’s clearly been going to the wrong places.

6 Frank McAvennie asked why so much cash is spent on promoting the language

Few people enjoy a night out more than Frank, so next time he’s out on the town in his native Glasgow he should pop to the Park Bar in trendy Finnieston.

He’ll find the place bouncing every weekend with live music and hundreds of young people having a blast.

Most of them will be Gaelic speakers working or studying in the city where tens of thousands of Gaels have made their home.

And the non-Gaels go because it’s one of the liveliest, fun pubs in the city.

Or, he could go along the road to the Glasgow Gaelic School, where the pupils regularly do better than every other state school in the city in their exams.

It’s surely no surprise that speaking two languages is better than one.

6 Jim Morrison has blasted the idea of getting rid of Gaelic

Parents across the city have recognised this and the council has responded and is set to open a third Gaelic primary school.

With about 25 per cent of the kids coming from poorer homes, this is no middle-class fad.

Gaelic is helping the Scottish Government tackle the attainment gap.

Up north, hundreds of people from all over the world sign up every year for courses at Sabhal Mor Ostaig to learn Gaelic. They don’t think it’s a waste of time. Or money.

If Frank crosses the river, not far from Ibrox, he’ll find the home of BBC ALBA.

6 The Park Bar in Glasgow is full of Gaelic speakers

He’s worried that the first Rangers game under Steven Gerrard will be on Gaelic TV, which would make Scotland a laughing stock in his eyes.

Worry not Frank, about 66 per cent of the people in the world can speak at least two languages.

They’d watch the football, like we all do when we’re on holiday in foreign countries, and they’d get it.

Last week, filming started on a Gaelic documentary about one of Frank’s former team mates, the highly regarded Tommy Burns.

It’s expected to be another high quality programme from the same company that produced award-winning features about Jock Stein, Jim Baxter and the exploits of Aberdeen and Dundee United in Europe.

6 The Glasgow Gaelic School produces top grades

You’ll be able to watch it Frank because it will be subtitled. Who knows, they might interview you.

Half a million people tune in to BBC ALBA every week. Given that there are fewer than 100,000 Gaelic speakers, this is a huge success story by any standards.

This success was brought into sharp focus by the sad demise of STV2 last week.

Later this summer the Gaelic rock band Runrig will play their last open air concert near Stirling castle.

It was sold out in hours. Many of the people there won’t be Gaelic speakers but they love the music.

6 Gaelic rock band Runrig are popular across the globe

Before Stirling, Runrig will play to thousands of fans in Berlin, Copenhagen and London. The Europeans love the Gaelic songs.

Every winter Celtic Connections packs out venues across Glasgow in a multi-million pound boost to the city.

Where would the Connections be without the Celtic and the Gaelic?

So, far from being a waste of money that should be dumped, Gaelic is good for Scotland.

You should embrace it.

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De mu dheidhinn geam goilf Frank son bruidhinn mun Ghaidhlig?

How about a game of golf to talk about Gaelic, Frank?

And as my ball flies off into the rough, you may learn a few colourful new phrases.

Dogs learns Gaelic in just three weeks

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