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Just seen Millen has signed for Raith, seems an odd as I didn't feel he was overly convincing for us in League One

So here we go (here we go, here we go) ... The competition starts in 6 days time and Scotland are firmly ensconced the USA preparing for their World Cup return in 8 days, albeit without Billy Gilmour, which is a big loss to the side, but we are nonetheless at our first World Cup since France '98 and the Tartan Army will be there in force, tickets or not. I remember France 98, we got beaten by both Brazil and Morocco enroute to a bottom of the group finish. Let's hope history does not repeat itself. We have been drawn against Brazil in 1974 (0-0), 1982 (1-4), 1990 (0-1), and 1998 (1-2) so 1 draw, 3 defeats across 4 games in a total of 7 world cups we've been to since 1974. I'd take a repeat of the 1974 result against them if you offered it right now! If we can avoid slip-ups then the current squad surely has a chance to make a name for itself as the first Scotland team to get out of the group stage, something that is statistically easier this time around with 48 teams instead of 32, but we all know Scotland don't do things the easy way ... its like watching ICT (or Toronto FC). Another possibility is for there to be a new Scottish top scorer at the tournament, not the golden boot for the tournament itself (although that would be really nice) but just the top Scot. Joe Jordan has the most goals for Scotland at the World Cup, with 4 in total having scored 2 in '74 and 1 each in '78 and '82. Three other players have two World Cup goals total, Archie Gemmill got two in 1978, both in the same game, and I think we all remember only one of them ❤️. John Wark was our top scorer in 1982 with two in the game against New Zealand and Kenny Dalglish has two as well, but spread across two tournaments with one each in 78 and 82. If McTominay, McGinn or Shankland can bag two goals in total then they would join the three players who have scored more than once at a World Cup, and if by chance anyone got three or more, they would be our all-time top scorer in a single World Cup tournament ... but let's not get ahead of ourselves, I think we would all take an 89th minute sclaff in the box deflecting of Grant Hanley's right erse cheek if it got us three points. ESPN had a decent article this week about the World Cup predictions and for Group C it predicted - as many have - Scotland to finish third but noted a 67% chance of advancing. The simulation, performed 1000s of times has this averaging out as a low scoring group and shows Scotland ending up with 4 points and a 1-1-1 record. According to the Supercomputer we are going to beat Haiti 2-1, draw 0-0 with Morocco and lose 1-0 to Brazil before crashing out 1-0 to Mexico in the round of 32. I guess that sounds plausible and also puts the kybosh on us hoping for a new top scorer for Scotland at a world cup. (source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/48962628/world-cup-predictions-picking-winner-every-game-entire-tournament) On a personal level I thought long and hard before deciding not to cross the border into USA and go to Boston. There were just too many factors conspiring against me personally, professionally and it has to be said, financially, with tickets, travel and accommodation costs putting it well out of reach of most 'normal' people this time around. The cherry on top of it is that my son's football team will be playing in a tournament close to Niagara Falls next weekend on the very day that Scotland kick off against Haiti. So instead, we have a group of around 40 parents who are all going to the pub to eat loads of fried food, drink loads of beer, and hopefully be converted into Tartan Army members, although I don't think this will work on the Haitian family who are part of our group nor those with Spanish or French connections. Should make for some interesting banter however ... and yes, full Tartan Army uniform will be in force. The kilt is being dusted down, the Scotland top is already in hand, and I have my (really comfortable) Adidas World Cup trainers, courtesy of FIFA. Anyone following the blog will have seen I was unsuccessful in getting tickets for any of the games in Toronto, and although prices are now coming down slowly, they are still pretty high and may eventually sell out before reaching my comfort zone. I will keep my eye out just in case things improve. However, what started as 'Plan B' to try and get a role inside the stadium on matchdays by volunteering my services, has instead seen me get a role that is called "Host City Management" and I will be based at the Volunteer Centre that is located in the heart of the Fan Fest area near the stadium. The title sounds high falutin' but it's basically checking in other volunteers and telling them where they need to be and being kept in reserve in case, we are needed elsewhere. The description of this new role, notes that we need to be flexible, adaptable, and capable of performing many different roles, so I'll take that as a compliment. The training we are receiving is comprehensive and things, while perhaps looking chaotic on the surface, which is not unexpected given the sheer quantity of applications received, is actually very well organised, and smooth. I went to pick up my accreditation and uniform the other week and was in and out of the place I had to go in about 20 minutes with all my gear. During training it was confirmed to us that there were more than 250,000 applications for volunteer positions in Toronto alone, of which a total of about 3200 volunteers were selected in total, and in the role I have been given, only a total of around 60 people. The same is true of other roles where it was whittled down from that initial 250K to just a few. As the tournament draws closer, I am actually looking forward to this quite a lot and after signing up for the required 8 shifts the other week, I actually went into the volunteer portal and added 4 more today although none when Scotland are due to play! Wherever I end up on any given day, the atmosphere is going to be electric around Toronto and it's time to breathe it all in. If I ever experience this again, it's unlikely I will be able to go home to my own bed at the end of the evening and that's kind of a surreal feeling. And so to a little final comment about the "Toronto Stadium". I am going to say it now. I think the smallest stadium in the tournament might actually be very popular with fans and players alike. The temporary stands are not exactly attractive from the outside, but on the inside of the stadium it does not look too bad, the fans are really close to the field (like 10-15 feet at the front row) and there is no running track or other barrier distancing the field from the players. They WILL hear you if you are close enough to the action. I know that much from TFC games. They tried a dry run at the recent TFC -V- Inter Miami game and because Messi and co. were in town, they managed to pretty much sell out the stadium. They also implemented World Cup travel schedules on public transit and put the proposed entry procedures into effect to test it, and it has to be said, it all seemed to go pretty smoothly considering there were twice as many people as normal in the stadium. The atmosphere was pretty good with 45K in the stands, although with World Cup crowds I think it will be more raucous and louder than the Messi-hunters. Despite the result, a 4-2 defeat with Messi and Luis Suarez both on the scoresheet, the experience felt good. I looked around and wished the Tartan Army would have been drawn here. I think any team as loud and as passionate as the TA will make this stadium rock. No Scotland No Party !

Next week according to Charlie Christie on MFR news about 5pm and 6pm 😉. Latest one doing the rounds now is Dom Thomas from Airdrie by Scott Burns.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Prize Draw. Details of the draw itself and the winning entrant are here: Season Ticket Prize Draw Winner Congratulations to Adam. Look out for our unique Prize Draw to coincide with the World Cup: details coming soon!

Is kells waiting for world cup performances to decide his signings......I have no patience.

Those six games were key in getting oscar , jordan and others up to speed and also supporting a two squad team.

So getting promoted means we have six games fewer than last season. Not everyone will agree, but I think that's a good thing.

Cove (away) on Tuesday 7 July with a 1900 kick off.

KDM Evolution Trophy 2026/27SPFL announces expanded KDM Evolution Trophy format The SPFL has today announced the format of the KDM Evolution Trophy for season 2026/27. Following the success of last season’s revamped competition – which included an inaugural league phase – season 2026/27 will now see more clubs compete in an expanded 40-club league phase. The following 10 guest clubs across the Scottish Highland Football League and the Scottish Lowland Football League East and West have accepted invitations into this season’s competition: Banks o’ Dee Berwick Rangers Bonnyrigg Rose Clachnacuddin Clydebank Cowdenbeath Cumbernauld Colts Formartine United Fraserburgh Gala Fairydean Rovers They will join 10 William Hill League 1, 10 William Hill League 2 and 10 William Hill Premiership B-teams in the tournament’s opening round. Clubs participating in the league phase will be split into four pots by division, with each club playing two different opponents from each other pot, totalling six matches. William Hill Premiership B-teams will again play all league phase matches away from home. Points gained by clubs across six matchdays will feed into one league table, with the top 22 clubs qualifying for the knock-out Round of 32. William Hill Championship clubs will enter the competition in the Round of 32 as seeded clubs, alongside teams finishing in the top six of the league phase, with the remainder of the competition following a traditional knock-out format. Member clubs and the Scottish FA considered the new set-up hugely beneficial for youth players in providing more opportunities in the key ‘transition phase’ of ages 16-21, as players move from the academy environment to senior football. Youth prospects aged 15 will continue to be eligible to participate in the KDM Evolution Trophy, following a successful trial. The Scottish FA Cooperation System, which was designed to strengthen youth development in Scotland, has also been extended. Neil Doncaster, group chief executive of the SPFL, said: “We are delighted to build on the success of last season’s new-look competition by inviting 10 guest clubs to participate in next season’s tournament, which will be sure to benefit the community clubs we have invited and provide new challenges for our member clubs. “While we will continue to minimise travel with broadly regionalised league phase matches, following discussions with our members, home clubs will now retain gate receipts in full in the league phase, to support clubs financially.” Over £1.3 million in prize money was shared with clubs for last season’s KDM Evolution Trophy, which was an increase of more than 50% on the previous year. The SPFL is pleased to confirm that last season’s prize money has been maintained for the 2026/27 tournament, with the winners receiving £150,000, and the runners-up £100,000. The Scottish-based, internationally operating construction firm, KDM Group, remain proud title sponsors of the competition. Iain Jones, Chief Executive of KDM Group, said: “We are extremely excited to continue our partnership with the KDM Evolution Trophy after a highly successful first season of the new-look competition. Next season’s expanded format promises to deliver even more excitement and opportunities to clubs and players across the country, which reflects KDM Group’s support for Scottish football across all levels of the game.” The KDM Evolution Trophy league phase will commence on the midweek of August 11/12, where participants will look to better Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s run to the final last season. Championship clubs will again enter at the Round of 32 stage on November 3/4, with the 2026/27 showpiece final taking place on either the weekend of March 27/28 or April 3/4. The fixtures for the 2026/27 KDM Evolution Trophy league phase will be published on Thursday 16 July at 1.00pm. The full schedule of prize money for the KDM Evolution Trophy is set out below: Winners: £150,000 Runners-up: £100,000 Eliminated in semi-finals: £75,000 Eliminated in quarter-finals: £50,000 Eliminated in Round of 16: £40,000 Eliminated in Round of 32: £30,000 Eliminated in league phase: £15,000 - £18,500 (depending on final league position) A summary of key competition dates is set out below: League Phase MD1: August 11/12 League Phase MD2: August 25/26 League Phase MD3: September 8/9 League Phase MD4: September 22/23 League Phase MD5: September 26/27 League Phase MD6: October 13 Round of 32: November 3/4 Round of 16: November 24/25 Quarter-finals: January 12/13 Semi-finals: February 9/10 Final: March 27/28 or April 3/4

I agree with that. I can't see Argentina repeating and my Brazilian colleague tells me that they are not good right now, although in Brazilian terms that likely translates to only being good enough for the quarters or semis! No other country springs to mind as an eventual winner other than France or Spain although Spain also have a bit of controversy going on after naming no Real Madrid players to the squad. Don't know what to make of Haiti. That's a pretty good result but looking at the squad list there are only a handful of players at recognisable clubs. One of them - Derrick Etienne Jr - plays for Toronto so I see him every week. A pacy winger, who will be familiar with the stadium in Boston, but someone who flatters to deceive most weeks. Scored something like 8 in 46 games for Haiti and only 5 in 60 for Toronto but popped up just a couple of weeks ago to score an absolute banger against Charlotte. Hopefully that is him done scoring for the season - internationally at least! Not that I put much faith in the rankings, but it does have to be noted that Haiti are 83rd and New Zealand are 85th. The two lowest ranked teams in the tournament. Even Cape Verde (69) and Curacao (82) are ahead of them. Scotland are at #43. What surprised me - in the rankings - is that Ghana, who I thought were higher ranked, are listed at 74th spot so round of the 'worst five' according to the rankings.

We have Ross Stewart who was Sunderland’s top scorer season 21/22 who probably isn’t fast. He now plays for Southampton so will be well versed on how to hide behind a tree and film opposition training sessions. Fly old fox Steve Clarke.

Nairn County have announced the signing of Leo Walker following his release by us: Nairn County Football ClubYoung defender Leo Walker is our first summer signing - N...We are delighted to announce our first signing of the close season in the form of young defender, Leo Walker. The 18-year-old joins the squad having been released by Inverness CT following their Leagu

I see they have brought in Wilson Isidor after finding out his ancestry made him eligible. He was Sunderland’s top scorer in 24/25 and is very fast.

Or Costa Rica. The public holiday for the day after the game could easily become a day of national mourning.

Crickey, I hope Haiti wont be the new Peru!

Haiti put four past New Zealand last night. Be prepared for them to do the same to Scotland in about eleven days time. I truly believe the adage " the triumph of hope over experience" was coined to describe what it feels like to support most Scottish sporting teams but especially our national football team. I suppose there is always the enjoyment of watching England go out on penalties to look forward to. France or Spain to be the eventual winners I reckon.

With both the aforementioned Kenny Dalglish and Kevin Keegan recently revealing their cancer diagnoses, maybe both nations will have a wee bit of an incentive to raise the bar a little bit for one of their respective icons. FCUK Cancer - wishing both Kenny and Kevin success in their individual battles.

DD, I was the mini bus driver on many occasions to Glasgow throughout the years. I was at Hampden 1973 the night we drew with the mighty West Germany when Billy Bremner had a penalty saved at 1-1 and joined in the chant “We sank the Bismark”. Again the night of the Maurice Johnston game when we beat France 2-0. The Dalgleish game when we beat Spain 3-1 with the wonder goal. At Wembley for a drubbing when the chant was “ Keegan lost his daddy”. Sounds so crude nowadays. It was also the day the London tube went on strike and we had to walk in after the game to Pimlico where we were staying. Stood in the queue for a burger on that walk and was behind a Scottish fan who asked the burger seller how much his burgers were. When he heard the price he toppled the van and put it on its side with the seller still in it. Legged it quick. Witnessed while walking a fan in a supermarket trolley holding the rear entrance hand bar of a double decker London bus pulling him to the city centre. Often wondered if he made it past the first corner. More recently took some grandkids to the mctominay Spain game where we won 2-0. The Portugal game so they could see CR7 live. Witnessed the Craig Levein era and the 10/0 formation. This old guy has been there, done it, seen it all and needs his beauty sleep. Oops forgot the T shirt

I know a bunch of folks doing just that, even considered it myself at one stage until my son's team entered a tournament in Niagara Falls on June 13th and 14th - Just taking the Scotland top and Kilt with me to the tournament and one of the other dads in the team is Haitian so it might be a sloppy night! One of the guys who is a couple of rows behind me at TFC (a Killie fan) is driving a few folk from Toronto to Boston and meeting up with his brothers who are flying in from Scotland. Tickets and accommodation details are 'fluid' according to him! Its 'only' a 10–12-hour drive to Boston but with the ticket prices, transportation companies charging 10X the normal for trains to the stadium, and everything else set to gouge fans I calculated it would cost us about USD$4000 - US$5000 to attend just one game so we decided against it. Tickets likely not going to be a problem to get, if you are willing to pay. There are no games yet sold out (as of last week), not even the Brazil game as costs are so high. It's a defence mechanism. I was optimistic about Scotland in my teens and twenties, but they soon grind you down. That's why I only ever book 2 weeks of holiday time for any competition we qualify for :) If we get through to the next round it will be an achievement for us, even though it should be easier. However, history tells us Scotland have a habit of finding new and innovative ways to not get beyond the group stage. Think I am right in saying we were the first team ever (back in '74) to go out of the tournament without losing a game! All the teams in our group (Brazil, Yugoslavia and Scotland) beat Zaire but the rest of the games were draws so it all came down to who scored how many against Zaire. Yugoslavia put 9 past them, Brazil had 3 and we only scored 2 so out we went ... and its been the Scotland way ever since! OK Boss. Leave it in the general football we will - let's just prefix it with a world cup tag.

Would be great if he did, and hopefully the club made him an offer that would be good enough that he has to think really hard, but in the end, he has to make the choice that's best for him and his family.

I would leave it on here. World Cup is June 16th to July 19th. Will give us all something to moan about during the off season. How am I feeling about the World Cup? Having watched the event since 1966, I don't believe we can do much better than we already have. We don't even have the same quality as previous squads that flopped badly. However, if I am awake, I will probably watch the Scotland games live without much optimism. Watching Scotland has become a chore to be honest but the Denmark game has raised a few eyebrows. Other games I will take in if they fall within my awake time.

I've lived in Scotland for over 50 years now, but I'm English and will be supporting England whilst also wanting to see Scotland do well. As an Englishman I am really surprised at the lack of enthusiasm and even negativity of so many Scots. What scenes there were after that astonishing game against Denmark in November when Scotland booked their place in the finals for the first time in 28 years! But things have gone a bit flat. It's as though just qualifying was the goal. I would be interested in how Scots are feeling about the coming competition. With the tournament expanded to 48 teams, there has never been a better chance for Scotland to progress beyond the group stages. To reach the last 32 Scotland will need to either be in the top 2 of the group or be one of the best 8 of the 12 3rd placed teams. Being in the top 2 would be a terrific performance as both Brazil and Morocco are in the top 10 in the FIFA rankings. Haiti, however are ranked 40 places below Scotland at 83 with only NewZealand of the 42 teams ranked lower. Scotland should be 3rd in their group and beating Haiti would probably be enough to book a 2nd round place. Win or lose against Haiti, Scotland then have games against 2 of the best and most attractive footballing sides in the world. An upset against one of them and Scotland could find themselves with a very winnable game in the round of 32. What's not to be excited about! I'm excited for Scotland's prospects - and I'm English!

I’m sure the club is doing all it can to keep him. However, he’s 25 and needs to do what’s right for him and his family. I really hope he decides that’s to remain with us.

Sorry, its just me. I have no intention of watching Scotland games therefore can’t possibly chat about them.( might have a look in now and again see what you are all saying though 😀) This sums up Scotland for me from the 2024 euros “Scotland failed to register a shot on goal in the opening period but Che Adams soon had an effort just after half-time which soared over the bar” Ps……. Was speaking to a mate a few weeks ago who told me he was going to the World Cup. How did you get the tickets I asked. Oh I don’t have any tickets, just going. Scotland eh, wha’s like us. The phrase "Wha's like us?" is a famous Scottish toast. It translates to "Who is like us?", which is immediately answered by the punchline: "Damn few, and they're a' deid"

Family comes first. A shame his family hasnt moved north as the highlands is a great place to grow up.