Oh well, after the first leg of the Premiership Playoff Final, it's advantage Livingston, tipping the current balance in favour of top flight Scottish Football being played next season at premises known as "The Tony Macaroni Arena". Even by Livingston's supremely tacky history of stadium naming, this one (apologies in advance for the dreadful pun!) is a lot cheesier than most.

So which of these two would you prefer to come out on top in this contest to achieve a status which now eludes the entire Highlands? Personally, I would go for "neither of the above".

Firstly Livingston. It's difficult in Inverness to forget that Livingston owes its place in the National Leagues to one of the most disgraceful stitch-ups in the history of Scottish football. In 1973, an Edinburgh works/welfare team called Ferranti Thistle got into the SFL by a single vote ahead of Inverness Thistle in a poll which reeked of central belt protectionism. Ferranti then morphed into Meadowbank Thistle which moved out to Livingston. Now, TWO administrations later, so at the cost of other people's money, Livingston are pressing to get back into the top league. No thank you.

Then there's Partick Thistle - a club which, in 2004, finished eight points adrift at the bottom of the SPL with 26 points - a total which historically is well below average for the bottom club. However that mediocrity didn't prevent them from dragging their relegation issue, kicking and screaming, through much of the Scottish legal system. It got to the stage where you half expected them to turn up with a QC in the dugout to challenge each and every refereeing decision. Eventually they lost and justice was done - ICT got into the SPL and the ultra-litigious Partick  were correctly relegated. So no thank you again.

Charles we cannot live in the past.  

Livingston have re-emerged from significant adversity and in my view deserve to be in the SPFL. 

Livi would be in the SPFL whether they get promoted or not to be fair.

Partick are an absolute gang and are deservedly on the verge of getting horsed out of the Premiership. They've been shocking for almost the entire season, much like County, and last night they didn't look anywhere near good enough to be deserving of a spot in the top division (though I only caught the last 20 or so minutes of the game).

Fortunately it's not about how their fore-runners behaved over 40 years ago, but more to do with how they play football now!

I wonder if Charles refuses to speak to Germans!

48 minutes ago, buckett said:

 

I wonder if Charles refuses to speak to Germans!

I spoke to them once but I think I got away with it.

But see those bloody Vikings and Romans?! ?

Livingston are a good team on a shoestring budget, they’ve done a great job. Defensively Lithgow, Halkett and Gallagher are solid at the back and I really like Scott Pittman in midfield, he’s a real buzzsaw.

Partick are horrific, really bad. Danny Devine was particularly terrible, they had nothing in the middle of the park and they didn’t offer much up front. 

Were you at the CJT Meeting Charles ?

I am left wondering what Germans have to do with a difficult child like Partick?  Ja vohl!  Das ist eine ser gut question, mein herr.

 Oh well, maybe the question is only germaine if they  prove to still be really difficult to get along with. 

1 hour ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Were you at the CJT Meeting Charles ?

No.

Suppose that you weren't at the Livingston v Partick game either ?

On 5/18/2018 at 12:02 PM, Charles Bannerman said:

Oh well,  <snip>.  thank you again.

The only thing that reeks is your paranoia!

Here’s a more balanced account, speaking as somebody with no axe to grind, but who campaigned and petitioned for Caley to be admitted in the 1990s, but nevertheless can say the words ‘central’ and ‘belt’ without frothing at the mouth.

 

First, the vote was actually in May 1974, not 1973. Most posters on this forum will already have stopped reading, having not been born at the time. However, they may remember that the ‘protectionist barstewards’ overwhelmingly voted in TWO Highland clubs 20 years later. If not, they will certainly be more interested in reigniting the rivalry between ICT and Livi than any historical guff spouted by an old man with a chip on his shoulder. 

 

The fact is that football clubs vote -individually- in self interest - always have, always will. Leagues start centrally then spread outwards. Back in 1974 the car journey from Edinburgh to Inverness took 5 hours (cue more conspiracy theories). The real “scandal”, then, should be ‘why did the Inverness-centric protectionists keep Wick Academy out of the HL till 1994?’ ?

 

The first ballot was tied at 13-13. If the Highland vote hadn’t been split 3 ways (Elgin, Ross County and Thistle) the Jags would probably have won on the first ballot. The Lowland vote was only split between 2 clubs- Ferranti and Hawick.

 

Ferranti Thistle were an established EOSL club at the time, and had been full SFA members for two years. Typical snobbery then to repeatedly refer to them as ‘an Edinburgh works/welfare team’. As is sneering at ‘The Toni Macaroni Arena’ which after all is no worse than ‘The Global Energy Arena’. I don’t know whether dementia is creeping in or whether you just think nobody was paying attention the first couple of dozen times, but as other posters have pointed out, you don’t half tend to repeat yourself.

 

Mind you, as for Partick Thistle, you got that bit right.

 

You can read more in "Against All Sods" by John Blair ?

4 hours ago, TheMantis said:

The only thing that reeks is your paranoia!

Here’s a more balanced account, speaking as somebody with no axe to grind, but who campaigned and petitioned for Caley to be admitted in the 1990s, but nevertheless can say the words ‘central’ and ‘belt’ without frothing at the mouth.

 

First, the vote was actually in May 1974, not 1973. Most posters on this forum will already have stopped reading, having not been born at the time. However, they may remember that the ‘protectionist barstewards’ overwhelmingly voted in TWO Highland clubs 20 years later. If not, they will certainly be more interested in reigniting the rivalry between ICT and Livi than any historical guff spouted by an old man with a chip on his shoulder. 

 

The fact is that football clubs vote -individually- in self interest - always have, always will. Leagues start centrally then spread outwards. Back in 1974 the car journey from Edinburgh to Inverness took 5 hours (cue more conspiracy theories). The real “scandal”, then, should be ‘why did the Inverness-centric protectionists keep Wick Academy out of the HL till 1994?’ ?

 

The first ballot was tied at 13-13. If the Highland vote hadn’t been split 3 ways (Elgin, Ross County and Thistle) the Jags would probably have won on the first ballot. The Lowland vote was only split between 2 clubs- Ferranti and Hawick.

 

Ferranti Thistle were an established EOSL club at the time, and had been full SFA members for two years. Typical snobbery then to repeatedly refer to them as ‘an Edinburgh works/welfare team’. As is sneering at ‘The Toni Macaroni Arena’ which after all is no worse than ‘The Global Energy Arena’. I don’t know whether dementia is creeping in or whether you just think nobody was paying attention the first couple of dozen times, but as other posters have pointed out, you don’t half tend to repeat yourself.

 

Mind you, as for Partick Thistle, you got that bit right.

 

Thanks for the big print.  It makes it easier for us old 'uns to read!

Livi to go up.

Davie Hopkin next manager of Aberdeen when McInnes goes to Sevco in January after Stevie G jacks it in. ?

Edited May 20, 20188 yr by Guest

8 hours ago, TheMantis said:

The only thing that reeks is your paranoia!

Here’s a more balanced account, speaking as somebody with no axe to grind, but who campaigned and petitioned for Caley to be admitted in the 1990s, but nevertheless can say the words ‘central’ and ‘belt’ without frothing at the mouth.

 

First, the vote was actually in May 1974, not 1973. Most posters on this forum will already have stopped reading, having not been born at the time. However, they may remember that the ‘protectionist barstewards’ overwhelmingly voted in TWO Highland clubs 20 years later. If not, they will certainly be more interested in reigniting the rivalry between ICT and Livi than any historical guff spouted by an old man with a chip on his shoulder. 

 

The fact is that football clubs vote -individually- in self interest - always have, always will. Leagues start centrally then spread outwards. Back in 1974 the car journey from Edinburgh to Inverness took 5 hours (cue more conspiracy theories). The real “scandal”, then, should be ‘why did the Inverness-centric protectionists keep Wick Academy out of the HL till 1994?’ ?

 

The first ballot was tied at 13-13. If the Highland vote hadn’t been split 3 ways (Elgin, Ross County and Thistle) the Jags would probably have won on the first ballot. The Lowland vote was only split between 2 clubs- Ferranti and Hawick.

 

Ferranti Thistle were an established EOSL club at the time, and had been full SFA members for two years. Typical snobbery then to repeatedly refer to them as ‘an Edinburgh works/welfare team’. As is sneering at ‘The Toni Macaroni Arena’ which after all is no worse than ‘The Global Energy Arena’. I don’t know whether dementia is creeping in or whether you just think nobody was paying attention the first couple of dozen times, but as other posters have pointed out, you don’t half tend to repeat yourself.

 

Mind you, as for Partick Thistle, you got that bit right.

 

Whilst I largely agree, in my view both the exclusion of an Inverness team from the Scottish League and Wick from the Highland League were equally parochial and equally wrong.

I appreciate that the geographical difficulties were substially greater then but, in each case, the aspiring team were only asking the existing members to make the journey once a seaon on league business whilst they were prepared to do so every second week.

However, both wrongs were thankfully righted well over twenty years ago and what I do entirely agree with is the absurdly obsessed fixation with events that are almost half a century old and where the wrong obsessed about was put right a quarter of a century ago is pathetic.

Edited May 20, 20188 yr by Kingsmills

Pleased to see Livingston promoted for a number of reasons. Firstly; it freshens up both the Premiership and the Championship. One of the many issues with Scottish football is an ongoing sameness or staleness. The Premiership will have two different clubs next season and the Championship no less than four which, in my view, has to be a good thing.

Secondly, they did it the hard way by coming through the uneven play off system which was cynically stacked against them and in favour of the incumbent top tier club. They will face a challenge next season with, almost certainly, the lowest budget in that league but they have earned the right to face that challenge. One in the eye for the self centred powers that be. Again, in my view, that can only be a good thing.

Thirdly, at not leastly, Livvy gained promotion on half our crowds and no more than two thirds of our budget. If they can be promoted this season then proof and incentive, if that is needed, that there is no reason why we can't do the same next.

I think the bullying and personal attacks on Charles are unacceptable.  Just because he dishes it out to others....two wrongs do not make a right.

Make love...not war ?

Congrats to Partick for earning the right to play ICT next season.

I felt a wee bit for the Partick fans actually as I also did for the likes of Dumbarton and Brechin when they got relegated. But I never batted an eye lid with Ross Co. Mind you I was born before the bridge was built so no ties really!!?

1 hour ago, CaleyD said:

I think the bullying and personal attacks on Charles are unacceptable.  Just because he dishes it out to others....two wrongs do not make a right.

Make love...not war ?

Someone's missed the sarcasm ?

On ‎5‎/‎19‎/‎2018 at 1:58 PM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Suppose that you weren't at the Livingston v Partick game either ?

Didn't even manage to hear much of it on the radio since I was driving home from Manchester and outwith even Radio Scotland AM range until the last five minutes. (The main reason I even got into signal for the last five minutes was that earlier on I saw a sign that said "Chorley" and put the foot down to get the hell past it as quickly as I could! ?)

Good thinking Charles - They can smell smarterses a mile off down here. ?  At least Caley D gives you a degree of protection but feeds me to the Internet trolls ?

...Chorley Bannerman...........has a nice ring attached to it!

 

21 hours ago, Yngwie said:

Congrats to Partick for earning the right to play ICT next season.

Might not be quite so congratulatory if Storey gets some games and finds his shooting boots at this level giving PT the 20 goal a season striker every team wants

9 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Good thinking Charles - They can smell smarterses a mile off down here. ?  At least Caley D gives you a degree of protection but feeds me to the Internet trolls ?

Cry me a river