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‘She raised concerns of drunken fans disrupting Church congregations‘ Such a shame. I was looking forward to a few pints in the Mallard before steaming into the nearest Church.

Oh Well

To be fair to Ms Smith, the last time football and the church mixed, the stewards had a fit!

I suppose that Cllr Smith is looking after the interests of her constituents in Ross-shire, which is what she is paid to do. The arguments are a bit off though. Someone is eventually going to have to stop demonising football fans of all colours and realise that we have moved on from the neaderthal days of the seventies and early eighties. The problem then was as much to do with a nations disintergating social fabric as it was with supporting a football team. Of course events like those in Glasgow this week don't help, but Dingwall isn't no mean City and the kick off times are liable to deter all but the most hardy of attendees (for the Celtic game anyway) Given those times, they are hardly likely to have had the opportunity to get tanked up before travelling and its illegal on buses and, as far as I am aware there are no congregations between the car park at the ground and the turnstiles although granted there is a Church in plain sight of the Mallard. There's nothing in between. But it's OK for people to go from that same car park to Hospitality and get served there? So much for Cllr Smith's arguments about not taking business needs into account - just some businesses that an Invergordon Councillor wouldn't want to upset. People aren't going to these games by other means and so need to mix with the "god fearing" public because there's no public transport to speak of that would drop them anywhere but at the ground. I am perplexed by her comments about people being turned away from the ground that concern her, although she maintains that she's not saying people would be drunk before the game. In a fixture (ICT v RC) that has a history of no violence, no antipathy, no mass ejections (we have the figures, just not to hand - I'll post them later) her concerns are pretty badly thought out, because let's face it drunkenness is about the only thing you are going to get turned away for. Perhaps the most galling point of her determination is the inference that fans of either side, who have been held up as examples of how well behaved derbies can be all year are somehow not fit to mix with the general population. Actually, Maxine they are the general population. Smee is right about people in power who are more reactionary than those they represent. Lobby and challenge them. Make them justify their wooly thinking and if they can't then vote them out. That works.

Yep. Its rectangular in shape and has a variety of white lines. So is Maradona

I also found this http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/22398391

SFA suspension list, out today, has Chris Hogg suspended for one U-20 game so he is available on saturday.

The Basel home top would do even more nicely

If you want a wee drink you'll need to go to church and take communion. Often ends up in a bit of a sing song as well, I understand.

Football has been ruined by stupid kick off times, TV and Sunday games so why not go the whole hog and take our pre-match fun away too....lets all stay at home eh, we'll be safer there!

Get real folks - it is an incentive to carry on drinking through Saturday nite, a knock on the door of a friendly Sneck hostelry for breakfast, a carry lot fer the bus and oranges,voddie and a syringe.

i think this is a great idea. It would have a good effect on getting fair weather supportes out. I admit I am one of them, as I travel a lot for my work and the idea of spending a bleak winter afternoon/evening on one of the few days I am at home is not appealing. But watching it in relative warmth of the summer would encourage me to make more of an effort. I also think it may encourage parents to take kids along to the games as well. The better weather make it less of a chore and with the kids on summer holidays at what would be mid season would increase the number further. When you add in less costs for under soil heating and electricity for flood lights the benefits to all clubs is clear. The point made above about better performance in Europe in the intial stages is true as well and may at least get us another place in europe.