The Mantis

I can only see 4 friendlies on the calendar. I take it they've still to be entered and not just me being thick ? In fact, would it help if I entered them?

Can we subscribe to this fixture list somewhere? I seem to remember finding that out last season, 5 minutes after I’d typed all the fixtures in ?

The young people today ?

Think he trained as a P.E. teacher.

Don't know how you can say that Dougal. Last time we played Buckie, Scott Boden got 2 and we realised we had unearthed a gem. Last time I was at Kieth (?) we saw the legend that was Dean McDonald. And my car got vandalised. What's not to like?

Even though Brechin were awful, I quite liked the look of wee Jordan Sinclair who scored two against us at their place, from midfield, though one was a pelanty. You sometimes wonder what the story is with some players. He had a year at Hibs, but never played, then a year at Livi in League 1 but only appeared 10 times. 22 appearances and 6 goals last season for Brechin. Still only 21.

You have to give them credit though. Finding Scotland’s only sloping loch means their kit is likely to appeal to water skiers. My sister works for him so I can only ask. If we corner the market in gourmet haggis pies we can charge twice as much as County.

Mackenzie Crook?

All the best Davie, I'll add a contribution. I don't think I'd tackle that even with an e-bike ? I was looking at giving you a wave as you crossed the FRB but it looks like I'll be in Orkney that week...

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.

That actually happened when the team played 2 games in Lewis in 1997 and went to The Saw Doctors at Back Community Hall. Alex MacLeod (whatever’s happened to him?) incoming... “The Mantis has been dining out on that story for years”. ?

?syawla, tahW

Hope it's Hearts then. Plus pretty much anybody apart from Brechin, Alloa, Forfar, Stirling, Cowden as we've played them all recently.

No, it was Steven Kirkland.

I was actually there and hoping for a Cove win, expecting Cowden to be in the LL next season, as they were quite lucky to beat East Kilbride on penalties last year. Met many old SHFL mates, most of whom were looking for a Cove win to get rid of them out of the HL. Cove have only themselves to blame. They were the better team for 3/4 of the 180 minutes then came out for the second half at 2-1 up, expecting to just go through the motions. The mass brawl can actually be seen on the internet if you look, but it was in stoppage time, as McManus had already been dismissed in the 94th minute for a second yellow. Ross put in an absolutely shocking challenge on a Cowden player and sent him sprawling across the track in the direction of the dugouts. The BBC gives the red for Ross at 90+7 and Watson at 90+8. The winning goal came with just under 20 mins left. It was a bit like Wayne Rooney's effort for Everton which I've just been watching on MOTD. The keeper was away out of his goal and you have to give Brad Smith credit for hitting the target from nearly halfway. There was a claim that the keeper was impeded by Jordyn Sheerin, who in turn claimed that he was pushed onto the keeper by a Cove player. Questionable whether he would have got back to save it anyway. The referee was probably incapable of seeing all this, maybe ball-watching. The stand side linesman didn't come out of it well, as Megginson's first goal may have been offside, Cowden's second came from a very questionable foul right in front of him (although the defending at the free kick was embarrassing), and the winner was at his end. John Sheran embarrassed himself, it has to be said, by agreeing to be interviewed right after the whistle. A brilliant day out though, great value for money in the sunshine.

??? Safe to say the 'Parochial Wee Mannie' trophy won't be leaving your mantelpiece any time soon Chip Charles.