The Mantis

Not claiming to be anybody special but I thought it would appeal to the likes of Sneckboy I got this 'Groundhopper' app for the iPad and phone so I got my diaries out and filled it in back as far as 1994. I've seen ICT 382 times, 97 times at the TCS and 6 times at Telford St. Also 9 times as the home team at Pittodrie. First ever match was East Stirlingshire 0 CT 2, 9/8/94.

A fresh start in English football with a side that came close to league two playoffs so foundations there What standard do you think league two football would be in Scottish leagues This is a question which we often ask ourselves in reverse. The present state of Scottish Football is dreadful and getting worse as the EPL and lower leagues get richer. As far as playing standards go I think the teams at the bottom of the SPL are as poor as English League 2. We have had players from League 2 who haven't been good enough and even some from Lge 1 who weren't. The real argument is about size of club. If Scottish clubs were able to access the same sponsorship as down south, I think we would have: 2 Premiership clubs (no prizes for guessing) 3 Championship clubs (Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen) Some lge 1 clubs (Dundee Utd, poss Motherwell, Dundee, Killie) Some lge 2 clubs (Ourselves, St Mirren, County, Falkirk, St Johnstone etc) It's distorted all to hell in this country which has too many clubs. The bigot brothers are far bigger clubs than the likes of Hull, etc who get into the Premiership and get more dosh just from telly than any of them can raise. But because the two of them are there, the rest of us just wither. However you could argue we reach a higher standard playing against the OF just as they always argue that their weak league holds them back. They also argue that the likes of Chelsea are not big clubs, they're just rich clubs. What was your question again

^^^^^^^ Bucketful of sense

Coming from Midlothian. Just as important, actually coming at all. Had a good feeling about this away back in the winter so told Mrs Mantis I was keeping Cup Final day free and booked holidays to Iceland the day after.

Nonsense. Can you substantiate this or is it just the usual hot air? What about starting with Montrose's record against non-League clubs in the Scottish Cup in recent years? I'm sure you'll find plenty of wallopings in double figures if your claim is worth anything.

How far back are we allowed One game at the TCS a few years back, that big Greek lassie that used to play for Celtic, he handled the ball 3, or maybe it was 4 times in front of the North Stand. Free kick given each time but no booking.

I never heard 'Off the Ball' this week but I was at the game on Saturday and anybody expecting Brora to just roll over anybody winning the Lowland League is pretty arrogant. Brora started like an express train but in the end were a bit lucky as City might have been two up before Maclean's late equaliser. The LL is a step up from the old EOSL and let's face it, the HL has been badly weakened in the past couple of decades. Just as a matter of interest, Hegarty and Holt from Montrose were at a recent Whitehill v Ed. City match and they were confident Montrose would still have enough to beat either of the two champions.

Ed. City 1 Brora 1. That Grant Munro's twice the player he was when he left us. Makes TopSix and ICTChris look slim. Equaliser from Martin McLean with 10 mins to go means it's all to play for next week at Dudgeon Park.

I take it the surfer flag from last year is still around?

I was not referring to the merger. I was referring to a completely separate series of events after that was all settled which related to the funding of the stadium. Whooosh!

Here's another 4 then....

Haha just a few off my phone will have a look. Already posted 5 on the match thread.

P.s. Laurence, nice to see you up to speed as usual

Cut the man some slack Sneckboy! I would suggest most people's reasons for adopting a club are circumstantial and not a political statement! Unless your dad takes you along you probably choose a team because you see them on telly or like the colour they play in etc. well done Buckett on baring your soul and making your confession in public....

Well let's think about this type of scenario for a moment. In the League Cup Final last year, around about the 80th minute, Richie Foran attempted to head a cross from a corner kick towards the goal, but didn't get a strong enough head on it. Replays showed that he was pulled back by an Aberdeen player. Now using the Celtic Logic (that being that their crystal balls have told them beyond all doubt that it definitely would've been a red card, the penalty would've been scored and that there was no way ICT would come back from 2-0 down despite it happening twice before and once with ten men for a fair chunk of the match), that penalty would've been scored and with ten minutes left ICT would've ran the clock down and won the League Cup. Sure we were disappointed that we never got it, but we accepted it and unfortunately didn't do the business and got beat. Disappointed? Yes. Had the penalty been given, would things be different? Probably. Demand the club write a letter to the SFA and our fans indulge in some absolutely sickening abuse of the Aberdeen player who we can't we even remember which one it was? No. Using the Celtic Logic, it would be fair game, but we didn't. Who cares about all the success Celtic have had. In recent years, ICT have shown more class than your club ever will. You say the Celtic fans are demanding answers. Who cares? They're nothing but bad losers and (as anyone who's ever looked at that crackpot blogger Phil Mac...Mac...Mac...whatever his name is will tell you) a sizeable chunk are thick as mince. It's quite embarrassing that they've totally bowed down to them. Of course though, it's all about money. Thick-as-mince fans buy stuff and you wouldn't want to alienate your largest market... Finally, you say Celtic have a number of reasons to distrust the SFA? Why would that be? Is that these crackpot conspiracies involving Masons, the Triads, UFOs and all the rest of it? Utterly cringeworthy, with Celtic once again attempting to create a vehicle for their thick fans to vent their anger out. I'll tell you this, I'd find it hard to support a club like that. Post of the year (sorry KingBeastie!)

I appreciate the sincerity of your post but, with all due respect, supporters of clubs outside the Old Firm (no matter how much you detest the term) have long since stopped being surprised by anything that happens in matches against either of them. As a wee club I doubt we would be 'demanding' anything.

Josh's culpability requires to be proved but not beyond reasonable doubt. He has not been charged with a criminal offence. Is 'Denying Celtic The Treble' not a criminal offence?

The SFA have succeeded in so far as they have turned this into a spat between the clubs, when really as a few have said, their whole objective has been to deflect anger and attention away from their own bungling referees and administrators. Deila has also said that he doesn't believe Josh handled the ball deliberately I hope that's the case, but it does beg the question of why Celtic wrote to the SFA to ask why a penalty was not awarded for deliberate handball when a much clearer penalty against Celtic was also not given. I refer the hon gentleman to my previous answer at #258

Just what it's always been. To bring down the whole establishment, which for whatever reason, they are convinced has an agenda to stop them winning trophies.

The ref involved in the Juanjo incident was - guess what - the same one they persecuted in the 'Dougie Dougie' incident.

If I were a Celtic fan I hope I'd have the decency to be embarrassed at the latest developments. I feel that the coach has the right to enter the ref's room after the game and seek an explanation and then that's the end of it. I don't feel that officials of a large institution such as Celtic FC have any right to take it any further - many of them don't have any playing experience anyway and yet they have the arrogance to assume that the professionals are wrong, as in the statement where they prejudge by stating that the ref made 'such an obvious error'. Much as I deplore the triumphalism of the other half of the twins of evil, the corporate paranoia displayed by Celtic FC is pathetic. While they claim that they want to investigate poor standards of refereeing, the bigger agenda behind their complaints is that there is systematic bias against their club. This is what led to the referees' strike when their chairman, that pillar of society John Reid, stated that they 'Just wanted to be treated like the rest of the clubs'.

All we need is the other erse cheek to go bust and we're sorted.

I feel a referees' strike coming on

All About The Ness!

I love the way you can hear somebody shout 'Yes!' As Raven's winner crosses the line. I'm sure it's Graeme Shinnie but don't ask me why.