The Mantis

Possibly, possibly, depends whether you would exchange 1 cup run and never ever reaching the quarter final, for all the cup runs we've had including 2 semis and a replay and 12 giant killings in 11 seasons since 1994...... The other 9 years we couldn't kill any giants because we were busy playing over 300 games in the SPL. Plus if you reach a final, surely it doesn't count unless you turn up?

What a sickener that was. Just the other week I was clearing out some old videos and came upon the 2-2 game where Sportscene did a feature with our coach leaving Inverness and travelling down in the snow. Great game which we should have had sewn up but were dead on our feet for the last 15.

Yer wrong there Mannie. They did go up, then Falkirk won it in 2002-3 but never got promoted, then we won it and partick came down.

In the 10 years we took to reach the SPL we had 11 wins against teams from a higher division. Also after we were relegated we took an SPL scalp in beating Motherwell 2-0 in a blizzard.

P*r*ick were actually div 2 at the time. There was a fair bit of animosity from their side as we had taken their SPL place and they suffered 2 relegations

I think Cruyff was the best player I ever saw.

Did I no give you a DVD a long time back? What was that thing Roy McBain was passing round?

Can anybody remind me what the story is with us and live games? Is it true we've never won on the tv on a Sunday or whatever? I seem to remember us beating Celtic 3-2 at the very least.

That's a terrific article. I'd forgotten how good a player he was, as well as some of the other Hibs players of the day plus Jardine and McGrain. It reminds me of when the squirrel used to accuse me of being a hibby - I never was, I would go to big games at Tynecastle or Easter Road. However Hearts were gash at the time and Hibs were in Europe every year. That 7-0 game I was 17 and spent New Year's Day on the couch with a terrible hangover. Didn't really care either way but as the goals rained in on the radio everybody was having a laugh at the Hearts getting gubbed. Hearts were always the establishment side in Edinburgh so 0-7 at home was a real embarrassment. Never realised the leg break was the following week but I do remember 72-73 with East Fife in div 1 of 18 teams and the Premier League only 2 years away.

Whatever the draw it'll be tough going in at pot 4. Been to Gibraltar Alex. Wouldnae recommend it, UKIP could win there Disappointed with Andorra too after waiting to visit it since I were a lad. Going to Iceland in September for a 9 day 'Photographic Adventure'!

Adams Unhappy is not exactly a Man bites Dog headline is it?

There was a bad one a few years back but I'm struggling to remember what it was so appealing to those who still have a decent memory. Not as bad as this one though

Has a good ring to it, Derek the Brave, maybe even some song lyrics..... .......nah, I'll stick with Deek the Seethe

I've done it a few times, always booked online and picked up the tickets at the machine, but you can just buy them on the day. Never been asked for ID either, maybe the ticket collector has a look at you...... Also tried 1st class once, coming up to sneckie for one of the derbies. £26 and you get free coffee, snacks and newspapers all the way, if you can stand the embarrassment of being waited on hand and foot if you're the only one in the compartment.

Only on Scotrail grandad

I'm sure you could pass for 55, then it's only £19 return from Edinburgh. Just wear a bunnet.

I think Vincent Tan could do a good job for us

Maybes aye. You could be right. He turned out for Cuikie in August and is still listed on their website. However Nitten's site looks very poor. Edit: My mate was watching him with Nitten tonight.....

Surely Fergusian, no? That Russell Duncan was a player, whatever happened to him?

Or a Murdo Macleod moment.... Tell him he's Jose Mourinho

Yeah must be Jamie Duff. Guy Kerr never got injured, just failed to live up to his potential. Now playing for Penicuik Athletic in the East Juniors.

Growing up in Scotland you got a brief snippet or two of the English matches at the end of Sportscene, which, for all you youngsters, was much better than it is now, if only because the football on show was good enough to compete with the English games back then. So we were aware of Ray Stewart all right, but his equivalent in Scotland was Tommy Gemmell who used the same tactics, even just blasting it right up the middle sometimes, and scored 31/34 for Celtic, in addition to a rasper from open play against Inter in the 1967 EC final. I'm sure nobody actually saved the other three, they probably just missed the target!

He'll be in for a shock - I bet he was expecting to stay in a house.

There's a difference between being positive and being arrogant. Did we not just lose to the team that had gathered fewer points than Hearts? I hope the players at least go out showing the opposition more respect than you.

I wish people would stop talking about the final before we're in it. This usually comes back to bite us on the erse.