gordyfromsneck

I hope you can hear this because I am hoarse from shouting. When the heat went out of the second half, I thought that was it, but that it would take something special - and up steps Rankin! We have lost a few late ones, so it was great to win by a late one. Bayne and Wyness looked like they had been playing together all season, Rankin was creative and the defence was back to its usual wall-like self. Hastings was my MOM - ran the length of the field, put in crosses, marked his man really did the work of two. Brown had no saves in anger to make. As a previous poster has said I just wish Black would run on from sweeping rather than try the long ball, and Tokely wants to get back to the gym - faded big style in the second half. But these comments are a bit churlish - great entertainment, and it is soooo sweet beating the huns and hearing them moaning that we have no right to. They looked very ordinary, and if it hadn't been for a couple of class McGregor saves the scoreline would have reflected the game a lot more accurately. It's getting to be a habit! We have a couple of hard games, the kind we don't like to win, but must if we want to reinstate ourselves as mid-table challengers. Good on Charlie and the chaps, now lets do it when the cameras aren't rolling!!

Hi Ger, really enjoyed it. Glad it was a happy-ish ending. I let the kids stay up late to see it, and the 12 year old got a lot from it. As the title implies, the real story starts "After Thomas". Keeley Hawes is so gorgeous too.

I have it on good tealeaves that Butcher will be here before very long as motivational coach. IHE never fails to surprise. The key element here is risk. Do you recall how long CC deliberated before deciding to give this job a go? He had a good secure salary with the club he loves, and he made it clear that if it all goes pear shaped he could retreat back to the Centenary Club. Where there is no risk there is no motivation. Maybe CC is already preparing his "Well I gave it a go" speech. If he feels like a failure the team is going to feel the same way, all the fitness drill, all the shape, all the role work acquired under Brew has gone. Contrast CC with the man of steel. He was gutsy to take up this post, his first, he was gutsy to make himself unpopular with his olive oil and pasta, and say what you will he was gutsy to take on the Dun Utd job and set himself up to fail. He turned down a job in Greece and is set yet again to test himself as a player for the 3rd team in the league. On another thread someone has said you dont sack the manager just because you are going through a bad spell, that is the work of wee teams. CC is smart and has a football brain, maybe this is his "period of transition", maybe the bluebird of reinvention is just round the corner. If anyone can lead us onto a bright new tomorrow it is CC. Either way, history is long, we will remain and will I and others will still be there every Saturday.

Well, I haven't actually solved it myself Gordy- obviously it's the work of a true intellectual, probably worked at GCHQ for a while is my guess. The number of permutations of the 6 words is 6!= 720, but I reckon we can eliminate the one actually given, so that leaves 719. I'd be delighted to buy you a dram anyway as I haven't seen you for feckin years. BTW I got a card today from your neighbour, you know, the teacher. Haven't seen him for donks either. Yes, poor Alan R. He always asks after you. He is seeking any solace in his life, harking back to happier times, maybe. He has been, as you may know, diagnosed as a Ross County supporter, and the prognosis is not good. Dont be too hard on him. I usually get very little time for the pre, or even post match beers, being given a full weekend task sheet, by my management. It is all I can do to get into the away car park for 5 to 3. I keep my season card hidden, and force the accent of the visiting team. The weegie ones are easy, obv, and I can do a sort of generic Aberdeen/Dundee one, but pray no-one wants to chat about Kilmarnock. Mind you I dont think the parkies seem that interested in my Bremneresque talents. I have got a bit of a licence for the Hungame, and may choke down a few prior to that. Do the internutters still gather in the Innes?

I usually remove personal abuse from posts when I see it, but I'm actually going to leave it in this time so people can make up their own minds. Maybe other admin will see it differently though. Thanks, Mantis. It's a tricky one alright, but I think I have it. Is there a prize?

Unable to buy up our stars while at the Arabs, Craigie was spotted puchasing Barbies from Woollies this evening. "I think this Barbie will be an immensely important doll in the toy cupboard in the year ahead." Bad move missing out on him though, mark my wordz... In other news keep your eyes out for "Players and Pies" a grassroots-led ICT fitness development programme launching in the New Year.

Grand idea! Cos he certainly isn't much at saving goals...

Zander was a funny one. I am sure he played on the left when he came on and played a blinder against Falkirk. He seemed very reluctant to actually find space at the front on the right and kept drifting into the middle. His push was a farce. We could see it up at the Bridge End. Five minutes later he did the same thing to the same player, but this time managed to get him outside the box. Learning? I dunno, but he certainly has been taking Jacques Cousteau classes of Bazza. Heels up, wee twist...brill.

Opinions, as Frank Zappa had it, are like ********, everyone has one and they all stink. I am well PISHED OFF! The game was thrown away. We were playing brilliant, the whole team was functioning well, but their goals were Keystone Cops stuff. Killie were not dangerous. For the second, I could have come out of the main stand and put in a tackle. It was like watching them dribble round parking cones. I am not sure who was to blame. Many many plusses, but WE NEED POINTS.

Yep, sorry Alex. I'll mend my ways in the future, but as you suggest it may well be Highland Academy business.

He would be an asset, not least to get back some of the match fitness that made us a force to be reckoned with last season.

Spotted - CC and Ross C*unty manager Scott Leitch lunching at Cafe No 1 yesteday. Topics of conversation may have included the traffic over the bridge and the exchange of seasonal gifts.

Bombay Potatoes. Fry up some onions, add some sliced leftover cold tatties, fry until browning, add a couple of spoons of Madras paste. Can of chilled Dry Blackthorn. That just about salvaged my Saturday.

"blah blah blah yackety smackety and a big tall glass of OJ " Quote of the day.

That might explain the knowledge level and making it sound like he was remotely interested. Bill Leckie, the journo who actually has a clue (along with yourself & RG, Charles) I thought the commentary made it sound very exciting. Well done to the Tinks! Another blow against the Central Belt mafia. Isn't it customary to get promoted the same season? They better get a move on then!

Charles, You raise a few good points there. WW1 was, rather unsurprisingly, the first "popular" war which, as you say set mould from other European conflict. Not only were the numbers of troops involved many times greater than previous wars, but recruitment had the edge of public responsibility to it absent from other conflicts. It was everyones civic responsibility to participate. This pervaded all strata of society. The causes are still up for debate, and like all history are subject to the vagaries of selection and emphasis. Save to say, that it had an edge of inevitability, as part of the military build up brewing for several decades between the UK and Germany - they were just waiting for an excuse. Princeps action provided it and brought down the whole house of cards. However, WW1 was the first for air raids, non-military deaths in the UK, genocide, industrial grade slaughter, propoganda, PTSD, ant-war protest, veteran anger...the list goes on. It is as much to do with the subscription funding of the war memorials, that have reshaped our landscape as anything else that WW1 has created the lead for public remembrance. Also the evocative, 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month was as memorable a shiboleth as 9/11 for our era. As for poets, howsabout this local boy...Ewart A. MacIntosh of the Seaforth Highlanders who is only now getting some of the attention he deserves.

What with THOSE cheekbones!!??! Hastings is very erratic. He played very well against the Dons - going forward, distributing - but it was his absence that allowed the telling cross in. all-in-all though, I think he is well worthy of his place.

Yes. I heard that West Bromwich Albion are crapping it getting us in Europe. :004:

Bah. That sounded like a very poor display. I am sure that the inquest will ask why Black didn't come on but McSwegan did, and why Wyness came on so late. Still swings and roundabouts, eh? Hibs looked hot stuff on the telly midweek.

Yes! Pele as fitness coach!!!

The last time Falkirk were here in the cup defeat, I remember thinking that both sides were p*sh. I was very surprised how good they were today. Their strikers in particular had to be well watched. I didnt think we did that badly in the first half, apart from losing the goals, but the old probelsm were there. Most notably the lack of a good finish or final ball. I was well thrilled when the subs came on, make or break, it seemed to us to be gamble, if that was the case well done CC. BUt you culd see from the last few minutes from the Dunfermline game, 92nd minute winner, that the lesser league teams don't like being run at. It was good that CC took that on board. Hart was a wonder on the left - why dont we play him instead of Hasting every week? Wyness let the class out, and Rankine looked well-chuffed to have arrived. Well done that man. But also a word for Barry Wilson who still can cut it, despite loking pretty puffed at the end. I had begun to think that the Brewster "fitness revolution" was over, but now I am not so sure. More of the same next week, just without the two goal start, and who knows what our league placing will be on Saturday night. Loser of the day: the chap beside me who left after the Falkirk second went in . Fat ladies and singing and that...

Have to agree with you there, mate. As soon as I heard the name of Novo coming on as sub, I thought yep, dive/late equaliser, just as he used to do at Raith, but got a very pleasant surprise when the ref ignored the DCHB. The panel on the radio seemed to think he was worth it though, so there you go. Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Strangely appropriate, that.

Charlie's Biiiig Lesson - You CAN play three strikers at home, and the sh*te teams don't like it. At least we can "concentrate on the league", as we say this time every year. Onward and upward.

Haha ha I said that ten minutes in...they are going to make us suffer all the way, and still lose!

Tell you he truth, I was quite surprised when Rankine just went straight in for a full game as soon as he was signed, at the expense of Duncan, if memory serves. He had a good game, but surely not a one-for-one swap?! He should have been introduced gradually, and the team adapted to include him, if appropriate. On the whole, I dont think the game was as bad as everyone seems to think. We have no right to expect to win aganst the Arabs. I think they will be near us all season. As for the Brew, whatever we think of his poaching methods, and professional conduct, he has been out drinking in the town, with Tokes, CC and others, so there is still some comeraderie there. He had a good spell with the club, left us better than he found us, and had a major effect on the culture of the club. Hands off, I says.