Scarlet Pimple

ACake

If Proctor is the lad I am thinking of, he was a player who worked and tried hard and took a lot of unrelenting and unfair stick --as if nobody was ever allowed to make a mistake. or noi other player was ever as much at fault as he. Perhaps moving on and a fresh start was the right move for him though. Wonder where he is now? It's the old story isn't it-- persistent negativity undermines advancement? And it reduces the confidence of the players- especially the young who have not yet developed a thick skin and learned that it's the genuine efforts you make in life to honestly improve your circumstances , and that of others too by the way,that is really important -- not the negativity associated with often biased criticism which effectively is a form of bullying and should be consigned to the dustbin going forward.

Can't keep a good man down. That's the phrase I wiz looking for, eh, Mahonio?

The live video of the final that is. Smile.

Er, is Terry B still at Easter Road, guys? Stranraer ----we did well to get past them didn't we? A real plucky side...eh? For me , what a season! Hanging on every comment from those who were there but somehow I managed to find a live video of the semi final and THAT was a thrill and a half. Nick's goal was such a thrill and my wife was asking "What was all that screaming about S P?" I tried to explain but I could see the eyes glassing over so I changed the subject darn quick (P.S. I think she knew very well though.. He! He!) And, again, I manipulated the computer until I found a live video of the game--what a lucky break that was too.

Had he stayed the very good chances were that by now he would be the MAN and all would be covered in glory. Down you go Mr T B.--it all could have been soooo different .

The club will be most generous in their praise for any fan who is willing to hand over a very big cheque to accomplish all this. With crowds very low for an SPL team where is all the money goingt o come from?

Was it not the same stand that was cobbled together in record time to ensure we got our SPL campaign started on time. Brilliant feat actually from all accounts ....so....? Where are you going with this young Doofer? When I stood on the terracing at the former Caledonian F C there was no side stands and the main stand was small. Sometimes you stood beside or behind trees if there was a large crowd. And sitting down was generally not an option. These were the good old days and not the modern mollycoddling days of this era.

And what a win today! Tansey bullet ...again.

Tm4J-- where is the question mark? Cannae answer a statement telling me ah'm human, which and I take to be a compliment, unless I know what you want from me. Aye! Hope to see you back next season Manfer. Always enjoy your craic --and your reports and pre-game summaries which have proved over time that you are a very smart cookie. There you go--issue defused.

O.K., O.K. I'm off topic Charlie --just showing you my human side...............

Charles....sssssh! Your age is showing. Do you remember Biggles and Algie his Navigator perchance? Or Dick Barton,. Special Agent--kept me glued to the wartime radio.He was something else. Or even Catherine Garscadden of Children's hour broadcast from Glasgow on the Home Service?

Och it takes one tae know one I suppose. Good tae hear frae youse , Wanderer--I have missed you, you old fruit. SP only posts like that after he has had his six-monthly visit to see his old faither , Daddy Pimpernel, so we have tae mak allowances , like. Daddy is a bit of an old school type that rarely let's down his guard so S P takes it all in his stride and lets a wee bit of that rub off on him for a few moments of time. Hence the lesson in loquacity. But he'll be back tae his auld form shortly. Love frae Mrs Scarlet . P.S. Heh , Wanderer, have you downloaded thon book of mine www.destiniesinmotion.com. .You'll like it I promise. and then just show it to the MIssus ' for her birthday --she will be gobsmacked ............

A what, IHE? A submarine....no! Couldn't be --I seed a mizzen mast, not a conning tower and I seen you on the poop deck having a snort of the mainbrace as you held onto your coloured braces. But you are a con-man anyway so....thinks....maybe you're right, forsooth? frae Kanaga.

I'm not sure we can criticise TB for going anywhere for more money because money is the fact of life that we all have to deal with in our progress through life. And so trying to better yourself and family is not a sin. BUT..... The negativity of his move is in the apparently underhand way that he did it. End of story. IMHO, in retrospect, he would have been much more prudent had he stayed and our team had been much higher up the league at which time his reputation would have soared and he could have left with his head held high--and, in the process, probably given his future tenure at another club a more extended run than he will now have.Then he could have left , in consultation with our management of his plans BEFORE he moved, not after and left with good wishes ringing in his ears. Right now I doubt if he will be sacked this season but next season will be a real test for him and his henchmen. And it could be his Armageddon...not only at Hibernian F.C but his career as a manager of any club of note.

SURELY THE TIME TO REALLY SUPPORT THE CLUB IS WHEN ADVERSITY HITS THEM. OTHERWISE YOU DO RUN THE RISK OF BEING CALLED A FAIRWEATHER SUPPORTER, do you not?

I repeat......under the law a contract is a contract is a contract. That is an old saw that never varies. In the absence of any qualifying clause in the contractual Agreement which states that a player can terminate the contract at will, or if the Manager changes etc. etc,, he is committed to that club, NOT the manager or any other changes of personnel. He also must fulfil his part of the bargain regardless of these changes which, after all, are well known at the outset to occur at any club throughout the season. Any standard player knows that personnel at the club changes, including the trainer, the Manager , the members of the Executive etc.,etc. And that is why the CLUB is usually a separate legal entity, just like a person is a separate legal unit from the next person, meaning the CLUB as a legal persona can negotiate individual contracts with individual players on their own behalf in their capacity as a separate legal entity. Laurence's view that these legal agreements can be broken at the will of a player or the player's representative is basically meaningless unless there are clauses in that Agreement which allow for that. If you have seen instances of what you think are easy exits from such an Agreement, Laurence, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are terms in the agreement that allow for this in some way, shape or form.....including the ability to terminate that contract on the mutual agreement of both parties. If the terms of a contract were not enforceable at law then there would be no need for ANY written agreement between the club and player and the result of that would be that the club's plans and operations would be entirely at the whims of players or their representatives and no club could operate under these circumstances: i.e. there could be no planning ahead with any certainty and no Director would be willing to invest money in that club with any certainty of getting a return on the investment let alone the return of his capital. And THAT is why these valid, enforceable, legal agreements are in place to hold the parties to their word or bond to ensure stability of the club and in the life of that player as well. Obviously, if a player could terminate at will then the club would equally be entitled to the same privilege so why bother signing an agreement in these citcumstances? However, if a player is unhappy and he or she consults with the club Management and secures their agreement to a transfer or termination of their employment, that may be acceptable to both parties IF the terms of the written signed Agreement allows for this. If it does not (and remember that this clause would not be in the contract unless the management foresaw that this eventuality might easily arise in the future to the detriment of the club!) then probably only a court of law could adjudicate the issue in my view. Otherwise I do not understand what you are talking about because your views are bizarre to say the least.

And I have been exhorting you, Captain , to re-launch the ship with a new mizzen mast, a new rudder and a new tea boy--oh and a new mainbrace to keep the captain IHE happy on the longer voyages of derring do. Why, oh why, don't you bring back that great ship Captain?

Oddquine; Here is the Gen: 1. Agreements between countries do not relate to uprating and have no effect on what is paid. All initial payments of pensions are based on the total paid- in by the pensioner over his working life in Britain. That means that there is a close link to what is paid out by way of pension to the number of years over which that pensioner has contributed in Britain. If they chose to emigrate after that , so long as they don't go to either Canada, New Zealand, Australia or S. Africa they will get an annual uprating but NOT if they now reside in any of these four ex-Commonwealth countries. This results in ridiculous anomalies like where I live in the Vancouver area on the West Coast of Canada only 100 miles north of the Western port of Seattle in the U.S of A. In Vancouver I will never get an uprating but an ex-pat who lives in Seattle will have gotten it from day one and will continue to get it every year until he dies and the pension stops. As to the Bank account issue, the pension can be paid into any bank account anywhere in the world and will have no effect on whether it is uprated annually or not. If it is paid into a foreign bank you can be sure that it will be less than what it would be had it been paid into a Scottish or English bank. Why? Because the Dept of Pensions will tell you that you will get a better rate if you allow them to send it direct to a Canadian Bank but I found that this was, in my case, a lie because it is a worse rate of exchange because they buy in bulk and pocket the profit leaving you to get what is left in Canadian dollars. By instructing it to be paid direct in pounds into a Scottish Bank, I get the full pounds pension and can draw it off through a cheque at the rate prevailing in Canada when encash the British cheque to draw off my pension in Canadian dollars. They also told me initially that it would not be late but the first payment to my Canadian Bank ws five days late.so.....? I have had my small pension paid into a Scottish Bank from the inception but, of course, the D W P know where you are domiciled because you have to declare your country of residence so they can keep tabs on you. Recently I got a missive from them asking me to get a piece of paper certified by an official attesting to the fact that I am still alive. Go figure. On the question of whether Canada does pay an uprating to all their pensioners no matter where they live the answer is yes they do. There is no discrimination whatsoever.They have been urging Britain to change this iniquitous policy for donkeys' years and even has paid the fees related to the legal battles initiated by the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners and of the World Alliance of ex Pat pensioners to help us get parity of payment. This is self-serving, naturally , since it means that more money goes into their hands by way of taxes and reduces the pensioners' dependence on Old Age Supplements to their increasingly smaller and smaller pensions. Strangely enough, if one goes to the U K on a holiday and applies for an uprating for the period of time they spend in Britain, then they are entitled to an increase for these days spent in the U K . To me this is insanity. Hope this clarifies this vexing issue. Cheers S. P.

WELL, THAT MAY BE BUT HE LOOKS A LOT MNORE CLEAN CUT HAVING HAD IT CLOSE- CROPPED.

Well, that may be a point worth considering. You can't "bulk-up" a thoroughbred. Gazelles don't turn into huge stags. And to become a Moose you have to live in Canada, so that won't work either. Isn't that right IHE? More than one Moose is not called mice. It's still Moose.They are one of the largest animals you have ever seen and on occasion, in the Rockies, cars bounce off them. They then add insult to injury when you see them looking back at you disdainfully as they amble off the road into the bush. Weight?--don't really know but I think about 2,000 lbs or more.

Well, if your pension remains as static as existing pensioners who live in ex-Commonwealth countries currently is, having NEVER been uprated from the amount of what it commenced at, to offset ongoing inflation, not only will you feel the depth of despair that all half million of us feel at being treated with such unfair disdain by all previous and current U K Governments, but you will soon feel the pinch as the years go by. And maybe end up, as it has been reported in the journals of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners who are deeply embroiled in fighting this iniquitous (and never justified) situation, like one old pensioner in Toronto,Eastern Canada, who is getting only five pounds per week. Try living on that. I cannot see any Government in the United Kingdom, old or new, trying to get away with reducing the amount of any existing pension because I think in Britain that would cause riots in the streets. It's different to do it to overseas pensioners because they are out of sight, out of mind.

This is why we have been lambasting the naysayers over J Hughes because a manager may not do too well at the new club for reasons beyond his control :- a. Fate....meaning the alignment of the stars and/or it was just never meant to be..........and b. A team can be taken over by what seemed to be a very good manager at a previous club but fails miserably at the new one. c. Misunderstanding of the players about what the new man is trying to achieve.............and d. A lingering reluctance on the part of the players to change. Terry Butcher seems to have fallen into fall into this category. IMHO he was lucky to have the stars aligned with plenty of good help at ICT but conditions in everything, including the overall club management in general may not suit him or allow for him to motivate the players. It's a lottery, as David Moyes has found out at Manchester United and it's definitely a question of horses for course.

BYRE = Butcher Your position is Rickety.....Eh? Question for today---Why do Canajins always end their sentences with .."eh"? Simple. To make sure you are listening.

Just seen yer post you, you.......psychologist, you. Thank you for your insight. I'll mull it over during the off season and be back at you fresh as paint. Once a psycho-analyst always a maturing ersehole..... Watch this space. Thanks fer the opportunity to pay you a colimplent. S P.