starchief

Goal of the Decade - Brewster's first for Ross County - at last our hero was over his crippling shoulder injury Player of the Decade - Brian Kerr. Easy to see why he got his Scotland caps. Manager of the Decade - Brew. Soon as he went, Inverness crashed to relegation. No coincidence there! Captain of the Decade - Lionel Djebi-Zadi for true dedication to running about here and there (are you sure? I thought he was) Goalkeeper of the Decade - Zibi Malkowski: only made a couple of mistakes in the whole time he was at TCS. Defender of the Decade - For entertainment value? Lionel of course. Midfielder of the Decade - The pin-point of accuracy of Russell Duncan is hard to look past Striker of the Decade - Barrowman seems to be on strike the longest Assistant Manager of the Decade - Craig Brewster: if only we had a manager alongside him... Signing of the Decade - Filipe Morais for total dedication to the cause Game of the Decade - Airdrieonians 5 Ross County 1 (28.10.2000) Save of the Decade - our wonderful board for saving the club from extinction Most Skilful Player of the Decade - Andy Barrowman for his skill on contract negotiations Goal Celebration of the Decade - Rory McAllister's hundredth for the club Best Moment of the Decade - Investing the Marius transfer fee on such promising talent that we eventually got that elusive top six spot. I dread to think what would have happened with a different board.

Yeah, sure, sticking up two fingers to journos whilst accepting being dropped is a lot worse than saying you didn't even want to be on that bench. Even if you accept Boyd only scores against diddy teams (and I don't - his manager plays a headless chicken in a very defensive line-up, so Boys rarely plays against them), then who is the quality striker he's keeping out that's going to score against those teams and the higher ones? Is it the non-scoring strikers of Fletcher, Miller and McFadden? They all NEED a striker to play alongside them as their best work is outside the box. Plus, both Miller and Fletcher were playing in the same league as Boyd - one even in the same team. How do their goal ratios stack up? For what it's worth, I don't feel giving the vicky to Traynor and his cronies is worth a ban anyway (in fact, I'd applaud it), so I'd have Fergie and McGregor back. I can understand Boyd's frustration but he got the call wrong. He should have slated his manager and called for a change but said he was still willing to play for his country. Result would have been he would have probably been dropped anyway. In this day and age, Boyd is the best striker we've got, so plays as it's good for Scotland.

No, it's not. Sometimes it's just an excuse. Sometimes it's a lot more. 'Getting off the hook' can mean spending years in a mental institution. Case-by-case basis for me. No catch-all.

Judge what? That some mental illnesses are genuine and some are not? That people condemned to death won't clutch at straws? Of course some people will lie about it but it doesn't take anything away from the crippling effect that it can have on people's lives. I have some friends that work with severely mentally ill people. To say that some are just as responsible as the everyday person is absolute nonsense. But if someone with the mind of a toddler is judged to be fully conversant with the law and responsibility for actions, why not then a toddler?

What the hell's "diminished responsibility" then?

I think it's really the last part of DC's sentence that does it for me. We've no idea of his mental state...but neither did the Chinese authorities. Just plain wrong not to be taken into account. Don't misunderstand me, I sincerely doubt he was as bad as some are making out but it's the ignoring it that makes it scandalous.

I largely agree with Mantis, although if we get a few young players signed up (Rooney, Cox, Hayes), keep some older ones like Munro, Esson and Proctor (after long pleadings, he finally gets his chance in defensive mid and becomes a key player) along with bringing through Shinnie and Ross, plus maybe others, perhaps in 2-3 years time, we could have the basis of a very good team capable of staying in the SPL. I do think though, Pele needs to be brought in as a scout/adviser now to set the whole thing in motion. I don;t think that's necessarily a wage we cannot afford (quite the opposite in fact) or undermining Big Tel (no involvement in training or side selection) but the sooner a five-year plan starts, the sooner it finishes.

It's not really to do with this case but there are some basic rights that I believe transcend national laws. In many countries, homosexuality is illegal, for instance. So is the right to demonstrate. I wouldn't say to someone arrested for such offences that it's their own fault for not obeying rules of another country. Rather, I'd applaud them for standing up to discrimination - even though that may very well have dire consequences. Still, nothing really to do with smuggling drugs.

It's the type of consumerism that I'm arguing about. If it's what we've been used to, yes, we're doomed. But if we look to a more 'green' economy (and that doesn't necessarily mean a more natural world), then emissions and loss of natural resources can be substantially reduced. It's a tough choice and one that's possibly not even achievable in a democracy. After all, who is going to vote for what will happen in 50, 100 or 1000 years time? Yes, when religion ruled. But science did get it right, even when it had to be hidden. Now, if you can present your findings, rather than your beliefs, people are here to be persuaded. Evolution, genetics, relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, yes, even global warming - the scientific community changed their minds in a relatively short time due to good, well thought out and methodically presented evidence. If you've got the evidence, then present it. Otherwise, it's just a feeling, not a science. You might be right but how can a belief be trusted over structured research?

But it doesn't. Double the size of the population of the Western Sahara and there is still very little environmental impact. A small proportion increase in the US or Western Europe leads to a huge change in resource use. It's not the poor that created the problem, nor is limiting their population the solution. That lies with changing from a consumer economy to a green economy. We don't all consume anything like the same resources person for person, country for country. Consumerism, with it's many add-ons (cash crops for wheat, imported vegetables, higher reliance on meat products, power-hungry but unnecessary machines etc etc etc) is the main problem. The rich are the cause and only a sea change in attitude can solve it. A simple population divided by resource model is crude, simplistic and unfair. In fact, some figures. From 1980 to 2005 sub-Saharan Africa grew by around 20%. That contributed to under 2.5% in CO2 increase. North America grew by around 4% but produced an extra 15% CO2. So, if we reduced sub-Saharan Africa's population by one-fifth, there would still be no significant impact upon climate change. Population does not necessarily equate to amount of environmental damage. Consumerism is the key factor. But what you gonna give up for it?

Nope. For a few reasons. I don't think drugs are the problem in themselves. It's a bit catch all anyway. Heroin it was supposed to be. Regulate it and it will work as well or as badly as any others, e.g. sugar, tobacco, alcohol... I doubt the mental health problems were that severe but, as I understand it, it was never assessed. So not right again. I 100% believe that mental instability can be a defence. Executing someone with a mind of a child that's been manipulated is dead wrong. I'm not saying that's what happened here but you did say "I don't even believe appeals for clemency on the grounds of mental instability should be entertained. in any court-room." Living where I do, I know how deep corruption can run. I wouldn't necessarily believe any verdict from such a country. I don't believe in the death penalty purely because miscarriages of justice happen. I don't have any problem morally otherwise but sending an innocent man to be killed is a wrong that can never be righted.

Absolutely WRONG! No matter how many children the Third World has, they consume virtually nothing. Most people won't even switch on a lightbulb. It's consumerism that's damaging the world. Walk around many cities and see the air-conditioning units. When did we ever need them? How many cars growing up and how many now? One-sixth of the population produce NO significant emissions according to a recent paper. These are also the areas with the highest population growth (to ensure some survive). A Wally Yacht (luxury yacht) burns more fuel in TEN MINUTES than the majority of Africans burn in their entire life. It's easy to blame other people but it's the developed world that cut down all it's trees (save the rainforest 'coz we cut down all our woodland), been spouting mass pollution for years, stripped the world of it's resources and organised the world into countries that weren't needed or desired.

I've never understood what was wrong with doing good. How can you tell a grown adult they shouldn't do what they want in the privacy of their own home because it's bad for them. If they're taking it in front of children, then take action. If they're stealing, prosecute. Otherwise, it's nothing to do with anyone else.

Rory was also pretty young. He could well rise through the divisions. We needed an experienced striker and he was too wet around the ears.

Not voting is what let the BNP in. Vote for the least worst. That's the only option for most.

So we get our most successful manager back and one that's completely 100% committed to the club. Every cloud...

Crazy if it is. We've been in the SPL for a number of years and spent virtually no money on transfer fees, with a low wage too for most players. We've a good few youngsters too in Hayes, Shinnie, Ross, Bully, Rooney and Cox. They won't be on and won't be expecting a fortune. Sign them up. Ditch the bigger earners in Foran, Duff and Barrowman. Sell Imrie. Then we've got a good, but cheap, basis for a longer-term team. Just what Pele did all those years ago.

Don't see why. It's only short-term. At 69, I doubt Brown will be looking to make it permanent.

Dangerous line to get such a couple of novices in. Seriously, though, that's one intelligent backroom staff.

And his first post talks sense.

Yeah, but that ain't gonna happen. Still believe if we lose the 6 or 8 players and don't bring in anyone from the SPL? Nope, me neither.

Bit of a strange sacking that. No doubt we'll hear Gannon's story in time. Calderwood would be a good signing but I wonder if the two Jimmies might sit it out for an English or Dutch club?

I BELIEVE TOO*!!!!!!! (*as long as you're not talking about promotion)

They have young ICT boys instead that they got for free...

Why no Duff?