alternative maryhill

Yay. Brilliant team selection...

I was thinking the same today. I think he's some sort of bear. Really? His ears are awfully low on his head for a bear. Some kind of design fault on Sammy, methinks.

What sort of creature is Sammy the Tammy? I don't think I've ever known.

Clearly we'll have to agree to disagree about this. Just to respond to a couple of your points, though: I don't think or claim that sectarianism is 'Scotland's problem' - it's something that exists among a very small minority of the Scottish population, and a slightly more significant minority within the population of the west of Scotland. The very large majority of Scots are untainted by such attitudes. My belief, however, that the actions of the 'disturbed individual' (I agree with you about that) who sent the letter bombs were motivated by sectarianism is not based on an inability to think for myself, nor on my 'blindly following the easy story pedalled by the press'; rather, it is based on having lived in Glasgow for twenty years, for much of that time on the route of Orange marches, and having witnessed first hand the vitriol, vandalism and violence that attend these occasions. When you've seen someone being beaten to the ground by several people for having unwittingly crossed the road while the march was in progress, it's not a great leap to assume that there are some people in the west of Scotland who are capable of greater acts of violence that they feel can be justified by what they believe is a 'cause'.

How do you square this theory with the sending of a letter bomb to Trish Godman MSP? In the context of my FULL post on the subject, no squaring is required. I'm sorry if that appeared like selective editing on my part, but in the context of your FULL post on the subject, squaring certainly is required. You wrote that, 'life teaches us that certain personalities are more likely to attract this kind of attention. It's no coincidence that in towns and cities throughout the world you can narrow trouble and problems down to certain groups and individuals.' Trish Godman was targetted as part of the same campaign that targetted Neil Lennon, apparently for no greater 'crime' than wearing the shirt of the team she supports on a 'casual day' at her workplace. Does this make her a legitimate recipient of 'this kind of attention'? I would disagree: this appears to me as clearly an attack motivated by sectarianism. Likewise with Neil Lennon: it is perfectly understandable that many Scottish football supporters find some of his behaviour, both as player and manager, unpalatable, but for you to state, on the basis of this, that 'it doesn't surprise me that it's Lennon that it is happening to' suggests a worldview that is, at best, naive and at worst, dangerously skewed.

How do you square this theory with the sending of a letter bomb to Trish Godman MSP?

You going to be in in the Innes beforehand Rog? Also starting to reconsider going to the Dons game after seeing your post on the other thread...

Was just thinking that. They probably couldn't have got a worse fixture, could they? After having missed only one away game all season, I'm not going to make either St Johnstone or Aberdeen, and I'm not really that bothered about it if I'm being honest. Will make Hamilton though, to wave ta ta to our bogey team.

Journalistic duties this weekend is it AM? Nah. Visiting the folks duties. Always try to make it coincide with a decent home game.

Going to be up for this one.

Our record under Terry Butcher isn't too bad in that respect, although it doesn't come close to Pele's, what was it, three and a half seasons without a 0-0? We've only had one league 0-0 this season (against Motherwell), two last season (against County and Dunfermline) and one under Terry the season before (against Celtic, in his first game - which we can let him off with). Re the original post, though, I fully expect us to make an @rse of it against Hamilton - they're bound to win at least once before they take their leave, and given our record against them, we look like the most likely victims.

I'll certainly be going. Won't know for certain until Saturday am if I can make that train, but assuming I can I shall see you in the bar in Central.

Good Oi!

Except Fridge. I seem to remember Fridge doing ok at times. My memory is hazy but I think he was in goals the night we beat the Pars at East End Park in one of the cups when they were still a "scalp" for ICT. It ended up going to ET and pens and he saved some. Made us late going up the road but we did it with a smile on our faces. I seem to remember Fridge saving two penalties in one game at Brockville. Was I tripping? You probably were tripping, but Les did indeed save 2 in the one game - see link below http://www.thefreelibrary.com/CRABBE%3A+I+HOPE+MY+DOUBLE+SPOT+MISS+WON'T+BE+THE+END%3B+FALKIRK+2...-a061816345 Love the comments by Xausa in this article too....aye right!! Well Livingston were virtually a Premiership club... in their own minds. That was supposed to be the last game at Brockville, wasn't it? It wasn't just Alex Totten who was taking souvenirs - wonder if Mark still has the menu from the pie stall?...

Yeah, that was the conclusion I came to. He was excellent at Tannadice back in August, but yesterday, unfortunately, was more typical of his recent form. Poor game all round. I didn't think Utd were much better than us apart from a spell in the second half when they passed it around quite nicely. Very little happening in front of either goal. It was good to see Hayes back - he looked quite dangerous early on and worked hard throughout - and as gingerjaggy has already mentioned, Richie Foran had a fine game. Rooney wasn't at his best but the decision to take him off on 57 minutes, especially when Odhiambo had been so ineffective, was baffling - it removed any chances we had of holding up the ball up front, and we needed to be able to do that because for most of the second half, it was back to long balls out of defence. One positive was that Kenny Gillet looked very good when he came on: strong and direct. On the other hand, Aaron Doran concerns me a little. Yesterday was the fourth or fifth time I've seen him, and while he clearly has a bit of ability, he looks a bit nervous about getting involved. There was one glaring example of this yesterday when Duff, I think, had the ball in the right back area and was looking for a pass. Doran was in acres of space wide left and would have had a clear run-in on goal, but didn't seem to want the ball. Maybe it's something that will develop with more game time, but I'm not sure if we can afford to give him that: we badly need attacking players who will have a go and in that regard I think I'd rather see Ross or Sutherland in the team. Unless there's a significant improvement against Celtic, Killie and Hearts, I can't see us making top six now, and what began as a very promising season will probably peter out into one that, although decent for a newly-promoted team, will feel rather mediocre.

Except Fridge. I seem to remember Fridge doing ok at times. My memory is hazy but I think he was in goals the night we beat the Pars at East End Park in one of the cups when they were still a "scalp" for ICT. It ended up going to ET and pens and he saved some. Made us late going up the road but we did it with a smile on our faces. I seem to remember Fridge saving two penalties in one game at Brockville. Was I tripping?

I like that team and formation. Will either of those left backs be fit though, or will it be made do and mend with Duff and Munro as the full backs again?

That's almost always the case with the midweek Sportsound programmes, unfortunately. Bryan Burnett and his selection of MOR pop rules the airwaves on FM.

Esson it is. According to Chick Young that is, so it could be bollox.

Hayes and Doran both on the bench, according to the beeb. Think it must be the same or similar to the Elgin team - Esson, Duff, Tokely, Hogg, Munro, Ross, Cox, Duncan, Sutherland, Foran, Rooney.

Here son, I'll crack the jokes. If you've stopped laughing by then, 11.41 from Queen St, getting in at 12.59? Or will you appear at quarter to three as usual?...

Jesus, is that this weekend? I'd somehow got it fixed in my mind that it was the weekend after. Guess I'll be there. Might have to forego the usual sesh before and after tho - too much stuff piling up.

Moving away from this shameless piece of soliciting by the kilted headshrinker for a moment, Terry Butcher's post-match comments, reported in the Sunday Herald today, were interesting: 'What came out of that meeting was that everybody wanted to work hard for each other. There are one or two who are not the best of pals, as you would expect, but they put that aside and work really hard. We haven't got any problems in the camp, but there was a real collective spirit.' Obviously on one level he's absolutely correct: you don't expect to be close friends with everyone you work with. However, before now, the message that has consistently come out of TCS in the Butcher era has been about the unity, team spirit and lack of egos in the squad. This is the first time there has been even a hint of discord - and the subtext of the phrase 'but they put that aside' is clearly that some sort of disagreement or resentment between some players, or players and management, has developed. It'll be interesting to see if the midweek meeting, and yesterday's result, really has resolved any problems there have been. On a completely prurient level, I'd like to know who he was referring to.

Celtic's midfield is excellent at the moment and I think we'll need someone nominally in one of the wide areas who is comfortable tucking when required to. For that reason, I wouldn't start with both Doran and Hayes. Don't know how Ross played yesterday, but I think I'd be inclined to start him ahead of Doran, who from what I've seen can drift in and out of games a bit. Apart from that, I'd go with ajsict92's team.

Bloody hell. What a great feeling to be wrong. Mate at the game says we were far and away the better team. Maybe Terry's talks did the job. Hope this is a good omen for next week.