Rasczak

That is not actually confirmed yet. If they lose to Hearts, Kilmarnock beat St Mirren and Dundee, Dundee Utd. beat St Johnstone and Aberdeen, and we lose to St Johnstone then they end up 7th at the split. So depending on results, we could secure them their top six place on Friday. Aberdeen have 41 points, County 45 points. How can they finish 7th or lower? Don't ever doubt me! Aberdeen don't come into it, well except for losing to Dundee Utd. I had thought it was done and dusted as well with us beating Hibs, but it was mentioned on the radio so I did the sums, and that combination of results puts St Johnstone and Kilmarnock on 47, Dundee Utd. on 46 and them on 45. Its because both Kilmarnock and Dundee Utd. have 2 games to play still that muddies it.

That is not actually confirmed yet. If they lose to Hearts, Kilmarnock beat St Mirren and Dundee, Dundee Utd. beat St Johnstone and Aberdeen, and we lose to St Johnstone then they end up 7th at the split. So depending on results, we could secure them their top six place on Friday.

In which case, why don't we just call him Ted to save any argument

As I understand it, if the cup winners already qualify for The Champions League, then the cup runner-up gets the Europa League place. If the cup winners already qualify for Europa League, then the other place goes to the league. Cup winners get best Europa place, cup runner-up or lowest league qualifier gets the worst

There, fixed it for you.

Sitting in the Skiach, much happier than last time I was here. Thought it was a definite penalty from where I was sitting. I did have to laugh at Del on the radio, all the talk about him going to Aberdeen, I thought he'd fit in at Celtic, with the always cheated, never defeated attitude. We could have a problem for the Hibs game, can Graeme Shinnie get his place back from Charlie Taylor ?

The basis on which you seem to be calculating safety from relegation (not that this has been an issue this season anyway) isn't quite right. You appear to be going on the bottom club (Dundee) no longer being able to catch ICT. However for any club to be relegated, ALL the teams below it need to be able to catch it and the point at which there are no longer enough points left for this to happen is usually earlier than a lot of people think. I know that it can work like that, for example at the split, ie with 5 games to play, forgetting goal difference, even if you are only 14 points ahead of last place, being only 13 points over next to last will still make you safe as at least one of the teams will drop points to the other As it sits, all sides can currently obtain enough points to overtake us, Dundee can make 30, we are 28 ahead. In the event of Dundeed getting all 30 and use none, then St Mirren would get maximum 26, and are only 11 behind, Heart, could still get near 20 and are 10 behind, every-one else is within 6 points and there are enough points left for all to get that. If you can work out what combination of results, makes it impossible for at least one team to still make 43 points with a -1 goal difference, the minimum we will get this season is 43 points and -2 GD, then let me know. The main point I was making though is have we ever been safe before the split before ? I think even in the 7th place seasons it was after the first game after before we were safe.

And if St Mirren win tomorrow, then we are arithmetically safe from relegation. Would this be the earliest in the season we have been safe as an SPL club ?

^^^ Doesn't know the rules of football. or maybe hes just doing this >>> ? For me it was a penalty as mekings arm was in an unnatural position when the ball made contact with it , making it a penalty IMO . Maybe rig or wee luke can enlighten me as to why I'm wrong . I'm neither of them, but I'll enlighten you. For it to have been a penalty, it would need to have touched his arm.

We maybe don't want to go the way of too many officials, but maybe the way American football works in that each official has specific things to look for, they have the authority to call it and any doubt will be discussed rather than just dismissed because the ref wants to show he is in charge. If they are assistants, let them assist and have the ref give them the respect that they can make a call and the belief that if they do call it they will be heeded and if the ref saw it differently they discuss it rather than just dismiss it. At the moment it looks like they are sometimes frightened to make a call as it may make the ref look like he missed something, and of course the rules dictate that the ref is infallible even if all evidence is to the contrary.

If the assistant doesnt make a decision he needs to indicate what the referee has given using his flag. I understand that, it just seemed to me that the assistants, both of them really, never made their own decisions and only ever indicated what the ref had given. I believe that refs will speak with the assistants to say how the game is to be handled beforehand and whether the ref had said the them to follow him every time or they just couldn't make a decision I don't know, but surely regardless of what he said it is their duty to bring to his attention any thing he may have missed. Seems to me for the Shinnie incident, either the assistant didn't see what was in front of him, or didn't bring this to the attention of the ref.

The SPL highlights only had the side view and it just caught the moment of contact, just at the edge of the picture so it was difficult to say how bad it was. BBC highlights show it from the camera in the North stand, and you can see clear as day Vigurs racing in and then lunging in at the player, I have seen red being given for less. If you watch just before it as well, Raven nicks the ball off Vigurs' toes to feed Doran and Vigurs goes down, some players might be looking for a bit of early revenge in that situation.

BBC highlights say definite foul but ask whether it was inside or outside the box. Granted I have had a few views, but it is definitely at least on the line, my understanding is that means it is a penalty if it is given. The ref seemed happy for he free kick to be taken inside the box so that means whatever infringement he saw he deemed to be inside. The East Stand assistant was ever helpful, watch the highlights and he, as for every throw in, waits until the ref makes a decision then blindly follows it. As WYNESS101 says he it was right in frint of him and he arguably had a better view than the ref, but does nothing. Interestingly, the ref yesterday also booked someone last week for "simulation"

He certainly didn't seem to understand that to be offside you must be beyond the last man when the ball is kicked, not when you look across a second or so later.

A clear one of Ikonomou's leg sticking out and tripping Graham Shinnie.

Sitting in the Skiach on the way home to Thurso still annoyed at the non penalty decision. Stonewaller from where I was sitting just behind the goal. Fun on the way back to the car though. Some ten year old kids trying to bait us by asking if we were supporting Andy Shinnie in the diving in next year's Olympics. Pretty poor they can't get the player or the games right.

At least we have a ready made song for him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaFqNSLu6U4

BBC story updated All efforts from the team now on tomorrow and beyond.

I thought about this and suspect not as Joe Cole was given a straight red in the Arsenal game and he played in the Europa League game against Trabzonspor 4 days later. I think that is more as the Europa League is UEFA sanctioned rather than national association sanctioned, same as being sent off in a World Cup qualifier wouldn't incur an automatic suspension for a domestic game.

I started writing this before MaccaPacca's reply so some info is duplicated, however I think the context is still needed. According to both the official Liverpool and official Arsenal sites, Danny Wilson was neither in the starting 11 nor a listed substitute for the their match on 15/08/10. LFC Report Arsenal Report Though he was on the bench for the Europa Cup game the week before, 05/08/10. LFC Europa Report Neither link for the Arsenal game makes reference to him at being banned for the game and a search on the LFC site for Danny Wilson shows no results about him being banned, however does turn up an interesting result posted 2 days before that game. LFC News Article It mentions the Europa League, but not anything about an imminent suspension He was hoping for game time ASAP, but didn't mention he would have to wait at least one game due to a suspension ? Doesn't look to me like the suspension was a factor in him not being selected just that others were preferred. I don't see how you can just pick a game a player was not selected for and declare that was the one a suspension applied to. What I can't find is an official historic list of suspensions from the English FA, just current and pending ones. That is definitely the document that is needed to confirm if the suspension has been served. As I see it, if the English FA have a document saying Danny Wilson was suspended for a First Team game for dates between 21/07/10, his transfer date, and the date any disciplinary points from FA sanctioned games would have triggered any further suspension, and he did not take part in the first relevant game, then the suspension is served. If such a document cannot be produced, then the suspension was not served and therefore would apply to the first relevant game after registration with the SFA. The BBC article as updated today at 11:58 states that the suspension was served in the Arsenal game, that being the case then the SFA/English FA will shortly be providing the necessary documentation showing this, will they ?

Industrial? Have they got that far yet? This side of the county has, we even have TV. Not so sure of the Wick side though

And what about the revolution up at Wick Academy ? It takes us 2 and a half to 3 hours to get down to games, I suppose teams could avoid the Berriedale Braes by flying into Wick John O'Groats airport though

BBC Link

Graham Bayne got the last in a 6-2 win for Wick Academy today

I did question prolific with my source. Important and spectacular goals, yes. High numbers, not so much. First match is tomorrow in Wick against Turriff I'm told.