Kingsmills

I am getting a bit deaf, what has Ruth Davidson got to do with it ?

Hard to disagree with any of that. However, when I voted earlier, I did disagree with one element. I was torn between Ridgers and Carson for POY and, very narrowly, went for the latter.

Perhaps Tunnocks would be upset if they did not full value for their sponsorship given their wafer thin profitability.

John Hughes is the very last person I would want managing my club. Thankfully, there is no prospect of it happening.

Me too. If it was financially viable for us to remain in the Championship and to enjoy the odd cup run I would be content with that. Sadly, it is not and never likely to be which is why getting it right next season and getting out of the Championship is so important.

I thought that the Channel 4 leader's debate was a bit of a shambolic shouting match generating more heat than light and moving the debate on not a jot. Sturgeon, Sarwar, Harvie and Rennie all got their points across and none landed any significant blow on any of the others with no clear winner. However, yet again, there was a very clear loser in Douglas Ross. I never thought that I would say this but I was feeling genuinely sorry for him by the end. In contrast to the formidable Ruth Davidson, Ross is inexperienced, impetuous, naive and increasingly out of his depth. If last night's debate had been a boxing match the referee would have stopped it half way through to prevent him suffering more damage. Ross will be elected to Holyrood without doubt as the Conservatives have placed him at the top of their regional list candidates but, should the Tories once more come second, he will be an appallingly ineffective leader of the opposition. I am a supporter of the SNP and the Scottish government but, especially after 14 years in power, appreciate that there needs to be a strong and effective opposition to hold that government to account. To be fair to Ruth Davidson, it was a role she performed extremely well and effectively, Jackson Carlaw very much less so but Douglas Ross has now clearly demonstrated that he is not able to rise above the standard of a mediocre Moray councillor whatever the scale of his misplaced personal ambition. For that reason, and for the sake of the country, I hope that Labour finish runners up in this one horse race as, in their new leader, we would at least have a competent and articulate leader of the opposition.

Part of the charm of the game is these sort of anomalies it throws up. Just one of the very many reasons why the European Super league was such a bad idea.

As far as election literature is concerned, by far the most I have had through the door is from the Lib Dems which strikes me as an immensely inefficient use of their relatively limited resources as I live in Aberdeenshire West which is a straight battle between the Tories and the SNP.

Which might have something to do with the fact that his personal approval ratings are, by a margin, lower than that of the Prime Minister. That is quite an achievement right at the moment !

The goal of the season was to survive to compete again next season and thankfully, after a bit of a goal mouth scramble, we just managed to force the ball over the line.

I see that there is a poll published today conducted by Panelbase putting support for the Alba Party on 6% on the regional list which, if accurate, would reward them with between 6 and 8 seats. This is the 3rd successive poll by the same company showing that sort of level of support for the vehicle designed to return AS to front line politics. By contrast, every other reputable polling organisation has support for Alba at between 2 and 3 percent which would mean, in all likelihood, they would pick up no seats whatsoever. I am increasingly intrigued to discover if Panelbase is picking up something the others are missing or whether this apparent outlier is just getting it wrong.

Or concede a few less.

Probably because there is no justification for it.

The positives, that we survived. The negatives, the ridiculous number of points we conceded from winning positions without which we would have been running Hearts close for the title itself.

Well, that is our season effectively over. There were a number of positives, not least the fact that we still have a club to support and it looks like we will have the ability to remain full time next season. Next season is shaping up to be a very different one with the likelelyhood of a full return of fans, the possibilities of 4 Highland derbies and a much more level playing field than for some time with three being no single club in the division with resources much greater than all their rivals. We have a number of positives with the nucleus of a decent settled squad including the ever improving Dave Carson and Daniel McKay now reaching the potential he showed as a 16 year old before injury set back his progress. On that basis, we have the foundation to genuinely challenge for automatic promotion for the first time in three seasons. However, there is a big decision to be made on the managerial and coaching front. I have every sympathy for John Robertson and the personal difficulties he is continuing to face and great appreciation for the 100% effort and commitment he has put into the role of manager over the last four years. That said, we need to take a dispassionate approach and decide whether he is the right man going forward even if he wants to continue with the role. Personally, and with considerable sadness, I doubt that he is. We have been treading water and, to an extent, stagnating over the last couple of years and, until not that many games ago, looked in at least as much danger of occupying a relegation play off spot than a promotion one. There seemed to be to be a clear and obvious uplift in altitude, performance and, most importantly, results when the interim team took over. My inclination would be to see whether McCann and Dodds would be prepared to accept two year contracts on terms within our budget constraints. If not, I would be inclined to look for a keen young manager with a point to make and a reputation to establish. Calum Davidson seems to be fulfilling just such a role at St Johnstone and may yet lead a club with a fan base no bigger than ours and from a city no larger than hours to an incredible cup double. Whatever we decide, it is important that a decision that a manager, new or existing, is in place as soon as possible to prepare for what, if we get it right, could be our most fruitful season for seven years.

Just split the sponsorship prize money between the two finalists and move on.

HT; Hearts 0, ICT 1 FT; Hearts 1, ICT 2 ICT; D. McKay Hearts; Boyce.

This game means relatively little to Hearts but everything to us. If we are going to retain any hope of the last play off place we need to come away with all three points. The attitude needs to be that of a team playing the final game of the season away from home knowing that only victory will give them a chance of avoiding relegation.

Given our 'special relationship' with Hearts, we should send them half a dozen crates of beer to celebrate their league title making sure it arrives tomorrow in the hope that they will use it straight away to wash down a couple of kebabs each.

So there are. All the more reason why a victory at Tynecastle is essential.

Season not over yet. An uphill battle but that point gained in such adverse circumstances might yet prove crucial. We somehow need to find a way to win our three remaining matches starting away at Tynecastle on Saturday. Not an easy task now but we are still capable of achieving it.

We really are going to have to summon up the spirit of Easter Road 2014 now !

Manchester City now made a similar announcement. The edifice is crumbling already. That's what can happen when you build a glittering tower with no foundations.

Chelsea withdrawing from the European Super League. I would be very surprised now if the rest of the English clubs at least didn't follow suit.

Perhaps the biggest and most important game of the season so far. On current form, we can win this but we need to be fully committed from kick off to final whistle.