Kingsmills

I don't think that the Championship should be suspended. It may be harsh, we are living in strange and difficult times but if a club has an outbreak it is almost certainly because someone has breached the rules somewhere. In these circumstances, if the club have at least 14 players Covid free then they should be obliged to play. If not, the match should be forfeited 3-0 to the opposition. That way, the league can be played out and there is a huge additional incentive for players and other staff to rigorously adhere to the rules which will also have a general knock on effect to the prevalence in their local communities.

If County are offering the use of their testing system then we should bite their hands off to accept. Right now, we should accept help whatever the source. That said, I still think that Roy Macgregor's hypocrisy remains breathtaking.

Well said. We need to get our priorities right. Watching live football, especially ICT, is a great pleasure. However, right now, there are far far more important things to focus on.

Congratulations to Brora Rangers who came from behind to beat Camelon Juniors away to progress to the third round. There reward, assuming the competition can resume, a home tie against Hearts or Stranraer.

When people were calling for fans back in grounds such calls were entirely legitimate at least in low level areas. However, the virus has mutated into a far more infectious strain which needs far more rigorous measures and there are now, for the time being at least, no areas of mainland Scotland, or anywhere in the United Kingdom for that matter, which can be considered low level.

A great shame for Dave, the Marine players and, most particularly, the fans, that this event had to take place behind closed doors. For the fans and for all but one of the Marine players this would have been the biggest and most important day in their footballing lives.

I think the grant will be closer to £300,000 than £500,000 but should still help with completing the league season.

As it stands, our league season continues. I fear that you may well be right about Leagues One and Two and below.

Having to play with a weakened team is the very least punishment they should receive for their selfish, arrogant, dangerous and ill considered trip. As usual though, when it comes to the Old Firm, the football authorities will almost certainly bottle it.

No real surprise and probably the sensible course of action.

Back on topic. Without taking anything for granted, assuming we beat Buckie, I can imagine a very large number of fans from both teams wanting to stream the El Kessicko cup tie thus generating a fair bit of income. Given that gate receipts are shared in cup ties, after deduction of reasonable expenses, it seems to me only fair, in the current circumstances, that the same should be true of this income. Especially, given that there is no scope for a replay.

From one game that I would love to be at to another. Sod's Law. Absolutely no scope for complacency against the Buckie Jags. The opportunity to play against a Premiership team, even one from a town smaller than Buckie, will be a huge additional incentive for them.

Where the main attractions were a bunch of daffodils from Howden's and a red pudding supper from the chipper.😁

Recalling the Thistle v Flalkirk tie which ended up being postponed 29 times due to a frozen pitch, even this brings a sense of nostalgia. That tie ended up being played at 2pm on a weekday despite Kingsmills having floodlights. I bunked off school in the afternoon to attend and, twenty minutes into the match with Falkirk already 3 up, I was wishing that I was in the warm a few hundred yards away in Midmills enduring double geography with Mr Preece instead.

This match brings home to me the full effect of not being able to attend. I have missed not being able to attend league matches but, going back to pre merger days, being able to watch an early round in the cup played out on a Highland League ground would have been very special indeed.

That is a blow, particularly with Doran being out just now. However, given all that is happening just now, it's not the worst news of the week and the club, as it always does, will cope.

Devastating news. Deepest condolences to his family and friends. An integral part of the club since the very beginning. Agree that his passing should be acknowledged at our next match. It should also be marked again, probably by a minute's applause at the next home game when a full cohort of fans are permitted back into the stadium. I am sure that there are very very many who would wish to show appreciation in person for all the work he has done for no personal reward over the last quarter of a century and more.

Brad McKay always tries and quite often succeeds. The abuse he gets from our own 'fans' is a disgrace.

I did thanks. Never tried Victoriana.

I have enjoyed a brief, single malt themed, island hop stopping off in Skye and Orkney. Time to move to the mainland now with a view to ending my evening with a tour of Speyside but will drop in to Tain en route.🥃🥃

I endorse Robert's thanks to tmftj.Close to a must win game as far as our promotion prospects are concerned. A very happy and healthy new year to one and all when it comes. I am off to uncork the Bruichladdich now. Slaite 🥃

I too think that we can achieve a play off spot. However, to have a realistic prospect of promotion, that probably needs to be the top play off spot, the one that we were occupying last season when it was brought to a premature end and, to achieve that, we probably need to be winning our home matches against potential rivals like Dunfermline and Dundee rather than dropping points against them. We are not in a terrible position but certainly need to do better in the final two thirds of the season.

Something on which we can agree.

I have read the research. 57% of people clearly understood the acronym. FACTS. Not ideal but not a minority. The Scottish government have not adopted hands, face, space. They did, I concede, drop their resistance to the UK government advertising, paid for by the UK government, being broadcast in Scotland but only after the latter said they were going ahead anyway. The Scottish government message remains FACTS and appears regularly still in advertising paid for by Holyrood.

To get back on topic, which I have been as guilty as any for straying from, I agree with Robert that we are unlikely to move from level 4 any time soon. Certainly not after the initial 3 week review. However, I am a little more optimistic about the medium term and believe that, unless this damn virus throws us another curve ball which is entirely possible, things me improve by late February/early March with more of the vulnerable vaccinated, more carrying natural antibodies and T cells from infection and the easing of the normal Winter pressures on the health service. I believe that we could see the return of fans, possibly in somewhat greater numbers, for the conclusion of the season. It would be good if ICT were still in contention for play off place and maybe still in the cup by then. Things will, without doubt, get better.