Kingsmills

To be fair, not much different to the sort of attendance we would get in this competition in normal times for a home game against Cowden'.

Disappointing not to beat Cowdenbeath and we are unlikely to progress in this competition. However, there are positives to take. We need to find our scoring boots but we have now played 180 minutes of competitive football without conceding in open play and we have another 90 minutes of football under our belts. Decent preparation for the vital league campaign ahead.

We seem to be the only club now who has nothing in place yet. Given that much smaller clubs with even fewer resources have handled this so much more professionally, this is both a disappointment and an embarrassment. Unlike many part time clubs who have managed, we have a full time, well rewarded, CEO. Just what has he been doing ?

When did Margaret Ferrier get a job with the SFA ? What an incompetent shambles yet again.

Assuming that he was within 2 metres of him for 15 minutes or more he will.

No guarantee that the self preservation society won't move the goalposts half way through. I would put nothing past our disgraceful and incompetent football authorities.

I think there is a lot of justified positivity. Our players have been idle, at least from a footballing point of view, for months and our thin squad was ravaged by injury. Yet, that was so very much more encouraging than our last visit to Tynecastle in this competition when all we had to do to progress was avoid losing by four or more goals and failed miserably to do that. On this occasion we only lost very narrowly due to a highly dubious penalty and a match rusty striker's lack of finishing ability. We are rightly treating these games as very largely 'pre season' but we have a realistic hope of qualifying for the knockout stages as one of the best runners up and some real confidence in our ability to compete with, far and away, the best resourced team in the division once we are back up to something approaching full strength. A credit to all at the club for getting us so ready for the season ahead in the most challenging of circumstances.

A better result than many, including me, had anticipated. Much to take encouragement from.

Not the worst thing in the world as long as we properly use these cup matches to get fully prepared for the vital league campaign ahead.

I recall reading dozens of generally positive contributions from this poster. We need a combination of praise but also criticism where it is justified. If fans have legitimate criticisms it is appropriate that they are free to voice them so that the club is aware of them and so that they can, if appropriate and possible, to address and remedy them.

It is no great surprise that we seem to be lagging behind in this regard. Whilst, over the years, we have had some amazing success and achievements on the pitch, our commercial and technical activities seem often stuck almost at Highland League level.

What do I know !

I am not convinced that there is the money to bring anyone else in.

Whatever Elgin have been doing for the past week can we please emulate it for the season ahead ?

In the latter case, well armed with flea powder.

No. I have never been to the cinema in the United States or Canada. However, I did often go to the 'pictures' at the Play House or La Scala.

The operative word in my post was 'theatre'

Certainly not the position in Scotland. No indoor theatre performance with an audience present are permitted.

Modesty forbids me from reminding you who first made that point.

I think there was a hope then that there would be at least a limited number of fans at that time. Not sure if that pencil mark has now been somewhat snubbed.

This season's Challnge Cup has been scrapped. Probably sensible in the circumstances. No word yet on whether last season's tournament, in which of course we still have an interest, will be completed.

More specifically the obscene amounts of money poured into the elite leagues by television has ruined the game. I remember the days when a top professional footballer got paid about the same as an experienced hospital consultant. Now the top players earn as much in two months as a doctor could expect to earn in an entire career. An obscene distortion of priorities driven by TV money.

I would do the same were it not for the fact that my sons would probably never speak to me again !

Not the stiffest of opposition but seven goals from seven different scorers and a clean sheet is very encouraging.

That, as you say, is no surprise but a great shame. There is a wealthy Highland philanthropist who ploughs about a million pounds every year to keep his club in the Premiership and credit to him for that. I wish that we had a similarly generous benefactor. However, if he gave a similar amount to be divided amongst the Highland league clubs as a one off that would keep their season alive.