Yngwie

Did Richard Hastings play for Caley, or was it just ICT? Got one definite though : Allan Smart, now onto his 16th club and still only 33! Currently at Burscough in the Conference North. I think he's also the only player to progress from ICT to the Premiership, but that's perhaps another thread.

Celtic did well to offload Jarosik for a healthy fee, but I chuckled at this bit of journalism on the BBC website : "The fee is expected to be in the region of ?747,500." :024:

They lived the dream, now they are living reality. Just look at their transfer activity this month. They offloaded a large chunk of their squad including some of their best players, and just brought in loans for the rest of the season. Very sensible decisions from a club that knows its fate, meaning they can start next season in Division 1 with their lowest wage bill for many years, and then assemble a new squad more in keeping with their resources.

I'm going on Sunday (freebie, with prawn sandwiches included) but I expect Scotland to lose and commence the usual battle to avoid the wooden spoon.

IIRC Rankin was the Division 1 stand-out player at the time we signed him, and had a dozen or so goals by this stage of the season. In comparison, ?50k just seems a lot to pay for Imrie.

I can hardly believe we would pay that much for a merely decent division player. This has the potential to supersede Martin Glancy as our biggest waste of a transfer fee!

Aye, on the back of a snail.

Actual P&J : Brewster said: "The contracts of Barry Wilson and Markus Paatelainen are up at the end of the season and we will monitor their situation over the coming months. They have not been offered new contracts at this stage." Not quite the same thing Alex!

?50k for Imrie doesn't sound particularly good value for money, does it?

Actually clubs and players often meet up in nearby Gleneagles to hold transfer and contract talks. Especially when it's a star player who they're trying to impress.

Hmm, so he was somewhere in the central belt........ :024:

More to the point, people who buy or watch the output of these talentless nobodies!

Who sings that one?

A bargain at ?20 a head if anyone is interested, although I'm more likely to break a pencil than break sweat. :003:

I don't think any club says that and actually means it. It's just a polite way of saying "we know we have deficiancies in our squad, but failed in our attempts to bring in better players".

An average player spends around 45 hours a year on the pitch. Many of us do 45 hours a week, for a lot less money.

I think SMEE just wanted a one word answer (but picked the wrong person for that :004: )

Nah, give them Rory.

He's a very "obvious" signing for us to make, given the longstanding tradition of County's best player each season earning a promotion to the sunny side of the bridge. Not convinced he would add much to our squad though. Hissy and Bavidge have also been banging the goals in in Div 2.

I think we've done really well so far, by offloading players early in the window and going into the crucial last day knowing exactly how much we have to spend. Most clubs spend the last day wanting to sign players but can only do so only if they sell/dump existing members of the squad, and they get caught in transfer chains. I would be absolutely certain that we will make signings (plural) but I have no idea who. There are always surprises.

Are you overlooking his season in the wilderness?

Do other Highland league clubs not balance the books, and even make the occasional surplus, with smaller crowds than Clach? Is it just that those clubs own their grounds and don't have a rent bill, or are there other differences?

Is it Benin?

A wasted trip and overnight stay then. It'll cost Motherwell an awful lot more, but I can't have too much sympathy in that respect because they are making big money this season by having tennants and that has contributed to the pitch being in poor condition.

Solution : offer him a cracking contract, but with a ?100 penalty clause for every time he passes to the opposition.