Alex MacLeod

I'm inclined to agree with what Bridge-Ender says. From a TV view I thought Gill was going to change the game but he was hardly on the park when he got injured. For that I would question some of the training / fitness / warm-up aspects. I dont think he was warmed up proparly before coming on. Like many players past and present Gill needs a few games before I will decide how good or bad he is. Like many before him he's coming into a new team, a new way of training and, most of all, a new style of football. How many of you watched Rooney or Cox or Hayes, and a few others, and made comment to the effect that they were cr@p. I dont see Gill as being any different. He'll learn. As for cover, I think we have cover and I think we may see something this season we haven't see before. Terry Butcher has a big belief in blooding youth and I think, rightly, we will see more young, enthusiastic players this season than ever before.

Personally I'd go with the same starting line-up as today. Think you'll find Gil pulled a hamstring. I think young Nick deserved his start today and I wouldn't have a problem with him starting next week. Whats wrong with Hayes?

I didn't see this at all. Thought they did very well but were under so much pressure from Duncan and Cox collapsing in the second half. I didn't think they collapsed so much as Celtic came out a different team in second half. They kept posession and kept driving. Loads of positives to take from it though. Ross showed he deserved his start. Hayes ran rings around Mulgrew. Odhiambo looked a lot more in control this season. Gillet has a lot more to give. McCann looked solid as did Cox. All in all I think we have a team who will do well this season. We have to play for the full 90 minutes though.

Feel free but remember if you get barred from the bar you'll also likely get barred from the match

First of the opening sentence was meant as a tongue in cheek comment and not an insult. If it was taken the wrong way then I sincerely apologise. The point I'm tryinmg to make is that the current situation is wrong as is the TV domination by the OF. They created it by using the "we've got more fans than you" arguement. Its all swings and roundabouts. If the other teams had more coverage they could then afford the world class players. But that then brings another debate. Players are paid too much and transfer fee's are out of control. Why should we demand a share of the OF shirt sponsor monies? Every team negotiates their own sponsorship and if we had the same TV coverage as they do we'd be in a position to bring in a bigger sponsor. Kilda, would it be fair the the team who bring 20 fans gets the same money as the one that brings 200 or, in the case of the OF, 2000+

Re you a director of one of the OF Andy. Thats the sort of response they would make. Does Man U and Chelsea get the lions share of EPL monies. I think not. The rest would walk if that happened. As you indicate there's EPL and Championship. There's also league matches televised in England. There's La Liga and Serie A on some channel at some point in the week but, personally, I'd choose a Scottish game first.

You sure about that? There are 33 on our fixture list, being 3*11. Oops, you win. Dornoch arithmetic education not doing too well I guess.

I dont think anyone is asking for more help for relegated clubs. What our chairman says is " The present setup in Scottish Football, where the relegated club faces financial ruin, must change". In my opinion the system whereby two clubs get 45% of the league income is wrong. Monies coming in from TV etc should be shared equally. It is also wrong that the SPL commands a very large portion of the income coming into Scottish Football. We need one governing body distributing the cash for the benefit of all teams and not just for the elite.

Perhaps not. Last season they made a loss of approx. ?250k which was after adding over ?500k income from transfer fees so a loss of ?750k if Niculae hadn't been sold. I also notice that if it wasn't for a property revaluation in the last year the balance sheet would be showing the club as having more liabilities than assets. The accounts certainly don't paint a pretty picture. That's not what The Builder would have you believe! To be fair the accounts paint a very pretty picture. They show that we still have cash in the bank and assetts worth greated than our debts. The true cost of our relegation was not the figure quoted in the linked article. A figure I cant find in the accounts. The true cost of relegaqtion was a drop in income of ?1.8 million and a reduction in staff of 18. The board are to be commended for keeping the deficit to under a million considering the drop in revenue. The property revaluation is for Grieg Street Club.

Would it not make more sense to take this complaint directly to the club in the first instance. I know Tabitha is a very busy lady but she is also very approachable and would be able to resolve the problem in minutes.

To settle the arguement Northern Ireland: Taylor, Little, McGivern, J. Evans, Craigan, Baird, Davis, Clingan, Paterson, Lafferty, Brunt subs Tuffey (not used), C. Evans (replaced Paterson 46), McCann (replaced Brunt 46), Healy (replaced McGivern 68), Feeney (replaced Baird 46), Patterson (not used), Norwood (replaced Clingan 64), Gorman (replaced Lafferty 58), Blayney (not used) They were beaten 2-0 by Montenegro

Final score 4-1 Stennie Other results in Alba Cup Dunfermline 1-1 QoS (5-6pens) Ayr United 2-0 Cowdenbeath East Fife 3-1 Stirling Albion Ross County 3-1 Morton Partick Thistle 2-1 Berwick Peterhead 6-1 East Stirlingshire Queen's Park 2-3 Forfar Some score for the fishermen. Hope they dont plan similar in CIS

Winners of Thurso v Wick

Iwelumo has been scoring goals in recent times. Another Scotland manager comes in and rates the guy enough to give him another chance. That should say enough. Yep he missed a sitter, on his debut, in a crucial game for us. I can count on all hands and toes the number of times our strikers have missed from close range in crucial games. Even messrs Foran and Rooney. Missing sitters happens to many players.

Do you really think it did? Me and the wife went in there on the last day last season. There were about a dozen folk in, having some food, at one o'clock. There were no queues at the bar. Around two more folk started to come in yet I could still go to the bar and get served almost immediately. On that, only, experience I cant honestly see how it would have provided very much in the way of revenue, considering what they'd have to pay in wages. Maybe it did though.

If the manager believes Nick is deserving of a start then he should get it. I know talented 18 year olds are few and far between but there are a few out there and our Nick could very well be one of those. If he's got it let him show it.

Ian Black cos we haven't been able to replace him.

Couldnt agree more. Well said! On the subject of CaleyD....where's he hiding?

Probably the same reason as you Celtc fans do . This song, for me, is synonomis with stadium disasters. Heysell and Bradford in 85 and Hillsborough in 89. Gerry and the Pacemakers released it in 63 and Liverpool fans adopted it. Since then it has been adopted by fans of many other clubs, including Celtic, FC Twente, Dortmund and even FC Tokyo. After the Valley Parade fire the song was released by a group of stars, including Gerry Rafferty, as a tribute to the 56 who died. Whenever I hear this song at any ground I'm reminded of why we now have all seater stadia.

Interesting. Similar to the system that Argentina played in the World Cup. It can only work for us if we have a genuine playmaker to link between the defensive midfielders and the strikers. I haven't seen Blumenshtein so i don't know if he's that type of player. I think you might be in for a wee bit of a disappointment when you do get to see him.... I seem to recall those words being used by people in the past. Give the lad a chance. He's got a lot to learn and, like others before him, will come good.

I am a handyman. I just live across the road. I'll get ma coat. wat in the river ? Think he means the road that turns of the Stadium road into the grit store. I believe that area to be an annex of Dingwall.

I don't think you would get a job with Charlie Christie if that's what you believe! Don't try to kid yourself, youth development at SPL level is not there for fun. It is a business and is deadly serious! It is there to produce players who can develop into full-time pros. Other associations are there to provide the platform for those who want to have fun and play with their mates. I don't know what books you have been reading but getting away from "irate parents shouting abuse from the touchlines" is nigh impossible with major problems in Holland (your Dutch model) and I'm told even at the tornament in Barcelona! You really should ask some parents how much these kids have to put into this "fun" game and how it affects those who are told that they are no longer needed at 13, 14 or 15? If the club is investing money they need a return - simple - serious stuff! I dont dispute any of what you said but if you reread you may see I wasn't referring to SPL level. What I'm saying is there shouldn't be an SPL or any other level in schoolchildrens set-ups. I go to the parks at weekends and watch the kids play full games on full size pitches with irate parents shouting abuse at refs and at their own kids. The dutch model is that the kids play short games on small pitches. They learn the basics of ball control and positioning and they get introduced slowly to the competitive aspect. I dont know how much money any club invests but I do think our system is totally wrong. example of that........a twelve year old plays for an Edinburgh boys club. He's been playing in a cup comp and his team are due to play in the final. He's spotted and is invited to Ibrox. Accompanied by his father he goes along for a trial and is offered a contract. Just before the father signs it is mentioned the lad will be playing in a final. Sorry says the Ibrox man. When he signs for us he wont be playing in any final. needless to say the signing never happened. Convince me that is right.

What club a youth team is affiliated to, or how big or small the team is, should have nothing to do with it. These are all children learning the game and the tournaments are a good place to learn, and are supposed to add a bit of fun as well. Whether or not the league of Ireland is full time part time or played in someones back garden is irrelevant. On the island of Ireland they have youth development systems in place that put our efforts to shame. I believe they use the Dutch model, or at least something similar, and they are producing decent footballers now. Tournaments like the Dublin one are not about winning or losing. They are about honing the right attitude and skills with a little bit of competition and a lot of fun thrown in. The kids are allowed to enjoy the game away from the pressures of irate parents shouting abuse from the touchlines.

Does that mean he's Premiership material? Roy has been a stalwart for this club and, I'm sure, will continue to have a major part to play. He may be a little older but he can still show the younger ones a thing or two.

You wont need them Dave....weathers going to be beautiful