Alex MacLeod

Can't remember if he's reffed us but is a decent ref. Craig Mackay Date of Birth: 22 February 1966 Height: 6' 1" Weight: 14 st Profession: Operations Director, Bank of Scotland First ever match: Under 10 boys club match in Glasgow First international match: Ferenvaros (Hungary) v Tirana (Albania); Champions League Qualifier ; 4th official Career highlights Being appointed to referee the 1999 Scottish Junior Cup Final ; Kilwinning Rangers v Kelty Hearts What does being a football referee mean to you? I love being involved in the game, and I thoroughly enjoy my role as a referee and the satisfaction you receive when you work hard Why did you become a referee? Having played football with the Boys’ Brigade and realising that I wasn’t good enough to progress to a higher level, I chose refereeing in order to remain involved in the game Would you have wished to become a full-time referee? Not now, due to my current position outside of football Any pet hates in football? Professional players who attempt to get their fellow colleagues cautioned etc What Law of the Game would you change? Players who try to obtain an advantage via cheating ie simulation and players who try to score a goal by punching the ball into the net in order to deceive the match referee, these culprits should be treated more severely. The most difficult Law to apply? Offside, the movement of players in today’s modern game makes it extremely difficult for our Assistant Referees to judge Your best memory in football? Too many, struggle to highlight any particular moment, but a lasting memory will be all the great characters that I have met over the years Other sports or hobbies? Spending time with the my wife and 2 young daughters, and when time permits ; golf, swimming and cycling Your main strength? Man-management, always talking to players throughout the 90 minutes And main weaknesses? Privately very self critical What's in your car CD player? Rock Anthems Beer or wine? Red Wine Favourite film? Beverley Hills Cop Tastiest food? Pasta, Steak Favourite holiday destination? Puerto Pollensa, Mallorca Luck or judgement? Don't have much luck Dress up or dress down? Dress down Whom would you most like to meet? Matthew Pinston Ambitions? To enjoy life and provide for my family as much as possible for the future Any advice for young referees? Listen and work hard at you game including your fitness, enjoy what you do as there are many opportunities available

Williamson with McNarama as No.2 Remember you heard it here first :003:

No reason why Colin MacFadyen at the Innes couldn't put in a bid to run the place. Quite a lot of places do just that.

I can increase revenue and at the same time alleviate the problem of getting out of the carpark. Build a bl**dy great hotel which will reduce the space for cars thus making it easier to get out. :003:

Lets not make any seats available to away fans. We could then have 7512 silent Caley Jags at every game.

My understanding from reading kencar's link is that they wont actually be thrown out. Their full membership would be reduced to associate and they would be given two years to prove themselves or face being voted out of league.

Thought for a minute it was Guy Kerr you were on about

Memories of when we won the league. Helicopter hovering around with the trophy. Last day of season Super J's will be at Hamilton. Gretna at Dingwall. Week before that they are both at home. Gretna have Clyde and QoS come to Perth. If the gudgies can win away to Livi and St Johnston beat QoS next week then that final game against Gretna can save or break them so should be an exciting end to season in Div 1.

At the end of the day it doesn't really matter who goes to Livi. No players, no money. And they've gone through as many managers in the last three years as the Arabs have.

Is it not the case that a fourth stand would only be built if it were possible to incorporate office space for rent, bar etc. I'm sure the last that was said was that they would more likely look at developing the corners between main stand and end stands.

Considering thats about the only players left available its no a bad call from the Chibber.

Sadly this will be my final game this season :019:

Cant really see them being able to afford Brew or Butcher. Second division with gates of 5 - 600

Funny how, like the arab says, Scotland was refused by people with Hibs connections whereas Latapy has been here forever and a day with no problems.

Nothing to do with DP. More the sh!*e team and the sh!*te board.

Not quite true there ken. He was granted a permit when he was brought here in the first place, and wasn't in his national team then so what changed when he applied for an extension, and how come the extension was easily obtained when St Johnston took him? Oh! and I'm not a united fan.

They played very well and were unlucky not to get a replay out of it.

Jason Scotland.........would love to see him here but would the SPL do a U-turn and grant him an extension work permit? Simon Mensing.........think he'll be staying where he is. I wouldn't say the Motherwell players were 'cast offs'. Are they not reducing their squad size (again) for financial reasons.

Well the last time Motherwell axed players we got Brown so who knows.

John Sutton and James McPake....two names being bandied in the courier. Constructive views please.

Ok CD, get of your high horse. I haven't read anywhere that anyone is having a pop at Mileson or his team. Nor is anyone questioning how he spends his money. As for Gretna being allowed to live the dream......what is the dream? Brookes Mileson, when he baled Gretna out of debt then bought over the team made no secret of his ambition to 'take a team from nothing into the SPL within five years'. The questions are: when his dream has been fulfilled will he still be interested? If his poor health takes him away will his son continue the investment? Is it right that a club with such a poor fanbase be allowed to compete in this league? All very well saying that Gretna can be sustained by Milesons money but to say that nobody other than Gretna will suffer financially is wrong. Every other team in the league will lose out on vital revenue when Gretna take little or no fans to away games? Dont be fooled by the 7000 at hampden. A very large number of them were fans of other clubs, including ours, out for the day in the hope of seeing history being made. Example recently Gretna v St Johnston...vital league championship clash......St J fans outnumber the home support by approx 2-1.

What you fail to realise is that they are backed by a millionaire. I imagine there players earn more than ours do. Why else would David Bingham leave a club promoted to the SPL to join a 2nd Division side? I think himself will deep one more time into his pockets should they get promoted :006: Yes they are backed by a millionaire but his funds cannot hold out at the rate he needs to spend to sustain an SPL team (between 2 and 3 million a year). Yes his players were paid more money, whilst they were coming through the divisions, than ours were. They will not be paid any more now they have almost achieved his ambition. Indeed come the end of season a number of them will no longer be at the club. Nobody can produce fans that dont exist so I dont see their gate going up. So a cold wed night in winter Gretna v ICT, for example. We take 100, they take 200. Motherwells stadium is going to look pretty bleak. Come midway through the season will there fans even bother to travel. Maybe a bus load to Inverness. 30 folks in a 2500 seat stand. Thats the reality.

There may be someone who can come on and either shoot me down in flames or corroberate my understanding of the situation at at most clubs. Squad players train Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday. Wednesday and Sunday (unless there are matches) are days off. In Brewsters era ICT trained 90 mins in morning and same in afternoon. There are also a number of +16 year olds on the books who are able to put in similar training regimes. For all others training is two or three nights a week but does not interfere with education. Younger children usually train sat morning and play sundays, though they may also have a couple of forty five min stints during the week I would imagine ICT are similar. That is how its done at a lower division club where friends of mine are coaches and I understand that there are rules / guidelines, partaining to this, for all clubs to follow . I've never heard of any club preventing children from participating in other sports though I do know that coaches who see potential in 14+ age group may try and discourage this as the training required for some sports can conflict with that required for football. For example sports that develop and require strength can conflict with those that require agility. To be successful in any sport requires committment and dedication, both from the participants and the coaches, and if the lads dont want to heed the advice then they shouldnt be there. My coaching friends do there stuff on behalf of a div 3 club with ambition to progress. They do it voluntarily and unpaid and they often feel frustrated by the ones who cant be-ersed, especially if they have chosen the team on sat morning and come sun match one or two dont turn up.

IMO Gretna will go straight back down. Brookes M bought the club and pledged he would finance the five years it would take to go from div 3 to SPL. He's done it (almost), achieved his ambition and will now likely pull out. No way can he keep spending.

If picked Graham Bayne will play his hundredth game for us on 21st. And for the exiles READ IT HERE