rambling syd rumpo

Smoke on the Water and a flip Sony Ericsson? Tell today's kids that once upon a time that was as cool as you could be at 13 and they'll just laugh at you. 10 out of 10 for Bowie. 0 out of 10 for being a total sook, but if it keeps the Mrs happy why should you worry about how it scores on social media?

Ah, the "Ivano and Dario" song. How I loved that. I programmed my work mobile phone to play the tune as a ring tone, which was pretty cutting edge in 2001. You had to set up the tune note by note rather than just downloading a file. I was working in Manchester at the time and it's fair to say I was the only person in the office with that ring tone.

This is the first time since the Doon Derby season that we've known before the end of March which division we'd be in the next season. Even in 2019-20, which was curtailed by Covid, there was uncertainty about whether there would be some league reconstruction. To be honest saying that we're staying up still feels slightly premature, a bit weird.

It was the other way round with our first goal. I actually thought the referee had whistled for Mitov's handball. As Cameron's shot sailed into the goal I was seething that the ref hadn't played the advantage. It was only when the other players piled on to Cameron that I twigged. Ian Snedden deserves credit for delaying the whistle.

There's something in that. MacKenzie might have got away with the handball on its own, and he might have got away with the push if there'd been no handball. But the ref could well have decided he didn't deserve the benefit of the doubt for both. Steven Thompson and James McFadden put it well on Sportscene. MacKenzie's arm was in an unnatural position because he was pushing Portales in the back, so it should have been a penalty one way or the other.

Which is all pretty much why I don't wear football tops, even though I would obviously look somewhat trimmer than a burst couch.

Well, I think it's smart, but I wouldn't dream of buying or wearing one. Just the same as I can admire my wife wearing a beautiful dress (careful choice of analogy because I'm highly risk averse on social media) but that doesn't mean I'd ever want to wear it.

It's gorgeous. I don't know how often we'll wear it, but it should sell well. https://dundeefc.co.uk/news/23-24-third-kit-released/

He was decent considering he's just stepped up a few levels. His decision making was poor at times, but he's up against far better defenders than he's used to. If he's genuinely any good then that's all a useful learning experience. It will be interesting to see what happens.

'Mon the Swifts. My favourite team in Perth by some distance. It was a 45 minute problem, which we fixed at half time. Our formation that day was wrong. It was 3-4-1-2 with wing backs, Beck and McCowan making up two of the midfield four. Beck had to cover the left midfield area as well as the left flank. St Mirren targeted the space behind and around Beck, overloading him repeatedly and giving McMenamin a half yard start on him. Docherty sorted it at half time without using subs. We switched to four at the back and a flatter, wider midfield. That changed the game and Beck had an excellent second half. McCowan hasn't been used as a wing back since - thank goodness. He's been outstanding in central midfield.

Linesmen only flag for offside at a goal when the ref tells them. The linesman spots the offside and tells the ref via his mic. If the ref decides the offside player would have been interfering with the keeper's view he tells the linesman to put his flag up. VAR then takes over. If the VAR team confirm the player was offside the final decision is passed back to the referee. In the circumstances I thought the linesman's flag today was up pretty quickly. The process worked well, if it did take rather a long time from the point when the flag went up.

Pleased is an understatement. The trouble is I've been inundated since Mr Bates aired. I'm struggling to keep up with all the requests for information, comment, interviews. I haven't had time to check out the usual football forums and sites. The scandal touches many of the areas I've worked in so I know how these jobs should be done. I am raging about how badly Fujitsu and the Post Office have acted. That's why I got involved.

40 points will guarantee you won't finish bottom and means you're about 90% likely to be out of the play-of spot. 38 points is usually good enough. 34 points or less and you're in trouble. 30 points and you're doon. United got 31 points last season. Ross County got 33.

Maybe Tyler French was considered too nice for the Premiership and has been ordered to go and learn some of the dark arts from Dougie Imrie. If so it could be win win all round. I'm not a purist.

He's very fast, which allows him to recover if his positioning is off. I hope he still has the same pace, and he comes back to Dens! Look on YouTube for the Dundee 4 v Arbroath 2 game last season. Two minutes 48 seconds in.

I hope Max Anderson's loan is a good deal for all three parties. He got a new 2 year contract in June so I assume he still has a future at Dens if he has a good season. I think that if he can get regular game time in the Championship he could improve enough to make a decent Premiership player. I rate him a bit higher than other Dees seem to. He's an energetic box to box midfielder who can make things happen. If the team's set up right he can provide some goal threat. So I wish good luck to everyone concerned.

I know a guy who played amateur football in the Motherwell area and his team once got a goalkeeper who had been on Well's books, but hadn't made the first team. My friend said he was taken aback by the abuse that a goalkeeper with that background was willing to give his defenders during a game.

First day of the league season? Jeezie peeps. I can't remember that far back. It was summer was it?

Cheers! Queen's Park ran out of lanyard passes for the Dee media so I didn't get one. I went on the pitch afterwards anyway. Got told to get lost by a local jobsworth because I didn't have a lanyard. So what. Got my photo taken with the trophy. A pleasing evening.

I'm torn between "FFS it's Cove Rangers" and "FFS it's Dundee".

Shaw might be the lip side of the problem that afflicted Lyall Cameron until this season. In Scotland we play tall guys through the middle and wee men on the wings. Cameron is far more effective through the middle than when he is stuck out wide. He can send a decent pass, has the knack of sneaking into the box behind the strikers to pick up scraps, he has a good first touch and finishes well.

In fairness Boyd was up against Josh Mulligan who is a highly mobile brick shithouse.. It's easy to run into him. They were actually together for a while when Mulligan was on loan at Peterhead. Unfortunately that loan spell was wrecked because Josh was injured almost immediately. Boyd & Mulligan did both start in a league cup win for Peterhead at Tannadice, for which we thank them both.

I've no real arguments with any of that. Shaw didn't impress me, but this might explain why.

Yes, Partick can overtake QP or Dundee if either of them lose both remaining games. But since they play each other that rules Partick out from the title. They can finish second though.