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A few things: The cynicism about Willie Haughey doesn't tie with history. Ten years ago he paid £3 million for a three year sponsorship of the Scottish Cup - and then didn't put his company's name on it. Instead he handed the naming rights to the Scottish Government, led by a party he doesn't support, for a health promotion campaign. I'm sure it bought him some friends in useful places, but you don't need to spend £3 million to do that, and political favours are tough to dispense these days. On top of that he's spent many millions on charities at home and abroad, and he's bought the medal collections of former Celtic players and given them to the club. He sent his staff to build wells in West Africa. I couldn't pick the guy out of a line up and maybe people know things about him that I don't, but to assume he must have an ulterior motive is obviously wrong. He's a southside boy. I found out recently (thanks to another thread on here) that I went to the same school as him, Holyrood, the closest secondary school to Hampden. It wouldn't surprise me if he has a strong emotional attachment to Hampden and doesn't want to see the focus of Scottish football move to Edinburgh. The SFA aren't going to sell the stadium. If they were half as Machiavellian as that, they would have shown a damn sight more competence in recent years. People who know a lot more than me say that the value of the land, with a giant metal, concrete and plastic thing that would need to be removed, is about £6 million, so it's not like they got a knock-down price. And if it was worth more than that, why would QPFC have accepted the offer? By all accounts £6 million is what they were asking for. They'd have told the SFA to pay what it was worth or found someone else who would. I can't see where the money comes from to rebuild the stadium, even just to bring the ends in. Look at how other stadium projects get financed. They don't have the steady income of 20+ home games a year - they have 10 at best. They're not going to sell £400 season tickets. These seats can't bring in any additional income. Nobody is buying expensive debenture seats behind the goals, or high value hospitality boxes, and obviously ticket prices are as high as this market will bear - arguably higher. They're not going to get a big enough loan, because they're not going to be increasing their revenue or assets, and even if they did, they couldn't take on the repayment costs. They might chuck in a couple of million and help in soft ways, but local and national government aren't going to swoop in and save the day, public finances are far worse than most people realise. There's no millennium fund or anything like that any more, and the great era of help with stadium improvements is long past. The picture is much worse now than it was when the company nearly went bust for the want of £2 million, and we struggled to raise the money for a stadium that was one-part revenue-generator, three-parts seats bolted onto terracing. This is who we are now. We're stuck with Hampden, and other than in marginal ways it's not going to get any better. Its decline in comparison with major stadiums elsewhere in Europe will stand as a mark of our relative decline as a country. I was born in 1975 into a country that was a little wealthier than Sweden and wildly wealthier than the rest of the Scandanavia. Now even Finland and Iceland pity us. The plastic paddies used to get teased about their home country being so crap that they had to move here - Ireland passed us long ago. We're on a steady, slow decline, we have been for decades and we will be for decades to come until, like the Greeks, we sit around and talk about how great our ancestors were while the rest of the continent makes jokes about our poverty. I might have let that get away from me a little there. Aye, Hampden. It's shite, but it's all we can afford. Put that on a tea-towel. Wha's like us.

I think I’d like to see us go for super hans. He has a pretty high profile on here and managed to rip you a new one too if I remember rightly. Back to the bakers then, chubby head.

No wonder this country is fucked. You can commit murder then get to play a gig at The Echo Arena.

Brian May was very wrong.

If it's ever a choice between watching the national team or Clyde there is only ever going to be one winner. Clyde every time.

I can’t get my head round why some of our fans are against Gus as technical director. I was involved with some of the work going on with building the new stadium, always found Gus very approachable and a gent. He’s got a wealth of experience and imho would be an ideal man for the job.

Can I just salute @Bully Wee Villa for a superbly run contest unlike @Cardinal Richelieuwho is too busy tanning the communion wine to care about his flock I'm awaiting to see if he has the decency to reinstate me in top flight after an error that was his er purely my fault. Anyway the numbers 2 4 14 24 26 27 32 34 39 43 Mon the Lions...

Time to bring Round Two of the Dotting Invincibles Cup of Kings to a conclusion with the last of the doubles. Eednud managed an impressive enin in his first round and was in similarly solid form with an thgie this time out. Ziggy improves from a First Round five to a Second Round six. Dyl was last to submit a score and it wasn't really worth the wait, three. That leaves Scotfree needing an unlikely 12/10 to win the point. After getting a seven last time, he's unlucky to be on the losing side again despite a more-than-reasonable eight. Lions win this 14-11. So, with only the singles to go, Lions have a decent lead. LINCOLN'S LIONS 9.5 CHRISTOPHE'S CRUSADERS 6.5.

Corbyn also had the platform to put his weight behind Remain and influence the vote. He barely used it and his lack of input was/is appalling. He was absolutely fucking useless. Teresa May did exactly the same. Utter c***s the pair of them. Corbyn the abstainer has helped f**k this country.

Aye, as opposed to good players who don't try and therefore may be deserved to be booed, these (most) are poor players who certainly won't become any better if they're getting pelters. We need to try to encourage them as much as we can then keep our fingers crossed!

McKinnon will have an idea now of what he has got and what he can do with them. He and his team will be setting out a style of play that will suit the strengths and minimise the weakness individuals have. Goodness knows what the formation will be. But as ugly as it may be, if we are not detached come the end of the year then McKinnon will have gone a good job and take it from there with who he ships out and who he brings in. Not good reading I know but the fans must back the team that goes on the pitch, getting on their backs before a ball is kicked is counter productive. You never know there may be 1 or 2 gems that are going to shine. Expect the unexpected !

I must say it is impressive how well the eos league have organised the seasons fixtures. It really was a great round of games last week to coincide with the international break. Even though my senior team was still in action I was tempted by the games in Oakley, Camelon and Bo'ness. All interesting derby games and within 10-20 minute drive of my house. Thankfully I attended the Camelon game rather than make the trip up to Dingwall to watch a 5-0 hammering. Atleast I can look forward to attending another eos game next international break now the we are out of the challenge cup.

His passing was pretty poor tbf.

Is that one of Mike's new ventures?

In his head,on his head, does it matter. The Lions are roaring and Christophe's cannon fodder are cowering. Mon the Lions!

Arbroath vs Edinburgh City - Live on BBC ALBA We are delighted to announce that our 3rd round Irn-Bru Cup match against Edinburgh City has been selected to be shown live on BBC ALBA on Friday 12th October 2018 with a 7.35pm kick off. This is a real boost for the club and a chance for all Lichties who can’t make it to Gayfield to watch the Lichties live on TV! C’mon the Lichties!

As much as I was willing to give PH a chance, I think from certain accounts within the club and what was reported in the Falkirk Herald this week by TR, we can all come to the conclusion that PH was just a horrible little Pr1ck who constantly fell out with almost everyone at the club. These conditions must have been hard to work under for anyone at the club. Not hard to work that one out with what has been reported. Only time will tell whether Ray has something to work with or a clear out is required in Jannuary I suppose.

The ‘jobs for the boys’ culture stinks. We’re a club going nowhere.

I'm a bit bored on my break at work, so had a quick look at Wiki for our league placings over the last few seasons: I'm taking this with a huge pinch of salt (pretty sure we didn't finish 9th last season for a start) but assuming it's broadly accurate it looks like there's not a gigantic difference between the 2016/17 season and 2017/18, and yet the end results were vastly different. 16/17 will be skewed by the collective giving up in the 5 post-split fixtures however, whereas we had something to play for right through to the disastrous play-offs against Livi. Shite cup records overall - a grim thought that one of our best cycle's in years may well have amounted to a handful of quarter final appearances (one of which iirc was an insipid 1-0 loss away to Aberdeen where Abdul Osman sort of had a half chance right at the end which was all we fucking created) and 2 draws against Rangers* + Celtic over 5 years if you include the 1st division season. edit: and yet to be fair to him the league finishes were generally pretty good, however it's maybe worth noting that unless I'm getting hugely mixed up we fucked up horrendously in pressure games against County twice, once on the last day of the season where a win would have seen us to 7th but we lost 3-2 or 4-2 and another time where we lost 1-0 away where we ended up only needing a draw to secure a top six place. Could also chuck the 4-0 defeat away which killed our goal difference last season for a hat-trick of County inflicting very damaging results to us. Still think Archibald is a decent guy and he's always spoken well whenever I've heard him on the radio or the like, but I've been pretty firmly in the Archie Must Go camp since watching the first half of the 3-0 loss away to Hearts. The 4-0 against County shortly thereafter solidified that. It softened a little bit post relegation and I just about got behind the quick decision to retain him with the bulk of the squad gutted out in a "let's just see where this goes guys" kinda thing, but the way we're playing, the rebuild thus far + if we can't manage to find a way to consistently get results away from home it doesn't look like I'm going to shift that position any time soon. Utterly convinced this is his last season at the club whatever happens tbh, whether it's amicable or ends badly remains to be seen.

Donati is Italian so people in Italy care? [emoji23] he was a no mark player so why would anyone care that he's managing a team in league 1 in scotland

Give a past example of this source being correct.

Fully fit this is how I would like things to be... That would still leave Barton and Rabistch as cover in the middle with McMullan, King and Curran as cover further forward. Wardrop and Robson as backups for the flanks but we would still be a little light in the middle of the defence (Edge and Murdoch).

I don’t understand why this would make any difference but it tells me you’re fucking bricking it. We’re on his head lads! [emoji881][emoji881][emoji881]

Hats off to philyerboots. That's his best effort yet.

I'd be pretty delighted if higher profile managers like Hartley and Stubbs won't lower themselves to League One football, despite their failures elsewhere.

Had a wee chuckle when you called him a “good egg” on Twitter. You know, cos he looks like an egg.

I'm not surprised Hornby did well for the U21s the other night, word is he's a model trainer...

I have loved Hampden throughout my years as a member of the TA. It's got awful views in almost every part of the ground, it's not the best for atmosphere and it's not in the most accessible area but none of that ever really mattered to me when I was excited about going to watch Scotland play. Over the years, that excitement has been slowly draining away and its all because of the SFA's inability to run the organisation in a forward thinking and engaging way. So many things contribute to that but in all honesty, they have f***ed it and don't show any indication that they know how to arrest the slide. Once famous for their passion, the Scotland fans have just slowly drifted into apathy and thats the SFA's biggest failing.

I think it's a fairly decent caricature of her.

The site would be down for weeks when they get beat.

Alright lads, here's the first podcast in a couple of weeks. It stars big Gerry McLauchlan. CLICK Really enjoyed recording this, Gerry's probably the most likable players I've interviewed so far. Part one focuses on his early time in the game at Hamilton, Stranraer and Queens, as well as his loan spells at Montrose and Arbroath.

The newspaper have also doubled down in his defense with their front page this morning. Good on them. This whole situation is ludicrous. I utterly hate Twitter.

Feels like the Ryder Cup. Mon the Lions!!!

Livingston - the Noel Edmonds of Scottish football. Every time you think they've disappeared without trace, they bob back up like an unflushable jobby. Nobody can figure out the reason for their popularity and they are smug enough to give everybody the boak. The day they are finally consigned to oblivion, there will be rejoicing throughout the land.

As we look forward to playing at Lesser Hampden in the future let's not forget the greatest goal ever scored at the national Stadium

Happy 36-0 day Lichties

Maybe the Italian Coldplay fan club will look to buy tickets for this gig they are playing at Starks Park?

Are folk genuinely still of the misguided belief (hope?) that upwards of £60m is going to be spent bringing the sides in, lowering the pitch etc., when the SFA had to get the begging bowl out to a "philanthropist" for £2.5m? Without sounding all Bomber-esque, what does Haughey get here? A warm fuzzy feeling of doing good? Aye fucking right. The whole thing stinks. It did a month ago, it did yesterday, and it still does today.

Football’s a simple game. The best of teams since the 70s have been built on 2 dominant centrehalfs and a strong ball winning defensive midfielder that protects the defence and allows the fullbacks to get forward helping create the width. Get it fuckin sorted McCann. This pish where it’s played from the fullback 10 yards to the central midfielder then he gives another 10 yard pass to the centrehalf needs binned asap, if any player at this level can’t pass a ball 20 yards get them punted. Cut out the extra pointless passes, get a winger on the park, get the ball out wide and get balls in the box. Really isn’t difficult tactics wise.

Really like the ‘international dimension’ of this competition (greatly enjoyed the game against Crusaders last week), and would like to see that expanded, but the under-21s element is a complete farce. The southern Irish clubs already seemed to be cooling on this, as the FAI had to go all the way down to 9th place in the Irish League to convince another club to take Bray Wanderers place, after they were excluded. Doubt Sligo Rovers experience of being drawn against two under-21 sides in a row is going to further enamour the Irish doubters, sadly. A long trip to take on a youth team in front of three men and a dog. Bet they’re champing at the bit down Sligo way for this one. although it’s as good as a bye for the Irish team I suppose. If the Under-21s were jettisoned, this could be a very decent competition.

Ah right, so you see the players who were coached at youth level 5-20 years ago?

Third Lanark's left winger Ally MacLeod (later manager of Ayr United, Aberdeen, Queen of the South, Scotland etc)

Genuine tears of laughter at someone saying there are no pubs within a mile and a half of Hampden.

I don't think McKinnon or the team has anything to gain by that. We know they are shite, he knows it and some of them will know it. His job is to get the best out of them until he can replace them, they will be desperate to prove that they are good enough and if they think they have the managers faith and support they will try hard, If they think he is going to bin them at the first chance no matter what then they will down tools. I for one would rather have shite motivated players than shite unmotivated players.

I'm starting to feel like some kind of super human as I have never had a problem getting to Hampden or getting a drink.

Yeah, we were in the first of their five stands that they built. Those old wooden seats with no legroom. My first ever away game was at Tannadice in 1990. Saints support was huge with behind the goal and away section of covered terrace absolutely packed. Pretty sure they had a 100% record after 9 or 10 games and we beat them, Inglis and Maskrey scored. You couldn't help but fall in love with that Totten team.