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... then Rangers, Hearts or someone would still have been making similar noises about whatever bogeyman was to hand. Face it, If it wasn't Neil Doncaster, it would have been John Nelms or Peter Lawwell or George Soros or the most likely looking scapegoat within their line of vision. The primary issue is that a few clubs are unhappy about a bunch of different things, and they don't have any power to alter the real cause of whatever their particular gripe is - the coronavirus cutting the season short, the 80% of clubs who think voiding the season is the least bad option, the 6 SPFL clubs who are against reconstructing the league in a way that the lower-league clubs prefer. For all their many, many, faults, Neil Doncaster and the SPFL bigwigs are the cause of precisely none of their current pressing problems, but they just happen to be the easiest target to pick on. The 'riding roughshod over everyone' is a red herring. The vote to end the season was always going to happen that way. Suppose Dundee's vote hadn't been swung, then what? Are the 'null and void' camp going to be able to persuade 23 teams to change their votes, or is a slightly modified 'end the season as-is' vote going to be put forward, with some small concessions to the 'nays' to swing that single vote - like, as happened, a league reconstruction commission with pro-reconstruction folks at the helm. The problem Rangers have isn't that Neil Doncaster has 80% of the SPFL clubs in his pocket, it's that 80% of the SPFL clubs disagree with them on how the season should end. But there's no dossier that they can write to impeach all of Scottish fitba' or depose the coronavirus, so they have to make do with the easy scapegoat.

The only club to die from withholding of the Blue Pound was Rangers.

Thanks! The main "friction" is the conferences debate, whether or not the SFA made clear that they wouldn't be allowed. It's really the word of one person against the other so it's hard for me to really judge either way. Let's also not forget that there are human beings involved so the SFA could genuinely believe they made clear it wouldn't be allowed whilst George Fraser genuinely believes they didn't make it clear with miscommunication resulting in this confusion. Obviously the SFA / Rod Petrie are not exactly known for being clear all the time. Accusations of "liars" are being thrown around a bit too easily at times, from both the "junior" and the "senior" side of the debate. A liar is really someone who tells something that they know is untrue. Plenty of things have been said by various people that turned out not to be true, but for them being a "liar" they must have known it wasn't true. Various people can have been convinced that what they said was true (Larry, George and many other people), but it's well possible they either have based themselves on incomplete information or were given false information from others that they believed to be true. Take the "done deal" issue 2 years ago, I know various people within the junior game (including Larry) genuinely believed that to be true. Whether they were just naive to believe what they were told or they were fed by a real liar elsewhere is open to interpretation. I for one can't wait for this all to be over with. The remaining juniors will ultimately become part of the pyramid. The game is chancing, not everyone likes it but we need to face reality. I actually quite liked the suggestion of the Armadale chairman that was posted here on P&B previously that the SFA should ultimately start taking charge of the pyramid in the way the FA does it in England. There was a lot of bickering & pain down there at the start as well, but it became properly structured when the FA took more control of it and now it's running quite well. Maybe that's the way forward for Scotland as well. I don't like how various people are being put down in the game and it should come to an end. Love or hate Larry, he is a committed guy who does a hell of a lot of work, not just for Lochee United but for the local community as a whole, a true football man. And he is not the only one in the committee I can say that about. Yes, he speaks his mind and he can sometimes use words that I wouldn't use personally, not just on this issue but that's just how he is. But he is the kind of person that football needs in terms of the amount of work he does. And yes, the same can be said about many other people, including George. People from either side of the debate putting people from the "other side" down in ways I see on here sometimes isn't something I like to see and that's why I can't wait for just one clear structure for all to be in place, hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm always willing to listen to the other side of a story so if anyone is happy to talk to me I'm more than happy to come down to Alloa for a BSC game one day and have a friendly discussion over a pint.

Happy anniversary

This is literally a boycott and the exact same “you sink us and we’ll sink you” garbage Rangers fans spout. I’ll be having no part in it. Every single club voted with self interest. If roles with Raith were reversed we would’ve voted exactly how they did.

I suppose it will do... What a day [emoji23][emoji23]

Perhaps not sending someone a picture of a bottle of lube and asking them to prime their arse with it would be a better start.

Statistically, that's a massive understatement. The long term mortality rate is 100%.

We do need to draw a line and move on, however what struck me about the interview with George Fraser was the professional tone of his responses. No singling anyone out for criticism, no pointing of fingers. Just rational reasoned responses. As important a role Larry plays to Lochee and junior football in general he didn’t do himself or his club any favours with his personal attack on George and others. It was clear by the ‘liar’ comments and the comments made about BSC what his agenda was and who he wanted to attack and try to undermine. Only he knows what he was trying to achieve but judging from the majority of comments I’ve read it’s backfired.

Plenty of comments showing that folk feel better, healthier and other benefits. It shows that the previous way of working just isn't healthy. By this I mean set, rigid working times and everyone having to be in a precise physical location. Folk cramming on to a bus or train at the same times. Folk feeling constantly tired because they're having to get up too early. Folk stressed because they don't get enough time to themselves, wasting their life away in commutes. Things need to change. Some folk will really want to get back to the commute and early rising and physical office and rigid working times. That's fine, it works for them, and they should be able to do so again once possible. But it doesn't work for many others. Folk should be allowed to be flexible with start and finish times and in where they work from. We already work far too much as it is. Hopefully we start to see the end of working 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Folk might think that because they're busy all the time they have to work so many hours, but often that's a case of work expanding to fill the time or simply someone being exploited to be doing far more than they should. It shouldn't be a badge of honour to be constantly busy. Changing things will have tremendous benefits to people's health and I can't see a downside to such big changes.

Seterday Efterneen Fair Waabit

We've been deprived of the blue pound since the inception of the new club. Not because of boycotts, well they did try at a cup game, but we have never been in the same league. And now for the facts on this devastating blow United's average attendances Rangers in Premiership 11/12 7412 No Rangers in the Premiership 12/13 7663 13/14 7608 14/15 7895 15/16 8285 Average attendance this season in the championship 8496 So in reality our attendances went up without the blue pound. Karma indeed.

“a massive rainbow coloured cock and balls, Mr President”

Failure A: The continued 'och mebbe wear a face mask except if you just can't be arsed' advisory. As vouched for by that clownshoes figure Leitch on the basis of his zero-evidence, pop-sociological belief that unlike south-east Asia the people of Scotland have a deep-rooted, cultural aversion to, err, using a really fucking straightforward protective measure in the middle of a pandemic. Failure B: The continued absence of any sort of credible contact tracing system to even follow up on the data that increased testing can provide. Neither of those are acceptable for a government of any stripe fully eight weeks into a lockdown and three months since they started to take note of the situation unfolding in Italy.

Someone's having fun on their forum page.

I'm sorry, but if clubs aspire to play in the regional step below the national league structure, they need to be prepared to travel. If they don't want to do this, then they stay at Tier 6 or below or stay outwith the pyramid.

Rangers* fans didn't even give Rangers the Blue Pound what chance does anyone else have?

He's not even English.

Voted for, 'He's good - but recently declined'. That's a bloody understatement. He's went in my eyes from being one of the top journalists in Scottish sport to the absolute worst over one news item. I'd have given him the benefit of the doubt if he admitted he'd got it wrong but the fact he's continually doubled and trebled down on one side of this issue that is clear for pretty much everyone to see is wrong is an absolute disgrace. To be the lead writer for BBC's Scottish sport output and only reflect one half of a story is quite frankly horrendous. To be publicly decrying that if people had an open mind they'd agree with him and that it's only Celtic fans that disagree is absolute lunacy. In reality, his handling of this disaster has been a disaster and would see any self-respecting journalist finished. That's not the world we live in. When Chic Young & Neil Doncaster are owning you, it's time to pack it in.

I'm not sure how I'm going to fit work back into my schedule. I've been riding my bike, taking long walks, sitting out in the garden drinking beer, writing, birdwatching, fishing, spending time with my ageing dug, drawing, living life at a slow pace instead of racing around like a mad b*****d - I haven't looked this healthy in years. F**k working.

There was was a journo named Tom Who thought he'd uncovered a bomb But his exclusive went stale Just a vague wee email No more evidence where that came from

Absolutely mad that St Johnstone fans are still riled up about one person about 5 years ago saying they’d rather watch us play good football and go down rather than shite football and stay up like St Johnstone.

Your a glass half empty type of guy aren't you? I have a little more faith. When clubs realise they are part of a well organised, structured and progressive set up they will thrive. The supporters will buy into it and the whole game below the SPFL will kick on.

I can’t possibly draw all these requests today. Crystal phallus got requested early so I drew that this morning with my daughter and gf constantly bothering me.

Horsed oblak straight into the SBC, and got Varane. Delighted. Defence is solid now

Loads of people from here go on all inclusive holidays to identikit hotels that could be anywhere in the world, and never leave. It's the ones who pay double to go to one in Mexico rather than Spain who get me.

A better WW2 parallel would be saying fuckoff to the black out rules, we're having a party, and if the neighbours get bombed so be it.

£1.690

Yes, Souttar being injured is one thing everyone could predict.

Choice of words is one way of putting it, coming out and calling people involved in running the LL and EoS "liars" is completely out of order (as it was with Felix McKenna's mad tweets). I'm willing to bet his fellow Tayside clubs hold their head in their hands when he opens his gob in that environment, he certainly hasn't done them any favours and it won't be easily forgotten by those he has defamed.

Very good listen, agree with previous comments around George speaking very well. I do think the lowland league are going to lead the way here and open up automatic relegation before they can truely put pressure on league 2. Granted it shouldn’t be this way but once lowland is opening up there can very little reasonable argument for league 2 not to do the same

This one looks like Foost.

Yes, well I’m fucking busy.

Thanks, I never blindly follow anyone. People might not always agree with me but I regularly ask critical questions, also to Larry. I'm not afraid to criticise him (or others) face to face if I think that's needed. I always listen to both sides of the argument. Also in this pyramid discussion, I've read / listened to interviews with people in the juniors and outside of it.

Two bits of virus related news iv seen today so far.... The mental health toll is increasing worldwide, and the virus may never disappear even with a vaccine. I am glad it's not my job to find a way out of this, but theres going to be some searching questions needing asked on the way forward regarding proportionality of short term response, when there is no credible way out of it on the horizon. It's possible we have really backed ourselves into a corner here, doing major damage across a lot of different fronts and totally blind about how we reverse it. Trump was way to early with his "cure worse than the virus" patter. But eventually we will get to that point. Where does the prospect of no effective vaccine in the future leave us? The resistance to rolling lockdowns, which seems to be the only current idea will be enormous. What do we do now?

Around this time 11 years ago Mrs. RN #2 committed suicide. I’m doing ok so far, maybe time is healing finally

Steady, I think you're being very unfair to Marten.

During lockdown, I don’t need to come up with excuses to avoid people and socialising. I’ll miss that greatly.

Some decent fun to be had on the Hearts thread just now, 100s of words of Jambo wet dream fan fiction being written by one of the big brain contrarians from the various EGM threads Also, dormant jambo Bonnie Prince Charlie seems to be haunding out reddies to any and everyone. One of his few historic posts, from the running thread, below: I always use Lanacane anti-chafing gel on inner thighs, under arms and toes. And micropore is great for the nips and is very cheap.

Yes, I'm sure the chief consideration for Forfar in deciding how to vote was how Falkirk and their fans would respond to it. Some of you have hit FollowFollow levels of lunacy.

If Rangers fans never attend Greenhill Road it will improve the atmosphere immeasurably. Championship forum for your tedious pish.

And boycotts

Its funny, junior football is in decline, its something you have to deal with. Clubs are retaining their membership but there are also teams I'm sure who are not. junior football was left in the shite it was, not because of the SFA, SPFL or the Lowland league, East of Scotland or the South of Scotland, it was in shite because of the junior associations organisations and their runnings

Refreshing to hear honest and open discussion on the politics of the game at all levels currently, and also Larry fae Lochee put in his place, sounds like he has not done his club many favours. Night and day listening to George compared to the social media rantings of certain Junior officials recently.

Absolutely delighted to smash my 5K PB tonight.

Still going with the film/movie theme.