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Just watched the interview with Rowe. I appreciate these are puff pieces with not much by way of insightful Q&A, but I thought he comes across incredibly well. His enthusiasm shines through and he speaks like he plays - never still, head up, positive. Just a general good guy and I hope this is a really helpful staging post in his career. Of course, he’s welcome to stay…

Saw a couple of people on FB & twitter advise the best place to watch is at home or in the pub. If you can afford it, the best place is at Hampden, especially after all the shit we’ve been through. It really doesn’t matter if there are 10k, 15k or 45k there. It’s Falkirk in a semi final of a Scottish cup. If someone doesn’t want to go or can’t go, fair enough but don’t put others off. Life’s way too short & Hampden days are why we still trek to places like Wick & Darvel.

That was one sided a contest as I've seen for a while. Queens Park were streets ahead of us for large parts of that match. Decent opening to the game with Eze missing two glorious chances when he had free headers from corners but he would eventually get his goal later. It was surprising that we didn't really seem to know how to counter him and were content to keep letting him win header after header almost scoring each time. Danny MacKay had a great chance to open the scoring after a nice phase of passing play saw him scamper in behind the Queens back line but he lost his footing and shot right at Ferrie. But he was to open the scoring when a long ball forward bounced off the back of Mckay and Mackay raced onto it to place a wonderful low shot beyond Ferrie at full stretch to give us the lead. Queens seemed to lose their way after this for the rest of the first half but regained their composure in the second and utterly dominated the rest of the match. The equaliser arrived when a cross from the ICT right found Savoury in acres of space with no ICT defender near him and he placed his wider beyond Ridgers to bring QP level. Despite this being the umpteenth warning to us to try and defend crosses into the box we decided to, erm, not do this and instead let Eze have another header from a cross almost unchallenged and he found the net this time to put the home side ahead. Mckay and Devine had decent chances for us to head in equalisers and Samuels fired a late effort right at Ferrie but Queens were easily deserving of the win especially as we ran out of ideas and blootered long balls to Mckay to try and win against tow defenders with an average height of about 8 ft. Bizarre decision to sub Allardice when he was probably our best midfielder and Samuels continues to be quite unimpressive in his outings. MacGregor got a few minutes before appearing to catch his studs in the pitch and had to be taken off inured so that's swell. We just didn't seem able to cope with the intensity and pace of Queens Park who moved the ball so quickly whilst we were relatively slow and ponderous when we had it. The gulf between the sides was there for all to see. Even if Queens don't win the league I'd imagine they will fancy their chances to go all the way in the playoffs and it's hard to argue they don't deserve it.

Yet many of the critics are pro independence, former SNP members and voters.

The result isn't good. This is worse, to be honest.

Just minded this one: In the public benches at a High Court trial in a murder case. I got huckled outside by security for shooshing someone continually talking throughout the proceedings. It turned out they were providing a translation for the Lithuanian family of the victim. Not my finest hour.

I think what we are seeing now is that 8 years of comparing the SNP to the most hapless, corrupt tories potentially ever, Brexit, Covid always made them look better than they were. When we suddenly get a leadership race where the focus is only on the SNP the gloss has comes off quickly and what was actually achieved during those 8 years deosnt seem quite as good now even for the most ardent supporters. Thats the problem with just saying torys fault or look at the state of the tories instead of actually working on making a better day to day. Had they done that then maybe the SNP establishment pick would have won the leadership contest easily. If it hadnt been for covid I think this reckoning for the SNP leadership would have come far quicker. Whoever gets in needs to work on making daily life better for those most needing it and actually achieve the policies they will promise, that would be a good start and go a long way to building the support for the Yes movement to get over that final hurdle.

Fair play to Bair and Carey, they’ve earned it

That was in absolutely no way your fault. Don't blame yourself for that.

Nah. We don’t want them because they are bigots. They cause untold damage everywhere they go. Let them fcuk off and play each other every week. Leave football in Scotland to be enjoyed by fans who have no interest in sectarian problems relating to a country that we don’t even live in.

We recorded the podcast before the game (will drop next week) and we were talking about Charlie Reilly a fair whack. I said if I could choose one player in the league to sign for Sons he'd be that man, purely because I would happily pay money every week to watch him. Today showed why. Enjoy him whilst you've got him, Rovers fans. Because guys like him are once every 25 years for clubs like us. He's a really special talent. In saying that, Joe Bevan looks an excellent find too. I echo OKI's Rashford comments, that's exactly what he was like. The first goal especially was pure Rashford and he never looked like missing. He's so smart on the ball too, selfless and a scrapper. Terrifying he's only 18 as well. I'd kill for someone like him up top for us. I could rant and ramble about our showing, but I've written my report and the back page of the paper. And I can't be arsed re-living it again. We were absolutely diabolical all over the park, and Brett Long is the only guy deserving of pass marks for preventing it being seven or eight. I've no idea what Faz does to lift the team after that, but hopefully the players will find a response like they did following the Elgin match. As painful as it was as a Dumbarton, I enjoyed Rovers' performance from a football point of view. The first-half was as good a half as I think I've seen from a team at the Rock ever. Totally dominant, winning every second ball. A striker who scored two good goals and caused us no end of bother, and two absolutely stunning strikes from midfielders. Charlie Reilly's was one of the best hits of a football I can remember. It was glorious stuff. Enjoy your night lads. Given the amount of players we've swapped over the years, I've always had a soft spot for Albion Rovers and nobody from a Sons side could begrudge you that today. Especially after a couple of smash and grab wins in Coatbridge. I'm away for a cry in a dark room.

My mistak.

All I can say about this week's AVFTT is f**k Gretna.

Maybe they could be a bit more transparent about things, then the press and social media wouldn't have to speculate.

Next week should be good

I was a con artist who sold monorails to communities all across the country.

Why wouldn't they want to maximise their revenue by selling as many away tickets as possible?

Big shout out to the ball boy at the South Stand. Properly going nuts throughout the game and in amongst the celebrations. Looked like he was enjoying himself.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club, you’ve just been Duked

I'm still raging at the first Rangers goal. Stupid freekick to give away Wall doesn't jump Kelly is in a different postcode

In fairness, I thought Donaldson took his goal well.

Let's be honest here, if he can't win this tinpot league outright, then he needs to fucking chuck it. IMO.

I was told Hearts would "run away with 3rd" once they were out of Europe. Not half as good as they think they are. Where are the incels? @Kyle Reese @Elixir

So to sum it up, we've started an XI that has obvious, gaping holes in it, players out of position, players who could play those positions on the bench and guys who are in abject form starting in a system that has been repeatedly proven not to work. As a result we have been awful - absolutely, criminally awful - but the manager's reaction is to take off one of the guys who he has thrown in out of position, and replace him with another guy playing out of position in the same system. We now have a right footed attacking midfielder/forward playing LWB while a perfectly serviceable LWB sits on the bench. Carey is contributing nothing - shock horror - and it is abundantly clear that this strike partnership will produce nothing. A good manager would make at least two changes at half time and go to a four at the back. We will keep ploughing the same furrow and probably lose 2 or 3 nil.

A big turnout and a massive gane. Every Dundee fan knows how this will turn out - even the pished hopes of the Alkie Tontrooper isn't enough to mask the reality. Yet we still travel in hope. Madness when you think of it. Mon the Dee. Thank you.

The SNP lying to the public is terrible. Lying to their members is also bad, but I'm not a member so don't really give a f**k. However, the world's smallest violin is playing for the world's shittiest press crying about being lied to.

I think queen's park have clinched it today and it would take a spectacular implosion of self belief or a major sickness bug to stop them from getting automatically promoted For their fans who have stuck by their club in the lower leagues this explosion of funding in recent years and influx of new fans that go with success is truly exciting times. Enjoy it lads and lasses.

I can. The manager is a complete moron.

No, no we don't.

After the past week, I won't complain about that. We wanted a positive reaction and we got it.

Nah for me he is much more like Ernst Todt one of the big bads in the classic Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark

Who would have thought that getting beat 3-0 by Aberdeen wasn't going to be the most embarrassing Hearts related pish today...

So you're claiming that the investigative journalism of Private Eye regarding the Ted Crilly campaign funds was fabricated because Sturgeon's husband? So misuse of office is acceptable so long as it's working against people you don't like. Absolutely laughable stuff, if this didn't also seem to be the mainstream SNP line on the issue too. We're fast approaching a Scottish Labour in the early 2000s level of arrogance and party functionalism.

Humza without the Murrels? Be like Emu without Rod Hull.

Got plenty more witticisms where that came from, Gannonbollock.

Iv never been to a worse atmosphere than Ibrox, and that's a game against a Diddy side. Iv also never seen worse around out Stadium than when the cheeks are in town. I have no idea why Old Firms fans opt to remain blind and deaf to what is to my eyes, a total consensus among other fans in Scotland. It has recently extended to clubs taking action to lower the numbers of them due to home fan complaints, even as they know it might come at financial expense. If "but its my team...." high school logic is for you, then fair enough. Continue to tell the rest of us that we are all just as bad. But I bet in survey of perceptions of being at and away ground, and having away fans at your own, the arse cheeks would receive some pretty damming feedback from all, and I be Hibs/Hearts, Dundee/United, Ayr/Killie, Falkirk/Pars games would all be noted as way less intimidating and nasty than having the uglies round, or visiting them in their bins.

Some brilliant posts from many generations of the trials and tribulations of being a Falkirk supporter, during our some incredible cup runs. I’m privileged to have been at most of our cup runs notably three cup finals which if truth to told, thought I’d never see, and arguably should have won two out the three. Unfortunately there’s been a few negative posts across some social sites about the ticket pricing, and some comparisons to the Scotland game pricing. I absolutely agree that the pricing is far too expensive, but if truth be told, lts probably £13 more than what we expected to pay. I appreciate that for some this may be a tipping point, but we are 90 minutes away from another cup final, and a chance to give the club huge financial help. Let’s get huge numbers behind the team in four weeks time…….

Hopefully starts with Geoff Brown saying “I fucking told you all didn’t I?”

Honestly, aye! We were absolutely dismal, completely shown up, Imrie had his tactics spot on, and Gaston kept us in that game. And yet, somehow, we got a point!

Is it just me ? After years in the doldrums, we are looking good for a crack at promotion via the playoffs, we are in a Scottish Cup Semi at Hampden with a tough, but winnable game, we are playing some great attacking football, we have players in the team that appear to love playing for us, the fans are 100% behind the team and we have a manager who we are all behind and respect, yet the main gripe on here is the design of the roof on the stand. I really don’t fucking get why some people watch football - I genuinely don’t.

Didn’t realise people bought them. Most of them were just Lifted.

Draw probably the right result but jeezo those chances we missed at the end, just relegate us now. Good support through from Paisley, but get the ‘Dundee’s a shit hole’ chants in the bin, we’re all from post industrial pot holes, leave that shite to the Edinburgh and Aberdeen wanks.

Good news. He looked pretty unhappy walking off at half-time. On that note a special mention for Longridge, thought he played really well today

Because he's a hundred times better than Robertson was and he's actually doing a good job in what's a very tough job . He can't please everyone all the time .

You think you should have had more decisions in your favour ?

“Airdrieonians might not thank me, but get the contract out, put it on the table, let him sign it, let him write whatever numbers he wants to put on there - given what he's done since he's come in - and let him sign the contract”

Whataboutery.

British football's first Sports Scientist coaching his protégé.

Lyon 1-1 Nantes Hadn’t been to a Ligue 1 game yet so picked this one. Poor crowd size compared to Lyon’s heyday but that can be excused since they’re having a tough season. Atmosphere was excellent for the 38000 however and the football was a welcome change from watching Ayr. Scrappy goal and a bizarre OG in the first 25 mins. Crowd absolute hate Aouar and Dembele and I’ve not yet researched why.