tamthebam

Old photos of Volunteer Park show a stand like the old one at Bo'ness. That covered terrace is built on top of the remains so it's a bit like reseating the stand!

"Monarch or no monarch you can't expect any good to come from fucking your cousin" Otto Von Bismarck (Not really) (It was Gladstone..)

It was a fashion for newly independent countries to have constitutional monarchs foisted on them- mainly Germans. In the 19th Century Greece, Romania and Bulgaria* all got German monarchs. In 1913 the Dutch Prince Wilhelm was foisted on Albania but they soon gave him the bum's rush. Finland was also meant to have a King but he got the boot too. As late as WWII this sort of thing was going on as an Italian Prince was offered the Crown of the fascist Croatian state. *In 1945 the Soviets kicked out the young King Simeon of Bulgaria. After the fall of Communism there he returned from exile and was elected Prime Minister as Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha. He is distantly related to Lizzy.

First sign of madness is hairs on the palm of your hands

A mate has reminded me today is the 30th anniversary of Meadowbank Thistle 1 Kilmarnock 8, a game I was at. Funnily enough Meadowbank had beaten Ross County 6-1 in the Scottish Cup two months previously (a game I was also at. GIRUY Staggies) Can't see today being a high scoring game though.

It sort of happened to me on the A70 one winter night. Pitch black, didn't know the road that well and I couldn't see far enough ahead to be confident of overtaking safely. So I had to hang back. Fortunately the Lanarkshire gritter reached the council border with West Lothian and turned around so I had a clear road ahead. So you have to wait until you reach a local authority border...

On an unrelated note Livingston FC don't seem to have lodged their accounts for last year....

I find it bizarre that there will be a minute's silence at Stranraer v Edinburgh City. The Duke of Edinburgh never turned up to a City match the miserable sod. Must have been a staunch Jambo.

The narrator has a suitably French name- Daniel SARKY

Rangers FC.....

Good night out there... Whatever you are. Mwah hah hah..

It was a bit of a bugger for Prokofiev as well

Jeffrey Bernard, Mobuto Sese Seko and George Solti all died in the week after Diana. So if you're an alky reporter, an African dictator or a great conductor I'd be worried.

I suppose they'll need a new Duke of Edinburgh. How about Yogi Hughes...?!

I saw a lion in Barcelona Zoo. It sat there licking its baws which you might as well do if you're the King of the Jungle.