Hampden Diehard

People are getting fairly righteous about what is fair. Your own ground was built with approx 50% of the cost coming from taxpayers' funds. How fair is that when some grounds are falling to bits with no local authority or enterprise company bailing them out? Some clubs have wealthy owners or pools winners pumping money in, and that's not just us. Is that fair to the clubs who, like Arbroath, seem to make a decent fist out of balancing the books without any of the above? Bottom line is, you take whatever you can to make your club better or to stay afloat. Just like ICT. You've benefitted greatly from the taxpayer and Tulloch Homes who gifted you the ground. The SFA stole Hampden from us. If we manage to get back there and make some money to make us a better side, it's karma.

I've no idea if the SFA and SPFL talk to each other, but back in the day, the SFA didn't talk to the SFL. That led to Queen's having home league fixtures a few days before internationals and semi finals in the draft fixture list. Queen's then had to trot along to the SFL to ask for venues to be reversed so that the turf wasn't risked unnecessarily before big games. If the SFA and SPFL are grown up about it and Queen's do end up at Hampden, QP home games could be scheduled so that there is less of a clash. I want us to be at a single ground (ideally Lesser with around a 6000 capacity) but Lesser will never be up to holding Premiership games against all but the poorest-supported teams. If we go up, we will have to play the bigger games somewhere other than Lesser. Might as well play them all at Hampden.

I can understand people might be unhappy with it as it would result in us generating cash and enable us to be a better team but "shouldn't be able to" - why?

That's probably the first time we've really missed Simon Murray. All those balls whizzing across the front of the goal were made for him. Maybe we need to think about how best we can use Shields as he's a fair player. Play two up? It's only one game and we're still top, but I reckon it's going to be a hard shift to stay there. Maybe playing against teams that are a bit more open will suit us.

Sadly that's been coming. We haven't played well for the past few weeks and for all the possession we had in the first half, we didn't look like scoring. Fair play to Arbroath, they stuck to it and finished very strong.

Yes.

Bringing the world back into perspective, on Friday the Club are doing a great job in marking the anniversary of the loss of one of our fans. They've also done really well in supporting the charity Epilepsy Scotland.

I didn't say they were the same. I just gave the context. It was a mistake and we've paid dearly for it with ICT in the cup semi after we scudded them. The guy in question was so impressive, he was subbed before the hour. We even spotted that a guy we signed the same day was cup tied. If only the Talbot guy had been sharp enough to recognise he was cup tied when asked. We have to suck it up. Talbot have to as well.

Two horse and carts going in opposite directions can pass each other without one going in the ditch. They're the way forward.

Did we play Airdrie eight times last year?? We finished 21 points behind them and didn't beat them over 90 minutes once........and yet here we are....... Glorious!

Not as good a story as mine! I did wonder about him owning Celtic Park. We'll look back at the last three years and laugh one day.......

Not sure that he does own 50% of Hampden but a guy told me on Saturday that he actually owns Parkhead, which he bought when Celtic were a ba hair from going under. Given he was quite unceremoniously elbowed out by the new regime there, maybe the plan is to move us to Parkhead and rent Lesser out to Celtic.

It's a tough shift. I think we'll need all of the four points (and goal difference) come the end of the season to win this. It's still hard to take it where we are.

Maybe a bit more Auchinleck Talbot than Forfar West End though. They sneaked a draw in that game and we've toiled against Cove and ICT in the last two games. Nothing being taken for granted. It's just incredible to be in such a position.

Once again, kids, a draw would be the business for QP. Make it happen.

Once again from him, not a hint of praise for Queen's. Sore loser.

With you on the performance of the subs. I thought they brought a zest and freshness to the game.

That's two games against sides who are not really our problem at the top of the league where we've struggled and might only have had two points. But won. Feck me, this might be on.

We didn't kick a ball until we scored and then we took over. Not pretty but it's another three points. Two cracking goals. Subs Longridge and Jarrett made an impact and the two centre halves were spot on.

Tight and well formed!

1-1 will be fine. Make it happen!

And a pair of pish stained trousers.

You both know the drill, lads. Draw. Do it for Owen.

Arthurlie to QP first team, a full time contract, and he looks to move on? Nae chance.

I wonder if attracting fans, rather than giving kids a transition to what is deemed "senior" football, is on the radar of some of the new clubs. Some of them do a fantastic job in fundraising; maybe having that cash behind them to enable the coaching to be delivered is enough for them. I can't see Giffnock, who have hunners of kids with them, attracting a crowd either.