Monkey Tennis

I'm not convinced that the fan consultation of that period is particularly worth lauding, given that on the biggest issue to hit Scottish football in ages, fan opinion was eagerly sought, then roundly ignored.

I obviously don't know when Bartley will leave. My guess would previously have been that if we stayed up this season, then Bartley might well have got to start next season still with us. However, I agree with you that, if anything, a boardroom change might make it less likely that Bartley's services are retained, rather than more likely. Often, a manager's jacket suddenly appears to be on a shoogly peg when a new board comes in, even when said manager isn't dreadful. As you say, even though it would involve an immediate cash outlay, it would be a good way for a new board to immediately acquire fan approval, and herald a new dawn. I'm just guessing though.

No table raking required to know that it was a daft claim - a vaguely functioning memory would do the job.

It's not pedantry. You said something that was fundamentally wrong by a substantial margin.

Yes, it's definitely a straight choice between being like Wrexham, or piling up the relegations. You'd wonder how all these other clubs manage to be in neither camp.

I remember reading articles about the apparent altruism of a certain Brooks Mileson fella. Wonder what happened there. The second point above simply isn't true. We were worse than this 24 years ago, as well as at several points in the couple of decades before that. As for the idea mentioned earlier of a Wrexham scenario, I accept that my view might not be a majority one, but I'd honestly rather have us this shit, than be hijacked in that way.

I don't see it as question of parochialism. Of course you could get lousy local board members, just as wonderful ones could come from further afield. However if we did have interest from far away, I would wonder what the motivation was, to be honest. I think the need for due diligence would be all the greater. I struggle to see what the appeal would be, in the absence of an emotional attachment to the club. An initial sense of caution to such an approach, would be wise.

Agreed. However, I'm really struggling to get past your use of "Souey". Were you a sub-editor on a red-top in a former life?

Looks like it. Souness' concern is touching.

Did he not just kick him in the shin, typically viciously? It was in the midst of a sort of melee.

Yeah, but it's not as if it was an absolute whopper that saw us benefit to a massive extent, that our basic ineptitude meant we couldn't capitalise on.

I reckon, we'll shamelessly play for a draw next week (and probably fail to get it). Bartley's logic will be that if the gap remains at 7 points, Annan will need to win at least 3 of their last 8 to overtake us. Whilst certainly possible, that sounds unlikely. If we were to at least beat Edinburgh, that number of wins required will get even larger. I honestly think we'll cling on unimpressively, with Annan having too much to do. If they beat us next week though, then we really are in trouble.

Interesting distinction.

You should then have omitted "it you", to avoid offending the Grammar Gods. Yes, this is what I'm now reduced to posting about, after matches.

Stay classy. Appalling manners and grammar.

He's probably taken Dobbie aside to tell him where he went wrong.

I hear you. I was saying over a month ago, that I was anxious about this fixture because I thought it might have relegation relevance. The gap is still quite big though, and I suspect we'll creep to safety. The very fact that we're discussing our safety prospects in this division, however, is awful enough for me.

I think we probably are. Don't read it as any kind of endorsement or vote of confidence, but I think the balance of probabilities sees Annan failing to close the gap. The very fact that it's possible they might - thereby plunging us to 9th - however, is indictment enough on our manager and season.

Ach, another 'nothing much' game, that on this occasion, we looked like winning for a bit. But we didn't. We weren't dreadful, without being very good. At 4.45 we looked likely to be 10 clear of Annan and above Stirling. Instead, we're still behind Stirling, with Annan just 7 adrift. A great point for them today. Can we finally now, do you think, ditch the pretence that we're looking upwards?

Does he not mean it'll be his second trip to Palmerston this season for successive QoS v Stirling fixtures? If not, he should be waterboarded forthwith, with your example not even covering the extent of the offence. Stirling is literally half as far from Alloa as is Dumfries from Annan. It would be more like implying that Stirling and Cumbernauld are effectively the same place.

That sounds misleading. Does it include a decent December that featured 10 points out of 12 at one point? Even then, 4th should be the least of our expectations. Getting there over a handful of games, doesn't disguise that we're 8th in terms of all the matches played so far. You also need to factor in how God awful we are to watch. In January, we had back to back fixtures in which we literally failed to register a shot on target. More recently, believe me, there is little that's misplaced about our unrelenting negativity. We continue to have a hopeless home record, as well as the distinction of allowing Edinburgh's Youth Team a point.

Yip, invariably my favourite football fix of the week. It's always more enjoyable than any live football I watch on a Saturday.

This is freaky. He's offside, mind.

Christ almighty. Disastrous from the goalkeeper.

That's a good strike.