The Mantis

Another thing that’s really tragic about our league is a consequence of having only 2 big clubs that can win the league instead of 3 or 4. So for them, every game is effectively a six-pointer. If say Killie or St Mirren beat either of them, it’s obviously because they want to help the other lot rather than just win for themselves.

That's not what jumped out at me: I'm no English teacher, but the Rangers win is the future tense as if it were expected, while Dundee's is the conditional tense (or whatever). They should really both be in the same tense.

Glasgow Perthshire 1 Cumbernauld Utd 4. Keppoch Park, WOSFL Div 2. Shire take the lead early on but that was as good as it got. The East was pretty much washed out so got myself a ticket to Queen Street, couple of pints in The Raven and The Pot Still, then across the road for a quick run on the 75 bus up to Possilpark. Took the chance to get some aerial shots of Saracen Park as I never managed to get to an Ashfield game there. A bit of chaos on the trains but caught the 1615 back to Embra and a had a visit to the Halfway House between trains, only to discover that the Borders line trains were off and had to get a bus out to Midlothian. Chatting to 3 youngish guys in the pub for half an hour, only to find that one of them was the son of my ex-boss and I had last seen him 20 years ago when he was about 10. Drony notes

I’m a cash rich pensioner. Tell them I want a stand named after me. Either The Mantis stand or the f**k Gardiner Stand, whatever’s easiest.

Don't worry, you'll probably be witnessing it first-hand.

A toxic presence at every club he has 'served'. The concert fiasco last summer should have been an automatic dismissal.

As an occasional watcher I always feel that the squad has improved on paper in the past 2 seasons but have been going backwards, somehow they've never matched in spirit etc the team that won the LL (appreciate it's a higher level). In recent weeks Kerr Young has been a bad loss, a real leader on the park. I think Robbie should have been replaced early in the season, I can understand him getting kept on after keeping them up but they've been going nowhere this season. Last season I enjoyed the novelty of league fitba about a mile from my house, but this season it has been a real chore. There's a post somewhere where I listed even more forwards than you have, there were 7 or 8 in total.

I’m going over there with my mate for a few days end of April. Nae fitba though, just whisky & wildlife. Will be up in Lewis before that though, and the season should have started.

Sitting with the Total Network Solutions fans? Booo! Thank feck for Airdiree!

Just keeping @Le Tout P'ti FC happy with another photo with Tinto in it. Was going to watch ICT at Firhill but imagine that Dunc, I just couldn't be arsed. Border Amateur League Div A at Hartree Mill. Biggar Utd 0 Tweedmouth Ams 1. A game dominated by Biggar and a few near things but Tweedmouth scored early in the second half and took the points. An intriguing bit of needle between the Ams keeper and the Biggar no 11 throughout the game. A new ground for me, first in 2024, and another excuse to visit the Crown in Biggar.

Things might have changed since I was last there in 2020 before the big P. Otherwise yes, you’re talking mince. It’s a weird setup as you actually drive between the pavilion and the pitch. If you do drive up, the area around the pitch can be pretty boggy so rather than get stuck at the top corner, you need to carry on round behind the goals to the far side.

I had looked at a short break in Manchester with Mrs Mantis round about the turn of the year so I looked at the fixtures as it’s only about 7 mins in the train from Manchester. Seems like that uncovered end is the only public sale, the rest must be STs. Most games were selling out pretty early too. Still a possibility for next year, maybe they’ll be losing more games anyway…

I can see both sides tbh. These so called regional papers with their syndicated content from England can get on your tits. But at the same time, my experience when I was helping out Whitehill was that there was a poor guy covering nearly everything, not just sport. This was the Midlothian Advertiser. We agreed to submit something on Whitehill every Monday, and he kept a space for us. But some Mondays you were a bit busy, or just forgot, and he was ringing around trying to get hold of somebody. One weekend I was in the Lake District and he rang me about noon on Monday as I was coming off the hill Haven’t bought the Advertiser for years mind you, I’m sure it’ll be all about the Rose…

Ah yes, and on the Sunday night, John Robertson’s 1st division ICT knocked them out of the Scottish …

Not really much of a risk on your part though is it? I would think something more like turning up in the scud, with a bit of whipped cream between your bollocks, so you could say you were dressed as a meringue.

I think his grandson is turning out to be a good replacement...

Whitehill Welfare 5 Stoneyburn 0. Just like the good old days at Ferguson Park as a double from Lewis Walker & goals from Ty O’Neill, Lewis Collins & Jonny Devers secure the win which takes the Welfare through to the last 8 of the King Cup.

Another who was at the Pennypit. Ian Flynn's Vale side much improved but still seeking their first point. Two mistakes around the half hour had them behind at half time. Another two quick-fire goals after the break had dominant Preston 4-0 up, but two terrific finishes on the break from Daniel Taylor made it 4-2 before Vale had a glorious chance for a tap-in which would have made it a nervy end for the home side. Final score 4-2. Obligatory pre-match visit to the Goth in the Pans where they had Peelywally from the Winton Brewery.

No, Bennett only made 4 appearances but Mitchell was gone the year before, and Smart left at the end of 94-95 having only made 3 appearances.

Let’s face it, the team that won div 3 in 96-97 with Charlie, Herchie, Stewarty, Noble etc would beat this lot.

That’s absolute lazy bollocks from Tony that we’re a defensive team that puts 10 men behind the ball. We’re just fucking hopeless. Oh aye, we don’t concede many, but we have a midfield that can’t create, relying on a 35 year old striker.

The Clyde fans arriving a day early. Boom boom!

Went along to Neilston 0 Kilwinning 2 in the WOSFL Div 1, courtesy of Scotrail £17 offer. A couple of pints in the Horseshoe and the Drum and Monkey in between trains. The second week in a row watching the Buffs and this week, led by veteran striker Bryan Boylan, they were comfortable against the bottom club. Goalless at ht but a quick goal and a late clincher, both by no 7 Mark Lamont, settled it on a day when everybody was frozen stiff. A few phone pics below plus a crappy old Kodachrome taken at my last visit in 1996 where the Farmer's Boys were flattered by the 4-0 scoreline as they knocked Bonnyrigg Rose out of the SJC. Th

Wasting your time reasoning with such a prejudiced individual. Assured me months ago that he had been to plenty LL games but never provided any examples. Doubt he’s ever been east of Harthill Services. If everything he says is true then he wouldn’t have been back after his first one Also waiting to hear why Gala and Gretna are “plastic clubs”. Obviously never been to either, or even Edinburgh Uni which is actually a decent experience although their hard core support is probably only about 30. Gala appear to have a better core support than Darvel and have a proud history in the EOSL.

And a win at last yesterday, although it was the League Cup? Do you know who got the goals?