Scorge

Yes, comfortably

I never thought I could like anyone wearing an Arb****h tie. Delighted to make an exception in this case.

Finally caught up with this thread after getting back from the Aberdeen North count. Random (tired!) thoughts: - Lack of Touchy Thomson being fired properly made up for by watching Colin Clark's ugly coupon rapidly head south. - Had a horrid feeling the Tories would keep a few seats despite that exit poll, but I think anyone of an SNP persuasion would have taken 47/8 if offered it yesterday at 9.50. - Just got in the door to see Swinson emptied, absolutely beautiful. I don't know if this GE result is the best thing ever, or the worst. The war-gaming at Bute House should already be underway, if BlunderBoris simply says no to a S30, do they go to the courts or gamble on a majority in the Holyrood at 2021? (unlikely given Sturgeon's demands to have a ref next year). - In the short term though, there is going to be a lot of Tory far-right policy pain inflicted, and I very much doubt there will be another GE until 2024 now - no way does that buffoon chuck away that majoirty. - Arguably the most horrible job in politics now is being a Labour strategist. What the hell do they do now?

The Lib Dem was Robert Smith, fairly sure he had ancestors in the seat who were Tories, thus making him palatable. 2015 was purely the post-indyref SNP effect, judging by the size of Bowie's 2017 majority when the Tories nicked it back. WAK should be about as nailed on a Tory seat as you get given its make up, and betting against them would be fairly dicey, but it's not entirely impossible if enough of them can't bear to vote for Boris.....

Very good news. They've barely made an error in three seasons, and the club is on the best footing I can ever remember it. Long may it continue!

Opened this thread and wondering if I woke up in the mid-1980's by mistake. Wasn't at the game but sounds disappointing on several levels.

Had a wee think, and came up with this grim ensemble playing one of Hegarty's eccentric 5-3-2 formations. (Season 2014/15 crops up a lot, unsurprisingly.) GK: Lucas Birnstingl. A tragicomedy. Signed by Shields - one decent game on debut at Elgin followed by two shockers which saw him benched. Got back in after McKenzie got sent off against QP, only to ship 5 in the next game against Ar*****h (including one off the opposition keeper) and get sent off himself, promptly jumping on the next plane to Canada, never to return. We can see the funny side now. Almost. DF: Craig Bell. Another of the Shields' 14/15 school of shame. Put in one of the worst individual performances I've ever seen in a 0-4 defeat at the Shire. Didn't play again after that. A gruesome excuse for a footballer, no touch, no composure, no clue, no thanks. DF: Jonathan Smart. Brought in by Farningham: apparently a solid, reliable defender at East Fife, Smart was an ill-disciplined red card magnet by the time he got to LP. Sent off 3 times in 5 games IIRC, then again later in the season, before finally being bombed out. Not terribly much cop when he was actually playing. A huge disappointment. DF: David Banjo. Yet another Shields special, Banjo came in from the Smokies in the middle of the 14/15 car crash. They laughed their heads off at this signing. Rightly so. Inexplicably scored two goals on debut, before being found out. Kept out of the team later on by Marvin Andrews, by then an immobile near 40 year old. Says it all, really. DF: Jahmal Howlett-Mundle. Howling Muddle, as he quickly became known. Brought in on loan from Hearts by Hegarty in 15/16, an absolute passenger in his second game at home to QP, shipping 6 goals. A rabbit in the headlights, he got one more game against the Shire (a defeat, natch) before being sent straight back from whence he came. DF: Sean Crighton. Signed by Tweed after a spell on loan, and stayed for around three seasons, which sums up the depths we were in at the turn of the decade. Had propensity to go forward like Taylor-Sinclair, but had none of his touch or composure, and frequently wasted possession/gave the ball away cheaply etc, often making the same mistake week after week. Guessing he has improved, but not entirely sure how he has managed to carve out a career to be honest. MF: Stephen O'Neill. Signed by you know who in you know which season. Had a reputation from being youth captain at Aberdeen but incapable of adapting to the school of toilet-league football. Not a strong enough presence on the ball, and had a bad habit of clumsy-needless fouling. Gradually fell out of the team as the season collapsed, and drifted into obscurity. MF: Declan O'Kane. Signed by Shields in 14/15? Check. Not very good footballer? Check. Sent off for a daft challenge in a derby? Check. Gets a place in this side? Abso-fuckin'-Check-loutley. MF: David Dimilta. Another Smokies cast off which brought them much amusement, brought in by Farnigham. A 4ft f**k all headless chicken, DiMilta could run, but had about as much technical ball skills as me (ie. none). Made a handful of 'cameos' from the bench, often resulting in despairing face palms all round. Shipped out at seasons end. Not sure where he ended up, possibly as an executive doorstop. FW: Stevie Nicholas. Narrowly qualifies for this after being in Tweed's bottom side from 09/10. Nicholas was funded by the SOS money, and frankly gave poor return for the dosh given the promise shown while playing for previous lower league sides. Scored only once against pre-league Edinburgh City in the cup, and never looked comfortable in a volatile front line where he barely looked better than the likes of Daryl Nicol. Cleared out along with Gemmell at the end of the season with an ageing Paul Tosh being preferred, a fairly damning indictment. FW: Declan Milne. A player so poor I still get shivers typing his name. Frequently used as 75th minute sub by Hegarty in 15/16 to get a goal ahead of 2/3 more promising youngsters. Never got fucking close. Apparently had quite a high opinion of himself too, which makes him all the more worthy of being in this XI. Appears to be at Huntly now, and even there I bet he ain't scoring shit.

Filling the hole that Paddy Cregg's departure left very nicely, looks composed on the ball and seems to fit in with the way we play given the upturn in results. Echo the sentiment about wanting to keep him until May if we don't sign any more mids in the window.

Barry Smith plz

2019: Berwexit 2020: Brechxit?

Easy win. Montrose weren't at 100% and carried two passengers but were largely untroubled (a short period of sitting in at 2-0 aside). Could have had more on a more clinical day. As for Forfar, the form table doesnt lie. They were a complete mess (the 3rd goal was a shocker, unforgivable at a semi-pro level) and need to get a competent manager in asap, either to kickstart that team or turn them over in the window. If they play Barry's Blooterbaw for much longer, they'll be relegated with games to spare. Six in a row, bloody hell....

Relieved to get the points. Largely felt like a game from the league lower, lot of iffy passing/decision making by both sides. If we had been 3-0 up I'd have understood sitting off the opposition like we did, but we let them back in after pretty much crusing the first half, almost to our cost. Stranraer work hard and dig in as always, but have to say I'd be surprised to see them finish above the bottom two with that team as is. Big test next week.

First game since the Peterhead win for me. Looks like we're far more settled now, and on current form should be able to find a way to win this. (That swine McGuigan better not have banked us later on)

Saw the Mondays last night in Aberdeen, finally completed my triangle of ex-Factory bands I'd really wanted to see. Sounded solid enough, and getting to hear Ryder swear his way through 24HPP was a joy. (Think he may have had some inner-ear lyrical assistance, mind you.)

I saw Birnstingl's debut up at Elgin and he *honestly* looked fine that day. After that, less so. Gemmell? He was just a lazy b*****d rather than a bad footballer - he hit an outrageous 25 yarder pre 09/10 which looked like being a good omen for the season. We finished bottom, he picked up two reds in one game against Berwexit and rightly got shipped out. A composite worst XI of the last 20 years would make for some fairly grim reading, though