South Lanarkshire Jag

Usually an Opta Sports representative attends the game in the press section. We’ve had one at Firhill for every match - data nothing to do with clubs.

Loans needed to be returned to the parent club by 31st March to be able to play for the competitive club in any matches before 10th June. We’ve got the same clause for our guys on loan from Lowland League so if, for example, EK were in the playoff, our guys would have went back to them to play. 31st March is an SFA thing so applies right down to WoS league I think. I’m a bit confused why loans are still being announced today(might just be as simple as paperwork being done last night and announcements just a little delayed).

I don't think that has ever been in doubt? The management team are ultimately responsible for the results on the pitch, like every other club across the world. Not sure what you are trying to get at.

Just to correct you on this Ian McCall has been at every training session since we started back in August. This is categorically wrong. I'm not going to defend or excuse the style of play, but if you think that AA just decides everything the squad do at training, you are completely wrong. I might have picked you up wrong though.

The match officials confirmed after the game that they had only given it for offside as they thought Rudden had touched the initial shot from Penrice(he did swing a leg at it but he missed). Having watched it back, Graham is onside when Penrice hits it but it is really tight - the left back is walking out to the 18 yard line with Graham walking towards goal. The LB's back leg plays him onside when the shot is hit - annoyingly a player is in the way for our camera angle so it can't quite be cleared up as conclusively as that but it definitely wasn't the "clearly offside" position the Airdrie twitter claimed!

Thursday 15th April is a "catch up" date which might be required for Thistle to use if we defeat Cowdenbeath and Dundee United in the Scottish Cup or if, much more likely, Montrose defeat Nairn County and Fraserburgh to play in the Scottish Cup on the 17th April.

I think you are being a bit harsh on Ryan Williamson. He was available for selection in every game up until November 2019 and missed 1 or 2 games with a slightly knock(although it has to be said Kakay was playing him out the team by his own good form). He got his injury in the late stages of the Alloa away game at the start of 2020. He tried to play through it the following week against Dundee United(I think we were linked with about 3 right backs to replace Kakay before we brought in Lee O'Connor to compete with him and had no right back for that game). That game against Dundee United made the injury worse and he missed the rest of the 19/20 season - although he was around two weeks away from a return when the season was called. This season he has been available for selection in every match until he got injured against Peterhead. Two serious injuries aren't what I'd term injury prone.

The planned contingency would, I presume, have been circulated around all 42 clubs at the start of the season. If it is not satisfactory then it should have been challenged/adjusted/changed at the start of the season - the prime issue is running out of games/dates to play them. This could happen in any division so they should be treated equally. If it turns out to be 3-0 forfeits in Prem then it should be same for Champ and L1/2. It is up to the clubs to decide how many they want to play. As a collective they have asked for 22 - the board should have, in my opinion, focused on whether they were allowing the restart date to go ahead and if they were granting the extension for season rather than batting it back to clubs to decide sanctions for an incomplete season since these should already be in place. Why should the consequence of not finishing in L1/2 be different from Prem/Champ? I just think it is a bit unfair to be potentially imposing different sanctions for the same offence(not finishing games) when proposed league finish formats(split) between the prem and L1/2 will be practically the same and I don’t understand why this seems to be a sticking issue and has stopped it moving forward as much as it should have.

I would argue that the fixture dates for the Premiership post-split phase are also picked at a scenario that makes incomplete fixtures much more likely. They have a midweek card(10/11 of May I think) and weekend card(15/16 May) to conclude. If a team(for example Kilmarnock) gets an outbreak before then, there is little room to replay the games and they could potentially be involved in relegation playoffs. Obviously you don’t have that issue if it is mid table sides(which could also happen in L1) - the SPFL Board must have a plan of how they would deal with this - why can they not apply the exact same to L1/2?

I’m not suggesting anything. I’m asking why, regardless of whether we attempt to play 18 games or 22 games, the SPFL Board cannot apply the sanctions, whatever they may be, that they would to a Premiership or Championship team if they cannot complete their season. I don’t really see a difference and why they should be handled differently(basically one decided by the clubs and one by the board).

Why can’t they just apply whatever they would do to Premiership and Championship if they can’t complete? Don’t really see much of a difference to be honest.

Why should it be on the clubs to determine what happens if someone can’t finish their games? What would the SPFL Board do in the event of a Premiership or Championship club getting a covid outbreak in the last few weeks and be unable to fulfil 38 or 27 fixtures in those leagues? Surely whatever happens in those leagues would apply to L1 and L2 as well if someone can’t finish.

The mention of Taiwan reminds me that while I was working during Lockdown 1(which feels like a decade ago), I would tune in and watch the live streams of Taiwanese baseball which, I think, was the only live sport available anywhere in the world. It was a four team league and fans started getting in around June time so they were very successful doing it.

Watching on a US GamePass feed - can't wait for it. It always takes me ten days or so to get over the Packers being dumped out in the Conference game. Got my NFL SnackHelmet purchased from LIDL and filled with snacks - got hot food waiting to be heated up for HT or before. Supporting the Chiefs tonight but really just looking for a good game. Nothing can ever beat the horrific Rams v Patriots one from a few years ago, surely!

Furlough was extended until the end of April 2021 in December - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-extends-furlough-and-loan-schemes Should allow for a structured, phased exit out of lockdown.