FortescueFotheringhamSmyth

FT: Qarabag 3, Sabail 0. Qarabag were 2/11 with the bookies. Sabail 14/1. So they had a reason for being confident they'd get away with resting players. Sabail finished bottom of the 8-team Azeri top flight last season. Maybe Covid-19 kept them up. I don't hold with resting players. Certainly not this early in the season. Other sports I can understand. The NRL's Penrith Panthers lost a long unbeaten record when they rested their five New South Wales players (& one Queensland player) during the State of Origin games and lost two matches. A rugby league player being asked to play for NSW in 25c in Queensland, then being asked to turn out in 8c in Sydney 4 days later, is a mite different to playing two association football games. A few years back, a semi-pro club I was once involved with had a fixture backlog that saw them play 18 games in 54 days at the end of the season. At no point had they been considered title contenders, but they won 14 and drew 4, with the finishing line coming just in time to allow the leaders to pip them for the title. They then obviously lost in the play-offs. Running 12km or 14km around a field in 90-odd minutes is not an activity that requires seven days' recuperation. I concede that niggling injuries may need some down time to heal.

HT: Qarabag 2, Sabail 0. EIGHT changes from Thursday! Both goals from teenaged striker Musa Qurbanly, who was on the bench for the 1st leg. Seven of the rested players are on the bench for this. The #2, Qarayev, the only one missing.

FT: LASK 1, TSV Hartberg 1. LASK were 1/2 with the bookies. Hartberg 4 points from 4 games before today. Finished 7th last year, both before and after the split. Hartberg won the corresponding fixture last season and drew at home to LASK, so 1/2 didn't look an enticing home banker.

I've been known to sing sectarian songs in the Copland Road stand, terrorist-supporting songs on the Jungle terrace and less offensive songs at Firhill... but I can't say I know that one. Good spot on that bet. Rangers got 13 corners v. Pars last week. Bookies might have them low on corner expectations, as the previous time they got more than 10 in any competitive game was last January... v. Ross County.

In the normal run of events, I would not post on here - mainly because I don't win often these days. However, such has been the comedy value in my "Weekend Betting" posts, that I feel obliged to post a winner. Viktor Hovland winning in Noo Joysey tonight would be nice too. Main bets both sides of the pond have simply tailed the leaders at a respectful distance. Patrick Cantlay firing a 60 tonight would be nice.

Be fair: he's almost as far to go down as Ma-Kalambay.

Does anyone get the idea Cumdog's up for this match?

Check out the "Just F*** Right Off BBC!" thread on Miggs.Net. That forum suggests Mason Boyne's relatives have all given up being Staunch and moved to Leith. I'm amazed there are no ads for Scientology, David Icke and the Taliban on there. They'd all get loads of converts with a recruitment ad.

Accies 0, Cumdog 2. The triggerhappy Tash pulled a panic punt and ditched Fenlon after a loss to Hearts. I think Hibs had won as many as they'd lost at that point. In came Terry Butcher... to general approval. Maybe not overwhelming "Daffy Duck GIF" excitement, but the vast majority were happy with the appointment. Sluggish start for Big Tel, but three wins in a week over Christmas / New Year, culminating in an Embra derby win. One win in the next 19 games saw Hibs heading to Hamilton for the relegation play-off. Most fans would have bitten your hand off for a draw. A 2-0 win meant top flight survival was all but guaranteed.

The Cat 123 ?

B@$t@rd! First World Problems! Laptop just went off. No power. Looks like the cable's f***ed. I'm sure I've a spare somewhere... but it's not in the shoebox of spare leads, chargers, cables, adaptors, batteries, etc. I better not have run out of almond milk for my cappuccino... or organic vegan spread for my avocado on toast! It's fiddly trying to do stuff on a wee phone screen. Meanwhile, in Zaire... and Yemen... and Afghanistan this week Anyhooo... I should be leaving well alone when I fancy the square root of feck all, but I've made a donation to Betfair. Disgraceful that I didn't donate it to a charity in the field in Afghanistan. What a c**t, eh? Next thing you know, I'll be voting Tory.

Forfar @ 17/10 with Betfair's fixed odds arm looks the most out-of-line price to me. Can't see a lot to go with it in an acca.

Surely nobody could be that stupid?... Except maybe Graeme Souness.

Alloa 1, Queen's Park 1. Dumbarton 0, Cove 2. East Fife 1, Montrose 1. Falkirk 3, Clyde 0. Peterhead 1, Airdrie 0.

The once proud Ararat Yerevan losing 2-0 tonight in the Armenian League, in front of three men & a dog, to a minor mafiosi vanity project from the province the former Alashkert used to play in... while the major mafiosi vanity project - Alashkert - plays at Ibrox. The state of football in former Communist countries!

These barstewards were 25/1 at kick off... They're still 10/1 now.

Bassey a great singer but not in Cher's class for the glamour occasion. Armenian heritage beats West Indian every time there. Maybe Kemar could challenge them to a toasting session or something

Them too.

Maybe not as Rafael as they looked

Have to take that. I'd take a shade of odds-on Aberdeen will qualify next week.

Of all the YouTube versions of the "Downfall" rant, the one for Rangers losing to Kaunas is up there with the best. The one going on in the home dressing room right now probably surpasses it.

Nothing amiss with that line-up.

Up to £33,000 on Betfair now. 1.95 Qarabag, 5.2 Dons, draw a skinny 3.35.