We're officially a diddy footballing nation.

[Dan Steele]

20 minutes ago, The_Kincardine said:

Unmitigated pish.  We all know that a. The product on display is utter dross for the most part and b.  'Support your local team' is P&B's way of saying, "Don't support a cheek".

IF the diddies want to increase support then they have to stop blaming 'glory hunters', 'the cheeks', 'tv rights', 'sectarian bias' et al and just see that the product on offer in their stadiums is usually unappealing tripe.

A simple advance for Diddy football would be trying to kick the ball before the man.  This innovation may be too much for most supporters.

a - no it isn't

b - no it isn't

Diddies - when not used in jest this just reeks of a superior attitude.

And finally, the football on offer at Station Park is bloody good at the moment. Pop up for a game. I'll treat you to a bridie.

[The_Kincardine]

2 hours ago, The Skelpit Lug said:

And finally, the football on offer at Station Park is bloody good at the moment. Pop up for a game. I'll treat you to a bridie.

Deal.  You're playing Stranraer on Saturday week and I'll be there.  Can't resist spending £400 for a free bridie.

Where's the best place to meet you outside the ground?  I'll be getting a bus from Dundee.

Edited July 30, 2019 by The_Kincardine

[effeffsee_the2nd]

2 hours ago, virginton said:

^^^ too pished to remember his Mintermind login

he's mostly right tho unfortunately.  we are all here cause we're committed fans.  imagine trying to sell the football we show to someone without an emotional attachment to a club playing.  22 players on the park, none of whom can trap a ball, use quick feet to beat a man , string more than 3 passes together, control a long range pass.   players who never do anything sexy but always play an easy safe pass when under pressure.  why not pay £20 quid to watch 0-0 with 3 shots on target as team A frustrate team B to get their precious point towards safety.  choose between pre historic auld dumps or soulless concrete echo arenas. 

Admit it boys, we only go cause we started supporting our teams years ago when 1 . fitbaw was less shite & 2 there was less alternatives

[The_Kincardine]

35 minutes ago, effeffsee_the2nd said:

he's mostly right tho unfortunately. 

I am, though, willing to be convinced otherwise.  This is why I have accepted @The Skelpit Lug's offer of a free bridie.  Happy to go to Station Park to revel in Forfar's silky skills.

[Dons_1988]

Unmitigated pish.  We all know that a. The product on display is utter dross for the most part and b.  'Support your local team' is P&B's way of saying, "Don't support a cheek".
IF the diddies want to increase support then they have to stop blaming 'glory hunters', 'the cheeks', 'tv rights', 'sectarian bias' et al and just see that the product on offer in their stadiums is usually unappealing tripe.
A simple advance for Diddy football would be trying to kick the ball before the man.  This innovation may be too much for most supporters.

Your fundamental point of the product is poor - correct.

The rest of the post and the suggestion that the ‘diddies’ just stop being mean to rangers players is laughable and I think you know it.

There’s a huge number of factors as to why football in this country is sub standard. Yes, plenty is to do with the cultural traditions of how we play the game in this country which isn’t easy on the eye. But most of it is to do with finance. The women’s game is a clear example of the product improving, crowds improving etc with a clear strategy of investment and marketing. I very much doubt the world of women’s football sat down recently and just decided to start trying to play better football.

There is little to no external investment in Scottish football so the ‘provincial’ clubs especially have to try and grow their income organically. That is not an overnight job. Aberdeen are making huge efforts to improve our top line, invest in infrastructure which is admirable but it takes time and a lot of money. Some clubs in the division aren’t as fortunate and just try and Keep their heads above water.

You know all this though.

[AUcal]

The Liverpool v napoli game was pretty boring. Was with my mate from Naples who got to see napoli playing in Scotland (and winning comfortably). He loved it, even if I didn't understand what he was saying to the other napoli fans around us.

Did think it was funny that all those "Liverpool" fans turned out for that pish. Liverpool didn't even turn up. Tbh though I think most of the people there seemed to be dads taking their young sons just for the spectacle of it. I wouldn't say that those people there have no interest in the Scottish game.
I would disagree that it reflects badly on Scottish football. As has mentioned previously I think it just shows how far reaching the brand of clubs like Liverpool is.
Of course there was the obligatory rangers and Celtic tops around. Cause that's what you do when you go to watch Liverpool v napoli.

[Dan Steele]

7 hours ago, The_Kincardine said:

I am, though, willing to be convinced otherwise.  This is why I have accepted @The Skelpit Lug's offer of a free bridie.  Happy to go to Station Park to revel in Forfar's silky skills.

I was up for this until I spotted the flaw. What if others, lured by the bridie offer, claim to be you? Could be awkward at the gates.

 

[Eednud]

I was up for this until I spotted the flaw. What if others, lured by the bridie offer, claim to be you? Could be awkward at the gates.

 

Give them a spelling and punctuation test.

[Mark Connolly]

15 minutes ago, The Skelpit Lug said:

I was up for this until I spotted the flaw. What if others, lured by the bridie offer, claim to be you? Could be awkward at the gates.

 

Just look out for a staunch Jacob Rees-Mogg.

[Dee Man]

[hk blues]

19 hours ago, Dons_1988 said:

 

Really, because the photos would suggest that these weren’t (at least a significant number) neutrals out to admire an elite side, but people revelling in the opportunity to see ‘their’ team.
 

How could you tell they weren't neutrals -  didn't look Scousy or Italian enough? Joking  apart,  plenty of Scottish fans have "2nd clubs"  in England  and Liverpool would be one of the more common ones.   And, if they were Liverpool fans from Liverpool then that's no relevance to Scottish football.  

If you are saying Scottish football is crap, I won't argue with you on that but a well-attended  friendly at  a rugby stadium between the European champions and 2nd best side in England last season and a top Italian team doesn't really add anything to the argument.  

 

[Funky Nosejob]

I might as well ‘fess up and admit I attended this match with my 12 year old son.

I have no interest in Liverpool as a team and admit that the ticket prices for a pre-season friendly made me wince. 

However, my son is obsessed with Liverpool and the football discussions and arguments he has with his friends tend to involve English teams rather than Scottish ones. 

He has been desperate to go to a Liverpool game for years. Tickets for games at Anfield go to season ticket holders first and then to residents of Liverpool (checked by Liverpool postcode). Criteria for away game tickets are even more restrictive. 

My take was this was a simple opportunity to get my Liverpool daft son to see his team. Although the tickets were pricey, I saved money and time compared to travelling down south. I suspect a lot of other attendees thought the same. 

[WhiteRoseKillie]

22 hours ago, Eednud said:

Give them a spelling and punctuation breath  test.

FTFY.

[Guest JTS98]

On 29/07/2019 at 16:21, Rab B Nesbit said:

You missed out the extra 442 Al. Every man and his dog was there. I must admit I was very surprised too I watch a lot of Scottish football and just go to the odd Liverpool game but there were Liverpool shirts and Scottish accents everywhere. 

f**k me, that picture is utterly depressing.

[WhiteRoseKillie]

On 30/07/2019 at 01:01, effeffsee_the2nd said:

he's mostly right tho unfortunately.  we are all here cause we're committed fans.  imagine trying to sell the football we show to someone without an emotional attachment to a club playing.  22 players on the park, none of whom can trap a ball, use quick feet to beat a man , string more than 3 passes together, control a long range pass.   players who never do anything sexy but always play an easy safe pass when under pressure.  why not pay £20 quid to watch 0-0 with 3 shots on target as team A frustrate team B to get their precious point towards safety.  choose between pre historic auld dumps or soulless concrete echo arenas. 

Admit it boys, we only go cause we started supporting our teams years ago when 1 . fitbaw was less shite & 2 there was less alternatives

Agree with this, absolutely, although I'm not convinced, re: point (1), that Killie were a better side in the early seventies than they are now. (feel free to insert your own Welsh pub team gag here)

There were certainly less alternatives for leisure time, mind, and with RP being a ten-minute walk and a lift-ower away, it was a cheap way to spend a Saturday afternoon or Wednesday (yes - Wednesday - when midweek games shouls be played) evening.  And, as we know, once you've got the habit, that's it.

As for the grounds, I'd take the old ground over the over-sized identikit ground we have now, but I realise that, 25 years after the renovation/rebuild, there's a whole generation who see the current incarnation as the only one.

[Guest JTS98]

On 30/07/2019 at 08:01, effeffsee_the2nd said:

he's mostly right tho unfortunately.  we are all here cause we're committed fans.  imagine trying to sell the football we show to someone without an emotional attachment to a club playing.  22 players on the park, none of whom can trap a ball, use quick feet to beat a man , string more than 3 passes together, control a long range pass.   players who never do anything sexy but always play an easy safe pass when under pressure.  why not pay £20 quid to watch 0-0 with 3 shots on target as team A frustrate team B to get their precious point towards safety.  choose between pre historic auld dumps or soulless concrete echo arenas. 

Admit it boys, we only go cause we started supporting our teams years ago when 1 . fitbaw was less shite & 2 there was less alternatives

Most of your point applies equally to English Premier League sides outwith the elite. Especially the part about teams just trying to frustrate their way to an away (or often home) point to inch towards mid-table mediocrity.

And nobody who watches English football with any regularity can pretend it is rammed full of good players playing good football. The Bottom Fourteen are mainly utter dugshite and most of the games they play among themselves would get fitba stopped if the marketing department hadn't made it an indisputable fact that the quality on show is actually good.

I have to watch English football relatively often as a social obligation since so many of my mates are English. It's not uncommon to wince your way through a game involving the likes of Burnley, Everton or Palace. It's genuinely painful watching at times.

Add in that most English sides aren't even interested in trying to win a cup or (even worse) qualify for the Europa League and you've got a 'product' that one has to seriously question the actual value of. What exactly is the fucking point?

Why would anybody who is not a rabid Everton fan be in the slightest bit interested in Everton? Or Newcastle? Or Crystal Palace? These clubs are, sadly, utterly pointless these days.

Do we really envy those fans of English Championship clubs who get to watch their side crawl through a 650-game season fighting inch by inch for the right to spend the following season playing with eleven men behind the ball trying not to get bummed rotten every week? Unless, of course, your club has some questionable source of wealth and influence, like Wolves.

And you mentioned stadiums. I completely disagree with you there.

Do you want the Emirates or Old Trafford where the locals complain about the number of tourists and where goals are celebrated in front of 'passionate' fans filming the celebration on their phones? Or perhaps West Ham's new place, described by a West Ham friend of mine as like going to a game on the moon? Or maybe Spurs' new place, if you fancy remortgaging your house?

Scotland has plenty of good places to watch football. Tynecastle, Easter Rd, Celtic Park, Ibrox, Tannadice are all stadiums that can give as good an 'experience' as anywhere for a big game. The lower leagues have plenty of perfectly decent smaller places where you can go and stand and enjoy the fitba in decent surroundings, often with a wee social club for a pint before and after.

Obviously the standard in Scotland is lower than in England. Nobody disputes that. But arguments like the ones you make don't really hold water as a reason to not watch our football.

[Dunfermline Don]

Most of your point applies equally to English Premier League sides outwith the elite. Especially the part about teams just trying to frustrate their way to an away (or often home) point to inch towards mid-table mediocrity.
And nobody who watches English football with any regularity can pretend it is rammed full of good players playing good football. The Bottom Fourteen are mainly utter dugshite and most of the games they play among themselves would get fitba stopped if the marketing department hadn't made it an indisputable fact that the quality on show is actually good.
I have to watch English football relatively often as a social obligation since so many of my mates are English. It's not uncommon to wince your way through a game involving the likes of Burnley, Everton or Palace. It's genuinely painful watching at times.
Add in that most English sides aren't even interested in trying to win a cup or (even worse) qualify for the Europa League and you've got a 'product' that one has to seriously question the actual value of. What exactly is the fucking point?
Why would anybody who is not a rabid Everton fan be in the slightest bit interested in Everton? Or Newcastle? Or Crystal Palace? These clubs are, sadly, utterly pointless these days.
Do we really envy those fans of English Championship clubs who get to watch their side crawl through a 650-game season fighting inch by inch for the right to spend the following season playing with eleven men behind the ball trying not to get bummed rotten every week? Unless, of course, your club has some questionable source of wealth and influence, like Wolves.
And you mentioned stadiums. I completely disagree with you there.
Do you want the Emirates or Old Trafford where the locals complain about the number of tourists and where goals are celebrated in front of 'passionate' fans filming the celebration on their phones? Or perhaps West Ham's new place, described by a West Ham friend of mine as like going to a game on the moon? Or maybe Spurs' new place, if you fancy remortgaging your house?
Scotland has plenty of good places to watch football. Tynecastle, Easter Rd, Celtic Park, Ibrox, Tannadice are all stadiums that can give as good an 'experience' as anywhere for a big game. The lower leagues have plenty of perfectly decent smaller places where you can go and stand and enjoy the fitba in decent surroundings, often with a wee social club for a pint before and after.
Obviously the standard in Scotland is lower than in England. Nobody disputes that. But arguments like the ones you make don't really hold water as a reason to not watch our football.

I agree. They continue to hype their game up but it is has become a rich owners plaything and a lot of the grounds of the top clubs are now full of day trippers rather than true supporters.
I have experience of watching a lot of English football in the late 80s and being a football fan down there was almost the equivalent of being a drug dealer. Cages at grounds, Police escorts at away grounds and always the threat of major violence breaking out. Teams like Chelsea and Man City were playing in the second tier(it was still called Division 2 in those days) and getting crowds a fraction of the worldwide support they have now. In fact many top flight Scottish clubs got higher crowds than those in the English Div 1. This was the era of Wimbledon and Luton who had a smaller average crowd than the Pars at the time.
The turning point was the 1990 World Cup and Gazzas tears. It became cool to be a football fan again the Premier League soon followed and the rest is history as they say.
I feel we have missed a trick by trying too much to emulate or neighbours south of the border.
The all seater rule killed the atmosphere in a lot of grounds and rows of empty seats look a lot worse on TV than empty terraces making our game look even more tinpot.
However all is not so rosy down south, witnesses Burnley fans compliment the atmosphere at Pittodrie last season compared with games in the EPL.
Our game may not be the best in the world but it is ours and we should celebrate all that is good about it. It would be a help if our football authorities also ran the game for all our clubs and not just two of them.

[Rab B Nesbit]

1 hour ago, Dunfermline Don said:

I agree. They continue to hype their game up but it is has become a rich owners plaything and a lot of the grounds of the top clubs are now full of day trippers rather than true supporters.
I have experience of watching a lot of English football in the late 80s and being a football fan down there was almost the equivalent of being a drug dealer. Cages at grounds, Police escorts at away grounds and always the threat of major violence breaking out. Teams like Chelsea and Man City were playing in the second tier(it was still called Division 2 in those days) and getting crowds a fraction of the worldwide support they have now. In fact many top flight Scottish clubs got higher crowds than those in the English Div 1. This was the era of Wimbledon and Luton who had a smaller average crowd than the Pars at the time.
The turning point was the 1990 World Cup and Gazzas tears. It became cool to be a football fan again the Premier League soon followed and the rest is history as they say.
I feel we have missed a trick by trying too much to emulate or neighbours south of the border.
The all seater rule killed the atmosphere in a lot of grounds and rows of empty seats look a lot worse on TV than empty terraces making our game look even more tinpot.
However all is not so rosy down south, witnesses Burnley fans compliment the atmosphere at Pittodrie last season compared with games in the EPL.
Our game may not be the best in the world but it is ours and we should celebrate all that is good about it. It would be a help if our football authorities also ran the game for all our clubs and not just two of them.

The Burnley fans probably need to experience a run of the mill league game at Pittodrie but you make some good points here. 

[Dunfermline Don]

The Burnley fans probably need to experience a run of the mill league game at Pittodrie but you make some good points here. 

Exactly, but if Pittodrie can have a better atmosphere than they have experienced in ‘the best league in the world’ how sterile must the atmosphere be down there?
I used to follow Palace when I lived in London and Selhurst had one of the worst atmospheres of any ground I went to. Now they are being lauded as having one of the best.
Imagine what Burnley fans would have thought of a rocking Tynecastle, Easter Road or even the ugly sisters if you can look past the ‘party songs’

[TheScarf]

 @JTS98is spot on here.  The EPL is a parody of itself, it's been marketed brilliantly to make fools part with their money to sit there filming the whole thing on Snapchat, barely taking in what is actually happening on the pitch