Ay ay all, and fit like theday? Today is a national holiday in The Netherlands, meaning I've got to spend quality time with the family, which as anyone with kids and a day off from work will know translates approximately as "get awa fae thon computer for once!".
So probably no updates today and probably no Four to Follow either; take a look at the piece we did yesterday for something approaching an SFL preview for this weekend.
30/04/2010
29/04/2010
Boston Globe - an apology
Quite right too, the ignorant barrel o'shite.
I love the comment about intending to "take comments from Rangers fans in a subsequent article". Any Scottish football blogger knows that articles about either half of the Old Firm lead to the kind of comments that require a medical encyclopaedia and a dictionary to understand.
It's a pity then that the original article was pulled from the site; I'd have love to have read the flak Mr Stokes (good name by the way for such an inflammatory and factually incorrect article) received.
I love the comment about intending to "take comments from Rangers fans in a subsequent article". Any Scottish football blogger knows that articles about either half of the Old Firm lead to the kind of comments that require a medical encyclopaedia and a dictionary to understand.
It's a pity then that the original article was pulled from the site; I'd have love to have read the flak Mr Stokes (good name by the way for such an inflammatory and factually incorrect article) received.
They think it's all over...
With the season almost at an end, you'd be mistaken in thinking there's nothing left to play for. The Second Division still needs a champion, and there's the tricky matter of quite a few relegation and play-off places still up for grabs.
We get out the calculator and the crystal ball and take a quick trawl through the crucial games coming up this weekend.
We get out the calculator and the crystal ball and take a quick trawl through the crucial games coming up this weekend.
26/04/2010
Simply the best
And so the league is finally over.
Unlike last season, or even the season before that, both of which went down to the wire on the final day, Kyle Lafferty's 17th minute winner against Hibs at Easter Road yesterday ended season 2009/10 three games premature. His goal brings down the curtain on a season that's been in the bag for the Ibrox club since the end of January, when the gap between Scotland's top clubs hit the 10 point mark - ironically enough as Celtic went down 2-1 at home to to Hibs in the final game of that month.
Rangers will have to wait until the final day of the season to unfurl the champions flag over Ibrox, as away fixtures at Dundee Utd and Celtic precede their only remaining home game, when Motherwell come to town on the final day.
It's been a tumultuous season for both halves of the Old Firm.
Rangers, out to defend their SPL title, started the season under a cloud of financial uncertainty, with Lloyds Bank - the club's largest creditor - becoming increasingly anxious to recoup the £31m owed to them. Unable to bring in any new players, an unhappy manager, to say nothing about unhappy supporters, frustrated at the seeming lack of progress at the club, the odds where stacked against them right from the start.
While Rangers where counting the pennies and tightening the belt, over in Glasgow East by contrast, the lid had been truly blown off the biscuit tin. A spending spree commenced, with Marc-Antoine Fortune brought in from French mid-table French side Nancy, Daniel Fox joining from English Championship side Coventry and Josh Thompson moving north from League One side Doncaster. The spree was rounded off with AIK Solna defender Jos Hooiveld swapping Stockholm for Glasgow, and after spending the best part of £7m on playing staff, not to mention a new manager in former Hibs and West Brom manager Tony Mowbray, hopes of taking back the title where high.
On paper then, you'd think that Celtic would be odds-on favourite to retake their title cruelly denied them on the final day of last season. But football has a funny way of not quite doing what you expect - just look at our desperate attempts at score predictions over the season.
Despite all their spending, Celtic never got into the groove. Perhaps it was the change in manager and the subsequent change in playing style that failed to win favour with fans and media alike (Mowbray describes being 'beleaguered' by all and sundry during his nine-month spell at Parkhead). Perhaps there where just too many new faces at the club for the team to gel as a unit on the pitch.
Whatever it was, even the arrival of Robbie Keane in February from Spurs failed to make any impact on the 10-point gap that had developed. Costly defeats to Kilmarnock (on Keane's debut), Rangers and St Mirren (after which Mowbray was sacked) certainly didn't help.
By the time Mowbray had left the car park for the final time, the gap had increased to thirteen points. Neil Lennon took over on a caretaker basis, leading the Hoops through a series of good results (the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat against Ross County aside), but the Charge of the Light Brigade had come too late.
The league (and in particular Celtic) has been poor this season. Hibs' challenge faded away after the New Year, Aberdeen where in self-destruct mode and Hearts kept the revolving-door at Tynecastle busy, while Motherwell's run of form started too late. Only Dundee United can look back on a good season; losing manager Levein to the Scotland job was a blow and it took a while to recover, but recover they did, their challenge for second place only being killed off in the 2-0 defeat to Celtic last Sunday,
But it is easy to blame Rangers' success on the failings of others. Quite simply, over the course of the season, they're simply the best. Unbeaten in the league at home, a League Cup in the bag and only a Scottish Cup quarter-final away from a domestic treble, these are some achievements for a club written largely written off back in August. The only real blot on their copybook this season was a very disappointing European campaign where Rangers failed to record a single victory, and failed to make it out of the group.
In hindsight, with a small-ish squad (which includes a 40-year old defender), a protracted European campaign might have distracted Rangers from where their true strength lies, namely in domestic football.
Following the defeat against Sevilla at the start of December, Rangers continued on a run of form that would see them lose only one more league game (a surprising 4-1 humbling at the hands of St Johnstone, this defeat coming a week after Celtic where defeated by a similar score by St Mirren) on their way to their record breaking 53rd League title.
Along the way they punished Dundee United and Motherwell (7-1 and 6-0 respectively), Much talk has been made of Rangers' somewhat pedestrian and workman-like (read: boring and unadventurous) approach to this season, but any team that recovers from a 12th-second goal to win 4-1 is showing true champions form.
There is still a lot to be decided at Ibrox, and the future is far from certain. The club is still up for sale (Andrew Ellis is still performing due diligence with no offer forthcoming) and the future of Kris Boyd - this seasons top scorer (so far) - may well be decided soon (will he, won't he go to Birmingham?) as he entered the final months of his contract. Likewise, Madjid Bougherra, possibly Rangers' best player this season also looks set to leave.
Aside from securing a buyer for the club, the priority over the summer should be to retain manager Walter Smith, preferably on a permanent contract. There's not doubt about Smith's tremendous importance to the club, but his ability to negotiate new contracts with his players over the summer could be seriously compromised if his own future is not certain.
It will be an interesting summer in Glasgow. Will Rangers find a buyer? Will they hang on their squad? How much of the £12m Rangers look set to make from the Champions League Group stages will be ploughed back into the side? And in the absence of a buyer, just what conditions will Lloyds put on the club over the summer?
For Celtic too, uncertainty abounds. Lennon is campaigning for his caretaker position to be made permanent, but Celtic say they are looking for a more experienced manager to take the helm; until the succession is assured at Parkhead, squad changes may well have to wait.
Depending on how things turn out in the next few months, there might not be a lot of change at the top clubs in the SPL. The same players (give or take Boyd and Keane), the same debts, the same managers and quite possibly the same outcome.
We shall see. For now though, our congratulations go out to Rangers: worthy winners indeed.
Unlike last season, or even the season before that, both of which went down to the wire on the final day, Kyle Lafferty's 17th minute winner against Hibs at Easter Road yesterday ended season 2009/10 three games premature. His goal brings down the curtain on a season that's been in the bag for the Ibrox club since the end of January, when the gap between Scotland's top clubs hit the 10 point mark - ironically enough as Celtic went down 2-1 at home to to Hibs in the final game of that month.
Rangers will have to wait until the final day of the season to unfurl the champions flag over Ibrox, as away fixtures at Dundee Utd and Celtic precede their only remaining home game, when Motherwell come to town on the final day.
It's been a tumultuous season for both halves of the Old Firm.
Rangers, out to defend their SPL title, started the season under a cloud of financial uncertainty, with Lloyds Bank - the club's largest creditor - becoming increasingly anxious to recoup the £31m owed to them. Unable to bring in any new players, an unhappy manager, to say nothing about unhappy supporters, frustrated at the seeming lack of progress at the club, the odds where stacked against them right from the start.
While Rangers where counting the pennies and tightening the belt, over in Glasgow East by contrast, the lid had been truly blown off the biscuit tin. A spending spree commenced, with Marc-Antoine Fortune brought in from French mid-table French side Nancy, Daniel Fox joining from English Championship side Coventry and Josh Thompson moving north from League One side Doncaster. The spree was rounded off with AIK Solna defender Jos Hooiveld swapping Stockholm for Glasgow, and after spending the best part of £7m on playing staff, not to mention a new manager in former Hibs and West Brom manager Tony Mowbray, hopes of taking back the title where high.
On paper then, you'd think that Celtic would be odds-on favourite to retake their title cruelly denied them on the final day of last season. But football has a funny way of not quite doing what you expect - just look at our desperate attempts at score predictions over the season.
Despite all their spending, Celtic never got into the groove. Perhaps it was the change in manager and the subsequent change in playing style that failed to win favour with fans and media alike (Mowbray describes being 'beleaguered' by all and sundry during his nine-month spell at Parkhead). Perhaps there where just too many new faces at the club for the team to gel as a unit on the pitch.
Whatever it was, even the arrival of Robbie Keane in February from Spurs failed to make any impact on the 10-point gap that had developed. Costly defeats to Kilmarnock (on Keane's debut), Rangers and St Mirren (after which Mowbray was sacked) certainly didn't help.
By the time Mowbray had left the car park for the final time, the gap had increased to thirteen points. Neil Lennon took over on a caretaker basis, leading the Hoops through a series of good results (the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat against Ross County aside), but the Charge of the Light Brigade had come too late.
The league (and in particular Celtic) has been poor this season. Hibs' challenge faded away after the New Year, Aberdeen where in self-destruct mode and Hearts kept the revolving-door at Tynecastle busy, while Motherwell's run of form started too late. Only Dundee United can look back on a good season; losing manager Levein to the Scotland job was a blow and it took a while to recover, but recover they did, their challenge for second place only being killed off in the 2-0 defeat to Celtic last Sunday,
But it is easy to blame Rangers' success on the failings of others. Quite simply, over the course of the season, they're simply the best. Unbeaten in the league at home, a League Cup in the bag and only a Scottish Cup quarter-final away from a domestic treble, these are some achievements for a club written largely written off back in August. The only real blot on their copybook this season was a very disappointing European campaign where Rangers failed to record a single victory, and failed to make it out of the group.
In hindsight, with a small-ish squad (which includes a 40-year old defender), a protracted European campaign might have distracted Rangers from where their true strength lies, namely in domestic football.
Following the defeat against Sevilla at the start of December, Rangers continued on a run of form that would see them lose only one more league game (a surprising 4-1 humbling at the hands of St Johnstone, this defeat coming a week after Celtic where defeated by a similar score by St Mirren) on their way to their record breaking 53rd League title.
Along the way they punished Dundee United and Motherwell (7-1 and 6-0 respectively), Much talk has been made of Rangers' somewhat pedestrian and workman-like (read: boring and unadventurous) approach to this season, but any team that recovers from a 12th-second goal to win 4-1 is showing true champions form.
There is still a lot to be decided at Ibrox, and the future is far from certain. The club is still up for sale (Andrew Ellis is still performing due diligence with no offer forthcoming) and the future of Kris Boyd - this seasons top scorer (so far) - may well be decided soon (will he, won't he go to Birmingham?) as he entered the final months of his contract. Likewise, Madjid Bougherra, possibly Rangers' best player this season also looks set to leave.
Aside from securing a buyer for the club, the priority over the summer should be to retain manager Walter Smith, preferably on a permanent contract. There's not doubt about Smith's tremendous importance to the club, but his ability to negotiate new contracts with his players over the summer could be seriously compromised if his own future is not certain.
It will be an interesting summer in Glasgow. Will Rangers find a buyer? Will they hang on their squad? How much of the £12m Rangers look set to make from the Champions League Group stages will be ploughed back into the side? And in the absence of a buyer, just what conditions will Lloyds put on the club over the summer?
For Celtic too, uncertainty abounds. Lennon is campaigning for his caretaker position to be made permanent, but Celtic say they are looking for a more experienced manager to take the helm; until the succession is assured at Parkhead, squad changes may well have to wait.
Depending on how things turn out in the next few months, there might not be a lot of change at the top clubs in the SPL. The same players (give or take Boyd and Keane), the same debts, the same managers and quite possibly the same outcome.
We shall see. For now though, our congratulations go out to Rangers: worthy winners indeed.
23/04/2010
Scottish Football's "Four to Follow" Weekend Preview
Ay ay all, and fit like theday?
It's amazing to think there's only a few more games to go in this season. It seems like only last week when the season kicked off, and we had so much to look forward to.
As an Aberdeen fan, the season started with a great deal of optimism and hope, yet it has turned out to have been mostly awful, so the end of the season is a merciful end to a merciless eight months or so of my life. Figuratively speaking, Inside Left is standing over the injured, bleeding and whimpering turkey that represents "Aberdeen FC Season 2009/10" with a large paving slab, ready to put it out of its misery.
So yes, four more weeks, four more games (roughly), and yet there's still so much to be decided. While the Third and First Divisions are wrapped up - congratulations to Livingston and Inverness Caley - there is still a lot to fight for in the SPL and in particular in Division Two.
Well, we say a lot, perhaps that's true for Division Two, but this weekend may well see the SPL come to it's inevitable conclusion, i.e, one of the Old Firm lifting the vase. As it stands now, a United win tomorrow against Celtic would see Rangers win the league without the need to actually play, while even a 24-1 win for Celtic is meaningless if Rangers beat Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday.
Spare a thought too for Dundee, who gallantly lead the league until it all went a bit awry at the end of March. Their defeat at Raith in midweek promoted Caley Thistle at the first time of asking, and consigned the Dee to another season in Division One. Caley have done well to make their stay in Division One short, especially when you consider that it took St Johnstone the best part of six years to get back to the SPL following their relegation in 2002. And look at them now!
Right, lets get with this weekends action.
Glenn Dowd, a name you'll hopefully be seeing a lot more of on these pages has taken a look through the fixture list to pick out the four games you need to keep your radio on for.
Dundee United v Celtic
Third placed Dundee United welcome second placed Celtic to Tannadice this weekend in a rather intriguing tie that will have huge impact on proceedings at the top of the SPL table, but can Celtic prevent the inevitable? For now maybe, but the title is well and truly on the way to the blue side of Glasgow.
With four games remaining eleven points separate the Old Firm, with Celtic needing to win all of their remaining games and hoping the Gers slip up badly. Celtic's stuttering season may grind to a halt this Sunday when they face Peter Houston's rejuvenated Dundee United. The cup finalists are seven points behind Celtic and will be aiming to pip them to the final Champions League spot, most seasons you wouldn’t say its possible but with Celtic's current plight anything is possible.
Regardless of what happens at Tannadice, the Terrors have had a tremendous season, picking themselves up in the best way possible after a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Rangers. Houston has done a great job in picking up from where Craig Levein left off and Dundee have pushed far ahead of an ailing Hibernian side, that offered so much at the start of the season.
Both teams will be going all out this weekend in order to grab what will be a massive three points. Houston will look to the talented David Goodwillie, this week named young player of the year, to shoot down Neil Lennon`s men. For Celtic, Robbie Keane will once again be called upon to provide the firepower. The Irishman has been named the clubs player of the year for this season, despite only playing 15 games; that says it all about the talent on the books at Parkhead.
Morten Rasmussen is the predator that Celtic could do with, but he has been offered limited chances. After his late winner at home to Hibs last week, surely he will be chosen ahead of the implausible Marc Antoine Fortune. Verdict: Expect a tight match with Dundee United edging it.
St Mirren v Kilmarnock
The Saints host Killie this weekend in a crucial match that will go a long way to determining who will be relegated. Both side are neck and neck, currently tied on 29 points apiece, one point ahead of bottom side Falkirk who entertain Hamilton this weekend.
St Mirren have endured a tough season with some notable memories, thrashing Celtic 4-0, been the highlight of their season. They will be hoping a win this weekend will cement their SPL position for next season, but manager Gus MacPherson knows that they cant take a win for granted. The Buddies will call upon hitmen Andy Dorman and Michael Higdon to fire them to victory over a Killie side who have struggled on the road. Jimmy Calderwood's side have lost their last five away matches and this form is something that must be addressed otherwise Killie will slip out of the SPL, where they have been mainstays since winning promotion in 1993.
Another stat will set the alarm bells ringing for Calderwood is the fact that his side have only managed to score four away goals this season. However they do possess the ever dangerous Kevin Kyle, who may fire them to victory. With 7 goals this term, the Stranraer born striker will be hoping to add to his tally in the remaining games. Chris Maguire will also pose a threat to St Mirren, who will need to recapture the spirit of that glorious night against Celtic. Verdict: A dull draw seems on the cards, with both teams likely to cancel each other out.
Peterhead v Alloa Athletic
Scottish Division 2 leaders travel to Peterhead this weekend with one hand firmly on the title. However with only two games remaining. Alloa lie two points above second place Stirling Albion, who will punish any slip up by Allan Maitland's men. Alloa's destiny is firmly in their own hands and they will be expected to overcome the challenge posed by 6th place Peterhead, who could yet crash the playoffs but need a good bit of fortune to do so.
The last time these sides met, Alloa carved out a 2-1 home win over Neale Cooper's Peterhead side. A similar result seems on the cards this time around. Verdict: Alloa to go into the final day, top of the table, after a vital away win.
Stirling Albion v Clyde
Second placed Stirling Albion host an already relegated Clyde side at Forthbank Stadium, having beaten them 2-1 earlier in the week to condemn them to the drop. A similar result seems like the order of the day but Clyde will be aiming to prove their critics wrong. Stirling will be hoping to win promotion at the first attempt next season, but current financial worries strangling the club may prevent them from doing so.
Beano's manager Allan Moore will be hoping his side can take six points from their final two fixtures to keep the pressure on Alloa. However Moore will also be relying on a favour from Peterhead and should the opportunity arise he is confident his side can pounce on any slip up by the league leaders: "I believe we can win our final two games but the title is out of our hands. Should Alloa slip up, we will prove our worth by overtaking them". Verdict: Stirling Win.
The other fixtures this weekend:
SPL
Hibernian - Rangers (Sunday)
Falkirk - Hamilton
Hearts - Motherwell
St Johnstone - Aberdeen
Division One
Ayr - Inverness Caley
Dundee - Raith Rovers
Dunfermline - Morton
Queen Of The South - Airdrie United
Ross County - Partick Thistle
Division Two
Cowdenbeath - Brechin City
Dumbarton - Arbroath
East Fife - Stenhousemuir
Peterhead - Alloa
Stirling - Clyde
Division Three
Berwick - Albion
East Stirling - Annan Athletic
Montrose - Livingston
Queens Park - Elgin
Stranraer - Forfar
It's amazing to think there's only a few more games to go in this season. It seems like only last week when the season kicked off, and we had so much to look forward to.
As an Aberdeen fan, the season started with a great deal of optimism and hope, yet it has turned out to have been mostly awful, so the end of the season is a merciful end to a merciless eight months or so of my life. Figuratively speaking, Inside Left is standing over the injured, bleeding and whimpering turkey that represents "Aberdeen FC Season 2009/10" with a large paving slab, ready to put it out of its misery.
So yes, four more weeks, four more games (roughly), and yet there's still so much to be decided. While the Third and First Divisions are wrapped up - congratulations to Livingston and Inverness Caley - there is still a lot to fight for in the SPL and in particular in Division Two.
Well, we say a lot, perhaps that's true for Division Two, but this weekend may well see the SPL come to it's inevitable conclusion, i.e, one of the Old Firm lifting the vase. As it stands now, a United win tomorrow against Celtic would see Rangers win the league without the need to actually play, while even a 24-1 win for Celtic is meaningless if Rangers beat Hibs at Easter Road on Sunday.
Spare a thought too for Dundee, who gallantly lead the league until it all went a bit awry at the end of March. Their defeat at Raith in midweek promoted Caley Thistle at the first time of asking, and consigned the Dee to another season in Division One. Caley have done well to make their stay in Division One short, especially when you consider that it took St Johnstone the best part of six years to get back to the SPL following their relegation in 2002. And look at them now!
Right, lets get with this weekends action.
Glenn Dowd, a name you'll hopefully be seeing a lot more of on these pages has taken a look through the fixture list to pick out the four games you need to keep your radio on for.
Dundee United v Celtic
Third placed Dundee United welcome second placed Celtic to Tannadice this weekend in a rather intriguing tie that will have huge impact on proceedings at the top of the SPL table, but can Celtic prevent the inevitable? For now maybe, but the title is well and truly on the way to the blue side of Glasgow.
With four games remaining eleven points separate the Old Firm, with Celtic needing to win all of their remaining games and hoping the Gers slip up badly. Celtic's stuttering season may grind to a halt this Sunday when they face Peter Houston's rejuvenated Dundee United. The cup finalists are seven points behind Celtic and will be aiming to pip them to the final Champions League spot, most seasons you wouldn’t say its possible but with Celtic's current plight anything is possible.
Regardless of what happens at Tannadice, the Terrors have had a tremendous season, picking themselves up in the best way possible after a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Rangers. Houston has done a great job in picking up from where Craig Levein left off and Dundee have pushed far ahead of an ailing Hibernian side, that offered so much at the start of the season.
Both teams will be going all out this weekend in order to grab what will be a massive three points. Houston will look to the talented David Goodwillie, this week named young player of the year, to shoot down Neil Lennon`s men. For Celtic, Robbie Keane will once again be called upon to provide the firepower. The Irishman has been named the clubs player of the year for this season, despite only playing 15 games; that says it all about the talent on the books at Parkhead.
Morten Rasmussen is the predator that Celtic could do with, but he has been offered limited chances. After his late winner at home to Hibs last week, surely he will be chosen ahead of the implausible Marc Antoine Fortune. Verdict: Expect a tight match with Dundee United edging it.
St Mirren v Kilmarnock
The Saints host Killie this weekend in a crucial match that will go a long way to determining who will be relegated. Both side are neck and neck, currently tied on 29 points apiece, one point ahead of bottom side Falkirk who entertain Hamilton this weekend.
St Mirren have endured a tough season with some notable memories, thrashing Celtic 4-0, been the highlight of their season. They will be hoping a win this weekend will cement their SPL position for next season, but manager Gus MacPherson knows that they cant take a win for granted. The Buddies will call upon hitmen Andy Dorman and Michael Higdon to fire them to victory over a Killie side who have struggled on the road. Jimmy Calderwood's side have lost their last five away matches and this form is something that must be addressed otherwise Killie will slip out of the SPL, where they have been mainstays since winning promotion in 1993.
Another stat will set the alarm bells ringing for Calderwood is the fact that his side have only managed to score four away goals this season. However they do possess the ever dangerous Kevin Kyle, who may fire them to victory. With 7 goals this term, the Stranraer born striker will be hoping to add to his tally in the remaining games. Chris Maguire will also pose a threat to St Mirren, who will need to recapture the spirit of that glorious night against Celtic. Verdict: A dull draw seems on the cards, with both teams likely to cancel each other out.
Peterhead v Alloa Athletic
Scottish Division 2 leaders travel to Peterhead this weekend with one hand firmly on the title. However with only two games remaining. Alloa lie two points above second place Stirling Albion, who will punish any slip up by Allan Maitland's men. Alloa's destiny is firmly in their own hands and they will be expected to overcome the challenge posed by 6th place Peterhead, who could yet crash the playoffs but need a good bit of fortune to do so.
The last time these sides met, Alloa carved out a 2-1 home win over Neale Cooper's Peterhead side. A similar result seems on the cards this time around. Verdict: Alloa to go into the final day, top of the table, after a vital away win.
Stirling Albion v Clyde
Second placed Stirling Albion host an already relegated Clyde side at Forthbank Stadium, having beaten them 2-1 earlier in the week to condemn them to the drop. A similar result seems like the order of the day but Clyde will be aiming to prove their critics wrong. Stirling will be hoping to win promotion at the first attempt next season, but current financial worries strangling the club may prevent them from doing so.
Beano's manager Allan Moore will be hoping his side can take six points from their final two fixtures to keep the pressure on Alloa. However Moore will also be relying on a favour from Peterhead and should the opportunity arise he is confident his side can pounce on any slip up by the league leaders: "I believe we can win our final two games but the title is out of our hands. Should Alloa slip up, we will prove our worth by overtaking them". Verdict: Stirling Win.
The other fixtures this weekend:
SPL
Hibernian - Rangers (Sunday)
Falkirk - Hamilton
Hearts - Motherwell
St Johnstone - Aberdeen
Division One
Ayr - Inverness Caley
Dundee - Raith Rovers
Dunfermline - Morton
Queen Of The South - Airdrie United
Ross County - Partick Thistle
Division Two
Cowdenbeath - Brechin City
Dumbarton - Arbroath
East Fife - Stenhousemuir
Peterhead - Alloa
Stirling - Clyde
Division Three
Berwick - Albion
East Stirling - Annan Athletic
Montrose - Livingston
Queens Park - Elgin
Stranraer - Forfar
22/04/2010
Gaelic connections: Scots in Ireland
Scottish striker Gary Twigg’s return to fitness is sure to enhance Shamrock Rovers title credentials this season. However, last year’s League of Ireland top scorer is not the only Scotsman who plies his trade in Ireland.
The former Brechin star quickly followed manager Michael O’Neill to The Tallaght stadium, the new home of Ireland’s most renowned team. His short spell in Dublin has been extremely productive and he earned all the awards in his debut season, including scoring the first ever goal at the Hoops’ new stadium.
The Glasgow born hot-shot has flourished under former Hibernian midfielder O’Neill and amassed 24 goals to finish top of the scoring charts, while leading the Hoops title challenge which faltered at the end. He was also voted PFAI Player of The Year by his fellow professionals, many of whom will fear his inevitable return to form.
Craig Sives is another Scot who pitched up at The Tallaght shortly after the arrival of O’Neill. The former Hearts man thought his career was cut short by three long years of injury but he was offered a lifeline by the club, which he duly accepted. He moved to Dublin and signed on firstly as a non paid member of Rovers squad, as they offered him a rehabilitation program with their medical staff. The former Scottish schoolboy star signed a short term contract in May 2009 and has really got to grips with life in Ireland. His impressive performances in 2009 saw the 24 year old voted Rovers young player of the year.
Alex Williams is embarking on his second year in Ireland with a new club, St Patrick’s Athletic. The fiery Scot arrived in Ireland last year at Premier Division club Dundalk, where he managed 7 goals in 15 appearances which saw a number of clubs chasing his signature. He opted to move south to Dublin and join St Pats, where he bagged a goal on his debut against Wexford Youths. The former Ayr striker has notched two further strikes since then and is on the brink of success, as St Pats are more or less ensured a spot in the Setanta Cup Final, after walloping Sligo Rovers 4-1 in the first leg of their semi final.
Edinburgh born Chris Bennion is no stranger to League of Ireland. Bennion left Scunthorpe United in 2003 and moved to Dublin Club Shelbourne, where he won the League of Ireland .After just one year at Tolka Park he moved north to Dundalk where he firmly established his credentials. Bennion enjoyed promotion in 2008, as Dundalk finally reached the pinnacle of Irish football, after years of near misses and frustrating regulations, only possible in Ireland. The shot stopper made 174 appearances for the Lilywhites before losing his place in the team to compatriot Peter Cherrie. In 2009 he left and joined First Division side Athlone Town.
Cherrie is one of the top goalkeepers in Ireland at the minute and his stunning performances have caught the eye of many admirers, both sides of the Irish Sea. The former Clyde man is one of many Scots who have joined the Oriel Park outfit in recent seasons. At 26, Cherrie is certainly in his prime and is more than a match for any striker on his day, something he has proved time and time again.
James Creaney was released by Dundalk in 2009 and has joined Galway United for this season. The Glaswegian left back made his debut for the Tribesmen on the opening day of the season, as they went down 3-0 to Williams’ Pats side. If early indications are anything to go by, Creaney and his team-mates will have to brace themselves for a relegation battle, something that is not unfamiliar in the West of Ireland.
He has been joined at Terryland Park by compatriot Jamie McKenzie. The Fife born defender is no stranger to League of Ireland, having enjoyed a two year spell at Sligo Rovers, where he was made captain under current Galway manager Sean Connor. The former Hibs youth then moved to Cyprus, where he played 15 games for Aris Limassol, before returning to Ireland to work under his old manager. Connor, who has managed Sligo, Bohemians and Dundalk in previous seasons, has unearthed many talented Scottish footballers in the past and continues to allow them an opportunity to shine in the League of Ireland.
Scottish players coming to Ireland is not a one way system. As many as 27 Irish players currently ply their trade in the SPL, with a handful of others in the SFL, including Adam Rooney, whose 24 goals this season played a large part in getting Inverness Caledonian Thistle back to the SPL.
The current batch of Scottish stars in Ireland is by no means the last, and some seem set to leave a long lasting impression on the Irish football public.
- by Glenn Dowd
The former Brechin star quickly followed manager Michael O’Neill to The Tallaght stadium, the new home of Ireland’s most renowned team. His short spell in Dublin has been extremely productive and he earned all the awards in his debut season, including scoring the first ever goal at the Hoops’ new stadium.
The Glasgow born hot-shot has flourished under former Hibernian midfielder O’Neill and amassed 24 goals to finish top of the scoring charts, while leading the Hoops title challenge which faltered at the end. He was also voted PFAI Player of The Year by his fellow professionals, many of whom will fear his inevitable return to form.
Craig Sives is another Scot who pitched up at The Tallaght shortly after the arrival of O’Neill. The former Hearts man thought his career was cut short by three long years of injury but he was offered a lifeline by the club, which he duly accepted. He moved to Dublin and signed on firstly as a non paid member of Rovers squad, as they offered him a rehabilitation program with their medical staff. The former Scottish schoolboy star signed a short term contract in May 2009 and has really got to grips with life in Ireland. His impressive performances in 2009 saw the 24 year old voted Rovers young player of the year.
Alex Williams is embarking on his second year in Ireland with a new club, St Patrick’s Athletic. The fiery Scot arrived in Ireland last year at Premier Division club Dundalk, where he managed 7 goals in 15 appearances which saw a number of clubs chasing his signature. He opted to move south to Dublin and join St Pats, where he bagged a goal on his debut against Wexford Youths. The former Ayr striker has notched two further strikes since then and is on the brink of success, as St Pats are more or less ensured a spot in the Setanta Cup Final, after walloping Sligo Rovers 4-1 in the first leg of their semi final.
Edinburgh born Chris Bennion is no stranger to League of Ireland. Bennion left Scunthorpe United in 2003 and moved to Dublin Club Shelbourne, where he won the League of Ireland .After just one year at Tolka Park he moved north to Dundalk where he firmly established his credentials. Bennion enjoyed promotion in 2008, as Dundalk finally reached the pinnacle of Irish football, after years of near misses and frustrating regulations, only possible in Ireland. The shot stopper made 174 appearances for the Lilywhites before losing his place in the team to compatriot Peter Cherrie. In 2009 he left and joined First Division side Athlone Town.
Cherrie is one of the top goalkeepers in Ireland at the minute and his stunning performances have caught the eye of many admirers, both sides of the Irish Sea. The former Clyde man is one of many Scots who have joined the Oriel Park outfit in recent seasons. At 26, Cherrie is certainly in his prime and is more than a match for any striker on his day, something he has proved time and time again.
James Creaney was released by Dundalk in 2009 and has joined Galway United for this season. The Glaswegian left back made his debut for the Tribesmen on the opening day of the season, as they went down 3-0 to Williams’ Pats side. If early indications are anything to go by, Creaney and his team-mates will have to brace themselves for a relegation battle, something that is not unfamiliar in the West of Ireland.
He has been joined at Terryland Park by compatriot Jamie McKenzie. The Fife born defender is no stranger to League of Ireland, having enjoyed a two year spell at Sligo Rovers, where he was made captain under current Galway manager Sean Connor. The former Hibs youth then moved to Cyprus, where he played 15 games for Aris Limassol, before returning to Ireland to work under his old manager. Connor, who has managed Sligo, Bohemians and Dundalk in previous seasons, has unearthed many talented Scottish footballers in the past and continues to allow them an opportunity to shine in the League of Ireland.
Scottish players coming to Ireland is not a one way system. As many as 27 Irish players currently ply their trade in the SPL, with a handful of others in the SFL, including Adam Rooney, whose 24 goals this season played a large part in getting Inverness Caledonian Thistle back to the SPL.
The current batch of Scottish stars in Ireland is by no means the last, and some seem set to leave a long lasting impression on the Irish football public.
- by Glenn Dowd
19/04/2010
The McLeish Report: good things come to those who wait?
I'll let you into a secret.
I work as a consultant for a rather large computer company. Part of my work involves me going to troubled customers where I sit around for a while looking at how they do things (which is generally quite badly). I talk to people, I make some graphs, do some presentations and at the end of it all I produce a report outlining some blatantly obvious improvements that anyone with a reasonable education and an inquisitive mind could have made.
Much sage-like stroking of beards follows, at the end of which I drive off into the sunset, my coffers filled with lolly, and my report is taken home by those in charge where it will see out its days underneath a table leg to prevent it from wobbling and spilling some senior manager-type's meat 'n two veg all over his expensive marble floor.
I'm hoping that same fate does not befall the most eagerly anticipated piece of consultancy I can think of.
Yes, the long awaited McLeish Report has finally seen the light of day. A copy has been given to those in charge at the SFA. The details are sketchy, but if the information provided by one source is to be believed, it will send 'shockwaves' through the Scottish game.
If, like people I know, you where prevented from flying these past few days because of events on an insignificant island far, far away, the thought of more shockwaves coming your way may well send a shiver down the spine.
Or if you're more like me, weary of all the images of erupting volcanoes, filled departure lounges, crabbit people at ferry terminals and ashen-looking airline representatives, your first thought might well be one of "seen it all before".
In his report, former Scotland First Minister and East Fife player Henry McLeish has focused on:
» the creating of working committees between government and the game to source funding and sponsorship
» the SFA and the SPL to bury the hatchet and become friends again
» the foundation of an Academy of Football Excellence
» the investment of £500m on facilities and the game's infrastructure because they are decrepit.
Clearly, or hopefully, this is not everything McLeish is proposing, so perhaps this article is a little early. Nevertheless, I'm entitled to an opinion based on what I've read so far.
And here it is:
I'm not a big fan of committees. They're nothing more than an expensive waste of time, only good for delaying decisions (if any are made), pandering only to the inflated egos of those lucky enough to be a part of it. Secondly, getting the government involved is always risky, because every few years or so there's an election in which the participants change, along with the (hidden) agendas. And sponsorship is important, as is marketing, something at which Scottish Football has not been exactly good at.
Getting the SFA and the SPL (and let's not forget the SFL) to work together will be difficult, seeing as the SPL came into being because the SPL didn't want to share what little money there was with the rest of the Scottish game, so in 1997 the 10 richest clubs took their ball and went home. While the SFA and the SFL would love to share in the revenues created by the SPL, it's hard to see Scotland's Premier League softening their stance, preferring instead to keep their distance - and their money.
But sure, if we can get Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley on a stage together, why not the SFL and the SFA?
I like the Football Academy idea, and the investment in facilities and infrastructure is great (and not before time), but in these economically hard times, where is the money to come from? How would the money be distributed?
It is not mentioned in any article on the topic I've seen so far, but at least McLeish hasn't made mention of Scottish football's Great White Elephant: league restructuring. I've never been convinced that a restructuring will change things particularly. We've had 10, 12, 16, 18 even 22 team leagues, all with pretty much the same result we have now: the same two teams at the top, the rest following on, looking up.
But it's not fair for me to be too critical; I've not seen the report (and neither have you, before you start flaming), and so the above is mostly wild speculation. I look forward to reading it though, but what will be of most interests is the reaction of those it affects: the governing bodies, the clubs, the sponsors (current and prospective) and the supporters.
It was Henry Kissinger who famously said "[the USA] has no friends, only interests". Likewise, the myriad of leagues around Scotland.
Scottish football is a maze of governing bodies, some of whom talk to each other, some of whom don't, some of whom have no real connection with any of the other leagues around them, and getting a team from one league to another is surprisingly difficult, to the point where 'buying' your way into the league is the only avenue open.
Witness Clydebank/Airdrie and the possible 'merger' between Cowdenbeath and Spartans. Promotion and relegation are vital components to any competition, and Scottish football is filled with glass ceilings which need to be shattered to form one cohesive body, with one flowing league.
Most clubs outside of the SPL would be looking to McLeish's findings to see what he has to say about league restructuring and/or a pyramid scheme (which benefits the everyone except the SPL), increased shares in revenue (through gate receipts, sponsorship. TV deals), not to mention what McLeish intends to do to provide a supply of quality players, quality players currently outside of most clubs' reach due to inflated transfer prices and wage demands.
And last, and generally least, the supporters themselves. Margaret Thatcher once wondered why football needs supporters at all; for some lucky clubs, that's certainly very true. Looking at the distribution of money flowing into the coffers of the big teams in Europe recently, I was surprised to read that most of the top-10 clubs in Europe gain more income from sponsorship and commercial sales (shirts, mugs, duvet covers, toasters with the club logo on, etc) than they do from the punters coming through the gate.
Scottish football is far from those lofty realms, and I'm not suggesting for one minute that that is a good setup, but just looking at the ticket prices (£21 at Pittodrie to see a team avoid relegation) and the state of the stadiums (Fir Park's pitch and Cowdenbeath's Central Park to name but two), it's easy to see that getting punters into the ground and then getting them to come back week after week is an issue.
But there lies Scottish football's Catch-22: you need paying punters to fill your grounds, which fills your bank account, which is used to buy better players, who then make the team more successful, which attracts sponsors and which will get you more fans, for which you'll eventually need a bigger stadium, which attracts the best players to come to your team ...
.... and so we keep going. But for 40 out of the 42 clubs in senior Scottish football getting punters through the gate is a real problem that needs to be addressed.
I'm hoping that the McLeish has taken a holistic approach to his solution, because Scottish football needs a shake down from top to bottom. For now, I welcome his report, because it is obvious something needs to happen.
The first challenge lies in the recalcitrant nature of those who are empowered to make the chances, namely the Government, the SFA, the SPL and the SFL. The reaction of these august bodies to McLeish's findings are crucial, because without their support and willing cooperation, despite the best will of the clubs and the fans nothing will happen and the game declines further.
We eagerly await further details.
I work as a consultant for a rather large computer company. Part of my work involves me going to troubled customers where I sit around for a while looking at how they do things (which is generally quite badly). I talk to people, I make some graphs, do some presentations and at the end of it all I produce a report outlining some blatantly obvious improvements that anyone with a reasonable education and an inquisitive mind could have made.
Much sage-like stroking of beards follows, at the end of which I drive off into the sunset, my coffers filled with lolly, and my report is taken home by those in charge where it will see out its days underneath a table leg to prevent it from wobbling and spilling some senior manager-type's meat 'n two veg all over his expensive marble floor.
I'm hoping that same fate does not befall the most eagerly anticipated piece of consultancy I can think of.
Yes, the long awaited McLeish Report has finally seen the light of day. A copy has been given to those in charge at the SFA. The details are sketchy, but if the information provided by one source is to be believed, it will send 'shockwaves' through the Scottish game.
If, like people I know, you where prevented from flying these past few days because of events on an insignificant island far, far away, the thought of more shockwaves coming your way may well send a shiver down the spine.
Or if you're more like me, weary of all the images of erupting volcanoes, filled departure lounges, crabbit people at ferry terminals and ashen-looking airline representatives, your first thought might well be one of "seen it all before".
In his report, former Scotland First Minister and East Fife player Henry McLeish has focused on:
» the creating of working committees between government and the game to source funding and sponsorship
» the SFA and the SPL to bury the hatchet and become friends again
» the foundation of an Academy of Football Excellence
» the investment of £500m on facilities and the game's infrastructure because they are decrepit.
Clearly, or hopefully, this is not everything McLeish is proposing, so perhaps this article is a little early. Nevertheless, I'm entitled to an opinion based on what I've read so far.
And here it is:
I'm not a big fan of committees. They're nothing more than an expensive waste of time, only good for delaying decisions (if any are made), pandering only to the inflated egos of those lucky enough to be a part of it. Secondly, getting the government involved is always risky, because every few years or so there's an election in which the participants change, along with the (hidden) agendas. And sponsorship is important, as is marketing, something at which Scottish Football has not been exactly good at.
Getting the SFA and the SPL (and let's not forget the SFL) to work together will be difficult, seeing as the SPL came into being because the SPL didn't want to share what little money there was with the rest of the Scottish game, so in 1997 the 10 richest clubs took their ball and went home. While the SFA and the SFL would love to share in the revenues created by the SPL, it's hard to see Scotland's Premier League softening their stance, preferring instead to keep their distance - and their money.
But sure, if we can get Martin McGuiness and Ian Paisley on a stage together, why not the SFL and the SFA?
I like the Football Academy idea, and the investment in facilities and infrastructure is great (and not before time), but in these economically hard times, where is the money to come from? How would the money be distributed?
It is not mentioned in any article on the topic I've seen so far, but at least McLeish hasn't made mention of Scottish football's Great White Elephant: league restructuring. I've never been convinced that a restructuring will change things particularly. We've had 10, 12, 16, 18 even 22 team leagues, all with pretty much the same result we have now: the same two teams at the top, the rest following on, looking up.
But it's not fair for me to be too critical; I've not seen the report (and neither have you, before you start flaming), and so the above is mostly wild speculation. I look forward to reading it though, but what will be of most interests is the reaction of those it affects: the governing bodies, the clubs, the sponsors (current and prospective) and the supporters.
It was Henry Kissinger who famously said "[the USA] has no friends, only interests". Likewise, the myriad of leagues around Scotland.
Scottish football is a maze of governing bodies, some of whom talk to each other, some of whom don't, some of whom have no real connection with any of the other leagues around them, and getting a team from one league to another is surprisingly difficult, to the point where 'buying' your way into the league is the only avenue open.
Witness Clydebank/Airdrie and the possible 'merger' between Cowdenbeath and Spartans. Promotion and relegation are vital components to any competition, and Scottish football is filled with glass ceilings which need to be shattered to form one cohesive body, with one flowing league.
Most clubs outside of the SPL would be looking to McLeish's findings to see what he has to say about league restructuring and/or a pyramid scheme (which benefits the everyone except the SPL), increased shares in revenue (through gate receipts, sponsorship. TV deals), not to mention what McLeish intends to do to provide a supply of quality players, quality players currently outside of most clubs' reach due to inflated transfer prices and wage demands.
And last, and generally least, the supporters themselves. Margaret Thatcher once wondered why football needs supporters at all; for some lucky clubs, that's certainly very true. Looking at the distribution of money flowing into the coffers of the big teams in Europe recently, I was surprised to read that most of the top-10 clubs in Europe gain more income from sponsorship and commercial sales (shirts, mugs, duvet covers, toasters with the club logo on, etc) than they do from the punters coming through the gate.
Scottish football is far from those lofty realms, and I'm not suggesting for one minute that that is a good setup, but just looking at the ticket prices (£21 at Pittodrie to see a team avoid relegation) and the state of the stadiums (Fir Park's pitch and Cowdenbeath's Central Park to name but two), it's easy to see that getting punters into the ground and then getting them to come back week after week is an issue.
But there lies Scottish football's Catch-22: you need paying punters to fill your grounds, which fills your bank account, which is used to buy better players, who then make the team more successful, which attracts sponsors and which will get you more fans, for which you'll eventually need a bigger stadium, which attracts the best players to come to your team ...
.... and so we keep going. But for 40 out of the 42 clubs in senior Scottish football getting punters through the gate is a real problem that needs to be addressed.
I'm hoping that the McLeish has taken a holistic approach to his solution, because Scottish football needs a shake down from top to bottom. For now, I welcome his report, because it is obvious something needs to happen.
The first challenge lies in the recalcitrant nature of those who are empowered to make the chances, namely the Government, the SFA, the SPL and the SFL. The reaction of these august bodies to McLeish's findings are crucial, because without their support and willing cooperation, despite the best will of the clubs and the fans nothing will happen and the game declines further.
We eagerly await further details.
17/04/2010
Hibernian: The Lost Connection
Hibernian Football Club, founded in 1875, is a very unique football club whose inception as a club tells a tale of how two communities, from different countries, came to grow into one.
The origins of the Hibees interested the Edinburgh natives and indeed natives of Leith, the suburb in which they boast their famous Easter Road stadium.
However the beginnings of Hibernian owe their roots to Ireland and its emigrants who settled in the Cowgate area of the city in the 1800s.The club, whose name reflects a common association with Ireland, is very much a reward for all associated with the successful integration of Irish people into the Scottish capital.
During the 1800s a large number of Irish left home for Scotland, with the majority preferring to locate themselves in Glasgow and only a handful moving to Edinburgh. The Cowgate would become known as “Little Ireland”, as statistics in 1821 proved that 12,000 Irish were resident there. The area was deprived and run down, and was home to some of the poorest slums in the world. While work was not widely available, most Irish opted to join the Scottish army, but a handful set about installing a belief of community in a different manner.
The St Patrick’s Church in Cowgate had founded a Catholic Youth Men's Society (CYMS) in 1865.The Irish community was not integrated into the wider Edinburgh community, but Canon Edward Hannon was looking for a way to achieve this. Michael Whelehan, an emigrant from Roscommon suggested to Canon Hannon that the CYMS should form its own football club. In a meeting on 6 August 1875, Hibernians was founded, with Canon Hannon as its first manager and Whelahan as its first captain. They adopted the harp as the official club crest and decided on a motto to unite all, Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever).
The club struggled to achieve league status. After appealing to the Scottish Football Association they were told that the FA were catering for Scotsmen and not Irishmen. Fierce rivals Hearts did Hibs a favour in 1875 by playing them, despite the fact that the FA had said no club should play “the Irish club”.
This further boosted Hibs’ chance of joining the league. At the outset only members of the CYMS could play for Hibs but not playing in a league meant that finding opponents and a regular place to play was hard, and the club folded in 1891; when they reformed a year later this policy changed and they dropped the 's' in their name and became Hibernian. The Irish immigrants now had the heart within their community, and a heart that would allow for greater integration with their Scottish counterparts.
The club model adopted by Hannan and Whelehan was followed by Irish emigrants in the cities of Dundee and Glasgow, with the foundation of Dundee Harp (1879), Glasgow Celtic (1888) and Dundee Hibernian (1909 - later becoming known as Dundee United)
All these clubs boasted some resemblance to the Hibees. Fast forward to the modern day and the green hooped jersey is what many attribute to Celtic, however it was Hibs who originally wore the jersey first. Likewise the Edinburgh club were originally known as The Bhoys, a modern day nickname for the Parkhead club. Likewise the Dundee clubs both adopted the green, a colour best associated with Ireland, but when Dundee Hibernian became Dundee United in 1923 they dropped the green jersey.
Into 2009 and things are quite different, as they have been for decades. Celtic is now the best supported team in Ireland and Hibs don’t boast much of a following on the green isle. Hibs are not seen today as being an Irish or Roman Catholic institution as it was in the early years of its history.
For instance, the Irish harp was only re-introduced to the club badge when it was last re-designed in 2000. This design reflects the three pillars of the club's identity -Ireland, Edinburgh (the castle) and Leith (the ship). Geography rather than religion is now seen as the primary reason for supporting Hibs, who draw most of their support from the north and east of Edinburgh.
Is it Hibs’ fault that they are not as popular here? Celtic are seen as the team to follow, if your Catholic or Irish it is most probable that you are a Celt, such are the Irish links with the club. In a similar manner by which Hibs boast a harp on their crest, Celtic boast a shamrock, another traditional symbol associated with Ireland, on theirs.
Celtic are the club that have always had the financial power to win league titles whereas Hibs, four time league winners, are more reliant on their youth academy to produce players. While Hibs have a very successful youth structure, they are getting ever closer to Celtic as the money men in Scottish football are not putting the money in any longer. Indeed all Scottish clubs will be soon be operating off a similar level to the Old Firm, as Both Celtic and Rangers are suffering in the current economic climate.
Is it arguable that Hibs, who were seen as the first sectarian club, have lost their Irish fan base to Celtic by dropping their somewhat sectarian stance? It is a valid point to ponder. Religion plays an important role in Scottish football - just ask any Celtic or Rangers fan - and thus it gives rise to sectarianism abuse, something the Edinburgh club do not want to be associated with. Their desire to be far removed from the realms of sectarianism has seen their fan base in Ireland decline, but it has left them with a solid reputation as a pure football fraternity.
Perhaps its Celtic’s very successful marketing machine and indeed their success on the pitch that has seen their vast fan base grow. There is no obvious reason as to why the popularity of the Glasgow club is much bigger than their Edinburgh counterparts, who paved the way for their foundation.
Hibs were regularly invited to play in Glasgow before Celtic were founded by brother Walfred, who founded the Parkhead based club in 1888.He founded Celtic with the belief that Glasgow’s large Irish population could lead to a similar success story and he was right. John Glass was the club's financial backer at the time and he initiated a degree of professionalism in Scottish football by enticing Hibs players to Celtic with the offer of lucrative wages. This severely affected the Hibees who went into major decline, while the Celts won four league titles during the 1890s.
Having seen a blistering start to life under John Hughes, will the Hibees evergreen contingent of Anthony Stokes, Liam Miller, Paddy Cregg, Graham Stack and Kurtis Byrne help Irish fans rediscover their long lost connection with the Edinburgh Club?
Is originality not the essence of our support? Irregardless as to whether it is or not, the Irish people who support football in Scotland should give the Hibees more consideration when deciding who to follow.
By Glenn Dowd
Glenn Dowd is a freelance journalist based in Dublin, Ireland, who writes on football in Scandinavia for Nordicfootball.info
The origins of the Hibees interested the Edinburgh natives and indeed natives of Leith, the suburb in which they boast their famous Easter Road stadium.
However the beginnings of Hibernian owe their roots to Ireland and its emigrants who settled in the Cowgate area of the city in the 1800s.The club, whose name reflects a common association with Ireland, is very much a reward for all associated with the successful integration of Irish people into the Scottish capital.
During the 1800s a large number of Irish left home for Scotland, with the majority preferring to locate themselves in Glasgow and only a handful moving to Edinburgh. The Cowgate would become known as “Little Ireland”, as statistics in 1821 proved that 12,000 Irish were resident there. The area was deprived and run down, and was home to some of the poorest slums in the world. While work was not widely available, most Irish opted to join the Scottish army, but a handful set about installing a belief of community in a different manner.
The St Patrick’s Church in Cowgate had founded a Catholic Youth Men's Society (CYMS) in 1865.The Irish community was not integrated into the wider Edinburgh community, but Canon Edward Hannon was looking for a way to achieve this. Michael Whelehan, an emigrant from Roscommon suggested to Canon Hannon that the CYMS should form its own football club. In a meeting on 6 August 1875, Hibernians was founded, with Canon Hannon as its first manager and Whelahan as its first captain. They adopted the harp as the official club crest and decided on a motto to unite all, Erin Go Bragh (Ireland Forever).
The club struggled to achieve league status. After appealing to the Scottish Football Association they were told that the FA were catering for Scotsmen and not Irishmen. Fierce rivals Hearts did Hibs a favour in 1875 by playing them, despite the fact that the FA had said no club should play “the Irish club”.
This further boosted Hibs’ chance of joining the league. At the outset only members of the CYMS could play for Hibs but not playing in a league meant that finding opponents and a regular place to play was hard, and the club folded in 1891; when they reformed a year later this policy changed and they dropped the 's' in their name and became Hibernian. The Irish immigrants now had the heart within their community, and a heart that would allow for greater integration with their Scottish counterparts.
The club model adopted by Hannan and Whelehan was followed by Irish emigrants in the cities of Dundee and Glasgow, with the foundation of Dundee Harp (1879), Glasgow Celtic (1888) and Dundee Hibernian (1909 - later becoming known as Dundee United)
All these clubs boasted some resemblance to the Hibees. Fast forward to the modern day and the green hooped jersey is what many attribute to Celtic, however it was Hibs who originally wore the jersey first. Likewise the Edinburgh club were originally known as The Bhoys, a modern day nickname for the Parkhead club. Likewise the Dundee clubs both adopted the green, a colour best associated with Ireland, but when Dundee Hibernian became Dundee United in 1923 they dropped the green jersey.
Into 2009 and things are quite different, as they have been for decades. Celtic is now the best supported team in Ireland and Hibs don’t boast much of a following on the green isle. Hibs are not seen today as being an Irish or Roman Catholic institution as it was in the early years of its history.
For instance, the Irish harp was only re-introduced to the club badge when it was last re-designed in 2000. This design reflects the three pillars of the club's identity -Ireland, Edinburgh (the castle) and Leith (the ship). Geography rather than religion is now seen as the primary reason for supporting Hibs, who draw most of their support from the north and east of Edinburgh.
Is it Hibs’ fault that they are not as popular here? Celtic are seen as the team to follow, if your Catholic or Irish it is most probable that you are a Celt, such are the Irish links with the club. In a similar manner by which Hibs boast a harp on their crest, Celtic boast a shamrock, another traditional symbol associated with Ireland, on theirs.
Celtic are the club that have always had the financial power to win league titles whereas Hibs, four time league winners, are more reliant on their youth academy to produce players. While Hibs have a very successful youth structure, they are getting ever closer to Celtic as the money men in Scottish football are not putting the money in any longer. Indeed all Scottish clubs will be soon be operating off a similar level to the Old Firm, as Both Celtic and Rangers are suffering in the current economic climate.
Is it arguable that Hibs, who were seen as the first sectarian club, have lost their Irish fan base to Celtic by dropping their somewhat sectarian stance? It is a valid point to ponder. Religion plays an important role in Scottish football - just ask any Celtic or Rangers fan - and thus it gives rise to sectarianism abuse, something the Edinburgh club do not want to be associated with. Their desire to be far removed from the realms of sectarianism has seen their fan base in Ireland decline, but it has left them with a solid reputation as a pure football fraternity.
Perhaps its Celtic’s very successful marketing machine and indeed their success on the pitch that has seen their vast fan base grow. There is no obvious reason as to why the popularity of the Glasgow club is much bigger than their Edinburgh counterparts, who paved the way for their foundation.
Hibs were regularly invited to play in Glasgow before Celtic were founded by brother Walfred, who founded the Parkhead based club in 1888.He founded Celtic with the belief that Glasgow’s large Irish population could lead to a similar success story and he was right. John Glass was the club's financial backer at the time and he initiated a degree of professionalism in Scottish football by enticing Hibs players to Celtic with the offer of lucrative wages. This severely affected the Hibees who went into major decline, while the Celts won four league titles during the 1890s.
Having seen a blistering start to life under John Hughes, will the Hibees evergreen contingent of Anthony Stokes, Liam Miller, Paddy Cregg, Graham Stack and Kurtis Byrne help Irish fans rediscover their long lost connection with the Edinburgh Club?
Is originality not the essence of our support? Irregardless as to whether it is or not, the Irish people who support football in Scotland should give the Hibees more consideration when deciding who to follow.
By Glenn Dowd
Glenn Dowd is a freelance journalist based in Dublin, Ireland, who writes on football in Scandinavia for Nordicfootball.info
16/04/2010
17.04// The Scottish Football League Weekender
A team that could finally (and we really do mean finally) seal their promotion is Livingston. They've been doing their utmost to make sure they finally claim the championship at home; in the past few weeks they've failed to win the league away at Forfar and Berwick. This week they face Berwick, again, and this time at the Almondvale - can they finally win it now?
17.04// The SPL Weekend Preview
Ay ay, fit like min?
It's affa exciting this weekend. It could have been a lot more exciting mind you if Rangers hadn't dropped points against United; we could have been crowning the league champions on Sunday! Mind you, they could still wrap it up if Celtic lose against Hibs on Saturday and the 'Gers beat the other half of Edinburgh on Sunday.
Right, enough speculation. Let's officially wave in the League split, and get on with the previews!
» Celtic (2nd»WWWLWW) v Hibernian (4th»LLLWLW)
Celtic's win against Motherwell in midweek was welcome relief from the agony and shame of that defeat by Ross County in the Cup. Celtic had to come from behind to claim a 2-1 win and the performance certainly wasn't vintage Celtic, but there's no points for style, just victories. It is of concern to many at Parkhead (at least, those who turn up, the attendance against both Ross County and Motherwell being particularly poor) that this team is one of the poorest seen in the green-and-white for some time, and that major clear-outs and investment is needed if the club are to challenge Rangers for the title next season. With the league all but over, Celtic's priorities now should be to make sure of second spot and the finding of a manager in time for the summer signing bonanza
The win keeps Celtic in the race (on paper anyway), especially as Rangers dropped points the following evening. The gap is still enormous however, and no matter how many times we'll see that scary Lennon-chappy on the telly getting stuck into his team, Celtic just won't catch up. There's just been too many key points lost along the way (the 4-4 with Aberdeen, the Old Firm draw and defeat, the costly draws with Falkirk and that defeat at Rugby Park), to make it up now. . Hibs have sort of imploded of late. We said it last week too, and I could be lazy and just 'copy & paste' what I wrote then, because nothing much has changed. Pumped 4-1 by Hamilton in midweek, the Hibees stay in fourth, but Motherwell are never far away
Have you noticed by the way the number of shock games we've had in which four goals where scored? St Mirren (4-1 against Celtic), St Johnstone (4-1 against Rangers and 5-1 against Hibs), Hamilton (4-1 against Hibs), Aberdeen (4-4 against Celtic. Again).
Anyway, John Hughes was being mentioned in some quarters as a possible successor to Mowbray/Lennon, but since then Hibs have gone on a massive slider, and with every point dropped, his chances of getting the job drops by 10%. Hibs are probably safe for European football next season, but you can't help feeling there's a lot of retrospective shoe-gazing down in Leith, wondering where it all went wrong. Sorry lads: Home Win.
» Rangers (1st»DWWLWW) v Hearts (6th»WDLWLL)
This should have been a gala day for Rangers: the day they finally clinch the title. You can imagine the scenes: the weans with the faces painted, the bunting hanging down from between the tenements and Andy Cameron keeping the faithful entertained. And then what happens? Dundee United go and spoil the party. Look, it's like that picture of the Titanic, sailing off into the distance: we all know what's away to happen, and one day soon Rangers will get that much needed point, or points to claim their 53rd title.
Like them or loathe them (and as an Aberdeen fan you know where I stand on this point), the fact that there are three Rangers players in the running for the SPL player of the year (Kris Boyd, David Weir and Steven Davis, a list augmented with token "some other guy", Dundee United's Andy Webster) just underlines the great season they've had. Critics will tell you that the rest of the league is just so poor, but that's doing Walter Smith and Rangers a disservice. Despite all the fuss off-field, they've just gotten on with it, putting together a fabulous run of results.
It's one of those strange quirks of the league set-up that, given Hearts have hobbled over the finishing line, and given St Johnstone's form, it wouldn't surprise me if we're going to get into that strange situation where the team in 7th has more points than the team in 6th come the end of the season.
In any case, a 30th minute Suso Santana goal meant Hearts booked their place in the top six with a win over Kilmarnock, thus depriving St Johnstone of the honour in their first season back in the top flight. It's a big relief for Jim Jefferies, because anything less than a top-half finish would have meant he'd have a lot of explaining to do. Hearts managed a draw with only 10-men the last time these two met, though with the dangling carrot of a victory taking the Gers closer to the title, I reckon Hearts might not be so fortunate this time: Home Win.
» Motherwell (5th»LLLWDW) v Dundee United (3rd»DWWWDW)
Two teams with contrasting form meet up tomorrow. Motherwell have lost three on the bounce now (Dundee United, Falkirk and Celtic), but it's a credit to the earlier work put in by Craig Brown and the team that, despite these defeats, they're still only two points behind fourth placed Hibernian. Barring a Ross County win in the Scottish Cup Final, if Brown can keep to fifth place, Motherwell will have a chance to improve upon this seasons European adventures.
Dundee United's season keeps getting better. A good win in the semi-final at Hampden last Sunday against Raith Rovers put them into their first Scottish Cup final since 2004. Peter Houston should be congratulated for his work since taking over from the popular Craig Levein. It wasn't all plain sailing, but they're now eight games unbeaten with third spot pretty much in the bag. Perhaps if Celtic implode in the next five games and United's form continues on we may well see an Old Firm split. It'd be nice for a chance. Motherwell, take heed: United overtook Celtic, Rangers St Johnstone to the top of the Away form table, making tomorrows game a cracker in prospect. I have to go with Dundee United though in this game, so: Away Win
Aberdeen (9th»LLLWDL) v Falkirk (12th»WWLDDL)
It's all going desperately badly for the Dons. Lurching from one clanger to another, it's really hard to see quite where the improvement is going to come from. McGhee is not inspiring the team, the performances are frankly embarrassing and the crowds are staying away in droves. In last Sundays 3-1 defeat to St Johnstone two defensive blunders (Langfield coming for a ball he had no business coming for and Zander Diamond trying to clear a ball no more than 5(!) inches off the ground with his head) cost the Dons dearly. The defeat moves the Dons to within six points of the bottom of the table, where they'll also find tomorrows opponents.
Falkirk have now won two games on the bounce and are unbeaten in their last 3 away matches. The last win, at home against St Mirren, the team with whom they share that bottom spot. Falkirk are playing with a lot of confidence at the minute, and many people laughed at Pressley's pledge to keep Falkirk in the SPL, but you know what - I might just see him do it. The fact that Falkirk are on a good run of results and Aberdeen are not suggests that more embarrassment could well be on the cards tomorrow for the Dons.
Aberdeen have been sending out emails to all registered fans (including yours truly) to come and support the team. The 7,500 who wondered into Pittodrie last weekend where certainly not offered any value for money - at £21 a throw, most fans will probably chose to stay out of the way of the volcanic dust covering the country. Expect low attendances and, I'm afraid to say, another Aberdeen defeat: Away Win
» Hamilton (8th»WLWWDW) v Kilmarnock (10th»LWLLLL)
Even though the relegation battle this year will feature at least three teams (Falkirk, St Mirren and Kilmarnock), I reckon Accies boss Billy Reid will need one more win to make sure of SPL football next season. A good - no, brilliant - win against Hibs last week sees them into 8th place, and they'll be looking to build on that result against a team that has scored only four goals away from home all season. It'll be interesting to see how the club copes with the inevitable loss of James McArthur, but the money they'll get for him will allow Billy Reid to bring in new talent for next season. Together with McCarthy and McArthur, the Accies transfer kitty should be healthy, possibly making Accies' stay in the SPL longer than many would have given them.
Kilmarnock boss Jimmy Calderwood finds himself in a strange and scary place. No, not an empty bathroom cabinet where once his tanning lotions stood, but third bottom of the SPL. In all his years with Aberdeen, Calderwood has always been in the top six at this point in the season, so he's going to have to use all his skills to get out of this mess. Back at Aberdeen we used to refer to Calderwood's tactics as never-ending tactical variations as "Tango's Tactical Tombola", which at times used to confuse even his boss Willie Miller, but it always got him good results. The time to pull out that tombola has come again, because Kilmarnock are still not safe by any stretch. Home Win.
» St Johnstone (7th»WLWLDL) v St Mirren (11th»LDLWLD)
We said in last weeks preview that whoever lost the game between Falkirk and St Mirren would go down. I stand by that assertion, meaning that St Mirren are in deep doo-doo. Tomorrow they could well find themselves deeper in the mire as they take on a St Johnstone side on a bit of a roll. That victory against Aberdeen on Sunday was a walk-over, so perhaps we shouldn't take too much from it; St Mirren will probably provide more resistance than the meek display offered by The Dons. St Johnstone, never a team to have trouble finding the net this season have a good player in Cillian Sheridan; with six goals in eight games the striker, on-loan from Celtic played a large part in Saints' good form of late. With the upheaval to come at Celtic over the summer, McInnes would do well to keep Sheridan on loan for another season.
St Johnstone) have a habit of following a good result with a bad one, but given St Mirren are struggling for wins and points right now, I fully expect Derek McInnes' side to pick up points again tomorrow. For St Mirren, in 11th place on goal difference alone, relegation battles is something they're becoming accustomed to, but at some point that luck has to run out. Like Motherwell, their cause is not helped by the fixture list, with the club unhappy at the prospect of having to play Falkirk away from home again for the third time this season. Unlike Motherwell, the club wont be putting in an appeal, instead deciding to just knuckle down and get the results. They've got five games to save their skin, because like Kilmarnock just a point above them, relegation could be a costly disaster, a horror too unbearable to contemplate. Sadly, I don't think they'll get the points here, even though St Johnstone are safe for this season, I don't expect them to ease off the pedal. Home Win, and a lot of headaches for Gus McPherson.
It's affa exciting this weekend. It could have been a lot more exciting mind you if Rangers hadn't dropped points against United; we could have been crowning the league champions on Sunday! Mind you, they could still wrap it up if Celtic lose against Hibs on Saturday and the 'Gers beat the other half of Edinburgh on Sunday.
Right, enough speculation. Let's officially wave in the League split, and get on with the previews!
» Celtic (2nd»WWWLWW) v Hibernian (4th»LLLWLW)
Celtic's win against Motherwell in midweek was welcome relief from the agony and shame of that defeat by Ross County in the Cup. Celtic had to come from behind to claim a 2-1 win and the performance certainly wasn't vintage Celtic, but there's no points for style, just victories. It is of concern to many at Parkhead (at least, those who turn up, the attendance against both Ross County and Motherwell being particularly poor) that this team is one of the poorest seen in the green-and-white for some time, and that major clear-outs and investment is needed if the club are to challenge Rangers for the title next season. With the league all but over, Celtic's priorities now should be to make sure of second spot and the finding of a manager in time for the summer signing bonanza
The win keeps Celtic in the race (on paper anyway), especially as Rangers dropped points the following evening. The gap is still enormous however, and no matter how many times we'll see that scary Lennon-chappy on the telly getting stuck into his team, Celtic just won't catch up. There's just been too many key points lost along the way (the 4-4 with Aberdeen, the Old Firm draw and defeat, the costly draws with Falkirk and that defeat at Rugby Park), to make it up now. . Hibs have sort of imploded of late. We said it last week too, and I could be lazy and just 'copy & paste' what I wrote then, because nothing much has changed. Pumped 4-1 by Hamilton in midweek, the Hibees stay in fourth, but Motherwell are never far away
Have you noticed by the way the number of shock games we've had in which four goals where scored? St Mirren (4-1 against Celtic), St Johnstone (4-1 against Rangers and 5-1 against Hibs), Hamilton (4-1 against Hibs), Aberdeen (4-4 against Celtic. Again).
Anyway, John Hughes was being mentioned in some quarters as a possible successor to Mowbray/Lennon, but since then Hibs have gone on a massive slider, and with every point dropped, his chances of getting the job drops by 10%. Hibs are probably safe for European football next season, but you can't help feeling there's a lot of retrospective shoe-gazing down in Leith, wondering where it all went wrong. Sorry lads: Home Win.
» Rangers (1st»DWWLWW) v Hearts (6th»WDLWLL)
This should have been a gala day for Rangers: the day they finally clinch the title. You can imagine the scenes: the weans with the faces painted, the bunting hanging down from between the tenements and Andy Cameron keeping the faithful entertained. And then what happens? Dundee United go and spoil the party. Look, it's like that picture of the Titanic, sailing off into the distance: we all know what's away to happen, and one day soon Rangers will get that much needed point, or points to claim their 53rd title.
Like them or loathe them (and as an Aberdeen fan you know where I stand on this point), the fact that there are three Rangers players in the running for the SPL player of the year (Kris Boyd, David Weir and Steven Davis, a list augmented with token "some other guy", Dundee United's Andy Webster) just underlines the great season they've had. Critics will tell you that the rest of the league is just so poor, but that's doing Walter Smith and Rangers a disservice. Despite all the fuss off-field, they've just gotten on with it, putting together a fabulous run of results.
It's one of those strange quirks of the league set-up that, given Hearts have hobbled over the finishing line, and given St Johnstone's form, it wouldn't surprise me if we're going to get into that strange situation where the team in 7th has more points than the team in 6th come the end of the season.
In any case, a 30th minute Suso Santana goal meant Hearts booked their place in the top six with a win over Kilmarnock, thus depriving St Johnstone of the honour in their first season back in the top flight. It's a big relief for Jim Jefferies, because anything less than a top-half finish would have meant he'd have a lot of explaining to do. Hearts managed a draw with only 10-men the last time these two met, though with the dangling carrot of a victory taking the Gers closer to the title, I reckon Hearts might not be so fortunate this time: Home Win.
» Motherwell (5th»LLLWDW) v Dundee United (3rd»DWWWDW)
Two teams with contrasting form meet up tomorrow. Motherwell have lost three on the bounce now (Dundee United, Falkirk and Celtic), but it's a credit to the earlier work put in by Craig Brown and the team that, despite these defeats, they're still only two points behind fourth placed Hibernian. Barring a Ross County win in the Scottish Cup Final, if Brown can keep to fifth place, Motherwell will have a chance to improve upon this seasons European adventures.
Dundee United's season keeps getting better. A good win in the semi-final at Hampden last Sunday against Raith Rovers put them into their first Scottish Cup final since 2004. Peter Houston should be congratulated for his work since taking over from the popular Craig Levein. It wasn't all plain sailing, but they're now eight games unbeaten with third spot pretty much in the bag. Perhaps if Celtic implode in the next five games and United's form continues on we may well see an Old Firm split. It'd be nice for a chance. Motherwell, take heed: United overtook Celtic, Rangers St Johnstone to the top of the Away form table, making tomorrows game a cracker in prospect. I have to go with Dundee United though in this game, so: Away Win
Aberdeen (9th»LLLWDL) v Falkirk (12th»WWLDDL)
It's all going desperately badly for the Dons. Lurching from one clanger to another, it's really hard to see quite where the improvement is going to come from. McGhee is not inspiring the team, the performances are frankly embarrassing and the crowds are staying away in droves. In last Sundays 3-1 defeat to St Johnstone two defensive blunders (Langfield coming for a ball he had no business coming for and Zander Diamond trying to clear a ball no more than 5(!) inches off the ground with his head) cost the Dons dearly. The defeat moves the Dons to within six points of the bottom of the table, where they'll also find tomorrows opponents.
Falkirk have now won two games on the bounce and are unbeaten in their last 3 away matches. The last win, at home against St Mirren, the team with whom they share that bottom spot. Falkirk are playing with a lot of confidence at the minute, and many people laughed at Pressley's pledge to keep Falkirk in the SPL, but you know what - I might just see him do it. The fact that Falkirk are on a good run of results and Aberdeen are not suggests that more embarrassment could well be on the cards tomorrow for the Dons.
Aberdeen have been sending out emails to all registered fans (including yours truly) to come and support the team. The 7,500 who wondered into Pittodrie last weekend where certainly not offered any value for money - at £21 a throw, most fans will probably chose to stay out of the way of the volcanic dust covering the country. Expect low attendances and, I'm afraid to say, another Aberdeen defeat: Away Win
» Hamilton (8th»WLWWDW) v Kilmarnock (10th»LWLLLL)
Even though the relegation battle this year will feature at least three teams (Falkirk, St Mirren and Kilmarnock), I reckon Accies boss Billy Reid will need one more win to make sure of SPL football next season. A good - no, brilliant - win against Hibs last week sees them into 8th place, and they'll be looking to build on that result against a team that has scored only four goals away from home all season. It'll be interesting to see how the club copes with the inevitable loss of James McArthur, but the money they'll get for him will allow Billy Reid to bring in new talent for next season. Together with McCarthy and McArthur, the Accies transfer kitty should be healthy, possibly making Accies' stay in the SPL longer than many would have given them.
Kilmarnock boss Jimmy Calderwood finds himself in a strange and scary place. No, not an empty bathroom cabinet where once his tanning lotions stood, but third bottom of the SPL. In all his years with Aberdeen, Calderwood has always been in the top six at this point in the season, so he's going to have to use all his skills to get out of this mess. Back at Aberdeen we used to refer to Calderwood's tactics as never-ending tactical variations as "Tango's Tactical Tombola", which at times used to confuse even his boss Willie Miller, but it always got him good results. The time to pull out that tombola has come again, because Kilmarnock are still not safe by any stretch. Home Win.
» St Johnstone (7th»WLWLDL) v St Mirren (11th»LDLWLD)
We said in last weeks preview that whoever lost the game between Falkirk and St Mirren would go down. I stand by that assertion, meaning that St Mirren are in deep doo-doo. Tomorrow they could well find themselves deeper in the mire as they take on a St Johnstone side on a bit of a roll. That victory against Aberdeen on Sunday was a walk-over, so perhaps we shouldn't take too much from it; St Mirren will probably provide more resistance than the meek display offered by The Dons. St Johnstone, never a team to have trouble finding the net this season have a good player in Cillian Sheridan; with six goals in eight games the striker, on-loan from Celtic played a large part in Saints' good form of late. With the upheaval to come at Celtic over the summer, McInnes would do well to keep Sheridan on loan for another season.
St Johnstone) have a habit of following a good result with a bad one, but given St Mirren are struggling for wins and points right now, I fully expect Derek McInnes' side to pick up points again tomorrow. For St Mirren, in 11th place on goal difference alone, relegation battles is something they're becoming accustomed to, but at some point that luck has to run out. Like Motherwell, their cause is not helped by the fixture list, with the club unhappy at the prospect of having to play Falkirk away from home again for the third time this season. Unlike Motherwell, the club wont be putting in an appeal, instead deciding to just knuckle down and get the results. They've got five games to save their skin, because like Kilmarnock just a point above them, relegation could be a costly disaster, a horror too unbearable to contemplate. Sadly, I don't think they'll get the points here, even though St Johnstone are safe for this season, I don't expect them to ease off the pedal. Home Win, and a lot of headaches for Gus McPherson.
13/04/2010
Motherwell, and the luck of the draw
If you look to the right of this posting, you'll see me making a huge mistake.
In a link to an article about Motherwell's intent to complain to the SPL about the fixture list for remaining games in the upcoming league split, I make the schoolboy error of assuming that Motherwell are complaining because after tonight's game at Parkhead, they have got to go to back to Glasgow again for a third time this season when the two teams meet again on 1 May.
But Motherwell are unhappy not because playing at Parkhead might put a dent in their quest for European football, nor that it requires another journey north with all the problems of parking near the stadium. Rather, it's about the enormous drop in revenue incurred because of having to play against Celtic in Glasgow, and not in Motherwell.
My mistake is that I've always thought that match-day revenue is split between the two teams, but apparently in the SPL the home team keeps all the gate receipts. Because of this, according to Motherwell's own estimates, they stand to lose about £200,000 by playing at Parkhead.
Given the average ticket prices at Fir Park are approximately £16, and their last game against Celtic (a rather exciting 2-3 defeat) brought in only 7,807 paying punters, that means that either the concession stand at Fir Park is very expensive (about £9.60 a throw, assuming everyone in the stadium had something at half-time) or Motherwell are over-egging the cake somewhat, because even allowing for some sponsoring, I'm not quite sure where the remaining £75k has gone.
OK, so I'm not an accountant and I can't look into their books, but surely match-day policing and hospitality must eat into the revenue, not to mention the use of stadiums fixtures and fittings such as lighting, stewards, not to mention paying the groundsmen for the overtime needed to drain the pitch and make it ready for a game of football.
But of course, football has nothing to do with any of this. It's about the money, and in particular the money that either one of the Old Firm bring with them to any ground they visit.
It's a moot point, but would Craig Brown have been so incandescent if he had to go to Aberdeen or St Mirren again, the only teams other than Celtic to only have visited Fir Park just once this season, and two games which, based on the attendances at both fixtures at Fir Park this season and going by the formula's above, would have netted the club £92,697 and £119,500 against the Buddies and the Dons respectively?
Probably not.
It is hard to have any sympathy with Motherwell's cause. The luck of the draw (the one that all SPL clubs, including Motherwell voted for) is just against them this year. By way of contrast, in season 2007/08, they hit the jackpot when they played both halves of the Old Firm twice at Fir Park. The half-time pies must have been flying out the door then.
The whole episode speaks volumes to me about the rest of the SPL's need to have Celtic and Rangers in the league with them. Simply stated, the Old Firm are a cash-cow, an easy way to make more money regardless of the results.
Most clubs want to play Celtic and Rangers at home as often as they can in a season. But despite all talk of league reconstruction, what they perhaps don't realise is that the league split gives them the best chances of doing that.
A sixteen or eighteen team league would deprive everyone of the opportunity of a lucrative third home fixture against the Old Firm (depending on how the fixtures come out of the computer after the 33rd games have been played), plus it would reduce the amount of Old Firm derbies from four to two, something which will hit the pockets of the Glasgow giants for pretty much the same reasons that Motherwell are now citing.
Despite all the posturing by clubs calling for an end to the split, these arguments are all perfectly valid reasons for keeping things just the way they are. You'll see. Money talks.
So Motherwell and all other malcontents should just lump it, because the much-maligned league split makes no more of a farce of the concept of competition than the current SPL set-up would do without the split. The real difference is that the final five games of the season are better than nothing, because financially it suits every other team in the league outside of the Old Firm better than they think.
So much is made of the pressure and the need to get into third, fourth, eleventh and even fifth place, but if it's the money you're after, then sixth at a minimum is the place you need to be. And once you're there, all you need is a bit of luck.
Poor, poor Motherwell.
In a link to an article about Motherwell's intent to complain to the SPL about the fixture list for remaining games in the upcoming league split, I make the schoolboy error of assuming that Motherwell are complaining because after tonight's game at Parkhead, they have got to go to back to Glasgow again for a third time this season when the two teams meet again on 1 May.
But Motherwell are unhappy not because playing at Parkhead might put a dent in their quest for European football, nor that it requires another journey north with all the problems of parking near the stadium. Rather, it's about the enormous drop in revenue incurred because of having to play against Celtic in Glasgow, and not in Motherwell.
My mistake is that I've always thought that match-day revenue is split between the two teams, but apparently in the SPL the home team keeps all the gate receipts. Because of this, according to Motherwell's own estimates, they stand to lose about £200,000 by playing at Parkhead.
Given the average ticket prices at Fir Park are approximately £16, and their last game against Celtic (a rather exciting 2-3 defeat) brought in only 7,807 paying punters, that means that either the concession stand at Fir Park is very expensive (about £9.60 a throw, assuming everyone in the stadium had something at half-time) or Motherwell are over-egging the cake somewhat, because even allowing for some sponsoring, I'm not quite sure where the remaining £75k has gone.
OK, so I'm not an accountant and I can't look into their books, but surely match-day policing and hospitality must eat into the revenue, not to mention the use of stadiums fixtures and fittings such as lighting, stewards, not to mention paying the groundsmen for the overtime needed to drain the pitch and make it ready for a game of football.
But of course, football has nothing to do with any of this. It's about the money, and in particular the money that either one of the Old Firm bring with them to any ground they visit.
It's a moot point, but would Craig Brown have been so incandescent if he had to go to Aberdeen or St Mirren again, the only teams other than Celtic to only have visited Fir Park just once this season, and two games which, based on the attendances at both fixtures at Fir Park this season and going by the formula's above, would have netted the club £92,697 and £119,500 against the Buddies and the Dons respectively?
Probably not.
It is hard to have any sympathy with Motherwell's cause. The luck of the draw (the one that all SPL clubs, including Motherwell voted for) is just against them this year. By way of contrast, in season 2007/08, they hit the jackpot when they played both halves of the Old Firm twice at Fir Park. The half-time pies must have been flying out the door then.
The whole episode speaks volumes to me about the rest of the SPL's need to have Celtic and Rangers in the league with them. Simply stated, the Old Firm are a cash-cow, an easy way to make more money regardless of the results.
Most clubs want to play Celtic and Rangers at home as often as they can in a season. But despite all talk of league reconstruction, what they perhaps don't realise is that the league split gives them the best chances of doing that.
A sixteen or eighteen team league would deprive everyone of the opportunity of a lucrative third home fixture against the Old Firm (depending on how the fixtures come out of the computer after the 33rd games have been played), plus it would reduce the amount of Old Firm derbies from four to two, something which will hit the pockets of the Glasgow giants for pretty much the same reasons that Motherwell are now citing.
Despite all the posturing by clubs calling for an end to the split, these arguments are all perfectly valid reasons for keeping things just the way they are. You'll see. Money talks.
So Motherwell and all other malcontents should just lump it, because the much-maligned league split makes no more of a farce of the concept of competition than the current SPL set-up would do without the split. The real difference is that the final five games of the season are better than nothing, because financially it suits every other team in the league outside of the Old Firm better than they think.
So much is made of the pressure and the need to get into third, fourth, eleventh and even fifth place, but if it's the money you're after, then sixth at a minimum is the place you need to be. And once you're there, all you need is a bit of luck.
Poor, poor Motherwell.
12/04/2010
The Monday Ballbag
Ah well.
In the end it was not to be; the football romantics dream of a Cup final involving two teams neither of whom play in Scotland's top flight will have to wait for another year.
Despite the distance (some 182 miles, one-way), Ross County took an estimated 8,000 supporters to Glasgow on Saturday to see them beat Celtic 2-0, which is approximately 3,000 more than live in the town of Dingwall itself.
An impressive showing I'm sure you'll agree, and one which was let down considerably by the fact that the Celtic support only accounted for the remaining 17,000 fans in the national stadium.
On Sunday, Raith sold their 7,000 tickets, making the remaining 10,000 in the crowd Dundee United fans. In short, 42,000 fans over two games, some 10,000 below Hampden's official capacity, which is not particularly impressive, despite the results.
So for the SFA the result at Hampden yesterday, the one which saw Dundee United and not Raith Rovers progress to a 15th May showdown with Ross County must have come as a blessed relief.
After all, at a time when dressing up the pig to make it as attractive to possible future sponsorship deals, TV revenue and other assorted marketing suitors is paramount, the last thing you want is a stadium with lots of empty seats on the final day of the World's second oldest Cup tournament, something that would certainly have happened had Raith Rovers, and not United won yesterday.
Mind you, the SFA's problems are far from over, because even with an SPL side in the final, based on the clumsiest arithmetic and allowing for Cup Final Fever, the game on the 15th will probably only attract 25,000 to 35,000 supporters.
While the SFA are fretting over what to do with a near-empty stadium on the 15th, for the football purists amongst us, getting any team outside of the top flight into a major Cup final is a tremendous thrill.
Two years ago Queen of the South gave an exhausted Rangers a run for their money in the final, and Ross County will be hoping that Dundee United be similarly exhausted after trying to catch up with Celtic in second place in the league, because with Dundee United second, the Staggies would be assured of European football - regardless of the result (UPDATE: I stand corrected. Ross County have to win the damn thing. Ah well).
This season we have seen the amazing progression of some of the teams from the lower divisions in the various Cups. The exploits of Raith Rovers and Ross County in the Scottish Cup and Dundee in the League Cup are well documented. Along the way these three have taken the scalps of Aberdeen, Hibernian and most notably, that of Celtic.
Montrose, Stirling Albion, Dunfermline and Ayr United all made it to the 5th Round of the Scottish Cup, while even St Mirren, a team stuck to the bottom of the SPL for most of the season made it to the final of the League Cup.
While most of us realise that expanding the League is not the magic answer to the problems of Scottish football, given certain results in our Cup competitions this year, has the argument for expansion been strengthened?
Would Dundee, Partick Thistle, Inverness Caley, and Dunfermline augment the current line-up? Assuming their grounds are SPL compliant (a factor which currently excludes both sides from a 16-team SPL) how would Ross County or Queen of the South, two teams to reach recent Cup finals, manage in the SPL? Would the League be more competitive or entertaining?
I don't know the answer to those questions, and something tells me we wont find out any time soon either, but there's no denying that Scottish football is in a state of transition.
You see, after this season's competition, I genuinely believe that an all-First Division Cup final is not far off. And for the first time in a very long time, that actually makes me feel very positive about Scottish football.
In the end it was not to be; the football romantics dream of a Cup final involving two teams neither of whom play in Scotland's top flight will have to wait for another year.
Despite the distance (some 182 miles, one-way), Ross County took an estimated 8,000 supporters to Glasgow on Saturday to see them beat Celtic 2-0, which is approximately 3,000 more than live in the town of Dingwall itself.
An impressive showing I'm sure you'll agree, and one which was let down considerably by the fact that the Celtic support only accounted for the remaining 17,000 fans in the national stadium.
On Sunday, Raith sold their 7,000 tickets, making the remaining 10,000 in the crowd Dundee United fans. In short, 42,000 fans over two games, some 10,000 below Hampden's official capacity, which is not particularly impressive, despite the results.
So for the SFA the result at Hampden yesterday, the one which saw Dundee United and not Raith Rovers progress to a 15th May showdown with Ross County must have come as a blessed relief.
After all, at a time when dressing up the pig to make it as attractive to possible future sponsorship deals, TV revenue and other assorted marketing suitors is paramount, the last thing you want is a stadium with lots of empty seats on the final day of the World's second oldest Cup tournament, something that would certainly have happened had Raith Rovers, and not United won yesterday.
Mind you, the SFA's problems are far from over, because even with an SPL side in the final, based on the clumsiest arithmetic and allowing for Cup Final Fever, the game on the 15th will probably only attract 25,000 to 35,000 supporters.
While the SFA are fretting over what to do with a near-empty stadium on the 15th, for the football purists amongst us, getting any team outside of the top flight into a major Cup final is a tremendous thrill.
Two years ago Queen of the South gave an exhausted Rangers a run for their money in the final, and Ross County will be hoping that Dundee United be similarly exhausted after trying to catch up with Celtic in second place in the league, because with Dundee United second, the Staggies would be assured of European football - regardless of the result (UPDATE: I stand corrected. Ross County have to win the damn thing. Ah well).
This season we have seen the amazing progression of some of the teams from the lower divisions in the various Cups. The exploits of Raith Rovers and Ross County in the Scottish Cup and Dundee in the League Cup are well documented. Along the way these three have taken the scalps of Aberdeen, Hibernian and most notably, that of Celtic.
Montrose, Stirling Albion, Dunfermline and Ayr United all made it to the 5th Round of the Scottish Cup, while even St Mirren, a team stuck to the bottom of the SPL for most of the season made it to the final of the League Cup.
While most of us realise that expanding the League is not the magic answer to the problems of Scottish football, given certain results in our Cup competitions this year, has the argument for expansion been strengthened?
Would Dundee, Partick Thistle, Inverness Caley, and Dunfermline augment the current line-up? Assuming their grounds are SPL compliant (a factor which currently excludes both sides from a 16-team SPL) how would Ross County or Queen of the South, two teams to reach recent Cup finals, manage in the SPL? Would the League be more competitive or entertaining?
I don't know the answer to those questions, and something tells me we wont find out any time soon either, but there's no denying that Scottish football is in a state of transition.
You see, after this season's competition, I genuinely believe that an all-First Division Cup final is not far off. And for the first time in a very long time, that actually makes me feel very positive about Scottish football.
10/04/2010
The Miracle of Hampen - Celtic 0 Ross County 2
Ross County are in the final of the Active Nation Scottish Cup for the first time in their 81-year history after a shock win over Celtic at Hampden.
In one of the most astonishing afternoons the national stadium has witnessed, Steven Craig, son of former Parkhead striker Joe Craig, put the Irn-Bru First Division side ahead in the 54th minute with a wonderful solo goal, bursting through the centre of the Celtic defence before driving past Lukasz Zaluska.
For the first time in seven years Celtic will finish the season without a trophy and County’s win must have surely ended the chances of Hoops’ interim boss Neil Lennon getting the post on a permanent basis.
Celtic fought back but with only two minutes remaining self-confessed Hoops’ fan Martin Scott grabbed a dramatic second to set up a final meeting against either Dundee United or Raith Rovers.
In one of the most astonishing afternoons the national stadium has witnessed, Steven Craig, son of former Parkhead striker Joe Craig, put the Irn-Bru First Division side ahead in the 54th minute with a wonderful solo goal, bursting through the centre of the Celtic defence before driving past Lukasz Zaluska.
For the first time in seven years Celtic will finish the season without a trophy and County’s win must have surely ended the chances of Hoops’ interim boss Neil Lennon getting the post on a permanent basis.
Celtic fought back but with only two minutes remaining self-confessed Hoops’ fan Martin Scott grabbed a dramatic second to set up a final meeting against either Dundee United or Raith Rovers.
09/04/2010
The Scottish Fitba Weekender
Aye aye, fit like min? Well, this is it: the final round of games in the SPL before we hit the oh-so-popular league split.
There's no real suspense in figuring out who this years lucky competitors are: last weeks results, and in particular Aberdeen's and St Johnstone's defeats made pretty sure that Hearts would be the team to make the final cut, providing they don't muck it up by losing at home to Kilmarnock tomorrow.
So has, as BB King once famously sang, the thrill gone? Well, not if you are Celtic (can we catch up with Rangers?), Hibs or Motherwell (who'll get that final Europa League place?) or any of the teams in the lower half of the league - but realistically only Falkirk, St Mirren and possibly Kilmarnock - who, mathematically, could all still go down.
Does that make it exciting? Sure it does! First up in this weekend's slightly curtailed football extravaganza are two sides who will be worried the most about the next five fixtures or so ...
Falkirk (12th»WLDDL) v St Mirren (11th»DLWLD)
It seems like ages ago now (Inside Left has had to endure two Aberdeen games in between, games in which time just seemed to stretch on into eternity), but Falkirk actually won a game last Saturday, against European-football chasing Motherwell, no less. The Pressley effect continues to work it's magic, as the team are still in with a chance of SPL survival, a chance which not many pundits gave them when Pressley took over half-way through January.
It's not going to be easy, that's for sure, but the fact that you're only three points behind your opponents and you've actually not done too badly against the teams in the post-split world you find yourself in might be enough to keep you up. Sadly for Pressley, he might have to manage tomorrow without Pedro Moutinho, Burton O'Brien, Ryan Flynn and Vitor Lima, all fighting off injuries.
St Mirren have had a bit of a roller-coaster season (Cup final appearances, sorting out Celtic etc.) but still find themselves in a place they're very familiar with these days. The Buddies desperately need a win tomorrow to give themselves a better-than-good chance of survival.
This may sound like the rantings of a lazy hack journalist, but the way I see it, one of these two teams will go down: which one that is will be decided tomorrow.
Personally, I reckon Falkirk have the momentum to pull something off here, so I am going: Home Win.
Hamilton (9th»LWWDW) v Hibernian (4th»LLWLW)
Hamilton have done remarkably well to make this season a lot more comfortable than last. They've done well to cope with the loss of James McCarthey to Wigan, while they've done equally well to hang on to James McArthur for as long as they have. Now with the season coming to a close, the rumours about his eventual and inevitable move away from New Douglas Park down south are starting up again. McArthur is determined to keep the focus on ensuring his current team remain in the SPL, but that's pretty much assured I reckon, so he can showboat away all he likes now to add some more digits to his price tag.
The narrow defeat at Rangers put to an end a good run of form that saw them pick up 10 points from a possible 12.
Hibs, on the other hand, are on a bit of slider. For a team we all thought may well split the Old Firm before Christmas, they've really been letting us all down. A meagre eight points since February is all they've managed, putting to an end any threat of a challenge for the Champions League qualification berth. So far it's a 1-1 aggregate score between these sides (a 5-1 Hibs win offset by a 2-0 win for Accies), so who will win the final meet-up of the season? I reckon Hibs. Away Win.
Hearts (6th»DLWLL) v Kilmarnock (11th»WLLLL)
Kilmarnock eh? A lot of defeats in a row, or a whole lotta 'L' if you like. And then blow me, they suddenly turn on the magic and win rather easily against Aberdeen. The game was not without it's irony's, namely the two Jimmy's and the pass that provided the first goal coming from Scott Severin, a former Aberdeen player.
Ah well, that's football for you, but the defeat, while nice for Killie was a stab in the heart for this writer, seeing as I never wanted Calderwood or Severin to go in the first place, and there is Calderwood in all his glorious luminance showing his successor just how to go about winning a football game.
So, in front of largely empty stands, Killie pulled of a much needed win that lifts them four points above the drop-zone, but there's still a lot of work to do for Calderwood and the other ex-Aberdeen rejects.
Against Hearts they'll have their work cut out for them. The Jambo's need a point to secure top-six football (and possibly Jefferies to secure a job). I was amazed to learn that this is only the second time this season these two have met, and that the last meeting was back in November (Hearts won 2-1 at Rugby Park).
Are you amazed? I was. But then, I'm an Aberdeen fan so I'm easily amazed anyway.
For Jefferies it will be the first time his former team have come to pay him a visit, so the pressure is on. Hearts lost their last home game, while Killie have lost their last three away games, so you've got to back Hearts to bounce back and do the dirty. Home Win.
Aberdeen (8th»LLWDL) v St Johnstone (7th»LWLDL)
Like I said earlier on in the week, it's not often that I get to see Aberdeen play, but thanks to the miracle of modern science, I've seen the Dons play two games in a week. As I sat cursing the rather inept display on show, and in particular the appalling 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock last Sunday I thanked my lucky stars that the prohibitive airfares prevented me from even considering going over to watch either game 'in the flesh', as it where, because my goodness, Aberdeen are terrible.
I won't go into it too much, but unless McGhee does something real soon (i.e stop losing games), Aberdeen may well find themselves staring relegation in the face. While the performance against Kilmarnock is best forgotten, the mid-week game against Rangers provided a lot more positives.
Don't get me wrong, it was still mostly awful, but the Dons enjoyed more possession and our weaker players over the course of the season - Kerr, Ifil, Grassi - actually put in decent performances. Certainly it was a different performance than against Killie which pretty much confirms the common belief that Aberdeen only turn it on for the Ugly Sisters.
St Johnstone demolished Rangers 4-1 in the week before Aberdeen played at Ibrox and lost 3-1, so <thinks aloud> how does this work? Does that mean St Johnstone are better than Aberdeen? Or that if Aberdeen can't beat Rangers, but put in a good performance nevertheless, they'll beat St Johnstone because St Johnstone lost to Dundee United who haven't beaten Rangers this season but who Aberdeen have beaten?</thinks aloud>
Fuck it, I don't know, in much the same way that these predictions ultimately come down to nothing more than a wet finger pointed randomly at a screen showing the fixture lists. So, let's see. Ehm, draw?
Division One
A fairly small program this Saturday, with most of the fixtures spread out between now and Wednesday, Why? Well, Raith Rovers and Ross County are in Cup action this weekend (against Dundee United and Celtic respectively) so that takes care of most of the weekends fixtures.
The pressure remains on Dundee to live up to all the expectations (not to mention their league position for most of the season) and win promotion. Overtaken by Inverness Caley a few weeks ago following a dramatic slump in form, new manager John Chisholm needs to pull all the irons out of the fire if they're going to make up that seven-point gap, starting with the game away at Partick tomorrow. Inverness make a very long journey (the longest in the First division) as they travel hundreds of miles south (and back north again) to Dumfries and their game with early Division leaders Queen of the South. The Doonhamers incidentally, another team with games to make up play again on Monday against bottom side Airdrie United.
The final game of the day sees Ayr taking on third-placed Dunfermline Athletic.
Division Two
Alloa are closing in on promotion and a return Division One. Leading the table by some nine-points over Cowdenbeath, Alloa, like Rangers far above them need only two more wins to secure that promotion. They're at home to Brechin tomorrow. Promotion challengers Cowdenbeath are away at Peterhead. The Blue Brazil are pretty much assured of a play-off place at least to hopefully send them back to the First Division but until the mess around the club's future is sorted out, it's all looking very uncertain.
The Spartan take-over, should it go through is a lot more attractive if Cowdenbeath are a First Division side (the populist idea being that Spartans would take over Cowdenbeath, move it all to Edinburgh and take their place in the First Division).
I'm no conspiracy theorist, but if I was a Cowdenbeath fan opposed to the takeover (and who isn't) I'd be hoping for a few good defeats in the next series of games...
Elsewhere Clyde got rid of their manager John McCormack in midweek following their 2-0 defeat at Alloa that pretty much assures the Bully Wee of Third Division football next season. A dramatic slide for a once proud team, where will it end? Dumbarton welcome East Fife, while Arbroath will be hoping for a win against Stirling to get themselves away from the relegation play-off spot.
Division Three
It's been a while coming, but Livingston can be crowned champions tomorrow if they take a point against Forfar. They could have been running the Third Division Champions flag up the pole before the start of this weeks game had they not lost 2-0 away at Annan last week.
Elgin finally overtook Montrose last week at the bottom of the table, following their 1-0 win in Annan and Montrose's defeat at Livingston. Elgin take on Albion Rovers while Montrose are at home to Annan. Berwick need a win over East Stirling to overtake Queens Park in the play-off places. The Spiders are away at Stranraer.
That's it. Hope you enjoy the games!
There's no real suspense in figuring out who this years lucky competitors are: last weeks results, and in particular Aberdeen's and St Johnstone's defeats made pretty sure that Hearts would be the team to make the final cut, providing they don't muck it up by losing at home to Kilmarnock tomorrow.
So has, as BB King once famously sang, the thrill gone? Well, not if you are Celtic (can we catch up with Rangers?), Hibs or Motherwell (who'll get that final Europa League place?) or any of the teams in the lower half of the league - but realistically only Falkirk, St Mirren and possibly Kilmarnock - who, mathematically, could all still go down.
Does that make it exciting? Sure it does! First up in this weekend's slightly curtailed football extravaganza are two sides who will be worried the most about the next five fixtures or so ...
Falkirk (12th»WLDDL) v St Mirren (11th»DLWLD)
It seems like ages ago now (Inside Left has had to endure two Aberdeen games in between, games in which time just seemed to stretch on into eternity), but Falkirk actually won a game last Saturday, against European-football chasing Motherwell, no less. The Pressley effect continues to work it's magic, as the team are still in with a chance of SPL survival, a chance which not many pundits gave them when Pressley took over half-way through January.
It's not going to be easy, that's for sure, but the fact that you're only three points behind your opponents and you've actually not done too badly against the teams in the post-split world you find yourself in might be enough to keep you up. Sadly for Pressley, he might have to manage tomorrow without Pedro Moutinho, Burton O'Brien, Ryan Flynn and Vitor Lima, all fighting off injuries.
St Mirren have had a bit of a roller-coaster season (Cup final appearances, sorting out Celtic etc.) but still find themselves in a place they're very familiar with these days. The Buddies desperately need a win tomorrow to give themselves a better-than-good chance of survival.
This may sound like the rantings of a lazy hack journalist, but the way I see it, one of these two teams will go down: which one that is will be decided tomorrow.
Personally, I reckon Falkirk have the momentum to pull something off here, so I am going: Home Win.
Hamilton (9th»LWWDW) v Hibernian (4th»LLWLW)
Hamilton have done remarkably well to make this season a lot more comfortable than last. They've done well to cope with the loss of James McCarthey to Wigan, while they've done equally well to hang on to James McArthur for as long as they have. Now with the season coming to a close, the rumours about his eventual and inevitable move away from New Douglas Park down south are starting up again. McArthur is determined to keep the focus on ensuring his current team remain in the SPL, but that's pretty much assured I reckon, so he can showboat away all he likes now to add some more digits to his price tag.
The narrow defeat at Rangers put to an end a good run of form that saw them pick up 10 points from a possible 12.
Hibs, on the other hand, are on a bit of slider. For a team we all thought may well split the Old Firm before Christmas, they've really been letting us all down. A meagre eight points since February is all they've managed, putting to an end any threat of a challenge for the Champions League qualification berth. So far it's a 1-1 aggregate score between these sides (a 5-1 Hibs win offset by a 2-0 win for Accies), so who will win the final meet-up of the season? I reckon Hibs. Away Win.
Hearts (6th»DLWLL) v Kilmarnock (11th»WLLLL)
Kilmarnock eh? A lot of defeats in a row, or a whole lotta 'L' if you like. And then blow me, they suddenly turn on the magic and win rather easily against Aberdeen. The game was not without it's irony's, namely the two Jimmy's and the pass that provided the first goal coming from Scott Severin, a former Aberdeen player.
Ah well, that's football for you, but the defeat, while nice for Killie was a stab in the heart for this writer, seeing as I never wanted Calderwood or Severin to go in the first place, and there is Calderwood in all his glorious luminance showing his successor just how to go about winning a football game.
So, in front of largely empty stands, Killie pulled of a much needed win that lifts them four points above the drop-zone, but there's still a lot of work to do for Calderwood and the other ex-Aberdeen rejects.
Against Hearts they'll have their work cut out for them. The Jambo's need a point to secure top-six football (and possibly Jefferies to secure a job). I was amazed to learn that this is only the second time this season these two have met, and that the last meeting was back in November (Hearts won 2-1 at Rugby Park).
Are you amazed? I was. But then, I'm an Aberdeen fan so I'm easily amazed anyway.
For Jefferies it will be the first time his former team have come to pay him a visit, so the pressure is on. Hearts lost their last home game, while Killie have lost their last three away games, so you've got to back Hearts to bounce back and do the dirty. Home Win.
Aberdeen (8th»LLWDL) v St Johnstone (7th»LWLDL)
Like I said earlier on in the week, it's not often that I get to see Aberdeen play, but thanks to the miracle of modern science, I've seen the Dons play two games in a week. As I sat cursing the rather inept display on show, and in particular the appalling 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock last Sunday I thanked my lucky stars that the prohibitive airfares prevented me from even considering going over to watch either game 'in the flesh', as it where, because my goodness, Aberdeen are terrible.
I won't go into it too much, but unless McGhee does something real soon (i.e stop losing games), Aberdeen may well find themselves staring relegation in the face. While the performance against Kilmarnock is best forgotten, the mid-week game against Rangers provided a lot more positives.
Don't get me wrong, it was still mostly awful, but the Dons enjoyed more possession and our weaker players over the course of the season - Kerr, Ifil, Grassi - actually put in decent performances. Certainly it was a different performance than against Killie which pretty much confirms the common belief that Aberdeen only turn it on for the Ugly Sisters.
St Johnstone demolished Rangers 4-1 in the week before Aberdeen played at Ibrox and lost 3-1, so <thinks aloud> how does this work? Does that mean St Johnstone are better than Aberdeen? Or that if Aberdeen can't beat Rangers, but put in a good performance nevertheless, they'll beat St Johnstone because St Johnstone lost to Dundee United who haven't beaten Rangers this season but who Aberdeen have beaten?</thinks aloud>
Fuck it, I don't know, in much the same way that these predictions ultimately come down to nothing more than a wet finger pointed randomly at a screen showing the fixture lists. So, let's see. Ehm, draw?
Division One
A fairly small program this Saturday, with most of the fixtures spread out between now and Wednesday, Why? Well, Raith Rovers and Ross County are in Cup action this weekend (against Dundee United and Celtic respectively) so that takes care of most of the weekends fixtures.
The pressure remains on Dundee to live up to all the expectations (not to mention their league position for most of the season) and win promotion. Overtaken by Inverness Caley a few weeks ago following a dramatic slump in form, new manager John Chisholm needs to pull all the irons out of the fire if they're going to make up that seven-point gap, starting with the game away at Partick tomorrow. Inverness make a very long journey (the longest in the First division) as they travel hundreds of miles south (and back north again) to Dumfries and their game with early Division leaders Queen of the South. The Doonhamers incidentally, another team with games to make up play again on Monday against bottom side Airdrie United.
The final game of the day sees Ayr taking on third-placed Dunfermline Athletic.
Division Two
Alloa are closing in on promotion and a return Division One. Leading the table by some nine-points over Cowdenbeath, Alloa, like Rangers far above them need only two more wins to secure that promotion. They're at home to Brechin tomorrow. Promotion challengers Cowdenbeath are away at Peterhead. The Blue Brazil are pretty much assured of a play-off place at least to hopefully send them back to the First Division but until the mess around the club's future is sorted out, it's all looking very uncertain.
The Spartan take-over, should it go through is a lot more attractive if Cowdenbeath are a First Division side (the populist idea being that Spartans would take over Cowdenbeath, move it all to Edinburgh and take their place in the First Division).
I'm no conspiracy theorist, but if I was a Cowdenbeath fan opposed to the takeover (and who isn't) I'd be hoping for a few good defeats in the next series of games...
Elsewhere Clyde got rid of their manager John McCormack in midweek following their 2-0 defeat at Alloa that pretty much assures the Bully Wee of Third Division football next season. A dramatic slide for a once proud team, where will it end? Dumbarton welcome East Fife, while Arbroath will be hoping for a win against Stirling to get themselves away from the relegation play-off spot.
Division Three
It's been a while coming, but Livingston can be crowned champions tomorrow if they take a point against Forfar. They could have been running the Third Division Champions flag up the pole before the start of this weeks game had they not lost 2-0 away at Annan last week.
Elgin finally overtook Montrose last week at the bottom of the table, following their 1-0 win in Annan and Montrose's defeat at Livingston. Elgin take on Albion Rovers while Montrose are at home to Annan. Berwick need a win over East Stirling to overtake Queens Park in the play-off places. The Spiders are away at Stranraer.
That's it. Hope you enjoy the games!
08/04/2010
The trouble with Scottish football...
A while ago I got into a Twitter discussion with @sfa (otherwise known as The Scottish Football Archive) about the problems, real or perceived, with the game in Scotland.
I forget exactly how the discussion went, but in 140 characters or less it covered all the same well worn topics, namely the dominance of the Old Firm, the lack of talent coming through the ranks, declining attendances, the lack of success of our Scottish clubs in Europe, the lack of success of our national team, the issue of league restructuring, and so on and on.
Like most of the discussions around this topic there was no resolution, other than that we should all be resolved to find a resolution because, frankly, things can't go on as they are now without it ending rather badly.
But about half-way through the conversation I remembered something I read in Graham McColl's excellent book "How A Nation Lost The World Cup", the story of Scotland's disastrous World Cup campaign in Argentina '78.
We all know the story of that now (in)famous campaign: the mass hysteria, the Andy Cameron records, Ally McLeod and his claims to bring back the World Cup, the thousands cheering off the team at Prestwick, that goal, Willie Johnston getting sent home and, after the team took only three points from their three games, the humiliating early-morning return to an empty Prestwick only a few weeks later.
But it was a comment by FIFA president João Havelange that stuck out for me. João, a Brazilian, was genuinely of the belief that Scotland would face Argentina in the final.
Admittedly, João Havelange never played football (he was in Brazil's Water Polo team for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki), so quite why he came to that conclusion we're not sure. Whether he was won over by the sight of Ally McLeod, complete in Mexican bandit gear selling carpets, or Andy Cameron's appearance in front of a bemused Top Of The Pops audience, or even the drafting in of super-star Rod Stewart to help the campaign, who knows, but for anyone to say that about our Scotland team was simply incredible - and unheard of these days.
While there is some doubt about the validity of Havelange's opinion, we must not lose sight of the fact that Scottish football in those days was held in much higher regard than it is now. Most of the players being considered for, or making up the squad going to Argentina, played for the top clubs of the day.
Nottingham Forest had Burns, Gemmill, Robertson, O'Hare, McGovern. Liverpool had Hansen, Souness and Dalglish, at that moment the greatest striker in Europe. John Wark and George Burley both played for Ipswich, another team that was about to go onto great things. Gordon McQueen and Joe Jordan had both transferred to Manchester United for what where then record-setting fees.
In the 70's, immediately preceding the '78 World Cup, both Celtic and Rangers did well in Europe, winning a Cup each, with Celtic particularly doing well, progressing far in subsequent tournaments.
Thinking about this planted a seed in my mind.
I've made it my mission to understand and document quite how we've gone from being one of the worlds strongest teams, a country that provided the backbones of some of the great English sides of the 70's to the point where we are now: our Premier League sides getting knocked out of Europe by teams from Lichtenstein, an alarming drop in our Uefa national league rankings (we're now sandwiched between Denmark and Bulgaria, and behind such giants as Switzerland and Belgium), teams struggling under the burden of heavy debt and our best players ending up at clubs in the lower half of the English Premier League and the Championship and below.
Notice by the way I don't mention Old Firm dominance, because a quick glance at the list of past winners of the Scottish leagues through the years - either with 10, 16, 18 or even 22-team leagues - will tell you that with the exception of the early 80's, the mid-50's and the late 1890's this has always been the case.
My quest is to find out when and how this decline started, and why it's been allowed to continue unabated. My belief is that if we understand the reasons for the decline in our national game, perhaps we can do something to turn it around again. In other words, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past so that we can build, and grow, and succeed.
Thankfully in this quest, I am not alone.
With the season as good as over, and with Rangers winning the league at a canter and by a country mile, the discussion about the state of the game has come around again. Blogs, forums and tweets abound with suggestions and discussions.
We are all waiting with moist anticipation the outcome of the McLeish report into the state of the Scottish game. We are all hoping that Henry McLeish, former Scotland First Minister and a former East Fife player, will come up with at least some suggestions as to what to do about the mire we find ourselves in.
With no report in sight (it was supposed to have been published at the beginning of the year, but the roaring silence is deafening), several fellow (Scottish) football bloggers, including The Scottish Football Blog, Left Back in the Changing Room and More Than Mind Games have decided to begin writing an alternative to the McLeish report.
Very appropriately, given the upcoming General Election, More Than Mind Games calls this initiative the "The Bloggers Manifesto", a grand title right enough, but the end goal of which is to produce a
"joint document which will be splashed in the hope of influencing the course of events in a real way."
I urge you all to get involved. I certainly plan to add my 2 cents to the conversation. We've often heard about the lessons to be learned from the Dutch set-up, so, living in Holland as I do, this is another angle I'm keen to explore: what can we learn from the Dutch set-up that we can apply to the Scottish game?
If you're a blogger, write about this topic, spread your ideas, give us your opinions and let everyone know. You can submit your articles to me (see the contact page), or to any of the participating blogs.
More info can be found at
» Left Back in the Changing Room
» More Than Mind Games
» The Scottish Football Blog
» Avoiding the Drop
I, and we, look forward to reading what you've got to say.
I forget exactly how the discussion went, but in 140 characters or less it covered all the same well worn topics, namely the dominance of the Old Firm, the lack of talent coming through the ranks, declining attendances, the lack of success of our Scottish clubs in Europe, the lack of success of our national team, the issue of league restructuring, and so on and on.
Like most of the discussions around this topic there was no resolution, other than that we should all be resolved to find a resolution because, frankly, things can't go on as they are now without it ending rather badly.
But about half-way through the conversation I remembered something I read in Graham McColl's excellent book "How A Nation Lost The World Cup", the story of Scotland's disastrous World Cup campaign in Argentina '78.
We all know the story of that now (in)famous campaign: the mass hysteria, the Andy Cameron records, Ally McLeod and his claims to bring back the World Cup, the thousands cheering off the team at Prestwick, that goal, Willie Johnston getting sent home and, after the team took only three points from their three games, the humiliating early-morning return to an empty Prestwick only a few weeks later.
But it was a comment by FIFA president João Havelange that stuck out for me. João, a Brazilian, was genuinely of the belief that Scotland would face Argentina in the final.
Admittedly, João Havelange never played football (he was in Brazil's Water Polo team for the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki), so quite why he came to that conclusion we're not sure. Whether he was won over by the sight of Ally McLeod, complete in Mexican bandit gear selling carpets, or Andy Cameron's appearance in front of a bemused Top Of The Pops audience, or even the drafting in of super-star Rod Stewart to help the campaign, who knows, but for anyone to say that about our Scotland team was simply incredible - and unheard of these days.
While there is some doubt about the validity of Havelange's opinion, we must not lose sight of the fact that Scottish football in those days was held in much higher regard than it is now. Most of the players being considered for, or making up the squad going to Argentina, played for the top clubs of the day.
Nottingham Forest had Burns, Gemmill, Robertson, O'Hare, McGovern. Liverpool had Hansen, Souness and Dalglish, at that moment the greatest striker in Europe. John Wark and George Burley both played for Ipswich, another team that was about to go onto great things. Gordon McQueen and Joe Jordan had both transferred to Manchester United for what where then record-setting fees.
In the 70's, immediately preceding the '78 World Cup, both Celtic and Rangers did well in Europe, winning a Cup each, with Celtic particularly doing well, progressing far in subsequent tournaments.
Thinking about this planted a seed in my mind.
I've made it my mission to understand and document quite how we've gone from being one of the worlds strongest teams, a country that provided the backbones of some of the great English sides of the 70's to the point where we are now: our Premier League sides getting knocked out of Europe by teams from Lichtenstein, an alarming drop in our Uefa national league rankings (we're now sandwiched between Denmark and Bulgaria, and behind such giants as Switzerland and Belgium), teams struggling under the burden of heavy debt and our best players ending up at clubs in the lower half of the English Premier League and the Championship and below.
Notice by the way I don't mention Old Firm dominance, because a quick glance at the list of past winners of the Scottish leagues through the years - either with 10, 16, 18 or even 22-team leagues - will tell you that with the exception of the early 80's, the mid-50's and the late 1890's this has always been the case.
My quest is to find out when and how this decline started, and why it's been allowed to continue unabated. My belief is that if we understand the reasons for the decline in our national game, perhaps we can do something to turn it around again. In other words, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past so that we can build, and grow, and succeed.
Thankfully in this quest, I am not alone.
With the season as good as over, and with Rangers winning the league at a canter and by a country mile, the discussion about the state of the game has come around again. Blogs, forums and tweets abound with suggestions and discussions.
We are all waiting with moist anticipation the outcome of the McLeish report into the state of the Scottish game. We are all hoping that Henry McLeish, former Scotland First Minister and a former East Fife player, will come up with at least some suggestions as to what to do about the mire we find ourselves in.
With no report in sight (it was supposed to have been published at the beginning of the year, but the roaring silence is deafening), several fellow (Scottish) football bloggers, including The Scottish Football Blog, Left Back in the Changing Room and More Than Mind Games have decided to begin writing an alternative to the McLeish report.
Very appropriately, given the upcoming General Election, More Than Mind Games calls this initiative the "The Bloggers Manifesto", a grand title right enough, but the end goal of which is to produce a
"joint document which will be splashed in the hope of influencing the course of events in a real way."
I urge you all to get involved. I certainly plan to add my 2 cents to the conversation. We've often heard about the lessons to be learned from the Dutch set-up, so, living in Holland as I do, this is another angle I'm keen to explore: what can we learn from the Dutch set-up that we can apply to the Scottish game?
If you're a blogger, write about this topic, spread your ideas, give us your opinions and let everyone know. You can submit your articles to me (see the contact page), or to any of the participating blogs.
More info can be found at
» Left Back in the Changing Room
» More Than Mind Games
» The Scottish Football Blog
» Avoiding the Drop
I, and we, look forward to reading what you've got to say.
07/04/2010
Two more wins and season 2009/10 is all over
Despite a much improved performance from Sunday's fiasco against Kilmarnock, Aberdeen once again became the victims of their own poor defending and inability to deliver a decent final ball to go down 3-1 to an always stronger and more dangerous Rangers side.
Despite having the lion's share of the possession, Aberdeen's dud strike force only managed to convert one of their 2 attempts on goal, with Rangers scoring with each of their three shots on goal, highlighting once again Aberdeen's need for a decent striker to put the ball away when the opportunity presents itself.
With the match effectively over after Miller's 3rd goal, McGhee used the opportunity to blood three of the youngsters coming through the ranks at Pittodrie.
Paul Marshall and Fraser Fyvie where brought in for a decidedly uninterested Aluko and a much improved Davide Grassi, with 16-year-old midfielder Jack Grimmer becoming the youngest player to play in the SPL (breaking the record previously held by team-mate Fyvie) as he made his Dons début when he replaced McLean on 80 minutes.
Match reports can be read courtesy of » the Aberdeen FC website » the BBC » ESPN » and the Rangers website.
Rangers now need two more wins to secure their 53rd league title. The final game of the regular season is against Dundee United on 14th April, and while the location of the potential title-winning game wont be known until the post-split fixture list is announced, for us neutrals (or at least, the ones who don't care either way, like me), it'd be great if the crunch fixture is against Celtic at Parkhead, if only for a bit of excitement.
Despite having the lion's share of the possession, Aberdeen's dud strike force only managed to convert one of their 2 attempts on goal, with Rangers scoring with each of their three shots on goal, highlighting once again Aberdeen's need for a decent striker to put the ball away when the opportunity presents itself.
With the match effectively over after Miller's 3rd goal, McGhee used the opportunity to blood three of the youngsters coming through the ranks at Pittodrie.
Paul Marshall and Fraser Fyvie where brought in for a decidedly uninterested Aluko and a much improved Davide Grassi, with 16-year-old midfielder Jack Grimmer becoming the youngest player to play in the SPL (breaking the record previously held by team-mate Fyvie) as he made his Dons début when he replaced McLean on 80 minutes.
Match reports can be read courtesy of » the Aberdeen FC website » the BBC » ESPN » and the Rangers website.
Rangers now need two more wins to secure their 53rd league title. The final game of the regular season is against Dundee United on 14th April, and while the location of the potential title-winning game wont be known until the post-split fixture list is announced, for us neutrals (or at least, the ones who don't care either way, like me), it'd be great if the crunch fixture is against Celtic at Parkhead, if only for a bit of excitement.
A table to be proud of (if you're Motherwell)
Yep, Motherwell are sitting proudly on top of the Fair Play League, otherwise known as the nancyboy way to get into Europe.
In previous years Kilmarnock (1999) and Motherwell (2009) both qualified for the Europa League, which was still called the UEFA Cup when Killie took part.
The Ayrshire club lasted two whole rounds, defeating KR Reykjavik 3-0 on aggregate before succumbing 5-0 on aggregate to German side Kaiserslautern.
Motherwell's dreams of European glory last season seemed to have crashed against the rocks against Welsh side LLanelli in the first leg in Motherwell and the first leg against Albanian side Flamurtari, but a stirring performance in the second legs against both teams saw them through; the Steelmen eventually went out to Steaua Bucharest.
It's refreshing to see Aberdeen excel at something at last. If we can just get someone sent off against Rangers tonight (something not exactly beyond the realms of the impossible) we can pip Hearts to the bottom of the table.
Also of interest if the amount of 'bottom half' clubs that make up the top six. You would expect Killie, Accies and St Mirren, teams for whom every game is a battle for survival to get stuck in about the opposition and rack up the yellows and reds like it's no ones business, yet they're amongst the better behaved sides.
Judging by the teams that make up the bottom half of this table, poor discipline is clearly an East-coast thing, with Aberdeen and Dundee United joining the two Edinburgh sides.
So, can anyone name the player sent off for Motherwell and the game in which it happened?
In previous years Kilmarnock (1999) and Motherwell (2009) both qualified for the Europa League, which was still called the UEFA Cup when Killie took part.
The Ayrshire club lasted two whole rounds, defeating KR Reykjavik 3-0 on aggregate before succumbing 5-0 on aggregate to German side Kaiserslautern.
Motherwell's dreams of European glory last season seemed to have crashed against the rocks against Welsh side LLanelli in the first leg in Motherwell and the first leg against Albanian side Flamurtari, but a stirring performance in the second legs against both teams saw them through; the Steelmen eventually went out to Steaua Bucharest.
It's refreshing to see Aberdeen excel at something at last. If we can just get someone sent off against Rangers tonight (something not exactly beyond the realms of the impossible) we can pip Hearts to the bottom of the table.
Also of interest if the amount of 'bottom half' clubs that make up the top six. You would expect Killie, Accies and St Mirren, teams for whom every game is a battle for survival to get stuck in about the opposition and rack up the yellows and reds like it's no ones business, yet they're amongst the better behaved sides.
Judging by the teams that make up the bottom half of this table, poor discipline is clearly an East-coast thing, with Aberdeen and Dundee United joining the two Edinburgh sides.
So, can anyone name the player sent off for Motherwell and the game in which it happened?
06/04/2010
Preview: Rangers v Aberdeen
As I'm writing this, the Barcelona v Arsenal game is on. It's not even half time, and Lionel Messi has scored three times in twenty minutes. In other words, a real cracker of a game, apparently. I say apparently because I'm following the score updates courtesy of ESPN's Live Scoreboard. It's Tuesday which means Holby is on, meaning Mrs Inside Left has hogged the telly. So no football for me.
Not that I care much for football outside of Scotland's fair shores, but watching a game like that after watching the shit fest that was Kilmarnock v Aberdeen on Sunday, it's like a little glimpse of how the other half live: quality football, full stadiums and brilliant players. And better looking fans.
Thankfully Holby is not on tomorrow, which means that I can once again sit down in front of my PC to enjoy Aberdeen take on Rangers at Ibrox (hilariously pictured above) in glorious RedTV-o-Vision with the volume up.
I'm really far too lazy to dream up anything resembling a preview, so here are ESPN, the Aberdeen FC website, Follow Follow and Gersnet to do it for me.
For my part, all I can say is that the last time Aberdeen beat Rangers at Ibrox was a League Cup game in 1991, when I still had an Afro and money. Sadly, no footage of that game exists on Youtube, so you'll have to with this game from September 1985.
Judging by the footage, the cameraman smeared Vaseline over the lens to put a gloss on the otherwise violent spectacle ensuing on the pitch below. Hugh Burns and Craig Paterson where sent off for Rangers. Alex McLeish, Billy Stark and John "supersub" Hewitt scored for the Dons in a stirring 3-0 victory.
For the sake of fair and balanced reporting, here's a video of Rangers doing something they do a lot these days, i.e. overturning Aberdeen. Rather easily.
Not that I care much for football outside of Scotland's fair shores, but watching a game like that after watching the shit fest that was Kilmarnock v Aberdeen on Sunday, it's like a little glimpse of how the other half live: quality football, full stadiums and brilliant players. And better looking fans.
Thankfully Holby is not on tomorrow, which means that I can once again sit down in front of my PC to enjoy Aberdeen take on Rangers at Ibrox (hilariously pictured above) in glorious RedTV-o-Vision with the volume up.
I'm really far too lazy to dream up anything resembling a preview, so here are ESPN, the Aberdeen FC website, Follow Follow and Gersnet to do it for me.
For my part, all I can say is that the last time Aberdeen beat Rangers at Ibrox was a League Cup game in 1991, when I still had an Afro and money. Sadly, no footage of that game exists on Youtube, so you'll have to with this game from September 1985.
Judging by the footage, the cameraman smeared Vaseline over the lens to put a gloss on the otherwise violent spectacle ensuing on the pitch below. Hugh Burns and Craig Paterson where sent off for Rangers. Alex McLeish, Billy Stark and John "supersub" Hewitt scored for the Dons in a stirring 3-0 victory.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axcdOAigTo8&
For the sake of fair and balanced reporting, here's a video of Rangers doing something they do a lot these days, i.e. overturning Aberdeen. Rather easily.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m56X8ZVfdyQ
04/04/2010
We've been Tango'd - again
It is not often, living abroad as I do, that I get to see Aberdeen in action. The odd live game is taken in if and when the schedule and the airfare allows it, so for the most part I catch up on the Dons news and action via the official website or, for a more critical view, the Aberdeen Mad! notice board.
Earlier on this week an email dropped into my inbox. It came from the RedTV people, telling me I'd be able to see this weekends fixture between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen using their brand new 1mb flash player, allowing me to "watch the game in amazing quality on your PC". Excited at the prospect of seeing the Dons live, at 1630 today I sent the kids outside and the wife to the shops, and sat down in front of my PC to watch the game.
Well, the quality of the picture was certainly good which thankfully made up for the abysmal quality of the football fare on offer.
There's not a lot to say about the game other than that Aberdeen where dire. Endless long balls to no one, poor control, poor passing, absolutely no imagination in our attack and our midfield was unable to provide anything even vaguely resembling a footballing idea.
The only players worth a mention today where Diamond and Foster, possibly even Langfield who made a few good saves. Aside from one quality turn and shot, Aluko - according to many our best player - was terrible, Grassi was unfortunate with the own goal (he had to make an interception from Severin's skewed shot but surely a defender, one ever as poor as Grassi, should have dealt with that better). In Mark Kerr Aberdeen have probably one of the worst captains the club has ever had: too quiet and as a player simply not good enough.
It's hard to see where Aberdeen are going to go from here. This defeat condemns us to a bottom-six finish. If performances like this continue, there is an outside chance of the team getting involved in a relegation battle and it's worth remembering that our bottom six companions have all recorded wins against the Dons this season.
The difference between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen today was the fact that Killie has something to play for. Going into the game they where only one point above Falkirk at the bottom of the table. Kilmarnock are one team who would not survive (financially) should they go down, so every week the team are fighting not only for their league position, but also for the very survival of the club.
There is no similar desire to win at Pittodrie. The season is over, most players know that more than likely they are on their way out. Grassi, Ifil, Mulgrew, Kerr, McDonald, Mackie and even Aluko know their futures at the club are in doubt, yet none of these players seems to have the wherewithal to do something about it, to put in a performance to convince under-fire manager McGhee that they should stay at the club.
Quite simply, they don't care. Judging by the plummeting attendances at Pittodrie, the fans are starting to not care either. A sad end. A sad demise. But inevitable, given today's performance. Mark McGhee's job next season continues to be impossible, namely, to rebuild a team lacking in fight, passion, desire, talent, technique and determination. With no money and with no interest in our players, it's hard to see how next season will be any better.
The current season is not even over, and I'm dreading next season already.
In-depth match reviews can be found at the Aberdeen site and at Rugby Park, an independent Kilmarnock blog.
Earlier on this week an email dropped into my inbox. It came from the RedTV people, telling me I'd be able to see this weekends fixture between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen using their brand new 1mb flash player, allowing me to "watch the game in amazing quality on your PC". Excited at the prospect of seeing the Dons live, at 1630 today I sent the kids outside and the wife to the shops, and sat down in front of my PC to watch the game.
Well, the quality of the picture was certainly good which thankfully made up for the abysmal quality of the football fare on offer.
There's not a lot to say about the game other than that Aberdeen where dire. Endless long balls to no one, poor control, poor passing, absolutely no imagination in our attack and our midfield was unable to provide anything even vaguely resembling a footballing idea.
The only players worth a mention today where Diamond and Foster, possibly even Langfield who made a few good saves. Aside from one quality turn and shot, Aluko - according to many our best player - was terrible, Grassi was unfortunate with the own goal (he had to make an interception from Severin's skewed shot but surely a defender, one ever as poor as Grassi, should have dealt with that better). In Mark Kerr Aberdeen have probably one of the worst captains the club has ever had: too quiet and as a player simply not good enough.
It's hard to see where Aberdeen are going to go from here. This defeat condemns us to a bottom-six finish. If performances like this continue, there is an outside chance of the team getting involved in a relegation battle and it's worth remembering that our bottom six companions have all recorded wins against the Dons this season.
The difference between Kilmarnock and Aberdeen today was the fact that Killie has something to play for. Going into the game they where only one point above Falkirk at the bottom of the table. Kilmarnock are one team who would not survive (financially) should they go down, so every week the team are fighting not only for their league position, but also for the very survival of the club.
There is no similar desire to win at Pittodrie. The season is over, most players know that more than likely they are on their way out. Grassi, Ifil, Mulgrew, Kerr, McDonald, Mackie and even Aluko know their futures at the club are in doubt, yet none of these players seems to have the wherewithal to do something about it, to put in a performance to convince under-fire manager McGhee that they should stay at the club.
Quite simply, they don't care. Judging by the plummeting attendances at Pittodrie, the fans are starting to not care either. A sad end. A sad demise. But inevitable, given today's performance. Mark McGhee's job next season continues to be impossible, namely, to rebuild a team lacking in fight, passion, desire, talent, technique and determination. With no money and with no interest in our players, it's hard to see how next season will be any better.
The current season is not even over, and I'm dreading next season already.
In-depth match reviews can be found at the Aberdeen site and at Rugby Park, an independent Kilmarnock blog.
02/04/2010
02.04// The Scottish Football Weekender
After last weekend's utter and total score prediction disaster, this weekend, our speculative guesswork comes courtesy of my next door neighbour's cat, Tilly.
Motherwell (5th»LWDWW) v Falkirk (12th»LDDLL)
Despite playing pretty much the entire game against 10-men Dundee United, Motherwell where unable to use the extra man to press the advantage. A somewhat unexpected 3-0 pumping followed, an unusually heavy defeat for a team that only conceded three goals in the league since the new year. That's not to take anything away from United who are on fire at the minute. There's little danger of dropping out of the top six however, but if they're going to compete in Europe next season they'll need to overhaul Hibs, just two points ahead of them. Against bottom side Falkirk expect Craig Brown's men to get back to winning ways, After two draws, Falkirk seemed to have stemmed the hemorrhage of points, but a 3-1 defeat at home to Hibs last weekend, together with wins for St Mirren and Hamilton has once again cast the Bairns adrift at the bottom of the table. There's still a lot to fight for especially now that Kilmarnock's form has left them, but time is running out. Home Win.
Rangers (1st»LWWWW) v Hamilton (9th»WWDWD)
A while back we predicted that Rangers would slip up eventually, based on the belief that even a league as predictable as the SPL would throw up the occasional surprise. That the surprise would come at St Johnstone, and by that score line, 4-1, was not something I saw coming. It's been many years since the Old Firm suffered such heavy defeats in the same week - perhaps this is some kind of omen? The defeat came on the back of elimination from the Scottish Cup at the hands of Dundee United, so the expected backlash from that game will have to wait until Saturday, when Accies come to town. Hamilton look safe for another season with the team enjoying a six game unbeaten run that has seen them put 11 points between them and the relegation zone. Home Win.
St Mirren (10th»LWLDL) v Hearts (6th»LWLLW)
St Mirren had a good chance to complete a memorable few days down in Paisley. After routing Celtic, they had a chance to make it two wins out of two against an Aberdeen side on its worst form for many, many years. It was not to be however, McPherson's Buddies going down 2-1 against the Dons. They need to start picking up points to ensure that they're not going to be involved in another relegation scrap like last season. Having a large part of the team struck down with a mystery illness at this crucial stage of the season doesn't help - you've got to wonder how much of an impact it will have come the end of the season.
A win for Hearts tomorrow together with a win against St Johnstone the week after will secure a top-six finish for Hearts, salvaging at least something from a season which will go down in the minds of most Hearts fans as quite forgettable. Hearts need the win and have the stronger of the two squads, so: Away Win.
Hibernian (4th»LWLWD) v Celtic (2nd»WLWWL)
We have to wait until Sunday for the game of the weekend, when Celtic travel to Easter Road, Edinburgh. Neil Lennon got his spell as Celtic manager of to a convincing start with a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, but this fixture will prove a tougher test. Hibs are safely in the top six, but their hopes of European football next season depend upon them putting some distance between themselves and fifth-placed Motherwell. Rangers' defeat at St Johnstone on Tuesday keeps the gap at 10 points, but with Rangers possibly wobbling perhaps just a little, now is the time to keep the pressure on with a convincing win over Hibs. The last time these two met, Hibs came back from a fifth minute Fortune goal to win 2-1. Hibs where then in third spot and tipped by some to be the team to split the Old Firm, but a sudden drop in form saw them win only three of their next 10 games, ending with the 4-2 defeat at home against Dundee United. John Hughes needs to get his season back on the tracks, but I can't see it happening this Sunday. Away Win.
Kilmarnock (11th»LLLLL) v Aberdeen (8th»WDLDL)
For a short while it seemed to be going so well for Jimmy Calderwood: a couple of wins under his belt (including a win against Celtic) pushed the struggling side above the danger zone and into mid-table safety, but just look at that form guide: without a win in six games, and with results not going their way they're suddenly back in the relegation zone. Calderwood returns to the club that sacked him over the summer, but he's not expecting a welcome return, and especially not if he pulls of an unlikely (given that league form) victory.
Aberdeen's 2-1 win over St Mirren finally ended a poor run of form. Tumbling attendances and disgruntled fans make every game an ordeal for McGhee, so those 3 points will come as some relief and hopefully motivation to push the Dons to another victory. A top six is still possible but it will require a lot of hard work - the sort of thing the side has been incapable of all season. A first win in 11 attempts avoided this season getting even worse, but there's a lot of work to be done over the summer to get the Dons back on track. McGhee was already said in the press that his job is on the line unless the performances improve next season, but without the money to spend you have to feel that McGhee's neck is on the line even before the next season kicks off in August. Jim Paterson's loan spell at Pittodrie is probably over after the midfielder suffered an Achilles injury, the player returning to Plymouth for treatment. That 11-game run included draws against Celtic, Hibs and United, suggesting once again that the Dons only turn it on for the bigger teams. Killie are a small team, so: draw.
Scottish Division One
Elsewhere, Airdrie Utd v Partick Thistle is largely meaningless game, neither side out of the running for survival and promotion respectively. Away win.
» Morton v Queen of the South is interesting only for Morton who need the points to stay clear of the 9th play-off spot; the Doonhamers are too far off the lead to make any real challenge for promotion. Away win.
» Dundee v Ayr should normally be a formality for Dundee, but recent form (they've not won a game since the end of February) shows this might be a little harder than perhaps it might have been before the slump hit. These two played out a 1-1 game only three weeks ago. A similar result in this fixture would further dent Dundee's hopes of promotion. Home Win.
» Dunfermline v Ross County is probably more of a vital game for The Pars than it is for Ross County. That costly 3-0 defeat in Inverness earlier on this week effectively put the Dingwall side out of the running for this season. Dunfermline are still in with a shout, currently trailing the leaders Inverness by six points. Home Win.
» Inverness CT v Raith could be a tricky game, Raith having shown this season that despite their lowly position in the league (seventh) they're a side capable of a performance. Inverness need to keep winning and on current form (they're unbeaten since November) they should have no problems. Then again, we said the same about Dundee, so let's not hang out the bunting just yet. Home Win - but with a possible sting in the tail.
Scottish Division Two
League leaders Alloa are on the road to Methill this week and a game against East Fife. The Wasps are six points clear at the top of the table, but many teams below them (Cowdenbeath, Stirling and Brechin) all have games in hand, so they'll need to keep the momentum going. Both Cowdenbeath, who have to keep their off-field distractions out of their mind this weekend, and Stirling play teams from the nether regions of the division (Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton respectively) so look to them to pick up points to keep the pressure on. Elsewhere Brechin, early leaders in the Division take on Peterhead.
Scottish Division Three
Livingston could be this season's first confirmed champion if they overcome Annan Athletic at the Galabank Stadium on Saturday. It will mark the end of a remarkable period in the clubs history, in which they were on the verge of going out of existence, found new owners and then found themselves demoted to the Third Division. It wasn't all plain sailing, particularly in the run-up to the New Year, but in the end the team cantered to the title. Life in the Second will be a lot tougher than it was in the Third, but clearly Livi are going places.
Of the teams making up the other three play-off spots, East Stirling are at home to Albion Rovers, while Forfar welcome Berwick, a team desperate for a win to put themselves back into the top four - to the north-east. Montrose make the last of this season's journeys to Hampden for their showdown with Queens Park, while bottom Stranraer travel to bottom side Elgin City.
Right, that's it. Enjoy the games if you're going!
Motherwell (5th»LWDWW) v Falkirk (12th»LDDLL)
Despite playing pretty much the entire game against 10-men Dundee United, Motherwell where unable to use the extra man to press the advantage. A somewhat unexpected 3-0 pumping followed, an unusually heavy defeat for a team that only conceded three goals in the league since the new year. That's not to take anything away from United who are on fire at the minute. There's little danger of dropping out of the top six however, but if they're going to compete in Europe next season they'll need to overhaul Hibs, just two points ahead of them. Against bottom side Falkirk expect Craig Brown's men to get back to winning ways, After two draws, Falkirk seemed to have stemmed the hemorrhage of points, but a 3-1 defeat at home to Hibs last weekend, together with wins for St Mirren and Hamilton has once again cast the Bairns adrift at the bottom of the table. There's still a lot to fight for especially now that Kilmarnock's form has left them, but time is running out. Home Win.
Rangers (1st»LWWWW) v Hamilton (9th»WWDWD)
A while back we predicted that Rangers would slip up eventually, based on the belief that even a league as predictable as the SPL would throw up the occasional surprise. That the surprise would come at St Johnstone, and by that score line, 4-1, was not something I saw coming. It's been many years since the Old Firm suffered such heavy defeats in the same week - perhaps this is some kind of omen? The defeat came on the back of elimination from the Scottish Cup at the hands of Dundee United, so the expected backlash from that game will have to wait until Saturday, when Accies come to town. Hamilton look safe for another season with the team enjoying a six game unbeaten run that has seen them put 11 points between them and the relegation zone. Home Win.
St Mirren (10th»LWLDL) v Hearts (6th»LWLLW)
St Mirren had a good chance to complete a memorable few days down in Paisley. After routing Celtic, they had a chance to make it two wins out of two against an Aberdeen side on its worst form for many, many years. It was not to be however, McPherson's Buddies going down 2-1 against the Dons. They need to start picking up points to ensure that they're not going to be involved in another relegation scrap like last season. Having a large part of the team struck down with a mystery illness at this crucial stage of the season doesn't help - you've got to wonder how much of an impact it will have come the end of the season.
A win for Hearts tomorrow together with a win against St Johnstone the week after will secure a top-six finish for Hearts, salvaging at least something from a season which will go down in the minds of most Hearts fans as quite forgettable. Hearts need the win and have the stronger of the two squads, so: Away Win.
Hibernian (4th»LWLWD) v Celtic (2nd»WLWWL)
We have to wait until Sunday for the game of the weekend, when Celtic travel to Easter Road, Edinburgh. Neil Lennon got his spell as Celtic manager of to a convincing start with a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock, but this fixture will prove a tougher test. Hibs are safely in the top six, but their hopes of European football next season depend upon them putting some distance between themselves and fifth-placed Motherwell. Rangers' defeat at St Johnstone on Tuesday keeps the gap at 10 points, but with Rangers possibly wobbling perhaps just a little, now is the time to keep the pressure on with a convincing win over Hibs. The last time these two met, Hibs came back from a fifth minute Fortune goal to win 2-1. Hibs where then in third spot and tipped by some to be the team to split the Old Firm, but a sudden drop in form saw them win only three of their next 10 games, ending with the 4-2 defeat at home against Dundee United. John Hughes needs to get his season back on the tracks, but I can't see it happening this Sunday. Away Win.
Kilmarnock (11th»LLLLL) v Aberdeen (8th»WDLDL)
For a short while it seemed to be going so well for Jimmy Calderwood: a couple of wins under his belt (including a win against Celtic) pushed the struggling side above the danger zone and into mid-table safety, but just look at that form guide: without a win in six games, and with results not going their way they're suddenly back in the relegation zone. Calderwood returns to the club that sacked him over the summer, but he's not expecting a welcome return, and especially not if he pulls of an unlikely (given that league form) victory.
Aberdeen's 2-1 win over St Mirren finally ended a poor run of form. Tumbling attendances and disgruntled fans make every game an ordeal for McGhee, so those 3 points will come as some relief and hopefully motivation to push the Dons to another victory. A top six is still possible but it will require a lot of hard work - the sort of thing the side has been incapable of all season. A first win in 11 attempts avoided this season getting even worse, but there's a lot of work to be done over the summer to get the Dons back on track. McGhee was already said in the press that his job is on the line unless the performances improve next season, but without the money to spend you have to feel that McGhee's neck is on the line even before the next season kicks off in August. Jim Paterson's loan spell at Pittodrie is probably over after the midfielder suffered an Achilles injury, the player returning to Plymouth for treatment. That 11-game run included draws against Celtic, Hibs and United, suggesting once again that the Dons only turn it on for the bigger teams. Killie are a small team, so: draw.
Scottish Division One
Elsewhere, Airdrie Utd v Partick Thistle is largely meaningless game, neither side out of the running for survival and promotion respectively. Away win.
» Morton v Queen of the South is interesting only for Morton who need the points to stay clear of the 9th play-off spot; the Doonhamers are too far off the lead to make any real challenge for promotion. Away win.
» Dundee v Ayr should normally be a formality for Dundee, but recent form (they've not won a game since the end of February) shows this might be a little harder than perhaps it might have been before the slump hit. These two played out a 1-1 game only three weeks ago. A similar result in this fixture would further dent Dundee's hopes of promotion. Home Win.
» Dunfermline v Ross County is probably more of a vital game for The Pars than it is for Ross County. That costly 3-0 defeat in Inverness earlier on this week effectively put the Dingwall side out of the running for this season. Dunfermline are still in with a shout, currently trailing the leaders Inverness by six points. Home Win.
» Inverness CT v Raith could be a tricky game, Raith having shown this season that despite their lowly position in the league (seventh) they're a side capable of a performance. Inverness need to keep winning and on current form (they're unbeaten since November) they should have no problems. Then again, we said the same about Dundee, so let's not hang out the bunting just yet. Home Win - but with a possible sting in the tail.
Scottish Division Two
League leaders Alloa are on the road to Methill this week and a game against East Fife. The Wasps are six points clear at the top of the table, but many teams below them (Cowdenbeath, Stirling and Brechin) all have games in hand, so they'll need to keep the momentum going. Both Cowdenbeath, who have to keep their off-field distractions out of their mind this weekend, and Stirling play teams from the nether regions of the division (Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton respectively) so look to them to pick up points to keep the pressure on. Elsewhere Brechin, early leaders in the Division take on Peterhead.
Scottish Division Three
Livingston could be this season's first confirmed champion if they overcome Annan Athletic at the Galabank Stadium on Saturday. It will mark the end of a remarkable period in the clubs history, in which they were on the verge of going out of existence, found new owners and then found themselves demoted to the Third Division. It wasn't all plain sailing, particularly in the run-up to the New Year, but in the end the team cantered to the title. Life in the Second will be a lot tougher than it was in the Third, but clearly Livi are going places.
Of the teams making up the other three play-off spots, East Stirling are at home to Albion Rovers, while Forfar welcome Berwick, a team desperate for a win to put themselves back into the top four - to the north-east. Montrose make the last of this season's journeys to Hampden for their showdown with Queens Park, while bottom Stranraer travel to bottom side Elgin City.
Right, that's it. Enjoy the games if you're going!
01/04/2010
Scottish Third Division - Google Street View style!
Had enough yet?
Nae danger folks, only two more divisions to go! Today we cover the Third Division, the lowest tier of Scottish senior football. Sit back, click away and enjoy some of the finest grounds Scottish football has to offer. And Cliftonhil Stadium.
→ Livingston
An unsurprisingly decent stadium for the club formerly known as Ferranti Thistle and Meadowbank Thistle. The Almondvale is the Third Division's largest stadium (not counting the behemoth that is Hampden, home of Queens Park). Following some financial and management irregularities that would make Bernie Madoff blush, Livi are currently enjoying life in Division Three, though promotion to division Two looks assured at this stage.
The Almondvale is another one of those grounds built on the outskirts of the town. I'm a big fan of stadiums surrounded by houses and tenements, but if you've ever been to Livingston you'll appreciate the fact you wont actually have to go into the town to get to the ground. Phew!
→ East Stirlingshire
Technically, East Stirlingshire play at Stenhousemuir's Ochillview Park, but seeing as we'll cover that ground in the Second Division Google-pade, we'll show you The Shire's old stadium in Falkirk instead. Consider it a bonus.
It must have been a pure bastard every other Saturday for those living around the home of East Stirlinghire Football Club Plc. Fir Park, which lies not too far from the center of Falkirk is not exactly over furnished in the parking department, a small car park on the north edge of the ground looking to hold about 5 cars if the Google satellite view is anything to go by.
On the other side you've got a huge megastore, but it probably costs loads of money to park there, making an afternoon trip to see promotion challenging East Stirlingshire potentially expensive. The only other option is street parking, which, judging by the Google street view provided, is clearly limited. Mind you, with an average attendance of only 490, that might not have been a huge problem.
→ Forfar
Station Park, Forfar, has all the hallmarks of what I look for in a proper stadium: cracked tarmac, an intimidating perimeter wall and proper terracing, in particular that West Terrace. My first experience of the lack of crowd segregation in the lower tiers of Scottish football was here.
Picture the scene: it's nearly half time in the game between Forfar and East Fife somewhere around 1992, and we're supporting the away team. East Fife are awarded a dodgy penalty (one of those 'wan mair upfirthe lodge' penalties) just before half time to bring the scores level at 1-1 and sending the four of us who made up the away support jump with joy, with the East Fife players rushing over to us.
Come half time, we notice the massed ranks of the Forfar support heading for us in our end, presumably to give us a good kicking. Unsure of what to do, we stuck around only to be told by the friendly locals to "fuck off and get to the other end". We did. East Fife won 2-1. Our celebration for the winning goal was decidedly more muted. True story.
→ Queens Park
Before you click on this link, just cast your mind back over all the other stadiums you've seen so far in this collection. Remember the badly tarmaced carparks, the barbed-wire running along the top of the perimeter walls, the stands with their corrugated roofs. Now also put in your mind the concept that Queens Park are an amateur side, the same as, say, Fort William. Got all that? Right. Click away!
→ Berwick Rangers
As all football anal retentives will know, Berwick is not actually in Scotland - it's in Englandshire. Not that we should hold that against them. Sure, they have to play somewhere and our admission standards are lower than the English FA's.
Shielfield Park is a little like Central Park, Cowdenbeath, in that is has a large speedway track around the pitch, adding to that matchday atmosphere.
There may well be another entrance to this place, a grand ornate gate perhaps like Liverpool's Shankly Gate, with inspiring motos like "mind the flying tyres", but Google couldnae be arsed, leaving you, dear reader, with the impression that to get to the ground you have to negotiate your way past a redfaced farmer Giles-type as you make your way through his gate and across his land.
→ Albion Rovers
Continuing on in the tradition of lower league clubs that have main stands, the back of which more closely resemble an electrical superstore constantly on the brink of bankruptcy, here is Albion Rovers!
An interesting nugget of info for you: several years ago, McDonald's got some darned expensive consultants in whose job it was to figure out how to keep the punters in the place so as to spend more money.
Their solution: get rid of all that yellow and red, because all it does is make people want to leave. Quickly. Perhaps those in charge at the Cliftonhill Stadium should do the same - possibly, a nice walnut exterior, with lampshades instead of floodlights might get more people into the ground.
By the way, Albion Rovers are my current FM2010 team. So far, we've lost our three pre-season friendlies: 3-1 to the Reserves, 4-0 to Leeds and 3-1 to Hamilton Accies. I'm under pressure, and the season hasn't even started yet.
→ Annan Athletic
I had little hopes of finding this place. After all it's miles from nowhere so you'd possibly forgive the Google people who, sitting in a layby on the B7020 between Hightae and Dalton must have looked at the map and thought "Annan, sure no one goes there. Let's just get the lads back in California to do us a CGI town, no one will know any different. 'Mon back tae Glasgae!"
To their credit they persevered, but like a confused taxi driver looking for a large open park who instead finds himself looking at a row of houses while his Tomtom insists that "your destination is on the right hand side" I could not find the place. After much searching and zooming, I did find it. Just. It's tucked behind the garage of number 4, Galabank Avenue. See?
→ Stranraer
Another ground that Google couldn't be bothered to take a proper drive to. Look carefully now. Just behind the slides and the ornate bandstand, you can just about make out the floodlights of Stranraer's ground. Try as I might, neither Google nor I could not get any closer.
In 1998, I moved to Galway, Ireland for my work. I decided to drive across Scotland to take in the scenery for one last time, ultimately taking a ferry from Stranraer to Larne in Northern Ireland. Having arrived early, I noticed that Stranraer where playing at home that afternoon and, having time to kill, I decided to take in a game, possibly my last Scottish game for quite some time. In those days Stranraer where a Division Two side and the team coming to Stairs Park that afternoon was Livingston, ironically enough now playing with Stranraer in the Third.
Stranraer won 2-0 on the day and I left the ground, headed to the ferry and left Scotland's fair shores for the last time. Well, until August that year when I came back for a wedding. And all the other times I've been back to Scotland after that.
→ Montrose
Now, here's a place where I've been a few times, what with it not being too far from Aberdeen. The team are called 'The Gable Endies', though I'm not altogether sure why, as there appear to be no Gables. Just 'Endies', like the one in the view presented here. I wonder how many locals bring along their stepladder of a Saturday to save on the £10 it costs to get in? I'd say the number must run into the low tens.
Back in the day, when I worked at Asco Smit in Aberdeen, we used to send our offshore workers to the Offshore Survival Training Center here in the town. You can see it if you came in from the A92, and as we drove past I'd say to those unfortunates in the car "look, that's where we send our offshore workers for training". And sometimes I'd say it on the way back too! It's got nothing to do with football, but it adds some colour to an otherwise dull entry.
→ Elgin City
Borough Brigs is one of the nicer lower league stadiums to be found around Scotland. Small, enclosed and surprisingly un-dilapidated. Like most stadiums at this level, it is surrounded by a faceless industrial estate and DIY hardware outlets. This could prove handy if you're ever up the town looking for a ladder (for example if Elgin are away at Montrose next week). And if you're in the mood for a game, the average attendance of 341 means there's seating enough for everyone (official capacity: 3,927) and the chances of hitting someone over the head with your ladder are slim, should you not have time to make it back to you car before the game starts. And only £9 a go as well!
Division Two is on the way soon!
Nae danger folks, only two more divisions to go! Today we cover the Third Division, the lowest tier of Scottish senior football. Sit back, click away and enjoy some of the finest grounds Scottish football has to offer. And Cliftonhil Stadium.
→ Livingston
An unsurprisingly decent stadium for the club formerly known as Ferranti Thistle and Meadowbank Thistle. The Almondvale is the Third Division's largest stadium (not counting the behemoth that is Hampden, home of Queens Park). Following some financial and management irregularities that would make Bernie Madoff blush, Livi are currently enjoying life in Division Three, though promotion to division Two looks assured at this stage.
The Almondvale is another one of those grounds built on the outskirts of the town. I'm a big fan of stadiums surrounded by houses and tenements, but if you've ever been to Livingston you'll appreciate the fact you wont actually have to go into the town to get to the ground. Phew!
→ East Stirlingshire
Technically, East Stirlingshire play at Stenhousemuir's Ochillview Park, but seeing as we'll cover that ground in the Second Division Google-pade, we'll show you The Shire's old stadium in Falkirk instead. Consider it a bonus.
It must have been a pure bastard every other Saturday for those living around the home of East Stirlinghire Football Club Plc. Fir Park, which lies not too far from the center of Falkirk is not exactly over furnished in the parking department, a small car park on the north edge of the ground looking to hold about 5 cars if the Google satellite view is anything to go by.
On the other side you've got a huge megastore, but it probably costs loads of money to park there, making an afternoon trip to see promotion challenging East Stirlingshire potentially expensive. The only other option is street parking, which, judging by the Google street view provided, is clearly limited. Mind you, with an average attendance of only 490, that might not have been a huge problem.
→ Forfar
Station Park, Forfar, has all the hallmarks of what I look for in a proper stadium: cracked tarmac, an intimidating perimeter wall and proper terracing, in particular that West Terrace. My first experience of the lack of crowd segregation in the lower tiers of Scottish football was here.
Picture the scene: it's nearly half time in the game between Forfar and East Fife somewhere around 1992, and we're supporting the away team. East Fife are awarded a dodgy penalty (one of those 'wan mair upfirthe lodge' penalties) just before half time to bring the scores level at 1-1 and sending the four of us who made up the away support jump with joy, with the East Fife players rushing over to us.
Come half time, we notice the massed ranks of the Forfar support heading for us in our end, presumably to give us a good kicking. Unsure of what to do, we stuck around only to be told by the friendly locals to "fuck off and get to the other end". We did. East Fife won 2-1. Our celebration for the winning goal was decidedly more muted. True story.
→ Queens Park
Before you click on this link, just cast your mind back over all the other stadiums you've seen so far in this collection. Remember the badly tarmaced carparks, the barbed-wire running along the top of the perimeter walls, the stands with their corrugated roofs. Now also put in your mind the concept that Queens Park are an amateur side, the same as, say, Fort William. Got all that? Right. Click away!
→ Berwick Rangers
As all football anal retentives will know, Berwick is not actually in Scotland - it's in Englandshire. Not that we should hold that against them. Sure, they have to play somewhere and our admission standards are lower than the English FA's.
Shielfield Park is a little like Central Park, Cowdenbeath, in that is has a large speedway track around the pitch, adding to that matchday atmosphere.
There may well be another entrance to this place, a grand ornate gate perhaps like Liverpool's Shankly Gate, with inspiring motos like "mind the flying tyres", but Google couldnae be arsed, leaving you, dear reader, with the impression that to get to the ground you have to negotiate your way past a redfaced farmer Giles-type as you make your way through his gate and across his land.
→ Albion Rovers
Continuing on in the tradition of lower league clubs that have main stands, the back of which more closely resemble an electrical superstore constantly on the brink of bankruptcy, here is Albion Rovers!
An interesting nugget of info for you: several years ago, McDonald's got some darned expensive consultants in whose job it was to figure out how to keep the punters in the place so as to spend more money.
Their solution: get rid of all that yellow and red, because all it does is make people want to leave. Quickly. Perhaps those in charge at the Cliftonhill Stadium should do the same - possibly, a nice walnut exterior, with lampshades instead of floodlights might get more people into the ground.
By the way, Albion Rovers are my current FM2010 team. So far, we've lost our three pre-season friendlies: 3-1 to the Reserves, 4-0 to Leeds and 3-1 to Hamilton Accies. I'm under pressure, and the season hasn't even started yet.
→ Annan Athletic
I had little hopes of finding this place. After all it's miles from nowhere so you'd possibly forgive the Google people who, sitting in a layby on the B7020 between Hightae and Dalton must have looked at the map and thought "Annan, sure no one goes there. Let's just get the lads back in California to do us a CGI town, no one will know any different. 'Mon back tae Glasgae!"
To their credit they persevered, but like a confused taxi driver looking for a large open park who instead finds himself looking at a row of houses while his Tomtom insists that "your destination is on the right hand side" I could not find the place. After much searching and zooming, I did find it. Just. It's tucked behind the garage of number 4, Galabank Avenue. See?
→ Stranraer
Another ground that Google couldn't be bothered to take a proper drive to. Look carefully now. Just behind the slides and the ornate bandstand, you can just about make out the floodlights of Stranraer's ground. Try as I might, neither Google nor I could not get any closer.
In 1998, I moved to Galway, Ireland for my work. I decided to drive across Scotland to take in the scenery for one last time, ultimately taking a ferry from Stranraer to Larne in Northern Ireland. Having arrived early, I noticed that Stranraer where playing at home that afternoon and, having time to kill, I decided to take in a game, possibly my last Scottish game for quite some time. In those days Stranraer where a Division Two side and the team coming to Stairs Park that afternoon was Livingston, ironically enough now playing with Stranraer in the Third.
Stranraer won 2-0 on the day and I left the ground, headed to the ferry and left Scotland's fair shores for the last time. Well, until August that year when I came back for a wedding. And all the other times I've been back to Scotland after that.
→ Montrose
Now, here's a place where I've been a few times, what with it not being too far from Aberdeen. The team are called 'The Gable Endies', though I'm not altogether sure why, as there appear to be no Gables. Just 'Endies', like the one in the view presented here. I wonder how many locals bring along their stepladder of a Saturday to save on the £10 it costs to get in? I'd say the number must run into the low tens.
Back in the day, when I worked at Asco Smit in Aberdeen, we used to send our offshore workers to the Offshore Survival Training Center here in the town. You can see it if you came in from the A92, and as we drove past I'd say to those unfortunates in the car "look, that's where we send our offshore workers for training". And sometimes I'd say it on the way back too! It's got nothing to do with football, but it adds some colour to an otherwise dull entry.
→ Elgin City
Borough Brigs is one of the nicer lower league stadiums to be found around Scotland. Small, enclosed and surprisingly un-dilapidated. Like most stadiums at this level, it is surrounded by a faceless industrial estate and DIY hardware outlets. This could prove handy if you're ever up the town looking for a ladder (for example if Elgin are away at Montrose next week). And if you're in the mood for a game, the average attendance of 341 means there's seating enough for everyone (official capacity: 3,927) and the chances of hitting someone over the head with your ladder are slim, should you not have time to make it back to you car before the game starts. And only £9 a go as well!
Division Two is on the way soon!
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