dennyc

For those interested in our position seeding wise etc. Search "Bert Kassies Conference League" on Google and follow the 26/27 link. Great to see our name listed in the second qualifying round 88 Clubs section if you scroll down. Kassies sets this out each season for each Euro competition. Fills it in as teams qualify and games completed. He also sets out the draw groupings as soon as known. An excellent info link. Whether we are seeded or not will depend on who qualifies over the next week or so. At the moment we are 'mid table' so could go either way. Once completed we will get an early idea of who we might get.

Oh, I agree that JBA can find a better fit, less pressure and a more open, competent ruling Association. He must be sickened by what he has discovered about the way football in this Country is run. But toxic though a large element are, Celtic fans recognise outstanding football when they see it. And like a few other deluded Clubs see the provision of free flowing, entertaining, attacking football as a right. Add in that the Celtic Board are all too aware of the power they have ceded to the GB and they will see offering Askou the job as a way of easing hostility and holding on to their positions for a wee while longer. So a political approach rather than the Board's first choice. Appoint another Nancy like disaster ahead of the fans' preference and the insanity will get even further out of control. I would love the meltdown if he did turn down an approach from them in preference to staying with us (1st choice obviously) or moving to a mid table French side. Would speak volumes.

Although I think JBA will move to Toulouse, my big fear is that all the publicity and their own fan reaction will prompt that lot from Glasgow to jump in if the French move does not happen. Life changing money on offer so no one can hold it against Jens for moving on. Losing him, although no surprise, would be painful but the structure and belief exists for us to continue our progress given a suitable replacement. And his current assistant must be a front runner, not least of all because he is known and trusted by fans and players and played a large role in introducing the playing style we have all loved this season. But wouldn't it be so refreshing if JBA said "Thanks but no thanks. I have a job to finish here and will see it through". I live in hope. As for contracted players moving on if he goes? Only on our terms! All are young enough that if they continue to perform they can still secure that big move.

They would rip them to shreds and and then still charge onto the pitch. if in that bottom tier, there is no way to stop them. Short of risking injury to stewards and police. Any 'soft' attempt to deter them would just be seen as a challenge. Let's see how many of those that invaded the pitch and caused the game to be stopped early are identified by Celtic and banned from all grounds in Scotland. Not a one is my guess. Celtic themselves are a huge part of the problem. They have ceded all power to their toxic fans. And the decent ones are too scared to speak out. Good to see Hearts are not backing down and setting the record straight regards the early stoppage and the fact players were assaulted. The SFA silence is even more deafening than it was after Ibrox.

Other than billing them for the empty seats, Motherwell could restrict their numbers without reference to anyone. I would say raise the cost of away tickets to compensate but that would need a similar increase for home fans, per current rules. S is not a consideration What could Celtic do? Reduce our tickets for Celtic Park? But it is not like for like anyway. And if they boycott Fir Park, Happy Days! Issue a statement stating that numbers have been reduced because of the actions of Celtic fans over a series of visits. Qualify it by saying MFC retain the right to restrict fans of any Club if similar incidents occur. Sends a message to all, although Hearts. Hibs, Aberdeen, Falkirk and even Rangers of late have not been an issue despite bringing thousands. Need to keep our own house in order re away games though or we end up looking like hypocrites..

Given the trouble this season and last I would hope the Club Board are already considering this. No doubt the loss of income upwards of £65k per game is a factor. Hard to gauge how many of those home fans that avoid Old Firm games would be encouraged to turn up if away numbers were greatly reduced. Wouldn't be enough to offset the loss but then again money should not be the driver here. I wonder if anyone from the Society has expressed health and safety concerns re Celtic games to our Chief Executive? I don't think there is any rule dictating that a Club cannot pick and choose which visiting fans should be limited in number. Hearts and Hibs have limited away tickets for most teams in recent seasons but increased the allocation for matches between the two. So no reason why we could not restrict OF, or even just Celtic, but give others the full stand.

No reason why not. Would be a start. But there has to be a willing. When the top team in the Country, their Manager and their media have spent days trying to play down and justify the actions of their fans at the weekend and earlier I wouldn't hold your breath." All just good natured fun don't you know." "It's all the Police's fault" "No evidence to support the claims" "Never happened" As a first step we should reduce the away allocation in some cases to a minimum...if any....and place them as far away from the pitch as possible. Does someone really need to be badly hurt before that happens? But as long as money talks I can't see that happening unlike at Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and even Falkirk that can fill the ground with their own fans. A further 3000 uplift in our home support and we might just about be at that stage. A tough ask. Was reading yesterday that Celtic are refusing to fully stump up for the damage their fans caused to the stand, plumbing and electronics at Ibrox. Running into hundreds of thousands of pounds by all accounts. Hiding behind some agreement that a Club only needs to pay a maximum of £50k for any damage do away grounds. SFA approached but stalling and asking the Clubs to sort it out themselves. Court action incoming. Reminds me of the time they held us to ransom when Burrows was in place.

Just a re run of the Euros squad. Clarke is taking his mates on a big holiday before leaving. Hanlon and Souttar ffs. Both injured recently, came back but can hardly run. Ask Hibs and Rangers fans about those two since January. Miller is too talented a player for Clarke. Passes the ball forward far too much.

Agree with most of that. The issue is the incompetence of the officials added to cheap technology and SFA denials. But all Clubs suffer, including the two they appear to pander to most. Other than us being hard done to, Newell hand ball goal Hibs v Celtic, Falkirk penalty v Rangers where Barron adjudged to have handled, Rangers denied late penalty in League Cup final v Celtic for holding, Falkirk last man red v Utd, even Hearts Maswanhise penalty if we care to be honest. All as clear examples of errors that affected outcomes and titles. We can get hung up on Rangers and Celtic all we like but the truth is that all clubs suffer. Only if they unite will things improve. They won’t because that’s the way it is up here. Also sickening is the changing narrative re final day happenings at Celtic Park. From media, SFA and Celtic/O’Neill. By tomorrow it will all have been down to Hearts, Celtic fans were just understandably exuberant and the Hearts players got bloodied by Craig Levein coming on and punching them for losing. Oh, and we are now told the final whistle was blown despite MON stating in the Daily Mail that he was ushering fans off because the fourth official told him there was a minute left. A day later he changed his mind. Sky went from a full blown invasion to several Celtic fans entered the field of play. The only ones not to change their story are Hearts, Michael Stewart who has his own axe to grind and non partisan ex players Europe wide. Hearts will likely be fined for leaving early although they did so under Police advice. As you say, Scotland is shamed and sadly most of all by those running the game. . Because we are focused on our team and there are so many errors we feel excessively cheated.

Re Ap Stam. Sydney qualified yesterday...almost at the moment Fadinger scored...for the Australian League play off final. Beating the favourites on penalties having lost the equaliser well in to injury time. Previously drew the first leg 1-1 with Stam scoring. If he ends up part of a title winning team it may well assist in a permanent move. Still think he is better than we saw at times. Good luck to him.

On the way up Leith Walk I was chatting to a couple of Coventry fans who had come up for the game. For the oldies out there, one was the son of Coventry legend Keith Houchen who also played for Hibs. They were impressed by what they saw of Motherwell and thought we were streets ahead of Hibs. They told me Slattery had already agreed terms with Oxford? Having watched him they were convinced he was far better than that and could easily walk into a Championship club. They were also shocked by how poor the referee was. More so when I told them Walsh was FIFA qualified. Gordon is a strange one. He was a certainty to move on as he had become a fringe player at best. But his last few appearances suggest there is a lot more to him and he appears to have suddenly developed skills and patience I doubted he had. Fitted in seamlessly to the style of football we now play. Also came across as heavily committed to the group. That dressing room coverage was quite an insight into how well the players have bonded. Never thought I would want Gordon to stay, but if Welsh is unsignable for next season we could do worse. Chat locally is that along with a good few others we are interested in a Dunfermline centre back who can also play as a left wing back. I think Just is likely to be on his way no matter what. Especially as New Zealand have a World Cup Group in which he should shine. Maswanhise might not bring in the cash we hoped for but I think we will certainly receive offers. Hopefully the sale of those two would enable us to retain others for a wee bit longer. Without doubt some first team starters will move on. That's a fact and the Club have been open about that. Needs must Whether or not it becomes the challenge it could be may depend on whether Askou agrees to stay for one more year. He will have options and will have some serious thinking to do. If we can hold on to him I would not be surprised if some of those players we expect to leave have second thoughts. I'm hoping Slattery is one of those players.... unlikely as it seems. (See above) Two players I have no clue about are Watt and Robinson. For different reasons. I was told by folk not connected in any way to Motherwell that Watt's agent was in discussion with Hearts and Rangers in January and that a deal was imminent with Watt preferring Rangers. Then injury intervened. But now again I am told there is interest. Time will tell. Crazy as it seems I wonder if Robinson is seen as a possible replacement for Maswanhise. Robinson comes across as well regarded by Askou and integrated into the squad. Just a feeling but I suspect Askou thinks Robinson might be a player he can develop to the level he requires. I imagine we will very soon see a list of those released so that will clarify things to a degree. And tell us which youngsters are considered good enough to step up. But for sure it is going to be an interesting, frustrating, exciting summer. What a season that was! Thanks to Jens, staff, players and fans for giving me my Saturday back.

First up let's agree that it is unacceptable for Officials and their families to be targeted, Anyone threatening them should be prosecuted. Same goes for anyone inciting hate or repercussions online. I include the release of personal information. So I await with interest to see what prosecutions take place. If any. Regards the SFA Statement. It is general and non specific. John Beaton and his family were subject to threats and shocking intimidation following decisions he made in a Celtic v Rangers game. That is a matter of record and is reprehensible. (Was any Celtic fan prosecuted?). But nowhere does the Statement say he was threatened following Wednesday night. Given the nightmare he and his family went through previously I can understand the need for caution and therefore the need for immediate police involvement. A sensible move, particularly as his home address is in the public domain. But a precaution only unless there was/is a specific threat. In which case let us see those prosecutions. Let's call out this Statement for what it is. A deflection from the reality that many Officials are incompetent and unaccountable. A deflection from the possibility that an error may determine who wins the League. A deflection from the reality that there is no plan in place to improve standards despite an admission that errors occur. A deflection from the fact that numerous ex players (with no allegiance to Motherwell or Hearts) were agitated enough to highlight a decision made with no understanding of the game. A deflection in an attempt to turn those incompetent Officials into victims. No doubt many will buy that story as it is a clever narrative. Almost as effective as the concerted efforts of the Celtic media machine which we witness regularly This Statement takes the circling of the wagons to a new level. When you have no justification, go on the attack. Finally. Thanks to our fans who resisted the temptation to confront the Celtic supporters who invaded Fir Park and scared the daylights out of those Motherwell fans in the disabled section. The police and Celtic players certainly did little to help clear the pitch. No surprise there. Fortunately we did not see a rerun of Ibrox a few weeks ago. No doubt just 'exuberance' yet again. Any Statement from the SFA or Celtic? Thought not. And yes! I'm still hurting even though the Hibs result rendered the penalty meaningless in our drive for fourth place,

That Ward was injured when he clashed with Maeda? He got treatment at the time and was noticeably limping. Could just be a precaution if they brought Ox back as cover just in case. Big game for us so all bases need covered.

How does a referee reach that elite grade? I'm guessing it requires ongoing assessment by UEFA or FIFA? If so that only reaffirms that none were regarded as competent enough to officiate at a high level. Presumably the same rule applies to fourth officials, assistants and VAR where we are also unrepresented. Over 150 positions in all. Quite an indictment of Scottish football. Then again Willie Collum and Craig Thomson were involved in so many controversies whilst officiating in Europe that it's no surprise Scotland was put on the naughty step. Those two caused havoc wherever they went. Not a great endorsement.

Collum adjusts the Laws to justify errors made by his team. He will not admit to any mistakes that affect outcomes of games and the presenter will not challenge him. Example .... Re half way line sendings off - " it is not about whether players are likely to get round to cover. It's about the speed of the forward " He actually said that on air! Think it was the week when a Falkirk player was sent off against Utd despite two defenders being in a position to challenge the player who was fouled. That is one of the many flaws with IFAB instructions. Each Association or competition is able to implement the Laws as they see fit. And the more they tamper, the worse it gets. English Clubs always highlight the different hand ball rules that apply in European tournaments. Bayern Munich have an axe to grind in that regard as well following their loss to PSG. Remember when Spain decided that every hand ball in the box was a penalty and a yellow or red card no matter what? Thankfully they were open enough to eventually drop that guidance. Until our Officials, and Collum in particular, are prepared to be honest and accept mistakes are made then nothing will improve. And that won't happen until the Laws are applied consistently across all countries and competitions. Basically, Collum drives how the Laws are applied in Scotland. Possibly why no Scottish Officials are deemed able enough to be at the World Cup in any capacity. Speaks volumes.

Ever since the Rangers home game when he was booed off the park for letting Rangers away with murder McLean has been at the heart of most decisions that have gone against us. Notably the cup tie at Aberdeen and the recent game at Tynecastle. He called both red cards and the penalty. No coincidence in my opinion. Collum having a wee laugh at our expense by appointing him for Saturday. Seems like we are still being punished for repeatedly calling out their incompetence.

Talking of away allocations. Given today’s ruling effectively banning Rangers fans from Celtic Park in case the Bears get their hands on tickets, can we now inform Celtic they will be getting no tickets for Fir Park unless they can guarantee none will end up with the Green Brigade. Precedent now set. And given their record of damage and pitch invasions, player confrontation who could argue. Wonder how that would play out in our wonderful, unbiased media? Guaranteed the Authorities would step in. Re Falkirk Hibs and others of late, great to see our increased support feeding into away matches. But as you say it has its drawbacks. If ST sales increase substantially I guess MFC will need to look at some system to ensure everybody who wants a ticket gets a fair crack. The implications of being a big team! 😃 A themed thread would at least register what us fans think.

Better be careful. You'll get yourself banned from all things SFA, including car parks. Next they'll be demanding the BBC cancels your TV licence so you can't comment on future cock ups by their Officials.

No we won't. Because the attempt to cheat was picked up at the time and dealt with properly. The referee and officials were not conned by Cartwright's attempt at cheating and there was no advantage gained by Falkirk. So in that respect it was nothing like the Slattery incident. Whether we like it or not, Slattery was dealt with as others have been who were found to have gained their club an advantage by cheating ( additional suspended 2 games aside). Plenty of examples. And not just with players of so called wee teams. Hearts and Rangers spring to mind. Nowadays VAR should mean that incidents are dealt with in game time, ensuring no retrospective bans. That is the real failing of the system as far as Slattery is concerned.

There is no incentive to improve no matter how many are involved. Irrespective of how many errors they make or how many times they ignore the Laws, with Collum in charge they are untouchable and decisions justified to the extreme. You just have to watch the farcical monthly review to see the institution in action. Collum has devised his own personal rule book. Quote ' Our stakeholders don't want to see that'. Translation ' We will ignore the Laws (sometimes)'. Possibly one reason why none of his team of experts made the 150 heading to the USA. That speaks volumes. Change will only be possible when leadership is honest and prepared to apply standards. How about instead of an ex referee being in charge, they appoint a former non Scottish player who understands the game and can tell the difference between intent and accidental, the difference between natural and unnatural? Move on from mates covering mates. Better still, just scrap VAR. I am now at the stage where hearing the justification for the ever growing number of errors is more frustrating than the errors themselves.

According to the match programme on Saturday the VAR Official was Steven McLean. The same VAR Official from the Aberdeen cup tie. The same referee who put in a shocking performance in the home game v Rangers a week before the cup tie and was loudly booed off at the end. Obviously just a coincidence as I'm sure he holds no grudges.

Won't matter what size of pool we have if they don't know the Laws of the game and are not held accountable when that ignorance shows like it did Saturday. Will anybody challenge Collum to explain why 3 of his team, 5 if you include the Asst Refs, either didn't know the Law or decided to ignore it? Not a chance.

Under Kettlewell our future looked extremely limited and it was all about survival. It felt like only a matter of time until top flight status was lost. Our players looked almost as fed up as the fans. Games were not enjoyable, even when we won. That was the reality of the situation. Speaking personally I found it more and more of a chore to attend matches. No exaggeration to say that in over 60 years of attending games I had never felt as scunnered. Under Askou I look forward to games and love what I am watching each week, even if the outcome is frustrating at times. That's football for you. All season we have been looking up and not down, with top six achieved at a canter. We have players who are a joy to watch and should attract decent offers should we choose to cash in. Several who were ignored or looked done under Kettlewell are now performing to a high standard. We are looking forward to further progress next season and indications from within the Club are that planning to that end is well advanced. And all that achieved in next to no time. The results comparison surprised me. I admit that. But that alone does not tell the story. The increase in attendances, home and away, would suggest that many folk feel the same way as me. No matter what happens post split, this season has been a positive that none of us could have imagined under Kettlewell. For me that is the comparison that matters. Fans now have belief and are turning up in large numbers. The players look to be enjoying what is being asked of them. He may not be a legend yet but I hope he stays long enough and is supported sufficiently to have a shot at achieving that status.

I guess it is about fairness no matter what club is involved. And the Slattery situation is annoying given it should have been dealt with on the night. No argument about that. Believe me I am annoyed as well as we will miss him when we need him most. The thing that also annoys me though is that a good few on here (not saying that includes you) are playing the victim card...poor wee Motherwell, this would not happen to a big club.... and in doing so are losing sight of what actually happened. Almost turning Slattery into a Martyr.. He isn't. He did a stupid thing and got caught after the fact. Got punished. Same as others, albeit pre VAR. For me that failing of VAR is the big issue the authorities should be dealing with. The ineptitude of their own officials. I think we are all agreed on that? Folk also have a concern about the delay in the matter being dealt with. Seems a fair point on the face of it. Again that aspect is annoying. But if Motherwell had accepted the punishment when cited, the ban could have come into play right away. Dundee and Hibs? By contesting a charge and seeking a hearing, a Club is given two weeks to gather video evidence and witnesses in support of their case whilst the Authorities put together a Panel. Motherwell opted to fight the accusation, and many will agree they were correct to do so, but that may have added to the delay. That's my understanding anyway, looking to the procedures followed in the past. Anyway, thanks heavens there is a game coming up in a few days. We can move on and hopefully get a much needed boost, particularly having suffered through Steve Clarke's latest delivery of fearful football and games for the boys.

That's true if those others were caught in match. But other than the two match suspended nonsense, Slattery received the same punishment as others who were later found to have conned officials into awarding penalties/ red cards. Exactly what we were demanding when Kipre was sent off after Brown conned the referee. Plenty of other examples of similar punishments in the past. Despite comments to the contrary this was not a ground breaking or historic decision. Rangers appealed when it happened to them insisting contact had been made (Aluko dived to win a penalty in a 2-1 win over Dunfermline - 2 match ban) and were unsuccessful. But far easier to ignore precedents and play the victim card. Slattery got caught, got punished in line with others. It's done. Would we have complained had Scott Brown been cited and banned for two games with the Kipre red card rescinded? As others have said, the real issues here are inconsistency and the ineptitude of VAR and the match officials. Had they done their job correctly then it would have been dealt with immediately at less cost to Motherwell and Slattery. In an ideal world, with the introduction of VAR, situations like this should not occur. But in reality they will as long as players continue to exaggerate contact.