Happy Dosser

Yes, he could hit them: fantastic left foot and gambling problem, allegedly. But who remembers him now? I seem to recall a screamer in a 5-3 victory in a night game (Hearts?). He travelled back from the match on the EK supporters bus (when players talked to fans). As for Lionel: the ultimate frustration for any coach, surely? Strangely, he seems to have kept his best performances for the vital games. My impression is that McGhee had no time for him and was not prepared to offer any "emotional support". Well, for all his faults, he was one of a tiny number of potential game-changers at FP in recent years. His goal yesterday changed the game and gave us breathing space. Happy if he stays and I wish him all the best if he goes. He's given us some great memories.

Chris Humphrey was there too. I'm getting more and more impressed by Frear; he's toughening up and getting more confident. His touch to go round the goalie last night was superb.

Frear, Lionel and Emperor Moult were outstanding (his reverse pass to Frear was sublime, as was Elliot's cool finish). Cads nullified the wee Irish boy who had roasted Ferguson in the first 40 mins. As usual we made a big mistake and gifted a goal but we really dug in. Mammoth task now to rebuild for next year: quite a daunting prospect given the size of our budget. Hope my season ticket money gets us a right back. The big question is: is Mr Robinson the man for the job?

That's a nice cleaning up of the original design, graphically much clearer. For some reason, however, I just don't like circular badges. I'd never seen the old badge before but quite like it, actually. Can't see it making a comeback, though.

Do go on!

Listened to Graham Spiers on Radio Shortbread having a sustained go at Skippy tonight re diving/being "entitled to go down". Couldn't watch the incident again since it was absent from the miserable BBC Highlights package of the Accies' game but the topic monopolised the discussion of relegation/play-offs. It was left to Barry Ferguson to offer some support to McDonald, so fair play to him. Don't remember GS taking Rangers players to task for dropping like stones after tackles. I don't think paranoid thoughts specific to us but just think pundits feel they can piss on provincial teams' shoes with impunity.

Thanks for that, P-2. It is a little clingy so I only wear it with high heels... The way things are going with the club at the moment, I'm expecting a return to the Jester's Outfit. So last century.

I thought it was a pre-season game against Everton, if it's the same one I'm thinking of. They had Hammie wearing it in the official calendar a few seasons back. It had the late 60s MFC script above the full hoop? The wee numbers would be banned by the authorities, of course. I'm sure I read somewhere it was originally planned as our official jersey for that season but for some reason it was pulled. Mebbe UBH would know?

Don't forget your opera cuscino, big man: those cheap plastic seats are murder. Come on the 'Well, for Goad's sake......

Ross County never looked like scoring until Jules did something no real defender would ever do. He is a perpetual bombscare, yet has represented Scotland at U level. 'Nuff said. But just tell me he came on because Hammell was injured. Otherwise..... David Ferguson would have been a better option, but our thinness since Tait's injury has been exposed. Tait's not a great defender but his crossing isn't bad. Cads has been forced into a role he is not comfortable with and this has reduced our attacking options. Neither McDonald looked fully fit but they got little service. I actually didn't think Frear played badly. He looks frail but got some crosses in but to no avail. Unlike RC, Panathonaccies and a resurgent ICT, we seem incapable of scrapping to win ugly. Outright relegation now seems a possibility and I would probably take the play-offs now if I were a betting man. I actually don't think our potential opponents are any better than Rangers last time. Of course, a win in Hamilton would change everything.

It served pretty well for about fifty years. The contrast of deep claret and amber with white accentuates these colours, the most beautiful colours in the universe, or multiverse. And black socks with claret turn-overs with amber hoop. And wee claret numbers above the hoop. Bliss, ya bass.

Dundee fans will be nervous because when they got relegated in 2004-5 they slid from seventh at the split to bottom. Big John Sutton will remember. I don't mind either of the Dundee clubs actually but it's dog eat dog now and I would have preferred to have played them last Saturday. I hope Frear and Campbell get on the ball. I predict a dead-cat-splat for the new manager and a nail-biting 4-3 victory (Ojamaa hat-trick, Hateley sent off for scything Frear, Moult scores penalty winner in 94th minute). Lovely cough mixture, this. COYW.

John Reilly's career was cut very short by a bad knee injury, as I recall. I believe he is now Head Teacher at Holy Cross HS in Hamilton, for trivia buffs. Paul Kinnaird was pretty awful. Hard to say who got more abuse from the troops, he or Andy Roddie. *shudders*. O/T: check out the Airdrie V 'Well game on the photo thread if you have any rose-tinted specs. Not much quality on show and little ball retention, imo. Arthur Montford is quite entertaining, though.

God! Thirty years ago now and I can still see the ball come back off his crossbar and one of the Hearts microbes bundle it in. As I recall, McLean was just about to bring on a striker in preparation for extra time and righteous victory. Thought I'd consigned it to oblivion but now it's back. Doesn't affect me, affect me, affect me, affect me.....

Fair point but I feel McGhee had no belief that we could beat The Ugly Sisters, etc. I'm old enough to remember the time both we and the Jambos spent three years in the second tier in the 80s and those seasons were long and painful, and our longest time outwith the top flight since just after WW1. Our manager's job is a tough one, given our deficiencies in defence and midfield, none of which have been addressed for a number of seasons now. I still think we have enough to survive, if a new manager can change the fragile mindset.

Whoever gets the job, I would hope he would ditch the apparent defeatism in our attitude to top six teams. OK, Celtic are out on their own but other teams seem to have more fight and organisation: Accies beat Aberdeen, Ross County beat Hearts and no-one seems to regard Rangers as world-beaters. We seem to have surrendered before we even set foot on the pitch: grrrrrrrr! The one thing Baraclough got right was his tactics in the play-offs. In the short term, a brash, boot-up-the-arse-Yogi Hughes-type ("working-class-club-type-honesty-character") may be what is required. I suspect the club already have identified their man. Whether he wants it is something else, of course.

Agreed, so watch out for plenty of deep-sea diving from Panathonaccies in front of out 18 yard box: Crawford takes great free kicks and will be their main goal threat. I'll be very disappointed not to win this. For all our faults we are considerably better than they are.

I'm old, so even at 2-0, I expected an onslaught we would struggle to contain. I also felt, on hearing the team, that MacMillan (for all his youth) would have combatted Celtic's pace better than Hammell. In rugby, a missed tackle is statistically significant. Lasley, Hammell and Clay (can anyone tell me of a tackle or contribution he made?) ended up on this list and it cost us dear. The first two have the get-out clause of having been great club players. I just feel the future is our younger players. Moult was great today (first goal technically breath-taking), and was gutted at the end.. Young MacLean was fearless: he mugged the whingeing Rogic brilliantly and his cross for the second goal was a beauty. Don't know why he was subbed. Well done, young man. And Cadds was his usual breenging self, and almost made another for The Moultinator. Finally, thanks to The Bois for a great tribute to the dead on the Brazilian plane crash. A great touch not emulated by the "greatest fans in the world". Gladdened the heart of this old dinosaur. Still proud to be a 'Well fan.

Thanks, forgot about that. Could be second by Christmas, then.

A voice of sanity. Brill: if not now, when? Samson is such a flapper he could dance the Charleston. As for McGhee, no wonder he reacts badly on occasion to inane comments from "supporters", and on Friday he was obviously raging about the first goal. In the second half one guy in the POD was screaming at him to "get a sub on" after he'd brought on three. Help ma Boab! Having said that, I'm fed up with his tinkering with formation to nullify opponents instead of playing to our strengths (we have some, e.g. Moult). His comments before the ICT cup tie last year, when we played with one up for most of the game, made them sound like Barcelona: embarrassing. I'm not looking forward to our usual rabbit in the headlights submission at Celtic Park either and a visit to Pittodrie afterwards probably means a difficult October but who knows with a team like The 'Well? 'Twas ever thus.

Imrie always has been and always will be a wee jerk, even when he played for ICT. It's a pity we don't have someone in our team prepared to deal with him quite legally and make him think again. I have a time machine fantasy of him being up against Baldy Shaw in full Hannibal Lecter mode. Imrie's blooter into the East Stand was as bad as Bomber Brown's, and just as petulant. Ironically, I think it was Heneghan's strong tackle in the first half which hit a wee boy in the POD stand. The kid tried bravely not to cry but couldn't quite manage it. It was nothing like the strength of Imrie's clearance. If that had hit an OAP or child it could have done real damage. It's a pity we don't have someone as creative as Ally Crawford in centre midfield and he is a real threat at free kicks. When did we have someone like that in recent years?

Louis Moult finished so well today. Hope he was subbed only to prevent any recurrence of his groin problem. Accies never gave up and wee Crawford was excellent but our midfield disappeared in the second half and the pressure on our defence was nerve-wracking. Midfield lackedany creative spark and I wish McDonald would stop blaming others for his own failings. At one point he was asking McGhee to get Ainsworth telt. Fair enough but just concentrate on your own game, Skippy. You look unfit and your passing is poor. Is it just me or do we look less fit than last year?

A great summary of Joe's skills. I also remember his India rubber legs which managed to steal the ball from his opponent in a tackle from the back. He was a complete gentleman. I'm too young to remember Baldy Shaw but I hear he was a terrifying prospect for any right winger: "hit 'em hard, hit 'em early."

That's spooky. I was going to mention him in the same category but thought no one else would remember him. Anyhow, I'm hoping Belic will be a young talent we can develop and hold on to after January if he is playing well.

You've got a better memory than me 'cos you remembered how he spelt his name. Yes, he was completely unpredictable: the original "Open the gates and let him go" type. As a nine year old I found him quite exciting, though.