Tweed

See the problem is that the difference between the teams in SFL1 and SFL3 is too large. The objectives of a team like East Stirling and the objectives of a team like Hamilton Accies are night and day and trying to get something that allows them both to push for the next level is too hard. Because at the end of the day they all want a chunk of the same money. Economies of scale dictate that the most East Stirling can ever achieve is a push at promotion to SFL2. No matter how much the SPL send down to SFL3 they need to boost it with their own money and their crowds and the fact they are tennants at Stenhousemuir mean they have no realistic chance of doing what someone like ALloa has done over the last two years. In my mind, no matter what they do the SFL will never reach agreement. The only way they might is if the SFL1 clubs threaten the SPL2 and leave them a pittance and they may have to bow down to pressure because what is being offered is better than nothing. In England this won't have the same issues because teams in League 2 are all full time, have enough support that if they get a fair wind, keep injury free and a bit of luck they can go up. Just look at Yeovil and Stevenage and how they have progressed and you can see why it is easier to get consensus down there because there is potential to mix with the big boys for all teams but we have fifteen teams that are happy in SFL2 and SFL3 and have no real aspiration to go beyond that.

Aye, thoughts of us challenging Celtic next season is nothing but fantasy. In the way it was this year. Anyone who thinks Celtic would have become so casual away from home after Christmas if they weren't miles ahead is on cloud cuckoo land. However I am grateful to Sheffield Utd to waiting until the end of the season before doing this and letting us concentrate on finishing 2nd. I would now like them to do whatever they are going to do rapid so we can get on with what we need to do before getting ready for next season. We have an early start next season so we need to get cracking.

The good thing here is Sheffield United are going to have to pay to take him. Which means we can pay a small amount to get someone from the lower leagues here should we wish to. Hartley is a super shout, he will know there is not much more he can do with Alloa. Another one who has done well is Ian Murray at Dumbarton though granted over a lesser period of time. In a way though it is good this is happening now before McCall starts building his team for next season and will let the new chap have time to build his team and he can live or die by his choices. If McCall stays, well and good. All bar one of his signings have improved us and even the other one left us with the memory of that comedy dolphin flip as he tried to run up the right wing on Sunday.

Don't mind anyone saying we were rotten today; I do object to anyone saying they weren't trying. By having no Humphrey in the side when he has torn that team apart so many times we suddenly only had one pacy direct outlet in Ojamaa and St Johnstone have a very well drilled back line, only Celtic have conceded fewer than them. We found it hard to get in behind due to their excellent shape and pressing. Many of them just didn't quite get the room to express themselves the way they have been but I think Hutchinson was very assured and a couple of excellent tackles so going for him.

Yeah, me too. I remember a game at Easter Road last year and they were wearing purple and we were wearing grey. Quite like the black strip though. Worked well for Wigan....

When was the South Stand renamed? And do I now sit in the Cash COnverters Stand?

If Ojamaa hadn't cost us the game by getting sent off he'd have won this at a canter I think. However given he took himself out the running I think Lasley is the obvious candidate; Faddy came onto it, Higdon was rather subdued and the rest were in and out.

I'm not really interested in who did what to whom but I will agree with the general point that McFadden contributed nothing positive to that game until he scored. Thought his first half performance was quite immature yesterday, taking wrong decisions and not really being aware of what was going on around him. But in a way that arrogance and poor decision making are what sometimes make him the player he is so I tend to try and not get annoyed with it. However when every attack was petering out because he did something selfish and every time an attack petered out they looked like they were going to score on the break I can see why people were doing their dinger with him.

There was a lot to take from that one. At 1500 our goal difference was 12 better than theirs, at 1530 it was 6 better than theirs and at 1650 it was 10 better than theirs. So whilst the defending was cavalier in the first half, the positive attitude and will to keep going actually meant we did not suffer any more. Dundee Utd seem to have downed tools so had we gone on and lost 5-0 today and our goal difference would only have been 2 better than them, by the time we play Ross County they could have been only three points behind with better goal difference. So considering where we were at 1530 that was a super result. Yes. Definitely. Don't think it played a part in any of the actual goals but it did play a part in that defenders from either team were struggling to clear it and the game ended up being played down that end and when the pressue is continuous that is when mistakes are made. Don't think it is a huge coincidence that Inverness won the toss and turned themselves as they probably fancied themselves to defend a lead rather than chase one down. Don't think Collum got much wrong in that game at all. In fact the only complaint I maybe have is that there was an obvious handball in their fourth goal but since he doesn't have the ability to see through players and it was on the blind side of the assistant too I really can't blame them for not seeing it but from behind the goal it was blatant. Ojamaa's second yellow happens, genuine attempt to win the ball ends up upending the player who got between him and the ball. As McCall said on the radio, some referees may have not booked him for it but I don't think you can criticise a referee for doing it. But it is a complete non discussion point if he hadn't taken a tumble earlier on. Judging by the tone in McCall's voice I don't think he was a happy manager at all, and I think Ojamaa may be taking home a smaller than normal, if any, pay this week. Got to say, although we lost I thoroughly enjoyed that game. Even at 3-0 I didn't think we were out of it but they did have a couple of chances for 4 and I think that could have been terminal.

All sorts of unknowns. Remember when we got to the cup final we had a game at Dens, a game at Tannadice on the TV in the build up plus all the cost benefits of getting there. We missed out on all of that and having drawn an SPL team and having a replay we didn't get the benefit of a TV revenue. The cup is the time where you do get a financial benefit from being on the TV. We are still on the rebound from a season where we failed to sell someone plus all the expenses above. All this and we are trying to project with no competition sponsor. Budgets change but in the here and now I'm not surprised we are where we are.

If you took the games between us out of the league they'd be ahead of us on goal difference and level on points. Not really sure what I am getting at but just thought it was interesting.

Yes, that's it. We also went to a couple of other places and ended up in The Den.

When we stayed after the DIngwall debacle we went into this upstairs folky pub and I could swear we were the only people there who weren't stoned out our mind. There was a guy singing Meet Me on the Corner by Lindesfarne who is one of the most talented musicians I have ever heard in a pub when we were in. The bogs were an experience too! Should have said I can't remember the name of it.

After today, it has been confirmed that Celtic this year are going to have the lowest points total of any SPL winner in the current format. You'd have got ridiculous odds on that at the start of the season but I think it has come about because Celtic have dicked about at times. They played a much weakened team in many games in the first half of the season when Champions League was ongoing - if they had an inkling someone would have been challenging them they wouldn't have done that and likewise some of the teams they are picking now. We've exceeded all expectations and this team have learnt how to beat teams of a similar ability and that is why we are where we are.

Obviously the irony I was aiming for was lost. I think we'll get beat as well. 2-4.

Everything is pointing to us not losing. Only Dundee Utd have won at Fir Park in the SPL since the end of October and they haven't won in four away from home.

I'd like ten of our guys to come out, applaud Celtic on and then stay there and applaud big Higgy on after them.

Player of the Year 1. Higdon - just outstanding 2. Law - just slightly less outstanding than Higdon but can do things a lot of players at our level cannot. 3. Struggling to choose between Randolph and Ojamaa but just going for Randolph. Young Player Ojamaa has been superb, running off the ball and intelligent and so many assists. Angol and Carswell just as good but not had the game time to make an impression but excited by them. Goal of the Season I'm split between two - Humphrey at Tannadice and Ojamaa v Kilmarnock at Christmas. But Ojamaa is getting it on the nod because I was there. Signing of the Season I think Ramsden when fit has brought a lot of experience to our very raw centre halfs otherwise so I'd go for him. Faddy gave us impact when we needed it but I think to give it to someone for 7 starts and 2 sub appearances is a bit of an insult. Also adding in Favourite Match of the Season For me Hibernian 2 Motherwell 3.

The fact he has just signed a contract means that if he does go we will be suitably compensated. In fact in a strange way it is maybe the best time that it does happen. Not that I want him to, I have enjoyed his tenure other than any Motherwell manager during my time supporting the team.

Ramsden and Hutchinson had super games last night; Higdon is the man just now though. Has to be him.

Thought it was the best at the game and having just flicked through the live match I taped on ESPN not changed my mind.

I've kept quiet on this until now. By the time yesterday came round I've got to say I had become a little ambivalent to the whole thing. Not because I didn't care but because I could see huge advantages on both sides of the coin. For me, the SPL as it is just now is the correct size as I can only see it going to 10 or 18 and I really don't think we have the infrastrcuture for an 18 team league. I would love us to have that foundation and I could see that as being a feasible endgame from the proposals especially surrounding the distribution of wealth. Whilst I understand the reasons that they put it into an all or nothing package when this was such a no-brainer and seems to have full agreement I do not understand why we could not vote this through. The one thing I have agreed with Rangers with from the outset is that you cannot change the goalposts mid season. We should never have been trying to change the structure for next season. I actually think the make up of the league was the least important thing in the whole proposal and the clubs should be getting that right over the summer so they can set it up for 2014-15 and make it clear before August exactly what shape we will be in the following year and what position you need to attain in each league to be in each division. That way there is no favouritism. I had no express preference of a vote for or against yesterday but I am delighted that St Mirren and Ross County have stood by what they believed in and were not bullied by those round about them, specifically Peter Lawwell and his patronising words of support. Whether they are right or wrong, I do not know and probably never will, but a bit like Salmond refusing to budge from his decision to release the Lockerbie bomber they have shown they were the decision maker irrespective of the decision. Stewart Milne was absolutely out of order in his criticism of Stewart Gilmour. Every club has one vote for a reason and whether you like a decision or not you need to respect the one of the clubs around you. Stephen Thompson and Peter Lawwell said they were disappointed with the decision but stopped short of such a melodramatic witchhunt. I think Milne's conduct since the vote has been akin to bringing the game into disrepute and he should be punished and St Mirren's two fingered salute statement today is an absolutely hilarious unnecessary justification.

Don't know if they still do it but Glasgow Warriors used to sell any game vouchers at 75% of the normal price, you could then use that to enter any home game other than the one with Edinburgh (I think), if we did the same but it was minus games with Celtic, you could by ten of them, make a good saving and go when you can. Only thing was you coudn't buy them at the ground on match day. Means you can provide your commitment to the club and then when a game suddenly is on a Wednesday morning (I really shouldn't give them ideas) you aren't out of pocket but you get the value of being a semi regular. Simple, easy to administer.

Sure is. United (a) won 2-1 Celtic (h) won 2-1 Inverness (a) won 5-1 Ross (h) won 3-2 St Johnstone (a) won 3-1

We have beaten every team we still have to play this season at the venue we still have to play them at. Nothing to be scared of.