Jay

Aye, use the one in my sig.

Batter in. After all, we are all Stuart McCall.

Was too hungover to get out of bed earlier, so I just made that instead! Based on this (obviously):

I was trying to take my mind off my hangover this morning.

Oh aye, I know what you're saying - my point is though that I think far too many people are putting far too much throught into all that shite. Personally, I think if any 'Well fans find the final being overshadowed by anything else (and I include the Spanish Grand Prix in that, eh Panda!?) then it's because they've let it be. The cup final will be as great and memorable a day as you let it be - regardless of what happens elsewhere - and that includes the build up which seems to be more about folk proclaiming there's going to be anti-Lennon songs and Currant Buns littering the 'Well end! Busta's spot on.

And? Who cares!? It'll only be overshadowed if you let it be. I don't read the newspapers (outwith the Metro!) so if they want to print page after page on Neil Lennon, I couldn't really care less - it's not going to overshadow Motherwell in the Scottish Cup final for me in the slightest!

There might be one, possibly two, Union Jacks in the Motherwell end, and a few isolated groups of about four people might try and sing anti-Lennon stuff that won't stick. That'll be about it. I cannae believe just how much worrying is going into this game. It's a fucking cup final - enjoy it!

Top bombing lads!

Are you seriously suggesting dropping two of our best players for our biggest game in 20 years? I take it all loan players should be automatically banned from the final too?

Either that, or Celtic are having a panel night tomorrow now as well. He'll have poached Tom Boyd for it by the end of tonight!

Marc Fitzpatrick's left and Ross Forbes hardly gets a game now. I take it the club shop is now the token target, at least until Maurice Ross signs a contract extension?

Booze and breakfast from 7.30am onwards at Chez Joe, then the 100 yard walk to the buses Cloudy's laying on about 5 minutes before whatever time they're meant to be leaving.

I reckon you're right. I have no doubt he's made the statement knowing full well Celtic fans will take it to mean nasty mini-h**s like ourselves have been lying down, thus continuing the "us and them" mentality Lennon's managed to create at Celtic Park - and he's done it well, many Celtic fans still fail to see he's a poor manager simply because they're so engrossed in all 'being' Neil Lennon. However, what exactly would we be complaining about here? He hasn't actually said ourselves and Dundee Utd lay down to Rangers. Is there evidence that we gave Rangers a game? No there's not - because we quite clearly didn't. Whether or not he's implying that was deliberate is irrelevant, the simple fact is nothing he's said there is incorrect.

Only if they're shite at football. If they're any good, McCart'll pinch them for Sellick.

4-5-1 by an absolute country mile for me. Randolph Ross -- Craigan -- Hutchinson -- Hammell Humphrey -- Jennings -- Lasley -- Hateley -- Murphy Sutton Subs: Hollis, Saunders, Gunning, Forbes, Jeffers. Injury time winner from big John.

I reckon we'll be looking at the numbers in the ballot reflecting the tickets left over pretty much spot on to be honest. Reckon there'll be around 4,500 - 5,000 tickets left by ballot time, and I can't see there being more than that in the ballot. That's our core home support - take away the 3,000+ ST holders, take away those who knew they were getting tickets through ST holders and didn't register for the vote, and then add those who don't usually go to games but decided to register. I reckon you'll be looking at around the same number as you started with. I could see a handful of tickets leftover, plus some from folk who'd already managed to secure briefs for ST holders, on sale from the ticket office the week before the game.

I suppose it depends on how you read it. It could be that those who registered for the ballot first will be contacted and offered a ticket first.

Exactly. Helicoper Sunday was a perfect example of what will happen to any Sellick fans who give the game away in the 'Well end of Hampden. On that day, most 'Well fans were just at Fir Park for a regular league game we expected to lose and was pretty much meaningless to us, and yet Sellick fans were getting punched and kicked before being thrown out. My personal highlight was the one or two of them who celebrated up the back of the second white section at the south end of the East Stand when Chris Sutton scored, and disappeared below a load of bodies - with folk clambering over seats to get at them. This is a cup final - everyone will be up for it, passions will be high, booze will have been consumed in large quantities - any Sellick fans sitting in the 'Well end will get an absolute pasting if they show their true colours. And quite rightly so.

Great logic there. Also great logic from the guy disappointed that Motherwell fans who never go are suddenly going to the final, doing Clyde and Aberdeen fans out of tickets. There will be a handful of Celtic fans in the Motherwell end, that's guaranteed. What's also guaranteed is that, unless they manage to keep their true colours hidden for 90 minutes, they'll end up getting up getting a kicking. It'll be like Helicopter Sunday all over again, just with far more Motherwell fans.

We'll probably be resting said players on the last day, just like we did at Tynecastle before the semi-final. Celtic, on the other hand, will probably still be in the title hunt and will field a full-strength team. Gary Hooper, Emilio Izaguirre and Kris Commons to leave on stretchers please.

Agreed Diggle. We'll be heading to our allocated seats, and standing in front of them for 90 minutes. My only issue was with people claiming they're going to be sitting down in row KK of the singing section. Given the folk in rows A-C are going to have to stand to see the game, coupled with the fact that the majority of the singing section will want to stand anyway, not to mention the fact that Hampden stewards very, very rarely give two fucks about standing - I think we can all agree that such claims are nonsense. There should be three very simple rules for sections B1 - B5 at Hampden on the 21st of May: 1. Stand. 2. Sing like fuck. 3. Collectively aim punches at any Celtic fans in the 'Well end who give themselves away.

I don't actually think it will be anything like the last Scottish cup final though.

If you're row KK in the "singing section" (ie. about three quarters back) then there's absolutely no danger you'll be sitting down.

To be fair though, there's absolutely no way you're going to get more than an isolated group of folk singing whatever wins the poll. With a hefty chunk of the support going to be grannies and mates of 'Well fans, you'll be lucky to get the whole crowd singing an actual Motherwell song never mind a Savage Garden number.

I doubt it. Hampden stewards, assuming it's the same ones as usual, don't give a fuck about people standing. I've not sat down at Hampden for about ten years or so. Keep in mind half the Celtic support will be standing as well - making people sit down will be far from a priority for the stewards. As I said, they won't be "enforcing the rule" anyway IMO, unless it's a small group of people standing in a full section of people sitting. Every "big game" at Hampden (Scotland games, cup semi-finals/finals etc) have thousands of people standing with the stewards not batting an eye, and that includes our semi-final. I'd hope and expect everyone will be standing in the singing section, but as it's a bigger section than the semi-final that's not guaranteed.