Andy_P

Pleased that we appear to making strides to the return of standing at games. I'm not sure how its going to pan out in terms of what type of seat/railing/barrier structure qill be required but on the face of it we would appear to better placed than some be part of a pilot. If you accept Stewart Gilmour's view at St Mirren that its a non-starter at their new place because the sightlines were built for seats, then given we have seats bolted on to what was a terracing in the East Stand then in theory, you might think it would suit us down to the ground. I don't see the old Main Stand enclosure being feasible as it once was however as a couple have suggested. Remember you've got those, emergency stairs coming down from the Main Stand, there are no turnstiles leading in there any more and the areas that did lead in have been converted over time. I would see that as additional expense the club might not want to make for a pilot. Also worth remembering that you would be some distance away from the away support, the interaction with whom the terracing experience went hand in hand for many in days gone by. The East Stand however, the last section or two closest to the South Stand just seems ideal for it. I hope the club will have taken note of the positive response to the change.

I thought it was a fair result. Bit disappointed that we failed to go on and get the three points having been ahead but can't argue with the outcome. It turned into a really good game to watch though it was the ref initially who seemed to be the catalyst to it sparking to life a bit in the first half with some really questionable calls. The Goodwin punch is the main one from our perspective. He goes and it's a different kettle of fish entirely. Thought at the time he was perhaps a bit quick flashing the yellow card. Wondered at first was the linesman going to tell him what we had all seen from the East Stand but was beaten to it by the card, but I suppose he would have been able to alert him through his ear-piece if he felt it worthy enough. I do wonder if there will be an retrospective action though? I'm not so sure that the cameras will have picked that up from the Main Stand. Interested to read about the Saints penalty claim though. I noticed the flag going up out of the corner of my eye but to read that it wasn't offside makes us doubly fortunate with that one I guess. Pleased to see the curse of the former player was alive and well with Higdon notching another but disappointing we couldn't build on it. At first I wasn't sure if it was deliberate on our part to invite them on to us and hope we could hit them on the break, but either way it went out of the window when they scored that screamer. After that I thought they edged it although we might well have snatched it ourselves with Samson's save with a couple of minutes left. It's another game without a home win ofcourse but put in the context of where we are in the league etc. how we've managed to pick up points away from its not as much of a worry as it might otherwise be. You can never count your chickens with Motherwell ofcourse but with Dunfermline and Queen's Park our next two opponents at Fir Park I'd like to think we'll be looking at two home wins there.

Don't be so patronising. I was trying to help you! You complained about streets being untreated. I pointed you in the direction of someone who might be able to remedy that for you. Clearly nothing they can do about today but it might put your mind at rest when its frosty or snowy at any other home games in the winter. NLC Winter Twitter Alternatively NLC Winter Services And no I didn't tip-toe to the game. I chose to wear appropriate footwear!

Perhaps a point you might want to take up with NLC then Gilmour. They've a punter who tweets about 50 times a day about their winter operations on their twitter account and regularly points out who to contact to look at roads and pavements for gritting.

Your thoughts and votes please folks...

Was it maybe Bob McHugh who made his debut that night, I know he came on as a sub and could only have been about 16 or 17 around then? I remember Murphy getting one or two outings under Malpas. Certainly as a sub at Parkhead and possibly also against Dundee Utd in the last game of the season.

Don't want to turn the game thread into another debate about admission prices, but this is perhaps exactly the kind of fixture that Brazilian was alluding to in another thread recently where he reckoned MFC should be targeting games to attract a healthy away following. You look at the fixtures. Their last two away games - Celtic, which is generally higher price wise than the average and some folk don't go OF grounds on points of principle anyway. They've followed that with Aberdeen away which I think has even higher admission prices than ourselves not to mention the associated travel, food and drink costs. And then there's ourselves just a week after they've had that Aberdeen trip. I don't see it happening on the back of the Hibs "experiment" but this is the fixture that if we had the means you would want to try to make it as enticing for their supporters to come to Motherwell if they are picking and choosing from their run of away games. As for the game itself they would be choice opposition for a sudden clicking into place of home form. Delightful as it was to win injury time at Paisley earlier in the season there are a helluva lot of smash and grabs and downright shit performances from us against them to make up for over recent seasons. I think I'd quite enjoy a healthy romp of a win against them. Quite happily take another last minute winner for the Dossers but....

Don't see why not Special.

Your thoughts and votes please folks.....

Away wae ye! If you do that then there'll be one less person for the rest of us sad cases to converse with!

Indeed, which is the very reason this is one of the few transfers out I could probably countenance in January. It's the "everything else" bit that's the key and by that I mean more than just Humphrey. First off I'm inclined to agree with those that have already posted they consider this speculation bullshit anyway and I'm hardly hurrying him out the door; but Humphrey is one of the few players that I think we could get away with losing - if and I stress if the bid was of a certain value. Someone coming in for the likes of Randolph at the back end of January would leave me with sleepless nights about our ability to get by in the short to medium term, particularly with Hollis injured too. If someone comes in for Hump at the same stage we already have a ready made replacement at the club in Omar Daley and I'm hopeful that Steven Lawless will come good too. And if the blow of losing Chris was further softened by an amount that would help us with the running of the club and retain the services of players who genuinely are essential to the team, then as I say I'd say that would be a deal I would be content enough with.

It was in fact that very scheduling that indirectly helped me become a 'Well fan. My grandfather, resident of EK, supported Partick Thistle and with them being away from home his next option was to take my old man to either Accies or MFC to see his first ever game of football. Thank God Accies were away from home too...... It's an interesting point, how much an impact it has if indeed it has any impact, does the scheduling of Accies/Motherwell games have on our potential to attract football obsessives or floating fans to our games? I personally wouldn't have thought it would have a great deal of impact but then I've never stayed in Hamilton or Motherwell so couldn't really say for certain. If it is deemed to have an impact then the club should be asking for it be to considered. After all its the done thing that Rangers and Celtic games alternative (for obvious reasons ofcourse) generally speaking you'll have the capital clubs alternating and though there is some of the crap scheduling you refer to that occasionally sees the Dundee sides scheduled at home together, for the most part they are kept apart too. With that in mind, its not that great a leap that with Motherwell and Hamilton only a couple of miles apart that we could request the same degree of consideration when the building blocks of the fixtures are put in place. As I say though, there would probably need to be some evidence put in place to support such a request.

Malpas and Hegarty tag-teaming again on the boards I see......

I find it an odd one. Okay we're only a few weeks away from the window re-opening but the timing strikes me as very strange. For one thing Hump's current level of form is a fair bit off some of the heights he's hit in the past for Motherwell, and it's not as if he's moving into pre-contract country either. With him signing a new deal earlier in the year, anyone looking to buy is going to have to pay a bit of money for him. The curious thing is that this isn't the first time he's been linked with EPL teams either. There have been a few players over the years where you've thought, aye this one has it within them to go down south or even to one of the Old Firm in their stronger days, where you felt they could comfortably hold their own. I just don't see it with Chris as it stands. He must have a cracking agent! But seriously with length of contract Humphrey is on, Omar Daley on a two year and Steven Lawless continuing to develop quietly at the Wee Rovers I think the club would have to seriously consider a decent bid if it were to come in from one of these sides mentioned.

Yep, just catching up on the thread and it looks that way so far! Moved to Chapelhall when I was one or two apparently and remained there until moving to Bargeddie about 10/11 years ago. So whilst I was born in Bellshill I'd say its originally from Monklands and still in Monklands for me.

Excellent. Keep that kind of talk coming Saints. Doing McCall's motivational team-talk for him for this weekend is ideal!

At this point I'm finding this a really difficult one to call. There are a number of variables in it for me. St Johnstone will clearly be going into this one in fine fettle with some excellent recent form. I would certainly bite your hand off for four out of six from Ibrox and Tynecastle when we go there in a couple of weeks for example. But they are ofcourse at home and as we know ourselves that's a different kettle of fish entirely. Have St Mirren and Dunfermline both not gone there and beaten them this season? And there's the new manager factor too, so clearly there will be a bit of expectancy if not pressure for them to deliver. I also hope for some complacency after the game at Fir Park earlier in the season too. From our side, we've been dogged and determined for the most part if not always swashbuckling in our play, particularly on the road and whilst our home form has attracted some criticism it remains the case that here we are into December with Saints the only non-Old Firm team to have beaten us. So whilst Saints will be a challenge it is no less difficult that going to the likes of Paisley, Easter Road, Tannadice, Inverness and Pittodrie and registered wins so we shouldn't be going there with any apprehension. No prediction but I'll probably look on this as I do most away games in the SPL. Would love a win but won't turn up my nose at a draw, and that'll be an especially useful result if it does come to fruition given that it would keep them a little at arms length.

The Clarkson red card was down at Palmerston in a 4-0 loss to Queen of the South. The Queen's Park pre-season game was at the Science Parks in Glasgow. Can't remember if it was still Butcher or Malpas was in charge, whether it was before or after the 3-0 League Cup win at Hampden but I think we won 2-0 with Foran scoring from the spot.

A bit like Finlay posted earlier, not that upset with a point from our game, bit annoyed that both St Johnstone and Hearts have gained a couple of points on us. Not overly surprised to see that McCall was happy with the point too, it did seem fair enough, although I do seem to remember United having a few more opportunities than us over the piece. Utd will always be awkward opponents at the best of times so with the wind behind them in the first half, that iffy wee spell just before the break apart, it was pleasing to see we coped generally quite well with them. Just wish that when we did get towards their goal we might have taken the opportunity to fire an effort or two in on goal - thinking here of occasions when Law and Humphrey passed up chances to shoot. Second half we looked as if we were going to take advantage of the conditions but it all sort of petered out a bit. Frustrating given that when we did get them ball into their box from corners and set-pieces it did seem to rattle them a bit. I wondered if perhaps it might have been worth chucking on Gary Smith to give us an extra forward up there with bit of height and who may have been able to link up a bit more closely in the box with Higdon. I can well understand though why McCall would have erred on the side of caution though and I suppose given the subbies were eventually required to replace those with knocks perhaps it might not have been the best idea after all!

Your thoughts and votes please folks......

Posted at 0712. Did you burgle the ticket office or are you giving back handers to Postie Jim to ensure early deliveries?

I do his miss hissy fits on TV when England cock it up again. England losses and calamaties are much the poorer these days for his absence. And I also think he is a bit of an arse too. That said, seems like a really good opportunity for the Heavy Hands Empty Stands people to get some publicity and further the aims. When its usually a case of you trying to call in favours or speaking nicely to the right people secure some publicity I'd say when the platform is potentially being opened for you its an opportunity to take.

Every time you post I'm reminded of that sketch on Red Dwarf where Rimmer turns to Kat and says something like "there are many things we can bring to the debate. The best thing you can bring is silence........"

Maybe it was the guy who does the piss-take Pa Broon account on twitter who turned up for the post-match presser when the real Pa was off making his Horlicks or something

David posted that it was at the request or at least following discussion of the OP of the Heavy Hands thread. A tricky one on what to do for the best. I said as much myself when commenting last night as to whether the Pittodrie incident ties in perfectly with or takes the focus away from the campaign. Anyway David's comment in the other thread..... That would be the Gaag given right actually......