weeyin

We slagged him off because of his fake tan, not because of his managerial ability. The guy has had 14 straight years' employment as a manager, so whether you like him or not, there are plenty of people who have some faith in his ability.

I know people like to overestimate the quality of the English Lower Leagues, but it's a bit of a stretch to say that the 21st team in League One is the same standard as Motherwell. And Trollope is the man who put them there.

I liked Big Tel, but let's not forget that he also bailed on his contract and, as I recall, wasn't exactly up-front about his job hunting activities down-under. I'd rather have a great manager that moves on in 2 years than one who doesn't attract any attention elsewhere.

Because it will be in good shape when we do have games, and when the abnormal snow conditions disappear and we are back to regular overnight frost/freezing (with no snow involved) we will be minted.

Wait until Jan/Feb when there is just frost to deal with and then judge. It was never intended to deal with the current weather and I imagine there will be 3 or 4 games saved per season because we have it. For a club like us, that can keep the finances ticking over nicely.

That is short sighted though. The question isn't "Will we get more fans through the turnstyles against Rangers than Ross County?". The question is "Will we get more fans in total through the turnstyles every season for the next 3 or 4 seasons with a 10 team league or an 18 team league?". I reckon you will get more people coming to watch Ross County for there one visit to Fir Park than you will for St. Mirren's 2nd (or 3rd).

That's the short term thinking that will kill our game. An 18 team league would, most likely, be better for 16 of the teams that participate. Certainly, in the longer term, you can see how it would aid the development of the younger players. The problem, as always, is the OF, who want to play each other as often as possible to generate revenue; regardless of the negative impact it has on the game as a whole.

To be fair to the ABB, according to The Guardian, their spokesman actually said: "It is important to point out that something that is unusual is not necessarily suspicious and something that is suspicious is not necessarily fraudulent." A quote that hasn't been widely reported elsewhere.

Yes, they were sitting 9th in the league at the end of the season which would have meant The Drop for them.

We got a break when we got Porter on a free and sold him on for a few quid. We have had breaks to avoid relegation when leagues were reconstructed. We got a break when we qualified for Europe through the Fair Play league. We got a break, apparently, when we signed Coke. We got a break when we were saved from relegation on the stadium criteria rule. It does happen sometimes.

They weren't down the pub, "acting hard" and looking for a fight. Running a business isn't the same thing as spilling someone's pint. Both sides take a position (often publicly), then negotiate an agreement behind closed doors. After that it's cigars and claret all round. It's all just a big game.

Why? Have you received different legal advice from the Board? Do you have a clear idea of exactly what SPL rules (or Scottish laws) have been broken? Do you know how much it will cost to purse the matter? Do you know what the estimated compensation (if any) would be if the case was won? Revenge is no basis for running a business.

Exactly. We have no money and wasting it on questionable legal issues is pretty stupid. Ethically, Brown and Knox were at fault, but I'm not sure we would be successful in pursuing any claims - and even if we were, it could end up costing us more in legal fees than we would win. Sometimes, in business, you need to pick your battles.

I was just thinking that. Any year we don't get relegated or get saved from relegation through reconstruction (or all-seater stadium rules) is not too bad.

I have seen a few stories about irregular betting patterns over the past few years, but I don't recall any ever being established as fraud - certainly not in a football match. It still sounds to me like a few mates saw how crap the ref was and jumped at the 10/1 odds on a red card during the game. I'd hate to be wrong, though. As others have said, it's the last thing the Scottish game needs right now.

I wouldn't be too worried yet. As I understand it, gambling sites run similar software to credit card sites which flag up unusual activity. In many cases, unusual activity doesn't mean anything criminal was going on.

If has applied, he'll still have to wait for JB to contact him, no?

Another prime example of how agents are ruining (or have ruined) the game. As always, the more unrest they generate, the more profit they make.

Purely for the post-match intellectual discourse amongst the patrons.

I thought it was a straight red for that.

Didn't see much of the game, but we looked like a team that hadn't kicked a ball in earnest for a few weeks. Definitely lacked match fitness.

Is there a game on tonight? Won't be going. 1 - 1.

I wouldn't be unhappy with Calderwood, although I have some concern in him sticking around. It wasn't that long ago he said he was bored with managing in the SPL and needed a new challenge. He did a good job at Aberdeen, establishing them as a top 6 team and getting to the Group stages of the UEFA Cup. Thanks to that record he is also responsible for maintaining their delusions of adequacy, but I can forgive him for that.

Barcelona is also carrying a 430 million Euros debt. No wonder they can buy success. Give me JB's prudence any day of the week

That's a bit optimistic. My guess is he'll be back in the pension line at the Post Office by the end of next year.