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Before I'd even parked my car on Saturday I was aware of what appeared to be an increased police presence around the ground. I'm not really sure there was any need? I could see a member of my family (you can choose your friends....) in the south stand, was texting a colleague who was also in there before and after the game. I'm able to live, work, socialise and generally co-exist with these people on a day to day basis. However can we be trusted to share a pavement on the way back to our cars after a football match? Apparently not... Joking aside, the police do probably have a bit of self interest, in maintaining an apparent need for them to be there. I don't know if they'd go as far as to create trouble, but sometimes it seems that way.

Did seem a bizarre decision. Especially with the hindsight of Rangers late goal. The Rangers fans were still celebrating at the final whistle, the majority were in no rush to go anywhere. The majority of the Motherwell support would've been out the way by the time the south stand emptied. In fact, a fair chunk of the home support was already heading for the exits when they decided to do this. No idea what they were trying to do, other than justify there overtime. Perhaps at the next game we should refuse to leave until the away fans are all safely up the road?

Don Thomas is like a poor mans faddy without the occasional end product that makes the frustration worthwhile.

I don't think anybody bothers that much until the semi finals. Given some teams don't enter until the last 16, that's understandable. I'm optimistic about the new format, although reading this thread is sucking that optimism out of me! It's not perfect, but it's far better than pre-season friendlies at this time of year, although treating it that way cheapens it I suppose.

Aye, forgot they won the cup too.

Compared to St Mirren, ICT, Ross county we are, and on a par with killie.

Both quite nice tops. I'm not a fan of the amber shorts, but otherwise nice enough kits.

I was basing it on travelling support, I'd guess Aberdeen brought slightly more, but them and Hearts are maybe much the same?

My Rangers supporting mate reckons Rangers will sell out, as 1st chance to see Barton etc. Also as its a cup game, we don't get all the money, so they won't have any issue there.

There's a bit of bad luck with the 3rd best supported team only coming once too, and that being on Christmas Eve, which will knock a fair few off the gate.

The statement is a bit of a red neck. However, I'll be willing to accept that we can dispense with accepted norms around the old firm when Rangers get sent to parkhead a 3rd time after the split.

Yes, that's true. Provided we hang on to the core if the team that's less of an issue for us.

Barton is doing the euros for talksport, so he'll not have much of a pre-season. Rangers have done some business early, but I'd expect they will be much stronger come the end of August than mid-July when they get loans in from EPL sides. Good time to face them I'd say.

I've no idea how they do the fixtures? But can't imagine giving the top side home ties against the 2nd and 3rd seeded team in the group is part of the criteria. It would be pretty heavily weighted in our favour in that case. Incidentally, I'd presumed the delay in announcing the running order was to sort out the TVs games, but given they are showing 3/4 rangers games and 5 games over all, I'm not sure what the wait was for?

Is he not saying they were deliberately trying to cut it up (as opposed to doing a genuine warm up)?

Will try and get to Annan away. Only genuine "ticket scramble" we have had in the last 20 odd years was the play off 1st leg at Ibrox (and I still got offered one). Can't see Annan in the middle of July being one.

I'd have thought the fixture list should have been arranged in advance for all groups? Team 1 v team 2 etc. Could shuffle the order as team 1 v2 will be most attractive in most cases so that all those are spread across Tournament.

And we didn't have a sub keeper. In fact, if Maxwell hadn't played on, Stevie Kirk would've gone in goals and history would be rewritten.

I've been saying for a while, Champions league will move to the weekend, and domestic football will be relegated to a midweek sideshow. Unfortunately the old firm poison isn't just football, as shown by Rangers statement the other day lashing out at Nicola Sturgeon amongst others, it's s drop rooted social thing and the clubs play to the lowest denominator. Another good indicator of the grip they have. 10,000 people turned up on a Monday afternoon to see Brendan Rodgers unveiled. I can't get my head round it. If Motherwell got a new manager, would anyone think to dress head to toe in replica gear, drink a carry out and head up to the ground? Their fans are mentalists.

Regarding the last paragraph. While i agree with the sentiment, they probably wouldn't take their fans with them.

My hatred for the old firm tends to swing from one to the other, but over the last few years Rangers have surely cemented the number 1 spot for some time. Since Lennon left Celtic have been a bit, meh.

Agree with most of that. Unfortunately in football crowds, there's always a few idiots that go too far, and anybody involved with assaults on players or each other should be punished. I don't think the Rangers fans deserve any credit for not reacting though (especially as quite a few did). The statement from Rangers is amazing. They managed to touch all bases even giving Nicola sturgeon a mention. They could've printed postal addresses for Stuart Cosgrove etc. For old school Rangers fans that don't know how to send death threats via Twitter.

Chalmers has the body language of someone who doesn't want to be here. It may just be unfortunate he gives off that vibe? I've got the impression having not "made it" at Celtic he's lost interest a bit. Sounded a decent signing at the time too...

The system is probably weighted in favour of goalkeepers as they're most likely to play 38 games. Although looking at the scores, you are either exceptionally tight with your scoring, or only marked about 12 games, which I suppose makes it a bit of pot luck who gets points.

I think that's a valid point. Not so much now, but certainly when I was younger this was the time I wanted the new kit. Start of the summer. By the time our kit comes out quite often it's July or even August and they start selling it half price in January.