trafficlight

Yeah, the exclusivity has gone in the Champions League era because you have several teams from each country participating, but I still love the big european nights; a full house against a top continental side in a night game seems to be the only occasions when there's an atmosphere. And whilst it isn't exclusive to champions, the compeition is actually tougher to win because they are countless top teams you need to get past. You might have to beat Real Madrid AND Barcelona, Inter AND Juventus. The same teams tend to get to the latter stages, and I can see how that would be dull to neutrals, but I always enjoy playing the biggest teams.

I thought somebody would take issue with what I said. I'm definitely spoilt, no question, but by lack of 'glamour tie' I didn't mean a game against Motherwell, I meant a qualifier for the Europa League, which isn't indicative of having made the big time, even if it's their first European tie. It's an expensive outing for what is a relatively low key tie, and the same goes for the 'Well fans who travel the other way. Things are hard for many right now, as Well Fan 84 re-iterated, and as Iceland was on its knees only a couple of years ago, I'm sure those fans who travelled to Scotland could have used that money in other ways. Fair play to them for spending hundreds of pounds for a Europa League qualifier, I wouldn't, but it wasn't a slight upon either them or Motherwell. I know how spoilt I am. I have passed over Champions League quarter-finals because I wanted to save my cash for the semi!

Good on them, it's an expensive trip for an occasion that couldn't be called a glamour tie. I hope they enjoyed it.

We've been so busy we missed the whole thing and I'm too lazy to read the match thread. How did it go? Is 1-0 enough for the second leg?

A manager older than Fergie who is still living and breathing

Any home programmes from those seasons really.

Does anyone have any match programmes from this period they may be looking to sell off? I have an interested party looking to acquire some.

That's why I do it

By the way, the fox is right in so far as almost all wars are at least in part economic wars. Don't dismiss him out of hand, despite his generalisations.

Sent a tenner from me and the Scotch burd. Good luck everyone.

When's my shirt coming? Don't make me come up there

The futility of war can't be exemplified any better than The Somme and the carnage it created. There can't be a town or city in Britain and Ireland that doesn't have a memorial to the young men who were killed over the months of that battle; a battle which was indecisive and which eventually, after hundreds of thousands of dead, forced generals on both sides to go back to the drawing board and to devise plans which guarenteed the deaths of thousands more. I've studies the First World War many times - from school through to post-graduate studies, and the scale of the loss never fails to touch me. It may have been almost a century ago, but a generation of lost young men in europe ( and many from further afield ) remains horrifying. Bones and artefacts continue to be discovered on the western and eastern fronts, and utlimately it all goes back to a small interconnected and related elite trying to be more powerful than each other, particularly in the German case. Wilfred Own remains my favourite reference for the carnage of the Great War; a man who explored the depths that mankind sank to in 1914-18 better than anyone I know, and it's his portrayal of the survivors of the western front in his poem 'Mental Cases', which describes the countless young men whose nervous systems were destroyed in a way more debilitating than the physical wounds, that touches me most. They couldn't escape through death on the battlefield and were tortured thereafter. We type out a brief tribute to their hell from the comfort of our homes in the twenty-first century and truly don't know how lucky we are. Mental Cases Who are these? Why sit they here in twilight? Wherefore rock they, purgatorial shadows, Drooping tongues from jays that slob their relish, Baring teeth that leer like skulls' teeth wicked? Stroke on stroke of pain,- but what slow panic, Gouged these chasms round their fretted sockets? Ever from their hair and through their hands' palms Misery swelters. Surely we have perished Sleeping, and walk hell; but who these hellish? -These are men whose minds the Dead have ravished. Memory fingers in their hair of murders, Multitudinous murders they once witnessed. Wading sloughs of flesh these helpless wander, Treading blood from lungs that had loved laughter. Always they must see these things and hear them, Batter of guns and shatter of flying muscles, Carnage incomparable, and human squander Rucked too thick for these men's extrication. Therefore still their eyeballs shrink tormented Back into their brains, because on their sense Sunlight seems a blood-smear; night comes blood-black; Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh. -Thus their heads wear this hilarious, hideous, Awful falseness of set-smiling corpses. -Thus their hands are plucking at each other; Picking at the rope-knouts of their scourging; Snatching after us who smote them, brother, Pawing us who dealt them war and madness. Wilfred Owen P.S. Could I also say the Great War should never be turned into some jingoistic celebration of eventually beating "The H.U.N." Every young German and of their allies who died prematurely in the Great War as they 'did their duty for king and country' were equal victims in the carnage, and every last one of them deserves to be held up as an example of the deliberate waste of young life that was 1914-18.

Hello there, Bliki. Iceland is a country I'd love to visit; the land of ice and fire, and all that. Beautiful. I'm sure I won't be alone in saying my knowledge of Icelandic football is very limited - limited to nothing in fact. How many divisions and clubs are there, and are any of them professional? Isn't the total population of Iceland around 250,000? What is the structure of the game in such a tiny country? Away from football, has life changed much since the economy collapsed during the recent banking crisis? And is it true that Icelandic is the most difficult language anywhere? Lots of questions there, you can call me a nosy bastard in Icelandic. Hope you enjoy the upcoming games.

I hope all who make the journey have a memorable trip. Huge respect to those who might find getting the money together a struggle in these times but who manage to get themselves to Iceland for a Europa League qualifier. That's hardcore

Yeah, I thought it was a hoop until it was pointed out. Still a nice shirt.

How do I get a name and number added? Can't see it on the online process. Gave up and just pre-ordered a plain home shirt. I did want MANC 6 on the back, but maybe next time.

We're going to try to make if for that first game. Another twelve goal classic would be great. 9-3 perhaps

So when is it available to pre-order?

Got South Korea v Greece on in the background and the racket is terrible. I can see games going on mute.

They're good strips, underboyle, particularly the home one. I really like the Canterbury shirt but the new one is even more basic in its design, something I like football shirts to be. I remember the 1990s and the era of crazy colour schemes and holograms on shirts. The new 'Well shirt could only be improved if it were lightweight cotton rather than polyester.

That home shirt is tremendous and is how a football top should look. Old school look about it and very classy. When can I order one? What do the traditionalists think about the claret shorts and socks? Away strip is nice, too.

Fucking hell, I was in the Jock Stein Stand that day, supporting the 'Well in a minority of one. I remember Sutton scoring in front me. Was with my best pal, a tim.

Thanks for the info. I really like the Canterbury shirt and it will take some beating.

I like those Morton efforts. How long now until we get a preview of the new 'Well strips?

I think he's got a Martini there, patons. Very James Bond.