CoF

Don't you see the first division as something of an abyss just now? The top first division clubs who are arguably better than the bottom of the SPL can (and do) spend season after season being the nearly promoted team when other pish reap the benefits of the SPL. There is so much fear at the bottom of the SPL because relegation is a potential nail in the coffin if you don't have a damn good season next and come straight back up.

Do you mean a restructuring of the governing bodies?

here's a bit on the stv site... Decision soon on 16 team SPL SPL clubs will decide before Christmas whether or not to back the well documented proposals to expand the SPL to 16 teams. There has been much talk of reinventing Scotland’s top division but it now seems as though a final decision will be made in the coming months. Neil Doncaster, the SPL’s chief executive, believes that drastic changes are needed to the current format if the trend of major financial loss is to be reversed. He is expected to ask for the support of all SPL clubs to shake up Scottish football and improve the rapidly worsening European co-efficient. Doncaster said: “The plan will be put to our members before the end of the year and if it’s approved – we need at least 11 of the 12 clubs to vote in favour – then we can take it elsewhere.” The plans to expand the league will also feature a return to the popular play-off relegation system too. If the plans are approved by the SPL clubs, negotiations with the SFA would swiftly follow. If the SFA negotiations go without a hitch, the new set-up could be in place for the start of the next league season. The SPL agreed a four-year deal with SKY and ESPN for the TV rights to the league last year, but were given the option to walk away from the deal at the end of this season. Scottish football fans will no doubt keep a close eye on these upcoming talks, with the goal of repackaging the SPL into a more entertaining and attractive prospect.

There was a tiny wee snippet in the record (I think) last week. Apparently all 12 clubs are attending a restructuring meeting with the SPL in December with a 16 team league to be the main proposal. It needs a vote of 11/1 and can be implemented next season.

Might not be that far off if a 16 team league is voted in in December.

Was just thinking the same thing, although the views probably marginally better than parkhead.

Yip. It's the trust that's worrying me. Fans running a football club, recipe for disaster if this board is anything to go by.

Exactly. Whit's the problem? I'm goin to agree with Ewan Cameron and say Hibs should go in for Brown if they have any sense.

I think once the opposition is one down it almost becomes like an away game for us. They are chasing the game and trying to get a goal, so theoretically we should be able to sit back, draw them out their own half and hit them with pace on the counter attack. It's worked so far this season away from home and it makes sense to play this way because we tend to run out of ideas if we're trying to break down a ten man defence. I think the plan came apart yesterday because their left back battled hard with Humphrey and done well to nullify his pace and because Murphy wasn't his usual magical self. That seems to be our main source of inspiration the now, hopefully Gow will come onto a good game and give us more options. I was quite surprised to hear Brown barely acknowledging the few good spells we had yesterday too. That's no bad thing mind, just shows what he thinks the squad is capable of! Anyway, I fuckin enjoyed yesterday. Mind not have been pretty but it was a fairly exciting game even if the standard wasny great. 3rd in the league and 6 points clear of the bottom six, that'll do me just fine.

I wouldn't be so sure.

I always thought he showed a lot of potential when he was coming on as a sub however seemed a bit light weight and was pushed off the ball far too easily. The exact same things I (and a lot of people) were saying about Darren Smith at the time. I know it's still early days in both players careers but it's strange how two players who showed about the same level of promise and style of play have gone in different directions.

Just watched the highlights (here). Looked like a fantastic performance, the wee move before Murphy hit the post was amazing.

Fuckin mental. It's the stands that slope at Fir Park, not the pitch.

Mibbe they just peeked at this thread and sent him back up the road on the megabus.

That sums it up for me as well. Still feeling pretty scunnered about Thursday night and the league table looks familiar already.

Doesn't look like much of a home crowd.

I think the mistakes that took us into administration won't be made again, and unfortunately that means spending beyond our budget in the hope that it yields better results on the pitch. I think Boyle is relying on very shrewd appointments to take the club forward now.

It's a funny one. I think Blackman had a job to do (win the punted balls) and he done that job very well. 9 out of 10 times he controlled the ball well or knocked it down for someone else. It was the starting point to a fair few of our attacks.

Craigan was dealing with another OB player at the time who was acting the hard man. Might have been the captain, he was doing the 'look at ma big chest' motion right in Craigans face.

I think folk are wrong in thinking that there are 4000 or so that go to Fir Park every week and the rest that show up for 'big games' only show up for those 'big games'. Using rough numbers - Of the 4000 in an average home game I bet only 2500 are there every single week. If the other 1500 is made up of folk who only go to say, 1 in 3 games however always make a point of going to a 'big game' then you will naturally be adding a couple of thousand supporters to those games (taking it to 7000). Doesn't make them glory hunters, just means for one reason or other a chunk of our support have to pick and choose what games they go to.

I voted Blackman. Thought the long ball tactics worked well as he was winning everything in the air.

I might be mistaken here but im sure the bbc cant show highlights anywhere until 6pm on a sunday (which is when they go online) due to a clause in the spl/sky contract. Gives them a day and a bit to show the highlights first.

We could be in the europa league group stages in under twelve hours time. Im going to run out of man size nappies long before then.

almost as good as