Kmcalpin

I agree - thats my understanding too FC. Ironically, was it not Killie fans who complained about our "unfair" charging regime?

Some fine play by Jim O'Brien. Both sides had their chances, but some of our defending was absolutely awful. Undecided about United's penalty claim. There may have been contact but the lad did go down very easily. Any club looking at Graeme Smith can't have failed to be impressed by his shot stopping but his attempts at United goal will certainly not have gone down well with them. At least if he moves to another SPL club we'll know how to put him under pressure.

I can't believe you're saying that FC. According to Andrew Smith, writing in the Scotland on Sunday, EVERYONE in the ground (and that included you) apart from Brines thought it was a penalty. Journalists can be a bit patronising at times eh? I can only assume he didn't consult you before writing on your behalf.

I heard an interesting comment on BBC during the game, which I think echoes the thoughts of a few of us. His shot stopping was praised to high heaven but it was felt he would have to improve his cross ball skills significantly if he had any ambition to make progress in the game. Unless I picked things up wrongly he was blamed for the goal we lost. He also had a misunderstanding with Brian MacLean at one point. As things stand I wouldn't be overly concerned if he moved on. Of the current top six sides the only one in which he would have a chance of making the starting line up would be Hibs. If he wants to move down south then he really will have to improve his handling of cross balls.

Firstly I hope I'm proved wrong but to date they have picked up several more points than we have. If that continues they'll finish higher than us. Thats not to say we don't play the better football but as Hearts proved tonight thats totally irrelevant if we can't score more than they can and we let in cheap goals.

Exactly Jim. Much as I dislike them, Hearts will prove by mid May that they're a stronger side than us and tonight's result will in no way be seen as a disgrace - they had to fight all the way for the points. I think too Aberdeen & Dundee United will prove to be better than us over the course. Our real battle is with Hibs for 6th spot. The Hibees are capable of beating us to it but by the same token we're capable of pipping them. Defensive mistakes are costing us dearly just now and we really can't have any complaint whatsoever when we lose games because of them. Thats not to say of course that St Mirren and Accies aren't capable of securing 6th spot -they are.

Exactly. A defeat was always the likeliest outcome this evening and so it proved. However a 2-1 reverse away from home against the 3rd best team in the league isn't an embarrassment. They've now beaten us twice on their patch this season and that must say something. Of more concern to me tonight than the result was the fact that Craggs was stretchered off and Maros Klimpl was booked. Still mustn't complain too much - we had luck against Accies and Celtic. Swings and roundabouts I guess. Our next 3 games are much more winnable than tonights was ever going to be. Like one or two others I was a bit puzzled tonight by Davie Clarkson in midfield. If he's not considered good enough for a start up front then he should warm the bench. Personally he'd always be in my my strikeforce but then again I'm not the manager. Has Steve McGarry impressed in the reserves recently to warrant a subs appearance?

Of course there will be. Its virtually impossible to get our entire support to agree about anything. There will be those who want action now and not at the end of the season. There will be those who will be worried, very worried, about the effect of bulldozers on the pitch. I could go on and on. Me? I'm encouraged the club seems to be taking the problem seriously.

A very interesting article by Pat Nevin. First things first, the club should have done more to keep our pitch in decent condition. That said much of the criticism of the club in the media frenzy has been downright unfair. Too many journalists have axes to grind. I've watched the FP pitch for a good number of years, and while I've seen it in some right messes it has got worse in the past few years. I well recall John Chapman (being a farmer knows a thing or two about soils), during his spell in the hotseat, saying to me that USH would be the ruination of the pitch. Its tantamount to firing a clay water pot in a kiln. MFC has expended a lot of time, money and effort over the years to rectify problems and still not cracked the problem. On several occasions the turf has been relaid but on each occasion it hasn't taken properly. In short the solution is not simple, as Pat Nevin rightly points out. I believe that the SPL is to send out an independent expert to check that any remedial work is carried out properly. I also hope they have the good sense to send them out BEFORE it is carried out to advise on the best course of action. That might be more constructive. We've discussed this issue many times before on this board and a few of us have raised the issue of the water table, hydrology and surrounding sewerage. I don't pretend to know the details of our problem but if these are all contributory factors, as Pat Nevin suggests, then there is no straightforward or cheap solution in sight. Does anyone recall the torrential downpour after the Aberdeen game last season and the damage it inflicted? That gives an indication of the drainage/hydrolgical and topographical problems associated with Fir Park. Maybe its time to give the club a wee break here. Many have been critical of the club's silence on the issue and I have some sympathy with that view but bear in mind that we have had to present evidence at Hearings. Also its possible, perhaps even likely that the club and experts simply don't know what the underlying problem is. A new stadium can't come quick enough. The cash to be spent on the pitch could be better put to other uses. PS. I respect your view Matt and fully understand why you hold it.

I'm a wee bit surprised by some posters' reaction to my idea. I quite appreciate that not everyone would want to contribute or indeed could afford to contribute and I have no problem with that whatsoever. Thats life. However providing fans were approached in the right way i.e. "Here is the scheme do you want to contribute ...No? ok thanks anyway" I don't understand how anyone could take offence. I could quite understand a reaction if fans were hassled or made to feel inferior about not not giving but there's no suggestion that would ever happen. I have the impression, maybe wrongly, that some posters would take offence even if asked politely or would even take offence if someone else wanted to contribute. My message is chill out. If you want to contribute then fine but if not thats ok. Folk should have a free choice on both sides. The club has every right to ask, and we, the fans, have every right to say no or conversely yes. FWIW I also agree that that our pitch problems are not all USH related. Once again on Sunday the wing under the POD Stand was sodden. Perhaps its no coincidence that its also the lowest part of the ground. There are still drainage problems.

In my dictionary "impertinent" means irrelevant, out of place, absurd, insolent and lacking respect. Well, I suppose compared the best fans in the world we would be. Presumably the Herald deemed their behaviour yesterday exemplary. Maybe we should all follow Scott MacDonald's example yesterday of not questioning any ref's decision but rather thanking him at every opportunity and accepting his every decision. Ah well thats the Herald on the banned list now. Running out of titles to read.

I really cannot understand why if the Police go the trouble of closing streets to traffic for half an hour at the end of games and erect barriers (which were a safety hazard in themselves) outside the ticket office they cannot put the same effort and thought into segregating fans after the match.

Plenty to talk about today and I was pleased with the draw. Celtic certainly had far more pressure but didn't really test Graeme Smith and although the media made much of our one effort on target Celtic couldn't muster much more. I thought we gave Celtic too much respect and despite what the official formation was I thought it more a 4-4-1-1. Too often Sutton was asked to plough a lone furrow up front with Clarky playing too deep. The midfield too sat very deep at times and were guilty of not supporting the front men. Still we mustn't be too critical. Ian Brines? Although he wasn't required to make any major calls, thank goodness, he gave us very little and was rightly jeered off the pitch at half & full time. I thought Quinn, Klimpl and O'Brien were our best players but Paul Quinn was my MOTM not just for his goal and celebrations but also because of his general defending and runs. What about that second half tackle on McGeady!! Radio Scotland coverage was absolutely appalling. Richard Johnson, Murdo McLeod & Chick Young seemed most put out that we had stopped Celtic. For a good 15 minutes after the game they ranted on about Celtic without mentioning who their opponents were. Most stupid and completley pointless comment of the day was the match commentator who reported that Coach had scored today and also scored against Rangers in December 2007! He completely failed to mention other goals Coach has scored. And your point is caller? All in all a reasonable day and the result pushes us into the top six. Good choice of music too

Three main contenders in my view. I thought Quinn, Klimpl and O'Brien were our best players although the too often the latter had no real end product. Klimpl refused to be intimidated as most of his predecessors have been and got stuck in and should consider himself unlucky to be yellow carded given other unpunished offences that took place. Paul Quinn was my MOTM not just for hois goal and celebrations but also because of his general defending and runs. What about that second half tackle on McGeady!!

Because some like myself might want to. If the club sets such a scheme up, on a voluntary basis, then it would be up to each individual whether they wanted to contribute or not. If some don't wish to then fine. At the end of the day, the pitch remediation costs come our exactly the same budget as our transfer budget.

Please don't speak for me; I certainly wouldn't agree with him. Despite being a media pundit his opinion is worth no more nor no less than my own. In fact as I've attended more Well games than he has (and paid for almost all of them) my opinion is probably worth far more. I've never listened to him nor do I intend to start now. The solution is simple fellow Dossers - you don't have to listen to Real Radio so don't. If he's serious about campaigns then why hasn't he suggested docking the OF points for sectarianism?

Why not indeed?

True. Be up front and say a square yard of turf and the chance to help the club. If folk find that unacceptable or doesn't give an attractive yield then they don't have to contribute. No need to dress up the idea just a simple question "Are you in or out?".

We all know that the club is going to have to undertake major improvements to the pitch this summer and that that is going to blow a significant hole in our total budget. Almost certainly this will mean that either we can't acquire new players or that some current ones will be allowed to leave/sold on. No doubt there will be a few moans on this Board in 4/5 months time about lack of inwards transfer activity. Before we get to that stage could the club not launch some fundraising activity to help out with the costs of new drainage/turf/USH? Yes, I know we're in the middle, hopefully, of a global recession, but what about setting up a "sponsor a square metre (I much prefer yard) of turf" scheme? This could be aimed at both ordinary fans and businesses. Higher rates for the penalty boxes and centre circle? By my reckoning we must require approximately 8,700 sq yards of turf. A fiver or tenner per square yard? Even supposing we only raise £5,000 that would help. Would such a scheme cause any damage or harm? What about it Flow?

There's little to be gained by castigating individiual players, thats missing the point. Our problems last night were much more fundamental. The pitch was perfect, we fielded arguably our strongest side and this was a cup tie, but we still turned in a sub standard, flat, disinterested display. No excuses. Its not rocket science - its just like making soup - if you put nothing in you get nothing out.

Watched the game on the box tonight and I feel heartfelt sorry for our fans who went to the game. You were let down very badly. Back to basics I'm afraid. There's no real point in analysing our performance there's much more fundamental problems to address first. My only exception would be to highlight that we've lost yet another goal from our Achilles heel on the left flank. MMcG fielded the team that I would have done but 3 minutes into the game it was apparent that the team simply wasn't up for the game. Throughout the 90 minutes there was no fight no heart and we treated it more like a friendly than a cup tie. St Mirren on the other hand were up for it and credit where its due they fought for their win. At times they seemed to have 15 players on the pitch. Ok they didn't play much football but they chased, harried and tackled all night and justice was done when Mehmet scored. The way we played tonight was reminiscent of the game late last year at Falkirk. No fight and no spirit, and lack of effort. Quite plainly we have problems off the pitch. Maybe bonus disputes who knows? But, certainly lack of motivation. This current team are not cut out for cups, that much is clear. Not good enough Mr McGhee! The fans don't expect good performances or results but they are entitled to seeing the team give 100% and they've been badly short changed tonight.

Not that simple I'm afraid. I can't speak for Hamilton but Dunfermline installed it purely for commercial reasons. The surface was shocking and the players hated it as they picked up more injuries. Big Terry said in fact that when we were playing at East End Park there were some players he couldn't pick because of it. I recall one CIS Cup game there played in freeezing conditions and the all weather surface was anything but. The ball would hit it then ricchet off it at unpredictable angles. A good idea but we're not quite there yet.

I know where you're coming from. Dissent is a very silly offence for which to pick up a yellow card. However, in the heat of the moment its maybe understandable....someone assaults you after the ball is played, maybe you react - no real action is taken, you mouth off and the ref cards you. I suppose its down to frustration - the officials witness what went on yet bottle it.

Don't agree about Clarky's finish - it looked very well taken to me - expertly hooked with his right. Agree about the penalty claim though. What a run by Coach though! Charges up the park plays a one two loses it and then wins it back. All in the dying stages - he's certainly fit.

100% agree. Dazza played well yesterday and earned his place BUT that meant shifting Jim O'Brien out of position to a position he's not suited to. Apart from the untested Aydilek the only other left sided player we have is Fitzy and he's more of a defensive central midfielder. Midfield was our big problem again yesterday. On thinking things over again, and we're all wise in hindsight, couldn't we have played JO'B wide right and moved Dazza into central midfield to partner Maros Klimpl. The conditions didn't suit Stephen Hughes yesterday and as he's a bit lightweight, Dazza may have taken on the role of a box to box player to support our strikers and counter Accies' "Panzers". Worth a try?