Kmcalpin

A minor side issue in the great scheme of things I know. A family member told me tonight that the owner of the Steelworks is going to reopen Club 100 as a sports type bar. That should kybosh any talk of the club taking over the site or premises.

Oscar Priestman for me. He popped up all over the park and was Mr Perpetual Motion.

They were my 2 main conclusions from tonight.

I might disagree with you about which option to choose but you're 100% right about this. We can't afford to dither and swither much longer. I'd also hope the fans will be consulted.

I'm preparing for the game tonight as best I can with a tea of pickled herring, just to get in the mood.

Tonight should be seen as being a big game for us and not simply as being a bonus or Euro jolly as it has been in the past. We should be trying to move on as a club. Its a rare chance to raise the club's profile; bring in extra cash through prize money and gates; and sustain the momentum from last season with the support. Its a chance to move up a level and we should treat it as such.

My guess is that we'll see one or two of these players featuring tonight at some stage.

Looking forward to tonight, with a big crowd behind us. I'm apprehensive but optimistic at the same time. My concern is lack of firepower up front but, we'll see. I had hoped to see another midfielder added before tonight as we certainly had enough warning of the likelihood of Slattery, Watt and Just leaving, but thats life.

Reports tonight that Just's fee is £6m + add ons. We'll probably have to pay Horsens a cut.

The problem is that the refurbishment of Fir Park won't stop there. Once the POD is addressed then there are 3 other stands as well as assorted issues then needing addressed. That will easily run into 7 figures if not more. A veritable money pit.

So if the SFA felt that the VAR decision at Fir Park wasn't the worst ever, which one do they think is?

I suspect, like JBA, he's playing his cards close to his chest. If we haven't got a clue about our line up neither will HB.

Due to injuries and lack of signings, this tie will be harder than it would otherwise have been. HB are also mid season but have had a few weeks break. However, its possible, maybe even probable, that they'll be without 2 of their better players due to visa problems. After all is said and done however, the Faroese league is a very small pond, albeit they are a large fish in it. I can't see us floundering on Thursday and can see a 2 or 3 goal win.

Are we opening up the South Stand or just limiting our fans to the other 3 stands?

Out of interest what would the maintenance costs over 30 years be, if we remain at Fir Park? We'll start with demolition and replacement of the POD then the Hunter Stand.

We all know the issues with the POD and the need to install temporary seating. However, unless I've missed something, we haven't been told the timescale. What does temporary mean? Is it 9 months, a year or even 2 or 3? Not an issue in theory, but if the seats are uncomfortable and causing injuries and disruption then yes, it is an issue. The answer is obviously linked to bigger matters.

I'm entirely largely in agreement with you on our options G & F. My preferred solution is a new stadium and it always has been. Whichever direction we choose, and I hope the directors don't simply kick the can down the road, there are no easy options. If we do move, the significant challenge we face is of course finance, there's no hiding from that. However, we are in a healthy position. Yes there are challenges in dealing with the various agencies involved in the Ravenscraig redevelopment, but I would have thought that given that progress has stalled, the lead body would be keen to help us move there to kickstart development and demonstrate progress. Retailing proposals have largely had their day and are no longer an option there. . There are significant problems if we choose to remain at Fir Park. As G & F rightly points out, the current site is very limited and we'd have to shoehorn in any new POD replacement. I'd assume that the Chapman building would also be demolished to provide more flexibility. The internal space within the current POD is a real constraint. If we wanted to expand and improve facilities such as hospitality suites internally then that would necessitate very creative thinking and design. Expansion of these facilities is essential in my book and I'm not sure how that would be done. Fir Park is a money pit and there will always be ongoing maintenance and development issues. If the POD is rebuilt what then? Will the Hunter Stand then need a new roof or replacement? Substantial amounts of cash will need to be spent on infrastructure every year. Nimbyism? You can be sure local residents would pore over new nut and bolt and parking space and object to every dumper truck movement and every decibel of sound generated by demolition. As G & F suggests maybe Dalziel Park training ground proposals could be halted and subsumed into a new site. Our new Board has conducted transfer negotiations and managerial appointments very professionally and in secrecy which is to be commended but they need to lift their veil of secrecy over issues like this. No, we don't need to know every detail just their general direction of travel. We are a fan owned club after all.

Yes, I did think that comment was rather odd given his lack of involvement.

Very good point and thats one reason why so many fees are undisclosed these days.

According to Scott Burns we are expecting incomings next week. Unsubtantiated rumour on Twitter that Just fee is £5m + add ons. No idea if thats accurate or not.

I think now would be a perfect time for the Chairman to address the fans and steady the good ship fanbase. No need for panic and no need to go into great detail but just a wee pep talk to sustain last season's momentum. We've heard plenty from departing players' agents and buying clubs about our players but nothing from our own club. Time for some leadership.

I''m not sure what "smashed" means. Until I read anything reliable otherwise, I'll assume it £5m up front + spurious add ons.

We need to spend large sums of money on infrastructure, but the team on the park badly needs reinforced and time is against us. We simply cannot afford to lose the momentum generated last season. The fans now need some good news for a change.

The POD is on life support now. Doing nothing or very little is simply not an option. The choice facing the board is to demolish and replace it or move to a new stadium. No easy decision.

I just wonder how the "upgrading" to seating in the POD fits in with our long term stadium plans. Its been quite some time now since the Directors announced that they had commissioned, and received, a consultants' report on the pros and cons of moving to a new stadium. No doubt they have now digested and considered the contents. Clearly the current replacement of seats is a sticking plaster job, unfortunately literally, as well as metaphorically. From early fan feedback it seems to have been mishandled in term of comfort and practicalities. I just wonder why this wasn't carried out a wee bit earlier? From online comments, it seems that our home capacity is being cut to around 7,500, if my understanding is correct. In saying that, I don't know if we can use the South Stand for home fans. If our crowd is limited then it could cost us some income over 1, hopefully 2 or more Euro games. Well into 5 figures in total. Presumably the project will be completed by our first home league game against Falkirk? Looking at the big picture, I do wonder if the POD will be replaced, as opposed to relocating to a new stadium. If so, the current seating "upgrade" looks like a budget, but still expensive, emergency measure to keep the POD on life support. A wee bit more transparency on this issue would have been welcome a month or two ago. Maybe when our European spot, and seating implications were confirmed? Better late than never though.