Which ugly sister do you fancy? Scottish Fitba 2022/23

[AMMS]

AMMS, neither Erskine nor I mentioned “Scottish Cup”, we both said “finals”. Regardless of the tournament, regardless of which governing body is involved and regardless of the teams involved, the starting point for allocations should always be a 50:50 split. Clubs should not have to “negotiate” to get a certain number of tickets to start with (and still get left with less than 50% share). I’ll let Erskine know that he should have written to the SPFL and not the SFA - may be that’s why he’s still waiting for a reply.

Fair enough, I thought we were specifically speaking about Falkirk or ICT reaching the Scottish Cup Final. Apologies.

[DPDPDPDP]

Ah.

Cheers DP and you’ve argued my point far better than me. And I’ve got a tricky negotiation coming up with Inland Revenue, can i maybe run a draft past you ….

Erskine, are you arguing with the Inland Revenue about cup final tickets. . If yes, I’ll get right on the case.

[torres]

I just came on this thread to see if anyone had mentioned the game of the weekend. Forget Argentina 0 Cameroon 1. Forget Man United 0 York City 3. The shock to outshock all shocks has now happened, in football or otherwise. Equal-bottom Albion Rovers went to table-topping Dumbarton and not only came away with all three points, but veritably gubbed The Sons by 5 (F-I-V-E) goals to one. The greatest ransacking of Dumbarton since James 'The Fat' burnt the place to the ground in 1425. (Five is possibly Dumbarton's unlucky number.)

This is surely the start of something big. I'm expecting great things from tonight's home game with Stranraer, and beyond.

Tell me about it. A whole 45 minutes against ten men and Albion didn’t create one decent chance.

Massive head to head on Saturday against Bonnyrigg unfortunately I’ll miss it as I’m dragging my sorry arse to Hampden to watch Scotland v Cyprus.

[imp]

There does seem to be a problem with consistency at Cliftonhill. No shock to follow the shock. Wee Rovers all shocked out.

[BallochSonsFan]

I just came on this thread to see if anyone had mentioned the game of the weekend. Forget Argentina 0 Cameroon 1. Forget Man United 0 York City 3. The shock to outshock all shocks has now happened, in football or otherwise. Equal-bottom Albion Rovers went to table-topping Dumbarton and not only came away with all three points, but veritably gubbed The Sons by 5 (F-I-V-E) goals to one. The greatest ransacking of Dumbarton since James 'The Fat' burnt the place to the ground in 1425. (Five is possibly Dumbarton's unlucky number.)

This is surely the start of something big. I'm expecting great things from tonight's home game with Stranraer, and beyond.

I was there.

Dumbarton were garbage. We were 2nd to every ball. We didnt win a midfield battle all game. We were leaky at the back. We did nothing going forward. Even our goal wasnt actually scored by us.

That in no way takes anything from the Albion Rovers performance. They closed us down aggressively and forced mistakes. When they won possession they were playing nice passes to attacking players who were moving into space. The first 2 goals - opener was a great pass for Bevan to run onto and his touch takes him away from the defender and from the on rushing Brett Long. The 2nd was also a really nice bit of skill. Picked the ball up, turned and with a single touch he was running at the space between a clueless pairing of Greg Wylde and Peter Grant. Another nice finish. The efforts for the 3rd and 4th goals were lovely strikes. For all that Dumbarton were garbage, Albion Rovers didnt find the shocking state of the pitch a significant problem and were just better in every single area. But for 2 very good Brett Long saves, it could have been 6 at half time. 2nd half they resorted to play acting and diving to see the game out, but they really didnt need to. We were never getting back into that game and if they wanted to then Albion Rovers could have racked up another few.

Table positions never lie, but the pure form doesnt really do Rovers justice. In the previous games between the 2 teams it was Dumbarton who took the points, but those games can't be said to have been comfortable. They've been unlucky on more than a few occasions and could probably be sitting 7th if they could have taken points from some of the closer games they've played.

As for my Sons? Top of the table clash against Stirling Albion on Saturday. We've been trying, unsuccessfully, to play them at our place for a couple of months now. The end result is that we play them twice in the space of about a fortnight. Anything less than 4 points for the Sons and it hands momentum in the title race to Stirling. 4 points and its probably back in Dumbarton's hands. Given that our last trip to Forthbank ended in a 6 goal thrashing, Saturday's game is both a chance for revenge and a worry of another heavy defeat.

[Cousin Boneless]

I know they are not too popular on here but this is commendable from Livingston.

https://twitter.com/LiviFCOfficial/s...7DYzzZSgA&s=19

[Ray de Galles]

It's hypocritical shite.

[Janik]

“Lively” post match stuff in the ugly sisters sisters match yesterday. Specifically the Rangers assistant manager headbutting the Celtic manager from behind. Male coaches really help the women’s game, don’t they?

[Lang Spoon]

Ah for the days those fuckers didn't pay any attention to womens football and Glasgow City had the field to themselves.

[The Red Max]

It hardly counts as a headbutt, as McPherson barely manages to make sufficient contact to wipe a bead of sweat onto the back of Alonso's head, but what a cowardly dickhead move.
I'd expect the SWFA to chuck the book at him, and if Rangers WFC have any sense they'll bin him before the day is out.

https://twitter.com/ScotlandSky/status/1640462081102159875

[Botswana Meat Commission]

I hadn’t seen the footage and saw the BBC news article about police investigating the incident first so imagined it would have been quite a nasty incident. It’s bad, and a dickhead move but not what I was expecting.

[imp]

A week is a long time in Coatbridge. Albion sacked their manager after a second successive defeat following that afternoon streak of glory in Dumbarton.

[BallochSonsFan]

Sons go from long term table toppers to potentially having Stirling Albion win the title at our place on April 11th.

If you'd asked Sons fans before the season started about our hopes for the year then we'd have said 2 things:

1. Avoid the risk of potential relegation to the Lowland League
2. Maybe sneak a play-off spot.

On both counts we've probably just about ticked the box, although that play-off spot is by no means assured. 10 point gap and a game in hand over Forfar, but Dumbarton are not in a good way right now.. Would I settle for a play-off spot having been league leaders for so long? Nobody expected us to win the title, but I can't say that it isnt deeply frustrating watching our fall from top spot in recent weeks. If we do make the play-offs then its still a decent achievement, but one that will absolutely be soured by our recent collapse in form.

Why has it happened? Probably a combination of factors. Our pitch is a major issue.. It's in a terrible state and we had some serious disruption due to postponements. We currently host Rangers B games. I'm against B team football. I don't think that it will improve youth development in Scottish football - the best young players need to be playing against better opponents than Spartans, BSC and Vale of Leithen. Some B team players could make a meaningful contribution to real teams elsewhere. I'd be a hypocrite if I said that the money Rangers pay us wasn't a necessary evil. Thats no complaint about Rangers - it would be no better if it was Celtic B. It's simply the reality for a club like Dumbarton where every penny has to be a prisoner.

We had 4 players on the bench yesterday. At least a couple of our starters at home v Stenny were nowhere near 100% fit. Ryan Wallace was barely able to move for the last 10 minutes of yesterday's game. But when the bench consists of the sub keeper, a defender who has missed most of the season through injury, a striker who rarely looks interested and a 16 year old kid then its easy to see the struggles we've got. A heavy pitch just adds to our injury issues. Tweaks become muscle pulls. Knocks become full blown injuries. For an already small squad, injuries to Stuart Carswell, Joe McKee, David Wilson, Kalvin Orsi and Declan Byrne are a major problem. We took a chance on John Gemmell that didnt pay off. A guy who could have given us veteran smarts and been a handful for tired defenders to deal with in the last 15-20 minutes of games picked up a season ending injury pretty early on. But even discounting Beast, the 5 younger players would all be expected to push for starting roles. At the very worst they'd be used for rotation options. Carswell was a mainstay of our defence for much of the season, although Peter Grant has done an ok job since arriving in January. If everybody was fit then we just about run with a full bench of 7 subs, and that is an indication of much deeper problems at Dumbarton.

This is our 150th birthday year. A fans committee did an amazing job with efforts to mark our 150th with various events, including a well received exhibition at the local library, a hall of fame event, a range of commemorative merchandise and an expected sportsmans dinner at the end of the season. The birthday game itself was arranged for Christmas Eve, 24 hours after our official birthday of dec 23rd. Whilst we were worthy winners over visitors East Fife, the crowd on the day was less than 700. What should have been a bumper crowd and a good financial boost fell short of expectation. Sons fans are not known for our optimism. There's a reason why our thread on a Scottish football forum is called "Son's Sorrow". But the general feeling of depression amongst fans is telling. Never entirely confident in our previous table topping position, the feeling of eternal disappointment has done nothing to generate any kind of buzz around the club. Trying to spark some kind of interest in the Sons amongst the local community is a hard task.

The uncertainty over our ownership doesnt help. Up until yesterday, HMRC were pursuing strike off action against owners Cognitive Capital and development vehicle More Homes DFC Ltd. The latter was established to try to take advantage of a parcel of development land at the current ground and to continue to explore the club's previous owners' vision of relocating the club to another side on the edge of town. The former currently has no directors following the resignation of Norwegian Henning Kristofferson. Majority shareholder Andy Hosie remains banned from holding a directorship or position of senior management within any company in the UK following the collapse of his Bet Butler enterprise. Hosie is a man with grand ideas and a track record of failing to deliver on them. Often to the cost of investors in his ventures. That strike off action has been discontinued should fill nobody with any confidence for the future. Cognitive will still need to address it's lack of directors as that currently puts it in breach of UK companies law. Hosie can't take up a directorship, so he'll need to find a new investor willing to get on board or take steps to address the overall ownership of the club. It needs strong leadership and a bit of ruthlessness to deal with him and I'm not convinced that the current football club board have those qualities. Our chairman has been in post for around 2 years but has so far failed to engage with supporters. Calls for an open meeting with fans have been met with disappointing refusals. The Dumbarton club board of directors is few in number and whilst Colin Hosie brings a lot of experience in the day to day administration of a football club, his connection to the owner (his cousin) undoubtedly hamstrings just how robustly he can challenge our owner. A £35,000 sponsorship fee from one of the owners' companies hasn't been paid since the deal was done back at the outset of the 21/22 season. £35,000 to a club like Dumbarton is the difference between signing 2 players and relying on a threadbare squad that is susceptible to injury problems or losses in form.

A long term title challenge seems to be all but finished. Whilst thats clearly a source of frustration, fans must look ahead to a likely play-off spot and another chance of securing promotion. Getting players back and fit for those games is now the priority for manager Stevie Farrell. He won't concede that the title is beyond us, but we have a far more realistic target and in private that's what he'll be focusing on. Fans should look back on the season so far as one of some genuinely impressive league form and of a title challenge undone by injuries and a pitch that simply can't meet the demands placed on it. That points towards bigger questions about the role of B teams in Scottish football, our reliance on that income to replace the missing £35,000 sponsorship money and the performance of the club's board of directors. Questions that fans need to start asking.

[The Red Max]

A slightly worrying scene unfolding in the top flight this season, and I write this as a supporter of a club that looks like benefiting from it (Hearts).

Obviously, the OF are gone and over the horizon. But Hearts look very likely (I'd say now close to nailed on) to finish third again, meaning we'll very likely be playing group stage fitba in the EL/Conference again next season. According to a Hearts source in The Scotsman, we made three million quid from that after expenses/bonuses etc this season. If we get in again next season, we'll really be cementing a medium-term financial advantage over Aberdeen (who are losing a hundred grand a week operationally) and Hibs.

Hearts already have substantially better season ticket numbers etc, and it's easy to see the club getting locked into a virtuous and boring cycle where we settle in to a no-man's land between the OF and the rest with it being very difficult for anyone else to challenge us.

This isn't panning out quite as anticipated is it?
Things can always turn around, but at this rate Hearts will be lucky to finish in 5th, never mind "nailed on" 3rd.

[Discordant Resonance]

Given only Spartans or the Old Firm B teams can now win the Lowland League, will the Edinburgh club qualify for the play-offs as the best non-reserve team even if non-champions, or would failure to secure the title mean the Highland League winners would automatically meet the bottom League Two club?

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

This isn't panning out quite as anticipated is it?
Things can always turn around, but at this rate Hearts will be lucky to finish in 5th, never mind "nailed on" 3rd.

It is not. Hearts are paying the price for not getting rid of Neilson at the latest last summer. A hole the club have dug for themselves.

There are mitigating circumstances in terms of the injuries and congestion the team have had this season, but the long and short of it is that Neilson has made a complete arse of it, as Hearts fans have been saying for some time.

[The Red Max]

And he's gone.

https://twitter.com/JamTarts/status/1645094244313444353

[Discordant Resonance]

As long as Brechin get at least a point mid-week, all set up for a Highland League title decider against Stephen King's club, Buckie Thistle, next Saturday.

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

And he's gone.

https://twitter.com/JamTarts/status/1645094244313444353

A year too late.

[CY_Boaby]

And now Callum Davidson's been given the boot by the Saintees. This one isn't much of a surprise as they've been rank rotten for a couple of seasons now and I wouldn't fancy their chances if they end up in the play-off again.

The race to finish Top 6 goes down to the wire. Can St Mirren finally do it? Having seen us throw it away in the last minute 2 years ago, let's see if we can find a new and exciting way to mess it up this time around.

[Lang Spoon]

What?

[MyPieBurntMyMouth]

League Two relegation battle is an absolute belter this year.

Great three points for Albion Rovers against Stenny on Saturday, but they're still bottom as Bonnyrigg also won, at Forfar.

Rovers, Elgin, Bonnyrigg with two points separating them with two games each left. Rovers already have 36 points, which would have been enough points to avoid being last every season this century, and occasionally pushed a team up to 7th or 6th.

Europe's best division this season, for me.

[Botswana Meat Commission]

I had a dog in the fight but the last few weeks of the Highland League with the late goals for Buckie, run of games Brechin had to catch up and then the final day between those two, which saw two late goals for Brechin to settle it, must be up there, too.

[torres]

The Lowland, Highland and Division 2 have all been really tight and enjoyable this season, hence why I’ve watched a fair amount of all of them.

Albion have given themselves a real chance of escaping with a brilliant performance against Stenny on Saturday, but they are going to need at least one more such display if they are going to escape the clutches of the play-offs.

[MrLeam]

My thinking on who deserves to stay up:

Elgin. Did God's work for years keeping Gavin Price in a job, thereby maintaining one of the few links from Meadowbank Thistle to senior football. Also, I once got a 160 checkout in the Elgin City social club.

Bonnyrigg Rose. An over-professionalised tosser would say Bonnyrigg staying up would provide further "proof of concept" of the Scottish pyramid system. As an over-professionalised tosser, I think Bonnyrigg staying up would provide further "proof of concept" of the Scottish pyramid system. They've pulled in decent crowds and could progress up the league without an influx of cash

Albion Rovers. I've fond memories of a visit to watch Meadowbank play there in the early 90's. A group of local kids arrived and stood at the top bit of the wall to the left of the stand. Not understanding the ways of Lanarkshire, we presumed they were keen to watch their local heroes play for free. Instead, they formed two groups and spent the next 15 minutes having organised fights amongst each other, before buggering off. Malcolm Coyle scored that day for Thistle. I can't remember what I did 30 minutes ago at work, but I can remember Malcolm Coyle scoring a pointless goal against Albion Rovers three decades ago. Oh, Cliftonhill is fantastic.

Three strong candidates, but Albion Rovers edge out the other teams. That's why I want them to go down, as I'll be able to head over there for when they play Berwick. Plus, I'd like to think Rovers could bounce back up, and a bit of success could finally entice a few more Coatbridge locals to forsake the bus to Parkhead at least once.