Saturday, January 22, 2005
Spiers vs. the DOBs, in detail
A more detailed account of the encounter between Graham Spiers and some of his bluenoses detractors that took place last month. Well worth a read to see the journo's perspective, but doesn't the Herald have a 'corrections' column which would have allowed him somewhere to make amends in a more straightforward way?
Read - Spiers in the Rangers Assembly News
0 comments
Read - Spiers in the Rangers Assembly News
0 comments
Arthur Montford is alive!
A Herald Sports Diary from a few days back must have been inspired by a recent Gazzetta homage to Archie Macpherson, as Graham Spiers waxes lyrical on the joys of 1970s Scottish commentary, and I couldn't agree more.
Read - Sports Diary - The Herald
My all-time favourite Montford-ism: "Sturrock, bang, goal!" following a direct-free kick goal by wee luggy.
1 comments
Read - Sports Diary - The Herald
My all-time favourite Montford-ism: "Sturrock, bang, goal!" following a direct-free kick goal by wee luggy.
1 comments
Friday, January 21, 2005
Breaking news from the Sporting Life website
David Beckham has turned down a move to Newcastle United.
Real Madrid and Newcastle agreed a GBP15 million transfer fee for the England captain, but Beckham was reported to have said there was no way he could leave Real for Newcastle after what the Toon Army had done to Thailand and surrounding areas.
[cheers Kenny from Kazakhstan]
0 comments
Real Madrid and Newcastle agreed a GBP15 million transfer fee for the England captain, but Beckham was reported to have said there was no way he could leave Real for Newcastle after what the Toon Army had done to Thailand and surrounding areas.
[cheers Kenny from Kazakhstan]
0 comments
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Accident in Shettleston... or was it?
I prefer the "hate-filled Celtic hooligans" version of this story over the "dumb Rangers fans" truth...
Read - Sporting Life - Burke's father plays down incident
0 comments
Read - Sporting Life - Burke's father plays down incident
0 comments
Monday, January 17, 2005
Two pints of heavy then a dash for the subway
So the Scottish Executive have refused to meet with the Old Firm to discuss a progressive and sensible plan to lift the alcohol ban that has been in effect in Scottish football for nigh-on 25 years.
Read - Scotsman.com
If they're not going to allow alcohol to be sold inside grounds, the least they could do for the patrons of our twin national pastimes is to make more taxis available in city centres thirty minutes before kickoff...
0 comments
Read - Scotsman.com
If they're not going to allow alcohol to be sold inside grounds, the least they could do for the patrons of our twin national pastimes is to make more taxis available in city centres thirty minutes before kickoff...
0 comments
Friday, January 14, 2005
The power of the Internet
Surfing around on that dismal Tiofcaidh ar La website I clicked through to a Hillsborough site - the contrast was astonishing.
I'm a cynical bastard, so maybe it's because I was a wee bit pished at the time, but I found the stories from that day intensely moving.
Read - "Survivors" on contrast.org
Read - "Autobiographies" on contrast.org
I remember the day itself - I was at the old Parkhead watching Rangers-St Johnstone in a Scottish Cup semi-final (0-0 draw); but the thing that sticks in my mind is that soon after kick-off there was a crush at the front of the "Celtic end" and a large group of fans, hundreds, were led on to the track and moved to a different part of the stadium. The crowd was happily singing "Parkhead's a piggery" (always a favourite when visiting our friends from the East) while this was going on - at the same time as people were dying in an equally-crumbling shithole of a stadium a few hundred miles to the south.
1 comments
I'm a cynical bastard, so maybe it's because I was a wee bit pished at the time, but I found the stories from that day intensely moving.
Read - "Survivors" on contrast.org
Read - "Autobiographies" on contrast.org
I remember the day itself - I was at the old Parkhead watching Rangers-St Johnstone in a Scottish Cup semi-final (0-0 draw); but the thing that sticks in my mind is that soon after kick-off there was a crush at the front of the "Celtic end" and a large group of fans, hundreds, were led on to the track and moved to a different part of the stadium. The crowd was happily singing "Parkhead's a piggery" (always a favourite when visiting our friends from the East) while this was going on - at the same time as people were dying in an equally-crumbling shithole of a stadium a few hundred miles to the south.
1 comments
Unrepentant Fenian Bastard
That's what the lyrics say in the song on the home page of this particularly depressing fanzine for "republican-minded" Celtic supporters:
Don't read - Tiocfaidh Ar La fanzine
I don't know what's worse - the appalling "rap" title track or just the whole miserable Irish-political-shite-being-dragged-into-Scottish-football nature of it. Still, as a dirty Orange bastard it cheers me to see there are still plenty of arseholes on the other side for them to be embarrassed about.
3 comments
Don't read - Tiocfaidh Ar La fanzine
I don't know what's worse - the appalling "rap" title track or just the whole miserable Irish-political-shite-being-dragged-into-Scottish-football nature of it. Still, as a dirty Orange bastard it cheers me to see there are still plenty of arseholes on the other side for them to be embarrassed about.
3 comments
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Fourteen teams good, twelve teams bad
This one surfaced briefly over the holiday period without much fanfare, and seems to have gone quiet again, which probably means they were informally trawling for a reaction.
BBC Sport - Killie chief reveals league talks
I'm all for re-evaluating and looking at how to improve things, and spreading the love a bit wider, but if anyone thinks this is going to make any serious difference to Scottish football in the short- or long-term, then they really need to stay off the bevvy.
The argument put forward for this arrangement - 14 teams splitting into top six/bottom eight - doesn't even make sense, as there will be more meaningless games for the eight bottom teams; what are they competing for, being "top of the bottom"? That'll be remembered in a hundred years, sure.
If it means two down from fourteen then I think on balance it's worth doing; if it's to remain one-down, one-up, then forget it. Italian soccer manages to survive with 4 down from 20 in Serie A - that's an even higher ratio. Giving teams a better chance of getting into the top division makes relegation less of a catastrophe; which would reduce the likelihood of a relegated team getting into big trouble.
0 comments
BBC Sport - Killie chief reveals league talks
I'm all for re-evaluating and looking at how to improve things, and spreading the love a bit wider, but if anyone thinks this is going to make any serious difference to Scottish football in the short- or long-term, then they really need to stay off the bevvy.
The argument put forward for this arrangement - 14 teams splitting into top six/bottom eight - doesn't even make sense, as there will be more meaningless games for the eight bottom teams; what are they competing for, being "top of the bottom"? That'll be remembered in a hundred years, sure.
If it means two down from fourteen then I think on balance it's worth doing; if it's to remain one-down, one-up, then forget it. Italian soccer manages to survive with 4 down from 20 in Serie A - that's an even higher ratio. Giving teams a better chance of getting into the top division makes relegation less of a catastrophe; which would reduce the likelihood of a relegated team getting into big trouble.
0 comments
Jorg Albertz, what have you done?
Albertz in the hoops, who would have guessed - and we gave him his own video and everything!
Albertz joins Greuther-Fuerth [cheers Kenny]
0 comments
Albertz joins Greuther-Fuerth [cheers Kenny]
0 comments
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Buffel - no pressure, son
One of the mainstays at my local supporters' club absolutely hates Craig Moore, so he was relatively happy this week; until he saw these statements from Alex McLeish, whom he hates even more.
Read - Sporting Life
I have to agree with him on this point - saying a comparison to Larsson is too much pressure, but then saying he could be the next Laudrup? For a start, Laudrup was a million times the player Larsson ever was; and secondly, if you want to put pressure on a Rangers player, comparing him to Laudrup is the way to do it, extreme-style.
0 comments
Read - Sporting Life
I have to agree with him on this point - saying a comparison to Larsson is too much pressure, but then saying he could be the next Laudrup? For a start, Laudrup was a million times the player Larsson ever was; and secondly, if you want to put pressure on a Rangers player, comparing him to Laudrup is the way to do it, extreme-style.
0 comments
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Everything you ever wanted to know about Hazel Irvine...
Scotsport SPL, you can shove your Sarah-O up your arse... RIGHT UP!
BBC Sport - Hazel Irvine
0 comments
BBC Sport - Hazel Irvine
0 comments
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Move of the Match
Picked up an Evening Express at Aberdeen airport last week (there wasn't much choice...) and almost wet myself when I saw their "Move of the Match" piece:
Comical... Subbuteo figures? Do they still make Subbuteo? Does the Evening Express have a full squad for every team in the SPL? What if Aberdeen draw, say, Gretna in the Cup? Would they have to buy a Gretna squad? Or do they have someone to paint on a Gretna shirt? So many questions.
I guess the biggest question I have is, if you the technology to Photoshop in a "crowd" then why don't you do it all digitally? Is it because regional evening newspapers have to appear amateurish?
PS. Where were the other 17 players when this move was taking place?
0 comments
Comical... Subbuteo figures? Do they still make Subbuteo? Does the Evening Express have a full squad for every team in the SPL? What if Aberdeen draw, say, Gretna in the Cup? Would they have to buy a Gretna squad? Or do they have someone to paint on a Gretna shirt? So many questions.
I guess the biggest question I have is, if you the technology to Photoshop in a "crowd" then why don't you do it all digitally? Is it because regional evening newspapers have to appear amateurish?
PS. Where were the other 17 players when this move was taking place?
0 comments
