I have watched a bit of the Championship on BBC Scotland recently. It’s seldom brilliant football but almost always entertaining. For most of the season I despaired at the prospect of Arbroath picking up the automatic promotion spot. The last thing we need is another tiny club with tiny resources lining their entire team along the 18-yard line.
This is unfair, of course. What this tiny team have achieved to get within a whisker of the topflight is remarkable. With Premiership TV money, they could emulate Ross County and previously Hamilton. They would bring little interest to the league, but seven figure payments go a long way when you carry low overheads.
The alternative is Kilmarnock, a side with vastly greater resources and a truly terrible artificial surface. Inverness and Partick will likely compete with the Premiership’s 11th club for the remaining topflight spot. Raith seem to have lost their way since the Goodwillie fiasco.
Clubs only survive in the lower leagues so long before whatever local appeal they had fades to an insignificant level. Dunfermline have a history, a decent sized local population, with an affluent business community, but the Leishman days are gone for good, never mind the Stein era. Ironically, it could be Raith, newly relevant in Kirkcaldy, who are more likely to bounce.
Former Celtic central defender, John Hughes, is currently managing Dunfermline. He led Falkirk to the topflight 19 years ago, then onto the top half of the table and a Scottish Cup Final. When he left for an ill-advised spell at Hibs, Falkirk never recovered. They have lost more than they’ve won in League One this season.
I’ll regret whoever goes down of Dundee or St Johnstone. Both are sold clubs with enough fans to do better. Despite the pitch, a Kilmarnock would be welcome. It makes for a healthier league.
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What was the Tory Secretary of State at Ibrox or GreySkull ?
The three North African countries, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia had a good day in their away first ties in the World Cup playoffs, with 1-1, 0-1 and 0-1 results respectively. As desert countries, if they all go through, Qatar will hold no fears for them.
AT, glad I’m not a sensitive soul ya rascal. Timmy7 it is indeed a small world. Thanks for all the replies.
Iniquitivousiv, you are quite amazing. And I mean that in complimentary manner. You have watched more football in a day plus than I have watched this year. Titfer doffed young fella. 👍
SCEPTICAL CITIZEN on 25TH MARCH 2022 4:37 PM
Would you rather Celtic had died?
BRRB
Thanks mate, but I’m no young fella! Dud you see my previous comment on the Capaldis? Is Paul still alive? I knew him and his brother Peter.
Challenge my facts, or, my stance – that is what I would do if I disagreed. If your answer had better evidence and was more persuasive, it would be of genuine interest to me and others.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
When you disagree with a political point of view, you resort to stereotyping to encourage prejudice. That is a fact.
When you mess up with your deliberate undermining of our management, you pass it off as tongue in cheek. That is a fact.
So what is it that I have to challenge?
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 25TH MARCH 2022 6:54 PM
You really do see yourself as an intellectual Celtic man.
—–
No intellectual claims from me. I post honestly & openly without rancour. The same in return is all I expect. Happy to embrace new evidence, ideas & opinion. What is the point of name-calling?
Watching Ghana vs Nigeria. Very, very loud 40,000 crowd going batshit. I notice that Huns Balogun and Aribo are in Away team.
Other Hun Bassey ( I nearly wrote Bassa! ) is on the bench.
This game is not for the faint hearted. Some tough tackling big units on both sides. Nigeria untroubled so far, apart from one last ditch tackle by Balogun, which saved a goal.
An own goal puts Egypt 1-0 up on Senegal. Could the African Cup of Nations result be reversed?
I have to say that Aribo is being very influential in the center of the Nigerian midfield. Up against Thomas Partey.
A thunderous long range shot by Ghana parried away by Nigerian keeper for a corner. Crystal Palace’s Ayew has wasted several of these.
INIQUITOUSIV
Interesting to see your updates on football throughout the world.
When I was a bhoy around 12-15 I used to buy a magazine entitled ‘World Football’. It was a monthly and it ran many features and stories about clubs and players from planet football.
Apart from being a joy to read, World Football was an education. The last 20 pages or so was a compilation of the month’s league & cup results from every FIFA registered country in alphabetical order as well as international games. With no internet or satellite TV, this was my only access to results from overseas as I followed various national league tussles down to the wire.
I developed a liking for specific teams – Benfica, Valencia, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, Honved, Estudiantes & Santos spring to mind.
At school, every time Celtic came out of the hat in Europe, I was usually able to provide my pals with an instant update of our opponents – their current form, league position, best players etc.
When I started going to games with my brothers and friends I guess I kinda grew out of World Football, but to this day 50 years later, I still follow European leagues and results online and have retained a soft spot for Benfica, Fiorentina and Bayern Munich and like to see them winning.
Your updates this week reminded me of many hours spent lying on my bed as a bhoy reading World Football.
Thanks and Hail Hail
Aribo shoots just over bar. Napoli’s striker Osimhen looking dangerous on fast breaks, as Nigeria starting to get a grip on the tie.
GHB composing his next cut and pastes ?
Moderator1888
25TH MARCH 2022 6:12 PM
sceptical citizen
“Gonnae No Dae that” pls
Most of your stuff has been deleted from this afternoon
👍👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
TOM MCLAUGHLIN
I read the same magazine! Cover to cover. Didn’t Brian Glanville contribute articles or editorials for a long time?
When I stopped playing, I used to go to Europe for 2 weeks every year with 4 of the guys from my team. We picked a different country and city every year. We rented the oldest, most central apartment we could, and spent the early part of the day viewing the sites, museums etc., with an al fresco lunch to split the day. The evenings we spent on a few beers and telling ourselves how good we were as a team. Funny enough, each year we seemed to get better! The 2 weeks was also centered around a game in the host city, so we saw an eclectic collection of teams and stadia. We did it for 30 years, so I have been around the block!
Neil Lennon’s Omonia Nicosia keeper is in goal for Nigeria. Looks very competent.
The 5 African Final Playoffs have contributed 2, 1, 1, 1 and 0 goals so far. Neither Ghana or Nigeria look like scoring as they are essentially cancelling each other out, although Moses Simon just forced a good save from the Ghanaian keeper.
Aribo subbed for more defensive Brentford midfielder.
Ghanaian crowd getting really impatient with their team.
Tommy/jhb
Play one of your phone wind ups from back in 2012
Stuff of legend.True comedic genius are the craig whyte?
Jordan Ayew having a mare. Ghana missing a bunch of players, including his brother, and they are struggling a bit here.
Jeezo…it it not the 3rd yet ;-))
Pseudo-inttellectual pompous posturing posts from a positively poor position
JHBCSC
H.H.
Some of you may have noticed ( PHILBHOY, I’m looking at you😊 ) that I am wont ( of an evening ) to moan just a tad about the quality of our corners. 🤣. Well, I have never watched a game with such poor corners as this one. Most are absurdly skied or overhit far beyond the last player. Very odd behaviour for the 5th and 7th ranked countries in Africa.
Penalty for Nigeria.
VAR check
Overturned
Hun Bassey on for Nigeria.
Nigeria have made 5 subs, Ghana 2. Away team still looking comfortable, with 2 Huns now in their back 4.
Ghana look like a team of talented individuals who have just met. 3 minutes to go.
Iniquitousiv, it was Phil, Gerry and Peter who owned the business. Chris and Peter now run it. I played football with Phil at Giffnock North, lovely guy. All their kids are too.
Finishes 0-0. Poor game.
Don’t wake up Philbhoy ffs. 😫
BIGRAILROADBLUES
I think after 40 years, I got the brothers mixed up. Peter had blond hair, right? And dark haired Phil passed away some time ago, right?
And they moved when the Glasgow District Council took out a compulsory purchase order for the DewDrop Inn. Am I right or a meringue?
Or is my memory playing tricks?
Had many a game against Giffnock North for both Strathclyde Uni and Cambria AFC. I detested the big red blaes park at Giffnock. Much preferred playing them at Cambuslang or Stepps.
Night all,been good fun.
BRRB
You should have shouted earlier,would have shared beer and haver for a hour or so.well run pub.
HH
Iniquitousiv, no Phil is still going strong, Gerry died many years ago. I think Peter was a cousin.
Iniquitousiv,
You’re some man. If its not Celtic or Scotland I struggle to watch a full 90 minutes.
That being said I find something very comforting about a game being on in the background.