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After Stjarnan and Sligo in particular, I will never take us to be strong favourites in a Euro tie ever again. I think because they are match fit and because we have a fairly makeshift starting 11 at the moment this is a 50/50 game.

We are massive favourites at 1/7 to win 8/1 draw 20/1 for them to win. Given they are 16 games in to their season I thought that was a bit of a leveller but the bookies odds gave me the injection of positivity that I needed

I think the fans are going to play a huge part as we need to get right behind the lads. Should be a great crowd but no idea how ww will line up

I agree that the Pony one (claret with amber candy stripes) was a good one, probably a nod to the C&A striped jerseys we wore for four years (copying Bradford City as usual) before switching to the unique hoop in 1928. Of course, we don't really need the reverse strip at all since we brought out ye olde petrol blue version at the end of last season but it may be a money-spinner as leisure wear.

Yes, happy memories of Willie Hunter, Pat Delaney etc wearing the reverse strip after lifting the Summer Cup in the mid-sixties.

If it’s anything like the 2018/19 effort then we’ll be wearing it in every away game apart from Hearts and Aberdeen. It’s not too bad having had a better look at it and the outline around the badge is smart. It’s similar to the 02/03 Untouchables kit which I personally loved at the time but no Claret away kit will ever come close to the mid 90s classic by Pony.

The manager specifically referred to him as an attacking defender. I would imagine thats where we will see him. It is a bonus if he can do other jobs, but I fully expect a couple of midfielders incoming soon.

The kit is a winner. Much better than the home effort. Would happily watch us wearing that in every game this season!

Anyone know if this game (and the second leg) will be available to watch anywhere for those unable to attend?

No offence, but I thought the shoulders and collar on your version was honking 😂

I like that top, impressed

Aye, but in order to stop being "continually shite" we need to look at the reasons for it. Our coefficient means clubs like Motherwell enter Europe at the early stages. We play those ties in preseason basically, often with half a squad, new players being integrated and limited competitive sharpness. We lose, gain very few coefficient points and return the following year in pretty much the exact same position. Our opponents have played 16 games or so at this point. This time last season, if we were going into European football, we'd be fielding the kind of team that beat Stenhousemuir 1-0 a few days before and was heading into our friendly with Hertha. Just had been with us for less than two weeks, as well as Longelo and Said. We were 16 games into our league season on December 6th, and had just beaten Livi 3-0 and hadn't lost a game in nearly two months. Imagine if that team was the one that was going into these early European ties? I don't know about you, but I'd be a whole lot more confident. As things stand, I absolutely do not expect anything to change. Us, and clubs like us, are nowhere near ready for European football at this stage. We need a really good draw to help us, otherwise we'll likely trip up and fail against a team we'd have a really good chance of beating if we were up to speed.

I wasnt far off , I think mine was better

information untouchable

Scottish clubs and the national team need to start winning Euro tropies again, getting to the latter stages of every competition on a regular basis, winning more games etc, etc to increase the country and club coefficients. Unless this happens the Scottish club sides will always be starting their Euro adventures in June and July when all the teams from the good leagues are still on the beach sunning themselves. So for me playing winter or summer will make no difference if our teams are continually shite and failing to progress beyond the diddy team rounds.

I think the new home jersey looks great as part of the entire kit on the actual players in the football environment, while not so much on a regular person wearing it with shorts or jeans. The away shirt looks like it'll be a better "fans" shirt if that makes sense.

Mon the well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Claret away kit it is then. And not one of our better efforts either on first viewing.

100% this. We need to be aggressively trying to win this by a fair margin.

We’re going to win the summer cup ! 😀

For me that would be a bonus, as losing Slattery, Watt and Just has ripped the creative heart of the team out. This will be a big season for Fadinger, Priestman and possibly Williams to try to pick up the pieces.

I don't think anyone would pretend there are no difficulties with it. Pitch renovation, preseason timing, supporter holidays, cup scheduling and the transition from the current calendar would all require proper planning. It also wouldn't necessarily mean a ten-month season. You could run from late March or early April until October or early November, which is broadly what several comparable countries already do from what I can see. The attendance question is fair too, although I don't think any of us can confidently say what most supporters would do without actually asking them or putting it to the test. Some would miss games through holidays, while others might attend more often because the weather and travelling conditions were better. There would be less call-offs due to weather, and it would certainly be interesting to see if we did see a more sustained higher attendance in better weather. My main point is that our present arrangement has a significant competitive cost in relation to Europe. Clubs like us regularly enter financially important European qualifiers while rebuilding their squads, bedding in new signings and trying to become match fit. At the same time, opponents from summer leagues can be halfway through their domestic seasons. That doesn't guarantee those clubs success of course, but being competitively ready when European qualification begins is still an advantage, particularly for clubs operating on fine margins. The question in my mind then is not whether summer football would be perfect. It wouldn't be. I'm sure fans in Norway, Sweden, Finland etc will readily tell you there's pros and cons. The question is whether Scottish football should seriously examine a calendar that might improve European performance, reduce weather-related disruption and create additional income for clubs outside the Old Firm? And then compare those benefits honestly against the operational and supporter concerns. At the moment, we tend to dismiss the idea before doing that work. We do things the way we've always done them and so on. Also, a summer calendar would give Scottish football a far more valuable place in the football broadcasting calendar. But that topic absolutely is for another thread.

Burton fans saying Williams is a player and his best performances have been in midfield. Maybe he is replacement for Watt and not Longelo.

There's all sorts of challenges that would need to be overcome in Scotland with a 10+ month season. From pitch repair and remediation in months where the grass doesn't grow to preseason in mid-winter. That, however, is for a different thread.

Summer football sucks , to use an Americanism. Lots of punters wouldn't go.As there are too many other things to take up your interest in the summer months. Not to mention family two week summer holidays. I wouldn't renew my season ticket for that and i suspect most others wouldn't. Miss 2 or 3 games and it costs you money on your season . I would pick n choose my games when i had a free weekend. Its Scotland better things to do in good weather at the weekend than watch football. For me football brightens up a long winter. It may sound all warm n cozy but its a no from me. Bring on the snow.