Andy_P

Confirmed on their official site just in case anybody thought it was a wind-up. >>> Killie Official Website

Not sure I have any particular face but I do know that when following our games on Soccer Saturday a goal against the Mighty sparks a well worn routine. It kicks in with a rather loud "Aww Fuck Off" from me quickly followed by a sigh, tut and shake off the head (quick edit ) from the good lady across the room.

I really like the idea in principle too but I can see it being an absolute minefield to administer and I'd say it would actually have to managed by the SPL executive as if let to individual clubs there are far too many variables, agendas and personal interests for it to work. A simple example is fixtures where sometimes its been known for you to play a team 3 times at home and once away in a season in the current set up. I can see some chairman grumbling at that. I have doubts that at the end of it, whether it would generate enough additional income or even the same level to justify all the extra administration that would be required. I recollect when MFC tried to push the issue a few years ago I think only Hearts and Killie took part and it wasn't without its hassles then with just two other teams involved. If ironed out though I don't see why on a smaller scale we couldn't look to reintroduce reciprocal arrangements on a team by team basis once again. The reduced entry did entice me and I always made a point of taking advantage of the discount then. These days I'm still very much in the pick and choose group of fans where affordability and ease of travel are major factors. Anything that would offer a chance to get to away games that would give better value for money is certainly worth considering.

Its the old is your glass half full or glass half empty question isn't it? I think how positive or negative outlook you have will determine how you feel the rest of the season will go. Its not too much of a surprise to see that MJC and Milo are among the first to post their worries in a thread, whether jovial in its intentions or otherwise, that trouble could lie ahead. Two guys who give the impression they are always pretty fearful of what lies ahead no what our position might be. Equally there are those with unbridled optimism who will still be convinced that we are stick ons for the top six. Personally while I'm still pretty positive but would admit that I just don't know. Too many ifs buts and maybes on the go just now for me to make a prediction with any assurance. You would like to think with how we did in the opening few months a return to similar form is at least possible if not probable. There has been talk of the team being lacking in fitness latterly under Gannon due to his coaching methods. Will Jack & Victor and the gap in fixtures have allowed that to be remedied? Will a permanent appointment come along soon or will Jack & Victor get it to the end of the season or indeed beyond? Will there be movement to come inward and outward on the transfer front. As I say I remain positive. I take some heart from the fact we've had a stinker of a couple of months yet still lie within a whisker of the top half of the table. The current incumbant's seem to have improved morale and the performance if not result was pretty encouraging at Tynecastle which bodes well. Just very hard to predict.

I like the Q&A idea too as a simple way of submitting a question/comment and then getting a brief response from the club. First Scotrail do something similar on their website where their Meet the Managers events are summarised >>> here in a Q&A style.

I don't think its the easiest for them to set dates for to be honest. There's been the hassle with the Inverness postponement and Accies game with Dundee Utd that was called off shortly before kick-off. Their replay and any potential replay we might with Inverness will probably mean they'll hang fire on announcing a date until after the Scottish Cup fates of both sides are decided for this round. Even after that you've already got a set of midweek fixtures scheduled for the end of January and potential replay/postponement dates for the next round of the Cup. I don't think you'll be looking at anything before mid-February for this one.

Arse. Unless it goes to next Wednesday I'm out. Combination of lack of leave and folk off sick in our place has ruled me out. Looks like Killie might be the beneficiaries of my hard earned instead this weekend if they can get Rugby Park playable. BBC Weather page will lose about 20 hits a day as well

I think its a symptom of playing teams so regularly in the SPL that when you get them again in the Cup its largely met with apathy. The fact that you are tantalisingly close to playing teams we've never met for years or ever before only cheeses you off even more.

Aye. Sounds like it could be it. Probably only last for mabye about 20-25 seconds or so all in.

Haven't heard anything saying otherwise as yet. According to some of the forecasts the temperatures are due to rise considerably overnight tonight From -12C currently to a comparatively balmy 2C and isn't meant to go below freezing again until Wednesday night. The Inverness boys will know better than me though if that's actually the case. If the pitch and stands were apparently fine on Saturday then they should be better still by Tuesday. Just got to wait and see I suppose.

I know that there are some Dossers out there who covet stuff like this but the build up to the Accies v Rangers game on Sky had a few seconds footage of a packed Douglas Park for a game between us and Hamilton. It didn't give a date but it was a pre-hoop MFC and it showed the teams coming out and Motherwell having an effort on goal before a shot of the crowd. Just in case some of you guys that keep this kind of footage can get a hold of a copy.

Train was cancelled and then the bus broke down on the way home last night so while I was waiting on Plan C to arrive to get me home I caught at bit of the Real Radio Phone and they were talking about this survey. Apparently over 10,000 folk have completed it since it went out.

I'm not surprised. United fans have also had a pretty high opinion of the standing of their club and I'm sure that the likes of Michael O'Neill, Pat Fenlon and Billy McKinlay wouldn't be viewed as the kind of calibre of manager they think they should be attracting. And now they are apparently after a former Dundee manager who's not managed a side for goodness knows who long to see their side - who some of them were saying only a few ago were going win the SPL - through to the end of the season. Ouch!

Puts hands up! I like our seats. Decent unrestricted view of both goalmouths. Close enough for encouragement to be heard by our players and abuse to be heard by opponents. Good for the odd sing song when it occasionally drifts along from the end of the stand and the folk round about are generally pretty sound too.

Dunno if there's anything up on the BBC website yet but they had a clip of an interview with Broon on Radio Scotland there where he confirmed he was in attempts to bring a player who could potentially play in the World Cup to the club. Seemed to deny he had said it was striker though if I heard it right. They also played a short clip of an interview with Lasley where he admitted if Gannon had stayed he would have been looking to move on but that he now hoped to impress enough to get his game and stay at the club.

BBC forecast shows temperature of -1 for Sunday and Monday nigt and getting up to 3 and 4 during the day. If that's the case then its better than its been showing for a good number of days but the BBC weather page is notorious for wild fluctuations in what its forecasting so not getting my hopes up too much for Tuesday just yet.

I'm sure he's thinking more along the lines of Patrick McPake, Jonathon Page and perahps Jamie Pollock rather than the likes of Ross Forbes, Shaun Hutchinson or Bob McHugh. If they are too old or a return to the U19's would be viewed as a retrograde step and we don't have a reserve team it would make sense to give them an opportunity to get experience rather than floating about with little chance of playing.

Dunno about the trialist but notice no Slane or Hutch. Both injured?

Going against the grain a wee bit.... I can actually see some shades of Tommy McLean in Gus McPherson. He got them promoted from the First Division as Tommy did with us. Then he managed to keep them up and has kept them in the SPL for three or four seasons. Chuck in a couple of semi finals and I can't imagine his record over his first five years in charge will have been that different from wee Tam. What I don't see though is the step forward with silverware and European football that Tommy brought to Motherwell. As I say going against the grain a wee bit...... .....though I'm still not sure I'd be too comfortable with him as Motherwell manager.

Ewings was first choice for a couple of seasons with the Rovers the decided to move to the US. Can't remember if it was for a scholarship or some coaching thing. Back he came to Scotland though and was signed up again at Cliftonhill with all expecting him to resume duties as number one. Ewings found himself suspended for either the first or first two league games of this season if I remember rightly so the laddie Gaston was given a shot against Celtic in their Jock Stein Friendship Cup thing and played an absolute stormer as Rovers took them to penalties after a 0-0 draw and then their League Cup game against Livingston where he also kept a clean sheet. Since then Ewings has been rendered a spectactor hence he sits on the bench looking glum remark.

Did you really think there would be though SD? If someone had told me something in confidence then I certainly wouldn't make it public on a messageboard far less reveal the source of it. Surely the obvious outcome of that is, aside from potentially causing the originator of that info a fair bit of grief, that you'll not be trusted to be told anything again in the future. As the Brazilian says above all you can really do is make your own mind up from the official line and the whispers and chat that has come from other sources. As for Gannon's side? I'd actually be a wee bit surprised if we do hear something from him, certainly in the short term. What benefit would it really do him to for public slanging of the Boyle and MFC? A rant at MFC is only likely to put off any prospective employers and back up Motherwell's claim that relations with him were difficult. Its not going to help him get compensation either is it? According to a post quoting his website he had apparently been advised legally not to respond to emails suggesting he didn't believe the matter was finished despite one report last week having a "source" saying MFC believed no compensation was necessary. Again whatever the case is there a public response from Gannon could only prejudice his attempts in getting compo. I remember Billy Davies making it clear the story of his time at Motherwell would come out but how many years down the line are we know and that promised story hasn't appeared as yet - I suspect it'll be a chapter or two in his memoirs a couple of decades after the event now - but I'm sure he came to the conclusion that it probably just wasn't the hassle it could cause to "get even" and I suspect Gannon will come to a similar conclusion.

I've succumbed to checking forecasts in Inverness and whilst there are a few days according to the ever changing BBC forecast that it gets above freezing during the day there's minimum overnight temperatures of around of between -7 to -10 across the week. I suppose the undersoil heating should sort the pitch out but its the roads and car parks that could snooker it. What would help would be if the club's have arranged an alternative date should it be postponed is that they publish it as soon as possible so folk can made better judgements whether they want to buy tickets - and save trying to get reimbursements - whilst at the same time giving those who will still want to go (probably in midweek) a chance to book days off etc.

More ticket office fun at Fir Park! I'm not going to take the "fucking idiots" line but just back from a trip up to Fir Park to get tickets for next Saturday to be met with the shutters down, so not overly chuffed. Wasn't alone in querying why it was closed according to the boy in the club shop when I tried in case they were selling them in there. 1000 - 1300 so sayeth the official. Couldn't have been any later than about 1230 when I tried. I don't drive so that's the old man done a circuit from Chapelhall to Bargeddie to Motherwell and back again for what proved to be nothing. So was it open at all? Have they shut early? Clearly still some issues to be addressed I'd say when this comes only a couple of weeks after the problems surrounding Rangers ticket sales.

Cheers Pie. I'm just wondering if we should prepare ourselves for another webcam watch a la Inverurie High Street and a scroll through half a dozen contradictory weather websites like last season and the same the next day....and two days later....and the next Monday later.....and two days later etc etc

For the Inverness locals, why is the Highland derby off tomorrow? I thought Caley would have had undersoil heating having been in the SPL last season. Is it the H&S stuff kicking in again with the stands/car parks/roads etc or is it actually the playing surface that has caused the postponement?