Goggles & Flippers

Anyone got a copy of the accounts?

Agree with Dr Pepper, Ally's stuff is memorable, I think we'd shift a few extra to away fans with stuff like that on the cover, the ICT from the home game (not shown above) was my favourite.

With the ICT result the other night and a few comments made in posts by those on here about our points tally likely to be in excess of last year got me thinking back to the AGM and annual accounts released by the club. A bit that stands out is due to our performance last year the club cited that win bonus' accounted for a significant part of us posting a loss. Obviously paying out plenty of win bonus' means we've been successful on the pitch which no sane fan would be unhappy with. With 6 games left to go, we've already exceeded last years total by 1. The current total exceeds what I imagine the happiest clapperist of us on day one of the season could envisage. Motherwell 2012/13 P W D L F A GD P 38 18 9 11 67 51 +16 63 So far in season 2013/14 (with six games left to play) P W D L F A GD P 32 19 3 10 53 47 +6 60 Thought it was worthy of a debate.

While we have a better record away, Dundee Utd at Tannadice is plainly wrong looking at Brazilian's first post in this thread. Aberdeen away was always a given and with the chase for the title done and dusted last month, Euro places and play off place keep the TV audiences interested.

Is that Vigurs won three on the bounce?

Faddy will be back though ... eh Steelboy?

First 20 minutes marked by unforced errors and poor decision making putting pressure on the back 4 and midfield. The next 25 we were the better team but only just, a draw at half time would have been a fairer result. Things not helped by Ainsworth's ambivalence and lack of work effort, Sutton only wining two headers all game (normally he's 50% or better) and while I can't fault his effort, Zane switches off when he loses the ball rather than getting back involved. 2nd half was a better spectacle and surprising we didn't come out with a bit more about us as has happened in almost every game under McCall. I'm not sure about Vigurs getting moved from pillar to post affected things, surely there's a lot to be said for Killie having to readjust to where his threat would come from? Regardless, the game came to life in 80 odd minutes when we upped things into 1st gear as it could be argued up until then and in the previous couple of matches we were bimbling along in 2nd. The tactic paid dividends against Partick Thistle, yesterday it didn't. Upon reflection, in the two games prior I felt we were very fortunate to walk away with 6 points so yesterday was fair when looking back at March's performances.

OK so the overwhelming result is even if we were able to double the FP capacity, most would desire a home fixture regardless of the financial kickback?

Am I right in saying that since the split was introduced there is only one team that hasn't been adversely affected post split resulting in 19 home and 19 away fixtures ....... oh yeah ...... the worlds victims.

How would Man Utd be seen in any way other than a game as big as a cup final? I think 35k would be the high end but definitely enough to fill FP twice over.

Ha nice, Hypothetically, if we did get a big team what would be the consensus on here of switching the venue to a larger capacity ground to cash in and allow pretty much everyone who wanted a ticket to get one opposed to staying at FP with its 12,500? (1,000 less due to the bucket seats in the main not allowed in UEFA competition). A Well vs Man Utd game would attract no less that what we took to Hampden for the cup final (17-18k) and I think the same again from them, prices for Euro games like this I imagine would be around £25 = £875k (minus hire of alternative stadium) opposed to £313k. It would be great to have them at FP but is half a million quid too much to ignore?

What I can't fathom is why some on here after such poor financial results and the hole in our balance sheet from getting pumped out of the cups so early would advocate us playing Celtic away. A distinct naivety of the pressures facing the club and what a difference hosting that game makes is mind boggling. In the past two seasons, we've lost Rangers and had them replaced with Ross County. Last season we lost Dundee and had them replaced with Partick (now while they bring a decent support they don't the same derby draw that Dundee would do for TV, its not going to be major but it is something). Next year we are facing losing Hearts and gaining Dundee again or Hamilton. In the course of 3 seasons we've faced the loss of 2 Rangers games a season (6,500 per game), 2 Hearts games a season (1,250) with the addition of Ross County (250) and another team that would do well to bring 500-750. (15,500 x £20) - (2,000 x £20) = £310,000 - £40,000 = £270k (with ancillary sales and hospitality) I accept that OF attendances have been falling party due to apathy, party due to lack of competition but the above is still around 5-6% of our annual turnover.

I can't help but feel that the lack of exposure and plaudits contributes to our players not being valued that high, why I started a thread a few weeks back on it. Gauld at Dundee Utd is already rated around 500k in many peoples eyes no doubt because of the collective media hardon.

I know this is a bit "my mate heard from a guy in a pub" but I did hear from a friend that a former youth academy director has put in a good word for him with his new employer. Just out of interest, with McCall having previous with Sheffield Utd, did he help secure the interview, if so, was it because he's a nice guy or to help facilitate an exit of someone he didn't rate?

Only concern for me was some of the stay passes in or around our last third when not really under any pressure, the subsequent cute passes to get out of danger resulted in a few head shakes, they wouldn't have if we were a seasoned Italian team used to Catenaccio. A better team would have punished us.

The sponsors man of the match shows what free booze from noon does for you. Vigurs had a few errors in the first half but the second was pretty much faultless. As for the young player MotM, other than Carswell, who else qualifies (Nielsen and Hutch?)

In a season full of missed financial opportunity unfortunately a home draw against Celtic (earlier the better would be preferred) is a necessity. So ideally Aberdeen, St Johnstone & Dundee Utd for footballing reasons (ICT could be argued as its definitely winnable but Aberdeen is not gonna happen) For financial, Celtic, Aberdeen and Dundee Utd. And in reality I'd expect Celtic, Dundee Utd and St Johnstone. Issue for me is when the fixtures are set certain teams are seeded to finish top 6 based on their track record. Carrying on from last season Ross County have fallen away (kinda expected) and Aberdeen have improved significantly (even more expected) so why are we sitting with a skewed top 6 yet again?

From what I can gather Daver from reading through the posts, he was Humphrey's Mrs' step-dad. As for doubling up on him, maybe at the start when he was an unknown quantity other than pace but as time progressed he carried less of a threat. I recall the guy I was sitting beside telling me "watch what happens when Craigan has the ball" as he moved forward, the opposition strikers would sit off him as they we coached that his distribution wasn't good, however if Hutchison had the ball they pressed them. I think there was an element of that with Humphrey near the end, he was know as being a speed machine but final product was sadly lacking. I've already seen an element polarisation of the fans with Gannon and Reynolds in my time on here. I'll never understand people's behaviour at times, when players move on its seen as a personal snub, but the same people wouldn't think twice about changing their own employer for extra wages, lifestyle or promotion. Foran got it tight from a few people around me the other night, I thought he was a good servant and his record is pretty decent (23 goals from 90 apps - wikipedia). Reynolds also, he appeared to leave in a way that maximised revenue for the club relating to the circumstances at the time. I even have time for Nicky Law, OK lack of ambition possibly, quadruple your salary in front of 40k every week is Roy of the Rovers stuff, did he have any premiership moves lined up we didn't know about?

Got to love a nice stat backup, Humphrey did work harder on the pitch but his final ball and overall contribution was lacking (compared to Ainsworth) and endeavour masked his shortcomings, however I accept some will look fondly upon his time here and hear nothing bad said about him. Ainsworth seems able to last a full 90 minutes while Humphrey usually lasted 70 if started or was subbed on, granted Ainsworth picks when to stoke the boiler and when to amble about, its that behaviour/attitude that I reckon has prevented him playing at a higher level as he does seem to have all the tools.

I agree about the pass, it was inch perfect. If Ainsworth was as conscientious at running in the opposite direction I don't think he'd frustrate me as much as he does. All I can say about that game is, glad I wasn't sitting on my own as that second half needed a bit of banter and chat as we seemed to play in pre-season friendly mode at times. No goalmouth action after our second goal in the 35th minute or so. Gunnar did what he had to, whole defence looked solid, however there were too many hints of a 6 yard box stramash looked as if it could happen. Foran didn't run the show as much after the 70th minute when we kinda had a 5 man midfield. Faddy looked the same as he did in mid September when it wasn't clicking, what impresses me is he is angrier than anyone else about it. 3 points are 3 points though.

We'll ignore OG's then

I don't know about that, regardless of them being gubbed both mentally and physically, they sit in the top 6 and our record against those teams is woeful. I can but dream though!

14 visits to Europe and you could argue we only seriously cashed in on one of them (Dortmund - am I right in thinking in the mid 90's we got £500k for televising the game at FP?). Law of averages suggest we're due a rub of the green with respect to a decent draw with a option of nice telly money. Last year was a bit of a freak as there was few places in Europe that are more problematic, costly or further to get to. As for the rest, those sunny nights with a full East Stand and that certain makes going along that little bit more exciting. I'd love us to be in a position where we hit the ground running and really have a chance. A hard pre-season akin to McGhee's where the whole squad showed up and looked lean and hungry to achieve is key. Lot to be said for being and thinking you're much fitter than the other guys when you don't have their resources or skill level, it's one mental edge we'd have. I'll always wonder if Blackman had joined the team a few weeks before and bedded in if, we could have waved Odense goodbye.

Erm, I dunno, maybe something to do with the fact we had to play them in Russia? Steelboy suggested that the combined income from UEFA and the gate meant he thought we would have broke even. The significant cost in chartering a return flight to Russia is what blew a hole in the budget and left the whole episode in deficit. However why you wanted me to clarify beggars belief.

You obviously don't know how much it costs to charter a 737