Happy Dosser

Fanx! I feel pwoud, vewwy pwoud..........

Say it ain't so! Oh, well, I'll just have to wait until I am Supreme Leader of the Scottish Republic ✊.

@Kmcalpin: FTS it's time you were King of Scots again ✊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✊. Might have a chance of the title.

Agreed: so this must be down to incompetence or something worse, surely? The usual get-out is for referees being "psychologically influenced" by a large crowd but this could hardly have applied at FP yesterday, given the lesser size of the Hibs support. When I think of our two dubious sendings off against the Mutton Molesters in the cup with your litany of Cadden's offences I'm beginning to smell a rat 🧐. It seems VAR deliberations now are a kind of Easter-like moveable feast, where an excuse can always be found to support a inconsistent application of the laws when it suits. And yes, taking spontaneity out of the game is actually a disincentive for spectators to come to see what is supposed to be entertainment, despite all our club's best efforts this season. All in all, it's somewhat disappointing 👹👹👹👹👹👹..........

It's got so bad that, as yesterday, I don't stand up spontaneously to celebrate a goal much any more: I often await the probable VAR review. So am I getting the wrong impression when I think that the OF aren't affected to the same extent by VAR decisions 🤔?

Quite: he often reminds me of Willie Hunter because of his great movement and control but the latter's career was badly affected by a broken leg and two broken arms (one of which was a horrible compound one) which he sustained playing for MFC. Just shows a great attitude in getting up and persevering but a few more tackles of the Oxo-Chamberpot variety and a serious injury is likely, but our refs will do nothing about it, of course. I also noticed yesterday that Nicky Cadden was always in the referee's ear (and other Hibs players surrounded the ref at times to with their helpful opinions). I thought only the captain could approach the referee or is that another law that has quietly been dropped? Wasn't it also Cadden who raised two hands to push over SOD? Nothing was done about that either.

Quite dull and prosaic today and the usual microscopic VAR decision not clarified much by the BBC Sportscene footage. Thought we looked a bit jaded and in need of a rethink about how we deploy our forwards. While waiting for the inevitable overturning of the goal, my neighbour in the POD mentioned this New York Times article about The Mighty 'Well, which I thought some of the soffisticates on here might like: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7116264/2026/03/15/motherwell-askou-scotland-tactics-celtic/ Seems our fame is spreading.

Spot on: thought it was just me 👽. In recent years with the low quality of fare on offer, I. was really only coming to games out of habit /sentiment and to see old pals. I've had enough of eye-bleeding football thank you and have regained my pride in the team. With their quick interpassing, almost telepathic understanding of each other's position and ability to pick holes through defences by playing in triangles/reverse passing and clever movement, they remind me so much of Bobby Ancell's team (without The Press, of course). If the manager and most of the players stay until next season I think there can be further improvement and fan engagement but once JBA finally leaves us, I trust the board to select someone with the same philosophy, given the positive effect it has had on crowds and therefore revenue. Meanwhile, to infinity and beyond!

Thanks, SteelmaninOZ: what a first-class guy this is, way ahead of most of his managerial rivals. I'm confident we can bounce back from our two recent disappointments, starting on Saturday ✊.

Yes, it's amazing how some laws of the game seem to have fallen into abeyance without anyone being told about it 😈. I see foul shies (apologies, age) regularly nowadays at our matches. Also, the authorities have allowed all these stramashes (God bless Arthur Montford) at corners and free kicks to proliferate to the point where it's almost impossible for a referee to spot all the infringements in the box at dead balls. All supporters of clubs outwith the OF is that the refs apply the laws fairly. We saw several examples of persistent fouls against us at Celtic Park on Saturday go unpunished, some of which should have resulted in a sending off, but didn't. It's interesting to note that some Celtic players do seem to be sent off in European games but rarely in Scotland, like Mr Maeda, IIRC. I have to say that, if the roles had been reversed with Longelo and Maeda, I doubt if we would have been given a penalty and a Celtic player sent off into the bargain at Celtic Park. Similarly, had Fadinger fouled Fernandez in the last minute of our match at Ibrox in December, would that appeal have been so airily and quickly waved away by the match referee? That's the reality of the game in Scotland, and has been for more years than I care to remember.

Hee! Hee! I doubt Mrs Dosser would agree 😈. I'm finding if AI doesn't "know", it just makes stuff up sometimes. Oh, wait.....

My experience of AI too. I'm finding it harder than expected to find the teams for that game but there is a photo here of the players in the bath after the game apparently and Billy is to the left of Davie Whiteford with Willie McCallum left of Billy. He's also in the squad colour foatie for that season: https://x.com/SteelmenHistory/status/1724107481775772032

I was sure wee Billy Campbell (N. Ireland) was on the right wing that night. I've discovered recently AI is not infallible by any means.

Just seen the foul by Chelsea's James on the Newcastle number 12 in tonight's match, which went completely unpunished. The game's in a real mess over penalty box jostling.

Yes, seems to me he's simply assuming the mantle of the likes of Craig Thomson, who really seemed to have it in for us. The OF play referees like violins with their constant complaints and it works. Tough Gove for the rest of us.......

Yes, my failing mind thought either MC or Martin Peters. I think they stayed overnight at the Bruce Hotel in EK and there is a persistent story they signed wee kids' autograph books with silly names. The match itself is one of my happiest memories since 1962: gulp!

Can't quite remember the name of the Spurs player who is reported to have grudgingly said of that night, "Motherwell were all muck and nettles."

Surely the only available option. And I know you're not Shirley......

This is sad news. Did he not have a great game against a very strong Tottenham Hotspur when we beat them at Fir Park in the Texaco Cup? What a night that was (3/11/70)!

Churnalists and presstitutes gotta do what they do.........

Some rare footage of a draw against RFC in the 60s, notable for an offside goal by Colin Stein which was allowed to stand 😱, a petulant booting of the ball into the terracing by John Greig following Jackie McInally's goal, Tom Forsyth in a 'Well jersey, and some commentary by Bob Crampsey: Bob was unequivical when asked, given his huge (pre-WWII) experience of Scottish football, if he felt that the Old Firm had got the benefit of refereeing decisions over the years: "Yes," he simply said. This contrasts with the mealy-mouthed fudging by modern-day pundits who prefer to refer to honest refereeing mistakes/influence of larger and more vocal OF crowds on referees/ lack of experience on the part of match officials, obviously oblivious of the JRP Gordon/Craig Thomson MBE Effect through the ages. Nostalgic to see the hoop with the wee numbers above it, and (controversial, I pure ken) white shorts 🤣😱🤣.

Fortunately, most young folk don't give a flying fruitbat about history 🤣! I don't think Jens cares about previous PL seasons either and he reckons we can do this (if we get a fair shake from the officials, which I admit is a bit of a stretch: the likes of arrogant Beaton really get on my nazzums). Having seen the confidence and commitment on display at St Mirren, which I thought was a real banana skin of a fixture, I think the players BELIEVE too. Let's just enjoy the possibilities.......🙏🙏🙏

Any memorable meltdown remarks?

Brilliant! A meme to break the internet 🤣....... A 0-5 win at The Methadome is very, very, sweet.