Happy Dosser

Ian C was a fine player who somehow didn't quite hit the heights his skills suggested he would. His relatively frail build may have been a factor.

It's the Firhill Triangle... It was nice to see the footage of Firhill with the old terracing behind the goal in use. I think it looks terrible now it's been closed. Think it was at that end that John McStay scored to ensure our promotion back into the top league in the 80s.

He continued to speak his mind on the radio as a pundit, though. I remember when the "Off The Ball" discussion was on referees and their "decision-making", hem, hem and he said that in his long career of watching football (he was born in 1930) there was simply no doubt that the Old Firm had routinely benefited from getting decisions against the rest. Nowadays we get the likes of Daryl Broadfoot on Sportsound much too often, telling us how great the SFA is and defending the status quo to the hilt.

I was buzzing by the end of the match, which felt like a victory. I think it's safe to say we have our mojo back since you could see what the equalizer meant to the team. Both Hartley and Main look back to match fitness, Bigi seems part of the manager's plans and the latter seems more flexible in his tactics. Had to laugh at BBC Shortbread's on-line compilation package: the permanently hysterical Liam McLeod said our third was "bundled in" by Hartley. Strange description for a side-footed goal but I suppose the meeja just can't help themselves. Is it just me or were some of the pundits rather disappointed that The 'Well spoiled their "Gerrard Golden Path" narrative? Faddy's comments on radio were particularly disappointing but maybe he's just trying to establish his neutral credentials.

An effective midfield is all about balance and Bigi should be at the creative heart of it. We have other players with the strength, drive and disruptive ability to complement him. FWIW, I thought Frear played well when he came on and did his bit to unsettle the Rangers defence. A better cut-back to Main before our equaliser and who knows what would have happened? Hope we continue in the same vein against Dundee. Nice to see Gerrard's disruptive substitution before the corner blew up in his face. The Curse of The Slip seems to have followed him above the border.....

I thought it was pointless to return it for a relatively small fault which probably couldn't be easily rectified. Besides, I liked wearing a PROPER MOTHERWELL SHIRT. Sorry: I feel better now. Ooh, where's me washboard?

The Toffs 1960s shirt I bought originally looked all fab 'n' groovy but then I noticed the claret on the cuffs was a different shade from the claret on the collar. Hope they've rectified that. Can't they get Tyrian purple (q.v.) right ?

In the original incident, I didn't see the Bowman elbowing as being deliberate at all and I've watched it several times. Ryan is watching the ball and is levering himself to get airborne. However, the elbowing of Moult in the first half, which no-one seems to talk about in the media, was deliberate. To his credit, Barry Ferguson said he couldn't believe people were still talking about the Bowman incident after a week. "It's a man's game," he said, implying these things happen without malice in a physical game like football. Hartley, in his off the cuff and clumsy way, was saying he was laughing at the "grieving and wailing" of the SoW and meeja, as fat_tony, Richie and others have said, but he really needs to be reminded about the kind of churnalists and presstitutes we have in Scotland. He failed to see the yawning man-trap they had constructed in front of him and he fell right in. His manager is usually excellent at sensing the dangers of the loaded question or anticipating where an apparently innocent question is going. PH badly needs some media training. Being a thrawn type, after originally thinking his remark was embarrassingly crass, I feel we have nothing to apologise for and I have an even greater desire for victory on Sunday, if that's possible. I suspect Craig Thomson will be practising his smirk for the inevitable, though, and we will see more diving than the European Championships from our visitors. I really hate being in the same stadium as them and look back fondly to the years of their banishment to the lower leagues.

And it's not just the SPFL, weeyin. I listened to Sportsound on Radio Shortbread on Monday and, sure enough, the SFA's Daryl Broadfoot was defending plastic, citing a Scandinavian report that there was virtually no difference in number of injuries between grass and synthetic. Significantly, all the former players on the programme (and Fraser Wishart too ) were opposed to artificial pitches, saying they did not feel confident performing sudden movements or turns on it and that if affected their movements and thus the quality of the game. I'm sure the authorities, with their almost instinctive ability to make the Scottish game worse, will plough ahead regardless. Really sorry for Jamie: a nice guy who didn't bother celebrating his goal against us last year.

Agreed. I hope I'm wrong but a neighbour in the POD told me he is suffering from a form of dementia now. Your other photo with Henry Hall brought back memories of a fine SJ side with John Connolly on the wing.

That's surely Willie McCallum and not Joe Wark, ubh. It seems they got the caption wrong.

Your comments and Andy P's on another thread are well considered. I don't like our style at the moment and Robinson has a decision to make. Up to now he obviously thinks on our budget that kick and rush is the percentage answer. He doesn't fully trust Bigi and Gorrin seems to fall into this category too at this stage. I too remember McLean having to rely on Andy Harrow/John Reilly and a young Andy Walker chasing lost causes and slim pickings. I also remember most of the Ancell Babes who were great to watch and won diddly squat. I think we got to a cup SF in 65 and that was about it. Robinson sees all the players in training and presumably knows their attitudes and abilities. We have little to spend now and the window is closing. I suspect the board will back his judgment for the first quarter before making a final decision. The question is: can the manager change and does he think the team can play in a passing style? Thistle got relegated playing that way and not scoring goals and Dundee came perilously close to that fate too. I think this has the potential to be a long, hard season but I doubt Livingston or St Mirren will be setting the heather on fire and we have DFC and Panathonaccies to consider. The Tractor Boys seem weak at the mo too. Sadly we have only 3500-4000 fans and a budget to match and it has almost always been thus, so get behind the team, Poindexters or make a conscious decision to wander round Asda with the missus on a Saturday afternoon.

You need to stop posting here. Far too balanced and observant a remark. Hang your head in shame.

Mine arrived today, all new and plasticy and to be signed for. Most efficient, thanks, MFC.

Bigi's situation is a strange one. I think he was Robinson's first signing but he seemed to go off him quickly, probably because he didn't perform well enough defensively in the boss's eyes. Didn't he see this supposed weakness in his game before? Surely a midfield is a balance of abilities: strength, pace, skill, vision, etc? We seem to have sufficient of the first two so there's no reason Bigi couldn't slot in there, unless it's a clash of personalities which is the problem. He played well in the final and a funny memory is Bigi harassing McGowan so much in the last home game that he blew a fuse and wanted to start fighting (admittedly not a rare occurrence). The signing of Gorrin seemed to me to represent Bigi's marching orders since the Spaniard seems to relish a tackle. Nevertheless our budget is extremely modest and Robinson's first duty is to keep us up among a lot of similar teams. IIRC, he made a comment (perhaps a dig at Dundee's whinger manager) that playing nice football is fine but you have to win games somehow with the players you've got and DFC came very, very close to relegation. Barton of Partick was also vocal about our "no football" style and look what happened to them. Nevertheless, there should be a place for a player like Bigi, particularly with Tanner still out. As for our youngsters, Robbo has shown with Campbell that they'll play if they're ready IHO, so draw your own conclusions. We have a tough game tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how the player and the manager react.

"…….my enthusiasm for the season ahead will have taken a massive hit before the it even begins in anger!" Milo: "enthusiasm"? You're taking the piss, right? I picture you shivering in your 'Well FC SE pyjamas tonight, hugging a hot water bottle to your head and dreaming of Michael Higdon. Stay loose till Tuesday, then howk out the pitchforks and torches as you wish. With the exception of last year and 2005 (gubbed 5-1 in the final), our LG cup performances have been execrable since I began in 1962.

Was just about to ask you which other clubs had worn this kind of strip. Historical Football Kits is a fascinating website but I'd never looked closely at the Montrose or Peebles Rovers pages. I'm presuming Bradford City's winning the FA Cup in 1911 brought this strip to people's attention and how it would avoid common colour clashes. Going the other way, I never understood why Aberdeen changed from relatively unusual black and yellow stripes to scarlet after WW2 but that's the Mutton Molesters for you.

Thanks, guys.

Why would QoS do such a thing? As you say, claret with an amber yoke was our first in those Bradford C. colours, followed by stripes, before we followed the Righteous Path of The Hoop. Don't get the Dumfries connection.

Is that their change strip?

Sadly, it's not up to you or me, UBH. The club doesn't seem so keen, though.

I agree. I know white shorts are anathema to some but for me, an old dinosaur, they provide great contrast to our glorious colours. I just hope I see the team play in a proper hoop before I fall off my perch.

To his credit Murty said at the time there was no malice in the tackle so it's quite pathetic that Jack is still greeting about it. The fact that I saw this in a discarded copy of The Herald shows how far the paper has fallen. This is a redtop/tabloid style of biased reporting which would never have seen the light of day there in the past .

Was going to say it looks just like the lettering on the first unhooped jersey in 1968 (?). The older you get, everything becomes nicely retro.

Don't worry, ubh, when I win the Euro lottery and take over the club, you'll be given the lifetime strip designer gig (under executive supervision). Other priorities: extend main stand to fullest extent. Remove yella paint splashes on concrete wherever they occur in the stands . Roll and black pudding option in all club catering outlets. It's a funny old game, Saint.