Andy_P

It's all a big conspiracy don't you know.......

I think if anyone ever took it upon themselves to do it, and Boyle was open enough to contribute there would be a fantastic book in there covering his tenure at Fir Park. Even beyond the stuff that's been mentioned already there's plenty material. There's the unequivocal faith that was placed Pat Nevin in the early years then the severing of ties when we went into administration. The handling of the departures of various managers such as Billy Davies who appeared to infer there was some kind of gagging order in place when he left and he would reveal all when the time was right. The fall out with Shaun Teale over his new contract. The Lanarkshire United idea. The proposed sale of the club to whathisface Coakley and why he stepped back from the deal. Just a few other things I can think off that would make interesting reading. What a way to go out and finishing chapter it would be if we could round off his time at Motherwell by winning the Scottish Cup!!

Thoughts and votes please folks...

In terms of this thread, having scanned your first post on the Cup it'll be the last post of yours I'll read before the game. You can give us all your arguments about following logic, steeling yourself in case we do lose and whatever else flows out of the dripping tap of negativity that is your outlook on Motherwell. But you know what, when we're looking forward to a Cup Final of all games I just don't want to hear it. If we get pumped on the day we're all grown up enough to deal with it then without some fucking misery chick, that probably ran about the playground at school as a wean telling all the Primary One's that Santa doesn't exist, telling us of our impending doom a month before the game has even been played. Away and post on a Radiohead forum or something for the next month and let the rest of enjoy our child like excitement without you trying to burst folk's bubbles.

I would presume the club will attempting to cash in hospitality package wise on the Cup Final the following day and will be keeping the decks clear the day/night before it to allow them to prepare. Mind they had the marquee thing on the pitch in 1991? Just this time they'll have the Cooper as an additional area for them as well as the Centenary suite.

Moe, not sure if your post was intended was specifically in response to mine. Coming a couple of posts after mine and referring to some of the stuff I was mentioning to it may well be. Either way I certainly don't believe being a season ticket holder entitles anyone to celebrity status as you put it. You may well be right about a maximum allocation for season ticket holders and your suggestion of four would seem reasonable enough. If it came across as such I'm not actually advocating an unlimited supply for ST holdersm, simply that despite some current anxieties about the allocation, I reckon we'll have a sufficient number for everyone that wants to go. I just wonder if the club might consider it easier for them, if not necessarily fairer, to shift as many as they can via season ticket holders thereby reducing their workolad.

I'd say just follow the advice of several other posters and relax. There will be enough tickets for any 'Well fan that wants to go. The game is not for a month, so there is no panic to get everything on sale immediately and enough time for everyone to have ample opportunity to get their tickets either in person or by phone. I would imagine that once prices are set and tickets are printed - and remember that involves the SFA and Celtic too there will be a period where season ticket holders can purchase as many as they require, with a general sale thereafter. It is surely in the clubs interests to do it that way . If you take the example of season ticket holder Smith looking to buy a dozen for example for family and friends (whether that includes ST holders or not) it is going to be much much quicker for the ticket office - again remembering the fact they need to take names, addresses, process card transactions, to process that sale of a dozen tickets in one pop than it would be having to deal with three or four sales for those dozen tickets. And once those are done and dusted I would expect the general sale for the remainder of the allocation, whatever that might be.

Stumbled across this on the skysports website - Andy Walker's thoughts on both semi-finals if you are interested >>> Steel yoursleves - but what caught my attention was the photograph, is that not just absolutely cracking? I never noticed it at the time after Craggs scored, or indeed when watching it back on TV but how good is it that everyone bar Randy is up there celebrating with him? If there's a picture that epitomises our team spirit, togetherness and what it means to them then this has got to be right up there. Brilliant photo!

Yeah, that's really the thinking behind my original reply to Alex Spark's post. It wouldn't sit right with me if folk were bringing them purely for an aggravation factor but if people were able to take Union flags with Motherwell on them to the final in '91, Dortmund and indeed on Saturday with supporting Motherwell genuinely in mind, without any comment, then they should be able to take one to a game against Celtic without the motives being questioned. If Celtic fans perceive that as being something different to what it is then that's up to them.

Andy Smith you possibly meaning thisGRAEME? Another Irish internationalist with a penchant for dyed blonde hair as I recall. No idea what happened to him after he returned to PNE mind you. Keogh was a young defender who got a couple of games before being released and I think ended up at Forfar for a short time.

I certainly don't see us freezing on the day as Charlie Nicholas tried to suggest after the Aberdeen-Celtic semi-final today. I look around the squad and see a number of grizzly battle hardened pros in there. Folk like Craigan with his 50 plus caps and 300 odd games behind him, Lasley and Hammell close behind in appearances for us, Jeffers, Ross and Sutton too with considerable experience behind them. Sure we've some youngsters but even they have had European campaigns behind them and visits to Hampden this season too. And whilst he might be approaching it from the underdog perspective our gaffer has plenty experience of how to handle the build up to a Cup Final. I think it might have been Finlay who pointed out the hidden benefits for our squad in recent seasons of gaining that mentality that is needed to secure the likes of that 3rd place under McGhee, the top six finishes under Brown and McCall and making progress in Europe. I have faith that these group of players that if Celtic do beat us on the day it won't be through our bottle crashing.

Was interesting to hear him pre-match continuing to insist he remains a Motherwell supporter and that against any other team in the final but his own he'd be supporting us. I do wonder if he really means that or if its all of the good guy Craigy he has created with most. He seems a prime candidate as our former manager and media favourite to get picked up to cover the final for somebody. Perhaps the sight of being in there in the flesh and seeing the players and club he dumped win the Cup might put that to the test. I also smile at the mental image of John Boyle bursting into the studio Scottish Cup in hand shouting at him, Jim Bowen Bullseye stylee "Here's what you could have won....."

Methinks that there may be some who will take issue on that last point Alex!! All I'll say though is that because Celtic fans may fly tricolours or Rangers fans may sport Union flags does not mean they have sole ownership of that flag. A Union flag with Motherwell written on it or in claret and amber (indeed there was one yesterday which could be seen when I watched the game again) I'd have no problems with.

Funny you should say that. I got pulled aside at the turnstile yesterday when taking my flag in. "Does your flag have a flame retardant sticker" was the first question. Being a simple home made job with a smattering of saltires and 'Well flags sewn together I could only answer no. Fair enough but I did wonder where things where heading when he then asked me "Have you been drinking". Pointless saying otherwise so I answered yes and was then asked "How many?" On answering three or four (well it was in that region....roughly) I was then asked to step aside from the turnstile and I presume his superior was called across for his input. He queried how many flags I had in the bag, took it out and gave it the once over whilst I politely explained that I'd brought it to Hampden on several occasions in the past without any difficulty. Fortunately common sense prevailed, and I was allowed entry with the flag on the proviso that I kept it away from the populated areas of the ground. I again I politely assured him that I intended to display it in one of the empty sections. To be fair to the original polis he offered to fold and return the flag to my bag and wished me an enjoyable afternoon. Ironically enough I made my to the turnstile by which point another polis was standing there and proceeded to ask what I had in my bag.... So aye, based on my experience yesterday there's every possibility if you take a flag in it might be queried. Just keep the heid, be polite and don't give them any excuse to deny you or your flag entry.

Apologies for the delay but thoughts and votes most welcome now folks.....

It's quite a difficult one for McCall to call on a few levels. Team selection for one. Ross, Hateley or Saunders at right-back? Craigan or Gunning alongside Hutch? And up front? Jeffers in alongside Sutton or hold something in reserve? How does he pitch the team-talk too. I'm sure they will be confident but you want to ensure that they are not over-confident. Do we go all guns blazing or reign ourselves in for the first wee while? I've no idea who will get that right-back slot but I would imagine it would be Craigan and Hutchy in the centre with Hammell at left-back. I'd be inclined to go with Lasley, Jenno and Hateley as a three in central midfield with Murph and Humphrey on the wings. The three in the middle will offer that little bit more protection to the defence when required and Murphy, Sutton and Humphrey are all match winners in their own right. If I was McCall I would have been toying with the idea of having Franny Jeffers in ahead of Tom Hateley if we really wanted to go for it early on and try to replicate the United replay display. My doubts with that however are that we don't really know how fit Franny Jeffers actually is. How likely is he to complete the full ninety never mind 120 minutes if it goes that far? And having him on from the word go would likely mean we have all our attacking options out there and leaves us limited in like for like replacements of similar quality if those may be required either through injury or tactically. But nice to have options. Nice to sitting looking forward to a semi final excited as fuck and hopefully there will be much celebrating to done tomorrow and beyond. Mon the 'Well

Hmmm. Given I'm already committed to be in Aberdeenshire visiting the old dear, when our only remaining Saturday game is I'm personally a bit underwhelmed. If you have to have three games away from home Tynecastle would be the place you would want to go so that's probably the pick of the fixtures for me. Dundee Utd I'm kinda neither here not there about but another midweeker against Killie with little more than pride to play for could see us test the lowest home crowd of the season. And Celtic away on the last day of the season is one I would have avoided. The context of the game remains to be but I just think that if we do happen to have a Cup Final against them to look forward then playing them the game before is not going to do us many favours. EDIT: Posted without realising realising the fixtures posted weren't actually confirmed.

Go on, have a stab at what it could mean

Without knowing what exactly is involved in setting up the invitation I think there's some merit in the suggestion. How much text can you put on it? If it was limited and you only had enough space to list the kick off and date of the game then given its profile its probably not worth it. But if however you were able to add on things like the phone number of the person to contact to get on one of the buses leaving FP, or got the details of the opening times of the Cooper, or even ticket prices for last minute ditherers then why not? What works for one punter doesn't necessarily work for all. Some may prefer Facebook, some may only use Twitter, so I'd say if its free, if its going to hit a wider audience than the official may neccesarily hit, then why not?

Sad as I am to have him amongst the folk I have a nosey about on Twitter but ESPN commentator Derek Rae suggested that: Real Radio punter Mark Benstead reckoned that: Does beg the question, what's the hold up? It was clear from last midweek that it was either going to be Inverness or Motherwell taking the sixth place, so what's the delay? Admittedly there's no immediate rush with it being Semi Final weekend this week but you might have thought that with a few days to play with even before the sixth place was confirmed there might have been a Set 1 with Motherwell included and a Set 2 with Inverness included sitting waiting to be announced.

Perhaps an update to the advert on the official is required. Obviously written the day after we beat Dundee Utd its still showing telephone sales as an option. If it perhaps explains why they wouldn't take your telephone booking this morning Tamwell, I phoned last Wednesday afternoon before the Utd game to book our lot and was encouraged to try to buy in person because of a backlog of telephone bookings that had to be processed. I was advised that if I did go with the phone booking it could well be as late as the early part of this week before they may be processed. I went ahead anyway as we were going to pickup at some-point rather than risk the post, but a change of plan at work allowed me get up to Fir Park before the game, get my tickets and scrap the booking. Given the bundle of forms that they searched through to dig out and scrap my original phone booking I think it must cause them a fair amount of lost time duplicating the process over the phone then entering into their booking system. So that I would imagine is why they would want to wrap up the telephone bookings as early as they have. I do agree though that if a 'Well fan is prepared to pay the additional required for a next day guarantee then, time allowing, there isn''t really a reason why we shouldn't be offering telephone sales up to Wednesday or Thursday. Also a wee bit surprised that no late night opening has been offered either on at least one evening this week. Mabye it costs more than they bring in, I don't know but was always offered at least once in similar circumstances.

Thoughts and votes please folks...

Still find it hilarious?

You were on your PC composing your latest warning of impending doom for the team when that happened.

..."Just fucking try Mr SPL....." Celtic lawyer Paul McBride QC was heard to mutter, persecution complex at the ready.