Kmcalpin

I forgot to add that we are also receiving a contributory grant from the SFA for the development.

The training facility plans were approved yesterday by North Lanarkshire Council, with a small number of routine conditions and notes attached e.g. unrecorded mine workings; tree preservation etc. The application, for which permission lasts for 3 years, did not require to go before the Planning Committee, due to its straightforward nature and small number of representations, which were all addressed satisfactorily.

I take it then we are away next week?

Great result on the night and we progress to the next round. We done to AJ and the players. More gametime in legs and players returning but we need to tighten up at the back. So far so good.

Get in!

Yyaass!

The BBC is a publicly funded body, which has a duty to be impartial but of course it panders to the God of viewing figures and we all know what that means. STV is privately owned and is therefore held to less rigorous standards. Its primary responsibility is to its shareholders and therefore turn in a profit.

STV is a total joke as well. However, its slightly more acceptable, as its privately owned, than the BBC which is a publicly owned organisation but doesn't act like it. Scottish sports coverage is poor but we all know why.

Maybe its time we stopped visiting the BBC website?

Absolutely. His blatant feigning of injury at Fir Park 2 or 3 years ago almost caused a riot in the Cooper. I lost all respect for him that day.

To be known as the Craig Gordon rule.

I'm with you on that. Loans do have their place, providing they're not overdone. We've now acquired 2 loan signings, maybe to cover short term injuries but I don't get the Paulsen one. We knew a wee bit in advance that Ward was likely to move on and so would likely have time to prepare. One more to cover a striker perhaps given the number of injuries/permacrocks in that department. Less so in defence and certainly not in midfield.

Maybe brought on as a second half sub to keep HB on their toes?

He's a Canadian centre back.

I have grave doubts if we'll see much more of Paul McGinn unfortunately. By the time he recovers we'll have an established pair of younger first pick centre backs. A shame.

Scott Burns reporting on X that a defender is incoming.

The cost of buying the school out would be prohibitive. The Council would be looking at our club coming good for the cost of building a replacement school, IF a suitable nearby site could be found. That wouldn't come cheap. I'm with G &F in that the case for a training centre should be examined again. His costings make sense. We'd be forking out at least £1.5-2.2m initially for this development and it would be physically distant from either Fir Park or a new stadium. Its implied also that there would be further phases all coming at a cost. My concern too is that this would be located on another organisation's land and outwith our control. Yes, it might be a charitable Trust but personalities and policies change over time, especially over 99 years. Still, it is an improvement over current arrangements. At the very least the options for stadium improvement and relocation should be assessed with the need for the training base. Now is the time to do it.

We used to have fish and chip shops in those days.

Yes, I thought he had a good game. A pleasant change from our usual standard of officiating.

Going through the UEFA guidelines, I noticed this clause: "18.05 Spectator areas must provide unobstructed lines of sight of the field of play." Now there are restricted view seats in both the Hunter and POD stands. Were these seats left unallocated on Thursday evening?

Agree 100% about Ap and Hendry. Big Thor needs to be given a run of games to fully test him. If we are going to play as we did on Thursday then a big front man is a necessity.

It was the same in the POD Joe. In the stairwell where the kiosks are located, you had fans queuing for the toilets, mingling with those queuing for the kiosks, and those coming and going down stairs to hospitality. Complete chaos as it was last season.

Now on X too. Interesting loan signing.

I thought I'd take a look at the notional capacity of the various stands, which turned out to be more difficult than I thought. Various component figures seems to have changed i.e. the Hunter Stand dues to incremental works. Anyway, here's what I found: McLean Stand 4,500 POD Stand 3,500 Hunter Stand 3,305 Cooper Stand 2,373 Total 13,678 Now I just wonder, because the wings of the POD have been cordoned off and seats not "upgraded", if the capacity allowed by the safety certificate has been cut from 3,500 due to other reasons (fire/safety/exits etc). It could, of course, just be down to cost of replacing seats. I've seen folk sit in the wings in normal league games but then again, the total capacity of the stand wasn't exceeded.

If we're talking about signings from clubs above junior level, I'd say either Ben Ellis (Bangor) or Johnny McMenemy (Celtic).