ChiThistle

I thought this would make a good run-out song. There's a good chanting part around the 1:00 mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7AP5MAhkoQ

TravelScotland or HistoricScotland, whatever it's called.

Without knowing the exact budget, or what it's cost to resign people, it's hard to say what a 'realistic' signing is. Maybe the selling point this season isn't the excitement of bringing on someone new, it's the excitement of keeping on guys like Doolan, Rowser, Erskine and Fox. On the other hand, does any of this six-figure deal with macb go toward the playing budget? Or does it all go toward the debt?

Agreed. But I'm going to get tired of reading match reports where Kris Doolan has to say it "feels phenomenal" to put one in the back of the net.

The answer to this is probably obvious to most around here, but I recall reading that newly promoted Swansea gets a set amount of money for winning promotion to the EPL? Because it was a definite amount (and not an estimate related to increased gate revenue and things like that), I assume it has something to do with a league profit sharing scheme? If so, does the SPL have this kind of setup? Is there a set amount of cash awarded to a team earning promotion? Sorry for the noob-type question - I'm not familiar with the financial side of football.

If they play their cards right, 'Modern Apprentice' can be a new BBC Scotland reality show that documents the daily lives of six kids trying to make a dent in Thistle's first team while keeping up their marks in college, having a social life, adjusting to their new surroundings and new faces at the club. Manufacture a few rivalries, some artificial drama, cast Jaggy Mac or Gerry or someone as the grizzled-yet-fatherly manager providing tough love to his kids, get one of the kids to develop an unrequited crush on Ami, and you get instant marketing for PTFC.

There's an outside chance that, at the present time, we're just unable to afford the paper on which to compose such a list...

If the OF ever does leave the SPL, you'd figure the two Champions League qualifying bids go with them. Do you think anything would change with the Europa League bids?

The biggest problem with the SFL is the lack of quality teams, and I think it's time for them to look at getting rid of the Second and Third Divisions. When you consider that England has 50 million people and five divisions, it seems ridiculous for a country of about 5.2 million to try to sustain four divisions - especially when two teams in that country account for about 50% of the entire country's football attendance (according to numbers from ESPN.com, Old Firm drew 1,791,188 in home attendance, all other teams in SPL, First, Second and Third combined for 1,990,143). Even Ireland, which is much more comparable to Scotland in terms of population, only operates two divisions. Cutting the 2nd and 3rd divisions would at least allow other SPL and First Division teams to pluck some of the talent away, improving the quality at the higher tiers. Improve the quality, improve the fan base. The other problem is the Old Firm isn't an accurate portrayal of Scottish football - they belong in the EPL. It's not good for your league's prestige if the same two teams finish at the top for the past 15 years (save that one year Hearts jumped in) and can outdistance themselves from the competition by 30 points in any given year. It's like having someone win your election with 100% of the vote. It'd be like the BBC televising William and Kate renewing their wedding vows every friggin year. It just takes the lustre off the thing as a whole. Honestly, I'd be surprised if their own fan bases don't start growing disinterested. If you're a fan of Celtic, I'd imagine it's not winning the SPL that thrills you anymore - it's knowing that Rangers didn't. Other than playing Rangers a few times a year, the season becomes a months-long waiting period until you can get another crack at Champions League. At when you fail to make a dent there, you probably start to wish you were able to hone your skills against better competition during the season. So in a way, having Rangers and Celtic be as dominant as they are hurts everyone - including Rangers and Celtic. But at the rate the SFL is going, I'd sooner expect them to put the OF in a two-team "Superfriends Premier League". Imagine the promotional push: "Like watching Rangers play Celtic? Well how would you like it.....<American monster truck rally advert voice> THIRTY-EIGHT TIMES A YEAR!!!!" Then they can up the ante by having special promotions - first 1,000 fans at Ibrox get a free brick. First 1,000 fans at Celtic Park get lighter fluid and a bow-and-arrow set. Maybe once their fan bases tear each other apart, the rest of the league will get the chance to dream of titles again. Sorry, that became real rant-like toward the end.

Yeah, that quote falls right in the middle of the story and kinda hits you like a sucker punch. On one hand, I find the honesty refreshing. It seems like Jaggy Mac understands and accepts the confinements in which he has to field a team (in his first managerial job, no less), and he has no problems saying it point blank. Good on him. On the other hand, it feels a bit like seeing a new doctor for a second opinion on your condition, only to have him give the same prognosis as the first one - you keep the slim hope that things aren't as dire until he goes and confirms it. Ah well. I'll just have to play the lottery EXTRA hard to funnel some winnings to the club - Lord knows my intellect ain't going to get me rich.

Hungry like the Fox?

Sad day for football when a kid gets attacked like that. Sad day for the SPL when one of the Old Firm can only afford 2p per toss.

Maybe a different version of "I Just Can't Get Enough" could work: "You overpaid for Griffiths and Gary Harkins too" "You just can't spend enough, you just can't spend enough" "You thought you'd win promotion - how'd that work out for you?" "You just can't spend enough, you just can't spend enough" "Better get your finances straight..." "Or you're gon-na wind up in Di-vi-sion Two"

Reports out of Cowdenbeath say it was a "suspicious, Liam Buchanan-sized parcel." The suspicious part being when "we put him back on the pitch but he couldn't score any goals. That's when we knew we'd been had."

I can confirm that the only aroma on the boots is the aroma of success! Chicago is good. Pockets of crime, corrupt politicians, underperforming sports teams - so same as always. Summer is taking its sweet time getting here, though.

Hey hey! I received emails from a few interested people, and I can say the offer has been snatched up already. I hope everyone heading to Firhill this weekend has a good time!

Still no takers. If it's a question of the legitimacy of the offer, I'd suggest giving Ami a call at the Firhill office for confirmation. Since we're just a day away, and because I have trouble perusing the board while I'm at work, if anyone is interested they should just send me an e-mail: [email protected] First come, first served. I'll send a quick reply e-mail to you to let you know if you were first. After that, I'll e-mail Ami with the name of the person so that she has some kind of confirmation. From that point on, I guess all you would need to do is get in touch with Ami and say "Check your e-mail - I'm taking this guy's place". Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys themselves at the Firhill Cup this weekend - a really grand idea by whoever came up with it!

Quick update - no takers so far. Offer is still open to anyone interested.

Hi all, So this Saturday is the PTFC Player Sponsor Event at Firhill. While I'm extremely proud to have boot sponsored Kris Doolan this season (and I unjustly take partial credit for every goal - even the ones he headed in), I unfortunately live in Chicago, Illinois, USA, Too-Far-From-Glasgow, and can't attend. I asked Ami at PTFC if I could post on here and offer my spot to someone else - I thought it might make someone's day to get the chance to go...it seems like a nice opportunity for a young Thistle fan and a parent to attend. It's only a half-hour event this Saturday, but I'm told you get to meet Kris and the rest of the squad, and I'll bet you can get a photo or autograph or two. She gave me the go-ahead to post on here, so I guess send me a PM if it's something you or someone you know might be interested in. I'll check back in the morning (well, early afternoon your time) - if multiple people are interested, I'll just randomly pick someone and let them know via response. Thanks! -Len

I visited Scotland for the first time in March 2007 and told my brother-in-law to "take me to a footy game - any game." Thistle had the nearest game, so we went to Firhill to watch us lose 2-0 in the driving rain to the Accies (all I recall is someone missing a penalty - I think Mark Roberts - and an older gentleman standing next to me screaming his lungs out). I dunno, it all just really endeared me to the club. Even when I read about the finance problems and the talent leaving for clubs with bigger budgets, it oddly enough endears me even more. Maybe it's because my American clubs are the same way (Google "Cleveland" for further information). It makes me think that becoming a Celtic or Rangers fan is taking the easy way out. Even though I don't get to see games (Cup reschedulings, refs strike and bad weather ruined my chance last fall), I still try to throw some sponsorship money in and follow the live text updates and match reports as best I can. So I guess that if following a team you rarely, if ever, get to see sounds like an odd/dumb thing to do, consider that a lot of people find belief in God to be perfectly logical too. Cheers!