a f kincaid

Belated thanks Tom. Can you say at this stage which match will be the first?

How long to his first red card?

Just noticed a list of live and streamed matches for the Premier Sports (League) Cup in the SPFL official site. Ross County away is annotated "subject to pitch works being completed". Don't book your B 'n' B just yet! I wonder where they'll play it if it can't go ahead.

Well, whoever is appointed "CEO (floodlight bulbs) reporting directly to some bright spark" has their work cut out. As any night TV coverage will show, our floodlights are poor compared with other clubs in the division.

And there's even more! Another 10. BBC announcement 27/12/24. BBC Scotland has agreed a new contract to televise up to 30 Scottish Championship matches per season and show web-based highlights of second-tier games and League 1 and 2 matches. The existing deal allowed the broadcaster to show up to 20 live Championship games every season. The weekly highlights programme showing action from that division and the third and fourth tiers will be streamed on the BBC Sport website and app each Monday and will begin early in the new year. The new arrangements are add-ons to the deal between the BBC and Scottish Professional Football League that runs until the end of the 2028-29 season. BBC Scotland head of commissioning Louise Thornton said: "It's great news for audiences that we've secured the rights to show more live matches and provide a new highlights package. "The BBC Scotland channel has been the home of live Championship matches on Friday nights since 2019 and we're delighted this additional agreement with the SPFL allows us to cover even more games from this exciting league." SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster added: "It is fantastic to expand our partnership with the BBC to show even more live William Hill Championship games. "The league is renowned for its incredible excitement and drama and having up to 30 games broadcast live each season from the William Hill Championship is great news for Scottish football fans. "For the past two seasons, our social media team have done a terrific job producing an excellent highlights programme, available on YouTube. "We are delighted that BBC Scotland will be taking over responsibility for that programme in the new year. This is great news for fans wanting to catch up with all the best action from across our leagues."

I read somewhere Thistle had appointed a new manager. Can this be true? There was no mention of the club or the appointment on BBC Scotland news at 6.30.

Rangers have released Lewis Budinauckas. Just saying!

We don't know the H and As yet but I doubt if there can be another section potentially involving so much travel!

Must try and keep up!

Advertising for a full-time manager of the women's team suggests something is going on to de-couple BBG from one of his current posts. In preparation for an appointment perhaps?

What happened to the SPFL edict more than a year ago that artificial pitches had to be replaced by the start of 25/26?

Alex Wright in the blazer. Looks like Tannadice but don't know the guy in the coat.

I hate the lilac strip as well but just as an aside, I'm surprised the officials don't consider the lack of contrast between the lilac and Mitchell's outfit, or the Livingston keeper's for that matter.

No-one likes to be a party pooper but it is unavoidable in this case. William and I have been discussing the issue for some time and our position is clear. Maybe now is not the right time to go into it in greater detail but basically The Thistle Archive always aims to record facts and figures as accurately as possible. Sometimes deciding what is accurate is difficult (even controversial). Deep breath, Brian Graham's winner at Somerset Park was his 99th competitive goal for Thistle, not his 100th. He has, incidentally, also scored 8 in friendly matches. The goal in question belongs to a match at Inverness on 9 February 2022. Video evidence from a camera behind the goal shows that it was an og. Certainly Brian was in "close attendance" but it was an og. It should be pointed out that goal scorers are accredited by OPTA who are contracted to the SPFL (and many other sporting organisations) and not the referee. Sorry to put a dampener on this when emotions are running high. A goal by Brian tomorrow night will set the record straight!

Interesting to see in the Herald this morning that there are proposals being discussed to change playoff's to one game only (scrapping the 2-leg arrangements). If approved it would be for the end of season 26/27. However, there would be no change to the home and away arrangements for the play-off winner v 11th club in the Premiership. Final league placing would determine which clubs would be at home. The higher finish gets you home advantage.

On 7/8/1922 "Athletic News" ran a full-length article giving all 20 club's prospects for season 1922/23 including their players' height and weight. 355 players were listed and 9 were 13 stones (82.6 Kg) or more. 4 were goalkeepers, 3 were centre-halves, 1 was an outside-left and 1 was a centre-forward. Thistle's Alec Lambie was the only player listed as being 14 stones (88.9 Kg). In contrast to modern-day footballers - especially goalkeepers - only 12 players were 6 feet (1.82 m) or more tall - 5 were goalkeepers and 7 were outfield players and (at 6 feet 2 inches) Alex Lambie was one of them. 31 goalkeepers were listed so only 1 in 6 was over 6 feet tall. In modern times aspiring goalkeepers around 6 feet tall are often dismissed as being far too small! Lambie was probably the tallest and heaviest player in season 22/23.

Pre-season fives tournament.

Surely you mean twice a day?

When I saw this yesterday at first I thought it was an April Fool! Turkeys don't vote for longer Christmas and New Year holidays.

Up until a few seasons ago I would have agreed but recently I think it has greatly improved. I still believe however the announcements of opposition substitutes are (by choice) toned down. They may even be announced by a different person.

Jackie Husband. Don't know who the keeper is. Hard to tell if Jackie is deep in defence or in the box. If the latter, a collector's item!

George Smith far left and Willie Sharp far right. Not sure who the flying header belongs to.

Is there a deliberate policy to keep the names of opposition substitutes a secret? It seems that way. Thistle announcements are loud and clear (waited 50+ years to say that!) but when the opposition make changes they are barely audible. Has someone decided we don't need to know who is coming on/going off?

Taking the pith?

Just curious Jaggernaut why you think any player would try to get sent off.