laukat

I thought McDaid mught end up getting linked with us. We need a winger and McDaid is a winger that has proven capable at our current level. When you add that he's out the picture at Dundee, would probably be avalaible on a loan and McCall knows him it seems to tick a lot of boxes. He's not someone that I will get excited about. I think he has a tendancy to delay the cross and try to do too much when he gets in a decent position. However he does have pace and does like to stick to the touchline so would at this point be an upgrade on Cardle who has a tendancy to cut inside and doesn't want to try and outpace the opposing fullback so he should quicken our forward play and stretch opposition defences.

I would expect that they would have to vote. However if a proposal is tabled to try to finalise league positions all Celtic need is enough to defeat that proposal. Last time it needed 9 votes from Premier league clubs to vote for the final placings to be awarded. If we assume whoever is at the bottom of the league will vote with Celtic they only need to 'encourage' a couple more clubs to defeat the proposal. I'm sure whatever the SFA and SPFL do will be in the best interests of the game and all the clubs...

The way the virus is behaving is entirely predictable. We have large waves on infection in winter, lower in summer. Its the same with seasonal flu and every other virus. The new variants that increase the R number will still follow the same pattern. The vacinnation program will reduce the hospital admission rate and mortality rate in time but we have to assume there will be a 3rd wave of size unknown in winter of 21/22 and probably a 4th wave in 22/23. With that in mind the real question for the football authorities is why are we not switching to summer football? We are unlikely to complete seasons that run over winter in either the current season or the new season. A season that started in April/May and finished in August/ September would allow the best opportunity for games to be played and possibly with some sort of fan attendance. Its also an opportunity to test summer football for the next 2 years before looking at a more pemanent switch. The fact that there is no plan from the SFA or SPFL or even a discussion shows how desperately they are clinging to the hope that someone or something will make the decision go away. On another note. The reporter on the news when discussing Rugby suggested the Scottish Government was reviewing essential travel for elite sport and may decide it needs to be curtailed. The French Rugby authorities have so far only sanctioned their team playing in Italy. That would suggest that Sevco may run into problems playing their europa league games in February . It also makes you wonder if Celtic are goading the Scottish Government into stopping all football so they can declare the league void and get another go at 10 in a row.

Agree there is no chance we play in February. Earliest is probably late March but more likely April. However that means playing 17 games in about 6 weeks to allow the playoffs between league 1 and championship to start. So either the League 1 clubs will be going into playoffs knackered having played so many games in a short period of time or Championship clubs will go in rusty because the playoffs don't start until June or the playoffs are cancelled. When you add the players contracts ending on 1st July and I know what my money would be on. I suspect it will be playoffs cancelled and a 18 game league for us. That will leave us having to catch Falkirk in 8 games. We'll probably have to do that with the squad we have signed just now as I don't see how you can recruit when in furlough or sign anyone useful outside of the window. I don't see why the Euro's is a reason to keep the Championship going? This season should be voided for all. We're not far enough into it for final places to be awarded.

Only if Neil Doncaster has a chat with them first

That looks far too close to the truth. Its even worse when you think back to Doncaster and Mulreany on Sportsound saying the decision by SG to not allow fans return was a political choice. If it was, as those 2 clowns suggested, a political choice then not to allow fans to return then the decision to put a partial closure in place can only be seen as a very political choice by the SFA and SPFL. At every point in this pandemic the SFA and SPFL have sought to pass the buck and hope someone else makes the choice for them. They are utterly unfit for purpose and completely incapable of leadership.

Technically correct answers but it starts from the basis of how the proposal to the clubs was processed. The SPFL and clubs could have sought more inclusive proposals sharing the impact of covid across all members rather than choosing to force demotions and award titles to teams who were not certain to finish there after the complete season of games. They could have tabled a proposal that both awarded final placings but also put in place a temporary league reconstruction so no club was demoted and therefore suffered or they could have voided the leagues or they could have suspended the leagues and finished it before starting the current season. I know none of those were deemed to garner sufficient support however that to my mind was because the SPFL and key clubs insisted on a vote finalise standings first rather than a single vote to finalise and reconstruct. Dundee's 'vote' was to my mind symptomatic of this manipulation. Dundee wanted reconstruction but niaively fell for a promise rather than a guarantee. It is clearly incorrect to say the SPFL and SFA acted in the interest of all clubs just because they were found to have processed the proposal legally. I agree with @exiledjag that the club should take every opportunity to remind the SPFL, SFA and other clubs that they failed to act in the best interest of all clubs and that what they did was unfair on us, Falkirk, Stranraer and Hearts. Our circumstances are perhaps the most unfair of all when compounded by the decision to suspend the lower leagues. One other thought - This thread was started on March 11 2020 and we have all discussed not only what happens if they shut down season 19/20 but also discussed the strong likelyhood that season 20/21 would not complete. We as a group of fans have for season 20/21 known for months it was likely and that there were various ways of dealing with it. However the SFA and SPFL seem to have suspended league 1 and 2 with no real plan for the knock on effect of that decision. It surely can't hae been a surprise to them that this might be required as it clearly wasn't to us so what exactly is the advice from the SFA on how lower leagues deal with the transfer windows? Where's the support for lower league clubs? Why aren't the SFA/SPFL able to tell us how long the suspension lasts before the season cannot be completed? In short why are highly paid individuals such as Maxwell and Doncaster not been able to produce a contingency plan when its been known for months that one was needed? Surely they've not been sitting on their rear-ends hoping the pandemic would go away before they would have to act?

Genuine question - Would you prefer a statement that said todays decision made complete sense and we as club deserved everything thrown at it or no statement at all? In my opinion its entirely consistent to say the management of our club in Jlow and Britton has been terrible over the last few years but at the same time say that we have been very badly treated by SPFL and SFA decisions. Other clubs have run badly but not endured as much damage from decisions made by footballing authorities that are meant to look after all their members. The statement rightly calls out that most of the current events was forseeable and that in making the decision they have not given any thought to the practical implications of matters like the transfer window, player contracts and completing a season in leagues were the majority of players have another job. They could have said they will extend the window for x weeks after the leagues recommence, they could have announced financial support for clubs effected, they could have said that they will ensure the lower leagues complete even if that means playing over the summer or delaying the start of next season to ensure promotion, relegation and playoffs take place but all we got from the SFA was leagues suspended and from the SPFL that we support this decision. WIth that in mind I fail to see what is incorrect in the statement issued by the club? I believe the Stenhousemuir chairman may be correct when he says the lower leagues have been sacrificed to cover for Celtic's behaviour. With rising cases it makes no sense for the top 2 leagues to still be playing. They should have been suspended but they wouldn't that because they know suspension is for longer than the next 3 weeks and they are back revisiting the same difficult conversations with the 2 arse cheeks on voiding or awarding the league. I would also add the SFA probably want the top league to continue because they don't want to risk players not being available for the European Championship. We as a club haven't been picked upon by the SFA or SPFL we are just utterly unimportant to any of them and given zero consideration.

Its a good statement but what exactly are we doing to change the situation other than moaning about the bad things the SPFL and SFA have done to us? Last year showed both those organisations to be self serving incompetent shambles so today is not surprise. Why don't we make it clear that Doncaster and the rest of the current SPFL board will no longer be welcome at Firhill?

I don't see how the playoffs can go ahead if the league suspension last more than a couple of weeks. There just isn't the time in the calendar to play them as well when you have a league full of part-time players that can only play around work commitments. Add to that contracts will end then its a pretty tight window. Also there is zero point in recruiting any players until its known if the league can reconvene so the championship clubs now have an easier market to operate in and if the leagues recommence how do league 1 and 2 clubs recruit to finish their season as the window will have closed? After 10/11 games played the only viable way forward is to void the league. Promoting Falkirk or relegating Forfar would be even more unfair than our relegation last year. However I am willing to make an exception for Brechin! Also if completing the Premier is important because of european spots who is getting the spot for winning the Scottish Cup now if the ties featuring lower league clubs can't be played or are they just going ahead with the lower leagues playing with understreght squads due to no january transfer window and at a disadvantage having not played in a while?

I would hope that an assessment has been made of if the lower leagues can furlough staff? If we can't furlough we're knackered.

The original lockdown last year started to be ease at the end of May in line with summer arriving as infections reduced due to people being more likely to meet outside. This year we will have a lockdown that will probably stretch to a similar timeline. I've never understood why the football authorities did not move the football calendar to summer football in recognition of this. This season the infection rate is worse so why don't the SFA and SPFL take the more sensible action of suspending the leage campaigns and completing them over the summer? I appreciate the European championships have to be played this summer and European club competition is a factor but that effects very few clubs and would be weighed against the possible return of fans in the summer should vaccine rollout accelerate. At the very least all leagues par the Premier could move to the summer. I would also suggest that sumer football need to be seen as something that should happen for next few seasons. As much as vaccines will help for the few years we will still face winter pressures on the health service amid spikes in new cases and variants.

Not surprised. He's looked decent but with Brownlie, McKenna, Sena, sicknote O'Ware and Foster (as backup) its a position we have decent cover for. If Sena hadn't emerged as a centre half we may have kept him. With his departure it should at least free up a spot for another loan player at least.

It was usually a different question from young local lads. Its been a long time since I've been approached by an entrepreneurial youths with a concern for automobile presevation. Not sure if thats because I now park in Murano Street or kids these days have other interests?

I used to do that at Firhill in the days we had terracing behind both goals. Defintely miss being behind the goal Thistle were shooting into. Also miss leaning on the crush barriers. The ones at Firhill had enough width to them to give you a table for your pie and bovril whilst being sturdy enough to prop you up if your pre-match pint had left you 'tired and emotional'.