douglas clark

We are on 37 points. Saint Johnstone, who are fourth are on 43 points. We have a game in hand on them. This is after having lost by the odd goal to each of the top three teams. Should we not be at least talking about finishing fourth, which would get us into Europe, possibly? I'd have thought that a few good results might improve the crowds, especially if we had something tangible to aim for. And we do. Getting back into European competition would take us back to, what (?), the 1970's. Doing that would be the most exciting achievement in the modern era, and we have the players right now that could do it.

If the Earth is flat, why can't you and I see the Southern Cross? Alternatively, why is the moon in the sky here and there? And what of seasons where Aussies have Christmas Barbies and we have cold pies at Firhill? You have much explaining to do....

We definately need it populated with gnomes, preferably paying full price!

You took the words right out of my mouth....

Or just split it out between all the players that resign?

Just a thought. If our league position is a lot higher than last year, perhaps we could use the dosh we get to offer better contracts to some of our good players? In addition to the three mentioned above, I'd include Mr Dumbaya, in that group. He has been an incredible find. And a certain Mr Doolan too.... Possibly better solution would be to use the points money as an incentive for every player. We are allegedly debt free, so that cash could be used to try to retain the whole squad. Perhaps based on minutes played and obviously resigning. It is, after all, the players that make this club. And Archie obviously.

lib, There is a need for drainage. The problem is probably the undesoil heating which would have to be removed to allow that to be rectified. We could be looking at a hugely expensive solution. Frankly, as a club, we need to resolve this waterlogged pitch once and for all, although, that said, at the last home game I nearly suffered hypothermia. It is frankly ridiculous to expect fans to turn out in conditions that would make a penguin blanch.

Imagine we had not been saved until after we went bust. Imagine, for a moment, that some rich fan had then stood up, at that moment and saved us from obliteration. Could we have claimed our history, or not? I think, as a fan, I would have. I would have seen 1921 and 1971 as part of our history, no matter what financial disasters has happened to us since then. We were within a baw hair of being liquidated. The fact that we are now reasonably secure in our identity is down to the Weirs and Kingsley Capital. Neither of whom were around back during the dark days of our potential death as a football club.

LSR does not get the point. It is the SFA's responsibility to inspect a ground and cancel a fixture if the state of the pitch in unacceptable. All they need to do is employ local people that know what a puddle is, or glaur. They could arrange to do that way before away supporters started to travel, and should take that into account too. The SFA are a joke. It is reasonable to expect an entertainment business to tell you if a gig looks as if it is about to be cancelled.

Perhaps the SFA should have a few folk on retainer, farmers perhaps, who could judge this early doors? It isn't usually very difficult to tell whether a pitch is covered in puddles and unplayable. Given the distance Aberdeen supporters had to travel it shows a penny pinching attitude to their budget and no care nor attention to the people who, ultimately pay their wages.

Either side could do a deal with the other in exchange for a Saturday fixture. The income from the away supporters could be given to the away team. Might encourage more fans to travel and with modern technology wouldn't be hard to implement. Too radical?

It has been chucking it in South Glasgow. Though last week in Leith it was apparently a drizzle. So, hopefully the area around Firhill has been an oasis of storm free weather and the game goes ahead. I really, really would have preferred these games to have been played. At the moment our position is completely false, I always thought points in the bag were better than potential points. But even I count some of the points we haven't won yet as won. It is a sad situation to be in. I'd rather the games had been played to be honest, the later it gets in the season before they are played, the harder they become. More like cup ties.

Well I did.

Quite surprisingy really, Thistle are now semi-officially a mid-week team. Looking forward to the replay at, och I don't know, 6:00 pm on a Monday to accomodate BT Sport / Sky Sport whatever. On a more optimistic note we are stlll above Kilmarnock. Motherwell and Dundee United with less games played than any of them. And winning one of these games could put us top six. (Timing might make that unlikely, but....)

I too voted for top six. Same reasons as above and especially the money for points. We have a team that could go on to do really well, but consolodation in the Premier this year, cup runs next maybe?

Frankly I love Partick Thistle. I don't tend to follow events elsewhere, though I used to watch FCB on the telly but you are just watching millionaires . Which is why I admire Alan Archibald. I had never heard of either Osman or Dumbaya before he signed them. Frankly they have both brought quality to the team. Hopefully Nesbitt lives up to his reputation, If he can attack a defence, rather than stopping on the edge of their penalty area and looking around as if the last third was an alien planet, then the boy will do good. Shame it's just a loan though. I tend to be mightily impressed with anyone who attacks a defence directly. Our last loan signing, the lad from DU, was an absolute gem of a player. And why I want Erskine back as soon as possible. Slightly off topic, I am utterly delighted that we are signing up key players on longer term deals. There is, potentially, a great future for our club. I think we probably have the Weirs to thank for that. Says the guy that looks nervously at our league position.

I expect Archie see's potential in these signings / loans. Archie hasn't always got it right, but I'd have thought that with the likes of Abdul Osman and Mustapha Dumbaya he is pretty shrewd. Within the club's budget you can't really expect miracles. Both players have been exceptionally good for us. Hopefully that trend continues. In Archie we trust.

Are these dates booked out for international fixtures or something? If not, then it would be madness not to use them for some of our postponed games, I think.

Point taken. I didn't realise East Kilbride was a hotbed of football clubs. I aways saw it as a lot of roundabouts leading nowhere in particular.

I think we should offer Firhill to another Thistle. Just saying....

This is what I love about this forum. One minute we're talking about footballers, the next we are talking about idiots.... Though, to be fair, the unknown, unknown's would keep me awake at night, except I don't know what they are. Sleep tight, hope the bed bugs don't bite.....

BowenBoys, Looking at the league table you are absolutely right. A couple of good results for us over the next two weeks or so means we move up, but safety? Absolutely not. This is the most competitively contested drop zone I can recall. On the positive side, fourth place and Europe is not impossible either. That is how tight this league is.

allyo, I also think Doolan is a perfect fit for us. So does he, obviously. This was a man who's career had been in the Juniors and now he's playing Premier League football, and not too badly at that! I dunno,.but getting the opportunity with us probably means a great deal to him. It is rare these days to see a reciprocal respect between player and club and we should treasure it, because these days are largely gone. That said, I am delighted that our better players are on extended contracts. If Man U come in for one of them, then: We would be looking at millions: and Alan Archibald could find a similar, though rougher, talent from somewhere. His record on incoming players is pretty respectable, don't you think?

And we have Mr Dumbaya signed to 2018 too! If Archie can keep players of the quality that this thread has been all about, the future looks sunny, at least in a Kingsley sort of a way :-) I.e.. very bright! C'mon Abdul, you know you want to put pen to paper.

If Bannigan went for wages around the top end of Aberdeen's pay structure, what would that be? Could we afford to match it? Would it be better invested in another player? Or what? I am really glad I am not Mr Archibald, who has to juggle these sort of things 24/7. Are there any players from the Juniors that we could tap? It's just where we are in the pecking order. If I were a, for instance, Pollok fan and we had an outstanding prospect, I would be absolutely gutted when he left. It is the just the way of it.....