Vladimir Putin

For a cup final involving Thistle and QOS, even one fan who wants to attend and is unable to is too many. This is an absolute nonsense, there are plenty of grounds in Scotland, relatively close to Almondvale, capable of accomodating more supporters. I wasn't in a position to go anyway, but the thought of wanting to attend a Thistle cup fInal and being unable to due to a sell-out is a horrible one, and the guys who don't have tickets both deserve our sympathy and have every right to complain. What they don't need is snide comments from fellow Thistle fans, cearly with tickets.

Indeed, and this is why I expect us to lose. Two pretty poor international teams, even one world-class player (Bale) can make all the difference in such a turgid match. I've just about had it with the Scotland team, I trailed halfway across St Petersburg looking for a pub I could persuade to show that last Wales game, at midnight, and the second half was a disgrace.

I haven't seen Thistle away to Montrose, Cowdenbeath, East Stirling or Elgin, and my current geographical location makes it more difficult to complete them. I have been to stock car racing at Central Park, but you can't really count that. I have also been to Ochilview many times to see Thistle-Stenny, but I would have to insist on seeing East Stirling there to count it, and we haven't played Montrose or Elgin away in a competitive fixture in my time as a Thistle fan. Out of interest, for the anoraks, when was our last competitive game at Links Park? I don't count new stadiums for this purpose, so I include St Mirren as I did go to Love Street.

Completely agree. Given that it's a thread about a cup final, some of the comments from fellow Thistle fans (who clearly have tickets) towards those who don't are some of the most disappointing things I've read on the forum for a long time.

Getting the shirts printed in advance would be calamitous! I was at a Scotland-England Murrayfield game in 2000 when England had to win to get the Grand Slam, and the bloke sitting next to us was wearing an 'England Grand Slam 2000' rugby shirt. England then lost, and my Dad turned to him and just said 'nice shirt, mate', at which point the guy threw his programme on the ground and stormed away. Sounds like a great day out though, wish I could be there.

What a smug, patronising reply that is. It's a cup final and it's sold out, emotions are running a bit higher than normal. There are many reasons why someone may or may not get a season ticket, none of which makes him or her a lesser fan than you. For the record, I agree that season ticket holders should get priority, but they shouldn't be gloating about it. We have had plenty of 'I'm a better fan than you' on Thistle forums in the past - I didn't realise it was now part of the One Thistle remit.

Rowson didn't leave to free up a wage for an emergency loan signing - he left because it was in his own interests to do so, just as he did the first time. Don't get me wrong, he has been a great servant to Thistle and I loved his attitude, especially when he was surrounded by mediocrity or worse, but he is leaving to do what he sees as furthering his own career, even at this late stage, just as McNamara is doing. The fact that some of us don't consider United to be a huge step up, or don't think the extra money to be worth it for him, doesn't matter. It's his decision and his right to do what he sees as best for himself, just as any one of us would do and just as Thistle would have done if he had turned out to be a disasterous appointment.

Somewhere in amongst all this the original poster does have a point. Who are we to judge what is a better option for someone else's career? Rowson feels that playing regularly at a part-time club is best for him at this stage in his career, and I would agree. But what happens if we have a serious injury/experience crisis with 3 games to go, and could have used him in games which we subsequently lose? McNamara clearly feels United is a better option for his career as a manager than Thistle - it may not work out that way, but there are many reasons for him to think so. There's a fair to decent chance Thistle won't be in the SPL next season, it is more money in a business not known for its stability and financial security, and he will be in the SPL with a bigger club with more money and better players. The question involving this example is probably the wrong one at the time, because feelings about McNamara are still raw whereas Rowson is now very well regarded by the fans, and rightly so, although it certainly hasn't always been this way.

Let's not forget that McNamara was a successful appointment for us - that's the reason he's gone. I would be surprised if the Board decided to completely change direction and go for a hack like McPherson, with abysmal football and a pretty questionable record, so I would assume it's his pals in the Record touting him for the job - just when you thought that esteemed publication couldn't be more contemptable. As for Dodds, well like others I don't want him, purely because I don't like him. If we're going down the route of a young, inexperienced manager, then I don't see why Archie wouldn't be a candidate. He knows the players, he has been doing some coaching with them already, and the squad clearly likes and respects him. If they decide to go for someone with managerial experience, then Johnson or McKinnon would both be preferable, although involving compensation. After some of his Sunday Herald 'columns' and overall defence of Rangers/Sevco, I don't want Dodds within a mile of Firhill. I wouldn't even give him a complimentary ticket to a game.

I agree with this. Much as it is painful the way McNamara left, and the timing especially is bad for us, plenty of fans were calling for him to be sacked last season. If we had done so, where would he be now? His future in management could have been over.

I think it's the best move the club could have made at this time - the usual list of managerial suspects was completely uninspiring. Of course the fans would have backed the team no matter what, but can anyone imagine Gus McPherson, Billy Reid or any of the other serial losers really rallying the fans? With this move we have the continuity that we need, the players seemed to want Archie, and Shaggy's return ensures the fans will be right up for it from the start. The Board may decide he isn't the man for the job long-term (if the concept of long-term even exists at a club like Thistle), but for now, I think it's the correct move. Shaggy was a true hero of mine as a player, I'm delighted to see him back at the club. The classiest player I have seen at Firhill - even in that duff loan spell under Campbell when he got injured and hardly played, I still remember him roasting Peter McDonald down at his own corner flag and strolling away into midfield with the ball. He probably proceeded to give it away and then get injured, but for maybe 10 seconds he shone a light on an otherwise dismal scene. Shaggy for Scotland!

What about Alex Rae?

I didn't say I think Southampton are a top 4 club, I was simply discussing the owner's decision from his point of view, and he clearly has ambitions that are greater than he feels Adkins to be capable of achieving.

Depends what the owner's ambitions are for Southampton - by all accounts he's very ambitious, and recently said he thinks they could be a top 4 team. That probably sounds like nonsense to most of us, and the sacking seems very harsh at a glance, but if he feels he has seen enough to suggest Adkins isn't capable of taking them to the level he wants and even expects, why wait?

Considering we were on a bit of a duff run and the game was in January, never normally a boom time for football attendences, that's an excellent crowd I think.

He just scored two and almost got a hat-trick shortly after, one of which was a simply sublime finish that was worth the admission fee along, and we should now put him on the bench for a few games? I'm just at a loss to understand where you're coming from. As for Murray - he's crap with the ball, but he is effective in breaking up the play and I think we need him in there.

They already had a squad that was the second best in the First Division the previous year, and it hasn't been good enough to compete against the worst SPL teams, which is what they would have had to do under the system being proposed, which involves the best of the First competing against the worst of the SPL. And as for Thistle and Morton, how many years have they spend combined in the top league in the past 30 years? Juan Kerr might be right and they would adjust in the long term, but I don't think there's any basis for assuming they would 'at least' be as good as St Mirren etc in the short term. On the other thread there is a discussion involving the Thistle squad being dismantled regardless of whether we go up or not.

No, the post said that Thistle, Morton and Dunfermline (two of whom will still be in the First next year) would at least match St Mirren et. al, and I don't think that's necessarily true. Dundee were the second best First Division team and last year and can't do it now.

Not necessarily. Dundee are out of their depth this season and haven't been able to match St Mirren et. al.

I'm not sure it's fair to say he is trying to put himself and the players in the shop window. As it stands, he hasn't won anything and there are no vacancies for which he would be an obvious candidate. Why would he want his players in the shop window? His best chance of moving up is if we win the league, be it this year, next year or whenever, and he won't do that if he stays and we lose half our squad. As I see it, he answered the questions in a way that downplays his budget - he didn't lie to anyone, and yes, it makes it look like he's doing a good job, but I don't see him trying to advertise himself. I'm also not indifferent to the downsides of getting promoted with a squad that has just lost a few of its best players and/or the manager, but surely Rugby Park, Tynecastle and Tannadice are prefereable to yet more visits to Cappielow and Almondvale, even if we were struggling against relegation.

With a 3 month winter break from mid-December to mid-March.

I know it's against the forum rules to criticise the Star and Garter, but the original post did begin with 'in your humble opinion', and mine is that the Star is an upholstered men's room. Both Crosslands and the Woodside are close to the ground and a vast improvement.

The Star and Garter and Munns (which apparently is now closed? It was actually the last pub I was in pre-match, before Falkirk in August) are both absolute toilets. I prefer the Belle on Great Western Road, excellent beer, closer to the ground either The Woodside or Crosslands are acceptable.

He isn't saying anything of the sort and you know it. Who appointed you as policeman of what Thistle supporters are and are not allowed to think? He is saying that if you have £55 or £85 to spend right now, you can buy a cup final ticket, and if you don't there is a chance you could miss out. I personally think his point will be redundant because there will be enough tickets to go around, but that doesn't mean it's not a valid point nevertheless. I understand the club see an opportunity to make money, and we certainly need that, but if the allocation was smaller a lot more people would be commenting on this.

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