Jaggernaut

Showing your age there, Mr. B.

Yes. Has it escaped your notice? The UK is bust as a country, economically and in other ways too.

I'm not sure if it's for laughs, but there's a definite voyeuristic aspect, of the type usually associated with Channel 4 and their roll-up-for-the-freakshow err, human condition documentaries.

Denis McQuade went downhill at Tynecastle.

No they don't. What party has ever PROVED that their policies are better before an election? Not a single one. People take what they say on trust. And for far too long the Scottish electorate's trust has been abused by Westminster, regardless of what party has been in power. Thankfully, more and more Scots are now not only realizing this, but they are prepared to take appropriate action to give themselves what they consider (and it doesn't need to be proved beforehand) a better option and a better country (or even to allow their trust to be abused a bit nearer home, maybe. ) Don't forget, although dinosaurs were around for a long time they became extinct because they couldn't and wouldn't adapt to changes in the environment. That analogy translates well to politics.

:D On reflection..... That's no' funny.

Already a couple of folk who didn't have a season-ticket last season have said that they'll get one this season. If that's at all representative of the support as a whole then sales might well improve healthily, which is excellent news.

Why then, should it be true.... They get a kick at Ochilview?

Below is a letter cut and pasted in its entirety from today's Herald. During the recent Scottish election all three of the now-departed leaders of the Labour, Conservative and LibDem parties claimed to be strong supporters of the Union, but they all failed to produce specific reasons why it should continue in its present form. Instead they patronised the voters with simplistic assertions such as “we are stronger together than apart”, but provided no detailed evidence of the benefits of being bound together in what seems to be an imbalanced and increasingly dysfunctional partnership. In the forthcoming referendum, how can we make up our minds without honest and reliable information? How does Scotland benefit from sending to the London Treasury all the personal and business taxes collected in Scotland, and then getting back an annual block grant which may or may not be a fair return? What advantage is it to have all decisions on our economic and taxation policies taken by a UK parliament in which we have less than 10% representation? As one example, how do we benefit by having junior UK ministers representing our important fishing industry interests at European summits? What are the attractions to the English of being tied up with a small country to the north, which many see as a nation of scroungers and whingers who pay no taxes and rely on Barnett Formula subsidies from English taxpayers to keep them in booze and from having to work for a living? Perhaps the benefit is being able to base the UK’s nuclear arsenal and submarines as far away as possible from London, or the constant supply of Scottish soldiers to fight in illegal or pointless wars? If there is to be a referendum in three years’ time on Scotland’s independence, whatever that may mean in today’s world, let’s use the time to have a meaningful debate on all the pros and cons, and don’t insult us with patronising statements that Scotland is too small or incapable of supporting its own economy. New Zealand, with a smaller population, seems to have managed to do that for the last 100 years on just sheep and butter. Surely Scotland has at least as much potential and natural resources, and the ability to manage our own affairs? Let us have a grown-up debate with all the real facts and figures, not political propaganda or sexed-up dossiers. And then let the people decide. Iain A D Mann,

Done!

Easter Road or Tynecastle: which is nearer the main line into Edinburgh?

I heard that at Somerset they're taking a hard line on that kind of thing, and that you now have to sit on the terracing.

Wot? No Erskine??

O'Connor was a hero in Easter Road.

Not to mention the fact that Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Lithuania, Estonia etc etc and many others are smaller than Scotland and bordered or surrounded by bigger countries. They co-operate with their neighbours, but run their own affairs, including their foreign policy, their broadcasting etc. etc.; precisely what unionists are happy about denying us.

But maybe they weren't deliberately spitting. That's just the way they speak.

A few years ago there was a list of businesses which offered a discount to season-ticket holders (if my memory is right, but it probably isn't). I'm sure that such a list existed, though.

As far as I could see not one of them was working, but they've got a hoose, food, drink (including bevvy), fags, dugs and cats, a car, mobile phones, the latest H*n and tim taps, etc etc. Where's the money coming from? But it is sad to see people's lives wrecked like that, especially as some of them are basically still youths.

Anybody watch this last night? Why pay soap stars and script writers hundreds of thousands of pounds when you've got this "brilliant" tv right on your doorstep? Talk about desperate lives..... What an advert for Kilmarnock (though yes, it could be in any of a number of towns across the country).

Better still if the form was downloadable from either the official site or here.

I'd happily get along with everybody if people just stopped p*ssing me off.

...a warrior! Check the number of asterisks.

As long as you don't try to focus on Elvis' attire and footwear as he moves around.

Good on ya. Cheque going in the post tonight. Monra Jags. Edited to add: Err, I'll wait until I get the renewal form.