GG Riva

You need to factor in that we were managed abysmally 2 years ago, Andy. Also, was Wighton not loaned out to Arbroath, who were flying high in the Championship, while we floundered around near the foot of the table? He was also playing while not fully fit - there were issues with his knees it later transpired.

All the best, Stevie. A Pars legend and a true gent.

I was hinting that Celtic are likely to have a similarly "chastening experience " in the group phase. Like Therangers, they've gone backwards since last season and they'll do well to finish bottom again. I must admit I get a perverse pleasure when either of these clubs is scudded in Europe, for the simple reason that if they do well, they earn more money, buy better players and Scottish football becomes even more lopsided. The provincial teams can't compete with them domestically and as this week has shown, they can't compete in Europe either. 😞 There was a time when it took a very good team to knock any Scottish side out of Europe. (The Pars were knocked out 4 times by the eventual winners in the 60s.) Sadly, we've gone backwards and have been overtaken by clubs in some of Europe's smaller nations. If memory serves, Scottish teams have lost to teams from Finland, Luxembourg, Andorra and Gibralter. There was even a Romanian village team (pop 5,000) who won 4-1 at Ibrox..... 😀

He looks about 15. 😀

I see Therangers managed to avoid having to repeat the "utterly chastening experience" they suffered in last season`s CL group stage by offering little resistance in last night`s playoff in Eindhoven. Oh wait.....😀😃 No such luck furra Sellick......

My feelings exactly. I think the Rovers would be delighted to go home with a point, but they're going to be disappointed. 😀

Well done, Digs and Piracy. Fantastic effort. I feel like I was at the meeting myself after reading their summaries. 🙂

That looks like a battling team to me. I think we can get at least a point, maybe even 2 or 3. Have I covered every eventuality? 😀

England v Spain on C4 at 5pm today. If the predicted downpour arrives before then, it will be a welcome distraction for those of us confined to house arrest. It could be quite a good game. I just have to decide whether to line up behind my Latin cousins or the fellow countrymen of my adopted homeland. Tough one.... 🤔

Thanks for this and all the other replies to my query. Funny thing is, when I played in the Dunfermline & District Sunday League, a pal of mine came along for a midweek training session, at a gym in the Carnegie Leisure Centre. Our session was just a game of football, around 8 or 9 a side, no head height rule and no holds barred. My pal was a good, no nonsense defender. He played for the wee team and the Blue Brazil. He told me he wouldn't be back as we were all too rough. "Look at you" he added, pointing to my side when I came out of the shower. It had several horizontal stripes where I had been bumped into the gym's wall bars.... 😃

Aye, Kane could have done without that and so could we. 🙁 Not having been a footballer of any note myself, I've often wondered why players are sometimes injured by team mates in training. Obviously, it was an accident, but are players expected to go full pelt in training? Would they not be more likely to treat it like a testimonial game, where there's an unwritten agreement that strong tackling is out? Having said that, it may be that S'Ally's post is not entirely accurate and Matty's "crunching tackle" was more a coming together with unfortunate consequences.

Safe standing appears to be gaining momentum at EPL grounds. It`s getting to a point where any club which doesn`t install a safe standing section is going to be in the minority and will come under pressure from those fans who want to stand at games. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66061736 Am I right in thinking that Celtic is the only club which has a safe standing section in the SPFL?

No, S'Ally, chances are he won't. We always remember things which happen and tend to forget those which don't. That's how our brains work. Still doesn't stop folk thinking it's a nailed on certainty. In Italy, fans call it the Ex Factor. 🙂 Eta. Happy for Nikolay to net a late consolation goal in a 4-1 defeat. 🙂

Has apparently agreed to stay on at Palace for another season. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66023593 Good on him. He`s 75. Not a record, perhaps, but he's obviously not ready for the rocking chair and carpet slippers just yet.

A fine human being and a decent manager. R.I.P. Craig.

I did say comfortably hold their own, Digs. A shoe in for the Top 6. I'd need to see them against tougher opponents than the Pars were last night, but I reckon they would only be properly stretched against the Sellick and Therangers.

Strong, skilful, athletic, quick, physical, well organised and comfortable on the ball. 👏 (Have I missed anything out?) Best team we`ve seen at EEP in many a long year. I think they would comfortably hold their own in the Scottish Premiership. Our team stuck at it manfully, but were no match for them. No disgrace to be beaten by a much better team. I`d love to see the Pars get to a similar level in my lifetime. 🤞

Absolutely delighted with this. KRH reminds me of a young Alex Edwards, with his balance, two feet and ability to leave defenders on their arses in the tightest of spaces. For those too young to remember the GOAT Pars player, that's high praise. 😃

👍 Cheers. Happy to keep going as long as the demand is there, the club continues to make players available and my health holds up. If anyone was interested in coming along to a visit next season and sit in as a fly on the wall, you'd be most welcome. Even better if you are approaching retirement age. I'm no spring chicken so I have to start thinking about succession planning. 🙂

Excellent summary, Piracy. Here's some detail 're what I said at the end:- • Great season on and off the pitch. • Schools Engagement programme started in 2014. Stopped in March 2020 because of Covid. • David Cook keen to re-start it. James McPake bought into it. • Dave Dawson organises 2 initiatives. Business Management presentation for High School pupils. Stadium tours for primary kids. Problems for schools out with walking distance from EEP, as private transport costs are extortionate. • Wullie Oliphant delivers Pars Stars, an all day literacy initiative, in local primary schools. The afternoon features a coaching session from the Pars Foundation given by Iain Philp, Ryan Graham and Stevie Tucker. 733 pupils had benefited from this up to the end of March. Wullie is on course to hit 1000 by the end of June. • Pars Tackle Health is run jointly by Sandy Wyse and I. The initiative relies on Pars players visiting local primary schools to talk to pupils about making good lifestyle choices which will hopefully enable them to live a long, happy and healthy life. Dave Mackay organises the player rota. Every player has been in at least 2 schools - some in 3. Everyone has totally bought in to the aims of the initiative. The 3 Pars Foundation coaches also attend these visits and provide a games session for participating pupils. Stats for this season; 18 schools visited. 22 players involved 41 classes participated 1064 children engaged and countless autographs signed. 🙂 A large proportion of these kids who are interested in football list Rangers or Celtic as their favourite team. Hopefully, the different initiatives we are running will bear fruit and we`ll get some extra Pars fans each season.

I don't think anyone can possibly argue with that. Dave Mackay probably deserves an award, too, for the significant part he's played in galloping through this division.

I went. I thought both McPake and Mackay came across very well. They obviously get on really well and have established a good rapport with the squad. They're both tactically astute and good man managers. They also repeatedly said that they're still learning the game and showed great humility. Last, but not least, both have a keen sense of humour. I left in good spirits 're next season.

If it was any other team but Airdrie, I'd say no chance of overturning a 4 goal deficit. 2 goals in each half and 1 in e t. Not impossible. The tricky bit for Falkirk would be simultaneously keeping a clean sheet. 😃

You could have gone in and sat outside in protest instead and listened to this relaxing wee song: https://youtu.be/Wt0nFwtQZGc 🙂

There`s no other way to describe all those anti-royalists who are enjoying their day off today than as a bunch of hypocrites. If thet had the merest smidgen of integrity in their bodies, they'd would have turned up for work today......