SPL Discussion Thread

[liam88]

They always do that!!

I didn't know that....you learn something everyday....

I think Celtic and Hearts will both win this weekend-Rangers will get at least a draw...Stu I agree-I couldn't give a flying pixie where Inverness airport is!

[Poor Student]

We have the bizarre situation this week that Hibs will be taking a European hangover into a game against a rested Celtic!

[geysir]

I thought Celtic signed an Arsenal player on loan, Alladiere?, where is he?

[superfrank]

I thought Celtic signed an Arsenal player on loan, Alladiere?, where is he?

He had Arsenal or Celtic cancel his loan and now he's at West Ham.

[Poor Student]

He had Arsenal or Celtic cancel his loan and now he's at West Ham.

It was mutual. He just came in at a bad time. It looked last season that the injury had fecked Maloney and he was going to be a write off as a useful player but this season he has look rejuvenated and been playing well. Add to this Chris Sutton, Hartson and the arrival of Zurawski plus Beattie continuing his progress and there was just no room for him. Strachan wasn't disappointed in him or anything. If anything the disappointment was Aliadiare for not getting a decent chance.

[Gerrit]

I like long journeys. I think everyone who's into travelling likes it. It turns me off when something is closer than an hour driving. Nothing's as nice as staring out of the car/bus/train window and seeing the landscapes change, while your mp3 player plays your beloved tunes.

Do the very northern tows like Durness, Thurso or John O'Groets (yes, it is a town: http://www.incallander.co.uk/images/nmapn.jpg) have any teams in the main Scottish pyramid? Or do they play in local leagues?

Interesting BTW is that the Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands all have their own FAs, unofficial (=non FIFA affiliated) national sides and leagues. When it comes to national teams the Shetlands are quite active (and won the last Island Games in soccer) while the Orkneys and Hebrides didn't play for quite a while, but the three archipelagos all have leagues up and running.
Bizarre, as Hebrides and Orkneys could in fact enrole their teams in the Scottish leagues (except for the Outer Hebrides and the Shetland Islands the isles are not too far off-mainland). The island of Skye probably plays in the regular Scottish league pyramid.

[superfrank]

Richie Foran's scored twice (so far) for Motherwell today, they're playing Falkirk.

[Plastic Paddy]

There is no Scottish pyramid Gerrit, just the Highland League, East of Scotland and South of Scotland leagues and some strange entity known as "junior" football (non-SFA affiliated clubs) below the SFL. You can Google yourself for more information.

On another note, isn't this thread just a bit too nicey-nicey? That's why I've never posted here until now. Like watching paint dry...

PP

[Poor Student]

On another note, isn't this thread just a bit too nicey-nicey? That's why I've never posted here until now. Like watching paint dry...

PP

As if you don't know what the alternative is?

Hearts win again today, Skacel again scores. He's scored every game this season and is in line to break Negri and Viduka's record for games with consecutive goals from a season's start. A 3-0 Rangers win at home against Kilmarnock too. Big pressure on Celtic away to Hibs tomorrow. Hearts take on Rangers next week at Tynecastle. That match will say a lot about both team's title chances.

[Plastic Paddy]

Ah c'mon PS, I'm only teasing. You're doing a grand job.

There's no pressure on Celtic this afternoon. We (yes, that's "we") should put three past them without reply. Next week's marmalade derby will be the one to watch alright.

PP

[Plastic Paddy]

Before anyone starts, I said "should". We should have been three up after twenty minutes. Profligate finishing (by Hartson in particular) meant that Hibs found a way back into the game. Still, the three points were won.

I await next weekend's Tynecastle face-off with just a wee bit more than passing interest.

PP

[superfrank]

Profligate finishing

Too much listening to Rico, I think.

[Hibs4Ever]

Ah c'mon PS, I'm only teasing. You're doing a grand job.

There's no pressure on Celtic this afternoon. We (yes, that's "we") should put three past them without reply. Next week's marmalade derby will be the one to watch alright.

PP

What were your reasons for thinking this???

[Plastic Paddy]

How many reasons do you want? I'll give you five to start.

Celtic have better players, more tactical options and greater strength in depth, plus we hadn't had only three days to recover from a UEFA Cup tie... And that's before the injuries to Smith and Brown were factored in.

We should have scored four in the first half-an-hour; the fact that Hartson didn't seem interested was the let-off that a better team would have exploited. And how Ivan Sproule stayed on the pitch is beyond me, but I digress.

PP

[Hibs4Ever]

How many reasons do you want? I'll give you five to start.

Celtic have better players, more tactical options and greater strength in depth, plus we hadn't had only three days to recover from a UEFA Cup tie... And that's before the injuries to Smith and Brown were factored in.

We should have scored four in the first half-an-hour; the fact that Hartson didn't seem interested was the let-off that a better team would have exploited. And how Ivan Sproule stayed on the pitch is beyond me, but I digress.

PP

Facts when you made your prediction. Both clubs were joint 2nd in the league. Last time we played we stuffed celtic 3-1 in glasgow. A couple of weeks ago we hammerd rangers at ibrox 3-0 just a week after celtic got easily beaten there. So your pre match prediction was way off. Sproule stayed on pitch because it was hand bags, telfer was just as much to blame. Thankfully telfer is nothing like petrov though, or it would've looked like he was shot and rolled 50 yards around the ground

[Plastic Paddy]

If you think my pre-match prediction was way off, you obviously weren't watching the game.

You use the word "facts" and then pepper your response with opinion. "Stuffed"? Hardly. Two late goals in a hitherto tight game do not constitute a stuffing. I won't comment on your victory at Mordor (but will state that our defeat wasn't as "easy" as you suggest), as that might place me in the invidious position of having to defend Rangers; something I just can't bring myself to do.

On the question of your pocket rocket, I was thinking more of Sproule's squaring up to Balde some thirty seconds after receiving his booking, but never mind. A decent referee (are there any in Scotland?) would have sent him from the field, no question, if only to save him from himself. To Balde's immense credit, he didn't react at all. Not even so much as a stray elbow in the mush at the next opportunity.

Good luck in Dneprpetrovsk, by the way. You were most unlucky not to win last Thursday.

PP

[Hibs4Ever]

If you think my pre-match prediction was way off, you obviously weren't watching the game.

You use the word "facts" and then pepper your response with opinion. "Stuffed"? Hardly. Two late goals in a hitherto tight game do not constitute a stuffing. I won't comment on your victory at Mordor (but will state that our defeat wasn't as "easy" as you suggest), as that might place me in the invidious position of having to defend Rangers; something I just can't bring myself to do.

On the question of your pocket rocket, I was thinking more of Sproule's squaring up to Balde some thirty seconds after receiving his booking, but never mind. A decent referee (are there any in Scotland?) would have sent him from the field, no question, if only to save him from himself. To Balde's immense credit, he didn't react at all. Not even so much as a stray elbow in the mush at the next opportunity.

Good luck in Dneprpetrovsk, by the way. You were most unlucky not to win last Thursday.
PP

Tell me about it. Traceled over for it, amazing atmosphere. Roll on a nice trip to Ukraine next week. At least Dnipro will have to come out and play at home

[eirebhoy]

Sproule stayed on pitch because it was hand bags, telfer was just as much to blame.

Telfer was partly to blame but certainly not equally. Telfer tacked Sproule from behind. Wasn't a bad tackle and didn't even bring a freekick. Sproule than chases after Telfer to get revenge.

[liam88]

Lovely last night:
>Celtic through (dopn't care how-we are through)
>Hibs through (always nice to see)
>Lamberts Bhoys do the Job against Hearts......I hope their season goes downhill from here

Hearts vs Rangers this weekend i don't care who wins-hate 'em both and can't wait to see Hearts come crashing down.....first their cup dreams then their league dreams

[superfrank]

I have to say I want HJearts to win. I don't like Rangers, never did.

But the again, I'm not a Celtic fan either.