Yoss

Oh sure, the Ashley thing stinks - but that's up to the SFA to deal with. The failure to declare is what's been different between them. Livi may find themselves a bit unlucky that their punishment is being decided in the context of the Rangers thing in the background.

Ashley declared his dual interest from the outset - Livingston / Rankine were accused of not doing so.

Yeah, Cook went travelling, then came back and had spells at, I think, Brechin and East Fife. Don't know where he is now. Dunlop was on a two year contract, and although he'd long since left the club, he was advertised as being available for transfer during the summer in the middle of it, which would suggest he was still officially contracted, though I've no idea if we had to pay him. He ended up back at Newtongrange, for whom I saw him get sent off for diving a season or two back. Dunlop was the one major failure of the otherwise very good policy of giving out two year contracts in the McGlynn era.

Laidlaw has some confidence issues, but he has all the attributes that could make for a good 'keeper, and he's several years younger than (say) McGurn was when he finally nailed down a regular first team spot. If we let him go it's entirely possible that three or five years down the line he'll be an excellent 'keeper for someone else. Be a pity if that happens.

It's inconceivable that we won't keep offering McGurn a contract for as long as he wants to keep playing.

How so?

Don't Rangers charge other clubs a fee for selling away tickets through their own ticket office? At any rate they started doing so in the SPL a few years back and some of the clubs started selling them direct as we're doing now.

Also more recent than Baird, though longer ago than Spence, was Brian Graham away at Falkirk near the end of his first season.

Point taken. And I don't mean to piss on any chips if anyone does have any good ideas. But I incline to the view that football supporters will behave pretty much as football supporters do, and Stark's Park, unfortunately, is too lop-sided and spread out for the support we have to be able to build the critical mass necessary to get things going for run-of-the-mill games. Lots of people will chant / sing if people around them are doing so, few of us are cheerleaders. You need that critical mass.

Anyway, as far as the team goes - no, we shouldn't be overreacting to three wins any more than we should have been doing so to the winless run. But the record over the season against teams outwith the big three now reads: P14 W8 D2 L4. That's not too bad. We're pretty much safe from relegation already - the league is more stretched this season and a lower total than usual will see you safe - so from that point of view, rather than the mere fact of the three wins, the pressure should be off the management for the rest of the season and we can take stock in the summer. I doubt we'll finish fourth, and we wouldn't be going up even if we do, but we probably do need to keep some of this momentum going between now and May. If we end up going off the boil again and stumbling back to an 8th place finish it'd be hard to look forward to another season under Murray with much enthusiasm.

Serious answer? Rebuild the stadium.

It's a bit like saying you could be sent to prison for ten years for illegally downloading a film.

"could suspend 
Livingston’s license" is just talk, there's all sorts of things for which that's the theoretical maximum punishment but there's no reason to suppose they'd apply it except in circumstances far more extreme than this. (Raith once did have their licence suspended, in the 90s, just to prove a point, but it was resolved within a day or two.)

All fair points. And yes the charge against Livi is for misrepresentation of it not just the fact of it.

The prospect of the clubs meeting is far from being the only possibility of how the arrangement might affect the integrity or autonomy of the club. But I take your general point that it happening within the same country is probably more serious. I didn't so much mean to compare the two situations in respect of their seriousness as to note that the existence of a more high-profile case in which they've (so far) been sticking to their guns might focus their minds on making sure they need to be seen to deal with another situation that's come to light.

I'm a bit surprised at this verdict, and I really don't know what the punishment or response is likely to be. On the one hand the SFA do have to take action about dual interests, particularly in the context of the Mike Ashley / Rangers thing. On the other hand I've heard no suggestion that the actual running or the integrity of either club has been compromised as a result, so it's provided Livingston can get it resolved before the next hearing it's possible it may be viewed as essentially a technical offence. I really don't know how to call it. Livingston are probably knackered this season anyway, so they could be given a further points deduction without it actually mattering much.

The only reason, incidentally, that I'm perceived as being generally reasoned and reasonable on here is because you aren't treated to my invective-filled diatribes about Man United. Over on the English footie site I sometimes post on I'm regarded as the most bitter one-eyed loonpot going.

haha Thanks. But fair play on Perry, I shall defer to the majority.

It just comes naturally.

He's not really as bad as everyone apart from me will tell you, but I nonetheless wouldn't get too excited about it.

I think you might be confusing expect and hope, there. (Spanish has the same word for both, mind you.)

I think they managed to sell him the week before.

Saw Wilson playing for Linlithgow the other week (he signed for them a couple of weeks after our cup game). Still looked to be playing reasonably well to me, but then I always liked him.

If safety were the only target this squad is easily good enough. Given the strength at the top of the league a rather lower points total than usual will keep you clear this season. Another two or three wins should do it. That doesn't mean we definitely won't be looking to bring anyone in, but it's not obvious where, in particular, we'd be looking to strengthen. He's got three forwards to perm from, three wingers, four centre-mids, three centre-backs. Full-backs are the only area we're lacking cover, and he's seemed happy enough with that situation thus far.

Yeah. I think what I meant was it sounds like he's got someone else lined up that isn't us.