Skyline Drifter

Yeah, see that. I can buy now to be fair but it will only let me buy one. My son's not eligible till 11am. I assume it will revert to allowing 2 at that point?

Didnt realise that was launching at the same time. That's a damned pest.

It's obviously got to 8 points. It's sticking me in a queue now if I try to log in (I'm on 8 points)

Appears we've a small chance of getting in at 7 points. They sold about 700 to 19,000 people yesterday. There are 2,500 people roughly on 8 or 9 points. If ratio of take up is the same there might be 50 or 60 tickets get to 7 points. Anyone got any guidance on whether there's merit in logging in before 11am or not? Does it just suddenly become available if you are already logged in or do you need to log in after 11am for it to check you are eligible and allow you in? Logging in at the minute just tells me it's "Coming Soon".

Yes. I don't want Twitter. I didn't want it before Musk, I certainly won't give it the time of day now. I'm not getting it just because the SFA can't seem to be bothered sticking updates anywhere else. They have Facebook page, they have their own website and they have the ability to send round group emails. As you say, they also could just have a messaging system within the actual members area of the SSC or at least an update of some sort on tickets available.

You do know that "social media" isn't interchangeable with "Twitter /X" do you? The SFA don't appear to certainly. It shouldn't be beyond the wit of the SSC to put news out somewhere other than Twitter. Especially now that post-Musk Twitter doesn't let non members read tweets, whereas they could before.

Any idea how many left?

Balls! Thanks for the info. It would be nice if the SSC would acknowledge there are people out there who don't use Twitter and disseminate information in some other way. That means 1,550 tickets have been sold to a potential 3,768 people so only about 40% of the most regular travelers have bought. Does seem likely, given there are over 11,000 people with the opportunity to buy those 850 tickets before they reach you and a further 8,000 before I can, that it won't get there.

Just going to ask the same thing (except I need it to drop to 7 points, I think it'll definitely go below 11). Anyone know how day one sales were?

Ah, thanks. I hadn't thought that far back. So presumably it will be running out if it hasn't already?

I'll take your word for it. I haven't a clue how much game time Max Johnston is getting. I'm sure @2426255 posted something showing he was getting about 33% game time last week. My impression was Ralston was second choice to Alistair Johnstone at Celtic and barely getting a look in. Stand corrected if that's not the case.

He's also missed three penalties in that time (and as a result handed over penalties to Grant who has scored two of them). He could have had another 5! I don't see him starting in Amsterdam. Perhaps at home to Northern Ireland?

I agree. Taylor will be picked ahead of Doig though they may both be included. Likewise on the other side Max Johnston might get a shout as well or instead of Ralston who isn't even getting a game for Celtic at the moment. I don't think we'll see Conway. I still think he'll more likely call up McBurnie again before Conway. Cooper will probably be in though. There's no real downside to including fringe players in case you need to call on them. Other than a few hotel bills, making it a squad of 27 or 28 isn't a big deal.

100%. Greg Taylor's unlucky. I've not seen all that much of him over the years but you don't play as many games as he has for the multiple league champions without being a decent full back. At nearly any time over the last 30 years a player of Greg Taylor's ability would be a dead cert for the squad and most likely a regular first team player. He had the misfortune to come to the party at a time when in Robertson and Tierney we had our best two full backs in a couple of generations at least, both playing in his position. For good measure Hickey can play over that side too and Josh Doig is the next generation talent along with Hickey. Patterson, Calvin Ramsay and Max Johnston over the other side. We've never been better off for full backs in our history. And yet Taylor has managed 13 caps. Fair play to him. Barring injury to at least one of Robertson and Tierney though he's not going to Germany (although given one of those is Tierney he's still got every chance I suppose, especially if Steve Clarke still has Taylor ahead of Doig as appears likely). EDIT - To be fair Gary Naysmith was a decent left back also within the last 30 years. And Allan Hutton on the other side.

The irony of the one club in ten who reported a profit last season being the one who has subsequently had an insolvency event is not lost on me! It's pretty clear that clubs at this level are generally spending money they can't afford. Most of them have had money left over from Covid that they've been able to use over the last couple of years but I'd imagine that's largely run out now. I wonder if there will be a reset of wage levels at this level of football in the next few months? With our Board announcing that they are leaving at the end of the season last week after basically being in charge for about 15 years, it remains to be seen if someone else with wealth will step in or if we'll have to factor back our budget significantly. Hamilton, Alloa, Cove, Kelty and Edinburgh were being supported by businessmen also, though Kelty aren't now unless they've got someone else in, not sure? Falkirk are big enough to support their spending in practice although they've still apparently managed to lose a fortune over the last few years. I don't know enough about Stirling to know where the funding came from that let them overspend to that degree. I assume it's not a bottomless pit since as far as I know they are run by their Supporter's Trust. Also not sure if anyone bankrolls Montrose or if it's just run with the commercial income / gate receipts they get?

The Confirmation Statement on Companies House as at the end of December 2023 has their current shareholdings out of 30,000 issued shares. Mike Mulraney has 15 in his own name as well as the controlling interest in Mulraney Holdings. Comparing retained profits between the 2023 and 2022 accounts and 2022 and 2021 accounts give the reported loss for the year.

I actually had a look across our division to see what the general position was as I expected to see losses pretty much across the board. I wasn't far wrong. Hamilton and Kelty use a June year end and haven't yet filed June 2023 accounts as they have to the end of March to do that. I had to look at June 2022 which isn't ideal. And Cove use an October year end bizarrely so their last filed accounts are mostly from their previous League One Championship season and partly from the first few months of the Championship one. Annan are a Community Benefit Society, not a company and don't publish accounts. Suffice to say however that as a members club they are pretty much condemned to trading more or less at a breakeven cash level year on year. Of the other 9, Hamilton lost more than £850k in their last published accounts! In a year where they would have received Premiership Parachute Payments. I don't know if they had asset impairments or something to lead to that. Edinburgh City made a profit in the year to May 2023 but they (and Kelty) file Micro accounts which are even more vague than Alloa's! I imagine they may have benefited from significant sponsorship from Forth Capital in that year. Everyone else made losses of somewhere between £60k (Kelty) and £190k (Queen of the South & Alloa). Falkirk, Cove, Montrose and Stirling all lost in excess of £100k also. You'd assume Cove's current figures are worse than they were in a season they won the league and played in the Championship.

...............£120k plus any losses in the current year. Unless I'm missing something the loss of £190k in 2023 is actually an improvement on the loss of £240k for 2022. Although there was a large profit in 2021 which presumably at least mainly as a result of the extensive Covid grants in that year. Looks like these extra shares were issued in July 2023 and that Andrew Allan took on shares at that point also. Mulraney Holdings now own 57.38% whilst Andrew Allan owns 38.25%

I think right now concerns have eased a bit compared to 5 or 6 weeks ago certainly. Robertson's back playing. Hanley's back playing. McKenna got his move and is playing regular top level football in Denmark. Gordon's played some football albeit still very much 2nd choice to Clark. I think Tierney's now also back fit? Long term injuries to Nisbet and Brown are disappointing but it's likely both (& definitely at least one) were outside the 22 anyway. The main concern is obviously Hickey who has become very important to us and looks like he might not play again before the finals. If he does it's likely to only be a game or two. Patterson is a capable replacement but isn't match sharp and it's a downgrade currently. I wasn't aware Jack was "out" (for whatever reason) currently. I really do think his is the most under threat spot in the 22. Dykes and Porteous being a little out of favour at their clubs isn't ideal but as long as they are involved and staying sharp enough they'll go.

Now our gk coach. Good guy. His brother Scott was also a footballer of course, playing for Arsenal a few times and now on staff at Colchester United.

Mmm. Had a quick look online. Without any attempt to look for anything better, Newcastle to Amsterdam Thursday lunchtime returning saturday morning for adult and child about £400. A half decent hotel room 3 miles from the ground £300. might go for it if tickets are a goer. Yeah we heard all that about folk not paying Cat A prices for the group games. They still ultimately sold out about as soon as they could. If Scotland make the last 16 folk will beg, borrow and steal to be there. Its unique. You've the rest of your life to repay it.

So what's the most likely thinking on how far that's dropping in points terms? Is it going to get down to 7 points?

Yeah like @Barry Ferguson's Hat said. I'm sure I also read somewhere (though can't source it now) that Robertson had been chief among those teasing him for his indecisiveness in picking Scotland in the first place. I guess you either deal with that sort of thing in a team environment or you don't. Knowing him personally for instance I would imagine if Lyndon Dykes got any of that he'd have been giving it back pretty quick. Presumably Adams did too if it happened with him.

Yeah this. Other than the suggestion Anderson is most likely to play one day. I'm pretty convinced he won't be back in the fold again after how he left before. Certainly not under Clark and probably not while senior players like Robertson and McLean, who were complicit in making him feel "uncomfortable" are involved. I think Barnes is the only one with any serious imminent likelihood of appearing (or maybe Targett as you say). And that's far less likely than 50/50. Like you I agree, if he's not involved in the upcoming March games, he's not going to Germany barring a late change of heart and some major injuries. Or Ryan Jack potentially in terms of squad addition. I think we'll take three forwards regardless even if that means taking Oli McBurnie. If there's an 'at risk' squad spot in the generally accepted 22 then it is Ryan Jack's spot. He hasn't been a regular starter since Covid, he's regularly unfit, he's not starting every week for Rangers and there's about five players at least in front of him in central midfield roles. McGregor and Gilmour are definitely in front in the holding role. McTominay and McGinn can both play it too even if we'd miss their effectiveness further forward. In terms of role in the team though it's probably only where Armstrong / Christie are. I don't see him playing as an out and out forward for us.

I don't particularly have an issue with the fact they have to hold tickets back in the South for potential commercial needs and release them later. So be it. I'm responsible for running ticketing operations at QoS (don't laugh, we have had near capacity crowds several times in the last decade despite where we are right now) and I've also sold our tickets for big away games at Ibrox, Hampden, Challenge Cup Finals, etc. I know there has to be a bit of juggling about and you always need a fall back safety net. I also understand why in a non capacity situation you release tickets section by section and block by block. It's financial lunacy to potentially have a half full stadium with every section open. But that's not where we are here. As pointed out, these games are stick on sell outs and there's no need to hold sections back, certainly not in the South where they are rationed from the word go anyway. Open up P3 and P4 at the same time as P2 and let us decide if we'd rather be at the back behind the touchline slightly or near the front level with the penalty area.