Ivo den Bieman

This is Vote Leave bollocks. 1. There is no "queue" to get into the EU- it doesn't work like that. Otherwise please explain how literally dozens of countries have entered the EU since Turkey first applied to join the then EEC in 1987. Croatia being the latest, a mere 26 years later in 2013. 2. Unlike all the countries you mention. Scotland has previously been a member of the EU removed against its will by the vote of a larger nation of which it is still a constituent part. It meets the economic convergence criteria- please don't bite back at me about having to adopt the euro, as many countries are quite happily full EU members without adopting the euro. Scotland's anomalous position is uncharted water just as Brexit was. I don't have to produce reams of supportive statements from European politicians (including the previously wary Spaniards & Italians). Yes, re-entry will not be automatic but there has been no suggestion from anyone that the process will not be quick and harmonious- certainly nothing like the 10 year process it took Croatia to get in, having applied formally in 2003. Speaking of northern European chauvinism, the blocks in the process for Albania, Macedonia, Ukraine and Moldova is Macron and his mad ideas for a 2-speed Europe. There's been no suggestion from him that he plans to block Scotland, quite the opposite. That doesn't make Macron anything other than a c**t, a racist, someone desperate to come up with a big idea and scramble for relevance on the world stage, however shit. But his intransigence about Balkan and post-Soviet integration simply is not relevant here. The Austrians and the Dutch remain implacably opposed to Turkey's membership, probably for not very pleasant reasons. Again, these are not comfortable things to read, but not relevant in Scotland's case. The bigger problem the SNP face is NATO membership (a lot of opposition from the membership to this, not that anyone in the parliamentary parties / leadership listens to them anymore) and breaking up a NATO state with unforeseen consequences at a time of war. That, and my strong suspicion that this is all cosplay bollocks to keep the membership onside. The SNP no longer has a vision for an independent Scotland that anyone beyond the true believers can get behind and they don't really seem to have much of an argument presently beyond "aye, but we're not the Tories". We're asked to take on trust that they have some legal wheeze which will enable them to call a referendum without a Section 30 and that they have some big ticket sunlit uplands direction of travel with an exhausted and entitled leadership, and a battered electorate tired of constant political upheaval and turmoil (the opinion polls on whether folk think there should be a referendum next year are hardly a ringing endorsement of the plan). An exhausted party that's been in power too long; an overly-cautious leadership that is guided by opinion polls; the capture of the radical elements of the 2014 movement by corporate lobbyists; stirring things up in NATO whilst the alliance faces its biggest-ever test; climate breakdown and the need for concerted supra-national action to deal with it (whilst the political mood seems to be moving in the opposite fascist, racist, isolationist, populist direction in Europe). These are the main things that will sink IndyRef2, not any bollocks about mythical EU queues or what currency will we use and will granny still get her pension at the Post Office. It's not happening next year and I doubt until a new generation of politicians emerge, hopefully with most of the current Westminster cabinet in jail for corruption / corporate manslaughter, and after Sturgeon & co have retired to Carradale with a subscription to the London Review of Books and a box set of RL Stevenson novels.

That is a wonderful story. Zero fucks given by the miserly Mr Fagan. For most of this period Rovers’ away shirt was an obsolete Man U kit made by admiral, with a big oval Rovers badge sewn over the United one.

Quite right. Stirling have had the occasional all-red strip (including this season) but their trad colours are red shirts / white sleeves & white shorts. Brechin City are all red too but no longer a league club. Long ago they wore black and white hoops but passed that up in the mid-50s.

Berwick

nowadays still only Alloa, Annan Athletic, East Fife, Dumbarton, Dundee United (at a push), and "Livingston", are in the gold/orange and black register. 6/42- not so many!

When that Aberdeen photo was taken Stirling Albion were known as King's Park and that club disappeared when their ground was hit by a Luftwaffe bomb. They also- weirdly- spent their last season in Stirling's familiar colours- red shirts / white sleeves. Only Alloa, East Fife & Dumbarton had black and gold kits in the year when that Aberdeen photo was taken, and all were in the legaue below. Only Thistle and Motherwell had genuine kit clashes that season in the Scottish First Division.

Aberdeen FC, 1938-39. The side finished third in the league behind the bigoted arsecheeks and made the Scottish Cup semi-finals, losing in a replay to eventual beaten finalists Motherwell. Black and gold stripes had been Aberdeen's colours for 35 years by this stage and are the city's "traditional" colours. Aberdeen East End juniors, who play in Pittodrie's shadow, still wear these colours. I am sure some bright spark will know why, but Aberdeen changed to red shirts in March 1939 and red has been the team's colour ever since.

Mee-of-ski. Not exactly Hadžihasanović or Matulevičius.

very nice kit, looks like an old "Patrick" number from the 80s

Brechin look the likeliest of 'the relegated' but I don't agree that this is shit or bust for them this season. The running of the club has been transformed and I think they'll be back, even if it's not in 2023. Hard to say for the other clubs. Berwick are potentially a good team with a big hinterland but they have been appallingly run for as long as I can remember- although I must admit I have lost sight of them a bit since their relegation. Shire look like they've settled in the LL- a bit like Spartans, good enough to be in the top six but never good enough to challenge seriously for the title. Much will depend on how Cowdenbeath re-build and the resources available to the manager, and it is too early to say how they will fare. People have been predicting the demise of Albion Rovers for years but they are stubborn and a real community club. Maybe, maybe not. The reality is every part time team in Scotland is two bad seasons away from a relegation play-off and it really has galvanised the leagues, albeit maybe not in the most pleasant way. I'm old enough to remember a fair few pointless seasons at Links Park when the club's campaign was finished in early January- out the cups, no chance of promotion, nothing much left to play for. This had an effect on crowds, the player's interest and motivation. I have a funny feeling the wee Rovers will be around for a good while yet. Stirling's protracted and hilarious off-field civil war, and the weird ownership issues at Dumbarton make them appear more vulnerable next season to me. East Fife may come into the equation too if they have a poor summer recruitment. Not sure why Stranraer are picked out as candidates either- a pretty well run club recently who have always punched above their weight.

Nowhere near close to sending Alexandra Burke to do a concert in Peterhead

Lochgelly Albert Juniors, 1948/49. Lochgelly briefly had a football team in the league in the 20s- Lochgelly United, who featured in the doomed third division of 1923-26. The "Happylanders" (what a nickname) had an undistinguished league career but astonishingly a shakycam video exists of their cup tie versus Celtic from the 1922-23 season. Amazing really: https://streamable.com/en5mo Celtic won 3-2 that day at United's Recreation Park. Recreation Park subsequently had houses built on it, but one of United's earlier grounds, Reid's Park, is still open ground, with a vestigal remnant of the old western banking still visible. Both clubs shared gold & black colours. The "Berts" are a small club who will be in EOS Division Two next season. Lochgelly United recently re-appeared as a strong amateur team in the Fife Amateur League, playing at Moore Park, not far from Gardiners' Park where the "Berts" have been based since inception.

did someone do their 'taches with an Etch-a-Sketch?

Brechin City, Division 2 champions, 1982/83. Sure there are some pictures of their title clinching game against Meadowbank Thistle in 83- before the David Will stand was built.

By all accounts (both) Jims are great guys, still really passionate about resurrected Clydebank. Jim G was a fine goalkeeper.

Nah. This is the Jim everyone remembers…no idea who this failed Bay City Rollers audition guy is…

Vast majority of Croat players will have good enough English anyway. Most Croats under 40 speak very decent English. It's a great move for him if it happens and Rijeka is a really fun city to live in. Not sure if it will work in footballing terms but good luck to him anyway.

Thinking about this thread earlier, I was trying to remember games that really did stick with me even if they were between fairly pish sides. This one between Clydebank and Brechin City at Kilbowie in autumn 1990 was one such- Brechin won 4-3 in an astonishing topsy-turvy game that I was at as a neutral. The goal here shows Tommy Coyle putting Bankies 3-2 up from the penalty spot but a bizarre equaliser via the post and the back of Jim Gallacher's perennially bald napper, and then a late Paui Ritchie winner saw one of City's very few bright spots that season. The old First Division was a terrific league- a really good mix of the "best of the rest" full time sides and part time teams. Brechin ended up bottom of the table and releagted along with John Clark's Clyde, their last season as squatters at Firhill. Bankies had a mediocre campaign treading water in mid-table. Falkirk won the league and Airdire went up with them. Owen Coyle had 17 goals by late September but then got injured, so Gordon Dalziel ended up top scorer.

Yes a lor of behind the scenes issues at Bradford in the last decade so Bowyer's record there is a bit of an outlier. At his other clubs has always seemed competent, steady and dare I say it, a little boring. Maybe Dundee could do with boring competence for a while after the ludcrous circus of McGhee.

It is a good squad developing there, my hesitancy in being positive about Stenny is that manager Swift seems a balloon to me. He'll need a fast start this season IMO. Do feel he really underestimated the league last season by signing a lot of dross from BSC and the recovery was fitful and too late.

I think it's an excellent appointment and he has (almost) unparalleled contacts in the lower leagues in England & English academies. Certainly better than some of the dung that was being touted like Maloney. Billy Barr a hard as nails Yorkshireman who had a long career in the English lower leagues at Halfiax and Carlisle. Comparisons with Coco the Clown very wide of the mark, this is a guy who knows his stuff really. Feel free to bookmark this and ridicule me after he's sacked in mid-January following a torried 0-4 reverse at home to Queen's Park, I guess. But this could have been a much worse appointment. At least it's not the return of Bomber Brown.

No doubt this will turn out to be a hologram made up by an Abertay gaming nerd for the LOL.

Ah, shite. Memory & middle age are uncomfortable bedfellows.

That top was Berwick’s the season I really started paying attention to football I think; 83/84…

I used to love those season appearance matrices, league stalwarts & 1-appearance YTS boys, never to be seen again, alike. If people wanted the league review back I am sure it could be done on a crowdfunding / print on demand basis if there was goodwill from the club secretaries / chairmen for content. “The Pie & Bovril Scottish Football League Review” has a certain ring to it. Could even just be a downloadble .pdf / kindle for digital natives who cba with books. It would be a fun project for a few volunteers in a working group.