airdrieman

Come to think of it, you're right. About time the away return leg was arranged.

I'm sure I heard he's a surveyor but don't quote me on that. Whatever he does, I'm sure he won't be interested in full-time football outwith Airdrie so don't be getting any ideas...

He’s a keeper I’ve always liked. Had a good game yesterday. A good save in the first-half where he tipped the ball past the post and one in the second-half he put over the crossbar. The rest was all perfunctory stuff but he dealt with everything meekly thrown at him. He was well up for it too - celebrating the goal, geeing up the fans etc which was great to see. All the best next season!

Congratulations Gal!

More importantly, his da is/was the chairman of York City. A disgrace we haven’t got a friendly organised these last couple of seasons instead of that NLL Cup pish.

Hope you do the business next week. Would have came to the game if we weren’t in the play-offs, or would have even same to see the first-half had we been at home. But alas, all the best! Would be a real shame to lose Rovers and Cliftonhill from an Airdrieonians and Scottish football point of view. Better yourselves in the League than any Colts scabs also

Hope you do the business next week. Would have came to the game if we weren’t in the play-offs, or would have even same to see the first-half had we been at home. But alas, all the best! Would be a real shame to lose Rovers and Cliftonhill from an Airdrieonians and Scottish football point of view. Better yourselves in the League than any Colts scabs also

Easy days I think in reality the tie was over at half-time on Tuesday night. It was only our memories of play-offs past that put any sort of doubt on the outcome but well done to McCabe and the players for a professional performance that nullified Falkirk and saw out the victory with ease. McCabe, Ballantyne and Fordyce were all excellent once again. Jamieson too dealt with everything (limply) thrown at him with ease. His saves in the first-half that tipped the ball past the post and the second-half one he tipped over the crossbar were particularly good, although nothing you wouldn’t expect a half-decent goalie not to make. It IS a bit of a nonsense that we can sign a player like that when Hutton and Melrose are available. But it’s funny and screws over Falkirk so fair enough IMO. I’d be more than happy to have him and Rae as our goalkeepers next season, if that is what McCabe was alluding to. Also enjoyed his celebrations when we scored and him geeing the fans up. Likewise Hutton going for it when celebrating with the fans at the end. For all Falkirk had to go for it, they really… didn’t. A pathetic effort considering they had to score 4 to even equal the tie. Falkirk fans rightly fizzing. We could have just played Hutton, Melrose, Liam Prunty or Bryan Prunty in goals and it wouldn’t have mattered. Not looking forward to having to put myself through at least another 180 minutes of play-off football but hopefully we finally get the job done this time. A grand day out in Falkirk (the Wheatsheaf is a cracking pub btw) in the sunshine. Hopefully the same in Hamilton next Saturday

Chris Donnell so Big Byrd has an Aussie pal IMO

Ack it was ‘elementary’ once I remembered he used to play for Livingston Assuming it’s true, that’s a good bit of business. He’s a keeper I’ve always liked, he knows the management team and, unlike Hutton or a random youth keeper, he’s actually been playing all season. Murray Johnson would have been great but Jamieson is probably about as good as you can get in terms of signing an emergency loan keeper. Obviously reserve the right to change all of this if he chucks them in tomorrow. O’Connor and Aiken seem like good pick-ups too from what I’ve heard and read of them. Nice to see other clubs recognise Airdrie as a good place to develop young footballers. Signing Garry O’Connor’s son (along with Tony Watt’s nephew) is frightening though. Shouldn’t be allowed IMO.

First time I’ve been able to get on and post since Tuesday night. Wow. Apart from the two games in which we won promotion and then the league in 04, I’m not sure I’ve ever felt such elation during a game. Elation mixed in a heady cocktail of comfort, shock, hilarity, excitement, tension, nervousness, fear and relief when that penalty went in. A brilliant night - apart from the 20 minutes or so when it wasn’t! Credit to McCabe and the players for the team selection, performance and attitude. I was also on the McMaster train but fair fucking play to McCabe he got that team selection spot on. And credit to them also for the way they handled going down to 10 men. That’s 2 or 3 times this season we’ve had a man sent off and crumbled. But other than a wee spell after their second goal when their tails were up, Falkirk really didn’t create much of anything at all. I think Hutton only had to make one save and, for all the cross balls they put into the box (congratulations for that btw Mr McGlynn ) they didn’t amount to anything other than the coming together with Allan. The players on the park managed it well as did McCabe with his substitutions. McCabe’s penalty might well be the most important Airdrie goal in a long long time. Put it away so well and that’s why we should want him on the park (and taking the penalties!). Can’t add much more to what everyone else has said but as much as it was a whole team effort on Tuesday, I thought Frizzell, McCabe, Devenny, Ballantyne and Fordyce, apart from the mix-up with Rae, were outstanding. Some of my own highlights which I don’t think have been mentioned yet include - Actually winning, and playing well, in front of a big home crowd. ATS’s’ goal celebration. Telfer chuckling away to himself when the fifth goal went in. Telfer emptying Kai Kennedy towards the end of the game. The ‘take your time as you leave the stadium’ announcement’ coming as the Falkirk fans began to leave after the 3rd(?) goal. Jimmy Sandison. The U18s league title presentation. What an inspiring example to set to them. Always nice to see Gow too of course The tie isn’t over yet. The play-offs aren’t over yet. But, going by the preview, McCabe and the team seem to be going into tomorrow’s game with exactly the right attitude. As I thought they would. Hopefully we can take the lead fairly early on and enjoy our day

Darren Jamieson signing an emergency loan to play for us tomorrow?

If that’s true about Jamieson playing tomorrow I’m a big fan of McCabe essentially asking round his pals who’s available like he’s playing 5 asides.

Scott Lambie tomorrow night’s referee

Quite the contrast in response to conceding a penalty, when 2-0 up and in control, against Edinburgh from Jay Riley’s from young Corrie Fellows. The former completely falls apart and more-or-less throws us the game. Whereas Fellows goes straight up the park, from left-back, beats his man and slots it past the keeper. Shows a lot of maturity and confidence in the young man which is nice to see. Can’t read anything into a one-off end of season game but hopefully a sign of good things to come from the academy. Bit annoying though that we probably could have just played Fellows instead of that dumplin’ Riley in that game and we’d have probably won but nice to finally beat Edinburgh.

Would be nice to see out the season with a win against Edinburgh, but not all together bothered about how it goes or where we finish in the table. Won’t be there but rest the key players and avoid any injuries or suspensions and I’ll be a happy man come 17:00 tomorrow

Chris O’Neil*

Congratulations Calum Gallagher!

FTFY

Most of the Twitter 'banter' or back and forth is very cringe, as is some of the opinions or praise about McCabe and the players. But they're only young boys showing a bit of passion towards their team so fair play to them. It was only 10 years ago I was the same age and praising the likes of Scott Morton and Graeme Owens on social media (as Facebook memories is loathe to remind me!) so I suppose we all do the same thing at that age. The U18s getting an ultras group going along to watch them is class btw. I'm not optimistic at all about the upcoming play-offs but neither I am overly pessimistic. I've played every scenario for every potential game in my head and they all seem as likely the other. Could we romp through against Falkirk/Team 9th in the semi-final and do the same v Falkirk/Team 9/Alloa in the final? Absolutely. Could we get humped in the first leg v Falkirk or Cove/Arbroath/Accies and effectively be out of the running by this time next week? It wouldn't surprise me. All I know is, if we win an epic semi-final with a haddy striker scoring the winner or coming to the fore, I'm not even going to bother going to the final.

If you include the Hibs play-off in 1997 as well, though that was for the Premiership, then we’re into double figures in play-off attempts now. I also believe we’ve never won a home leg of a play-off final? Which is probably even more remarkable than never winning one outright.

Stefan Milojevic has had an interesting time of things post football. Became a cage fighter then ran a Neo-Nazi, drug trafficking bike gang. https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2022/07/01/petrol-head-jailbirds-united-tribuns-biker-gang-jailed-in-mallorca/ Darren McCormack, also a bad egg. *Insert Darren McCormack was murder joke here*. https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/crime/former-hibs-player-darren-mccormack-charged-attempted-murder-592532

I think all of those things are probably true but we still pass the ball around nicely and create a ton of chances when he doesn’t play and we’ve probably scored more from Devenny/Telfer free-kicks and corners this season than we have from McCabe set pieces. I’d still have him take a penalty mind you but I’m not sure his ability on the ball is enough to give him a starting spot these days, based on recent evidence.

I remember Stuart Millar had to go on the OTL Podcast and give a breakdown on what the club offered Chris O’Neil because (presumably) his parents said we didn’t even offer him enough to cover his petrol money