Nightmare

They'd probably win the playoffs in this kind of proposition at a similar percentage to how much they win the domestic cup tournaments. Which is still most of them, yes, but at least you'd get the occasional occurrence where someone beats them every so often. Rather than our league being a boring procession year after year. And imo, even when the bigots are going head to head right to the wire, that's still a boring procession. An Apertura/Clausura system or some form of Playoffs is probably never going to happen, but it would provide a far more realistic chance that someone else ever wins a league title again. Which is surely what the rest of the division should really be hoping for, rather than just seeking to exist in a duopoly where the odd domestic cup win or a third place finish is seen as the pinnacle for their club.

I stopped reading here, because to think Scottish football is negligibly impacted by money is just laughable. Ok, so the whole league isn't flush with cash like in some other countries, but financial disparity is pretty much exclusively the reason why our league is such an embarrassing duopoly. We've had only two teams win the league in the last 40 years, ffs. I'd almost rather we had nonsense levels of cash flying around for everyone rather than a huge, insurmountable budgetary gap between two teams and the rest.

I think it's fair to say that we don't always get "seriously difficult" draws, save from Euro 2008. But I do feel like quite frequently we'll get the Norway from Pot 3 and Georgia from Pot 5 types of teams who are the strongest options in their pots. And I know those are just two examples from the last campaign, but that does feel somewhat of a trend over the years. Especially with the Georgia and Kazakhstan type mobs we often get ahead of inferior teams in the lower pots.

I’ll be sad to lose it as an away day, tbf.

By "bowed to Brian Graham" - do you mean, "seen sense and made the completely logical choice to move a game for maximum exposure"?

Airdrie v TNS final? Asteroid strike, please.

I can’t imagine there are many instances in the history of sport where a coach has been appointed that’s exactly half the age of their predecessor.

Quinn’s reputation took a big hit with that Cowboys defensive capitulation in the playoffs. Mike MacDonald has been great all year. This feels like a really good fit imo.

Mike MacDonald feels like the new “he’s got his pick of both jobs” guy now that Ben Johnson is out of the running. Neither Washington or Seattle are a good fit for Belichick because he wants all the control and they’ve both got their own GMs in place. That seems to be why the Atlanta deal fell through - because the Falcons were unwilling to move on from their own guys, even for Bill. Schneider is going nowhere in Seattle, and Wash have just hired Peters so aren’t going to undermine him already. I’d guess it’ll be MacDonald to the Seahawks, but I actually have no idea what the Commanders do now. They really need to hire an offensive mind to pair with the new QB they’ll be drafting, but they’re running out of options. Bienemy would be an incredibly meh hire that doesn’t fit the new “culture” direction they’re trying to take, so I’d be very surprised if it was him.

Seems like you’re failing to understand the concept of offside imo.

I think if the lions had played like a “normal” team in the 2nd half and taken the points any time they were in FG range they’d have probably won. Instead, they went for every 4th down they could, which on top of a few very unlucky plays cost them the game. But I suppose you could argue they wouldn’t have been up 17 if they weren’t playing Campbell’s DGAF style, so it probably balances out anyway. I do think the 9ers are better placed to beat the Chiefs anyway, but ugh. Not sure I can even bring myself to watch those hillbilly scumbags win yet again.

Quite often you'll get a #1 seed who beats up on mid-level teams all season and then fails miserably as soon as they play someone good in a big game. This year it was Baltimore. Lamar was terrible. There's a reason nobody else even tried to match that franchise tender for him.

New keeper, please. This Sneddon farce has gone on long enough.

Don’t watch much English football these days, but got this Spurs v City game on tonight. I’m really struggling to think of a less enjoyable team to watch than this Man City lot. Not in terms of ability, but just with this pathetic gamesmanship they display at every opportunity. The little fouls to slow play down (inevitably followed by someone shouting at the referee), the falling down as soon as anyone gets near them, and just the general confrontational arrogance of their players. And don’t get me started on that odious little bald man on the sidelines. A thoroughly repulsive entity, both on and off the pitch. Get them in the bin.

You can't have a Handsome XI without big Gabby Piccolo.

What?

Ugh. Was hoping Spanos would cheap out on hiring a real HC, but he’s finally actually hired a good one. Chargers will never have a better chance to shed their image of being that low mentality, letdown kind of team.

This suggests the Cup Final has been moved. A victory for common sense.

Tom Telesco our new GM. Yuck.

Anyone but the Chiefs. Lions would be the coolest story, but I’ll settle for anything that doesn’t involve Kermit and his odious band of hangers-on anywhere near that Lombardi.

I think you know the answer to that. Regardless of the size of our core support compared to other “bigger” clubs, fans should be able to attend both games if they want. And I suspect that many would if it was an option.

It could be taken out of Arbroath’s hands if the BBC selected Arbroath v Thistle as a Friday night game that week. However, seeing as Scotland are playing on the Friday night this seems unlikely.

Women’s teams regularly play on a Sunday, which I assume has become a thing to prevent as much of a clash with men’s football. Men’s football primarily occurs on a Saturday, save games being moved for TV or due to European commitments, so it makes sense that women’s football in this country have tried to occupy the Sunday slots instead. The situation appears to be that the SWPL have arranged a game at a time which clashes with a card of men’s SPFL fixtures, because they’ve deviated away from their usual time slot for games. You can be as obtuse as you like about it, but that’s on the organisers of the Cup Final, and not on the SPFL or the clubs involved.

The SWPL should have known that there was still a card of men's fixtures below the Premiership, though. You're not getting the maximum exposure you probably could have if you're competing directly with other SPFL games (plus all levels below that) for viewers/attendees on the Saturday. This point still stands even if the final didn't involve a club whose men's team is featuring on the same day. If they had scheduled for the Sunday instead, however, the competition it was up against would have been far less. That would be maximum exposure. It's not just Brian Graham who is affected by this either. There are staff members and volunteers at Partick Thistle who will have to make a decision or be told which game takes priority. Plus the fans - I imagine you'd get quite a healthy support at Tynecastle to cheer on the girls if the match didn't clash with the Arbroath game. As it is, they'll get a fraction of the support they would have got without the clash. Pretty shite for them. Eta - just clocked that the SPFL Trust trophy appears to be on the Sunday as well. So not quite zero competition for the women's cup final, but still far less than on the Saturday anyway.