The Mantis

Pre dawn visit to Porty a couple of weeks back

Dripping with envy as I'm past the stage of getting my ageing carcass into these places. Had some great days on the ridge when I was doing the Munros and Corbetts and been in to Shenavall, Ben Alder Cottage, Barrisdale etc etc. Climbed the Dearg range at Ullapool overnight, kayaked into the interior of Lewis and camped, all while I had very basic camera gear with film. Also a bunch of mates who moaned if you stopped for a photo

Never actually sat in it, but stood on the North terracing below it many a time. To reach the toilets you had to pass through what was literally a curtain of pish from the stand above.

Long Bangers to me, Midlothian. ICT have a 100% record, P6 W6, often wondered if anybody else has. p.s. @Francesc Fabregas, Amy knows how to pronounce New DunDAS Park

Would have been at Penicuik but got asked by ex Whitehill legend Wayne McIntosh if I would take some photies at Bayview where the Lochend Football Academy laddies were playing Westdyke of Aberdeen at U13 level in the Scottish Cup semi. 3-2 to Westdyke.

Cheers for that. Now you mention it, it does come hard on the heels of the league fixtures.

Has anybody got the Championship playoff dates which you would expect Falkirk to be involved in? I can only see the Prem dates on the SPFL site.

f**k that Sandy, the minute somebody starts putting us in the same bracket as Cove and Arbroath the board can base their decision on that…

I was working alongside Tam Hendrie at the time and he said The Duffel was suicidal after that game, he was thinking of jacking it in.

My first was actually Stenny 1 Caledonian 4 in 1992. A second half comeback with goals from Hercher, Urquhart, Christie and Polworth after Danny MacDonald had been carried off in the first half, upsetting our plans. Beat Clyde 3-1 and then lost to St Johnstone after a replay. Fantastic memories. You can see from those highlights that it’s all change with the end terrace being covered and the stand demolished and shifted across to the other side. You can also see Eamonn Bannon playing for Stenny. Is that wee Hitler in the red jacket still working there? Just about the worst steward anywhere.

Homophobic comment apparently.

Can’t speak for the other 299 but I was in the middle of unwrapping a sweetie at the time. Anyway beating Celtic was our cup final.

If it wasn’t for Tremarco’s unforced error with 15 mins left, we would probably have picked you off 3-0 on the break as you flung everything at it. Both auntie/baws scenarios.

Not a Rose fan either but been at several games anyway. The attendances have been tremendous and the fans that have stood near me have been enjoying the challenge and better standard of opposition, going by their comments. Every game is tense, better than winning 5-0 every week in the LL but of course the novelty hasn’t worn off yet.

Probably Whitehill's best week for years. After knocking Preston out of the King Cup last midweek and defeating promotion hopefuls Nitten away on Saturday, they got a stoppage time equaliser to take a point off second top Glenrothes at the San Fergie last night. Glenrothes had led since the second minute and missed a few decent chances. Whitehill had a couple of their own and just about merited their point. Absolutely Baltic and frost on the car windscreen after the game. Photo taken right at the start and the crowd did improve to about 60-70.

I've got a Hibby mate who missed the 2016 final. Before it, I was ripping the pish as he had signed up for the same hillwalking weekend as me. He came up with a load of contradictory excuses, including: "I swore I would never go to a Rangers game again" "I didn't know the date when I booked it" "I hate Hampden" "The heartache is easier to stand from a distance" "I haven't done a Corbett for over a year" Didn't have the heart to rip the pish again when the score came through.

The missus started wearing her backpack as a frontpack after a young couple behind us on the escalator had it unzipped before I looked round and nothing was nicked. (Btw on the Rome metro this wee b*****d had my wallet halfway out my pocket before I moved slightly and discovered it) @Craig fae the Vale Barcelonetta is their equivalent of Portobello and worth a visit. We were sitting on a bench there and an old couple started to ask us why we were in t-shirts and not wrapped up in coats and scarves like everybody else (it was February). Managed to dredge up ‘Escoces’ from somewhere…

Was a bit shocked on here a few months ago that one or two younger chaps had never heard a sandwich called a “piece”.

Has anybody else noticed that “vulnerable” is mutating into “vunrable”? Similarly “substitute “ is now “subtitute” and many words such as “military” which contain an “a” are becoming shortened to “milittry”.

Over here in the East, Musselburgh Athletic were known as Musselburgh Bruntonians (and Musselburgh Fern) after the Brunton wire works in the town. There’s also the Brunton Hall which was paid for by John Brunton jr.

Definitely improving. Well earned point against a decent Glens side who missed a few chances and paid for it in stoppage time with a Bryan Wilson equaliser.

Caledonian FC. Close. The. Thread.

Loanhead Mayflower. The town where I grew up hasn’t had a junior club since they folded in 1962. Previously there was a club called Polton Vale.

A mate once got me a parking pass for one of the Scotland games, great before the game, shite for getting away. I usually park on the side streets up by Crosshill station and walk it. You can take a wee gander at Cathkin on the way past. There used to be some good spots up the Polmadie Road area but they’ve all been built on.

The highlight of my day will undoubtably be the Station Hotel where I hope to get anaesthetised so that I can't remember the inevitable rogering. Hampden is shite for getting a drink so just stay at Ochilview.