The Mantis

A ‘flat’ pitch is an impossibility unless it’s a new build. Otherwise the likes of Motherwell wouldn’t be allowed. The fact is NDP fits the ratio in the entry criteria which I forget now but can easily be looked up. Many of us can remember when all pitches had a camber on them and Easter Road had a drop of 8ft

You wouldn’t be speaking personally of course Andy Actually I can usually find a game Tuesday/weds in my neighbourhood whether it’s Penicuik, Spartans, Musselburgh, Tranent, no use to you groundhoppers of course… and then you’ve got the Cowden fans complaining that there’s too many midweeks in the LL. But if we’ve got smaller leagues of 30/34 games compared to down south then we’ll have mainly Saturdays. But then the lights get used on a Saturday anyway at this time of year.

No wonder as 9 of your 20 points have come from them! They seem to blow hot and cold as I’ve seen them win quite comfortably 2 or 3 times, but I suppose most teams in lg2 would say the same. They’re definitely suffering from a lack of quality and creativity though, that’s pretty obvious.

Serves you right, you should have gone years ago! And anyway the experience is shite nowadays.

My proud personal record at Ibrox with ICT is P7, W3, D3, L1. If I had stayed away on Xmas eve 2016, the season we were relegated, I would have an unbeaten record. Parkhead, only won once, the famous ballistic game in 2000.

Never usually bother with programmes these days but got one on Sat, always enjoy the Cowdenbeath effort, must be easily the best for the LL.

Aye I never caught sight of you, thought you might be doing the programmes but it was your mate. Indeed Mr Bam is right, a short walk to get a pint or two of Edinburgh Gold between trains

Cowdenbeath 0 Tranent 0. Disappointed that Nitten v Whitehill was rained off on Friday night so decided on a Hogmanay trip over to the San Central. A nice quiet day on the trains all the way from Eskbank and back. 79 games for the year. Cowden never opened the terracing, but a decent wee crowd of 345 for a LL game. A disappointing goalless game to wind up the year though, so the highlights were probably the pints in Wee Jimmies and the Halfway House and (maybe) the bridie from Bayne's.

I’m sure I can remember Skol being up before that.

Is it not bad over there then Andy? It’s been pishing it down in Midlothian since yesterday. Nitten is off tonight and there’s flooding around Bonnyrigg & Lasswade. Apparently the city bypass has just been a car park most of the day. Just wondering about getting the train over there tomorrow but might need to get the tickets tonight as it’s a 1pm ko and there’s some daft thing about allowing 2hrs before picking them up at the station. Could always just pay the full rate I suppose Have to question Jamie’s sanity, off to Anfield tonight

If Hibs lose the two derbies next month Lee Johnson will probably be out on his chorus and verse. Not sure how much of Daniel he's seen since he took over in May. I rolled up there last night and apart from a lively first 15 when Youan was galloping up the left flank, Daniel's position, Hibs were hopeless.

ICT and County surely? ICT had terracing on 3 sides in a newbuild between 1996 and 2005, and the away end at County was very similar to Forthbank.

Kelty’s another contender, but Bonnyrigg is the clear winner here (words you don’t often hear this season). From the main traffic lights you could set off in two different directions and still reach an entrance in about 100m.

The Other Record Shop was also in St Mary’s St in Edinburgh, and Aberdeen and possibly other towns. Had a quick search and it seems to be the same chain. It was actually Thin’s. I loved visiting Melvens when I was up staying with relatives in Sneck. The flagship James Thin was in South Bridge, Edinburgh which was the main bookshop for all the students and I spent hours there. I had an auntie who served behind the counter and she gave me pretty hefty discounts. The chain went into admin in 2002. It’s been Ottakars but is now Blackwells. I also remember Leakey from when he was in the Arcade/Market, then he moved to a shop along the river nearer where he is now. I always though he was a miserable b*****d especially when I saw him dealing with guys who brought books in. The word is, the church cost him £100k.

Was only half listening but I thought it was somebody else at the time. A bit worrying that Stuart thinks Valentine’s Day always falls on a Tuesday mind you…

Firs Park, 1992

Tues 31st would be appropriate, the 6th anniversary of them thumping Foran's XI 3-0 to confirm us as relegation fodder.

Shockeroonie! Albatross! Daily Quordle 330 quordle.com

QoS v Falkirk, League Cup, August 1995, and a well-filled Terregles Street End. MoJo hanging around the penalty spot is the only one I recognise.

I’ll see your crane, and raise you two cranes Not counting the wee yin on the right

It would never have been a penalty if the no 9 had just finished it earlier mind you. Apparently they equalise the temperature with outside to avoid condensation or whatever.

With only QoS and FC Edinburgh surviving the freeze below the Championship the only other options in the East were Rosyth at Tier 7 and Heriot-Watt at Tier 8. So rather than stay in the hoose and watch Croatia - Morocco I headed along to Oriam. Plenty other EOS regulars there including @tamthebam. The Watt looked a very good side and were comfortably 3-0 up at the break. A bit more even second half and it finished Heriot-Watt 3 Lochgelly Albert 0. The Watt challenging well in Div 2 but the Albert could be in trouble at the other end.

Ah right, cheers. I must have read this back in Aug 2020 although I was expecting something simpler, having forgotten all the Elo related stuff in the meantime…

Sorry, match points is probably more appropriate. On the Scotscores site. For example Rangers got -4 last night for beating Hibs 3-2, while Hibs gain 4. My last game was Preston 0 Newtongrange 4, so Nitten got +28 and Preston -28.