The Mantis

How are the weekly points calculated?

Never knew that. Thought some of the Nitten fans would be in pre-match, but sadly there was only one other guy there who was just leaving when I came in. It’s a place I would go if it was handier.

Stranraer v Whitehill Welfare, 1993. The old main stand.

And yet Tansey missed a peno at 1-0, I think a win would have taken us above them. Anyway, auntie/baws etc.

Stuart’s quite a bullshitter. When somebody’s telling a story he keeps saying ’uh-huh’ to imply that he knows it already. He makes loads of errors that go unremarked as he’s usually half right and the others don’t have a scooby. Last week they were discussing some name or other (wish I could remember it but I was driving to a game and only half listening) and Stuart decided to throw in that it was from the Latin, just to score a point (it was actually Greek).

I've been on a diet of non-league fitba since that absolute rogering at Ochilview and don't know why I'm bothering with this at all. A part of me hopes it could be like the Polworth-inspired 4-3 game but more likely it'll be like the 3-0 hammering in Jan 2017 when we knew we were going down, or the 2009 game when I shivered through it with the flu but still managed to get my shoe off for Brewster.

Preston Athletic 0 Newtongrange Star 4. EOSL Div 1. Pennypit Park. Nitten kept up their title challenge with a convincing win in front of c150. As always, an excuse to visit the Goth at Prestonpans which has a brewery in the back, and they were offering a 6.8% dark ale at £3.60.

SWPL Cup Final at Tynecastle. Rangers 2 Hibernian 0 in front of 3727. Hoped for a shock Hibs win but Rangers won comfortably with a goal in each half from Lizzie Arnot and Kirsty Howat. Adults were £8 but auld c***s like me were only £1 Hopped a bus back into town for a pint at the Kenilworth to warm up.

The old terrace at The Recs. I think this was a derby v Shire, 1-0, 1992.

You might get more joy on the League 2 forum although for a well supported club there’s only about 3 Rose fans there and one is a complete dunderheid. There’s a long standing saga whereby the Rose separated from the social club so they don’t benefit from it (may have been sorted out but not sure), and @newcastle broon might tell you about the car park if you encourage him They’ve missed a couple of key players through injury- Dean Brett returned this week but Lee Currie is still missing. So they’ve had a few inexperienced youngsters who have had to fill their shoes/boots. I imagine the lack of investment in the squad is part loyalty and partly that they have had to spend a fair bit on the ground. I thought their home form would keep them up but it’s not been great. I know the chairman and the treasurer and I think they are good guys who have performed miracles, but not being a supporter I don’t have a scooby about the finances and have never spoken to anybody who does.

Saturday was Bonnyrigg 1 Dumbarton 1. Not exactly random as I've seen Bonnyrigg a few times as they're local. Excellent crowd of 936. Sunday was Bonnyrigg Ladies coming back to win 3-1 v QoS in the Scottish Cup 3rd Round, after going behind in about 2 minutes.

That’s the one, 10th August. 1-0 Paddy Connolly. 2793. Apparently Christian Dailly missed a pen too. Can’t remember anything about the game tbh.

Aye that’s the one. Romped div 3 , happy days. Could do with a time machine.

Dumbarton showed more composure and quality on the ball, but Bonnyrigg will be disappointed at not seeing it out like any team does when you’re struggling at the bottom. The highlights will show, like the BBC’s stats, that Bonnyrigg had far more chances from the second minute onwards when they really should have hit the target. Never got a good look at the pen down the far end but most folk thought it was soft. But the keeper gifted an equaliser which breathed new life into Dumbarton. I don’t really understand the stick Bonnyrigg get for looking unfit as any time I’ve watched them they finish games strongly.

Accies v Arabs 1993. Pretty sure the gentleman known as Fergie was standing a couple of rows in front of me at this game, unless everyfuckingbody in Hamilfuckington swore at every second fuckingword.

Caley Legend

Nice photies

Apologies, I must have dreamt that bit He's 34 mind and that looked a quagmire yesterday but you're probably right.

You got me there, lucky the camera's hiding my pus

Wot he said Aye the segregation was surely a one-off as it was Sauchie, I think they did it previously against Falkirk, so ok, a two-off... How did they control the social club? Mind you I’d rather drink in the town.

I was speaking to the guy from the Fife Herald (I think), the big photographer with the long beard. Never knew you were there. According to Futbology app, quite a few Pars fans decided to go to Haws instead of their own game.

Scottish Cup day, pretty uninspiring draw, so Hill of Beath v Elgin was my pick. Connelly put the Haws ahead but Dingwall and Hester won it for Elgin. Ross Allum won and missed an early second half pen as Mailer was sent off for a DOGSO but Haws never really capitalised and Elgin are in the draw for round 4. About 600 in attendance.

Aye the Meadowbank no 2 used to liven up staff meetings with his guitar solos…

Linlithgow 3 Civil Service Strollers 1. South Challenge Cup. Tie of the round for me, the best side in the EOSL v a top LL side. Also an excuse to sample a couple of beers at Platform 3. Strollers played some very neat stuff from back to middle, offered very little up front, but took the lead through a spot kick, but were ultimately blown away by a typical Lithgae performance and a hat-trick from Mark Stowe. The big Strollers no 9 Faye got booked early on, nearly got booked again but the ref used his discretion, tried to grab the ball off the no 6 for the spot kick, got into a rammy with his teammates and got subbed after about 20 mins...