Sugar_Army

Got Davie Hannah's 94 SC final shirt (the Dundee United one he swapped with Ian Ferguson). My back lawn is a history of pitch invasions. Got a bit of Wembley turf from 77 (Sunday Post came and took a photo of me pointing to it a few years back before we played them at the new Wembley.) Got a bit of turf Dens when we won the league in 83. Got a bit of Inverness when we beat them and stayed up and Dundee got relegated by Livi. Got a bit of Tannadice when we beat Thistle in the old play-off almost 20 years ago. Took it to Fat Sam's after the game and we danced round it as if it was a handbag! When they were moving the Hampden pitch a few months after the 94 final I was driving through to pick up relatives from Glasgow airport when it came on the radio they were selling off 2x2 squares of it for £1 each. I duly turned up and bought some. Cue the reaction from my relatives when I asked them if their cases were heavy. I popped the boot to show £20s worth of Hampden's finest! The drive back to Dundee was long and slow due to a car full of people with heavy cases on their laps and the aroma of freshly cut turf. Almost as slow as the conversation... apparently their holiday was "just fucking fine!' I designed a t-shirt for me and a couple of mates prior to United playing Celtic in a cup semi final a few years back. I am not a designer by any stretch of the imagination, was just a fan with Photoshop and an idea to pay a personal tribute. (There was going to be a standing ovation after 3 minutes to raise awareness of Frank Kopel's fight with Alzheimer's). A few months later my mate phoned me to say somebody linked with United/Arab Trust had asked if they could use my design. Obviously I said yes as it was going to be for a good cause and waved any copyright and forgot all about it. That sillouhette design is what they used for Frank's Law. Many years ago our supporters club had a raffle for the player of the year award. The top prize was the full leg plaster cast worn by Scott Crabbe when he was injured with United. One of our members worked in the hospital and asked him to sign it when they were cutting it off (his plaster, not his leg). Not winning it was worth it just to hear the winner's reply to his wife when she asked "And where the f**k do you think you are going to stick that?" "On the mantelpeice, I am taking down our wedding pic so I don't have to look at your ugly puss and all the years of misery that day has brought me".

Can only imagine the tissue in the slot is for those wishing to pay to finish off over the boobies area to be extra safe.

I know it is a long shot but if anybody managed to get their hands on tickets for the final but cannot go I might be interested. Not willing to pay outrageous price though. Four of us booked our flights and accommodation ages ago but despite 15 applications amongst us, no luck in the ballot. Been applying every year since the Milan v Juve final in Manchester but we have never been lucky so hardly a surprise). Cheers

Work for the cooncil. Person supposed to be on reception duty fecked off tonight before they were supposed to without telling anybody. Front doors normally locked bang on 4:30. 4:31 bell at front reception rings. A pissed off me goes to see you who is there. I start to bring them through to our main office which is open plan. I enter the security number in the lock to walk in but forget that a guy had come and changed them all only 30 mins before, which meant I smacked my forehead on the door as I tried to walk through. Eventually remember the code and enter the office to sound if waaaahhhhhaaaayyy from a female colleague how is pissing herself at me making a tit of myself and calling me a fanny. Unfortunately for her there is a partition blocking her view of the door and as I take a few more steps forward her face is a picture as her jaw drops almost as quick as her waving arms when she realises that the person I was bringing through from the reception was actually the chief exec of the cooncil. To be fair he was fine about it all and ended up slagging me too but my colleague just wanted to curl up and die.

Sometimes the topic headings and the adverts can be a tad strange.

Ah the good old BBC non-bias balance. Like somebody already said. You watch some of these programmes out of habit rather than for gaining any real political insight. If one thing Brexit really has done for the country is to show how politics is a self-service career rather than a public service post. While many of us knew this, the proof is now out there every day.

Neil is indeed a bully. Not sure if this is a coincidence but it was only 3 weeks ago Owen Jones had Neil almost apoplectic when he turned the table on him regarding MSM making it easier for far right views to become more normalised. Since then we have had two guests on his show (James Delingpole and Ken Livingstone) that have come on with arguements which Neil has been able to simply shoot holes through due to their poorly presented argument or bad defence of his questions. You would almost think he had booted his researcher in the baws and told them to go and find a couple of patsys so he could pull them apart just to make himself look good again.

Question time was bad enough but did you see Ken Livingstone on This Week? He did a peice on how American sanctions had severly impacted on Venezuela's economy and how Chavez was a man of the people and America where trying to circumnavigate Maduro who was legally elected. When challenged by Andrew Neil, Esther McVey and Alan Johnson he was totally lost for answers (or they were shown up as the kind of thing moon-howlers would blurt out). It was cringeworthy. While there may/may not be value in some of what he said, to come on TV with your main defence to questions being... 1. America did it. However I do not have actual evidence other than what the Venezuelan ambassador in London told me...repeat 2. I am a retired pensioner so do not know all the facts. 3. Look lost for words.

I agree what many said previously regards the ability to support a local team. Having visited about 20 college/universities in the states (mostly in the south) you cannot understate the impact the college has on the local community and how it is promoted accordingly. Add to that how people buy into this on a personal level even if they never went there is incredible. You are almost expected to support the team. Add to that the fact the university has so many teams and clubs there is something for everybody. Due to the fraternity system and drinking laws, much of student social life is interlinked with this. For many college towns they are one of the main employers and local communities make a living off that through services and customers. Think the University of Georgia campus bus service was the second largest bus service in the state and when I visited the University of Florida, I think it had 38,000 students, add in those working for it and those who benefit from it in other ways, this makes for a massive potential fanbase and customers to sell to. Even the smallest local college has an intense local market. Pride in your (or your local) university is almost akin to a religion. Bear in mind that all of the above will already have been ingrained into you at high school level, it is almost a natural progression. Finally, when it comes to marketing, nobody does it like Americans and you can include colleges in that. There is literally nothing that you cannot buy with a college logo from a number plate to a BBQ. I remember the first time I visited the University if South Carolina whose team are the Gamecocks. It was not unusual to see males students wandering about in tees and caps or female students wearing vest and hotpants with the word "Cocks" emblazoned across them. Pardon the pun but once you get sucked into being part of the university you are hooked, it is almost impossible to resist, hence the massive following.

Cheers

Any streams for this? Cricfree keeps buffering every so often

Think my first trip to Hampden was for a Home International match in 73. My dad followed Scotland but not a club side so I was fortunate to be brought up going to Scotland matches when we qualified from 74 -90 and just assumed it was a gimme. Big game days (and especially nights) were something else. Getting crushed as you tried to get near the turnstiles, the fear as you were carried closer to the turnstile with your feet off the ground and the air being forced out your lungs with only the comfort of your father's hand gripping your collar as he tried to make breathing space for you. The police on horses backing into you ala Alex Cameron. Being lifted over bodies then over the turnstile by a complete stranger and standing at the other side waiting on your dad as you watched guys who were barely able to stand somehow summon up the superhuman strength and space to hurdle their way in and spirit up the stairs to the back of the terracing like a Bay City Roller on speed before Glasgow's finest could catch them. For the less fortunate, landing with a splat on the concrete only to be matched out again, nose burst but more frustratingly, kerry oot spilled or confiscated was the ultimate humiliation...although it was only a matter of minutes until they tried again. Standing on a packed terracing or being sent down to the front so you could get a glimpse of the action while at the same time making sure you did not stand in the lake of piss forming at the front that had started as a mere trickle up the back. Or watching as the poor sods selling spam rolls and macaroon bars bravely waded through it like a WWI veteran in the tenches. Nothing gave you the true Hampden experience more than buying a badge off a seller down at the front who had the forthought of donning wellies in summer. Cowering from piss filled beer cans and bottles being thrown in the direction of the pitch if any decisions went against us. Back then things really did rain down on you, literally! By half-time the content of every Agnew's (There's always change at Agnew's) from Fraserburgh to the Borders could be found on that red blaze track. McEwans Export, Tartan Special, Double Diamond and Tennents with those lovely ladies on them. I assume the odd Babycham bottle was a result of the only thing that could have been stolen and and not missed from your parents cupboard as it was only drank by auntie Betty at new year. Although these were less sophisticated times, get caught drinking that on a terracing and you were automatically ear marked for a possible hiding for "drinking like a p**f". If you did indeed make it down near the front of the old west terracing and it was a sunny day then you were more likely to know it was a goal due to the cloud of dust sent up from the ash terracing at the other end. Everybody seemed to own a rampant lion back then. And THAT roar, what a noise! Bring transfixed as you watched the opposing subs not quite knowing what to do as they tried to play around a massed pipe band that seemed to take up over half the pitch. But most of all, it was about going to Hampden expecting a win and seeing some of the finest Scotland (and possibly the world) had to offer down the years that will stick with me. Billy Brenner, Dennis Law, Kenny Dalglish players we could only dream about now. While the spectators experience may be safer and better catered for nowadays in some respect something has indeed been lost from days gone by, even some of the stuff you hated back then, you kinda miss (except the piss and low-flying Babycham bottles).

Cheers. Want to book something asap before people with teams likely to be in with a sniff making the finals start reserving all the best stuff. Will look into your tips.

Four of us booked for weekend of Champions League final (doubt we will get tickets though as ballot us our only hope). Fly in Thursday morning and fly out Sunday evening. Still trying to figure out accommodation as not sure if better with hotel or private. Basically looking for somewhere safe and with decent night life. Any ideas or where to stay or do's and dont's?

I hope he is indeed getting his dream toy. Hate to think how he might feel if he was ever to find out he had got a brand new bmx for Christmas but dad had sold it.

I have to be realistic about it. When we get the referrals in we offer the option of free support regarding how to maximise incomes/reduce debts access to foodbanks etc in the hope that come next Christmas the family will not be in the same predicament. Unfortunately many we come accross are too busy living day to day as opposed to looking long term. We try to leave the handing over of the gifts until the last possible moment to avoid them being sold in pubs etc. We also know that most will probably have the "From Santa" tag switched...but as long as the kid gets it then I am OK with that. I think this one got to me because... My boss had previously deemed this particular family as not really "in need". We did not know who was going to be getting the bike...it came out of a phone call between my boss and worker and it was only to be given to a family that would definitely use it. When she saw it on facebay it was only then she realised who the project had given it to. It did not help that another project called a minute after it was taken as they were working with a child who had been in a car crash in which their mother had been killed. My boss contacted the person via Facebook saying it had been donated to our toy appeal and that if the gift was not suitable we could pick it up and donate it to a family in need rather than it being sold for profit...her post was deleted.

Spent the last month organising a toy appeal for 1200 kids deemed by various projects/workers as "in need". Also raised funds for a Christmas party for kids in care/kinship care. The donations and support we get from companies and the general public is amazing...could not do it without them. Very humbling. Then you have to reconcile the above with the fact you liased with an agency to pass on a brand new BMX to a kid only to find the dad has posted it on facebay the same day!

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