Howlin' Wilf

It’s not really a fair comparison though. Not comparing apples with apples. However, despite putting up a good show in the two 1970 games we ultimately lost the tie. The 1972 game v Berwick to clinch promotion was more memorable because it won the league for us. In turn I remember much more about Annan and Airdrie because they were more recent. It could be argued that getting to the Premier in 83-84 eclipsed everything. Winning a trophy would be great and can anyone rattle off the last five Championship or League 1 winners?

Really?

I remember that having been there too. 5-2 and folk saying that the young Celtic boy looked a good un. Did he score a couple that day?

Ach no big point really. Any time I’ve been at cup finals though, I’ve generally gone early. I think the last one I was at was the Scottish Cup in 2010, Dundee United v Ross County and the build up was great. I remember about 20 years ago sailing up the Hudson in New York. There was a cabaret in the lounge on the boat. I went upstairs and saw we were approaching the Statue of Liberty all lit up. Went downstairs to tell the folk we were sitting with “Naw yer alright mate we're just watching the (pretty shite) band” The Irn Bru Cup Final is not the Scottish Cup Final or a cruise up the Hudson. It is though our cup final and it’s something I haven’t seen in 47 years supporting the Sons. I have been in more pubs and drank more pints and drams than I care to remember. In fact within reason I can go to a pub any time I like. This may be my only ever chance to see my team in a National Cup Final I’m not missing any of it, even the build up for mair drink.

Ach! You’re quite right. It’s not as if it’s a cup final or anything......

I got the impression that the emphasis was on a wee swally at the Sons Siro prior to departure. Probably best to head to the ground.

Doh! ????????

I see The New Saints of Oswestry Town (is this the longest club name in the world?) beat Connah's Qay Nomads ( the only club with a Q and an apostrophe in their name surely) 1-0 with Routledge scoring the goal. When do the Saints play Crusaders in the Irn Bru third place match? Should be a cracker.

Lionel is probably the only dude on here who uses his real name........

4:15 pm kick off 24th March https://spfl.co.uk/news/article/mcdiarmid-park-to-host-irn-bru-final/

Listening from my Gartnavel bed after an eye op.

OKI on Radio Shropshire right now!

Hear! hear! However the trip is to Shropshire!

Didn’t attend today. The possibility of confined space, cold wind and rain, drums and a gubbing all contributed to the decision.

Helensburgh boy too. The Advertiser will be going into meltdown as they already have regular updates on him.

From today’s National. http://www.thenational.scot/news/15921441.Looking_for_Robert__Where_was_the_Bruce__39_s_final_home_/# Bruce, Young’s, Dalmoak and DFC

So the Morton game is three days after the Irn Bru cup semi. Do they want our teams to be successful in Europe?

I've just voted in the Sonstrust ballot. Here's a tick for you to cut and paste. ✓

We were once pretty damned close to signing Craig Gordon!

It would seem that with Bell and Stokes, the clubs have perhaps tried to move them on for a fee in the window and had no takers. I don't think any sane manager would sign Stokes. One look at his off field record would scare the bejasus out of you. Bell is an interesting one. Decent keeper who might get lucky if Celtic sign Carson from Motherwell. If not he might be happy just getting a game until the end of the season. Durrant will know him well.

It would seem likely. He certainly no longer has the energy and mobility required to be up front on his own.

If only some of us were on the sonsteam list and could have a stab at the identity of the supporter in question.........

To be fair, he was dealing with his son’s admission to hospital in Glasgow (helicopter blue light I understand) and had not arrived in time for ko. That was what Radio Scotland announced.

I know Paul very well and I heard of this move a while ago which really surprised me. He is a retired traffic cop and has lived in Dumbarton a long time. He was Albion Rovers Photographer and then Secretary. As long as I've known him he's been a Rovers supporter. He was out in South Sudan for a while training the police force in the newly independent country. He was sadly widowed a while ago. I was a guest of Paul's when Rovers won League 2 a couple of seasons ago. He's a pretty straight guy who has done a lot for good causes in his time. Past President of Dumbarton Burns Club. Very decent bloke IMHO. I'm sure he'll have no illusions about the task in front of him. On a separate note, sounds like a battling victory at Balmoor.