Kyle Reese

Although I've only been here a short time. I can't help noticing that you are all over the board most days, and you don't really contribute an awful lot. Pretty much just snide digs at other posters and wee rants. Quite odd behaviour.

I remember the Berry tackle you mention. The point is, whether you or I agree with his style being acceptable or not, it has started to attract the attention of officials and the press. Ross is attempting to counter that, by backing his player, and trying to divert attention away from his on-field actions. You can surely see that? I’m not sure how I feel about the gentrification of the game in this regard to be honest. I get frustrated when officials ruin good games, especially derbies, with over officious performances. I actually agree with most Hibs supporters on their point about Rangers players getting away with similar challenges and not being punished. That’s where I am on the matter. Either gentrify the game, or allow a more robust style. Don’t make it one rule for one team, and another for the next. For example, the OF commit 15 fouls on average before getting a card, for the rest it’s around six or seven. There needs to be blanket application of the rules. For me, Porteous’ style goes beyond robust and edges in to dangerous. He needs to rein it in a bit. Some of his challenges are definitely dangerous to other players.

The McPake comparison is 100% his habit of having to make last ditch lunges. Often a danger to the opponent on the receiving end.

Not sure I follow. You obviously know that Jack Ross is employing the tried and tested PR job with Porteous? Same PR job that Martin O’Neil did with Lennon, was used to protect Ricksen when he was getting a reputation for fouling, and more recently Brendan Rogers with “Brownie” and Gerrard with Morelos. A player starts to get noticed for reckless and dangerous play, and a manager needs to react quickly, to try and divert opinion, so as to avoid that reputation hurting his team’s chances. That is what Ross is doing here. Seems fairly obvious to me.

Well out of order that any player is the subject of such abuse, be it homophobic, racist or sectarian. There’s been more than enough of that in recent times, sadly. At my own club there was Skacel, Nade, Kingston and Dikamona in recent times. Unfortunately it’s something that is endemic in society, and as a cross section of that society, it will often rear its ugly head when large crowds gather. Social media is just a virtual version of that. Again, no player should be subject to that sort of abuse. Bang out of order. Back on topic however, Ryan Porteous is a truly woeful defender in the mould of James McPake. His whole style appears to be to try and niggle and get involved with the opposition, and if that fails, make a last minute dangerous lunge. Who knows, he might be half decent if he just concentrated on being a better player instead. A few morons sending footballers racist or homophobic abuse is a separate matter, and they should be prosecuted for it. Ryan on the other hand needs stop endangering other professionals with his dangerous performances on the park. No amount of diversion tactics from Ross will change that.

I don’t watch him every week, so maybe I’m just unlucky with the bits I see. To me, he looks like he struggles with his first touch, and his timing is always a few seconds off. Always seems to have long balls bouncing off him, stopping him from getting in good goal scoring positions. Also seems to arrive a second too late to crosses etc. He does have a pretty good footballing name though. Sounds like he should be decent.

Yeah, something else completely. You’re thinking of the time David Duff tried to kill off Hibs, but Wallace Mercer saved them. Lots of Hearts supporters even helped save them. They repaid us years later by trying to have us liquidated. Never turn your back on a Hibby.

He is rotten. I can’t imagine his inclusion improving any team. He seems to lack even the very basic skills and timing of a centre forward.

I deeply dislike Malky, but is McGregor not a total c**t as well? Certainly comes across that way from the outside looking in.

In general, I don't see the same issue with people following a smaller club, than the big local one on their doorstep. Except if they choose to follow Hibs instead of Heart of Midlothian. We have a fair old support in Fife and places like that, so we don't just get adversely affected by it, we benefit from it too. It still leaves a bad taste when Edinburgh kids choose to follow the OF though. All the logic and reason in the world won't stop me feeling that.

Lol. No idea, I didn't even know he had a book. The old physio from the time Alan Rae, has a pretty decent autobiography. Again quite a unique perspective: Hands on Hearts.

Like hearing things like this. I don't really have a problem with Clark to be honest with you. Never let my club down, and was there at an important time. I just like to hear about things from the time, from a different perspective. I also prefer autobiographies that touch a little more on the current affairs of the time outside of football, too.

Absolutely. This is quite common with football autobiographies that are unlikely to hit the best sellers lists. You have to take them for what they are: a glimpse through the eyes of someone who was there. Sandy's is more of a local interest book as far as I am concerned. It covers some important seasons at HMFC, including my very first as a supporter. I wasn't expecting Wordsworth and I wasn't disappointed. Spelling and grammar were worse in Gary MacKay's autobiography.

That is definitely a thing. It’s funny though, a few years ago nobody was whining about kids from all over Scotland wearing OF tops. Now suddenly you hear pundits getting all indignant about them wearing EPL tops. Nae luck, eh.

Och, I suppose I just like reading football books. Just got Bobby Walker’s biography last week, and Wee Robbo’s is still to arrive. I particularly like the ones that also delve a wee bit in to the current affairs of the time too. Clark’s wasn’t the best one I’ve ever read, not by a long shot. Always good to listen to accounts of players who were at your club/team in days gone by though. Interesting to hear what went on within the dressing room, and relate it to what you saw from the terraces. I don’t really have a problem with Clark, myself. His time as manager with HMFC was short, and he did the job that was required at that moment. He also helped bring Robertson on as a player, and was a part of the first Hearts team I saw live. Can see why others wouldn’t like him though.

I’d like to think you were right about folk no longer having the big team/wee team thing, but I don’t know. Unfortunately I think many still do. Also, sadly I think the damage has already been done now anyway.

I don’t like what he pointed out, but it was honest and true. I disagree/disapprove of that mindset myself, as I thought I’d made clear. He’s probably more entitled to an opinion on the subject, than most, as he grew up in Airdrie and describes himself in the way I relayed. I’m more aligned with your thoughts on the matter really. I’m just pointing out something that we all know is the case anyway, and using the account of a player most of us will know, to illustrate it.

I used to as a kid when I started supporting football. Now there’s an East of Scotland League team closer to home. You don’t switch teams though. Not as an adult anyway. I remember a couple of kids at high school who switched teams from one SFL/SPL team to another. Always just wrote them off as weirdos after that. Sandy Clark describes it in his autobiography. If you grew up in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire or Renfrewshire at that time, you had two teams: Your big team (one of the OF), and your wee team (local club). The problem with this nonsense however, is: 1) A generation or two later, most of the kids and grandkids of these types stop bothering to support their wee team anymore. 2) The success of the big teams outstripped everyone else, and folk from areas further away from Greater Glasgow started to do the same thing. Fife and Dundee for example. Even Edinburgh and Aberdeen where the last remaining non-OF “big teams” are located, are riddled with OF glory hunters. The highlands is a bit different as they had their own league outside of the pyramid for most of history. I find it easier to understand OF supporters from the highlands proper. Sad that it’s got to the stage that it has though. Nothing worse than some bellend from a local area with no links to Glasgow, giving it the big one to his neighbours about how shite their local team is. Always seems lost on them, that they and their ilk are a big part of the reason. No point in complaining about it now though. You’ll not get the genie back in the bottle.

Apparently the owner of a Premiership Scottish Football Club has just appointed his son as Head of Recruitment. Whomever that club may be, I'd be keeping tabs on them as a run away favourite for Banter Kings 2021/2.

Sadly, this comedy masterpiece pre-dates this thread too: https://www.hibs.net/archive/index.php/t-158395-p-62.html Go on. Which poster were you. You were Sergey weren’t you?

“You see, Hibs, running a football team, is much like making love to a beautiful woman.”

That’s not how you spell eleven.

He’s added Devlin, McKay and Moore since then. I reckon McKay will really help us drive forward against them. We got absolutely hounded by Kyogo at CP, and Smith had no real help in getting forwards. As long as the ref doesn’t send Devlin off, then our midfield should be competitive v them at the very least.

Straight leg, studs up, over the ball. Unnecessarily reckless and dangerous. Red card all day, every day.