Cowden Cowboy

But it isn’t the worst surface in the SPFL - the ratings for pitches had 7 or 8 rated worse - it’s a handy soundbite excuse when you lose. I hardly think it’s the pitches fault when Queens can’t score a single goal from open play v Cowden in the last 6 games

Queens sub sent off on his debut

Jamie Pyper has been pretty good at right back these last 2 games

Struggle to see how 11 v 10 for 35 minutes and still losing is the mark of a better team

He has scored 5 goals for Broughty I think - he can't come back and play in the first team until January

Jordan Allan had a knee operation in the close season. However he has been troubled with a niggling knee problem and it turns out there was a loose piece of bone or other material causing the problem. So he has had a further small op to sort that. Not expected to be out for long

No you don't receive payments for youth system from spfl

Swinglehurst suspended for tomorrow

The official recorded goalscorers for those goals are Nicholas Locke (Broxburn) and Mitch Megginson (Cove)

There is an obviously strong correlation between league position and finance. It is not the only factor of course but over time the clubs with more money tend to have more success. Take Gretna as an example unless you accept Rowan Alexander's view that it was all down to his hard work and talent then they just bought the success they had. Last season Peterhead and Celtic won their leagues with the biggest budgets while in Championship Dundee United were runners up to Ross County who were also significantly bankrolled. Raith I guess had top League 1 budget and were third. None of them were anywhere near the wrong end of the league and few teams with a monetary advantage finish near the foot of their table.

Or maybe there were two fouls on the keeper and nothing astonishing about the decisions at all and the ball hit a player's arm which was by his side in a completely natural position.

Dundonald Bluebell win their first ever Fife Cup game 3-1 at Bayview

Nithsdale didn't quit

The 20s and early 30s was the time of general industrial depression and Cowdenbeath were far from insulated from the impact of that - they had a low point in the mid 30s. Lochgelly United were like Broxburn another club who succumbed in West Fife

Despite having won two SPFL titles in the last 13 years and having played in the second tier for 4 seasons in the present decade. That wasn't riding our luck for years - and those wins in relegations play offs well that isn't anything to do with luck.

It isn't a historical accident at all - Stenhousemuir and Cowdenbeath had the vision and drive and ambition to get into and play in the SFL plus to maintain that status. They had to fight and struggle to gain that status in the first place - in Cowdenbeath's case twice. Broxburn had an SFL team and it went bust. No reason why Penicuik couldn't have grasped the same opportunities as a town many years ago.

Fraser Mullen had a bad accident when cutting logs with a power saw. Saw caught his jersey and pulled his left arm into its teeth. Result was shocking wound and severed tendons,etc. Needed an emergency op to reconnect tendons, deal with major wound, etc. Signed off initially for six weeks.

No hearts players - renton is back

Postponement means match moves to midweek rolling Monday/Wednesday attempts to play - would put Stirling game off. Cove game isn't impacted at all

Monday 28 October Bayview

You always hear about this great potential to increase income by dropping prices - there's a reason clubs don't do that as they tend to have experience in optimising their pricing to derive the best return. Folks love to suggest cutting prices as a panacea but it rarely works - a winning team is the best model for driving income up. There should already be marketing in place surely driving pricing and offers - it's not a new invention

But some fans maybe presently come because the game is at Hampden - thus Hampden itself is an attraction. Same as some players are willing to play for Queens because they are based at Hampden. Reduced ticket prices might decrease income from admission - otherwise why wouldn't you just have done that already? Have been at matches at Lesser and can't remember much of a better atmosphere. Isn't the reality of all this simply that Queens now need to pay wages to continue to compete in SPFL2 given the changes (pyramid, increased averaged players wage levels in L2, amateurs when League is specifically branded Scottish Professional Football League, etc) now impacting.

Not being based at Hampden any more though is a big downside surely and I doubt there are many SPFL 1&2 clubs nowadays making a fair proportion of their income from the sale of players or including that in their budget

We haven't been poor in any of the six games we have won - poor teams don't win games. We haven't always been at our best but that doesn't = poor. If we lose a game/games it's no longer a winning team so the point you make on that isn't really relevant. All the players are making a contribution in their different ways - it's not a case of just picking all the most skilful players and somehow fitting them into your XI. You need strength, blend, power, experience, pace, resilience, leadership and many other attributes to have an effective team.

Cowden had one player starting who started last Saturday - mix of younger players, trialist and those needing game time