Tattie36

Maybe it was watching it on tv and the white kits but they looked generally bigger and more physical to me (Bringing on Hilson, Linn and Paterson didn’t help ). Think we played the better football though.

Probably deserved at least a draw in the end. Looked a lot better once the subs were made and certainly created enough chances to win. Positives - Bobby Linn, has to play when fit, things just happen when he's playing; Shanks looks excellent, just needs a goal; Gill looks solid in goal, a massive upgrade on Antell; ToB - best player on the park; 90 minutes for Nicky Low. Negatives - the trilaists never looked up to much; need a bit more physicality in midfield; need more striking options - we can't rely on Linn to score wonder goals every week and (as we all know) Hislon and Donnelly aren't the answer; their goals were far too easy - a free header and a simple passing move and cross.

We just can't cope with their pace and physicality. We look tiny compared to them.

Pretty evenly matched game so far although Fylde are a bit more physically imposing. Really should have scored and their goal was very soft. Shanks is playing well but getting constantly fouled by their big centre half. They're closing us down far quicker than we are to them, need to be in their faces a bit more. Any idea of who the trialist are? Not that impressed with either so far.

I have a feeling this coming season is going to be even tighter than last. No team stands out as being particularly strong… or weak. Dundee utterly shitfested their way to promotion 2 years ago and I don’t think this team is any better than that one. They will undoubtably be there or thereabouts but I can’t see them running away with it. We (Arbroath) have kept pretty much the entire squad that pushed Killie all the way last season. The key for us is keeping the back 4 and Nicky Low fit, add in a good 2 or 3 loans and I can see us being top half again. Aside from that, I have a feeling Partick will do very well and Cove not so well. A loose prediction is: Top half (in no particular order) - Dundee, ICT, Raith, Arbroath and Partick. Bottom half - QP, Ayr, Hamilton, Morton, Cove. Gun to my head: Champions - Partick, bottom - Accies.

I see that season tickets are valid for tomorrow’s friendly and can be used for AFC TV. I’ve bought my ticket but don’t have it yet and have no details apart from the confirmation email. Anyone or “Gayfield” know how I would go about watching it tomorrow as I can’t make the game?

Thank you - I've emailed that address with my details.

I also don't live in Arbroath. Last season they had a desk outside the ground with tickets to be collected, think it was at the Kelty cup game I collected mine. I assumed they would do similar this season, I can't go on Wednesday but thought I could collect mine on Saturday.

I think clubs ideally want the season ticket money pre season/early in the season in order to plan financially for the season ahead/players wages etc so don’t see why they would offer a season long payment option. A Klarna type 3 instalments would be perfect.

Season ticket bought. Any idea on numbers sold so far? We were approaching 900 a few weeks ago so would imagine we must be close to or over 1k by now.

I use Flashscore.com

That game was actually 4-1. I think we were winning too. We also had a blatant goal not given when their keeper clawed it back when it was a good foot over the line. Well beaten though. My eldest son was on the pitch at Stirling when he was 8 - I felt a bit jealous as I was almost 30 before I saw us even get promoted never mind win a title.

Ach I’m just the kind of guy that things adults should never wear fitba kits - unless at a game or playing 5s etc.

It’s even more stark for folk of my age. When I was at the Academy in the early 80s there were only 3 in my year, including me, that went to Gayfield (that I knew of) and the other 2 were actually more Dundee United fans. Practically no kids went to games, never mind wearing kits or even admitting to being a fan. It really is amazing and I wish all other teams in Scotland had the same feeling around the club as we do at the moment. The game would be far healthier for it. ETA - I’m on holiday in England just now and I saw a guy earlier in a Stranraer kit, even though he was a grown man and looked ridiculous, it fair warmed my cockles, particularly in amongst the swathes of rangers and Celtic kits.

A couple of brother related ones. In 1992, my younger brother had not long passed his driving test and asked me if I fancied a drive from Aberdeen to Dundee to watch champions Dundee play Montrose in the last game of the season. It was pay at the gate and there was quite a big crowd. We decided to sit in the Derry, which was very busy. We eventually found seats and sat down right next to our other brother who had also decided off the cuff to go to the game with a couple of pals. The other brother related coincidence was around 20 years ago. All 3 of us went on different days to the same shop and bought exactly the same make, size, model and colour of running shoes… my younger brother wasn’t even a runner.

He definitely gave us something in midfield that we’ve been lacking since he left. We’re crying out for a physical, aggressive central midfielder imo.

I liked him. Very committed and physical, always looked like a red card waiting to happen but mostly seemed to (just) time his challenges well. Central midfielder. Don't think he was great or rated at Raith but maybe his style of play just didn’t suit them.

Have to agree. His goal was a peach but that’s no reason to sign someone… mind you didn’t Dick sign Donnelly after he scored a screamer against us for Stranraer? I thought he was the best of the trialists on Saturday and probably deserved another game but not sure if he showed enough to be signed. Hope he proves us wrong - I wasn’t particularly impressed the first time I saw Nouble so you never know.

I was really hoping that, especially after last season, we would be a very attractive proposition for some quality loans. Been very unimpressed with what I’ve seen/heard so far. I think they’re trying to unearth another Nouble with these guys they’ve been playing but, aside from the goal, none of them have been worth a contract imo. I think the fact that Hilson played 90 minutes on Saturday says a lot, granted it was a pretty threadbare squad. Obviously Dick Campbell REALLY rates him, so expect to see a lot of him this season. He’s just not a goal threat (or Donnelly), how long did he have with that chance to shoot? even then he missed the target, and that daft dummy he did when the ball was on a plate was typical of him - so frustrating. Was hoping he and LD would just be sparingly used squad players but I fear we’ll see far more of them than their play deserves…. again. As you say, Shanks looks potentially an excellent signing so that’s some good news. Gill also looked an upgrade on Antell. I would like to see another striker, a winger and a physical midfielder. Just have to wait, early days still I suppose.

That would definitely be a good idea. I’ve just been hit with an £800 garage bill and going on holiday next week. Still going to buy my ST but paying 3 x £80 would be a much better option for me at the moment.

Yeah, I’ve not bought mine yet either. As you say, no rush. Out of the 7 guys I went with last season who had season tickets, I think 4 or 5 still need to buy so confident we’ll easily match 1200.

Yeah but I was there before the game as my son plays for Cove Youth and they were training at Balmoral earlier. Will be really interesting to see how they manage to do this in such a short time.

That’ll be some going. I was sitting in the main stand in Balmoral Stadium last Wednesday evening and there doesn’t appear to have been a stick of prep work done for these stands. I would have thought, even though temporary, that these stands would require some kind of foundations or at the very least solid, hard ground to be placed on to. Not to mention the perimeter fences and access to be moved or altered. I’ll be up at the school again this evening so it’ll be interesting to see if anything has been started.

No I don’t agree that we would be shafted. If we have what they need and giving them, our nearest neighbour and probably biggest customer, a very tiny better deal than they would get elsewhere, with guarantees, would be good business and a strong negotiating tool imo.

This would be, by many many magnitudes, a far far bigger issue which would probably lead to a Third World War, even that shower in Westminster wouldn’t go that far. No one would allow this to happen as it would set a global precedent. What would then stop the Germans from “claiming” Norwegian oil and gas or China sailing gunships into the Gulf of Mexico? I would suggest the reality would be that Scotland would come to some kind of negotiated deal, favourable to both us and the rUK.