steve_the_saint

When he scores 30 goals before Xmas there'll be clubs queuing up to buy him in January!

It shouldn't apply if ur arm was against ur body though, as the act of hitting the arm wouldn't change the trajectory of the ball (it would hit the players body if the arm wasn't there.) it should apply Only if the arm is away from the body, ie if it affects the trajectory of the ball. You already see players trying to avoid leaving a trailing arm in the box to prevent the ref having to make a decision, so wouldn't really change much in terms of what players do inside the box. But it would give a hard and fast rule which wouldn't rely as much on opinion.

If the players hand wasn't in the position it was in, what would have happened.....that is what I would be thinking about if I was the ref. So if a player is covering his balls or face with his hand and the ball hits his hand it wouldn't be hand ball, because if his hand wasn't there, it would hit the player anyway. If a players hand is away from their body, it should always be considered from the view point that the player is trying to gain an unfair advantage - and the referee would need to be absolutely convinced that he wasn't not to award a foul. In other words, guilty until convinced innocent. What you are suggesting is to assume the players innocence unless absolutely convinced of his guilt. This would result in hardly any handballs given because you could always think of legitimate "reasons" why the players hand was in that position - for example that they are told to do it by coaches!

It just so happens that Owen Coyle is the Houston manager and it's not been unknown for Scottish managers to be friendly with Scottish agents. Coyle has also been saying all the right things about McGinn - I just wonder if it's purely lip service and he has no interest at all in signing him. McGinn for that matter may not have any interest in going to America aswell, he is still only 20 after all and from a tight knit family. I think we should hold out for a lot closer to 200k (that seems to be the tribunal figure getting bandied about). Tribunal decisions in cases like this tend not to be too much of a surprise as the fee due is based on total outlay (ie wages) to date. So I don't think the board will feel forced into accepting much less than they know they can get.

I don't know where they get the money from, but I know that's what their top earners are on, and several of their first team senior players are on not much less. Of course when players go to part time from full time, they tend not to return to full time, so they already know their career is winding down (like Vanzy and Mair last season from us, and Darren Barr this season). That's not really the type of player St. Mirren will be wanting to sign - we'll be looking at players wanting to prove themselves and move onto bigger things (like Agnew) who are prepared to take a shite wage with us for a few years if it means they get noticed a lot more and get a move to a bigger club. I'm saying most professional footballers want to make as much money as they can - as you or I would. If a player has been used to getting 1.5k p/w for most of their career, it's a bit of a kick in the teeth to suddenly having your income halved - they still have mortgages etc to pay for after all. For players like Darren Barr signing for us, that is what would have happened. Equally the same has happened for Agnew, however he is still young and has the potential to move onto better things (ie more money).

You seem to keep missing the point - players don't pick Dumbarton over St. Mirren, we are not in direct competition with Dumbarton for signing players. They are part time, we are full time. If a player signs for Dumbarton on £500 a week, he can also have a regular full time job. Even a modest job outside of football would result in the player making over £1000 per week. That's why for some players they are more appealing than signing for St. Mirren - if you think St. Mirren are paying over £1000 per week then you need to get a reality check. Do you really think it's the managers fault that he hasn't signed many players yet? He'll be trying to do the best he can with the little money he has, but it takes time trying to get guys to agree to £650 a week when they could get better deals elsewhere. I doubt even Guardiola could have signed any more players than Murray has by now for what the club is offering! (I'm not comparing Ian Murray with the best manager in the world - before anyone says anything!)

Why do you keep going on about Dumbarton? They're a part time team who can pay £500 a week. No wonder they're getting players rushing to sign for them! Unless you want us to become part time so we can start competing with them, is that really what this obsession with Dumbarton is about?

I'm also surprised that athe majority seem to be not impressed with howieson. He never wasted a pass all afternoon, was involved in all (few as they were) our attacks. Yes he never took anyone on, but he doesn't look like a winger to me. Play him in Agnews position and let aggy be backup or play wide - howieson was far more impressive than Agnew was on Saturday.

I don't know if anyone have ever had the pleasure of hearing tony at one of his motivational talks that he now does? By all accounts it's absolutely inspirational, talking about his life in general and all the ups and downs he has went through. from seeing a house in thornly park when he was an apprentice, and deciding there and then that he would buy it when he made it - and he duly did - to the tragedies in his life and the losses he made at Livingston. And through it all never lost enthusiasm for life. Without a doubt an autobiography would be one of the best, if not the best, autobiographies certainly by a footballer.

I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to come up with these sort of ideas, they were being talked about when the ground was first built but never materialised. Which is why it's a bit strange that it's taken them this long to do it. I would hazard a guess that it's something to do with the new director we have (forgot his name) who already has airport parking (in Murray street I think?) and who owns the Murray street industrial units across from the ground. But why could the existing board not have done it years ago? Seems like the usual laziness and lack of ambition/foresight from gilmour and co.

Dumbarton are not direct competitors to us when signing players. If it comes down to us two, it'll be whether the player wants to play full time or has another source of income outside football. Nothing to do with game time, size of club or anything else football related.

So what if we sign championship level players. I don't seem to remember any of the 05/06 league winning team being "premier" players. And the millennium season certainly wasn't, it was full of run of the mill journeymen and effective players from the lower leagues.

The similarities are certainly there - he's a similar style of player, plenty technical ability, not particularly pacy and started as a striker but moved back into midfield. Hopefully once he drops down a division and bulks up a bit he will prove to be a decent premiership midfielder (as mcgarry did). Would be good if it's with us but he may have to move on to realise his potential.

Everyone's saying he's shite and a wage their, but after reading that monstrosity maybe he's just really thick and too stupid to know what he should be doing on a football pitch? I had high hopes for him after the tail end of last season when he scored a couple of important goals and looked dangerous, but tbh I just think the boy has no confidence. If I was trying to be positive I would say I hope he finds that confidence and uses the talent he has. But his next club will more than likely be in the championship next season. So I hope he stays shite and does the sq root of duck all against us!

Why not charge extra if anyone wants a particular seat for the whole season?

Had heard a rumour a few weeks back that thommo was being lined up as Murrays assistant at Dumbarton for next season. Could that mean hell become assistant with us?

Murrays got the job.

To be fair, he did admit that we had one of the best surfaces in Scotland. It's just that it was the best of a bad bunch.

He was offered to Dumbarton on loan in January to free up some wages to sign gow. The player himself didn't fancy it though - it wouldn't have mattered anyway as he was already out the picture after we signed arquin. On a side note, does a players wages get covered if he is injured? If so then maybe this is what we used to free up wages for gow? I'm not disputing the fact he got the mumps but it may have been a happy coincidence that it happened at the same time as us trying to sign gow.

That's the other way to look at it, the current owners would delay the sale rather than any prospective owners kaiboshing (sp?) the deal. Looking at it both ways, it would be fair to say that we are never going to be sold after Xmas during a season - seeing as we are constantly struggling for league safety every season.

perhaps not only the English consortium that came close recently but any of the other (apparently as many as 50 over the last five years?) are keeping a close eye on the situation at the club until the end of the season. There may be parties that would only want to buy the club if we were in the premiership or there may be others who see an opportunity to get the club at a reduced price if we get relegated and make a quick return to the premiership - from an outsiders perspective, there isn't too much competition to win the championship; part time clubs and clubs just treading water make up the majority of teams in the championship.

Was this as a result of the challenge he received in the Friday night firhill game? He was absolutely raging when it happened and if so, u can understand why.

No you're no being wooshed, just my personal preference. There's just nothing there just now that entices me to buy anything, it's pretty boring. The club could also create a partnership with a local bakers like Killie have done. Wellbread in renfrew always have people queuing out the door, for example.

This. I feel the club missed a trick when building the new ground (albeit they were constrained with what tesco was offering). Not only would thus provide a better view, it could allow an area in front of the stand to be converted to terracing (if/when the rules change). It would also create more space under the stands that could be leased out for a variety of uses (office space etc). Create a cafe/bar area under/attached to the stand with TVs showing other games etc. To encourage fans to come to the game earlier or stay longer and spend more money at the game. Make the place more black and white. Fit free wifi transmitters all around the stadium (the 3G signal is rubbish, especially at HT) Fit a big old fashioned clock at one of the ends (a la Highbury/Emirates) Fit padded seats throughout the stadium (a la the Emirates). Make the food stalls better. I'm thinking a subway, Gregg's, Starbucks, mcdonalds etc.

Quite ironic that the record decided to report on what they did from the article but didn't mention the bit where Tess mentions the shite that all the scottish tabloids publish!