Drew

Toe-poke

Amen to that. Let's hope we can get this one over the line and that he proves to be a good addition.

In fairness, have we been gazumped recently? I can't recall it happening very often, and certainly not in recent years. ETA - unless you include Kenny Miller (bullet dodged).

The potential for injuries is one issue, but, for me, the extent to which the surface actually influences the game is sufficient reason in itself to prohibit the use of these artificial pitches. I found it pretty infuriating watching the game on Saturday, and felt as though I was being conned. That's enough about the St Mirren team, however, back to the pitch.... Nah, I think these pitches are f**king awful, and would rather watch fitba played at a local cooncil playing field, even with the players having to dodge the broken glass and dug shite.

Brief update: Home charger installed on Saturday (just in time to allow me to get to Hamilton for the game....). Aside from having to push to have the installation date brought forward a couple of weeks, this was a painless exercise, and the lad who came to fit the charger was first class. He covers the whole of Scotland and seems to be very busy just now (booked up into next year), so they are having to draft in reinforcements from dahn saaf. The car is great, really pleased with it. Aside from the fact that it is virtually silent (aside from a bit of road and wind noise at speed as would be expected), it drives likes a standard car with an automatic gearbox. It actually feels particularly refined for a small hatchback and is comfortable and very easy to drive. My wife has used it for work a couple of times so far with no range issues. She is enjoying it. We charged it at the pier car park in Helensburgh at the weekend just to get used to using public charging points. Piece of cake, and free. Well, I say free, but we were so busy concentrating on getting the charger set up that we forgot about the parking charge. Thankfully, we avoided getting a ticket and £60 fine! Lesson learned. So, in summary, all good so far. No issues encountered, though early days admittedly.

Gus is on it!

Anyone know who the bounce game was against? Dundee United. ETA - Dundee seemingly.

I suspect it is as much about knowing how to play on these pitches as anything else, hence my suggestion that they present an advantage to the home team (I can't see how it would be otherwise). There will be less chance of injury if you know how to approach playing on the surface. Bottom line is that it ruins the game regardless.

The longer Stubbs is away, the less he can be blamed for performances. The manager will get as much time as he needs from me. The players may find they don't get quite as long if they don't perform for him. I didn't blame Stubbs for any matches when he wasn't responsible. My point was in relation to people criticising McGinn's performances throughout the season. Most of the season so far was under Stubbs, and everything that went along with that. Aside from the state of the squad, I'm not holding Stubbs responsible for anything now.

The playing surface at Hamilton is a disgrace. Seemingly the pitch at Livingston is even worse. Call me cynical but I suspect these clubs are all too aware of the impact that these abysmal artificial surfaces can have on opposition players who aren't used to them. Shite clubs looking for any advantage they can gain. I lost count of how often the ball stuck on that pitch on Saturday, and the number of wayward bounces. Players also slip and stumble, and it makes a mockery top level football that they are permitted in Scotland.

In fairness, most of the games were under Stubbs, so that has to be factored in as a mitigating circumstance. We then had the Celtic perfomance which was very encouraging and in which all played their part. Saturday was hellish, but it is possible Stephen was already carrying his injury and the bloody plastic pitch wouldn't have helped. I think a good few players were holding back on Saturday. I'm not suggesting that is acceptable, but it was certainly apparent given that we were second to every ball. The injuries to both Magennis and McGinn are nightmarish if the latter also proves to be of significant duration. No two ways about that.

Hasn't played up here.

When my kids were younger we used to holiday in St Andrews at the caravan my in-laws owned. We would occasionally go through to Dundee, and found it to be pretty much like any other city - good in parts, meh in others, and a shithole elsewhere. It certainly looks to have benefitted from major regeneration since then, however, and I look forward to visiting the new museum later in the year when it is a bit less busy than I imagine it will be at the moment. I won't lie, though, naming new iconic developments like this and the big hospital in Govan after members of a family who have been little more than a parasitic influence on our country, and who represent an anachronistic system of privilege and patronage does stick in my craw

We don't know the full story as you suggest. Perhaps he was looking for silly money?

We deserved to lose the match yesterday, but that playing surface is a disgrace.

Toiling here. Bright start but too easily bullied and struggling to get to grips with this (abysmal) pitch. McGinn well off it and responsible for losing possession too cheaply at the first. Need to get a quick one back.

Encountering the first major issue with the new car today having taken delivery yesterday afternoon. The charger is getting installed shortly and it will be touch and go whether I'll be able to get away in time to go through to Hamilton for the game as planned

Tam McManus backing Saints position on this earlier on the John Beattie BBC Shortbread programme. He said that Sutton was out of order, and St Mirren quite correct in considering taking action in terms of supporting staff.

Has anyone else watched his Buddievision interview? If so, what did you make of it? I won't lie, it didn't inspire me. There was also a slightly awkward point where he referred to the new manager's approach to training and preparing the squad as "simplistic". I'm sure he didn't intend it to sound a tad derogatory, but this is type of thing that can get picked up on, and if he is to have a fairly senior role at the club, he will need to bear that in mind and take a bit more care over his choice of words and delivery. He was hardly brimming with enthusiasm, and while that is the Gus we know, it would have been good to have heard a bit more positivity as to why he wanted to return, and what he hoped to achieve. It was all pretty vague and insipid. All that said, I genuinely hope it works out, and that he is a good fit. ETA - superficial point perhaps, but he was also wearing that hellish yellow and black training kit. Stick a suit on, FFS, Gus. Awful kit that.

I was driving to a meeting in Stirling on the morning of 19th September 2014, and I had to pull over at Buchlyvie as I was greetin' so hard, so no, not ridiculous. It just shows you were passionate about it. That passion can be harnessed again next time round and we'll be crying with joy. I guarantee it

Just watched his interview with Buddievision. Can't say I'm any clearer as to the nature of the role, to be honest. Anyway, good luck to him.

He was probably towing it

Cooke is 25, so not sure whether he qualifies for 'young' in football playing terms, but I tend to agree that loan deals would make sense.

Aye. There might be the odd gem ready to go out there, but they'll be few and far between. NBM might yet surprise us.