flyingscot

I find the whole Armed forces day things a bit uncomfortable. The idea of deifying forces, calling them heros and giving unquestioning support. Seems a bit of a transatlantic import. I don't have anything against the forces, they do a job and take the orders they have to but to be honest, seems like an excuse to ignore the political mess these forces are involved in and the way they are poorly treated by the authorities.

Daft time to play a game. Players are worn out at end of our season, they've just played 3 games which were tough in US, Canada and Argentina. They lost all but Scottish based players as it is outside the IRB window. SA are in the middle of the season and just punched through a tired defence. We'd probably get beaten normally but it just led to a hiding

The UK has no border controls from Ireland as it's in a common travel area. If you drive from Belfast to Dublin or take a ferry to Ireland all you notice are the road signs changing to kilometers. I suspect most immigrants prefer to go to London due to it's large population of migrants, you just go to the part of London where your community resides and it's easier to settle in.

Using Hibs as a point to prove anything err interesting. Don't know how many times in the past few years I've been glad I'm not a Hibee!

This is a complete non-story and it is embarrassing that anybody, never mind a political campaign, would spin it. Like most businesses, Stagecoach lists a huge number of things in it's risks and uncertainties section. For example they have insurance claims, fuel prices, exchange rates and breaching rail franchise agreements in there which are more specific to Stagecoach. Also there are wider things like the next UK election, the referendum, terrorism and disease. Stagecoach aren't saying these things are going to happen, nor are they saying that these things are a positive/negative for the business. For example, a change in fuel prices could be a negative or a positive to their business. They are just highlighting potential changes, that in the main they have little control over, but could affect the company positively or negatively.

To be fair election posters should be banned from Lampposts and street furniture. To be honest it's probably run it's course. Definite need for more council housing these day though.

You have to think Ryanair are paying very little and the idea that they can bring more airlines to Prestwick and make money is fanciful. Why wouldn't they go to Glasgow or Edinburgh- most airlines have voted with their feet and ended up there anyway! The answer usually is because it is cheaper to use Prestwick's but then Prestwick can't cover its costs and makes a loss. I think a cargo hub / aerospace park is the way forward for Prestwick. Investing money in the rail station and in the terminal is a waste for me. Prestwick lost £9m last year. Highland and Island airports only lost £800K! I can understand the government keeping the latter going on social need but Prestwick seems a lost case.

I don't think anyone is saying lose the site, completely. I just don't think the passenger operations have any value. Any increase in passenger traffic is going to take business away from Glasgow as there isn't a big enough market for 2 airports and airlines have voted with their feet. It would be feasible to continue cargo, maintenance and a private aviation hub at Prestwick and forget about general passenger operations.

Prestwick is a strange one. Prestwick the airfield may have a future, Prestwick the airport probably doesn't. It's maintenance, cargo and other aviation businesses are the value arm of the business. It's passenger arm for a few Ryanair flights every 3 hours a day probably isn't. To invest sums of money to improve the passenger side seems a strange call- any airlines it attracts are flights that could easily be served via Glasgow. I suspect the government will eventually admit defeat and mothball the passenger side, but have to be seen politically to give it a go. The central belt has Glasgow and Edinburgh and both are better located to serve the majority of Scotland's population- people talk about Prestwick being fog-free and having rail links but these are side issues. Airlines have voted with their feet and whilst both Glasgow and Edinburgh are doing well Prestwick is racking up losses. Glasgow has plenty of additional capacity to cope and there are plans for an additional runway if needed 20+ years time. But who knows what technological advancements and things will happen between then and now. It's the same as Heathrow needing a 3rd runway- people point to other London airports but the airlines and the market wants Heathrow, hence why American Airlines just paid $30million for 1 landing and take-off slot! The idea of a hub airport in the centre of Scotland is often talked about, but doubt it is practical for a number of reasons. Edinburgh and Glasgow are both far enough away to serve their own markets and close enough that most people can get to both within 60mins.

I bought tickets to the final practice day and opening ceremony. I kind of fancy watching the actual days play on TV.

What losses have Motherwell made in recent years? Something like £750K in the red to get 2 second place finishes. Madness really. We've been in the SPL since 2006, and we're running largely break even. I can't say we've a First Division mentality, sure we've finished bottom 6, flirted with relegation a few seasons, but it's been a decent run in the top league, won the league cup and a decent ground and training set-up. Quite a lot of other clubs that have gone down in the time we've been there- Inverness, Hibs, Hearts, Dundee, Hamilton, Dunfermline, Falkirk. It's right to look at increasing our income so we can minimise the paper losses because of depreciation, but we can't simply grab every player going and losing money to chase a few decent results usually ends badly. 70% wages to turnover is the max we should run at.

Well until next week when Scottish Power/Gas/Water/BT decide to dig it up for laughs.

We were shite, but still won. Early days in the new regime.

Ach he'll have a nice Scotland cap no doubt in a few months to cheer him up...

Accies have signed a keeper. They also signed Dougie 'the relegater' Imrie. No wonder he didn't fit in at Saints- must of been shocked to stay up!

Chicken and Egg isn't it. Converting empty shops to give more people living in the area would give increased football, it wouldn't look as bad, give companies more confidence in opening up.

We do need shops, but there are plenty of empty units, and space to do that. With the best will in the world the west end won't ever all be filled although that old co-op really should have been made a Lidl etc.

Point 12, is spot on. It's what my Dad used to tell us all at length about. I do remember him saying that the Clydesdale was delighted when he left. It's a shameful bit of campaigning for both sides. The public are rapidly pissed off by that nonsense.

Perhaps because the management didn't want him that much? Perhaps Thistle were desperate for him to fill a real need in the team and we thought he wasn't worth the money and contract that he got from Partick and we could spend it better around the squad. It happens all the time, like Tesselaar when Killie gave him more than we would.

Settle down.

I know one of the supermarkets puts a 40p charge on deliveries to cover bags. My head says it's Sainsbury's but could be Tesco. I saw it mentioned as supermarkets collecting money to give to give profits to 'charity' which seems bollox. It's a tax, the government should man up and call it exactly that.

I doubt it's selling the club. It's probably more to do with the contracts and money on the table. If Thistle are willing to give a longer contract and more money then so be it. We defo need some positive signings soon.

I don't think Queens Park have used Lesser for years.

Exactly. It will be one of a number of options and the media just jump on the one that sounds best. SFA considering extending Hampden lease isn't exactly a headline grabber. Hampden is a poor ground by modern standards, however it was cheap. What was it £40million refurb- Ireland spent £400m on Landsdown Road, Wembley was £750million or something. I think it would be good to have a decent national stadium. I also wouldn't mind if the SFA and SRU decided that hosting matches in each others stadiums is a good thing occasionally. A trip to Edinburgh might be nice given the football clubs are languishing in the Championship!

Liam Craig is fine. You have to remember being a home player at Easter Road pretty much saps you of any confidence or talent you had. See David Wotherspoon who Hibs fans said was 'shite'.