Marty

Fair play for taking the time to thank the folk that make things work on this board. I guess your situation gives you the kind of perspective that stops you taking things for granted. I hope that you find strenth and peace in the time ahead. I reckon there will be people that love you all around you who will not just give you strength but will take strength from the kind of guy you clearly are. I'll mind and raise a glass for you the next time we play Brazil in a finals.

I wouldn't wave a royal flag for a scots king, an english king or any king. It's 2015.

I'm not in favour of this idea (don't like waving royal flags of any kind - I think it makes us look subservient) but also not in favour of some of the hamish husband bashing that goes on. Never met him (well probably have umpteen times on drunken trips) but he comes across well. The spokesman thing seems to be driven more by the way the media works than anything.

The monarchists can fill their boots. I'll be waving the saltire. And just because it's a tradition doesn't make it right.

Fair play - that's a good sign..Mind you, we should have got a bonus point for having to sit through that one! Took me months of counselling fo get over it.

Fair enough but then I should definitely get a point for it. I shouldn't be denied tickets for future games because I travelled a long distance but harvesters meant that I couldn't get a ticket through the usual proccess.

I'm sincerely hoping they do have a plan - that's the point.

...just ask the georgian fa for more tickets. It won't be remotely close to selling out a big stadium. Get enough tickets to take it down to 0 pointers and then make a large number pick up and a large number email proof of travel. I had a kid two years ago so am only starting to travel again after some time off. On 2 points and back to attending every qualifiers. Was in the home end in dublin and looks like the same for georgia. I pay money to the ssc to allow me to buy tickets. Will be ridiculous if I can't get a ticket for the scotland end when it, and the whole stadium, is half empty. Please sort it out now SSC.

Class - in that case I won't feel guilty about the timing being brilliant for a holiday!

Malta away at the start of september is a bad move. Should still be high twenties in the evening. Should have learned lessons from the defeat in skopje and west ham struggled in the heat there the other night. Will be a cracking holiday and hopefully the gulf between us is big enough that, even if the timing works in their favour, we should still win easily.

I reckon there are three types of 'tartan army responses' 1. Boycott 2. Attend and protest/sing/wave a card 3. Attend and say nowt because 'sport has nothing so with politics' I'm in the first camp. Have no issues at all with those in the second. Utterly embarrased by those in the third. If sport has nothing to do with politics why do horrible regines use it for legitimacy - aparthied SA and many more. Oh and try telling families of dead migrant workers that their plight has nothing do with sport.

Re some earlier storeia - will be no trouble in Belfast. Usual hype. Republic fans and NI fans live and drink in different places and the city centre doesn't really get a lot of football fans on match day compared to other citiies. Both of them like us for different reasons. Most stupid scare story I read here a while back was to watch your sporrans because the Romanians would be out in force. Aye, because the Roma who have settled in the uk are the same folk that follow the national team, right enough!

Re some earlier storeia - will be no trouble in Belfast. Usual hype. Republic fans and NI fans live and drink in different places and the city centre doesn't really get a lot of football fans on match day compared to other citiies. Both of them like us for different reasons. Most stupid scare story I read here a while back was to watch your sporrans because the Romanians would be out in force. Aye, because the Roma who have settled in the uk are the same folk that follow the national team, right enough!

He's a legend. Was a wee bit disappointed with his response re the politics of the qatar game as he comes across as someone who cares about the common man. Difficult situation admittedly when the folk that hire you are in the wrong so won't hold it against him. I think it's the first time since walter smith that we have had a manager who is is a bigger character than the players. When he talks people listen. We should never appoint a levien or burley again. A big name brings some gravitas.

Come on lads. These tickets are DEFINITELY still on sale. Just need an Irish mate to text and get a code for you. I used facebook to put a message out and got four codes (now about to be all used up). Worth the effort to get more of our supporters in there.

I reckon we're still shy of an out and out goalscorer playing well at the highest level.

If folk are still looking try the bus. I got 7 of us booked on the friday for £8.50 single belfast to dublin. Same deal on the saturday morning and leaves every hour. Translink website - europa bus station (town centre and bus from ferry go straight there) to dublin busaras.

Reassuring that we're still there if we win in dublin but it just shows you the difference the opposition makes - massive boost to ranking position from beating ireland who are still ranked lower than us vs neglible impact from beating qatar. The key is the opportunity loss - the boost we could have had. The big travesty will be if we draw in a dublin - in that case it looks like a friendly home game v a very beatable team ranked lower (but not way way down like Qatar) would have made a difference. I guess this whole pots and ranking thing took the sfa by surprise. It's maybe a new thing. Also, it's not like they get paid to manage situations like this. They are doing it for the good of the game and out of the goodness of their own heart so we maybe should just back off a bit.

Agreed. I'm nearly sure one of them is busy enough anyway and has been posting a lot on this thread.

Firstly - we have been moving up the rankings, a win in dublin continues that trajectory and puts us on the edge of both pots. This makes the friendly important. Simple. Second - why are you going out of your to pretend that a home friendly v qatar is a good footballing decision. What's your motivation (I still think your on the wind up)? This is the weakest ranked team we have ever played at home through choice as prep for a big game - if it is such a good footballing decision then why have we never done it before? The 'crime' as you put it is that the decision has not been made for football reasons and there coukd be an impact on our workd cup wualification chances because of a very specific and questionsble agenda. I'm no expert but it doesn't take expert to see what's happening. If you want to defend that agenda it's up to you.

It's not rocket science mate. Any of the many many teams that wouldn't have harmed our chances for Ireland in June or Russia in 2016. Do you seriously think they chose qatar for footballing reasons? Seriously? I think you're on the wind up. Own up.

Can't believe folk are defending this game or pretending it was a choice of qatar or nothing. This game was arranged this year at a time when we knew the cost to the rankings. It is the wrong decision on so so many levels and reeks of hidden agendas taking the precedent over world cup qualification. I have been to 64 away games but only seen us in one world cup. There is nothing pathetic about folk like me being annoyed there are forces within working against us getting to another one.

Can't believe folk are defending this game or pretending it was a choice of qatar or nothing. This game was arranged this year at a time when we knew the cost to the rankings. It is the wrong decision on so so many levels and reeks of hidden agendas taking the precedent over world cup qualification. I have been to 64 away games but only seen us in one world cup. There is nothing pathetic about folk like me being annoyed there are forces within working against us getting to another one.

There is no way it was a case of Qatar or no friendly at all! We could have had our pick of a number of teams, got the prep required for Dublin, and without harming our current or future qualification chances. We have harmed our chances because there is an agenda that it is not focused on what's best for the team and for qualification.

Filling the place with our own support is crucial so SFA should do all they can to ensure it happens - I would avoid a public sale altogether. That said, fair play to any Poles who make it into the home end - we do it everywhere we go and should be gracious when others do it here.