PapofGlencoe

Yes, I liked Sturgeon. I'd love to get inside her head on the decision to go to the SC and subsequent action. It seems Greens didn't even know she was doing it... says a lot for them apparently running everything... At the time I thought they had played a blinder as a defacto vote was the only way forward to anyone paying attention. The blind alley was the only route left, therefore knocking down the obstacles to a collision was the big heave needed to take it forward. But that needed more than just Nicola pushing it. She needed the entire Yes scotland gang onside to take that platform to the people. Instead we got Alba decrying it, Wings character assassinating, the greens unaware and SNP Members like Stewart McDonald and his acolytes publishing killer blows. Maybe she thought she could push it by herself but that was never going to happen. Marching us up the hill was fine but to then miss pulling the trigger when there...takes a three hundred year old movement backwards. It was selfish. I'm open to her own interpretation on this but really struggling with it. If she wasn't willing to go through with it, don't take your people there. She could have said, "I want us to concentrate on making independence the settled will. Once that has happened, the SNP will commence a defacto vote". Or she could have said, "EVERY SNP election from now on at Westminster is a decato vote on Union. If the people give us more than 50%, we expect this to be respected". She did neither and walked away. Independence will come again as an issue. It's too ingrained now not to. 10 years hence will be an interesting time.

It goes back to when Sturgeon intimated the Defacto vote. I was fully under the impression she had consulted (secretly) with the Greens, Alba, Socialists, Denis Canavan, Sheridan, a Right of centre Pro Yes coalition, Labour for Indy ...whoever and had a launch ready with a non-partisan Yes Scotland "Team Scotland" party as it was the best way to maximise and consolidate the vote. I was fully expecting a launch like the Yes Scotland launch at Edinburgh castle. Polling at the time did show a majority of votes for the SNP (briefly) but a Defacto vote needed a non-partisan position to get the higher numbers required. She clearly hadn't done any war-gaming before going to the Supreme Court. It beggars belief. Anyway, it's in the past now. If Labour can't win in these circumstances, or even only narrowly, it shows Scotland has changed.

Seem to have been taking lessons from the men's game v NI. Very slow paced. Almost like the ball is heavier than normal, does it have a lead weight in it!!? Need a rocket at half time. That said they'll probably still win as Slovakia are offering nothing.

I agree. They are going to get pelters come what may. There is only one route to independence at present, it's a defacto vote which Sturgeon put forward. It can only come via a majority vote by our people on a one word manifesto. Even then it's not necessarily going to change anything but it would take the movement forward in terms of international pressure and grievance. London could ignore us and get away with it, of course, but then we're in a different game to where we are now. If nothing else it strengthens the moral hand. The problem is Sturgeon took us to this point and then left under a cloud. She pushed the Supreme court angle and then didn't follow through. If you're going to push the boat out with a defacto vote, you'd rather do it the once and win than have it and get beat badly. If Yousaf thought he'd win a defacto vote, he'd call it tomorrow. That's what I mean by the SNP being weakened but also our own electorate are simply not champing at the bit for a referendum either. If Sturgeon leaving and police investigations hadn't happened, I think we'd have a chance but the events of last year have scuppered it. In the cold light of now, I'd say it's possibly better to wait until we have a better leader and win on a second wind. It does leave the SNP in a difficult spot though.

People don't believe the SNP are serious about independence and the SNP don't think The People are serious enough about independence to try their luck at forcing the issue. Bit of a rock and a hard place they are now in. Scots don't want to feel forced to vote SNP for independence forever so if Independence has been taken off the table by a weak SNP, enough voters will take the opportunity to give them a bloody nose, especially if they're deemed to have run out of steam as a government. The positive in all this is Scotland has changed and changed utterly since 2014. Even an unpopular SNP is still potentially the most popular party and independence is the dominating political issue. The likes of Kenny Farquarsson and other journalists who think Scots are really just Labour underneath are sorely disappointed. It's the other way round now. Much of the electorate are disappointed in the SNP but they don't fundamentally disagree with them or independence.

I must admit my first, gut reaction to all this was it's a load of baloney, although also thinking it's danger is being ratcheted up for ulterior motives by certain online toerags for particular reasons...ching ching.. However, apparently England have these non crime hate incidents as well and collect them. So, im not really sure what the law really does here? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-crime-hate-incidents-code-of-practice/non-crime-hate-incidents-code-of-practice-on-the-recording-and-retention-of-personal-data-accessible It all seems like a massive waste of energy for the legislators, the activists and the "concerned". We already surely have laws to stop people unreasonably berating and abusing people? I wonder if any of this would have been put forward for legislation if some people didn't seem to spend half their lives arguing with randoms on twitter.

Whole team seemed edgy for minute one, even the atmosphere was dreadful..but they gave us nothing to cheer about. Would go as far to say it's the worst performance I've seen given the talent we have. Far too passive, slow build up. We had all the ball and did nothing with it. Ironically defensively, where I've been more concerned, they mopped everything up bar the goal. Midfield to front was too slow. Just one to forget about and move on. Maybe a good thing to shake some life into them.

Very poor performance, as bad as I've ever seen us, but Clarke to be sacked is nonsense 🤣

Agree, even if he's brilliant in Serie A is that actually better than playing for Man U, Aston Villa captain and a great Brighton side? Who'd have thought someone like that legitimately cannot get into a Scotland team !😅 Could he not play Centre back!!

I think Clarke go with what he thinks is his tried and trusted, strongest team. If we hadn't shipped the goals late on in Holland, I think he'd experiment more. When we're 3 nil up at half time 😆.. i'd swap in Ferguson for Christie, Ralston for Patterson, Shankland for Dykes Gunn Patterson Hendry Cooper Tierney Robertson Gilmour Mctominator Christie McGinn Dykes We still have two more friendlies I suppose to gain confidence too. The only experimentation Id be tempted to do is if Tierney/Robertson get injured we're a shadow of the team without them. Not sure if there is an alternative for that situation.

I reckon package buyers will be making up the SFAs money up front, but £35 for a friendly on TV doesn't encourage the walk up fan, in my opinion Make it 20-25 and fill the ground. It's a midweek friendly. Generally the SFAs pricing has been better but I think theyve got this one wrong.

other countries would give their eye teeth to have a nationally known symbol like the kilt to wear international tourneys are about all that for me, camaraderie and different sights and sounds.. so i'll be wearing the kilt at least some of the time!👍

McFadden struggled for game time and was our best player a lot of the time. We've got good players now, it's competition for places rather than scrambling about looking for Warren Cummings and the like.

another thumbs up for The Granary being fine but it's probably not THAT close to Hampden Armstrongs Florida Park I can't see any issues with either of them either, other than being busy.

it was growing on me for 60 mins on Friday! A bit like the Salmon pink v Germany Now that they've said the pattern in Tartan it makes more sense but could they not have just made it more obviously tartan.. the yellow is a colour in the Rampant so it doesn't bother me but it could have been toned down a little bit. If we win games, it'll be a classic.

I just think we need a more physical centre half in the centre. I don't think Hendry or Porto are quite there, while good players. I'd have McKenna or Hanley in at centre and Tierney obviously at left cb. Right centre back could be one of a few. Anyway, will be interesting to see what we end up with. I trust Clarke to assess the players in training. I'm not hugely concerned about the rest of the team.

If Hanley's fit, he'll be straight in at CB. Astonished if not. Porteous and particularly Souttar give me the fear truth be told. Gunn Patterson Hendry Hanley Tierney Robertson Gilmour Mcginn Christie mctominay Shankland

Agree - I just want our strongest team playing and getting used to playing with each other at this point but I suppose he wants to see some players. The fact we still don't know our strongest back three is a concern. But I think Hanley being out has caused issues. We've been competitive in spells playing these top teams so we will have learned something. Playing Hungary and Switzerland should be more our level. Like turning the gears down to easy on the running machine, hopefully we're raring to go against that standard of team. I do think NI now needs to be a win, weirdly or confidence will take a dip.

A strange game as I think most level headed people would say. We more than matched Netherlands for most of the game. Could easily have won a match lost 4-0! A lot of positives a hope they manage to build on. Couple of things I learned Back three is not settled. We miss Hanley. Soutter missed his chance to shine. Don't rate him at this level. Definitely a worry if Hanley isn't fit for me which I never thought I'd say. Ferguson while a good player isn't better than the main guys and we shouldn't be experimenting at this stage. Shankland is an option despite the miss. Christie still has something to offer.

I see this Hate Crime bill, for all it's flaws, is the new Trans diversion... It does seem to be a load of baloney right enough judging by the BBC's report on it. A waste of time and hot air will be expended on a policy 99.9999% of people will never interact with. Those supposedly in favour of independence will talk about nothing else for another 6 months, job done. RE Humza I don't mind the guy and think he's trying his best. He does have a silver spoon feel about him but so do many. I think he is a decent cabinet member, not sure about leader but he's trying his best. He has had a few too many gaffes in office, lacks charisma and even I, who support him, first think "Useless". That's a moniker hard to shift. He's following in Salmond and Sturgeon's footsteps which was always a tough ask. Fire in the disunity, SNP corruption charges and the nonsense independence strategy left to him. I think Flynn would be a better overall leader, truth be told, but we are where we are. I also think Kate Forbes, while competent enough, would be monstered and ridiculed. He's holding the leadership at a difficult time. I think he's there to take the blame and then the SNP need to renew afterwards. Short game is looking bleak but there is life in the old dog yet, might need to wait a decade but they'll be back.

I just fail to understand how anybody could say "Trump is the lesser of two evils". That's what a black american guy on the BBC said yesterday when asked his view, in a documentary. It's like saying grass is purple or something. How do you engage with that?😄

I don't understand how Trump wins, surely the cities and moderate states that backed Biden last time aren't going to switch to the Donald? Incredible these are their choices. You would think Nikki Haley would have gathered more support in the republican primaries. Americans are a great but mad people.

Wings is now simply an anti-snp bore. There doesn't seem to be any other agenda but bashing them now the trans stuff, hpma aren't being pursued and oil jobs backed last week. Looks like the sort of article he used to debunk back in the good days.

The idea you should be expected to buy 5 games on the bounce doesn't sit right with me, I have to say. I think the points thing is a load of waffle, though Going to an away game should be more points than a home, there's more to it. I think the points system is generally quite fair, it's obviously never going to be perfect.

my reading was TYDR explained clearly she was quite happy for a point not to go to ticket purchaser if they don't attend, merely that they should be able to transfer the ticket. it sounds like it's a bit convoluted but doable for say a different kids pal/father/grandparent whatever will still be able to attend next to their group if invited last minute, all good. I tihnk there's a much larger proportion doing this than anything untoward. also i truly believe if someone really wanted to get 12 points they could, it's only now on this thread i've heard you could actually have enough points purely from home games. I think that's a fairly low bar in the grand scheme of things. I have to say 90% of cases where we've "transferred" the attendee has paid for their ticket. Not like people are going on a freebie, so not like you're greatly out of pocket.