aaid
-
Posts
13,230 -
Joined
-
Days Won
47
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Tartan Army Message Board News
Media Demo
Posts posted by aaid
-
-
36 minutes ago, N4Footsoldier said:
Unsure about times gone by but I'm convinced harvesting is pretty rife nowadays. When I started going away with zero points for a couple of big games you could basically ask around and pick up a spare within half an hour in the away end from someone who's mate couldn't make it. Unless games go to 100% pick up, everyone who wants a ticket generally will get their hands on one, usually in the away end.
Home games are a harvesters dream nowadays as you get points and can buy packages in bulk, as someone said before many people who go to all away games actually don't go to many home games, but they can still pick up the points at the point of purchase and sell on for face value later.
I know another guy who is on well over 20 points and has been to 2 away games in the last 18 months. There is also a weird secondary market for people who go to most away games but refuse to pay SSC for memberships and/or any other petty anti-SFA protocol that happens out there.
I can kind of respect the need people feel to harvest, as missing one game these days can mean hundreds if not thousands of people overtaking you on the ladder, which affects your ability to buy tickets later for smaller allocation if you are going to be borderline, especially if the 100% pick up trend continues under the new found popularity of the SSC memberships.
Just to be clear, I was talking about the period before the SSC started to give out points for home games. They were warned in advance that it would be impossible to police. In those days, I’d buy the full package of tickets in advance - with a discount - and because I live in the SE of England, I’d generally miss one or two games.
This is one of the reasons why I packed it in. The SSC went through a period of not really caring who got the tickets, I’ve no idea if that’s changed.
-
I wonder what Lisa Cameron has to say about the FCO closing down their office in East Kilbride?
-
Its actually even better than it appears to be and makes Cameron look even more stupid.
The meeting was set up with an FCO advisor acting as minder/grass.
The Turks changed the time at the last minute. The FCO lackey couldn't make it. Humza took the meeting without the FCO present.
So problem here is lack of available FCO "supervision". -
1 hour ago, wanderer said:
The opening ceremony, you do get a bit more for your money, as its more than just show up for kick off and then the game.... as there will probably be at least a hour of entertainment before that, where there will probably be some Popstar who has not had a hit since 2003 there to sing the tournament song, and then the opening ceremony itself (doubtful it will be anything like Paris though, which was something to behold when you were in the ground).
I wouldn't know as I only got in 5 minutes before kick off having been stuck outside for an hour in the most ridiculous queue you've ever seen
-
Waiting for the usual suspects to say that he’s talking to the wrong sort of world leaders and that Erdogan isn’t the hill I’d die on.
-
33 minutes ago, Scot1 said:
He couldn’t displace Tavenier because Gerard picked an experienced player, his captain over a talented youngster during campaigns when Celtic were going for 9 & 10 in a row.
I don’t think that being unable to shift Tavernier reflects on Patterson at all. At the point Patterson left he was all about potential, Tavernier was simply the better player at that point and arguably still is.
Tavernier didn’t look like he was going downhill any time soon and he’s - injury free - likely got another 3-4 left at Rangers. When they eventually have replace him, Rangers are going to have to find two players, a right back and someone to score 15-20 games a season - he’s a one off.
The deal made perfect sense to all parties.
-
People are forgetting that the opening game of the World Cup and European Championships is considered by FIFA and UEFA as a marquee game. I’ve never understood why that’s the case but it is. In this championships, the ticket prices are the same as the semi-finals.
It was exactly the same in France for the Brazil game. I can’t remember the price of my ticket but given it was behind the goal in the bottom tier I’m assuming it was one of the cheaper ones. I saw a friend of mine put his ticket up which was 500 FFR, or about £70 at current rates on exchange. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the most expensive ones. For some reason 1000 FFR rings a bell.
-
3 hours ago, Hertsscot said:
I'd just love it if some journalist interviewed the Tory MSPs (or even Labour or Lib Dem) who voted for it. I'd love to hear why they voted for it. I suspect no one will ask them. Far easier to continue to give the impression that it was just the SNP and Greens voting in favour of this legislation.
Did you watch the stage 3 debate? Jamie Greene spoke, quite movingly, and explained exactly why he would be voting for the bill.
-
2 hours ago, Texas Pete said:
Nowhere in the SSC membership T&Cs does it state that accruing more points will give you access to cheaper tickets. Sales always open to points brackets determined by how many tickets have been allocated.
This x 1000. That’s how it’s always worked, I’m amazed anyone would think it would be any different.
This whole elite thing is a load of bollocks anyway. It started as a wind up for the wanks who have zero self awareness.
I stopped going six years ago so I’ve no points. However before that for about 25 years I would probably have been in that category as in the years I didn’t go to every game I was missing one or two.
It started as a joke because, in the odd occasion when there was a big game was an oversubscribed - actually it was more in the build up to a game as funnily enough everybody who wanted a ticket got one, you see these sort of complaints.
”I’m a massive Scotland fan but <insert personal tale of woe> I haven’t been going as much, so I won’t get a ticket but these “jocky come latelys/points harvesters/middle class wanks/people who can fly to Japan” are stopping me from getting a ticket”
Points harvesters was the biggest myth going. In the 2000s and 2010s when Scotland were pish, absolutely rank, and couldn’t qualify for love nor money. What exactly were people actually buying tickets with no intention of going, what tickets did they think they’d be missing out on.When I was a regular ten pointer I used to think, all the people who are in the same boat as me are at this game as well, I can see them here.
This week I’ve seen it all playing out on Facebook. Guys you wouldn’t trust to cross the road by themselves complaining about the cost of tickets, flights, hotels, beer, food, trains, hookers, whatever. It’s the fucking European Championships in a foreign country. Of course it’s going to be more expensive than a game at Wembley and two games at Hampden.
-
6 minutes ago, phart said:
That isn't what we are saying that doesn't address the principle at all as presented in our posts.
It just shows that UK government are legally entitled to reach into Scottish politics and push the reset button and folk are happy for them to do so.
But surely thats a good thing as long as it’s only used to overturn things that I don’t agree with. I mean why bother with democracy when WM obviously know better.
-
50 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said:
We needed to beat Denmark to be seeded in the playoffs and the result in any competive match means something even if it is a dead rubber.
Even more applicable to comparison with the Women. One team in the final game with nothing to play for and the other with everything.
-
2 minutes ago, ceudmilefailte said:
We did beat Denmark as well.
But we'll done for standing up for the women's team.
Not sure why but we are in danger of getting left behind, although there is more money floating about now so hopefully we can get back on track.
Denmark who had already qualified and could not be knocked off top. A Scotland team that could do no better of worse than finish second. A effective friendly.
I think I’m very realistic with where both teams and managers are in term of their relative ranking, their strengths and weaknesses.
I actually think Clarke is a very good manager, I also think that his record over the last couple of years bears comparison with Losa’s. We’ll see how good Clarke is next year when he’s managing in League A, let’s see if he does better than Losa. We’ll see if he can perform miracles.
Let’s not forget that run of three defeats against England, Spain and France. Most people reasonably gave Clarke a free pass because they were playing against top teams.
The only way to get better is to play better teams and to realise what you need to do to counter them.
-
37 minutes ago, scotlad said:
Apart from Austria and Australia (in a friendly) I can't think of him achieving a victory against a team of note, and that's with much of the women's game still being part-time.
Apart from Spain, I can’t recall Steve Clarke achieving a victory against a team of note.
-
1 hour ago, Orraloon said:
£240 million (so far.....) and not a single passenger has gone to Rwanda, apart from Suella and some of her hangers on. And unfortunately she came back.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67656220
"But whataboottheferries"
Three Home Secretaries have gone to Rwanda but there’s been zero refugees.
-
1 hour ago, Hertsscot said:
I'm not disagreeing with any of that but it does seem strange that he's just got a contract extension when results haven't been great and performances have been very mixed.
Let’s have a look at those mixed results over the past two years - disclaimer, the world ranking is the current one, but hopefully you get the point. For comparison Scotland are ranked #23
Defeats.
oct 21, Sweden 0-2, #1
nov 21, Spain 8-0, #2
feb 22, Wales (PC) 3-1 #29
apr 22, Spain 0-2 #2
sep 22, Netherlands 1-2, #7
oct 22, Ireland 0-1 , #24
feb 23, Iceland (PC) 2-0, #14
sep 23, England, 2-1, #4
oct 23, Netherlands, 4-0, #7
oct 23, Netherlands 0-1, #7
nov 23, England, 0-6, #4
Thats 11 defeats, 8 of them against teams ranked 1, 2, 4 and 7 in the world.
There’s 13 wins and 4 draws on top of that.
Thats why he’s been given a new contract.
-
25 minutes ago, scotlad said:
Fair enough, but even women's football has its showpiece events now. I can just about see the sense in Olympic football if it was limited to U23s, like it is with the men, in order to give younger players a bit of experience in tournament football, but I still think football is out of place at the Olympics.
I agree with you about the draw, it looks as shady as hell.
The difference is, Clarke has demonstrably taken the men's team forward. Martinez Losa has taken on a women's side who were on the way down and has so far shown little sign of turning things around.
There's nae shame in finishing bottom of a group containing England and the Netherlands but to get scudded 6-0 at home on top of losing a play-off at home to an average Ireland team (as well as getting beat 8-0 by Spain in the qualifiers, although they're no bad side tbf) is terrible.
If he was coaching the men's team his job would be in jeopardy. Berti Vogts got us to a play-off, lost embarrassingly, then got sacked a year later.
These excessively high defeats occur from time to time in Women’s football, I’ve no idea why thats the case but it evidently does.
That said, you talking about scuddings from the team that won the World Cup six months ago and the team that they beat in the final.
-
24 minutes ago, Ally Bongo said:
The issue is that trust goes both ways
Do you think the current SSC trusts and respects their members ?
How many staff are there and what percentage of annual subscriptions are paying for wages and gratis travel ?
For example , when i had to pick up my ticket for the Nigeria friendly in London there were at least 5 SSC staffers in the booth - and as already said with the technology today all it would take is a man sitting behind a curtain smoking a fag pressing enter on a keyboard
I haven’t been an SSC member for 5 years. I pay no attention to the current set up or its relationships with fans groups as it’s of zero interest to me.
As you know though, I’m more than qualified to talk about what was going on 20 years ago.
-
32 minutes ago, PapofGlencoe said:
Relatively speaking yes..
They nearly went through!
I'd take being at a tournament over a six nil defeat at home anyday
So you’re judging him on one game. You’d have sacked Clarke after the Ukraine play loss?
-
1 minute ago, DoonTheSlope said:
I think he means ATAC
If he doesn’t know how he’s talking about, how does he know they’re up the SFA’s arse?
-
5 minutes ago, RDFH64 said:
But in those days they wouldn’t huv had all the technology making things easier for them, would’ve been far more manual inputting of details & less computerisation so far more time consuming.
And believe me, Marjory was absolutely useless at those things. I suspect there was very little computerised.
The difference was that Marjory was able to take a personal approach that made every member think that Marjory knew them. That was an accident, it was a mark of the woman but she also put a lot of work into it. For example, for every away game she had the list of all members who’d applied for tickets. She’d go through them and pick out those she didn’t know, eg., new members, get their membership cards out, print off the photo and then make a point - if she came across them - to have a chat introduce herself and to call you by your name. That drilled into you - in a nice way - that Auntie Marjory knew what you were doing and not to step out of line.
I met her several years after she’d left the SFA and she admitted that she couldn’t have done the job in the way she did with the levels of membership the SSC had.The point when this changed was when David Taylor came in and one of his ideas was to grow the STC into the SSC.
You just can’t have a boutique service for a mass membership organisation.
-
11 minutes ago, PapofGlencoe said:
Beaten by a fairly poor Ireland side after stuttering to the play off.Scotland qualified for the world cup years ago and gave a good account of themselves against top countries. They have undoubtedly not kicked on like other professional nations.
A good account of themselves?
played 3 lost 2 drawn 1. The draw being a snatched from the jaws of victory by conceding a 94th minute penalty. Bottom of the group.
-
4 hours ago, LoganRoy said:
Zero accountability. Plus the fact that TASA were so far up their arses they got a free pass whenever they should have been challenged.
Why should a children’s charity be holding anyone to account let alone the SFA?
-
17 hours ago, Ally Bongo said:
Nah - DTS is right
When Marjory Nimmo ran it literally by herself and a couple of staff there were zero problems
She would have done anything for you if she could
The SSC is now a million miles away from that and fuck all to do with the number of members
I’ll not have a bad word said about Marjory Nimmo but in her day the SSC was a tenth of what it is now and attendances at away games were generally in the hundreds rather than the thousands.
its a different beast now.
-
38 minutes ago, Hertsscot said:
He's certainly been unimpressive.
You really think so?
This was the inaugural Women’s Nations League. The seedings were carried out on the basis of team-coefficients.
Scotland had the lowest coefficient in League A, #16. In fact they were #17 and only got bumped up because Russia invaded Ukraine. A lot of that was down to Losa’s work over the previous year or so.
They were then drawn in a group with the #1, #6 and #10 seeds. The four teams relegated? The bottom teams.
Add to that he lost his best player to injury for the bulk of the campaign.If and when we get relegated from pot A in next year’s nations league should we sack him as well.
The reality is that Scotland - at men’s and women’s football - are not League A teams at the moment. They both look like they are heading that way but sacking either manager won’t help anything.
Start a thread called “Sack Pedro Martinez Losa” now and let’s see if you look as ridiculous as kumnio once the Euro qualifiers start next year.
The news thread
in Anything Goes - Other topics not covered elsewhere
Posted
I'm wondering whether this recent self funded puff piece points towards Mone and Barrowman knowing that criminal charges are pending and are trying to get out in front of them. Cant really think of any other reason.