Toby

I suspect you posted this around the time of yesterday's game in the hope that I'd barely notice it and you'd appear to have gotten the last word in, hence "won" this argument, but here we go. 1. I refer you to your post on 7th October on this very thread. You stated; These assertions are quite the opposite of a manager being prepared to give anyone a chance. You've actually gone as far as to suggest he's kept a player on in order to cover for his deliberate attempts to hound other players out of the club. While we're here, it's great to see you asking if Iain Wilson is an upgrade on Reece Lyon. That's worked out tremendously for you. 2. Yet, as he doesn't share what is said between himself and released players, you have used this to speculate as to how he has treated players as he isn't in the position to disclose those conversations. I didn't say that you said he should be sharing confidential information, but it's irresponsible at best, and vindictive at worst of you to throw allegations of mistreatment of players at him when he doesn't have a right to reply. 3. See my answer to (2). Imrie has to remain professional and can't bite back at unhappy released players. But you know that anyway. 4. Perhaps if you do agree, you'll understand that, having brought in far more quality in the middle of midfield in the form of Crawford, Wilson, Gillespie and Power, while Cammy Blues has kicked on, there is a reason that Reece Lyon, who appears to be the main character other than yourself in this wee soap opera, was deemed surplus to requirements. 5. The questions Imrie had to answer were to his employers, not to you or I. Not because he was neglecting the club's academy products, because it's part of his job role. However, you are intimating that Imrie has only recently started answering these questions. This isn't the case, as he has introduced academy graduates in the form of Davidson and Keay before in the midst this campaign of yours. 6. So, onto Davidson and Keay. Your response to this has really fucked me off. I pointed out that these players have been introduced from the bench and you're asking me to clarify how much gametime they've had because you lost interest for a while? This is information that is quite readily available, do you think I'm just making things up? Ignorance is not an excuse for you to throw the onus of proof onto myself. I will, however indulge you against my better judgement. Davidson came on against Elgin on 9th September as an 80th minute substitute. Keay was introduced six minutes later. In the next round against Kelty on October 14th, Keay came on as a 75th minute substitute. O'Boy came on as a 76th minute substitute against Bo'ness on 25th November, scoring in the 89th minute. He also came on as an 83rd minute substitute against Ayr on Tuesday. So far as I can see, Davidson has been an unused substitute on five occasions, Keay four times and O'Boy five times, including yesterday. Young goalkeeper Sam Murdoch has made the bench four times. I suspect you'll argue that being an unused substitute doesn't constitute being given an opportunity- I would disagree, and see it as a positive that these young guys are involved in the first team squad.

Didn’t have much time to do anything other than pepper DreamOakTree with red dots for his nonsense yesterday, but it looks like everyone else has covered any questions I may have had doubts over. There are a few things that just don’t add up. Imrie stated himself in July as he gave Brandon Diau a trial that, given his own career path, he’s prepared to give anyone who shows a willingness a chance, and if they’re not good enough, then that’s unfortunate and they move on. That just doesn’t align with the persona that DreamOakTree’s painting of him before his supposed change in policy. There’s also the confidentiality issue. If I were released from employment in any industry, I’d expect a meeting to be held in confidence and if details were to be shared by anyone it would be myself. Surely that’s standard practice? We, as fans may have an interest in why player X has been released, but ultimately it’s between him and the club, or at most shared with his parents and agent. In Reece Lyon’s case, he still had a year of his contract remaining. In what parallel universe do you release someone from a contract, agree compensation and arrange alternative temporary and then permanent employment without explaining the reasons to move them on? It just doesn’t happen. Contrary to what I see are DOT’s complaints (I could be wrong, there’s a lot of shite to delve through), the club’s policy on confidentiality regarding released players is entirely correct- it’s none of our business, and if a player wishes to complain to the press about it, that’s their choice, but being a product of the youth system gives nobody a divine right to play for Morton for any extended period. If they don’t progress as everyone had hoped, that’s a shame, but football’s a cut throat industry. Finally, while Imrie’s the first team manager, he’s got his own bosses. I don’t imagine Morton want to be seen as anything other than responsible employers who look after their staff, in all departments. If Imrie had treated young players in a way that is being implied, surely he would have questions to answer? The guy’s not untouchable, as was emphasised a few weeks ago when some (DOT in particular) were absolutely out of order in their treatment of the manager. I’m sure he’ll skirt round the subject like he did with the introduction of Davidson and Keay, but eating a bit of humble pie and accepting he’s been in the wrong from day one here would be a far better course of action than continuing to dig.

*Partick

The most recent daft rumour I heard was that they were lobbying Edinburgh City Council to boot Tynecastle out of Meggetland so they could move in, and swap homes. With Meadowbank Stadium being beside Easter Road, and Tynecastle’s locale being pretty self-explanatory, it strikes me as another Broomhill case of a club with no roots just wanting to flit about and aimlessly and get lucky. If true, and they’re happy enough to see a non-league club uprooted from their catchment area for their gain, they deserve what they get. They’ll not be long to this world.

There was a rumour that had Spartans failed to win promotion last season they’d have bought over Edinburgh City’s league place (this was mooted on The Terrace podcast a few months ago), so I suspect the writing’s been on the wall for a wee while. I visited for their last game of the season, firstly to complete the 42, and secondly to get myself out the house after our game at Cove the previous night- it was a grim place, and I can’t pretend I didn’t think then, when there were no rumours of impending doom, how on Earth they made ends meet. They must have easily the smallest support in the top four tiers, with a massive neighbour on their doorstep, presumably large rental costs and no real home to call their own. You might be right about them making it to the end of the season, but I don’t see them surviving far beyond that.

Signs for Stenhousemuir. I wonder what the chances are of Edinburgh City failing to complete their fixtures this season? My Twitter feed seems to be full of lower league clubs signing up all their players. Would be just typical if their demise was to save Clyde from the Lowland League, but on a positive note, Hamilton dropped points to them earlier in the season, so if results were annulled, it could rein in Falkirk.

Guess what colour of dot this post is getting?

Good to see he’s got a Dundee United fan absolutely rattled on Twitter, too. What a couple of weeks he’s had!

The absolute fucking nick of this… https://x.com/partickthistle/status/1730527162468327803?s=46&t=mPi-CBP2m1lKxRNMQCkJuA

Given that Wilson was allowed to play against Bo’ness though, I doubt Queen of the South have any plans to recall him.

Aye, I hate it when clubs slightly higher up the food chain expect to roll us over. We’ll rightly be going in as favourites, but a team at the arse end of the Championship has no right to expect to bludgeon their way past one of League One’s better teams.

Full time, Luncarty 0-1 Bo’ness United. Went to the game to get another ground ticked off, and because we had a vested interest. I wasn’t impressed with either, although Bo’ness’s extra quality showed in the end. Bo’ness started well and could have been about 3 up after half an hour or so but gradually Luncarty grew into the game and gave as good as they got for most of the latter period of the first half and long spells of the second half, before Bo’ness finally got their goal with about 15 minutes to go. A minute later, Luncarty got a player sent off for denying a goal scoring opportunity after being caught on the half way line and the game was gone. In spite of our troubles, we should be taking care of them with minimum fuss.

A point of note ahead of tonight’s game- I hope we’ve denied Clyde permission to include Alex King in their squad.

I saw both Bo’ness and Luncarty last season. Obviously things will have moved on but Luncarty were a horrible mob. It was last Christmas I saw Bo’ness beat Cowdenbeath 3-1 which was great because, Cowdenbeath. It was courtesy of a hat trick from a boy that’s since moved onto Tranent though, but they’re currently sitting 5th in the Lowland League and I expect them to get through the tie with a bit to spare. Later on in the season I saw Luncarty lose 4-3 at Newtongrange Star and they made Airdrie c.1991 look like a Sunday School picnic. How the Raith fans would put up with playing a team like that after their whining about us earlier in the season would be worth seeing. As well as kicking Newtongrange about the Park, their intimidation of the referee (who only had officials from each club as his assistants was quite a throwback. Not often I take something so memorable from a game that I’m not too concerned about the result of, but whenever I see Luncarty’s name mentioned, my immediate thought is “gang. Apparently if we’d got Luncarty away it would have been moved to St. Johnstone (citation needed) which would have been proper shite, so maybe a good thing it’s at home, although Newton Park for Bo’ness would have been great. Very much a hills-have-eyes sort of a town.

Bo'ness or Luncarty at home. Straight forward, pity it's at Cappielow though.

It's that time of year when Morton's interest in the greatest competition in sport begins, with the draw for the third round of the tournament taking place at 7.30pm on the Scottish cup's YouTube channel. We join the other nine Championship clubs and the ten League One clubs as third round entrants, with the following clubs from below still involved: SPFL League Two Bonnyrigg Rose, Dumbarton, Forfar Athletic, Peterhead, Stranraer, The Spartans Highland League Brora Rangers, Buckie Thistle, Formartine United Lowland League Albion Rovers, Broomhill, Cowdenbeath, Tranent East of Scotland Premier Division Broxburn Athletic, Dunbar United, Jeanfield Swifts West of Scotland Premier Division Cumnock Juniors, Pollok Incomplete ties Luncarty (EOS Prem) v Bo'ness United (LL) Postponed from yesterday, to be played on 4/11/23 Musselburgh Athletic (EOS Prem) v Clyde (L2) BBC Scotland Channel, to be played tomorrow. I would doubt I'm in the minority when I say an away trip to an unfamiliar venue would be nice. Nobody in the Championship or League One for me. I know some won't have been to Edinburgh City, but it's really shite. Of the SPFL clubs, only Bonnyrigg away is enticing IMHO. I've visited before but would quite like to see Morton there. Any of the Highland League clubs would be acceptable, although personally I'd prefer Formartine, having visited the other two. Pity the dream of Wick Academy will have to wait another year. Only Tranent appeals in the Lowland, with two ex-league clubs and a circus act playing out of Dumbarton still involved. Foresters Park is a nice, well kept wee ground which is well worth a visit. Bo’ness, who should get past Luncarty could be quite tasty though- a strange wee town with a support that might not be the most welcoming, and a ground that could provide a decent atmosphere for a game against a club like ourselves. Anything in the East of Scotland League would be fine, Broxburn's quite an open ground which would have no capacity issues, and I really fancy visiting Musselburgh, should they take care of Clyde. No idea of what Jeanfield (from Perth), Luncarty or Dunbar are like to visit. Cumnock would be a good awayday- similar standard to Beith, but a much better ground, although an artificial pitch. Pollok would have capacity issues for a visit from Morton. Anyone else got any preferences? No doubt having looked at these mouth watering possibilities we'll end up with Raith or Dumbarton away.

Brian McLean emptied by Lowland League-bound nomads, “Clyde”.

There’s probably more chance that it’s a fuck up on behalf of whatever marketing agency the club have commissioned to design the anniversary badge/range of products. It could be argued the club should have audited it, but have acted in good faith and are now facing fans’ criticism as a result of someone else’s failings.

Aye, but when someone’s the first to spot something they have to make it known how clever they are. I’ll be like a kid in a sweetie shop. I’m a total mug for a pin badge so I’ll be getting them, and no reason not to get a couple of new key rings a tankard and a whiskey glass, even though I don’t drink spirits. I’m going over to Seville for the game next week so the shorts should hopefully do a sufficient job of pissing off the “no club colours on tour” element of the Scotland support.

The smarmy tone of the guy who pulled it up on Twitter’s annoying me far more.

Would you not have to go to games to boo?

There were a lot of old men shouting at clouds, as is often the case at such meetings. One guy making a fuss about why the club board and the MCT board don’t include the same people and another bizarrely accusing the club board of lacking ambition to get promoted because the manager chooses to pick Kirk Broadfoot every week. All four candidates were elected onto the MCT board and Sam Robinson stood down, but will remain on the club board. A lot of the business was box ticking, such as correcting the wording of some of the constitution to align with how the world works nowadays when discussing gender etc. and Sam made the point that operations behind the scenes are a major focus, with someone at Alloa previously telling them that they saw Morton as a full time club with a part time infrastructure, the opposite of themselves. A point of note was that football wages account for 70% of turnover, which I would say isn’t too bad for a club of our size- I could be wrong. I asked about the land that’s been excavated between the ground and the Norseman, and it’s very much a case of watch this space in regards to a community hub, but don’t expect anything too soon, and they might initially use shipping containers before something more permanent to test the water on the appetite for such a facility. Gordon confirmed that there had been no contact at all from Inverness re: Dougie, and told us of some very nice news the club received yesterday. I’ll leave that to the club to announce rather than blabbing on here, as it’s something to make a song and dance about.

I wouldn’t say Ferguson quite fits into the bracket of an Alex Rae or a Bomber Brown, tbh. Of course he had a spell at Rangers, but it was a fairly brief, unhappy one, for a number of circumstances before he found a club that he was lauded at in Everton. It’s going to be an absolutely box office appointment one way or the other though, he’ll provide no shortage of entertainment. First off the bat, I’ll be watching with interest to see if Daft Raymond will shamelessly try to slither out of Forfar to take the assistant’s role.

Billy Dodds emptied by Inverness.

I’d see Stuart Gray’s in a bad way. Best wishes to him of course, but I can’t mention him without bringing up that goal against Partick in 1997. Quite magnificent. https://x.com/pauljohndykes/status/1701945271964303511?s=46&t=mPi-CBP2m1lKxRNMQCkJuA