GG Riva

Not quite, EET and I are taking our handbags to the back of the North Stand before the game on Sat to determine who the winner is. 😃

I wasn't suggesting that it always automatically does either, just that it makes it more likely, so we don't really have an argument, do we? 🤔 I'm intrigued by your teaser about your next guest on your podcast. If he's a former Par, then it has to be Pat Gardner or Ian Lister from 1968, or perhaps Jim McIntyre from the 2007 SC semi-final v Hibs? Of course he may be a former Par who was playing for another club at the time? I'll wait and see. Don't want to steal your thunder. 🙂 I enjoyed listening to Calum Morris. He's a good guy and didn't deserve the stick he got when he left for Ross Co just because someone else made up a story his wife would believe. I also believe he was being very kind to JJ when he said he didn't play in the play off final v Cowden because he'd done his hamstring....

I apologise for my use of the word "mental." It was not intended to offend anyone with mental health issues. I used it as a synonym for crazy or mad to mean unbelievable. If these words are just as bad, I apologise again. They were terms I grew up using when nobody was offended by them. Indeed, some lads took the term as a compliment, as it was used to describe someone who was courageous and fearless and maybe quite hard, too. I take your point about some fans taking the rivalry too far, but as I said further up, I'd much prefer to see us play 4 games v Falkirk than Cove or Hamilton, so We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.

Yes, I was saying tend to, as in usually, or at least more often than not. I wasn't suggesting that It's always the case. I believe you're one of the lads who interview some of our former players for the podcasts? Why don't you ask your next subject if he found that playing in front of a large crowd gave him an extra buzz and subsequently up his game? Come November, I'll have been following the Pars for 60 years. I've lost count of the number of great games I've seen at EEP with a large crowd backing the team. Sometimes, only days or a week later, we'd be playing a game against modest opponents in front of a small crowd and the players would be almost unrecognisable, playing well below their best.

You've lost me, buddy. Give me a game with a big crowd any day. Far more chance of being an enjoyable game. I'm not looking for an argument. If you think the size of the crowd is totally irrelevant, that's fine by me, but you're probably in a tiny minority. Why do you think the ratio of home wins to away wins is 3:2? Yes, there are other factors at play, but the (usually) greater no of home fans plays a significant role.

There's always an exception to every rule, but most of the time players will be buzzing with anticipation when they know they're going to be playing in front of a bigger than usual crowd. You're not going to argue that our players were far more up for the games v Falkirk than any others this season? Poor games will happen in the EPL because one or both teams adopt safety first tactics. Crowds are normally consistently good but will go flat if the game is dull.

I like the cut of your jib, Grant. There's a lot to be admired in your post - great attitude and crackling with positivity. But there's a slight flaw in your argument.... It's all based on logic and football isn't always logical. The team with the biggest budget doesn't always win the league, although I concede they'll normally always be there or thereabouts. You want to trade lots of potentially exciting games for an increased chance of going up? Very laudible, but a gamble all the same. Why not have a tilt at consecutive promotions in a tougher league, even if it's through the play offs? At least that would cut down on the number of games played in front of small crowds with little atmosphere. Such games tend to be poor because the players don't get the extra adrenalin rush which a big noisy crowd can generate.

I'll make a couple of points here, too. 1. How much someone earns is a totally irrelevant to this discussion. 2. Lineker was spot on with his tweet which was directed at the Home Secretary's use of language towards illegal immigrants. She described them as a "swarm" and an "invasion." Not exactly endearing terms. Dehumanising them and making them out to be criminals was a tactic used in pre-WW2 Germany....

Away allocation sold out. A fantastic effort. And to think that there are many Pars fans who don't want to see Falkirk promoted with us to the Championship this season. Mental. These are the kind of games which set the pulse racing. Perhaps they'd rather we played 4 games against Hamilton or Cove? 🤔

Ros Atkins puts across a well constructed argument. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64946486

Aye, Harry was maybe havering, EEP, but that's what he said. He might even have repeated that in one of these in-house interviews with former players. Aberdeen were a poor team back then, tbf. The previous season they won at Ibrox in the last game of the season, to narrowly avoid relegation. Rangers were top going into that last game, needing a point to be champions. Hearts, who were a point behind in second, failed to capitalise on Rangers slip, going down to Celtic at Tynecastle. I bet the Celtic fans were greeting all the way home. 😃

When smokers represented almost 40% of the population, the non smoking majority appeared to have no voice. You were not expected to protest if someone lit up next to you in the cinema, on a plane, or in a restaurant and you were ignored if you did. Speaking as a former smoker, I wasn't aware of just how obnoxious it was for non smokers to put up with. I would think nothing of lighting up in my car, as long as I opened the window for any passengers. I can't believe how crass I was back then - I quit almost 40 years ago. Of course, there were other smokers who were even more selfish and didn't care about the feelings of others. We'll after I stopped, I had relatives coming to my house and lighting up without even asking permission. I can't imagine such a scenario now - attitudes have changed completely and smokers now realise they're a small minority and can't do as they please. Perhaps those who vape mow are blissfully unaware that others don't like their candy floss fumes?

And by God, that's quite an achievement. 😃

Harry Melrose once told me that when the Pars first won the cup, in 1961, they drew the poorest team left in every round, right up to the final. No idea how accurate his opinion was, or whether he was deliberately playing down the Pars historic achievement.

Yea, I think that's correct, but there would have been a bigger overall pot if they'd drawn one of the Glasgow clubs. Their game with ICT will do well to half fill Hampden.

Do they no longer train at McKane Rugby ground pre-season until around the end of October?

Are they not training at Pitreavie? There's plenty of grass down there.

I feel confident that he will still be with us next season. There might even be a wee bonus for him and Dave Mackay if we are promoted.

Well said, Piracy. The BBC is a veritable bastion of impartiality and would never bow to pressure from any group of politicians. They should bring back the stocks in Trafalgar Square and put Lineker in them so that stout English yeomen could pelt his ugly pus with over ripe tomatoes (and maybe the odd spud.)

I don't know the stats for school kids, but I remember the BBC reporting that the number of female smokers ( 37%) had overtaken males. (36%) This was late 70s, I think. Outlawing smoking in enclosed public places was the single act which produced the biggest drop in smoking - last I checked it was 19% of the population -but I'm sure the regular price increases have contributed significantly. Some cigs now cost as much as £15 for 20. That's 75p per fag. 🥴

The club had to be seen to act. If the BoD sat on their hands, we might have seen a heavier sanction from the SFA, SPFL or even Police Scotland.

This phenomenon has belatedly made the national news tonight. While many are of the opinion that E cigs are less harmful than tobacco, it's disturbing to contemplate that kids who have never smoked tobacco are now choosing to vape. I'm reliably informed that the practice is rife in our secondary schools and has even been detected in some of our local West Fife primary schools. Two things I take issue with are that kids should not be able to get their hands on these products and that they should not be so flavoursome. I haven't tried vaping myself but I know people who do and they tell me the flavour is even better than the smell.

Are there a number of different MoMs? Like the different versions of World Boxing Champions?

Was it not Otoo who got MoM on Saturday?

Kane is really enjoying playing for the Pars, bro. If Rangers were to release him, he wouldn't need much convincing to sign for us. If they decide to keep him, they might extend his loan next season, if we're in the Championship, as he'd be playing at a higher level and continue his development. He said on a school visit that he was at Man City for 10 years. Very level headed lad for one so young. I think Rangers will keep him. As to the game, a great 2nd half performance and a massive result. McPake has made a habit of tweaking things at half-time which allows the team to dominate and run out deserved winners. I was glad to get to half-time at 0-0. We frequently gave away possession, thanks to Falkirk's high energy press, but for all their dominance they failed to capitalise.