GG Riva

That doesn't negate my post above. I can only surmise that Cathkin HS have been experiencing issues with behaviour/discipline and have decided to turn the clock back to a bygone era. The school may well meet stiff resistance to this move as a result and might have been better advised to go for the more casual uniform I described above.

Imagine being able to tell your grandkids you once played against George Best. 🙂

It's not necessarily "blazers and ties" though, pfl. Many schools are happy to accept a school jersey or sweatshirt, trousers/skirt and plain, black shoes. Pupils may also wear more practical coats or jackets which they remove in class, rather than a blazer. I think the dress code you allude to is more prevalent in fee paying schools.

That was also the case in the school I taught in, Oz, although strict enforcement lapsed under its penultimate Head. The new Head who came in last year has been far more strict and my daughter told me a number of parents were bumping their gums on Facebook because they had spent a small fortune on designer clothing and trainers and were now expected to shell out for school uniforms and shoes. Life's a b**ch, eh? 😀 If all pupils adhere to school uniform, staff can immediately spot anyone trespassing in the school or its grounds. It also cuts down on verbal bullying when some pupils dress in cheaper brands and are mocked by others with more expensive attire. I remember my son coming home as an 8 year old in 1989 and telling me that one of his classmates was wearing a pair of Reebok Pumps which cost £99. That was a fair bit of money back then - maybe a week's salary for me. I explained to him that it didn't make much sense to spend so much on shoes at his age as his feet were continually growing and would be too small in 3-6 months. I think he bought into that, but even if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been getting them anyway.

A bit too obvious, Digs. 🙄 I wonder if Raymie had Sean Strang in mind? He played as a striker in the Pars team that won the BP Youth Cup in 1988. That would make Sean around 52 now and certainly old enough to have a teenage son. He was a fine player at schoolboy level but didn't quite make it at senior level - sometimes you need a bit of luck.

Schools which enforce the wearing of school uniforms are generally more highly regarded and perceived to have less issues with poor behaviour. Of course there are plenty of other factors which will have an effect. https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/in-your-area/lanarkshire/lanarkshire-school-set-enforce-dress-27303627.amp "Many pupils have taken to wearing expensive sports clothing instead." "Some parents have questioned the timing of the decision, as it could mean them forking out for new uniforms during the cost of living crisis." Would that be the same parents who bought their kids the expensive sports clothing? 🤔

This article shows just how easy it is to ruin a once successful and thriving football club:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61425957

Yes, feet on the ground. Friendlies bear little resemblance to competitive football. Still, a win away against an opponent in a higher league, is not going to do the squad's confidence any harm....

I think the main purpose of these games is for the squad to get some game time under their belts and as such, the result is secondary to the performance. Still and all, winning games is a habit we lost some time ago. It would be nice to rediscover it - the sooner the better.

It's undeniably true that the vast majority of football fans have double standards - one yardstick for their own team and another for the opposition. Take something as simple as a debatable penalty award. If it's awarded to our own team, it's soft but we'll take it, if it's awarded to our opponents, hell hath no fury - especially if it effectively decides the result. Doesn't make it OK though, if the player who won it conned the ref.

Nothing superior about my knowledge, mate. My memory is decidedly patchy. I've just googled the Brew. He was born in Dec 66, joined the Pars in the summer of 2002 and left in Nov 2005. I returned from holiday in 2002 in time to watch the Pars annihilate Livi 2-1. I'm deadly serious. Livi scored in added time and Stevie Crawford missed a hat trick of sitters in the first half alone. Livi had qualified for Europe, if memory serves. I thought I was back in the 60s. 😃

I'm pretty sure he was 35, Digs. He was with us for 3 and a bit seasons, so he'd have been nearly 39 when he left us. He scored in his last game, a 4-1 win v Killie. Maybe you can tell he'd walk into my all time Pars XI? 🙂

We'll be aiming for automatic promotion alright, but I don't think you'll get anyone at the club to state as much. Why provide a stick for others to beat you with if you fail to meet your target? Look at how it worked out for Peter Grant. I'm fairly certain McPake will answer such questions on Wednesday along the lines of "We'll be aiming to win as many games as we can and finish as high as possible."

Dorrans is 35 and it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking he's done - I couldn't believe it when Jimmy Calderwood signed up a 35 year old for the Pars. Craig Brewster. He was class. A motivated, fully fit Dorrans can be a similar revelation in League 1.

I think Buffy may be able to ask a question on behalf of folk who can't be present, Grant. She's done that at previous meetings. Alternatively, you can PM me and I'll ask for you - if it's any good. 😃

It can only be a matter of time before the frequency is increased again. It was every 20 mins before the pandemic but now air travel is picking up again.

Your best bet is to take your car to Ferrytoll and park in the multi storey. It's only 20 mins to the airport (hourly) instead of faffing around West Fife.

I yearn for the time when the keeper had to keep his feet rooted to the goal line until the ball was kicked and the kicker was only permitted a straight run without all the faffing about. Simple and straightforward. The more the law makers tamper with the Laws of the Game, the more they screw it up. Just look at what they've done to the offside law and handball. 😨

It won't be the money that's turned Tam's heid - it'll be Croatia's truly stunning coastline and the equally beautiful Dolomites. He's from Lo'gelly though, so they might need an interpreter. 🙂

I thought I'd check out your claim, Keyser. In game penalties have a success rate of around 78%, so perhaps the hyperbole is justified. I couldn't find any stats for shoot out success other than that the team who goes first wins 60% of the time. You have to think the pressure in a shoot out is much greater, so I don't think goalkeepers should be allowed to behave in a completely unsporting manner.

It's more than "A wee bit silly", SP. It's a cynical strategy to increase the already considerable pressure on the kicker. I would like to see us go back to the keeper not being able to move before the ball is kicked.

This particular Italian has put the double disappointment of both Italy and Scotland failing to qualify behind him, in the knowledge that the Qatar WC is a good one to miss. Signed. A Fox

Whatever happened to the Corinthian ideal in sport? Maybe the player who missed the decisive kick should have run up and booted him in the baws. 😃

Just watched the highlights. The Aussies brought on their sub goalie for the penalty shoot out and he danced around on his goal line before every Peru pen, in a blatant attempt to put the kickers off. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61771218 The Aussies probably deserved to win, but how can that kind of gamesmanship be within the rules?

Potts will know what a good player he is - if he can stay clear of illness and injuries, it could be a great move for him. I can understand why the Pars didn't offer him a new contract - I hope we don't live to regret it.