CraigieBrown

Are there any of the Thai / Far East companies that produce replica fakes (such as DHGATE) with the correct strip design on sale yet? If you read the SSC email, you only get the discount with JD SPORTS if you install JD Sports APP not on the web-site. I ain't having a JD Sports APP so I'll get myself a fake one I think. Cannot stand JD Sports and the way access to official Scotland gear is so restricted and poorly managed. I'll get a £15 fake when it is available rather than £65.

Grand Place and Pitta Street surely...

Good news. Searching online does not reveal how many tickets each PDC HD TV subscriber can buy in the pre-sale period.... I assume 2 per membership??

I have been to several PDC Darts events such as Premier league (in Glasgow), etc. Have always only been able to get tickets for the arena upper levels which whilst being more affordable and you are in the venue which is OK but you are a fair distance from the action. I would always buy tickets if I could for the table seats on the lower section of any arena for the darts but every time I try, none are available, despite going online as soon as the tickets go on sale. I was told a while back that if you are a subscriber to PDC HD TV (at a cost of £50 / year), you can get to book tickets 2 days before the public sale. I dont mind doing that to be honest but dont want to do it if I will still be pissing into the wind for the tickets and only the 'special people' get them. Anyone got any advice??? p.s. It will take a lot to repeat those scenes with big John Henderson in Aberdeen against Michael van Gerwyn.

ODDSCHECKER: Now 4/6 ON for Steve Clarke, Derek McInnes 11/10. Moyes is next at 16.... others 25 to 30. It is 3 weeks to next game and no squad announced.... this is getting ridiculous! THE PROBLEM: In my opinion, it is the total tardiness and lack of information of the SFA camel coats. The criticism they have received from various football people and pundits in totally deserved. THEY ARE A LARGE PART OF THE PROBLEM. IMPORTANT DECISIONS BUT DISCONNECTED FROM THE REAL WORLD CAMEL COAT PRAWN CANAPE SCOFFING SILVER SPOON UP YER PRIVATE SCHOOL ARSE BRIGADE....

One thing is for absolute sure... information is scarce and the SFA are true to form very very very last minute.com. The SFA knobs need looked at very closely - it is less than a month to the next game.

Buying any tickets from the Belgium FA is a serious challenge (if you are not a Belgian resident and registered with the FA). There are so many rules and regs and you have to jump through hoops to attend a game sometimes. Scotland end only available for this one I suspect.

I logged in yesterday to check out what was there. My friends and family members were up to date although one person on there has been dead for 3 years now - SSC were informed twice on this some time ago and another 2 are no longer paid up SSC members one did not renew in 2018 and one did not renew in 2016 - I think). My points total was showing as 15... and I thought I would check it and by my calculations, I should be on 16... Various others in our group don't seem to have correct points totals (some are going to work it out but obviously cant as they cannot log in). I thought I would login with my new password this evening and send a polite mail to SSC with the list of points I should have.... and of course, login seems to be disabled or not working in any case. I wonder what sort of system performance we should expect when the season tickets go on sale on 5th February? Couldn't be any more screwed up and inconvenient than the last attempt at selling season tickets I guess. I hope SSC have realised that some people will be looking for 10, 15 or 20 season tickets as a group - that was a huge problem last time around. The only positive thing I can see is that SFA have adopted a less greedy approach to ticket pricing which means we will have 4 more season applications than we had last time... most of those not applying were due to overpricing. I do get the feeling that the super duper new points system was badly thought out and is going to become unmanageable quite quickly!!!

And one thing at least should be blatantly obvious to SSC is that they should learn from this is that they will have to start with Albania tickets soon so that everything can be in place before people travel... To not even have the Israel tickets available and in hand to post out and its only 8 days before the match is a ludicrous situation...

Lets hope they do get them sent out... I am not leaving until Wednesday so not worried but lots of others could get screwed around... However, if there is the total chaos of 100% Pick Up, I will be quite pissed off if the SSC start blaming other associations, etc. It cant always be someone elses fault or due to something else outside you control when virtually every single thing related to tickets takes place at the very very very last minute. Remember how Bertie Vogts who used the blame game approach for every match.

SFA / SSC use of technology has historically been a complete shambles and problems with almost everything they have ever tried to do. I did not expect this new system to be anything other than a complete cock up - as it has proved to be. The SSC told us that the ultra late membership info was so that they could test their systems and train people, etc to make sure it all went smoothly... what an unprofessional shambles it is!!! Could they perhaps employ a professional and competent company to manage their IT???

Why is it not possible for the SFA to make an online system easy to use. EVERY SINGLE thing they have ever done online has been crap and this latest thing is even crapper than things in the past. I have managed to renew my membership eventually but seriously struggling to renew my dads membership - he certainly wont manage it. I know know of 2 or 3 people that started trying to renew and then just gave up and said fuck them. Even once I renewed, comes up and tells me I have 9 points.... Erm I think that would be 18 if it is 2 points for an away game. They spent months working on this and the result is total incompetence. What a surprise. The SFA / SSC really need to waken up on so many fronts. Shambles.

Regardless of the result of the Tory snap election on 8th June, I will be very happy with a chant to the England fans on 10th June along the lines of YOU CAN STICK YER F'IN UNION UP YER A*SE. Or something to ask them if they can take Ruth Davidson back where she belongs?? There is room for developing a chant as well dedicated to Theresa May along the lines of the David Beckham chant that we had at the last England game at Hampden. Just slightly more difficult that Theresa May doesn't rhyme as well as Posh Spice???

Anyone know when the Canada tickets are likely to be sent out. I paid for ours a while ago. Just thought they would normally be sent out pronto when bought and paid for. Still feeling rather underwhelmed by the fixture but probably feel a bit differently after a couple of swallaes at the Hibs club before the game.

I'll be at the rest of the games - home and away mate. Have been supporting / attending for many many years to give up as easy as that even given the last series of manager flops from Bertie Vogts onwards. I would love Scotland to qualify and a reduction in faceless idiot trolls like you trolling round trying to take the rise out of people and start arguments.

Its all bollocksed and anyone that keeps a flame for possible second place needs to get a life. Humped in England I can accept - expected I guess. Humped in Slovakia like that shows WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO QUALIFY (although we did have a few chances). The draw against Lithuania was poor and we could have easy lost that one as well. Dont get your hopes up IMO another total flop and under a manager I thought would come good after some of the crud we have had to endure. I would love Darren Fletcher to end up taking us forward at some stage. With all his medical conditions and stuff his playing career is difficult and limited so why not use his experience to take Scotland to some great away wins and qualification. His heart is there.

I have an early flight from Luton coming up. Planning to stay near the airport. Anyone know if there are any reasonably priced or cheapo hotels within walking distance of the Wizz Air terminal??

You might struggle to get tickets to watch Anderlecht though. They have a system where you need to be an approved local to buy tickets. It is all to do with hooliganism - way over the top IMO. If you know someone in BXLs, ask them to buy you a ticket as you wont get one from them yourself without jumping through administrative hoops. Same story with FC Brussels although they will seldom sell out (even against Anderlecht). You would get in easy to watch Union Saint Gilleoise however (lower league) and meet the fans and the team in the bar after the game. Quite a few Scots follow Union by the way. That would be an adventure to the Brussels suburbs ;-).

I have to agree with the comment that Fermer is the biggest idiot or moron on this board at the moment. He's on the wind up, insulting everyone he can. Time for a ban methinks or relegation to pie and bovril or similar where kids can be kids and small minded idiots are allowed. Go away you total prat.

You can get noised up by Union Jack wearing poppy sellers telling you to pay a quid or couple of quid to their cause. Its the union (or the proven lack of distrust in) that is the problem. The union is bad for Scotland, especially right now. Westminster is shitting just shitting on Scotland and ignores its views. If you stand there with a union jack and ask me to buy your poppy, be prepared for a discussion regarding what sort of deluded nutcase you are. if you stand there with a sensible argument then I might discuss with you - but these are few and far between. I will until my death consider myself as Scottish and European but never ever British.

SFA/SSC marketing and distribution is so appalling that it is almost laughable. I used to buy Scotland tops for every campaign but decided in the end that if they cant sort themselves out efficiently that I will not be funding more SFA/SSC greed whenever possible. Not had a new Scotland shirt in 6 or 7 years now. Had one every year for 20+ years before that. The bugger is that half of them dont fit me any more ;-)

I was at Wembley 1999 when we humped them 1-0. My burd at the time was French and came to the game. We got to the the stairs (lots of them) at the twin towers in the Scotland section. Suddenly a group of maybe 200+ hoolies charged towards us. I told my lass to stand behind a policeman and asked him to keep her safe. He agreed so I just stood there and shouted "who are you" at the wonkers that were attacking us. I hope they sort it out more efficiently in November.

For the first time in much more than 10 years, I'm going to have to watch a Scotland match on TV!!! The Italy game in Malta is a step too far at the moment. Therefore TV rather than going to the match... but I dont find channels other than something called Premier Sports online which I have never heard of and unsure how much it would cost? Anyone know if any terrestrial or satellite channels have got this game which I can watch in a pub somewhere? I have managed to find rugby games for a pal of mine whose grandson plays at a high level on some odd channels in the past, including against some non crowd puller games with the poor Italian sides that compete in the PRO 12 and the ERC. Surely there must be some Italian channel that might show this game? At least I will be in Metz!!! Cheers Craigie (soon to be a 9 pointer)

Anyone based down London way of visiting London during the weekend of 14th May might be interested in attending this event - plauqe unveilling to commemorate the Walk For Wallace. This will take place at Saint Bartholomew the Great church by Smithfield market in London from 2pm on Satuday 14th May 2016. Many TA attended the original march in 2005 - a several will already be attaending this event. Theres a formal unveiling of the plaque followed an informal social function at a local pub (The Rising Sun). Full details below in this posting. All welcome, kilts welcome and feel free to pass details on to anyone you know that might be interested to come along on the day. Walk for Wallace 10 Year anniversary commemoration, 14th May 2016, Smithfield, London The Society of William Wallace (SOWW) will be unveiling a plaque to commemorate the Walk for Wallace undertaken by writer and historian the late David R. Ross (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_R._Ross) in 2005. Davie walked from Robroyston in Glasgow on the 3rd August, the day Wallace was captured, and arrived in London on the 22nd August which is the exact time Wallace arrived where his execution was to be the main attraction on the 23rd August at the St Bartholomew Fair at Smithfield Market in London. In 2005, more than 1500 Scots gathered at Westminster Hall in London and stood on the same ground Wallace would have in 1305 and then marched 6 miles through the centre of London along the route that Wallace would have been dragged along. The March arrived at St Bart’s church where David Ross made a speech and Clann a Drumma played some stirring music. St Bartholomew the Great church then hosted a funeral service (which had been denied to Wallace at the time of his execution). There were speeches by Dr Fiona Watson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiona_Watson_(historian)), Alex Salmond and David Ross spoke at the event which was very emotional with a Gaelic choir attending as well. Ronnie Brown of the Corries sang Flower of Scotland and Ted Christopher played the song he had written for the day “I’m Coming Home”. The commemoration and unveiling of a plaque commissioned by the SOWW will take place starting at 14h00 on Saturday 14th May 2016. There is an area at the church where the crowd can gather towards the back of the church and everyone will have a chance to view the plaque at the church once it is unveiled. The introduction and first speech will be made by Gary Stewart, Convenor of the Society of William Wallace a second speaker will be confirmed shortly and the unveiling of the plaque will be made by Mhairi Calvey (the actress and who played the young Murron in the film Braveheart – Mhairi attended the Walk for Wallace in 2005). Following the proceedings a piper will play the pipes and there will be an informal social function at the nearby Rising Sun public house. The Rising Sun pub (http://www.risingsunbarbican.co.uk/) is only a few metres from the rear entrance St Bartholomew the Great church and just a few metres away from Smithfield market and the Wallace plaque at the site of his murder in 1305. The function at the Rising Sun is an informal one – it is a typical London pub and will have the full menu available on the day (see the menu in the link for the pub). There is a separate dining area and the food is reasonably priced for Central London and the usual range of drinks including a choice of Real Ales (Timothy Taylor). It would be useful to have some idea of numbers attending this function in order that we can advise the landlord and ensure he can have sufficient staff on duty on the day to cope with the demand. Nearest underground transport would be Barbican tube (also St Pauls or Chancery Lane area in the general area). Farringdon railway station is also close by. The Society of William Wallace is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation dedicated to historical projects celebrating Wallace and other famous Scottish figures. Charity registration number SC045959.www.soww.scot. Twitter: @soww1297. Please feel free to share this information with any other Scottish organisations or clubs or London based clubs, organizations and individuals with Scottish interest. All welcome. Kilts welcome.

Bizzarely, the going rate on EBAY for a shirt seems to be about £12 plus postage costs. A kind of roundabout route for people who wont or cant wear the SFA cheap Chinese tat to reduce their membership fee slightly. Shame it comes to that and should not have been forced upon 30,000 SSC members in the first place and should never have been described as a "free gift". If they were going to force things on you then they should at least have supplied shirts that fit. I dont know anyone in our gang whose shirt fits them!!!!