SeeBass

I know we shouldn't really be complaining with what I'm about to tell you but is there too much added on time in football now? Tuesday night I had Burton Albion scoring in 90+7 to bring up my Both Teams To Score coupon, then Bristol Rovers netting in 90+8 to see my 2.5 Goals and Overs coupon up, and Panathinaikos smashing home a 90+9 penalty to bring up a FREE BET. All in all my profit on the evening was £933.88 but something about whole scenario does feel uncomfortable. I believe this is my second biggest payout in twenty-two years gambling.

It was started by a fluke. Doesn't count.

Not sure if any of you have found the Modus Super Series Darts. For those of you who don't know this concept spawned out of Covid-19 Lockdown. Modus since late 2020 have been giving ex-professional, semi-retired, amateur, youth, non tour card holder players, an opportunity to earn a decent living away from 'Top 128'. Started off online during that mad global health emergency as giving folk something to do then it evolved further when a custom built studio was made in Southampton and last year or so it has become even bigger after moving to a converted church in Portsmouth with a proper stage and everything. Six players play each other over three mornings Monday to Wednesday. Winner after fifteen games goes into weekly Finals night. Thursday and Friday afternoon three new players join 4th, 5th, 6th placed players from Monday to Wednesday group to play ten matches with first and second going into weekly Finals night. Another three players on top of the three new guys join 2nd and 3rd placed players from Monday to Wednesday group and play eight games each on Thursday and Friday evening with first, second, third, joining the three other qualifiers to make two round robin groups in weekly Finals night on Saturday. They'll be a semi-final and final after round robin stage to decide who wins weekly title and goes into Champions Week. All games are best of seven throughout whole week. Weekly winner takes away £5,000 and has the chance to win another £20,000 in Champions Week where they'll meet the other eleven weekly winners after they too have navigated the above format. Champions Week is same process as weekly qualification. Really has changed so many lives in darting world. Adam Warner qualified for main stage through ADC route. He was only playing for the University he attends against other Universities but won a weekly title and it has paid for him to go to PDC Q-School where he has earned a two year pro card. He is holding his own from what I can see on internet. Believe all accommodation cost is covered for the players so only expense those taking part have is their food and drink. Below is a Thursday and Friday evening Group photo with left to right: Mike Warburton, Mike Gillet, Darryl Pilgrim, Jon Worsley, Scott Taylor. I thought they looked like Ocean Colour Scene reformed! However what would you call them if they were a band?

21st of February 2008 an acquaintance locked me in his premises where he was a betting shop owner. Was just some dingy looking thing from the outside next to smallest pub I've ever seen down a side road leading into Duns. We were playing Bayern Munich in second leg of our Last 32 UEFA Cup tie in Munich where match was televised by Setanta Sports. He'd asked me where I was watching it but none of the pubs we can go locally had above channel. He said he'd close his shop for half five so I could sit in darkness and watch the 5.45pm kick-off from sitting on some really old gymnasium style wooden bench one had for punters to watch racing. Pushed front door keys through letterbox as he left me in peace and told us to lock up and bring him the keys back first thing in morning. So bizarre being locked in darkness with a TV supported by a triangle shaped wooded ledge in top corner of room being my only light. Couldn't lock up properly so had to call my friend Brian to help us do so. I really am starting to hate football generally speaking nowadays. I understand now why David Bentley walked away from the game. But at least the above experience will be worth remembering if nothing else despite the 5-1 thumping.

Thank God I don't waste £150-£200 on travel, overnight accommodation, food and drink anymore to come up for the Old Firm matches at Pittodrie. Given the continuous poor showings against the two Glasgow sides I can't justify the expense.

I honestly couldn't care less how much we might earn from this. Money has ruined football which is probably why I've lost a lot of love for the game. We're not in it to make big bucks we're in it to do as well as we can on the pitch. Our support and players need to give their heads a wobble. The amount of times I hear nicking a point on Sunday against Celtic will be a good result I could bang my head off a brick wall. Mentality throughout from all those connected with club is pretty depressing. We should be playing at weekend to win and to seek victory no matter the opposition on any given matchday even in Europe.

Pot One of Conference League is looking like murder of the highest order. Eintracht Frankfurt, Club Brugge, AZ Alkmaar, Gent, Dynamo Kiev, Fenerbache, Lille, Ferencvaros ARE NO MUGS!! If I had the chance to hand pick my opponents we'd be going for the following... Ajax, Olympiakos, Brighton & Hove Albion in Europa League. Dynamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel Aviv, BATE Borisov in Conference League.

Why did Michael Watt have such a long career with us? TLG, I agree. I think we could be visiting some crazier countries in Conference League Group Stage. I've always loved at how one week we found ourselves in Lapland official birthplace of Santa Claus and seven days later we were travelling along the Silk Road to Tbilisi. Our personal favourite European campaign in my lifetime though must be 2015. First going to Tetovo and then toppling HNK Rijeka on the beautiful Adriatic Coast before getting too close to the Chinese Border with a trip to Almaty!! Got three decent results at home against FK Shkendija, HNK Rijeka and Kairat Almaty. I think a lot of the support forget how good these sides were. Thought we did well to come from two nil down to HNK Rijeka at Pittodrie. I know we lost narrowly on aggregate to Kairat Almaty and failed to reach Play-Off Round and a tie with Bordeaux but going home on train the following day in light of the Kairat Almaty 1-1 draw we remember saying to myself: "I've really enjoyed those three home European games last month or so. Actually feels like we've had a Group Stage within a short qualifying period the opposition has been pretty challenging."

Are you lot forgetting that if it wasn't for my favourite ever Aberdeen player Brian Irvine scoring an 85th minute goal at Pittodrie in the second leg of UEFA Cup qualifying in 1996-97 season we might have gone out to our Lithuanian friends 27 years ago!! I was only 15 years old at time so missed game Live as had school in the Borders following midweek morning. Be nice to avenge that 3-1 loss. I once got told by a club official that the Lithuanian team were so convinced they were out after the first leg that they flew to London and got a bus up to Aberdeen from there to save some money.

I personally don't want BK Hacken, Breidablik or Qarabag as we've played all them fairly recently. Nor Dnipro despite them being under a new guise. I'm one for variety is the spice of life. I'd take the winner of Sheriff Tiraspol or BATE Borisov.

Must say if this is us losing Ylber Ramadani after just one season I'll never believe another player who says he loves the club and fans again. Loyalty in the game nowadays is practically nil. Do believe this sort of thing is a large part of why I've lost a lot of love for football last four or five years. Who else in our history has been a decent one season wonder?

Did I read somewhere that the other lad who was caught up in all of this has literally disappeared off the face of the Earth as instructed by his own father because of the shame he brought onto the family name?

Remember when I said Gareth Henderby a high school friend of mine has played a big part in the Right To Dream Academy for nearly 20 years? The partnership Dave Cormack talked about dipping into sooner rather than later? Here is Gareth winning his 7th Gothia Cup with the African based set-up. Why aren't we looking at some of this obvious talent more closely? https://www.facebook.com/691005847/videos/pcb.10159459512435848/760342925866498

I see some team in Glasgow has given him a chance. Really is a tricky situation to navigate in the current climate of cancel culture and the like. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66235991

Not sure if anybody will watch this but just noticed it'll be going out on Wednesday coming. What are people thinking? I've quite enjoyed some of Mr English and those he has on his podcast. Car crash TV potentially??

Am I right in saying we could get HJK Helsinki or Zalgiris Vilnius? I'd quite fancy another trip to Finland but we need revenge for that horrendous loss at Pittodrie in 1996 to Lithuanian lot. Remember listening to that match on the radio and being quite scared we'd blow a 4-1 away victory.

I think Patrik Myslovic has scored a last minute winner for MSK Zilina tonight. You know what is happening guys. We're getting them in Conference League Group Stage and he's coming back to haunt us at Pittodrie. Don't say we didn't warn you.

This is one of my favourite saves from Mr Lewis especially given if it had gone in we were struggling to make next round with so little time left in the tie. Personally speaking I don't think he was the same keeper or person after Derek McInnes and Tony Doc. left. Could see his confidence dropping off a cliff. Level of performance as a result went to pot too. Sad really as isn't exactly past it.

Duns did the treble last season. Very unlucky not to do the quadruple after losing a third Cup Final.

Little story about Coldstream's Scottish Cup run in 2000-01. They beat Glasgow University 5-2 (H) and Vale of Leithen 2-1 (A) in a replay (0-0 at Home Park) when preliminary rounds didn't have as many teams trying to make main draw. Got a bye into 2nd Round proper where they'd get winners of Brechin City and Forfar Athletic at Home Park. Lost to Brechin City 6-2 where ex-St.Johnstone striker Roddy Grant got two one in off his backside he knew nothing about. A driver instructor through the week Lee Bailey got the other four goals. Future Aberdeen goalkeeper Derek Soutar fumbled a shot while in the net for Glebe Park club and my childhood friend Steven Shennan grabbed himself a goal in National Cup from rebound. Brechin City then drew Rangers at Ibrox next round and lost 2-0. I can't imagine being at the Glasgow side's stadium and having to report on some of my high school friends and some of the older guys I'd really got close to over three years. However Dick Campbell Brechin City's manager at time was so impressed by Coldstream's hospitality throughout the day for such a small amateur outfit that he returned to Coldstream and gave Brechin's gate receipts for our tie against them (around £30,000) to Coldstream's chairman Gerald Tait because they'd earned a bigger pot being at Ibrox.

I as a hobby used to report on Coldstream East of Scotland Premier League side for The Berwickshire News. They played a friendly in 2002 against a Celtic XI and lost 6-0 at Home Park. Was doing some spring cleaning in flat earlier in week and came across the Celtic team sheet which was given to me! What did these guys go and do in the 21 years since? You'll know so many of them.

I've been losing a lot of love for Aberdeen and football generally speaking last four or five years and do think this distinct possibility of more clubs being owned by super rich Middle Eastern consortiums in future will possibly make me finally walk away from the game altogether. I'm a Manchester City fan from a distance since 1989 and even I are troubled that all their 'achievements' last 15 years might be tainted by these 115 charges. I still think back to what David Bentley said after he retired from football aged 27. "That football just wasn't what it was when I first fell in love with it as a kid which is why I need to move on and leave it behind." Maybe the ex-Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers player knew what was coming.

Just wanted to share this wee story from the weekend. THE OLD LADY WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!!! (Please share so we can maybe let below person know!) I write this post not to show off but to remind myself that one day somebody wished me well after one helped them out. Took a trip into Berwick-upon-Tweed Friday evening so could have a small flutter on the ITV Racing Sunday Series from Pontefract where they were showing whole seven race card. Put my money down then went to train station where the Pingo bus would be coming to take me home. While waiting for Pingo bus to arrive I got chatting to an older lady outside station front entrance who was shocked she'd have to pay £25 for a taxi to Chirnside. She'd spent about eight hours travelling up from Hampshire for a family wedding on Saturday. Her two sons were suppose to be picking her up at station as they were coming up in their car but there had been a couple of nasty accidents on motorway and they didn't know how long they'd be. I suggested we might be able to get her on my disabled bus pass on Pingo bus as it went past Chirnside on way to Duns as one could have 'a carer' with me. Said to her it would save her wasting money on a taxi especially if she didn't know how long her kids would be. Plus didn't want her being left on one's own as was getting dark soon. So many dodgy folk going around even in a place like Berwick-upon-Tweed I added. Understandably Pingo driver couldn't let her on bus using my disabled bus pass as she wasn't going to Duns with me plus they had only a record of me getting on at station. However if she paid a £4 fare to Chirnside he would let her on. This old lady was more than happy to pay that amount and so both of us sat down ready for bus to leave. She got on her phone to family in Chirnside to say some 'nice young chap' had helped her get a bus to Chirnside and to let her two sons know they were just to head for the house in Chirnside. We chatted about why I'd been in Berwick-upon-Tweed among other stuff on short journey together. She was told by the family member on phone to get off at Co-op stop. As she did one said the following: "Well son thank you for all your help. I hope you win loads of money on the horses." I replied; "I don't do it to make money. I just like a quiet and simple life and it just so happens that ITV are showing the whole card from Pontefract which means I can sit in peace in the privacy of my own home and watch it all unfold. I'm not that lucky anyhow." She then went: "Well don't matter if you're lucky or not you deserve to be rewarded for how you've helped me out. Best of luck and remember YOU WILL BE WINNING on Sunday evening." Well from six races I had a second 'One Evening' (17/2) and THREE WINNERS 'Blow Your Horn' (16/5)2FAV, 'Derry Lad' (14/1) and 'Shalaa Asker' (20/1) making Lee a nice £205 profit. Think I'll give it to The Margaret Kerr Unit that looked after my Mam in her final few days who passed away from primary Lung secondary Brain cancer April 10th 2013 55 days after diagnosis and edge me closer to that £10K target. To finish what I will say is we would like to think that whatever good you put out in the world does eventually work it way back to you as an individual. Maybe the luck earlier was a little slice of my payback. I'd like to think so anyhow.

Today is the 20 year anniversary since we lost one of my favourite Manchester City players Marc Vivien Foe after he collapsed on the field and died less than an hour later in a match between Cameroon and Colombia during Semi-Final of Confederations Cup. I wrote about the shock and sadness watching this tragedy unfold Live with my Mam in our book 'Hemiplegic Utopia'. Whenever one views below video it absolute GUTS ME each and every time.

I just wanted to make a point of acknowledging Josh's official retirement from playing aged 34 years old after winning the league with Dunbar United who play less than half an hour from me in Duns. The New Countess Park side announced on their Facebook page the following statement last night; https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=671901238283697&set=a.424787032995120 I will forever be grateful for his and Sone Aluko's goals as teenagers against Bayern Munich in UEFA Cup Last 32 First Leg tie at Pittodrie as that same morning I became a published short stories author when 'Hemiplegic Utopia' was released. We came up on train that Valentine's Day to celebrate our achievement but could never have envisaged drawing 2-2 with seventh richest club in the world at time. The fact he has hung up his boots so close to me makes one wonder whether my fifteen year journey with Josh was just meant to be. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=743291119454779