boboisared

What have Vernon and Folly done that McArdle, Magennis and so on haven't.  I think Folly has seriously regressed as the team has, I seriously can't think of a game he has taken by the scruff of the neck in a long time.  Vernon has been left massively isolated of late and has shown he can score, but is far from proving consistency in his performances.

 

Thing that confuses me is if you are basing this on talent, performance or attitude.  I can't see any great pattern to your selection...

I admittedly haven't seen much of the team this season but I haven't shyed from that.

I've never seen McArdle at full back but all I heard (LS aside) was that he struggled. It also pulls the team out of shape. I've seen him in the middle and didn't find him particularly better than what we have.

Vernon looks like he can take his chances as long as he's being provided with them.

Hartley has the right attitude and drive to help the younger players, although the legs are going.

Folly is the player I've seen most fans raving about although recently everyone has come in for stick. I haven't seen much of him admittedly. By your admission though it seems when we were doing well he was doing well too. A hard working water carrier isn't going to look great when we're struggling.

Magennis just looks awkward and doesn't have a football brain. Will run and run and run and put himself about but that seems about it.

The young players can all play football and still have plenty potential to fill. Robertson has looked the worst but I'm told he's naturally a left midfielder. It also can't help playing in such a poor defence with no left wingers tracking back.

I momentarily had (1) next to my 'My Messages' icon at the top of the page. Clicked on it and it took me to my messages where there were no new messages.

Baffled.

I had indeed, apologies.

 

I disagree however, in that next season I would still be happy to have him around - there are numerous inferior players who need replaced first. That isn't to say that I wouldn't take a fee for him though. He at least is a sellable asset, unlike the majority of the players on our books.

I posted in another thread that the only players I'd personally want to keep are Fyvie, Pawlett, Hartley, Folly, Vernon, Jack and Robertson.

The rest can fuck off as far as I'm concerned.

I know this won't be the case though.

How does it know I'm wanking though?

You're using the internet aren't you?

I'm quadriplegic and post through thought control. No wanking for me. 

Ok, scratch that.

 

What's the difference between blue blocks and yellow blocks apart from the colour?The numbers people have seem to vary.

 

THIS IS IMPORTANT

It's a 'good guy', 'wank' system.

The good guys are yellow.

'Shit' he may be, but I am convinced that having him at right-back instead of Ifil et al would have saved us a considerable amount of goals this season. He's a player worth having.

You obviously skimmed past the part where I said we could have done with him this season.

Next season no.

Foster is a hun supporter. He'll definitely want to stay there. Aside from being a hun he's generally known to be quite smart. He's not going to burn his bridges.

The only issue I have with him playing for us if the fact he's shit. True we could have done with him this season but I'd rather have McNamee (and if possible to sign him) Davidson every single day of the week.

I like what Brown said also.

Players I would be unhappy to see leave - Fyvie, Pawlett, Hartley, Folly, Vernon, Jack, Robertson and Derek Young (low wage 100% player who is a good squad player).

The rest I wouldn't care to see go, hell I'd give some of them a piggy back down the road.

Aye, Milne is obviously after the site, in Linksfield, for high priced flats that he can sell on at huge profits to the high earners. 

No bobo it's me aswell.

 

He's fucking tragic and a few half decent games will never change that.

If we can con the huns into giving u some money for him then all the better.

This.

Ah the aimless Ricky Foster pun forward, generally in the direction of the opposition 18 yard box. Never tire of that. 

But he marked Thomas Buffel out of a game once. And ran faster than Ivan Sproule!

It's surely nae just you, me and RTYD that remember him being a really bad footballer?

He was outclassed by Steve Tosh in pre season for fucks sake.

For the love of fuck gentleman.

We're short on full backs, I know that but bar very fleeting spells Ricky Foster has been a tragic player for us. He can't pick out a ten yard pass and has no football brain.

He's scored the occasional screamer but let's not remember his technique when he took the penalty against Dunfermline.

He can run fast and follow a player but that's the extent of his ability.

Everyone can have brilliant one off games here and there. I saw two minutes of that Rangers v Caley game the other day and it involved Foster attempting a long ball and firing it straight to the feetof the Caley player about twenty yards in front of him who then proceeded to take him on. Foster managed to catch him as it was just in to the Caley half but if that was near his own area he was fucked.

He's maybe occasionally been rolled around in glitter but a turd is still a turd.

There's no doubt about him being a cunt bobo, regardless of what he said. An old, hypocritical, masonic, hun cunt of a cunt.

 

See his shite about "the SPL can't extend the season coz they didn't extend for us in 2008". Except they fucking did you old cunt, how often are the final league games played on a Thursday night? They just wouldn't extend it on your instruction, you FUCKING HUN CUNT.

I especially hate all his "it's an uneven playing ground" talk about Europe.

The play off for the championship was always ridiculous. As has been stated, why would you bother with the rigmarole of a league season if fourth place could win the title?

Walter Smith said this then went on to say he thinks it would be a great idea for the 3rd place Euro spot between 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th.

If he wasn't being sarcastic he's a total cunt.

I'm sure there are many things that can be done to improve the product on the field. Likewise there are many incentives that can be used off field to attract customers to purchase the product. Again they would all have to be looked at in the context of costs versus income but your suggestions make a lot of sense.

 

I can never understand why we don't just give tickets away to kids on a regular basis, the seats are empty otherwise. Easyjet built a successful model around the premise that you might as well sell the seat for 1p if its going to leave empty. At least then it gets people used to the idea that flying is the norm. Now they can charge £30 and people have become used to using their product so they pay it.

 

The season ticket one is interesting, did the club not make a real mess of the student concession or did I pick that up wrongly. It would potentially attract interest but not sure it would drive significant numbers. Season tickets in general are a difficult issue for clubs as they are committed income which is very valuable but they also make it very difficult for the club to run any promotions without upsetting those who have made that up front commitment.

 

One thing for sure is that Aberdeen FC are going to have to get very innovative in the coming seasons. They can't rely on the authorities to deliver a more viable product on the field through restructuring as it will serve a different agenda. As I've said already, the quality of the football is not the key decision making criteria. Its just about business survival.

The Easyjet similiarity you've made is exactly what I'm talking about, but over a longer period. If you get the kids along and they enjoy it (some won't) then there is always the chance the weeks their school isn't selected for the free ticket scheme they may still ask a parent to take them. If you get them hooked at a young enough age then they're an addict for life. We're just as bad for your heart rate as crack too.

I have no idea what the current scooby is with the season ticket as I play football on a Saturday so have never needed to look in to getting one. It's perhaps the fact that I'm the type of person who believes your season ticket should get you your chosen seat and a priority ticket for cup matches and that's it. Some agree and some don't. My feelings would be the same if I was a season ticket owner though, as I have been previously.

Although some won't admit it I think a lot of people staying away from the game is cost factor. I understand it's hard for the club to lower the prices as although there'd be a bigger gate there would be a loss of income so that's a hard nut to crack. It's a definite catch 22 situation but something needs to be done.

The Utd game for a fiver if you purchase the Motherwell ticket was a good start. Or was it the other way round?!

For the record, in footballing terms I am in favour of a 16 team league not a 10 team league.

 

The problem here is that clubs have to balance up the risks associated with any decision. The risk you have highlighted that the product becomes more stagnant and therefor less desirable is a significant one. That said, it's a risk that may not come to fruition, it's speculative and however likely it might be its not guaranteed.

 

However, to take a decision that effectively writes off the income for 2 full home games, as well as 2 home game against the OF has an immediate and guaranteed impact on revenue. This, in a climate of austerity and already reducing income streams is just too difficult a decision to make for any business.

 

Personally, I would rather see the game invest in a more compelling and balanced product. To 'take the pain' as Bobo suggests for the benefit of the future. I would love to see a fundamental reshape of Scottish football so that those two disgusting and vile organisations that drag the game through the mire while bleeding it dry of all resource are forced to play on a level playing field. Unfortunately, it just isn't going to happen as long as the people who are trying to make economic sense of a business model are the decision makers. It just doesn't work I'm afraid.

I appreciate this post Ajja.

I certainly don't disagree with what you have said here.

I was only giving my opinion on what measures I would go to whilst having no power or responsibility to make sure it can work.

If forced to pick a couple of things I wouldn't back down on from my post and which I feel can be implemented even next season is the free tickets for Primary school children and the return of the reserve league.

Also slightly controversial but I'd be behind the club offering season tickets at a discounted price for under privelleged people also.

Snap!

A cold one?

Its quite simple and Milne is correct in his position. Your heart is ruling your head if you think otherwise.

 

I'm afraid what you, or any other fan, 'want' is not going to hold any store. We cannot vote to reduce our revenues. End of story.

I'd much rather take a step backwards to go forwards than stand still.

The reason we're in the mess we're is a lot to do with Milne. We trusted him to make decisions in our best interests before and look where we are.

I didn't realise you held the over riding opinion either.

Where do the other two teams go?

Ha ha.

Two splits of eight then. Even better!

If I had my way the changes I'd make:

• Expand to 16, playing each team twice. Split of top 8 and bottom 6. Gives teams extra incentive to try and break in to the top positions for the extra games.
  
• I like the idea of one lower division followed by regionalised leagues below this. Shorter travelling distances for clubs to save money and the chance of larger supports at games for local rivals.
   
  
• Promotion to the top league automatically for one team plus a second vs. fifteenth one off match at a neutral venue to decide the sixteenth spot for the following season
   
  
• TV money split equally between all 16 teams.
   
  
• Games to be graded on calibre of opposition, set at start of the season. E.g - Grade A - Old Firm, Hearts - £22. Grade B - Hibs, Dundee Utd, Motherwell - £20. Down to Grade D and £15. For the matches excluding the Old Firm free tickets to be issued to Primary school children (who will be accompanied by teachers or football team managers) to try and develop more fans at a young age rather than have them supporting the teams they see most often on tv.
   
  
• Re-introduction of the reserve league. It's asking a lot for young players to go straight from the 19's to playing at the top level immediately.
   
  
• If possible grants from the football association (one association to govern the whole lot) for the teams in the regionalised leagues to get their youth set up in order.
   
  
• Full time referees with demotion and promotion dependant on performances.
   
  
• Wages to be no higher than an agreed % of a teams turnover.
  

I've probably missed out some of what I want to say there and don't expect many to agree. It's also partly a re hash of other peoples suggestions I've heard.

Unless I'm dense and missing it being there a 'multi-quote' function would also be handy.

You should sort the bit in the top right corner about 'show new posts' etc. Make it stand out a bit more.

Apart from that it seems ok. It looks modern. I like modern.

Jug-eared twat.

 

And as for Dodds...

 

I have a lot of sympathy with that bobo, but I think we should see if Broon can get a bit of the old Zander back, Ifil, I fear, is set for a jag in the paw . . . .

I think Diamond has always been pretty poor. He just had very good potential if he managed to get the fuck ups out of his game and has never realised it.

He was the type of guy that next to Anderson helping him through games flourished but when he's the main guy and should be helping out those around him he can't handle the responsibility and is prone to more fuck ups.

He's also a cunt. Anyone that is told by one of the games greatest ever defenders that he still has a lot to learn and he could help him with it and retorts with something along the lines of "that jumper is terrible" deserves all he gets.

Alex Miller because he sold Billy Dodds.

This upset a younger Bobo.