Winners and Losers: August 5th 2012
One of my favorite articles on the web is the Football365.com Winners and losers column… as its centered around the EPL though, I thought a Scottish one wouldn’t go amiss. Obviously, it will be heavily centered round the Super Saintees though – here goes!
Winners:
Scottish Football
Armageddon? No TV deal? Nobody will turn up? Well that was proved to be a load of succulent lamb tripe this week, with a new tv deal almost matching last years deal, along with increased attendances on opening day. St.Mirren attracted 600 more fans against Inverness when compared to the same fixture last May, with Hearts v Saints having a similar increase. The new boys Dundee saw Killie have a full 1500 fans more than last years average attendance, while just under 49,000 were at Celtic Park.
So what we’ve been told all summer was rubbish then? Yep.
Stuart Cosgrove and the BBC
Stuart was invited onto Traynor’s ‘Your Call’ last night, and showed just how the media landscape has changed, as he systematically destroyed the arguments of the succulent lamb press. Even Traynor had to conceed that the ‘newco’ RTC (TSFM) was a great idea. Meanwhile over on Radio Clyde, their phone in went 40 minutes without a call…
…oh dear.
Lomas’ new signings
Having lost 10 players at the end of last season Lomas has been busy rebuilding, and 3 of them started against Hearts. Despite the result, and the red card, they all showed glimpses that they will fit well into the set up. As Alan Preston said on the Beeb afterwards, if Saints play like that every week they will win more than they lose…
David Templeton
We’d have needed, quite literally, a team of Dave MacKay’s to stop him yesterday. A brilliant performance by all accounts, and from just the benefit of the highlights he looked on top form. Scottish teams will need players like him on form if Celtic are to have a title challenger this season.
Jamie Langfield
Ok, so he could easily be in the losers, however, his tweet straight after the game proves he is nothing other than a winner.
I fucked up, deserve every bit of criticism and abuse everyone is giving me I apologise #SORRY
A bit more of this and footballers might get a good name!
The New boy’s
Given Dundee have had a few weeks to prepare for the SPL, and Ross County are seen as massive underdogs, two draws on opening day isn’t a bad way to start…
Livingston
Their biggest victory ever. Well done.
Losers
Stranraer
Not the best way to start the season…
Referee’s
Ok, so we can put to bed the rumors of Rangers paying refs through EBT, unless of course Hearts are up-to the same tricks 
(for the avoidance of doubt I do not think this is happening and I’m being sarcastic!!) O’Reilly’s decision to show Gregory Tade a red card in the first half for a scuffle from a free kick was nothing short of a disgrace. See what I mean here. Both players were pulling each other. If we are going to start giving red cards for that we’ll be playing 5 a side football for the second 45. Football is, and always has been a contact sport.
The Saints defence
One of our strong points last season, but MacKay failed to cope with the pace of Templeton, while Wright and McCracken struggled with the strength of Sutton throughout. If Saints are to mount a challenge for the top six again this season, it is vital our sound defensive line continues. Hopefully it is just a blip after decent performances in Turkey.
Ticket Prices
Saints fans were charged 25Gbp to get into Tynecastle yesterday, while home fans paid 21Gbp for the main stand. When Hearts come to visit McDiarmid the away stand will cost 21Gbp, with kids FREE. The Ormond stand will allow entry for 15GBP with the kids also free. Scottish Football has to become more affordable, but it needs all the clubs to do this, not just a handful.
John Gemmel Jr.
Who? Apparently a striker playing for Stenhousemuir.
Why is he a Scottish football loser?
For tweets like this. With Rio Ferdinand the latest high profile player to be charged by their FA for tweets they shouldn’t have sent, John Gemmel should be having a real long think about what kind of role model he wants to be. A bit part lower division journeyman should not be writing **** like this about a fellow professional.
Clyde Radio Phone in
No calls for 40 minutes. Seems ‘Armageddon’ will happen for some… the succulent lambs. Real Radio got out at the right time.
Nil – Nils
With Scottish football under scrutiny, a few more goals would have been nice!
Never liked gemmel since he shoved Greg henslee into a concrete stantion at the side of the pitch at Gayfield. So glad we never signed him in the summer.
had never heard of him until I came across his tweet while looking for Jamie Langfield’s sorry message. A professional footballer, of any level, should not be writing stuff like that – especially his goading of other teams over Rangers…
Agreed re Stuart Cosgrove on BBC radio last evening. Traynor didn’t try his usual ‘talk over the top of’ approach because he knew he would just encourage Cosgrove even more. Webcam view of Traynor’s face would have been interesting – suspect a mouth open blank stare for the duration.
Is Cosgrove a regular on Your Call now ?
It made great listening, and hopefully, the Beeb will realise that the way forward is a show that looks at Scottish football, rather than just rangers and celtic. I have already noticed a few of the papers are starting to print less about rangers now – Scottish football could be a very different landscape in 3 years time if this keeps up.
Referees? Don’t get me started. Forfar v Albion Rovers April 2012. The referee gave a red card after 10 mins, two more within the hour. 3 reds and 10 yellows in total, spoiled the match for a’body.
I would say Dundee United was another winner last week, though the 2-2 score against Dynamo Moscow might not show it. Once they got going, United played some guid fitba against a team that cost multi-millions. Mackay-Steven the man of the match I’d say.
fully agree that would be a winner… was only looking at this weekend for this article though
. I think a loser would also have been the guy in a shirt and tie beating the **** out of the Dynamo fan though… 