Scottish Cup 5th Round – Greenock Morton v Queen of the South
Saturday 3.00pm at Cappilow.
Tickets sorted (thanks mate!) canny wait! More so for the next round draw! Please not the old firm, have you seen them lately, they are both garbage!
Baited breath!!
Wednesday, 30 Jan 2008
The Emergency Committee met today to discuss the circumstances surrounding the Brechin City v Hamilton Academical Scottish Cup 4th Round Replay match held on Monday 28 January 2008 and decided that Brechin City had breached the Cup Competition Rules by fielding player Michael Paton.
As a consequence of this breach the Committee decided that Brechin City be fined the sum of £10,000 and that the 4th Round Replay tie be replayed at Glebe Park Brechin at 3pm on Saturday 2 February 2008. “
I don’t know how you all feel out there but is this fair? I have no axe to grind anywhere other than, is it just me or are the “beaks” penalising the fans again here? Brechin field an ineligible player, they get fined and we have to go through the rigmarole again, and who suffers, the cash at the gate fans. Would like to know from you Hamilton and Brechin fans if you have to pay at the gate or are Brechin pickin up the tab??
On another aside – shocked and stunned – the Motherwell v Celtic game was called off tonight due to a waterlogged pitch!!! My son could have called that last week as we U turned at Fir park to head home. Start the petitions here, summer football winter break. Sooner the better!
Now back to Monday!
Had my daughter for company on the way down to Dumfries. Gonna take the opportunity to drop her at her wee friends, who moved there a wee while ago and she misses loads! Aww! Wee friends dad, Jim, no stranger to Palmerston, offered to come along (local knowledge and company always welcome) and watch the game with me. Which was nice. Car duly packed with supplies for my girl – books, pencils, sweets, tablet, flask of soup and a blanket and pillow for her to catch some winks on the way home – we set of just in time to jam ourselves into our version of the M25, Kingston bridge at rush hour! Compounding the problem was a breakdown perfectly located at Junction 11, to allow those wonderull rubberneckers to get a good veiw of nothing happening and, slow the whole effin motorway down to a snails pace. Dont’ya just love ‘em?
After an hour and 15 minutes, the road started to clear and I could get my Warrior up to optimum comfort and cruising speed – 55mph. A pretty dark and thankfully otherwise uneventful journey, saw us arriving in Dumfries at around ten to seven – with only one pee stop at Abingdon Services. Jim supplied the food from the chippy and off we trotted to the match.
And so it began…
Scottish Cup Replay: Gretna v Greenock Morton
Palmerston Park, Dumfries (home of Queen of the South)
I found out about the rescheduled venue on Sunday night, and although it was a fair old drive, I was pretty pleased that it was at Palmerston. Another tick there for the book. Christ, I’m like a bloody Munroist here! My son, shouts through to me that the game is not at Fir Park, and I immediately assume that it’s Raydale. Quick check on the Gretna website confirms it’s Dumfries – modern technology eh!?
Thoughts prior to the game were that Morton had two chance of progressing, one of them being slim, and in the first half it pretty much looked that way. Not an awful lot on the way of goalmouth action and Gretna looked a lesser team for the loss of Yantorno, but still managed to look like the team most likely to score. However, credit to ‘ton, they did look up for it and, as discussed with my mate Jim, all three teams – Morton, Queens and Gretna – must have been thinking this is a great chance to make the Quarters. The game drifted to half time at 0 – 0 with both Deuchar and Weatherson looking handy but achieving not a lot for both sides.
Half time and a chance to look at the programme and grab a coffee. Now, why I am surprised at this, I don’t know, and maybe reader (if you’re out there!, you can help me out?) Jim points at the bottom of the front cover of the programme – Gretna (or anvil as it is written on the page – letters on a postcard please?) v Morton Wednesday 23rd Jan 08, Fir Park 7.45pm. Is this the norm, do we always just sell last weeks programmes with no attempt at pretence of an update? Common theme developing here, rearrange the following words – off, fans and ripped.
Nice wee ground Palmerston with what seemed like plenty of parking, and the security folk did a good job of making sure everyone knew where to go, so assuring no mixing of fans.
Second half, and Gretna looked sharper out the blocks, and for the first 15 minutes, a goal looked inevitable. however, much against the run of play Morton carved out a chance and that old Queens man Weatherson nipped in to score the opener for Morton, The ‘ton fans, who numbered quite a few and could have been forgiven for not being arsed after last weeks shambles – the late call off not the drubbing by Queens – , went wild! Two minutes later, Peter Weatherson struck a fabulous goal from outside the box and the Morton fans could not beleive it! Neither could we! The Gretna heads sank, and Morton fans sang. Before long it was 3 -0 and the game was over, Chris Miller getting the third. Game over! but lets just say, this was never a 3-0 game, well done Morton, but only fine finishes from an on form Weatherson flattered the scoreline, and it might all have been so different if the attempt by Gretna which hit the post with David McGurn well beaten at 0-0 had went in. However, this is what cup football is all about.
Word about the ref, Kenny Clark. Two penalty decisions, one for each side could have quite easily have been awarded, and the booking for the Morton player for diving, I thought was ridiculous.
Crowd was 1167 and about 400 Morton fans made it down.
Picked up ma wee girl on the way home, she slept, I drank Relentless to stay awake, got home just before midnight. Sleepy girl and dad next day.
A wee tip here – don’t leave an unfinished can of Relentless in the car overnight, stinks to high heaven! (wherever that is)
Getting exciting now roll on Saturday and the next round draw!
,
Who’d have thought it – no me anyway! 3-0 for Morton. I’m still trying to see how that was a 3-0 game.
Full match report coming soon.
Saturdays game at Cappilow should be a cracker!
Now, like every decent football fan, I think that common sense should always prevail when it comes to whether a game should be played or not. And those in charge of calling the shots should always consider the players safety first and foremost when it comes to making that descision, but to leave it till 1 hour before the game kicks off to announce it, is just plain madness!!
I was at a meeting at a rather beautiful hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond yesterday. The meeting was convened for 5.00pm, started slightly late and finished at about ten past six. I now had to pick my son up at home and get to Motherwell for a 7.45 kick off – yes, you guessed it, via the Kingston Bridge and Glasgow at pretty much rush hour. Tuned in to Radio Scotland for any updates and I must say enjoying Brian Burnett’s pretty nifty “get it on” show – the topic for tonight was bands with letters in their names i.e. REM and T Rex etc, my suggestions being XTC ” Making Plans for Nigel”and Department S “Is Vic there?” oh, and M “Pop Music” . Remember them? – Anyway I digress. Got to Motherwell as the 7.00pm news came on Radio Scotland. “and now the sport” says the newsy wummin “GRETNA v MORTON GAME HAS BEEN CALLED OFF DUE A WATERLOGGED PITCH!”
Effin brilliant! Now can I just ask here, at what time was the pitch suddenly waterlogged? The beaks must have known earlier that the pitch was unplayable, and that there was no chance that the game would go ahead. I listened to the pundits on Radio Scotland, and each one of them said the same thing, It is a disgrace! Even Jim MacInally said on his interview that he only got word about it at 6.45pm and tried desperately to call the supporters busses travelling from Greenock to tell them not to bother. It is absolutely shocking, and if ever there was an argument for summer football, this has to be it!
I just hope the mini bus carrying all the Gretna fans got tipped off early! or is it a tandem?
On the way back home I suggested to my son ” fancy goin to Ibrox?”. He gave me the look I deserved!
Replay – Monday night!
Replay at Fir Park, Motherwell on 23rd January, with the winners to face a home tie with Queen of the South – who gubbed Morton at Cappilow yesterday 3-0.
And so it was finally here, Forth Round Cup day. The day of the big boys, potential cup shocks, giant killings. Romantic cup tales to be told and exagerrated in pubs and supporters clubs long into the future. So what would this day bring for the two teams at Cappilow. Morton through by the skin of their teeth to meet a struggling Gretna team who must be favourites to ease through today?
For me, it was a bit of a disappointment to revisit Cappilow, No offence Morton but a new venue for each tie is the ideal scenario for the Cup Trail fanatic, which I am slowly becoming. But that is the beauty of watching the chips fall where they lie, you never know where it will take you. Anyway, the day started pretty badly for me, up at the crack of dawn to empty my garage to give the insurance claim builders clear access to put a new roof on, part of which had recently blown away. Garage cleared and ready at about 8.00am, I waited, and waited, thought about phoning them, changed my mind, then just when I was about to start refilling the garage and getting ready for the game, the proverbial white van arrived. Hooray!! But no, the guy looked at my garden and driveway, cluttered with bikes, a pram, a kayak, old furniture and my Italian Motorbike which has now fallen out with me for keeping it in such damp conditions, and said “Why did ye empty yer garage mate, I’m only here tae lift sizes!” Fuckin magic! I won’t go into the whole story at the risk of sounding like a Grumpy Old Man (which I certainly am), but why is it that absolutely F All gets done properly these days. Why do I pay my hard earned dosh to an insurance company, who then sub contract the job to a company who sub contract it to someone else who then sub contracts it to white van man who is supposed to be coming out to do the job, and turns up only with a tape measure!? Whats more, all the subbys down the line have been out with their tape measure and measured the bloody job themselves! I blame Thatcher (and why not?)
On the plus side though! A phone call from my best best best mate and ticket source (hope he’s reading this for future freebies) on Thursday confirmed that we had comps for the game. Result! Ok guys, now I know what your thinking, this is all about the True Fan, The Diehard, The guy who goes the Extra Mile to endure the ups and downs, the travelling, the dire weather, the games where the ball takes a right beating, the non vegetarian half time food, the tea that tastes like tiger balm, but guys, I’m sorry, I’ll take comps whenever they are going. Not quite Keanos “Prawn Sandwich” comps, but welcome non the less! Cheers bud!
So off we trotted, back road to Greenock, arrived just in time to pick up the comps, have a chat with some of the football gliterarti and a wee guy who made a big name for himself in the last minute of the last game of last season, and broke some hearts in Perth into the bargain! And we thought it was only cup football which gave us the football fairytales – nobody told Gretna did they?
Anyway onto the game!
12th January 2008 Scottish Cup 4th Round
Greenock Morton v Gretna
I’m sure Davie Irons was well pissed off after the Premiership side managed to chuck away a two goal lead, albeit on away soil, however, you would have thought that Gretna would have had the experience to see this one through to the end. Gretna must have thought it was job done when the went in at half time 1-0 up after a bit of a cock up by Morton new boy Barry Smith allowed Yantorno to step in and score the opener in 13 minutes. This was followed by a couple of clear cut chances which, had they been taken, would have rendered the second half a formality. Morton were not even at the races in the first half. A quick word about the Argentinian goalscorer, a decent wee player, and the shouts from the ‘ton supporters to him about “we’ll be seeing you next year” presumably meaning that Gretna were on the way down to the First Division and not the other way around?! A word of caution here Morton, I really don’t think you want to be seeing this guy next year, do you? He tore you apart down the right hand side in the first half.
Half time 1-0
Intermission – The Hawkster very kindly voulenteers to go get some hot liquid – vegan diet again compromised by the lack of soya milk for my coffee – returns with a veritable feast, Coffe, Bovril, crisps and mars bars. Well seen he’s no playin anymore! As we are tuckin in, Derek McInness’s wee boy (sitting in front of us) turns round and looks at the Hawkster who is now about to open his mars bar. Overcome by the weans wee sad eyes, he offers the mars bar to the boy. The boy looks at Hawky, looks at the mars bar, shakes his head and turns around. If you are reading this son, I don’t blame ye! As I chuckled into my coffee, Hawky suddenly drops his mars bar, crisps and programme “Shit! I’m supposed to be doin the bloody half time draw!” and starts scrambling over the seats like the Stands on fire. Women and children flying in all directions as he thunders down to the front of the stand, whereupon, when reaching the bottom, the PA announces “The winner of todays fifty-fifty draw is number……” Head bowed in shame, he turns around and starts the long plod back up the stairs. I am now pissin myself, and nobody around me knows what the hell I am finding so funny. Just as well for you mate eh?
Back to the game.
Second half starts and within three minutes Gretna make it 2 thanks to a low hit shot from Horwood. That should have been that, however it seemed to galvanise Morton who gradually started to come into the game and had a couple of encouraging efforts, which should have got the fans going, but didn’t. Can I just say something here? (Graeme Souness, i know!) It took until the second goal went in for the Morton fans to burst into song, I had now sat in the Cappilow stand through 90 mins with Buckie and 75 min today and heard not a song or chant from the Morton fans. Sometimes the team needs some support guys.
Morton’s pressure payed off after 65 minutes when Finlayson scored with an excellent solo goal. A fine run and strike from 25 yards saw the home support applauding warmly (well you have to start somewhere, and lets not get carried away eh?). And 15 minutes from the end, the comeback was complete when McAllister curlled a shot from around 16 yards past the keeper and into the net. My first replay of this campaign was on the cards. However, I was unsure as to whether it would be at Fir Park or Raydale. Although the travelling distance was an issue, I would be happier with a trip to Gretna which is a new venue for me.
Final whistle goes, 2-2 replay! Yipee! As we are leaving, we bump into wee James Grady again, wheres the replay an when? “Fir Park, a week on Wednesday” he says. “That’s alright” says Hawky “you’ll make parents night on Tuesday now”. “Aye”, I’m thinking “lucky me!”
Before I go. A word about the Gretna fans “Where?”
Buckie thistle fans, best by miles so far this year.
