Showing posts with label Perth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Perth. Show all posts

Friday 8 February 2013

Saturday 3 December 2011

Another Saturday Night



One of the joys of any winters Saturday night is to dwell on the satisfying football result from the afternoon. This, as any supporter of the Heart of Midlothian will remind anyone willing to listen, is a pleasure to be enjoyed, but not expected!  To have a concern for this side means carrying around a deep cynicism based on hard reality.  Success is a mere step away and yet we find ourselves drifting in a sea of despair. The treasured European place awaits us but once again we are far from there and Christmas is upon us once again. This afternoon I listened in to Radio Glasgow's actually quite decent commentary on the game against St Johnstone. This we knew would be a difficult occasion as the Perth side have had excellent results this season and attempt to play good football. Naturally we also knew we would win.
We lost 2-1.
Not only were they probably the better side but we missed a penalty and they scored one! Now our disappointed players, who have not as yet been paid, have to prepare for the game against Celtic next week. We ought to beat that rag tag and bobtail bunch of misfits, but I wonder.....

Why are 'St Johnstone' called 'St Johnstone' anyway?  
Perth is an old established city (although now called a 'city' for some daft reason) and the area around Perth has been inhabited since Mesolithic times, around 8000 years ago. The River Tay was crossed at low tide here and settlements grew around it. The Tay contains the largest volume of water of any British river, and it it very cold indeed. This does not stop some folks dipping into it almost daily! They must be dafties! Perth was the residence of some of the past royalties, an important town during the Reformation, and possessed many industries, especially that of whisky. The main Kirk, or church, was dedicated to St John the Baptist and became known as 'St John's.'  The town became known as 'St John's Toun' during the middle ages although the Pictish name Perth (meaning 'wood') was reinstated.

None of that interesting aside brightens the gloom here mind. The footballers have not yet received their wages, and the cash may well have run out. The owner wishes to sell and I would gladly buy him out for a £1 if I could find someone to lend me £30 million to pay the debts. Woe is us, the futures bright, for those who carry a candle in their pockets.