Showing posts with label Heart of Midlothian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heart of Midlothian. Show all posts

Friday 25 August 2023

Busy Friday


Last night, while slugging my Greek wine from Patra, I watched the Heart of Midlothian slug it out with PAOK from Greece.  Jolly good it was too!  Especially this little man here, Kenneth Vargas, a wee ball of fire who enlisted with us after Leaving Herediano in Costa Rica.  While he has a lot of adaption to the Scottish game to go through it is clear he has the correct drive and intention from what we witnessed last night.  The first game may have been lost, the second will be a hard game next Thursday, but we are positive and looking forward to the game.  Whatever happens, this is where we must be aiming for!


After another busy Friday, Hoovering, ironing, shopping among crowds, and even exercising I find no energy to eat.  I instead of food have one of these, as they are supposed to be full of Vitamin 'C.'  The feeble, skin covered chips, I found to go with it do not appear to possess any vitamins of any kind.
The day tomorrow is now free, nothing to do but eat, sleep, pray and ache all over.  I'm looking forward to it.


Thursday 24 August 2023

Thursday Mumble


Another summers day in Essex.
I have been half asleep all day.  I woke early, half asleep, had breakfast half asleep, and scribbled a couple of emails before 8 am, half asleep.
I may not get a response!
There has been a lot of scribbling, but not much progress.   The hoovering, like the exercising, has not got itself done.  There again neither has the ironing.
However, the last washing has been attended to.  
A blanket required a scrub, this was done.  After a long wash, like they all are these days, 2 hours and 6 minutes!  The blanket came out.  Though after it finished I forgot to remove it for two hours again.
Unfortunately the rim of the blanket has problems.   This I discovered when a cloud of white specks formed around me and remain, even now, on the filthy floor.  A white carpet of woollen bits that is getting everywhere!  
They can wait until tomorrow and the hoovering will finally get done...


The football at least returns tonight.  We play the Greek side PAOK hoping to do better than Hibernian did last night, losing 5-0 against Aston Villa.  Whatever happens, I just hope we make a game of it.
Again I am amazed by the wonder of it all.  I can sit here watching on a laptop a football match taking place 400 miles away.  A short time lag, sometimes as much as a minute, may occur, but it is amazing that I can see this game live.  In days of yore we relied on the wireless to hear a commentator at a game.  Before that we could only read newspaper reports, never trustworthy at that.  Now I can watch the game almost live.
During the period from the mid 70s until the late 80s I saw little football, and what was available was always English.  It was as though I was living in a foreign country, not a United Kingdom.  Newspapers were rare then, radio and TV information almost unheard off, and nobody in this nation cared.  There is no United Kingdom, Scotland is just a colony of an imperialist England.  Without Scotland England would die, and they know it.  It is time to ensure this happens.

Thursday 27 July 2023

Late Delivery

 


No rain this morning.  Cloudy sky yes, rain no.  So I prepared for a haircut!
Shoes on, not the slipper things I tried to go out with the other day, jacket on, glance out the window and off I go downstairs.
I open the door and the rain is thundering down!
One huge dark grey cloud hovers above me, drenching the park opposite and all who were dwelling therein.  To my right heavy drops crashed onto the road, the cars, the people sheltering ineffectively under the brolly.  To my left bright blue sky beckoned, a white cotton wool cloud reared up to the heavens, speaking of warmer climes.
I waited inside the door.
Eventually life moved on.  My hair was cut by a lovely young lassie who, when I remarked on all the grey stuff lying around, informed that this was 'Very fashionable today.'  What a clever lass.


While she was being a clever lass I was not being so clever.  I went off to find something interesting to post and having failed, completely forgot about this post.  This will disappoint few.  
The new day is already half over, the sun is shining now I am indoors, and once again nothing has happened.  The media crow over their defeat of the woman in charge of 'Coutts Bank,' as she resigns her position, after Government threats.  Even the burning tourists are pushed aside for this one.  What else are the press ignoring/covering up?  The question as to why a wee girl, known to Boris, gets into the Lords perhaps?


Thursday morning.
Dreich.  
Once again I forgot about this.  I was so busy doing nothing that I forgot until late at night.  Too late to finish of a meaningless post.
So I will take up the meaninglessness this morning.


Good news at last.  Kenneth Vargas, the highly thought of SC Herediano player, has agreed to join the Heart of Midlothian to 'progress his career,' and get sold on to one of the big clubs around Europe.  This is good business for the Heart of Midlothian, at least, as long as he turns out to be worth having!  The Scottish game is not like those in Central America, as he will soon find out.  
The usual international clearances are required, but as always it is the Visa that is a problem.  This as you will know, is controlled by the English Colonial office in Westminster, and they may decide he is not wanted, him being foreign and all that.   So we wait and see.

David Roberts - The Aqueduct of the Nile

Sunday 7 May 2023

Willie Collum Does it Again for His Team

 


Another Heart of Midlothian v Celtic game, another example of Willie Collum's deliberate bending of the rules to benefit his team.  Yet again he takes his teams side. This is not new, I make it six penalties he gave in seven games against us, none of which were penalties, and add to this several non red cards which he decided were red and has shown against this club, and he has gone one better today.  Sitting far from home in Glasgow he has made use of VAR to force the referee in today's game to send off a Heart of Midlothian player for no reason.  A foul, if it was a foul was committed, a yellow card shown, if that was required, and the  Willie demands a red, because that is what he does!
Had I been the boss at Tynecastle I would have taken the players from the field and sued both Willie and the SFA for the cheating we have endured.  This is not new, I have seen this as far back as the early 60s when Gordon Marshall was also treated badly by a Glasgow referee.  The 'Old Firm' have always had the refs in their pocket.  Today, ought to have been time for action.  The cowards at the Heart of Midlothian board will fail to react, once again. 

Wednesday 5 April 2023

Bobby Walker, Jesus, the Temple and Anguish.


Bobby Walker was the greatest footballer of his generation.  Known by even English commentators as the man with ;twinkling feet,' and considered by no less than Billy Meredith the great Welsh winger (who had over 70 caps for his country) as the best footballer around.
He is of course almost unknown outside of Edinburgh today.
Born in 1879, not far from the origins of the Heart of Midlothian itself, this late Victorian young man moved to Gorgie, watched the Heart of Midlothian bring the Scottish Cup home in 1891, what a delight! and was destined to play for his club.  Beginning as a 14 year old at Dalry Primrose Bobby soon attracted the attention of the Heart of Midlothian.  Interestingly (I say) a picture, which I cannot find online, shows the team in 1896.  Bobby Walker sits at the front alongside his team, and looking at two or three faces around him I find I recognise them!  At least three of the young men pictured are identical with three of the young men who formed the crowd following the Heart of Midlothian during the 1960s.  The family resemblance is too strong to ignore.  I did not know these men as they came on other buses, but they are descended from members of this team.
During 1896 the Heart of Midlothian defeated Hibernians by 3 goals to 1 at Logie Green in Edinburgh.  Amongst the crowd was Bobby Walker, aged 17 and soon to sign himself for this great side.
From his first game for the club, a friendly two all draw against Sunderland, until his last in 1913, a Roseberry Cup semi-final against St Bernard's, Bobby Walker established himself as one of Scotland's greatest ever footballers.
If you read the Glasgow press this fact may have escaped you however.
In those far off days Scotland had two international sides, the SFA Scotland side, and the Scottish League side, both of equal importance then.  Of course we only played against Wales, Ireland and England, no other nation was considered worthy enough to challenge regularly.  However, Bobby Walker obtained a record number of International 'caps,' 29 in all, including an amazing 11 caps against England, another record.
Speaking of records, he managed to play against Hibernians 94 times!  There were many more leagues, cups and friendly games in those days.  He also scored 17 times against Hibernians at Easter Road, even John Roberson in the 80s could only manage 15 there.  Keep in mind Hibernians great centre forward Laurie Reilly only managed 7 against the Hearts and you can tell something of the mans talent.
There is no doubt that his talent was recognised by all in the day, only injury or his own desire stopped him getting more rewards for his ability.   
After football he continued to play in friendlies, though his health was not always good.  At least this avoided his participation in the Great War.  However, his financial dealings were not wise, his pubs lost money, his wife appeared to commit suicide, and he himself did not help by drinking.  A great curse amongst Scots is the drink!  Far too many die from the after effects.  It is to be hoped today's players are encouraged to a different lifestyle to aid long term health.
Bobby Walker died during August 1930, and was buried in Merchison cemetery not far from Tynecastle Park which he graced for so long.  Huge crowds lined the streets as his coffin passed by.  A rather tragic end to a great footballer.
This book comprised much written by Bobby himself in his autobiography, lots of photographs from the time, and masses of statistics at the end to please the most fervent statto.  It is a long read, going year by year of his career, and invites us into a foreign world from the turn of the  century and before the Great War.  So near in time, yet so different from today.  Yet the tale of one talented young man making it to the top in football is no different.  Spotted at a young level, signed and escorted by players more senior to him whom he knew.  And capable of making the most of his talent, and obtaining great reward for it.  He was earning £6 a week at times, a soldier only got 10/- (ten shillings) and many people earned less!  
For fans of football and history this is a book well worth reading.  The man speaks for himself, the pictures and reports speak for the times.  The talent speaks for itself.   


On Palm Sunday, though it was not called this at the time, Jesus entered the Temple and upset all the tables of those making money.  This was not just a bad temper, the area in which these money changers and merchants were operating was the 'Court of the Gentiles.'  This area was where all people could come and worship the God of the whole earth, not just Jews, the 'chosen people.'  Instead of prayer what we see are money changers.  A rule had arisen that only Temple money could be used, so someone was getting rich.  The animals brought for sacrifice were rejected as 'not good enough' and only those on sale, at a price, could be used, pigeons, for the poorest, lambs for the wealthier, all at a price using Temple money.  No wonder Jesus was upset!  This was a Temple area set out as 'a place of prayer, for all nations,'  and instead it was a capitalists dream.  No wonder the tables were overturned, the animals set free.  


The word 'sorrow' used here as you know is perilupos which is not covered by sorrow.  'Very sad,' 'deeply grieved,' or 'exceeding sorrowful,' says 'Vines Expository Dictionary of NT words.'  Here is a man who bows before his father knowing that this cross is the only way to save mankind.  Before him lies arrest, opposition, hatred, lies and beatings before being falsely found guilty of being what he is, the 'Son of God!'  
He takes his disciples with him, only eleven are left, with the closet three nearby.  Three times he appeals to his father for this to be taken from him, but there is no other way.  He wrestles with giving up himself to physical assault and then crucifixion, and then separation from his father for the only time in eternity, all for you.  Jesus the man has to choose whether to suffer this because you and I sin, and care little about it, or whether he should keep his body, return to his father and let us all be lost, suffering Hell, the separation from God for ever.  
He chooses to accept the fathers lead, all the while he struggles and his closest friends forget him and fall asleep.  How very like me.


Saturday 1 April 2023

Saturday Sloth

 

 
I started the new month in the normal way, seeking for what day this is, working out what the time was, seeking coffee, and then hobbling up to Sainsburys before either I was awake or the crowds had gathered.  At Sainsburys the crowds had gathered.  I filled my basket as quickly as possible, joined the shortest queue at the checkout, friendly crowd here, good young lady on till, and struggled home, huffing and puffing all the way.  
Another month has begun!
This is the fourth, and I still working through the second!  Now Spring clean time has arrived, but thankfully I canny be bothered.  So that is that!  
The constant bug over the past few months has been hanging around making life difficult again.  However, by remaining indoors for the past three weeks, only shopping took me out, has helped greatly. Indeed, this week I returned to exercise and housekeeping!  Both have been missing, and my mind is clearer than for a while.  However, I have been here before.  A virus is not a good thing, they come and go, wave after wave, but hopefully this one will clear off soon, I may even stop coughing for a while.
So, Saturday is football day, and to nobodys surprise the Heart of Midlothian threw it!  A good reason for depression.  It is strange how a simple game like football can mean so much.  We all know its only a game but winning and losing have an effect on the fan.  I cheered my self up by watching Motherwell roundly beat Hibernian in Leith.  That brought a smile.
Now I prepare for tomorrow, Palm Sunday, mostly by staring into space...
 

      My latest great niece. That cheers me up.

Sunday 22 January 2023

Frost, Bishop and a touch of Toby

It was one of those ridiculous winters morning today.  The sky was blue, the sun shone, and the streets were slippery with frost.  As I walked, tripping up several times and almost going flat out once, the pavements on one side were white while the frost on the telephone wires above slowly melted, dropping great blobs on heads of the few passers-by.  Everything ached, and as I rose that morning my one thought was "I wish it was Monday."  Then I can go back to bed, but not today.

 
Today the Bishop was preaching, so I was ordered there to take pictures.  
This once confused me as he is not the Bishop of Essex, just of Colchester.  But large counties have a Bishop and as many 'sufferagent Bishops as required, Essex has three.  The sbishops, as you may have noted, are strange people, this one however, has his good points.  For a start he knows God, though he does have a tendency to the 'Stonewall' nonsense.  I was glad he did not mention this today, I may have started something.  All went well, he spoke well, many pictures were taken, all smiled.
 

I then watched as the Heart of Midlothian strolled past the poor Hibs team.  This, as you know, is not unusual.  The best part was watching Toby Sibbick run up the park near the end of the game and chip the ball past the despairing goalkeeper.  Toby Sibbick, the new striker!  Another great performance from him, though the team was not playing to well once again.  Playing not to good we have beaten Aberdeen and Hibs.  All looks good so far.

Saturday 22 October 2022

A Quiet Week...


A quiet week, a week in which I decided to start Xmas shopping.  I like to have everything ready and off by December 1st, and so on the last 24 hours I have spent over £300 and still have some way to go.  The advantage of 'Amazon Gift Cards' is that they can be stuck in a card and the recipient buys what they want, not what I send.  This is better for all, and the girls, and it is mostly girls at the other end, prefer this.  I do not ask what they buy!
So I bought the cards, went back for more today, obtained other items from Tesco and B&M, strange the places Xmas comes from, and searched a charity shop or two.  Now all I have to do is organise all this in a sensible fashion and obtain cards to go with them.  Then there are the online shopping to do, but that can wait till nearer the time, and stuff for little hands round about. 
For those I popped into the museum and searched their overpriced shop.  I bought a couple of things, searched the actual museum for changes, recognised one of the dinosaurs on display, and bought museum honey and chutney.  Home then for the football.


How nice to see the team playing properly today.  'Up and at em' was the cry, led by Cammy Devlin our Australian dynamo.  What a man he is.  It was his drive that carried us through the first half alone.  After a few difficult games, missing many important players, we were heading back to our best again.  With the others returning, by Christmas we will be much better off, though probably out of Europe.  
The VAR experiment went well, Celtic lost out!  Without fair coverage they might have won!  Well done VAR!


Apparently we are aiming for another Prime Minister.  One of the contenders is Boris Johnson, liar, cheat and idiot, who considers the nation needs him.  Maybe he plans to kill another 180,000 in two years?  I wonder if the temporary PM will release the 'Russian Report' that Boris refused to release, as it contains evidence of his treason and all the Russian money pouring into Tory funds?  I somehow doubt it, decency is not her way.  So, the comedy show continues, we await developments.


 

Friday 16 September 2022

Nothing to say Friday

 


Life has been busy recently.  At least having to watch football at 5:45 and 20:00 hrs three days running I fond this quite tiring.  Made worse by watching replays of games the next day.  Still, someone has to do it.  Anyway, the Heart of Midlothian did well considering their many injuries, including during this game, and successfully overcame the Latvian opponents.  It has been a long time since we were at this level, and it shows.


I have however, managed to work out a setting that enables a poor shot of the moon.  Naturally it is ebbing away now, and this morning I noticed it had moved across the sky to the west.  Why can they not keep these things in one place so I can set the camera up properly?  Tsk!


The 'Lying in State' and Charles touring the country has left little space for other news.  This of course has not stopped the Conservative leader from releasing licences to 'Frack' for oil in various places.  This done on the day the queen lay in state in Edinburgh!  How noble.  While Charles and Camilla 'walk about' greeting happy Welsh folks today I am left wondering what Liz is doing.  She has ensured she was seen on camera in Edinburgh, Northern Ireland and Wales, none of whom want her, and managed a hate filled glare at Nicola while she read first during the service in St Giles.  Tasteful.  While she will no doubt take advantage of the time to meet with leaders from many nations in the next few days, as indeed she ought, I will be amazed if any are happy with her.  Joe is annoyed about the Protocol,  China, if any arrive, are annoyed about Taiwan, Russia is annoyed Putin was not invited!  She has at least allowed the Bankers to increase their bonus's, another Brexit benefit. 
Poor Charlie and his woman, feted everywhere, then stabbed in the back at the earliest opportunity.  What a life to lead.  Well paid, surrounded by servants, and not having to walk to Tesco in the morning as the shops are shut on Monday may be very well but, the queen herself preferred the days at Balmoral when she could just be a housewife.  Phillip cooking the BBQ and she washing up afterwards, all much more enjoyable than meeting the people they are forced to smile at.



Saturday 16 April 2022

Broken Cooker but not Broken Hearts

 
It's been all go!
Or rather, no go!
Everything is falling down around me again.
The preparation for monday has not ended, though much has now been done. 
Energy is abundant, until I start work, then it fades rather.  
Good Friday was a 'spiritual' day, lots of pondering and happiness indeed.
Friday night was time for Inverness v Kilmarnock where Killie could ensure promotion by winning.
They lost. 
However, disruptions for me are abounding.  Twice the picture failed for no good reason.  'Cannot play' or some such warning came up, then suddenly it returned.  Why?  No reason whatsoever.
As it is I was already musing about another breakdown, the cooker.  The thermostat or whatever has failed.  It comes on, warms a wee bit and nothing else.  No grill at all, totally useless.
This with my niece on Monday approaching, looks like cold chicken for lunch!
Today saw me attend wearily to more items, the first job done, the second cleaning the broken cooker after fiddling with it for a while.  I had of course switched off the plug just in case.
After much failed engineering I gave up, switched on the kettle and it did not work! 
Thoughts of a new kettle, rushing about Tesco, faffing about once more.
Then I considered plugging the radio into the socket just to see what was what.
No radio sounded.
I wisely checked the main box, a switch was down, but not marked as to what it was.  I guessed it may help and returned indoors where the kettle now worked.
The cooker however, did not.
Enough now, that will have to wait until Tuesday.  The Hob works as does the microwave, but cooking plans have gone asunder.
 
 

Another Scottish Cup semi-final, another semi-final against the wee team Hibernian, another victory for the Heart of Midlothian!  This was of course not unexpected, History reveals the great gulf between the Heart of Midlothian and the wee team, just look at the record.
 
Edinburgh Derby
Games:  653
Heart of Midlothian wins:  286
Hibernian wins:   206
Drawn:    155
Abandoned when the Hibbys cried "It's ma ba," and went home while losing:  6.
 
Goal scored
Heart of Midlothian:  1102
Hibernian:   926

The 'Natural Order' prevails.

It was no surprise to find Hibernian players kicking Hearts men all over the pitch, this is what they usually do.  It was a surprise to see such an efficient referee allow them to remain on the pitch when other refs would have dismissed them!  However, inevitably Mr Newell got himself sent off for violent behaviour, something he knows all about.  
Once again the Heart of Midlothian approach a Scottish Cup Final.
Once again we have removed Hibernian from the game.
Once again the media will ignore us and talk about the sectarian Glasgow bigots.
Ah Well...

Thursday 3 February 2022

Thursday Space Filler...

Not long now.
All the rats are deserting the sinking ship, all attempting to suck up to the next leader, all happily lying in their teeth Boris style in the hope of getting something from whoever wins.  Clearly smoothie Rishi is in the lead, however, having no understanding of anything but money, he was one of those that brought about the 2008 world economy collapse, and he is only likely to care for the rich, so this will limit him, and as for Liz Truss, well...
 
 
Boris smearing the opposition leader went well.  Several MPs have written their complaint letter, other backroom staff have resigned, probably to join Rishi, and Boris is the one smeared by this.  Are we taking bets on how long?
 
 
It is not often that I enjoy an 'Old Firm' match but last night was worth watching.  To see the Huns ripped apart like that was most enjoyable.  Missing a centre of defence they were taken for fools constantly, most delightful to watch especially as for a few pounds they could have had one at the weekend.  Maybe he will play on Sunday and show them what they missed?
The only problem was the team beating them, the other half of the sectarian twins, Celtic.  It is true that they are the best team we have played this season, they ripped us apart in the first half but we came back and would have got a draw had Mr Boyce not missed a penalty!  How on earth did he do that?  We deserved a draw that night. Clearly Celtic are the team in charge, but can we catch them?
On Sunday afternoon we play the blue bigots in Ibrox, I wonder which Rangers supporting ref will be chosen for this?  I expect if we are winning a sending off, or indeed the famous 'Penalty for Rangers' cry will be heard.  I'm looking forward to be cheated in this one.
 

 

Sunday 12 September 2021

Sunday Spiel

A quite good day today.
I began the day by doing a bit of Trolling.  I went over to the Hibernian FC site on Twitter where they were parading the usual guff before todays Edinburgh football derby against the Heart of Midlothian, I thought I would troll.
Innocently I posted the Historical facts, all the important ones.
 
Since 1875.  651 Derbies.
Heart of Midlothian won: 286  Hibs 206 Draws 153
6 Abandonded when Hibs went homs in a huff.
Goals: Heart of Midlothian 1100  Hibs 925.

Natural order.

'Natural Order' is a term also used to troll Hibbys.  The number of games has obviously increased by one.  It goes without saying that soon I was inveloped by a crowd of Leith citizens wearing an affronted, sullen and resentful countenance.  I answered all their er, questions, by repeating the statistics for them, some found these unpalatable it appears.  
This did make me laugh.
By the time it came to leave for church I was heading towards a record response for a tweet.  Indeed, many happy Heart of Midlothian individuals also joined me in offering good wishes to the lower orders, but again the response was a wee bit disappointing.
I left them to it.     
With the big game kicking off at noon I wished to leave the church in good time to walk home.  As expected the meeting was slow.  A presentation to the vicar, a celebration for a couples 50th anniversary, then readings, and a sermon, longer than required I say (almost 25 minutes) followed by prayers, followed by slow communion.  After this I looked to the clock, but no, the kids then had something to say, the clock said 'too bad' and I slipped out and hobbled, faster than usual, up the road arriving with two minutes to spare before Kick Off.  Phew!
 
 
The great hope I had was that the Heart of Midlothian was easily deal with the foul few from the eastern side.  Had we lost it would not have been a happy time for me on Twitter, a few hundred 'BLOCK' cases might have been called for.  As it is just the residue remains after a 0-0 draw, the fault of a ref who did not help us.  Just why he is a referee I have never understood, he does not know the Laws, does not know the game, and just does not know.  I suspect he is one who votes Conservative.
Anyway, while grabbing poor nourishment for a Sunday I attempted to watch two other games, both English.  However, these mean little and the emotions of a derby day means English football is worthless.
 
 
So, the day done I must away and attempt to work my way through the magazine pile that is awaiting my attention.  So much to read, magazines and books as well as online stuff, I just have not got the time.  Of course, I could just be getting slow...


Saturday 31 July 2021

Saturday Delight

 

 
Saturday, a day of rest for many, of shopping for others.  
I managed to avoid the crowds by joining the crowds yesterday when the bread ran out.  This was a mistake.  Still, it would be worse today.  I fail to comprehend people who always shop on a Saturday when it is busy.  Surely they can find another time?  These big stores are open till 8 in the evening, five days a week, sometimes they open till nine or later!  How come everyone arrives at the same time on Saturday?  
 

However, proper football begins tonight, in the meantime we have the Blue bigots playing Livingstone. This was a poor game, especially as the blue bigots won.
This will have to do until later, whem we begin against the Green bigots.  8 pm on a Saturday night?  What a strange time to play football, some of the younger players may enter the field holding their phones and Lager bottles by mistake.
That church in the picture has been there for at least 800 years, possibly longer.  The pub, or a pub, has stood on that spot since at least the Saxons I reckon.  A building nearby has a beam that was dated to 1392 I think the man said. This is because this was the road from London to Norwich, and at Bury St Edmunds lay St Edmunds, so a popular pilgrimage route began, and money was taken...
 
 
So, at the ridiculous time of 8 pm we 'entertained' Celtic in the opening game of the new league season.  While it is true they are not at their best, neither are we, indeed that showed in the first half.  However, after taking the lead, we allowed them back in.  Tsk!  Still, improving in the 2nd half and after losing an undeserved equaliser we changed the shape and finished them off with a great John Soutar header a minute from time.  Add to that two saves in the Jim Cruickshank mould in the last minute of added time from captain Craig Gordon and the job was complete.  Heart of Midlothian win by two goals to one and it ought to have been more.  Even the ref was quite good for a change!
 


Saturday 27 March 2021

Heart of Midlothian and Queen of the South


Nothing much happens here on Saturdays bar watching football.  I had an afternoon of much fun watching the romantically named, Heart of Midlothian, struggle as I have watched them doing so many, many times before, against lesser opposition.  The commentator fussed much about this being umpteen years since the also romantically named, Queen of the South, had beaten the Hearts at Tynecastle, I know not why, I think since 1963 we have only played them here eight times.  I did realise as they spouted the usual nonsense that I was at that game way back in October 1963, several years before I was actually born. 
Scottish Football has many romantic names, Hamilton Academicals, Partick Thistle (who don't play in Partick), Raith Rovers, where the chances of watching them 'Dancing in the streets of Raith,' is very thin, and Brechin City, a city with less than 8000 people!
The Heart of Midlothian team that October day were a formidable outfit, Jim Cruickshank, Davie Holt, Norrie Davidson, Willie Wallace (who reached a hundred goals in less than 4 seasons) and the great Willie Hamilton, a man of outstanding ability of international level.  He ought to have been playing with Law, Baxter and MacKay for his country but rarely made it, the drink did not help, indeed it killed him at 38 years of age.  That great Hearts team played a Queens side that was heading for relegation and naturally in front of 10,817 spectators we lost by one goal to nil!  I cannot mind what the 'Boo Boys' said that day, but they would have been out in force at the end I expect.  Queens dropped down a division, a drop down that has, as yet, stopped them ever returning to the highest level of football.  We had to drop down to play them!
I say that defeat in 1963 was much worse than this.  That day we were in fifth place seeking to go higher, they were eleventh and heading slowly downwards.  It is a long and indeed popular tradition among the Heart of Midlothian that we lose to relegation threatened sides,  Most such sides have done this to us, a tradition that will, rest assured, continue.  You will remember the Lord Provost at the Heart of Midlothian's 50th anniversary telling his audience how "The Hearts are good for Scottish football, they beat all the big teams and lose to all the small ones," a tradition maintained to this day. 
The 'Woke' generation are grumbling loudly and offensively, but they need to develop the natural cynicism that comes with following the Hearts.  I think I became cynical by about 1967 myself.
Indeed while this game was a problem for many I find a much worse crime is lying at our door.  On TV at the moment we have a World Cup Qualifier between Netherlands and Latvia, fine so far.  However, I just realised the referee is a woman!  A woman at an important football match refereeing?  What's the matter, have all the pie stalls been closed by Covid?  Blatant sexism,  false equality, a women refereeing something as important as a football match!  The end is nigh indeed.
 

 

Saturday 30 January 2021

Saturday Rain

Another Saturday with nothing better to do than watch football.
Outside sleetish rain is falling, and has done since late last night, occasionally turning into snow and failing to lie.  
A normal Scots day I would say, in June!
The weather also hindered the few brave enough to make for the town centre, I was not aware of excessive Saturday traffic today, and with the town apparently a leading one where the Virus is living (though whether in the streets or in Care Homes is not made clear!) people are taking great steps to avoid needless crowding.  
There was no crowding in here today.
Instead I attempted to upset people on Twitter and failed, previous Bots failed to appear and thus there was nothing to do but eat and watch football.  The first football was mediocre English rubbish, so I fell asleep, but at three in the afternoon the Heart of Midlothian appeared to thrash Dunfermline Athletic at Tynecastle Park by one goal to nil.  That was good enough for me.  
I did grumble at the needless absurd camera shots throughout the game, why did we require constant views of the Pars number 3?  Did the director fancy him?  I would think it may well be female as clearly the director did not understand football.
Anyway, this was disturbed by rumblings from below.  It appears neighbours have moved in!  Not being nosey I have no idea who they are, but listening outside it was clear they are young!
How terrible!
No doubt noise from bad music and soap opera TV will soon appear! 
However, they may be human after all, but I doubt anyone under 40 is human these days.
Look, the six O' Clock game is starting, I wonder who is playing tonight...?
 

Saturday 16 January 2021

Snow Saturday

 

 
As promised, we had a touch of snow today.  Nothing like that experienced in Scotland of course, still, this little lot will cause havoc with the local traffic.  This did not stop me reaching Sainsburys however, but it does encourage me to sit by the ehater all day watching football and reading books.
 
 
Unfotunately, I was unable to read books today.  Instead I made soup, probably one of the worst soups I have ever made.  Lots of veg involved so it is healthy, taste wise it reminds me of hot dishwater after use.  I was forced to eat two servings while it was still in the pot so I do not have to eat it every day this week.  What started as a good idea did not finish that way.
 

The football did its job, eventually.  While some cynical types considered our team a wee bit wan and empty when the teamsheet was announced I was always confident in victory.  This confidence evaporated as the game went on.  Eventually however we managed to secure another win and fool ourselves into thinking we are about to be champions.  I suspect we may be but clearly 'Must do better,' needs to be written on the report cards here.


A quick look out the window shows just how much I need to clean them.  It also reveals the rain has taken the place of the snow and soon all that white stuff will vanish again.  No loss I say, bring me sunshine not snow, warmth, not cold, gentle breeze, not the north east wind shaking the windows.