maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Just joined and my first thread on here so I'm keeping it local (for me) I'm not sure if we've got a Scottish input on the forum so maybe this has been asked before.....my name is a giveaway and obviously I'm a Hearts fan...my first game was in 1964ish, do any of you have a pet Scottish side you follow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalziel Kane Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Yes Aberdeen. Been a follower since the days of Gothenburg in 1983 and the great Ferguson years and recognize fine players such as Joe Harper, Willie Miller and McLeish etc. No title wins since 1985 but fuck me, they had a damn good side for long enough. I wish I could talk some Scots soccer with you or even any other interested participants at some stage (won't be today - we're going out tonight) as have a wealth and expansive knowledge of the SPL and players and past games, but it would only culminate in getting unnecessary abuse from one or two individuals on these pages, and their fucking minions joining in, just for good measure. Damn shame but what can you do. In any event, I think a 'scots corner' piece, as was suggested, is good enough. I got no dispute if you can initial it rather than some select other questionable name/s on these pages. I hope you endeavor to stick around maybe as there are one or two other SPL people about here occasionally and there's always scope for a decent debate - if allowed that opportunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Sounds like there's a bit of history on here... hopefully nothing too serious. It'd be a nice angle for me if there are other Scottish club fans from other sides as surely we could unite behind the Everton banner...but maybe I've got the mood all wrong with that??? anyway let's hear what you've got...Aberdeen ain't one of my favourites but I can see the attraction keep them coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibdane Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 I'd have to go with Rangers, but only because they've had a few Americans in recent years, and I also can't forget that Everton have taken a couple of their players as well. I saw they got bumped down to the third division not too long ago (or was it the fourth?) and have since been promoted. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't pay much attention to the league otherwise. I have too short of an attention span and can only keep my sights on MLS or the EPL. Keep us update though, It's nice to have a more worldlier view of soccer.. I mean... football. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Fair play Tonka...but Scotland is so much more than Rangers/Celtic and it holds the league back...at the risk of going off topic...whats your MLS team?...I'm hoping it'll be a local side and one you can get to see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 I'll have to go for Hearts, I won the Cup Winners' Cup with them on Championship Manager. Plus it's where we signed David Weir and Gary Naysmith from. Naysmith is still playing. He looks a lot older now - older than Weir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonButtle Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Yes Aberdeen. although born in Liverpool i grew up in Aberdeen due to parents moving there because of the then thriving oil industry. I used to go and see them regularly and always check for their results, and a few ex school friends still go and keep me informed of news now and again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Nice one Louis...Gary came back in the summer to dig us out a hole and help with the youngsters pre-season...he was gonna sign for expenses but our embargo wouldn't allow it....he played a couple of friendlies and he's off to East Fife till January...really good player and unlucky with injuries during his career. Davie Weir is another cup winning player for us and a quality act...I'm expecting him to do well at Sheffield Utd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibdane Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Fair play Tonka...but Scotland is so much more than Rangers/Celtic and it holds the league back...at the risk of going off topic...whats your MLS team?...I'm hoping it'll be a local side and one you can get to see? Interestingly enough, I've heard that before, with Celtic being especially harmful to the league. I support Seattle Sounders, but no team is that close to my current location (Mississippi). Houston is the closest city with an MLS team, but it's still about 10 hours away. I really love the city of Seattle and plan on moving there one day (the corporate offices for my current job are located there), and when the USA national team plays there, the stadium is packed. It's a true soccer city, which is a breath of fresh air and gives me hope for the growth of the sport in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 What about the level below the MLS...how good/organised is that...and can you get to a game at that level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibdane Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 We have the NASL. It only has eight teams though. There is a club located in Atlanta for this league, but the quality is not all there, and it's certainly not worth driving 5 hours to go see. Then there's the USL, which has 12 clubs, and the quality of play in this league is even poorer than the NASL. The MLS is expected to expand to 24 clubss by 2020. The next club(20th) will be in NYC, and it's expected the coub after that will be located in either Orlando or Miami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 That's a nice insight Tonka and to be fair I haven't looked under the MLS to see what props it up...the sheer size and potential of football in the States is mind boggling but we're way past the point where it's gonna take a serious hold and influence World football, the big sports over there seem to have a death grip on "soccer" and that's a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibdane Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) I don't think it will ever surpass American football as the top sport, and that's okay, but I want it to be respected. When it becomes respected then we'll start seeing some young athletes choosing soccer instead of the other sports on a regular basis. Believe it or not, the MLS is third in attendance for pro-league sports in the USA, only behind American football and baseball, but baseball has taken a huge drop in the past decade, and hockey has never really caught on in most parts of the US (it's a lot more popular up north, in the colder climates). Basketball is pretty popular, but most venues don't hold many attendees. Edited September 5, 2013 by TonkaRoost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cake Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 None really, maroon, as haven't followed Scottish football closely enough or got a particular affiliation with any area of Scotland to link myself to a team or club. I used to look at the attendances for Saturday's matches in the lower Scottish divisions in the Sunday paper when I was a kid to see who had the lowest and would imagine what it was like in the ground with Att: 58 and a scoreline of Arbroath 4 Queen of the South 7, or whatever. I know we've also played Hearts in a couple of friendlies in fairly recent years but don't know what the connection is there for those matches to be set up? If anything I used to look for St Johnstone and Caledonian Thistle results. St Johnstone because I drove past their ground on the way to Aviemore in the late 1970s and remember seeing ST JOHNSTONE almost hand-painted in about 30 feet high letters down the whole of one side of their ground which from memory was in the middle of nowhere on top of a hill? I just thought "It must be fucking freezing in there" and looked to see how many were there each week and what the score was. Caledonian Thistle was because I heard their fans sang a song, to the tune of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, to wind Celtic fans up and part of it went "Super Cally go ballistic Celtic are atrocious.........." and so on, which I could see Celtic being well pissed off about, not that I dislike them either.... just funny a 'small' team taking the piss out of a 'big' one in that way. Do Hearts still have that Eastern European gangster as an owner (it was you wasn't it?)? Put all the players up for sale, refused to pay wages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msloan78 Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Forfar 4 East Fife 5 Not sure if that scoreline ever happened, but its always stuck in my head from somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Mentioned in another thread my Aberdeen sympathies, dating from the late sixties and a visit to an uncle (who actually lived near Elgin but we visited Aberdeen). My lad follows Hearts though when it comes to north of the border. (btw Maroon, I've moved this thread from the Everton section to "General football/sport" ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Aw Cake...first off I'm delighted you posted on the thread, and fair play for your honesty...it's another dagger in my heart for the reputation of Scottish football and that just makes me more determined to educate you guys. At least you've heard of diverse clubs like St Johnstone and Caley Thistle...so that's a start. As for Hearts..we have jettisoned our Balkan bawbag and are consolidating our position as the biggest club outside the Glasgow hatefest, I'll try and illuminate the board with a flavour of our football and fingers crossed you'll see we are valid and interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hafnia Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Celtic for me. I'm half Irish. Love the old firm games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cake Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 you'll see we are valid and interesting That's not in doubt, maroon - Everton have a lot to be grateful for to Scotland, The Golden Vision, Sharp ('lowly' Dumbarton), Ferguson, Weir..... to name but a few. As for Gary Naysmith - things could have been so much better for him. In my opinion he was never the same after that shitbag Gerrard nearly split him in two while he was lying on the floor! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fearthainn Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 When I remember I look out for Hearts actually, thanks to a very successful game in Championship Manager (maybe 01-02 ?) back when Scott Severin was a very promising youngster. Pressley was a rock in defence and Stephane Adam was our Zidane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 I'm not really into Scottish football but I used to follow Celtic back when I was younger. A few weeks ago I wanted Shakhtar Karagandy to stuff them so I can't really call myself a fan. Without sounding rude I find it hard to follow football in Scotland when it's dominated by Celtic now and will be a two horse race when Rangers are back up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kohen Posted September 6, 2013 Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 I'm not really into Scottish football but I used to follow Celtic back when I was younger. A few weeks ago I wanted Shakhtar Karagandy to stuff them so I can't really call myself a fan. Without sounding rude I find it hard to follow football in Scotland when it's dominated by Celtic now and will be a two horse race when Rangers are back up there. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/table/default.stm I'd just like to point you to the current league standings. Inverness beat Celtic the other week too, so you can't argue they've just played weaker sides, 2-0 I think it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 It actually ended up 2-2 Kohen...but Caley were 2-0 up at one point and are still top of the league. On any given day every side in the SPFL can, and do beat Celtic...they just end up cutting each others throats tho and nobody can be consistent enough to push them over a whole season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted September 6, 2013 Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hi Maroon1, im Swedish so the obvious answer is Celtic. So many swedes have featured in the team in recent years. Larsson the main guy and one of my favorite players of all time. Hans Eskilsson used to play for Hearts didn't he? Whats your opinion of him? My favorite ever Hearts player has to be David Weir for obvious reasons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Posted September 6, 2013 Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/table/default.stm I'd just like to point you to the current league standings. Inverness beat Celtic the other week too, so you can't argue they've just played weaker sides, 2-0 I think it was. 3 points behind with a game in hand? The start is always a mixed bag but you can bet your house when the season finishes Celtic will be on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hi Maroon1, im Swedish so the obvious answer is Celtic. So many swedes have featured in the team in recent years. Larsson the main guy and one of my favorite players of all time. Hans Eskilsson used to play for Hearts didn't he? Whats your opinion of him? My favorite ever Hearts player has to be David Weir for obvious reasons Hi Peter Hans Eskilsson is a cult hero at Tynecastle...he wasn't particularly good but he missed an absolute sitter against Partick Thistle once that made us all laugh (eventually) and his hair gave him the inevitable nickname Hair Bear...he didn't stay long but is fondly remembered. Davie Weir was a great player for us and a good servant at Goodison and he played in a Hearts side that contained Neil Pointon, who is another cult hero at our place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted September 6, 2013 Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 he wasn't particularly good but he missed an absolute sitter against Partick Thistle once that made us all laugh (eventually) a Would that be up for viewing anywhere? Youtube? I know it happened long before YT but there are older clips there to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 I had a wee look Peter but couldn't find any clips of Hans playing for Hearts, and that's a shame, I did find out that he's now playing poker professionally on the pokerstars circuit, so he must be decent at it. I've a question for you about Swedish Football...about 10 years ago there was a team playing in the Swedish 2nd division called Café Opera, and I followed them for a while but they seem to have disappeared....I think they were named after a bar/nightclub in Stockholm and they played in black.....do you know what happened to them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted September 6, 2013 Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 Celtic for me Maroon, largely down to Striker & Sensible World of Soccer on the Amiga when I was a kid, plus large family ties in Ireland and Scotland who all hated Rangers (dunno why, they weren't Celtic fans!). Then there was one of my idols growing up, Henrik Laarson. Now it's because of a few friends who follow Celtic intensely, and I want them to be happy. No disrespect intended, but I find Scottish football boring. Not just because of the domination if a small group of teams, but mostly the football - it's often riddled with Sunday pub team mistakes that bewilder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maroon1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hi Matt I don't think the standard is that bad but of course I'm biased because it's what I watch. As for the domination by a small number of teams...that's pretty much the same for most leagues round the world isn't it?, although I hold my hands up and admit it's perhaps worse up here. I suppose if you've an interest in a league then you kinda ignore some of the deficiencies in it. It doesn't help the image of our game when the games shown are played out in front of sparse crowds, but actually our attendances are the highest in Europe based on our population size Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.