A 30-year-old Scouser released by Shrewsbury and Tranmere

[Sir_Walter_Timslayer]

Adrian Durham, Timslayer of some renown, takes aim, pulls trigger, fires, and hits the buleseye...



Celtic think they are so big that they had a divine right to get to the Scottish Cup final... they need taking down a peg or two

Celtic lost their Scottish Cup semi-final to Inverness Caledonian Thistle
The Glasgow club wrote to the SFA to complain about a penalty decision
They were angered by the referee's failure to award a penalty for handball
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths complained they were 'robbed' at Hampden

By Adrian Durham for MailOnline


A 30-year-old Scouser released by Shrewsbury and Tranmere in recent years was the hero of Scottish football at the weekend. Full back David Raven stabbed home the winner to take Inverness Caledonian Thistle to the Scottish Cup final.

You can only be pleased for him – he must have thought his career glory had been and gone when he made a few appearances in the Liverpool first team as a youngster (he played in the infamous 1-0 defeat for

[afc_1983]

Adrian Durham is like many English journalists. Every now and again they'll pass comment on Scottish football issues without really having the underlying knowledge and insight to do so with any great accuracy.

It's why their throw away comments about our game having a lack of quality and interest in it should be challenged.

Durham certainly has Celtic's number. I can't fault his criticisms there.

But his comments about Scottish football in general are misinformed. He comes at the issue from the perspective that only two teams matter - Celtic and Rangers.

As most now accept, that has never been the case and most certainly isn't post the Rangers troubles.

There are positives he's neglected to mention - notably the resurgence of teams like Aberdeen and Dundee and, until recently at least, Dundee Utd.

Hearts have got themselves back in order. They're likely to have a major say at the top end of the table in the next 2/3 seasons. Their support has grown, not wavered.

Durham's probabl

[DeezAreGood]

After losing to Alloa in the Ramsdiddy Cup, having been 2-0 up , you'd think the hvns would finally have a clue about where they are, and stop being dangleberries hinging onto a rivalry which died in 2012.

[tarapoa]

Whilst it's tempting for allow myself a chuckle at his anti-Celtic stuff, I would agree this is typical of the nonsense you get when English journalists write about Scottish football.

They seem to fail to appreciate the difference in scale and dynamics of the game up here.

It's like a Scottish sports journalist deciding to write a huge article taking the pi$$ out of the Welsh or Northern Irish league...or Durham himself writing another article having a pop at the Swiss or Swedish league.

Shrewsbury, the only league club in Shropshire (population 500K) and Tranmere, the only league club in the Wirral (population 350K), are older and more established clubs than ICT - one of two top flight clubs in the Highlands (population 230K) - and an area still full of people who for some reason prefer to support the former old firm.

It is not that remarkable that David Raven, who played for Liverpool previously, will have taken that route to ICT.

Scottish football is full of such players - but

[afc_1983]

[quote="tarapoa"]Whilst it's tempting for allow myself a chuckle at his anti-Celtic stuff, I would agree this is typical of the nonsense you get when English journalists write about Scottish football.

They seem to fail to appreciate the difference in scale and dynamics of the game up here.

It's like a Scottish sports journalist deciding to write a huge article taking the pi$$ out of the Welsh or Northern Irish league...or Durham himself writing another article having a pop at the Swiss or Swedish league.

Shrewsbury, the only league club in Shropshire (population 500K) and Tranmere, the only league club in the Wirral (population 350K), are older and more established clubs than ICT - one of two top flight clubs in the Highlands (population 230K) - and an area still full of people who for some reason prefer to support the former old firm.

It is not that remarkable that David Raven, who played for Liverpool previously, will have taken that route to ICT.

Sco

[DeezAreGood]

An anti-Scottish article presented on here by Waldo, no surprise there.

What about players like Craig Forsyth and Jonny Russell, developed in Dundee and now edging their club towards the 5bn Premiership via the playoffs, no mention made.

Any club, no matter how big, can fail to win one-off games because 11 vs 11 over 90 minutues is quite an even contest. Where clubs like Celtic and Rangers past prosper, is that their squad will always have a best 11, whereas the other clubs will lose key players over a season who can't be replaced.

[AguyIknow]

As you say, no real surprise as to the trumpet trumpeting this article but the neck of Durham is incredible.

Salary caps to be applied to Scottish Fitba outwith an expanded top flight??? Even leaving Sevco out of this he should have a look closer to home at how the outlandish money being spent in transfers and player salary has English football headed for the rock - it's a matter of when and not if.

[Sir_Walter_Timslayer]

After losing to Alloa in the Ramsdiddy Cup, having been 2-0 up , you'd think the hvns would finally have a clue about where they are, and stop being dangleberries hinging onto a rivalry which died in 2012.

I don't remember ever Rangers losing in the Ramsdens Cup to Alloa.

Maybe you're getting confused. Losing cup ties to Alloa is not something to which your wee diddy dees are unaccustomed.

And don't talk to me about rivalries, your one died 40 years ago when the wee team down the street started owning you. Their big rivalry is with St Johnstone. Yours is with Arbroath.

But don't worry, you do get to beat Dundee Utd whenever there is a solar eclipse.

[Sir_Walter_Timslayer]

Dear oh Dear, seems like English journalists are not allowed to criticise Scottish football.

Aim, pull trigger, fire and eh... completely miss the point why don't you. The point is not so much the journeyman player from the english diddy league plays for ICT. Oh no, the deal is that he owned er, who was it he owned again, er. wasn't it, the ehm, ah that's it, The Biggest Club In The World, that's who he owned. And TBCITW Hampden Supporters Club conspired to try to rig their own rules to get the lad to miss the cup final.

And BTW, the best kept secret in football, judging teams by the size of the city and country they play in is the wisdom of a fool.

[Steenyhive]

After losing to Alloa in the Ramsdiddy Cup, having been 2-0 up , you'd think the hvns would finally have a clue about where they are, and stop being dangleberries hinging onto a rivalry which died in 2012.

I don't remember ever Rangers losing in the Ramsdens Cup to Alloa.

Maybe you're getting confused. Losing cup ties to Alloa is not something to which your wee diddy dees are unaccustomed.

And don't talk to me about rivalries, your one died 40 years ago when the wee team down the street started owning you. Their big rivalry is with St Johnstone. Yours is with Arbroath.

But don't worry, you do get to beat Dundee Utd whenever there is a solar eclipse. [/quote]