The Benchman: Nothing to shout about

This week the Benchman reflects on the Airdrieonians stalemate, distasteful Bury countdown clock and Scotland’s Euro 2020 double header
By The Benchman
Published 5th Sep 2019, 10:32 BST
Which team is this?Which team is this?
Which team is this?

NOTHING TO SHOUT ABOUT: Played three - scored none. Not a very impressive away record by any standard. Falkirk fans have seen the frustration levels rise with each successive game. Teams are hard to break down and they all want to knock a “big club” off its perch. The league table is as changeable as the weather. Dumbarton looked a sorry outfit when Falkirk destroyed them with that blitzkrieg first half. Now they are sitting above us in the table. It’s going to be a bumpy ride as someone once said.

WARNINGS FROM HISTORY: The alarming events at Bury and Bolton will have brought back memories for older fans of the demise of Third Lanark. The disastrous stewardship of Bill Hiddelston should serve as a warning to others and I remember some of their former players talking about being paid from the day’s gate money - in two bob bits and half crowns.

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OBSCENE: If ever there was a brilliant example of the terrible state of the game it came courtesy of Sky TV on the day that Bury died. The grinning Jim White stood in front of a giant clock showing the hours and minutes to midnight and the end of a proud club’s place in the English League. It was like dancing on a grave, especially as Jaunty Jim then proceeded to tell us that Alexis Sanchez was heading to Milan on a weekly wage of £500,000 a week.

RUSSIAN ROULETTE: The blazers at Hampden Park will be hoping for a good result tomorrow night against Russia. Ticket sales are not too bad, but a disaster against the Russians will see the Belgian game being played in front of a sparse gathering. I still find it hard to see a Scotland team that we struggle to identify. Gone are the days when we knew the team on the Friday morning before the game and knew their clubs, height, weight, number of caps and the like- and that was without mobile phones, tablets, iPads and computers.

AUCH NO!: Hard lines Camelon- that was a great effort and you were a credit to the club. I had really hoped that The Mariners would get through to face an SPFL side and that it might be Cove Rangers!

HENDERSON WATCH: A great picture of the Falkirk team that played in the Redding Disaster Relief Fund match of November 1923 was handed in last week. The picture is the clearest one we have seen so far, and will be added to the club picture archive. The players were Clydesdale, Scott, Anderson, Dougal, Puddefoot, Godfrey, Munnoch, Glancy, Marshall, Hunter and Bryce.

Related topics:AirdrieoniansScotlandFalkirk