BrahimHemdani

On the contrary as JFK explained he needs to get up very early as it is to watch most games; if he had to post an hour before KO he would need to be up even earlier or post the day before which is a being disadvantage. It makes no sense to me to have a cut off before the team is announced; as typically there will be a fair number who select a FGS who isn't playing. This will be especially true if we have a whole bunch of new players that no one knows. Just about everyone has some kind of device where they can get the team when it is announced about an hour before KO on BBC, Sky, Rangers etc whether they are at the match, at home, in a pub or on the other side of the world as I was doing in April. So your proposal would actually disadvantage the vast majority if not ac tally all players, for no reason. I don't recall any outcry to change the rule away from KO time; so I see no reason to change.

I will be proud to wear my shirt for being Runner Up last year. May even post a picture.

Sorry still don't agree. Sometimes I go with the feeling we're going to get gubbed and just hoping it won't be too bad. Sometimes you do get gubbed and sometimes you do better than expected witness the two games at Parkhead this past season. I don't see being realistic as being negative.

Mine must have been signed in invisible ink.

I disagree with the early cut off time because I don't see predicting the team as part of predicting the result. I always make sure I check the team when I am OUTSIDE the stadium to ensure I have a signal and the ability to change FGS if necessary. Furthermore as JFK points out it puts those in different time zones at a disadvantage. Some kind of bonus system for forecaster of the month is a good idea provided it can be implemented without taking up too much extra time for Rousseau.

I don't agree that forecasting a bad result is being negative, realistic perhaps in some games; but negative, NO.

I understand that very well. I seriously contemplated taking the same course but felt obligated after finishing second in my first season. However, it is very difficult to make true forecasts when you come under such peer pressure not to forecast against Rangers; and as you say that of itself is difficult when you obviously want Rangers to win, but know that isn't going to happen all the time.

LB has a thing about folk making truthful predictions and for the most part I agree with him. Earlier in the season my honest forecasts would have been losses at Parkhead and Pittodrie but I forecast a win and a draw IIRC because there is a fair amount of peer pressure (not all of it good natured) here not to forecast against Rangers. Had I made an honest forecast in those games, I might have challenged SBS and Rousseau for 3rd or 2nd. When Craig and I then forecast Rangers to lose the second game at Parkhead we were rounded on by a minority on here. Of course this was compounded when I forecast a loss or draw at Aberdeen (can't remember exactly) and we came with the late 3-0. It has been said more than once that I take the league more seriously than some; but I see no point in taking part and then forecasting Rangers to win every game; as only JFK genuinely believes that Rangers will win every time out; I don't see the skill in that. That said, it is extremely difficult to forecast a loss for example, because you are obviously sitting there willing your team on to win. So my advice to Gaffer is make an honest forecast and be damned as I have been.

So I understand.

Those finishing in the top 4 two years in a row should get +50% points for all forecasts in 2017/18; bit like frequent flyer premium bonus miles.

Given that Miller will be nearly as old as you next season, I'd say double points for all correct Miller FGS forecasts and 2 points awarded if you forecast him as FGS and he scores at any time.

This one is just for discussion, I mentioned it after the Aberdeen 1-2 home game. I felt it was worth thinking about whether it was right to award points for correct Rangers goals, when you wrongly predict the result. I know that the result itself is a separate prediction but it just seemed wrong to me that you get a point (or two in my above proposal) if you forecast Rangers to win (or draw) and we lose (or draw if you have forecast a win or a loss) the match. I'm not sure I can explain exactly why I feel that way; but it's like get a consolation for a wrong forecast. Just a thought as I say.

I don't think many changes are needed if any. Last year I mentioned that there had been at least two occasions where there was a question as to whether "late" posts should be allowed in the case of late kick-offs. The previous rule was ambiguous "Your match prediction will not be counted AT ALL if your prediction is posted after kick-off." because this could be interpreted as the official kick off time or the actual kick off time. On both occasions Zappa ruled that the posts which were made after the official kick off time but before the actual kick off be allowed. However, this led to questions about the actual kick off time, which is not usually recorded anywhere. Therefore I suggested the rule be amended to say "Your match prediction will not be counted AT ALL if your prediction is posted after the official kick-off time." So a 7.46pm post will not be valid if the official kick off time is 7.45pm even if the actual kick off is 7.47pm. This means there is no debate: either your post is time stamped on or before the official kick off time and it is valid; or it is posted after the official kick off tie and it is not valid. This change was adopted and in my opinion it worked fine, so should remain in place. I don't agree with an arbitrary earlier cut off, for the reasons given by JFK and others. I feel we should retain the double points for Scottish Cup, because it does add a bit of something different for the Cup games and I agree with extending this to the EL games, which might be harder to predict. However, I have two proposals: Cup tie results should be 90 minutes and not include extra time; and I would return to 2 points for Correct Number of Rangers goals which is harder to predict than the result of the match.

I'm not surprised that everyone deserted the faceless one and I'm not a big drinker; but would certainly have shared another glass of merlot. Hasta la vista, amigo.

I'm not going near anything that is in any way connected with FF.

I don't recall you buying me one but there's always next time. :cheers:

Thank you for the correction. I found it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teheln%C3%A9_pole.'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teheln%C3%A9_pole. Tehelné pole, most commonly, the name refers to the football stadium in this district which is the home ground of Slovan Bratislava. In 2005–06, it was also used as the "home" ground for FC Artmedia Bratislava in that club's Champions League and UEFA Cup campaigns, as Artmedia's own ground did not meet minimum standards for UEFA competitions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teheln%C3%A9_pole

I know it's a bit off topic but remember Artmedia Bratislava who beat Celtic 5-0, 0-4 in the 2005/06 CL and who we drew with twice the following season. Artmedia were members of the top flight Slovak league from its inception in 1993 until 2010. In the 2009–10 season they were relegated from the top-tier Corgoň Liga to the Slovak Second Division after finishing last. Two years later in the 2011–12 season they were relegated to the Slovak Third Division. In 2014, due to severe financial problems, the team was relegated to the lowest division (Slovak Fifth League). Remind you of anything? They were promoted to the 4th level for 2016/17. The club are now called FC Petržalka akadémia and plays its home matches at its own new stadium with a capacity of 1,500. The club's old home ground, Štadión Petržalka, which held 9,000 was demolished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Petr%C5%BEalka_akad%C3%A9mia I recall it was a nightmare to get into but their fans were great, buying us drink in the railway carriage that passed for their Club across the road.

What meeting is that?

I agree with all these thoughts. We SHOULD sail through Q1 but remember Celtic lost in GIb. Q2 is a lottery. Again we SHOULD have a reasonable chance against the Scandinavian or Cypriot teams (although Cyprus is now on a par with Scotland) but we came unstuck in Sweden before. I wouldn't fancy Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Belarus etc. Q3 already looks like a bridge too far but it would be nice to get into the hat and draw Milan or Marseille.

Yep, updated at #64. Red Star was a really difficult one back in 2007, which we got through, just, aided by a sterling performance by one Brahim Hemdani. They are the loudest fans anywhere. Sounded like a train coming through the stadium as one side chanted to the other.

The dates are correct but we are seeded in Q1 so the first round opponents are wrong. We are looking at the likes of Shamrock Rovers, Cork City, Derry City, Coleraine, Ballymena, Connah's Quay, Bangor City, the famous Lincoln Red Imps from Gib, and teams from Serbia, Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Finland, Moldova, Hungary, Lithuania, Iceland the Faroe Islands, Malta. We may avoid the worst of the travelling because Q1 is regionalised but that might still include Georgia, for example. If we get through we will not be seeded in Q2, where potential opponents include: Maccabi Tel-Aviv (*) Isr 23.375 . Hajduk Split Cro 11.550 . Dinamo Minsk * Bls 10.975 . Apollon Limassol (*) Cyp 10.710 . HJK Helsinki * Fin 10.530 . AIK Stockholm * Swe 9.945 . Vojvodina Novi Sad * Srb 9.075 . Brøndby IF Den 8.800 . AEL Limassol * Cyp 8.210 . EL3 Tur 7.840 - 58.840 . Gabala FK Azb 7.800 . Slovan Bratislava * Svk 7.350 . Red Star Belgrade * Srb 7.325 . Skënderbeu Korçë * Alb 6.800 If we get through that, potential opponents in Q3 include: Zenit St. Petersburg Rus 87.106 . Sparta Praha Cze 48.135 . AC Milan Ita >47.666 . PSV Eindhoven Ned >46.212 . Sporting Braga Por 37.366 . AA Gent Bel 35.480 . FK Krasnodar Rus 32.106 . EL23 Fra 29.333 - 68.833 . Everton Eng >29.135 . Olympique Marseille Fra 28.333 . EL3 Esp >27.442 >60.942 . Dinamo Zagreb Cro 26.050 . Maccabi Tel-Aviv (*/**) Isr 23.375 . Austria Wien (*/**) Aut 17.070 . EL3 Ger 16.899 - 20.899 . Maritimo Funchal Por 14.866 https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html I'd rather not look beyond that at this point.

I live and learn as most do, LB.

You may have noticed Gettysburg on telly tonight. I can't argue with your comments, Longstreet was right of course and JEB Stuart too late to make a difference. “It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it.”

As a novice, I am proud to have finished above a number of highly rated and experienced forecasters on both occasions; I'll happily leave it at that.