20th April 2004 - What is the club playing at?
Booth has his faults but his intelligence and willingness to take responsibility shine through. Or are the current
management merely looking for sheep to keep Aberdeen in 11th place next season?
This is a crazy decision. Aberdeen needs a player like Booth. In modern football, its not just about skill, and
bravery in a player. Its also about the ability and willingness to be able to take responsibility too. And yes,
to think.
This "awkward" tendency, already prevalent before he left Pitters in 1997, was undoubtedly sharpened
during Booth's spells in Germany and Holland. Here's a quote from his time in Dortmund: "At certain times
of the season [during his first Aberdeen spell] we had crisis team meetings when we weren't playing very well.
Once when I said something I was completely shot down in flames. After I’d been shot down in flames, no one else
would contribute anything to the meeting and the meeting was finished. That is something that would never happen
here.The players have a say. The player does the job. The player is the one who if says something to the trainer
who he doesn't feel is apt, then the trainer must help him realise what is right Because he s the thing that's
actually going out on a Saturday to win the game for the trainer. So it makes sense for the trainer rather than
to say that s the biggest lot of crap I've heard in my life it makes a difference to say look I know what you re
saying to me but that's not the way I see it let's try and work in some way that's between the both of us which
we can both understand and that we know that we can get a result
from on Saturday. Whereas in Scotland, in my time anyway, players felt under pressure to say something, that they
had to say something. They felt that if they did say something they felt they were under so much pressure saying
it that they were about to be
crucified for saying it."
"I’ll never think about football the same again since coming over here. Players here are willing here to take
calculated risks in that when it’s quite tight they’ll take the ball down and play it out of defence and keep possession.
What's you other option? To boot
it up the park?"
Or here's another one from early 1998, very ironic indeed in light of today's news: [Asked about his loyalty to
the club he still supports Booth says]: "I always will support them" (he told me he had suffered recently
by watching the once proud Dons suffer the now usual defeat at the hands of Celtic), and "I was loyal to Aberdeen
for nine years. And then at the end of the day, I wasn t offered a contract at Aberdeen. So where was the loyalty
there? You can t expect a club to be hundred per cent loyal. You can t expect a player to be hundred per cent loyal"
Well, Booth, judging by the quotes in today's press was prepared to be a little more loyal than he perhaps should
have been. To the current board and management, I would say, yes AFC should be run according to the rules of the
balance sheet, but the bottom line is, that if you get rid of your best players, you've got no football club, and
all you're left with is the administration of a Gothenburg nostalgia industry.
Wake up for Fuck's sake. I'm incensed.
Neptune Lodger
Who's really pulling the strings at Thistle?
How many hundreds more paying punters would turn up to Rugby Park on a Saturday? Even with the Dandies finishing off a drab season, the numbers would be significantly and that means it is costing Killie serious money, not to mention the aforesaid much traveled Rudolphs who face even worse travel prospects next season if Clyde get promoted. Doubtless there are voices of reason turning up at SPL meetings and trying to get this kind of thing sorted, but they seem to be constantly overruled by folk who lack the mental capacity of a slither of earthworms. We are probably having to make this trip so as not to inconvenience a fixture between Livingston and Motherwell coz the get weary traveling more than a puckle o miles on a Wednesday night. Get wise SPL or we'll have to look elsewhere for an administration (no nae that kind). Do the SFL have these crazy screw-ups?
14th April 2004 - Here you go Red Army, just to show that you are appreciated in more ways than one.....
11th April 2004 - What a boring fitba weekend! Nae Dons' game till the U-21's tomorrow night - at least that een's a bit interesting v the Timmies. Ither than yon, fit's been happenin? A pathetic turn oot at Hampden for the semi atween Caley and the Paralytics, and they play oot a dra. Still, it dis mean a replay at Todders, so there's a chance for the Reed Ermy ti turn oot at a glamour occasion this season efte a (an the of course there's the even mair glamorous Elton show).
Ony wye, fit I sez is this here: The Reed Ermy should turn oot in force ti support Caley, for twa reasons. First, loads o Caley fans are Dandies in ony case and will likely welcome the backin and second it'll be a chunce ti gie the twa Young brithers a bit o stick efter a yon ditch water an drivel the pair o them hiv been spoutin against the Dandies. Fa div they think they are? Fit did the manage ti dee for us fan they wis in aboot Todders? Rap all, that's fit. They niver cared for onythin but the pay cheques an it showed. Come awa the Caley. Ach it'll be grand to watch a night match wi oot haein to worry ower muckle aboot the score.
Eppie the Auld Fish Wife
4th April 2004 - Noticed how Dundee United under Ian McCall are assembling a squad of nasty, niggly, individuals who will stop at nothing to try and get an advantage? Why it could almost be the huns themselves at times. Miller and McLaren are the worst offenders but there are a few more willing apprentices showing through. These guys knew that they were well beaten on Saturday but they couldn't just accept it without trying on a variety of underhanded maneuvers to upset the ambiance of the afternoon. But then, the Dandies have seen a whole catalogue of such behaviours from the Tannalice men over the years and it probably has to be recognised as a part of the rivalry that has built up. Maybe it is a veiled compliment because they know that while they may be further up the league than us for the time being, the Dandies will always have the last laugh in domestic football over time and that when the red revival happens the arabs'll be left in our dust.
Fair enough, come people dislike the strip design and others love it, but why criticise AFC for making sure that it is associated with NIKE? Or for that matter, for ensuring that the Club outlets are the only source of the kit? (Shame it can't be available a bit sooner though.) Do people really think that Pittodrie makes anything worthwhile out of other sports outlets selling official gear? Think again....
The most important factor in the announcements of the last couple of days has been the fact that the club has secured deals to replace the ones that have come to an end (so it isn't new money Evening Express, much as Charlie the Peanut tried to make it sound that way). Money isn't pouring into the game these days so any deal as strong as has been wrapped up is a big plus. Now let's get on to the next thing that will help AFC recover.