Andy's Sting

No, This is not a column praising the birthplace of George Best, Rory McIlroy and my Great, Great, Grannie Catherine Charleton, (no connection I know of to the more renowned Bobby and Jack). No it’s the sad summary of a season where County started as favourites and flopped. We all now know that there will be no Highland Derby next season after ICT closed out the SPFL1 and County slipped silently from the Championship. One of my old pals, a staunch County fan, dropped me a not

For some the business end of the season is good news but for others disaster is on the horizon. Right now, I genuinely think both our top leagues are still open with Hearts in the best position in both but with dog-eat-dog matches to manoeuvre. Exciting yes. Motherwell’s victory last week in Rangersland shows there are no certainties for any of the top teams. But clarity is coming, starting tonight while Sting is in the ether. Ross County will know if they face a double releg

Sometimes the Good Ship Football is damaged by what looks like stupidity and unfairness but is in reality the natural outcome of a system built on self-interest. This week recent history repeated itself when Linlithgow Rose qualified for the SPFL2 play offs after a great second half of the season, only to be told they didn’t meet the criteria because of 6 licence failings. The main one was that they hadn’t filed accounts. Eejits. Like Buckie Last Year The club has let down th

We have a place at the World Cup. Our SPFL and WSPFL leagues are all more competitive than ever. But the own goal that is ‘insecurity’ is a constant cancer right through our game. I say that after our authorities recently banned one of our more combative, mouthier, but also maybe more insightful pundits from Hampden. I found that particular move more unsavoury than anything Michael Stewart has or could have ever have said. I disagree with lots of what he spouts and especiall

(Sadly but Reluctantly, and after Careful and Painful Consideration) Who is this Eric I hear you think? What did he say? And why does Andy concur? I don’t actually know him but this Yorkshire ‘World Cup Veteran’ is “Searching for wisdom in a time of stupidity” and I like that. And it’s not a story the media will pick up on. This all started when my old pal Keith sent me a cutting of Eric’s succinct perspective, insight and reasoning and it reminded me of what I and many other

In 76 days 5000-ish members of the Tartan Army will descend on Boston in a special fleet of yellow school buses from their temporary ‘Heilan Hame’ in Providence Rhode Island. A big Sesame Street adventure and journey that should take not much more than an hour on a wet night in winter but will. It will be ‘Box Office’ and a historic and joyous parade there and I hope back too with smiles all round. By coincidence 76 Days was the time that Rhode Island lone sailor Steve Callah

Episode 1 of the 3 part BBC Scotland ‘Ultras’ documentaries started this week. Jordan, the programme’s director was articulate in the media ahead of it talking about how Ultras is an easy word to say but Ultras, the broad concept we all think we understand, is an informal but uncoordinated alliance of mostly younger fans and not a simple or simplistic blueprint of anything. A church so broad it can’t be pigeon-holed. that is apart from maybe where Ultras has become the new na

I wish it was funny but it wasn’t. Not funny in any way. The weekend Miekelson’s Bams Ran Riot, Again, March 8th 2026. A date and fan behaviour that could, I think bring a sea change to football in Scotland. But only if the country and the game actually wants it because it will have to drag some people kicking and screaming. On a sad anniversary day for Scotland when my old dad would have been 102, it’s not a bad time to put this all into perspective. The past is the past. Bu