Sat 21st October

Ok...so its been a while

Hey Folkies, thats right, Wee Arthur is back and his mouth is bigger than ever, though after a horrendous car accident I had to have my mouth stitched back together for a while.  Nah, only yanking yer chain, been busy and the like, and forgot all about everyone's favourite column on the unofficial Arthurlie site.  So whits been happening since I've been gone? 

The 'Lie have stormed the league, trailing champions Talbot by a single point having dished out a rogering to the double winners for the second Dunterlie visit in a row!  Oh how the place went mental when John stuck goal number two beyond Stuart Mac.  A wee scare at the end there, but not enough to worry the massed 'Lie support.  And what about last week eh?  Three down at the break and seven strikes from Gary Faulds' Blue & White Army after the break to redress the balance.  Hats off to big John and wee John, fabulous game for the two of you!

Joe Andrew eh?  Slow start to the season and now he can't stop hitting the net, unbelievable, whats that now? Six games on the trot, let it continue today as he shoots down the Peasy. 

And then there's John Johnston - from Blue Heaven to Sky Blue Heaven and a debut double which stunned all Celtic fans in the crowd, and probably the Gers ones as well - on a day ICT humbled PLG, the man he let go in the summer did the business at Dunterlie - welcome aboard JJ!

Ok, so loads else has happened, defeats at Glenafton and Shotts have ultimately cost us the league leaders spot at the moment but we shouldnt complain, perhaps the main worry at the moment is the discipline of the team.  Having started well, we now seem incapable of finishing any game with ten men on the park.  Paul Hilland has seen the dreaded red flashed at him an astonishing three times in recent fixtures, while Paul McLaughlin and Captain Fabi have all been getting in on the act.  Need to clean up our act there boys!

I'd like to say a special word to Big Brad.  I overheard a few committee members chatting ahead of the Talbot match, and the words were to the effect of 'whit the f*** is he doing in the team after last week?'. To be fair to John, the miss at Shotts would have put Van Vossen to shame, but hasn't he done well since, four goals in two games stick the middle fingers up at those committee members and I join them - if you can't back your team then shut the f*** up yourself.  What are you doing at the game?!?  John - keep em coming.

You put your right foot back and aim right at the goals, oh cokey cokey cokey, oh… [Sunday 23 July]

So how about that for a week folks…three Arthurlie games, two wins and a Ricky Orr wonder strike, sorry…two Ricky Orr wonder strikes, and no doubt the wee man will insist he meant both of them. And fair play to him, worthy of beating anyone those goals were! Lets just hope he can do it against Pollok too!

The week started with the sights to end all sights, Andy Millen AND Gary Faulds taking to the pitch as Arthurlie demolished St Mirren’s First Division winning team (of sometime in the future) 3-0 going on 40. Should certainly have been at least four, as Joe’s second was never offside, that stand side linesman was a nightmare…only kidding! Highlight of the game has to be Smudger’s performance, one which we will miss in the opening weeks when he is off with his new missus honeymooning. Well done by the way Smudger, fair play to you and congratulations! When you add to that a double from John Bradford, who looks more intelligent as each game goes by, the bodings are good for the season.

Tuesday night brought a chance to pay tribute to a legend who has been a thorn in the foot of Arthurlie for many a year, no not Frank Lynch, but Gordon Cochrane. Of course Cokey’s chances to cause any major damage to us have been reduced by the fact he chose to play for Neilston instead of a half decent team, but still he’s been a pain in the butt with his goals over the years and it only seemed fair to go and cheer him on in his testimonial. Was good to see some of the infamous Arthurlie Posse there, namely Waddell, Downs, Sniffer and Millar there as well - its all in a good cause. For those who didn’t make it, or see it on the site, or hear it down the pub - a Rangers reserve side won 2-1 despite an early strike from Cokey himself

Wednesday has to be a day off as I couldn’t be arsed going to Renfrew but Thursday came and BANG! We crashed down to earth again as Albion Rovers took three off us in seven minutes at the start of the second half. Enough said I think about that one although the strike from Ricky was brilliant, fully from in front of the dug out into the net. I think that’s the one to focus on. Losing to a senior side who changed their entire team at the break so had fresh legs is nothing to be ashamed of, bring on Nithsdale…

And so they came, a long trip down to Sanquhar for Arthurlie fans, through a comination of planes, trains and automobiles. Oh and the team coach. The fans were treated to a pitch that hadn’t been cut, the surrounding grass which had, and a South of Scotland League team who wouldn’t have looked out of place with Chopper Harris in their team. With a somewhat dubious match official (related to one of their team, or related to all of them??) decisions were hard to come by in our favour but a battling performance, another touchline goal from Ricky and a further two strikes from big Bradford settled the game. Good to see most of the Robertson family keeping in with the right team in Scotland, with Johnny taking his place in the team in the second half - what a kick that boy has, and magic to see vice Captain Martin Hughes taking his place in the team for the first half.

So…four down, two to go and then its into the serious stuff, I don’t know about you guys, but Wee Arthur can’t wait for it to start!