I attended my first game (versus Airdrie) in season 1967-68 as a 5 year old with my only memory being our Scandinavian keeper Erik Sorensen making a great save right at the death to preserve a 2-1 lead. I've been going ever since and been a season ticket holder since 1978. As most of you will know it not just going to the game on a Saturday or wherever that constitutes being a bluenose, it's a 24/7 job. I've been going to the games with the same mates more or less since I was 12 or 13 so that in itself is a big pull although I know a few of those guys facing the same dilemma as me.
Murray spent the initial years of his tenure constantly reminding the fans that gate money only accounted for around 35/40% of revenue which was in my opinion his way of telling us to shut it whenever we got a little lippy and voiced our concerns at various stages in that period. It was his way of keeping us in our place and playing down our importance to the club, well it annoyed me then and it annoys me more now, because Mr Murray there is no club without us! The headlong rush to financial oblivion that we've been on in the last decade makes us, the support even more vital because as history proves (as in the early 80's) when the support vote with their feet change will surely follow. The mass purchase of season tickets in the last 20 odd has insulated the club's custodian from much of the growing unease we, the supporters, are feeling, however with the onset of the global credit crunch I fear the day of reckoning is fast approaching.
It is my belief that only a change of ownership can save us from financial ruin.
As regards matters on the field, where on earth do you start?
The footballing dinosaur that is Walter Smith is a complete and utter disgrace. I didn't rate him during our 9 in a row run and he's even further out of touch today. That's two Cup Finals, yes finals, that he's entered with barely a positive thought in that ole grey dome, if the only trick up his sleeve to try and win a game is to throw on a 36 year old centre-back who's hardly kicked a ball in earnest all season then the game is well and truly up. I am only too well aware that we cannot compete at the levels we did 20 years ago, TV money has seen to that, but if he truly believes the likes of Dailly and Broadfoot are best we can afford then it's over for me. I'm no big fan of Maurice Edu, spending close on £3m to buy a rookie from the MLS in the current financial climate was bordering on criminal, but surely he had to be a better bet than Arfur Dailly!
I don't want to go over the whole Boydie saga again, suffice to say that despite the failings in his game he's the only player at the club that can hit the net on a consistent basis and as such should be a first pick 90% of the time.
I fear that even if we manage to pull the rabbit from the hat and take the title we'll see a decimation of our playing squad in the summer, that my friends cannot spell anything other than disaster.
So there you have it, will my love of the club overcome the utter negativity that I feel towards the current incompetent incumbents or will it be the unthinkable?
The Big Cheese