Stuart Cosgrove

[Alfred E Newman]

Just been listening to him mouthing off about the ticket allocation controversy. His maths obviously aren't very good as he reckons Hibs have been allocated 16000 tickets for today's game, twice their average attendance. Saints only get 3500 , less than their average attendance of 4000.
Not fair says he. Always rated him a bit of a slaver.

[Aldo]

Just been listening to him mouthing off about the ticket allocation controversy. His maths obviously aren't very good as he reckons Hibs have been allocated 16000 tickets for today's game, twice their average attendance. Saints only get 3500 , less than their average attendance of 4000. Not fair says he. Always rated him a bit of a slaver.

Arse of a man along with the rest of that mob. Our average is a bit over 9200 with out highest being around 14,000

They probably got around 2,000 ST holders so they been given just under double.

It was however wrong they way it was done but stop winging SC you plum!

[SuperAllyMcleod]

Have to disagree, Cosgrove is usually very eloquent in what he says and in this instance, even though he may have his figures mixed up, he's right. The ticket sales to Saints was a disgrace and a farce.

He's also never slow to condemn teams that have lived out with their means.

[Aldo]

Have to disagree, Cosgrove is usually very eloquent in what he says and in this instance, even though he may have his figures mixed up, he's right. The ticket sales to Saints was a disgrace and a farce. He's also never slow to condemn teams that have lived out with their means.

Had the misfortune of being in his company along with is sidekick Cowan a good few years ago.

They didn't (and Cowan still doesn't) speak very highly of Hibs.

Each to their own mind! ;-)

[BoomtownHibees]

Have to disagree, Cosgrove is usually very eloquent in what he says and in this instance, even though he may have his figures mixed up, he's right. The ticket sales to Saints was a disgrace and a farce.

He's also never slow to condemn teams that have lived out with their means.


So he was right apart from being wrong??

[Mikey09]

He's on the radio just now questioning George Best's credentials... Enough said. Just cause Best never played at a World Cup. :rolleyes:

Loves the sound of his own voice like the other erse Cowan.

[ekhibee]

Just been listening to him mouthing off about the ticket allocation controversy. His maths obviously aren't very good as he reckons Hibs have been allocated 16000 tickets for today's game, twice their average attendance. Saints only get 3500 , less than their average attendance of 4000.
Not fair says he. Always rated him a bit of a slaver.
He was babbling on about it last week as well. Considering how poor their support was for years he's got a bloody cheek. 1 or 2 have jumped on the bandwagon since they won the SC, but other teams regularly used to outnumber them on their own ground so I wouldn't pay too much attention to his ranting.

[Matty_Jack04]

He was babbling on about it last week as well. Considering how poor their support was for years he's got a bloody cheek. 1 or 2 have jumped on the bandwagon since they won the SC, but other teams regularly used to outnumber them on their own ground so I wouldn't pay too much attention to his ranting.

I mind they used cardboard cut outs a few years ago 🙈

[cammy1969]

Mans a fud along with his side kick a shambles of a show both always talking over each other their no big no clever and defo no funny.


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[Keith_M]

Hibs have been given 12,000 tickets, which is about 30% more than our average attendance, so he's very wrong on that one.

[dalkeith stu]

I can vaguely remember going upto Perth for a midweek (cup?) game a few years ago and we had 3 stands

[Del Boy]

He might be a slaver but St Johnstone have been shafted over ticket allocation.

[Kavinho]

He's got a phenomenal collection of soul records..
Always buys a bit of cried in my book.


His radio shows meant to be a little bit out spoken and opinionated .

He he doesn't bother me, and he's dead right on the shambolic allocation of tickets.
Once again our governing body proves that they couldnae organise the proverbial p*£h up..

[Onion]

Media have fuelled St J sense of injustice. How many of the 4000 average gate are away fans, how many of St J's loyal masses go to away games and help the game generally ?

League cocked up, but media have been happy to exaggerate their sense of injustice probably in hope it Spurs their ****ty little team on.

[jdships]

Had the misfortune of being in his company along with is sidekick Cowan a good few years ago.

They didn't (and Cowan still doesn't) speak very highly of Hibs.

Each to their own mind! ;-)


Same scenario for me also a year or two back with same result
Poor imitations of would be comedians/summarisers !!

[Kavinho]

To paraphrase

"sell all your tickets and we'll give you a few more"

"Knock knock we've sold all our tickets. Can you release those extras now?"

"errmmmmmmmm..., we'll get back to you"

"knock knock... Eh the games about to kick off ... What about those tickets?"

"oh, you again, ehhhh... No"

[FitbaFolkKen]

If everyone agreed with everything he said he wouldn't be on the radio. He's there to provoke reaction and knows exactly what he is doing.

Still doesn't mean he isn't slavering ***** at times though.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

No chance that everyone is left happy. If a crowd of well above 20k was a shoe in then the game goes to Hampden and then folk are not happy with travelling. Could have used Murrayfield but the bodies in charge don't want to look at that one. An option could have been to play at Easter Road but that would have had complaints too. Having a mump about ticket allocation is all part of the hoo hah. We will just need to make sure as a good will gesture, that when we play St J in the league at home next season, they get their full allocation of 4k plus tickets.

[Jones28]

Radio reporting there are empty seats in the Roseburn - and they wanted more tickets?!

[Aldo]

Radio reporting there are empty seats in the Roseburn - and they wanted more tickets?!

Really. Yam associated telling me we couldn't even sell out a game in our own town.

Quickly reminded him of the 7000 plus empty seats at ER in their SF in their Hone team a few seasons back.

Response from him.... Answers on a postcard (but you can guess)

[Eyrie]

Really. Yam associated telling me we couldn't even sell out a game in our own town.

Quickly reminded him of the 7000 plus empty seats at ER in their SF in their Hone team a few seasons back.

Response from him.... Answers on a postcard (but you can guess)

He told you what his IQ is?

[Aldo]

He told you what his IQ is?

Ha good one. He's not that smart btw!

[Jones28]

Really. Yam associated telling me we couldn't even sell out a game in our own town.

Quickly reminded him of the 7000 plus empty seats at ER in their SF in their Hone team a few seasons back.

Response from him.... Answers on a postcard (but you can guess)

They don't stadia constructed in the 20th century, hence the staysways at their semi at ER

[Aldo]

They don't stadia constructed in the 20th century, hence the staysways at their semi at ER

Ha indeed! Sport sound punters will be gutted that we are wan up..... Especially Cosgrove

[--------]

Well, he won't need to get himself in a tizzy about their allocation ofr the Final ...

[Jones28]

Well, he won't need to get himself in a tizzy about their allocation ofr the Final ...

It's nothing to worry about Stuart

[hstn747]

Well, he won't need to get himself in a tizzy about their allocation ofr the Final ...

I'm sure we'll be more than happy with the allocation in the event it's a Hibs vs Celtic final.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

Plenty empty seats in their end anyway.

[--------]

Plenty empty seats in their end anyway.


You mean they didn't sell all the tickets they WERE allocated?

Or they bought them, but couldn't be bothered coming to the game?

(Though I agree the weather didn't help matters.)

[WhileTheChief..]

He's full of praise for us now. Good lad.

[Deansy]

I like Cosgrove - one of that very small, tiny, miniscule group in the media who tell it like it is, especially when it comes to the 'Old S*um' !!

[hstn747]

I like Cosgrove - one of that very small, tiny, miniscule group in the media who tell it like it is, especially when it comes to the 'Old S*um' !!

Exactly. He made great listening during the Sevco admin saga. Their show is the only place where you can hear the the OF getting ripped and the smaller teams getting some air time.

As a football fan I enjoy hearing from/about other teams and also enjoy all the slagging that gets dished out. I'm more than happy to hear about some Kilmarnock fan's irrational hatred of Hibs. Some people need a thicker skin.

The banter in the stands is being stamped out / fading away (I think ex-Hearts players get an easy ride from the terraces at ER) and Off the Ball is one of the few places where you can still enjoy some inter-team banter.


Also, the fact this is a thread shows Cosgrove is doing his job :fishin:.

[lord bunberry]

St Johnstone took 65 fans to parkhead recently

[Pretty Boy]

I quite like Cosgrove.

He's a St J fan and obviously had the blinkers on when it came to the ticket allocation. As said above both he and Tam Cowan present a show in which Celtic and Rangers get a bit of a kicking and other teams actually get a look in.

[givescotlandfreedom]

Cosgrove isn't shy about pointing out the gimps' cheating. Cowan whose club also have enjoyed fleecing their creditors loves them however.

[SonOfDavidFrancey]

Have been rereading 'Hampden Babylon'
Still better than most of the pish written about Scottish football.

[Alfred E Newman]

Had the misfortune of being in his company along with is sidekick Cowan a good few years ago.

They didn't (and Cowan still doesn't) speak very highly of Hibs.

Each to their own mind! ;-)

Actually , on the way home in the car I heard Tam Cowan gushing with praise for Hibs and the Hibs support much to the annoyance of his sidekick and our old friend Michael Stewart. He also said how much he wants us back in the Premier and how the Hibs supporters deserve success after all we have had to endure in recent times.

[Hibeesmad]

They should have just given us the Roseburn too

[matty_f]

Cosgrove and Cowan are genuine football fans. I really like Off the Ball, and like both of them. They don't take themselves too seriously and will take the pish out of everyone, including their own teams.

St Johnstone got a raw deal with the tickets, i think if that had happened to us v Celtc or the Rangers, we'd be going radio rental about it.

[Hermit Crab]

The show is brilliant. I try and listen to it most weeks. Really like cosgrove and Cowan. St J were shafted over tickets though.

[Danderhall Hibs]

The show is brilliant. I try and listen to it most weeks. Really like cosgrove and Cowan. St J were shafted over tickets though.

Same here. I download the podcast every week.

Some folk are too touchy. Others make stuff up/hear what they want to hear on both OTB and Sportsound.

[Hermit Crab]

Same here. I download the podcast every week.

Some folk are too touchy. Others make stuff up/hear what they want to hear on both OTB and Sportsound.

Agree. That show has been on the radio as long as I can remember and I've always enjoyed their banter and talking points. Two of Scotland's media members who are not afraid to tell it how it is and stick it to the ugly sisters. Tom English is another journalist who is brilliant and just tells it how it is, long may the show continue.

[bigwheel]

I like Cosgrove as a journo and on the radio, engaging and makes interesting points, whether you agree with him or not, always well constructed...there is no doubting Cowan is a big football fan. I find him pretty boring on the radio though - Jokes and style for the 70s...not to my taste.

[Spike Mandela]

Cup ticket allocation should always start from the default position of a 50/50 split imo.

Then you can work back from there depending on segregation issues, obvious support mismatches (ie East Kilbride v Celtic) and allocation sales timescales whereby unsold tickets are allocated to the other side.

It really shouldn't be that difficult and average attendances are irrelevant for major semis and finals.

[LaMotta]

The show is brilliant and i listen to it most weeks, however the op is spot on yesterday as Cosgrove was slavering pish and peddling innacuracies.

[Beefster]

Cup ticket allocation should always start from the default position of a 50/50 split imo.

Then you can work back from there depending on segregation issues, obvious support mismatches (ie East Kilbride v Celtic) and allocation sales timescales whereby unsold tickets are allocated to the other side.

It really shouldn't be that difficult and average attendances are irrelevant for major semis and finals.

That's fine if both teams have a chance of selling 50% of the tickets in the first place. St Johnstone didn't so starting with that position and moving allocations about after weeks of sales would have just been a ball-ache and a complete waste of time for the clubs and Hibs support.

That's not to say that they weren't shafted over the extra 500 tickets that they didn't get.

[greenlex]

I thought them trying to drum up a bit of "banter" of a sectarian nature regards the Billy King/King Billy signing was pish and ill judged. Maybe Im just being precious but sure it has no place in public funded broadcasting banter or not.

[Jones28]

I think the ticket fiasco has been embarrassing for Scottish football. They got the original decision right to play at a packed Tynecastle rather than a half full Hampden but Saints fans are justifiably po'd about there allocation.

If Tynecastle had been a modern stadium like ER they could quite easily have gotten their allocation and a bit more, plus we would still have had more tickets available to us.

[matty_f]

I thought them trying to drum up a bit of "banter" of a sectarian nature regards the Billy King/King Billy signing was pish and ill judged. Maybe Im just being precious but sure it has no place in public funded broadcasting banter or not.

Everyone else has had a joke about that - it was clearly light hearted and in no way about stirring up something sectarian.

[greenlex]

Everyone else has had a joke about that - it was clearly light hearted and in no way about stirring up something sectarian.
So sectarianism should be light hearted banter. Maybe we should do the same with racism? I think it's wrong however light hearted.

[matty_f]

So sectarianism should be light hearted banter. Maybe we should do the same with racism? I think it's wrong however light hearted.

Ach away, there was literally zero harm in it - there is a thread on here joking about it, ffs.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

I like Cosgrove and he's definitely better than the usual weejie pundits. Don't have a problem with a St Johnston fan bring wide about Hibs on match day. I'm sure he'd take it in good spirits if some told him GIRFUY after the game.

[greenlex]

Ach away, there was literally zero harm in it - there is a thread on here joking about it, ffs.

Football forum v national publicly funded broadcaster. Lighthearted sectarianism is tolerated. Lighthearted Racism wouldn't have been. Where's the line?

[Nameless]

I've just listened to the podcast of yesterday's show, and can't see why the OP was annoyed. Cosgrove was spot on in what he was saying in my opinion - to offer them an extra 500, then take it back was amateurish in the extreme.

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[Famous Fiver]

If you don't think King, Billy, playing for Rangers has no sectarian connotations, just pay a quick visit to Rangers Fans Forum, or is what appears on there is just banter too?

[Betty Boop]

If you don't think King, Billy, playing for Rangers has no sectarian connotations, just pay a quick visit to Rangers Fans Forum, or is what appears on there is just banter too?

What a lot of nonsense.

[greenginger]

I've just listened to the podcast of yesterday's show, and can't see why the OP was annoyed. Cosgrove was spot on in what he was saying in my opinion - to offer them an extra 500, then take it back was amateurish in the extreme.

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Did we ever get the actual reason that the extra tickets could'nt be given to the Saints ?

I know it was segregation problems but if it was sharing toilets and exits what made the SPFL/Hearts as hosts think this was ever going to be possible.

[Alfred E Newman]

I've just listened to the podcast of yesterday's show, and can't see why the OP was annoyed. Cosgrove was spot on in what he was saying in my opinion - to offer them an extra 500, then take it back was amateurish in the extreme.

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Cosgrove said we were allocated twice our average attendance- 16000 tickets. St Johnstone got less than their average. Both statements are wildly inaccurate. I agree they should have been given the additional 500 tickets they were promised but I don't agree with radio presenters making things up to suit their own argument.

[Nameless]

Cosgrove said we were allocated twice our average attendance- 16000 tickets. St Johnstone got less than their average. Both statements are wildly inaccurate. I agree they should have been given the additional 500 tickets they were promised but I don't agree with radio presenters making things up to suit their own argument.
St Johnstone have averaged around 4000 at home this season, and we are averaging around 9300 - obviously these numbers don't differentiate how many away fans make up the attendances, but on this basis, his numbers aren't that far off.

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[LaMotta]

St Johnstone have averaged around 4000 at home this season, and we are averaging around 9300 - obviously these numbers don't differentiate how many away fans make up the attendances, but on this basis, his numbers aren't that far off.

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His numbers were miles off....he was suggesting we have an average attendance of 6000!!

[Alfred E Newman]

St Johnstone have averaged around 4000 at home this season, and we are averaging around 9300 - obviously these numbers don't differentiate how many away fans make up the attendances, but on this basis, his numbers aren't that far off.

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His numbers are miles off. We got 13000 tickets not 16000 . Also I would doubt that Saints are averaging 4000. Even if they do that average is probably doubled by decent travelling supports where as our travelling attendance will average a couple of hundred. Still agree they should have got more though.

[Deansy]

Really. Yam associated telling me we couldn't even sell out a game in our own town.

Quickly reminded him of the 7000 plus empty seats at ER in their SF in their Hone team a few seasons back.

Response from him.... answers on a postcard (but you can guess)

Was '5-1' mentioned at all ??