Hamilton

[givescotlandfreedom]

Hatchet men, next to no fans and until last night a team we couldn't beat. They would be my top choice for relegation out of the bottom four. Preferably in the play offs.

[Sir David Gray]

I'm fed up playing against that type of anti-football, hammer throwing dross every week. Last Saturday was the same and going by the challenge on Scott Brown the other day, this Saturday will be more of the same again.

Just because you're fighting relegation does not mean you have to deploy tactics that the WWE would be proud of. Our players are going to be in danger of picking up some serious injuries if this continues.

[The Harp Awakes]

Agreed. The best bet last night was Imrie to get booked. Him and McKinnon only have one game and that's to kick the opposition.Too many anti-football teams in the SPL; Hearts, Motherwell and St Johnstone are others. It's holding back the Scottish game from progressing.

[J-C]

Hatchet men, next to no fans and until last night a team we couldn't beat. They would be my top choice for relegation out of the bottom four. Preferably in the play offs.


Another team with an incredible amount of fouls against us 19, very surprised Imrie got sent off TBH as the ref let so many others go without a card but on the other hand booked Whittaker for his 1st tackle in the game, no wonder Lennon loses it with refs every game. I don't think McLean is a biased ref, just another crap one, he gave fouls to both teams but made big mistakes also.

[worcesterhibby]

I'm fed up playing against that type of anti-football, hammer throwing dross every week. Last Saturday was the same and going by the challenge on Scott Brown the other day, this Saturday will be more of the same again.

Just because you're fighting relegation does not mean you have to deploy tactics that the WWE would be proud of. Our players are going to be in danger of picking up some serious injuries if this continues.

I agree, so how do we change the mentality of Scottish football? Bonus league point for every 5 goals scored ? Might encourage more attacking football, but would play into the hands of Celtic even more.

[ian cruise]

I agree, so how do we change the mentality of Scottish football? Bonus league point for every 5 goals scored ? Might encourage more attacking football, but would play into the hands of Celtic even more.

Points reduction once certain card counts are met by teams? We'd need to panel to review any contentious decisions and stronger refereeing but it might encourage everyone to lift their game?

[.Sean.]

Said for years they add absolutely NOTHING to the league, embarrassing excuse for a stadium and next to no supporters. The sooner they slip back down the leagues the better as far as I’m concerned.

[bingo70]

I agree, so how do we change the mentality of Scottish football? Bonus league point for every 5 goals scored ? Might encourage more attacking football, but would play into the hands of Celtic even more.

I personally think teams rotating the hatchet man is a big problem, they all take a turn getting booked knowing that the next time they can let the guy go and someone else will nail him, in the event of them committing another foul more often than not the red will give them a final final warning, after that they get subbed and the cycle starts again.

I’d like to see a rule introduced that once a fourth or fifth player is booked that team loses a player.

Won’t happen though.

[Sergio sledge]

I personally think teams rotating the hatchet man is a big problem, they all take a turn getting booked knowing that the next time they can let the guy go and someone else will nail him, in the event of them committing another foul more often than not the red will give them a final final warning, after that they get subbed and the cycle starts again.

I’d like to see a rule introduced that once a fourth or fifth player is booked that team loses a player.

Won’t happen though.

I know people don't like rugby getting held up as an example of refereeing, but they do have it right in this instance. Repeated foul play in rugby is counted against the whole team and the whole team is given a final warning, the next player to commit an offence after that is likely to get a yellow card, even if it is the first penalty they give away. Football could implement something like this to try to minimise the constant fouling that our midfield seems to be subjected to on a weekly basis.

[Elephant Stone]

Said for years they add absolutely NOTHING to the league, embarrassing excuse for a stadium and next to no supporters. The sooner they slip back down the leagues the better as far as I’m concerned.

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.

[Ralphy C]

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.
Well said, to folk just expect them to let us beat them without a fight?

[Nakedmanoncrack]

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.

Agreed, and their U20 team were the best I saw last season, clearly doing something right with development of young players.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Shame that they don't have the bottle to play the same way that they did when they brushed us away in the first game at ER. Best performance by an away team this season IMO

[overdrive]

I personally think teams rotating the hatchet man is a big problem, they all take a turn getting booked knowing that the next time they can let the guy go and someone else will nail him, in the event of them committing another foul more often than not the red will give them a final final warning, after that they get subbed and the cycle starts again.

I’d like to see a rule introduced that once a fourth or fifth player is booked that team loses a player.

Won’t happen though.

Good idea. I’d also like to see yellow cards carry over to subs, e.g. if Hamilton had taken Imrie off after his first yellow to stop him getting sent off, if the guy that replaced him then got booked he’d be sent off instead. Not sure it would work with the subsequent suspension mind you.

[givescotlandfreedom]

I personally think teams rotating the hatchet man is a big problem, they all take a turn getting booked knowing that the next time they can let the guy go and someone else will nail him, in the event of them committing another foul more often than not the red will give them a final final warning, after that they get subbed and the cycle starts again.

I’d like to see a rule introduced that once a fourth or fifth player is booked that team loses a player.

Won’t happen though.

I think they were targeting Kamberi from the first whistle.

[emerald green]

Hamilton contributed precisely nothing in the way of entertaining football last night. They committed foul after foul, standing over the ball preventing free kicks being taken (like Hearts) and so on.

They hardly had a shot on target all night (other than a gift of a goal) and I can't remember them even getting a corner kick. They reminded me of some teams Hibs played in the Championship. Really poor.

[SirDavidsNapper]

It's a shame but they don't offer anything to the Premiership. Two stand stadium that usually has more away than home fans in it, constantly battling relegation and kicking teams up and down the park. All our own fault they're up here too which makes it worse.

[Aim Here]

I think they were targeting Kamberi from the first whistle.

Certainly that was the case against Partick Thistle; I don't think he got near the ball in the first 70 minutes without ending up on his arse for whatever reason.

And especially after yesterday's performance, Flo's going to have to get used to it.

[Sauzee16]

Small club in doing their best to get a result against big club shocker.

[emerald green]

Small club in doing their best to get a result against big club shocker.

If that's Hamilton doing their best, I'd hate to see what their worst looks like. Did they even manage a corner last night?

[7 Up]

Poor sides trying to kick **** out of better teams isn't unique to Scottish football. We certainly have a fair few teams who specialise in it though.

[Sauzee16]

If that's Hamilton doing their best, I'd hate to see what their worst looks like. Did they even manage a corner last night?

They where extremely depleted. At their best they haven’t lost to us for a good few years before last night.

[green day]

Small club in doing their best to get a result against big club shocker.

All well and good but booting players for fun isn't "their best".

[G B Young]

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.

I think Hamilton deserve credit for the way they've managed to stay in the top flight while operating on a shoestring budget. Canning IMHO has done well since taking over from Alex Neil. Yes, they're a niggly team to play against and Canning was clutching at straws to suggest Imrie's sending-off was harsh, but needs must when you're battling for survival and if they stay up it'll be because they deserve to.

[overdrive]

I think they were targeting Kamberi from the first whistle.

I reckon they will be trying to get him to react and get himself booked/sent off. There’s been a few games where he’s reacted to opposition players off the ball, particularly in the Killie game. It’s something he needs to cut out.

[West lower]

Hamilton contributed precisely nothing in the way of entertaining football last night. They committed foul after foul, standing over the ball preventing free kicks being taken (like Hearts) and so on.

They hardly had a shot on target all night (other than a gift of a goal) and I can't remember them even getting a corner kick. They reminded me of some teams Hibs played in the Championship. Really poor.

Yet their manager said after the game that there was “nothing between the sides, and delighted how they played”.

[Sauzee16]

All well and good but booting players for fun isn't "their best".

Stopping the superior opposition play is the game plan I would imagine. It worked for Bolton for years.

[Scorrie]

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.
Also if the division had more teams in it so the threat of relegation was reduced then teams like Hamilton may try to play more fitbaw rather than fight for their lives every week

[Carheenlea]

All well and good but booting players for fun isn't "their best".

I was never any good at football, but even now at 48 I’d be able to kick a footballer to the ground.

[lapsedhibee]

I know people don't like rugby getting held up as an example of refereeing, but they do have it right in this instance. Repeated foul play in rugby is counted against the whole team and the whole team is given a final warning, the next player to commit an offence after that is likely to get a yellow card, even if it is the first penalty they give away. Football could implement something like this to try to minimise the constant fouling that our midfield seems to be subjected to on a weekly basis.

:agree:

[Famous Fiver]

If Canning thought there was nothing between the sides he is even more deluded than many of our Gorgie cousins.

Apart from the foray which resulted in Rocky's gift they were nowhere near our goal and were only intent on stopping or thwarting us.

One example of the difference between the sides, and they were numerous, was McGeoch's touches in the lead up to Kamberi's first goal. Something he could only dream about.

And what about Mackinnon bouncing off Allan and ending up on his erky as he tried to barge him to the ground? Sublime!!!!

[JDHibs]

All these people slagging their football, their stadium, their small support...

Yet this is the team that relegated us and took us until last night to beat them this season.

They punch above their weight and do it well. They cant compete financially with anyone but do what they can to make games difficult.

Good on them.

[Sauzee16]

All these people slagging their football, their stadium, their small support...

Yet this is the team that relegated us and took us until last night to beat them this season.

They punch above their weight and do it well. They cant compete financially with anyone but do what they can to make games difficult.

Good on them.

Exactly. There’s a danger of of showing snobbishness

[MagicSwirlingShip]

Agreed. The best bet last night was Imrie to get booked. Him and McKinnon only have one game and that's to kick the opposition.Too many anti-football teams in the SPL; Hearts, Motherwell and St Johnstone are others. It's holding back the Scottish game from progressing.

Betting on the defender & midfielder up against Boyle to get booked has brought in a few quid this season. 🤑

[tamsonsbairn]

What if we were to trial sin bins for yellow cards, when you look at last night after imrie got sent off we scored minutes later, what would be a sensible amount of time for this. even if we could trial it in the league cup to see if it works. :nlgwa

[NAE NOOKIE]

There is two sides to this discussion and its a hard task to reconcile the two:

On one side you have the purely sporting element where nobody has the right to question any teams right to play in the top league, no matter how small they are. In the mix with that is also respect for the folk who do follow Hamilton and clubs like them, as Hibs fans we always have a realistic hope that now and again we will produce a cup winning team who will also do well in the league. For the likes of Hamilton that's a pretty forlorn hope, so for their fans even more than us sticking with their club is purely a labour of love ...... what gives us the right to dismiss such devotion just because of their small numbers.

On the other side you have the natural wish of any Scottish football fan to see us have a strong well supported league with teams who try to entertain. Some clubs just don't have the fan base or ability to attract players good enough to make a contribution to either one of those aims and its a tad annoying to see them in the league at the expense of the likes of Dundee Utd or Dunfermline who certainly have the potential to add far more to both or either of the factors which would make the league stronger and more attractive.

It goes without saying that our curse is the Ugly sisters who suck the life out of towns like Hamilton, Motherwell and Kilmarnock .... if we could find some way to shame the glory hunters in towns like that into following their local teams it would have a real affect on the league. Somebody on another thread quoted a guy talking about the city of Dundee and what he said summed up Scottish football's problem perfectly. When asked if he really thought Dundee was capable of supporting two professional teams he said "what are you on about? we already support four"

I for one am not going to get too bent out of shape about the kickers and hoofers who come to Easter Road .... its a sign of a team others fear when their only way of competing is to adopt that style against us and this Hibs team is clearly able to cope with it. Lest folk forget the last team to seriously put the Old firm in their place were just as capable of being a bunch of dirty buggers on their day as the Hamiltons of this world.

[emerald green]

All these people slagging their football, their stadium, their small support...

Yet this is the team that relegated us and took us until last night to beat them this season.

They punch above their weight and do it well. They cant compete financially with anyone but do what they can to make games difficult.

Good on them.

Hamilton didn't relegate Hibs. They just put the final nail in the coffin after a long run of disastrous results and self inflicted wounds under appalling management (Butcher & Malpas).

This season it's one win each and a draw. To make games difficult, do you mean kicking teams off the park? 5 yellow cards and a red (should have been two). Teams can make things difficult for the opposition by trying to play decent football. There was no attempt to do that last night. That was anti-football.

[Sauzee16]

Hamilton didn't relegate Hibs. They just put the final nail in the coffin after a long run of disastrous results and self inflicted wounds under appalling management (Butcher & Malpas).

This season it's one win each and a draw. To make games difficult, do you mean kicking teams off the park? 5 yellow cards and a red (should have been two). Teams can make things difficult for the opposition by trying to play decent football. There was no attempt to do that last night. That was anti-football.

I can clearly remember losing the playoff match on penalties so Hamilton did relegate us.

[emerald green]

I can clearly remember losing the playoff match on penalties so Hamilton did relegate us.

So do I, but I think you have deliberately misinterpreted what I said.

[Sauzee16]

So do I, but I think you have deliberately misinterpreted what I said.

I understand what you mean in the grand scheme of things but it wasn’t just a random league game that got us relegated. We lost to Hamilton and they got promoted and relegated us.

[renato]

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/scottish-premiership/fairnesstabelle/wettbewerb/SC1

Note the two teams at the bottom of the fair play league.

We’d also be even closer to Celtc if it wasn’t for Rocky’s moment of madness in Perth and SJM being so determined to get himself booked every week :greengrin

[superfurryhibby]

I accept that teams need to battle for the right to play, but can't accept that systematically fouling, cheating and unfairly seeking advantage at every opportunity.

The game is meant to be entertaining, not a bloody war of attrition. The standard of football in the SPL is very poor most of the time and the anti- football tactics employed by the majority of teams does our game no favours. Imagine paying £22.00 to watch the likes of Hamilton v Hearts, no wonder bairns prefer the x box.

[Carheenlea]

I accept that teams need to battle for the right to play, but can't accept that systematically fouling, cheating and unfairly seeking advantage at every opportunity.

The game is meant to be entertaining, not a bloody war of attrition. The standard of football in the SPL is very poor most of the time and the anti- football tactics employed by the majority of teams does our game no favours. Imagine paying £22.00 to watch the likes of Hamilton v Hearts, no wonder bairns prefer the x box.

:agree:

[Sammy7nil]

They've added a fair amount of difficult matches that we have't been able to win for a start, they've been consistently punching above their weight for a long time, they've produced a few very decent young Scottish players and their fans have rejected sectarian nonsense in favour of supporting what is basically a pish local team. Good on them I say, they've as much a right to be here as anyone else.

They have every right to be in the league and they are here on merit.

However the bring NOTHING to the league no fans, industrial football 90% of games, trying not to get beat than actually win.

It is game everyone looks out for - to try and avoid.

[J-C]

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/scottish-premiership/fairnesstabelle/wettbewerb/SC1

Note the two teams at the bottom of the fair play league.

We’d also be even closer to Celtc if it wasn’t for Rocky’s moment of madness in Perth and SJM being so determined to get himself booked every week :greengrin


The bottom 4 teams are the dirtiest we've faced all season, continually kicking lumps out of us, last nights 19 fouls against is the normal for these teams but the refs have to take responsibility here. They don't take control and nip it in the bud immediately, instead they allow foul after foul then yellow card free kicks that are totally innocuous.

[Paisley Hibby]

Said for years they add absolutely NOTHING to the league, embarrassing excuse for a stadium and next to no supporters. The sooner they slip back down the leagues the better as far as I’m concerned.

I tend to associate these kind of comments with Old Firm and Hearts fans. Hamilton have every right to their place in the league. How they manage to survive at this level with such a low fan base is nothing short of a miracle. Good on them.

[Bishop Hibee]

The standing in front of a free kick to break up the play is getting worse. Stopped for a bit when players were penalised with bookings and free kicks were moved forward. Refs need to book players breaking up play.

[snooky]

I tend to associate these kind of comments with Old Firm and Hearts fans. Hamilton have every right to their place in the league. How they manage to survive at this level with such a low fan base is nothing short of a miracle. Good on them.

Just remember Hamilton fans are not like your average OF fan. They are what I would term the bona fide fans of football - not glory hunters. They and their team deserve some respect for that fact alone.

[superfurryhibby]

The bottom 4 teams are the dirtiest we've faced all season, continually kicking lumps out of us, last nights 19 fouls against is the normal for these teams but the refs have to take responsibility here. They don't take control and nip it in the bud immediately, instead they allow foul after foul then yellow card free kicks that are totally innocuous.

Agreeing with the point about the refs and the need to take action swiftly.

However, it's not all just the bootom sides. Aberdeen were dirty, cynical and very negative on their last visit to Easter Road, despite having the personnel to play quality football.

It's ingrained in the current football culture. Gamesmanship, simulation and cheating is considered the norm.

[Sauzee16]

The standing in front of a free kick to break up the play is getting worse. Stopped for a bit when players were penalised with bookings and free kicks were moved forward. Refs need to book players breaking up play.

A player from Partick got booked for doing so on Saturday

[snooky]

Agreeing with the point about the refs and the need to take action swiftly.

However, it's not all just the bootom sides. Aberdeen were dirty, cynical and very negative on their last visit to Easter Road, despite having the personnel to play quality football.

It's ingrained in the current football culture. Gamesmanship, simulation and cheating is considered the norm.

I'm shocked that the post above and the post it quoted never mention the dirtiest team in the Fair Play table.

LTYFs :greengrin. :wink:

[superfurryhibby]

I'm shocked that the post above and the post it quoted never mention the dirtiest team in the Fair Play table.

LTYFs :greengrin. :wink:

Ha, I was excusing them on the basis that they're really no better equipped than most of the hammer throwing crap below them. They're the top of the steaming pile of jobby that passes for a football team outwith the top five in the SPL.

In all seriousness. The SFA/SPL should be getting a bit more radical in addressing these isssues. Killing the game as a spectable and survival at any cost isn't attractive. Not sure of the solution though better and more streetwise refereeing would help.