Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my review of Gold Cobra by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

With a gap of eight years since Limp Bizkit's last album, some critics appeared apprehensive about Gold Cobra. Nu-metal may have dominated rock music in the early noughties, but now the era is a fading memory. Somehow though, this new record does not sound old. Whilst there are a few let downs, the majority of songs are absolute gems which make you want to throw your red baseball cap back on, turn it back-to-front and start dancing on car rooftops again.

However, there were substantial worries after hearing the first full length song, the awkward "Bring It Back". It just does not make sense, the song is scattered all over the place, but thankfully the title track "Gold Cobra" restores high hopes and it seems that it is here that the band begin to hit form.

The next five songs are immense. "Shark Attack" and "Shotgun" are typically feisty Limp Bizkit efforts, but "Get A Life" and "Walking Away" are absurdly good for completely different reasons. "Get A Life" is just sheer rage and it sounds incredible. Fred Durst's voice breaks to a point similar to Eminem's in his The Marshall Mathers LP where he chucks his tied up wife into a river. The power and velocity is compelling listening. On the other hand, "Walking Away" is the audio version of Limp Bizkit stroking a cat, with the said cat eventually clawing back with venom. The intro features a reverberating Wes Borland guitar, a pulsating bass and a haunting synthesiser, yes, you read that right, a synthesiser. The finale of the song is epic and we witness an emotional Fred Durst as he confronts the issue of walking away from people he adores.

Sadly the quality of Gold Cobra decreases rapidly after "Walking Away". "Loser" really is a loser. It is horrible, but fortunately followed up by a quite hilarious interlude. The next tracks "Autotunage" and "90.2.10" are very weak before our spirits are lifted by "Why Try" which certainly woke me back up.

The final track "Killer In You" is very one-paced and a poor way to bow out, but you find yourself quickly going back to track three and starting again for twenty-five minutes of nu-metal rage. Despite what some may say, Gold Cobra does not sound dated and is in fact a very fun listen. Overall, it is a surprising and more than welcome comeback from Limp Bizkit.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. Introbra
02. Bring It Back
03. Gold Cobra
04. Shark attack
05. Get A Life/Interlude 1
06. Shotgun
07. Douche Bag
08. Walking Away
09. Loser/Interlude 2
10. Autotunage
11. 90.2.10/Interlude 3
12. Why Try
13. Killer In You

Run Time: 49:44
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Check out the song: "Gold Cobra"

My Team & I - Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my article on why I support Raith Rovers and take you over the trials and tribulations of doing so. It was published on The Footy Blog.

Rovers

Why Raith?

I have my dad to “thank” for being a Raith fan. He was brought up in a village half way between Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, but he chose to support the less successful team (*sigh*). I actually grew up in Jersey, but I was made aware of Raith Rovers when bought the away strip shortly after the club beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final. Through the years my dad and I would often take in a pre season friendly on our summer holidays and when I moved to Edinburgh University in 2007 I was finally able to watch Raith every week. I'm not sure if it was the 2-1 defeat to Berwick Rangers in front of 570 fans or attending a Scottish Cup Third Round fixture against Threave Rovers and being so cold that my whole body became numb, but I was hooked very quickly.

Favourite Player?

The dependable, Laurie Ellis

Rovers haven't possessed a real quality player since I've watched them, but I would go for left sided defender, Laurie Ellis. He is now in his third spell at Starks Park and although he isn't the best defender the club has ever had, he reads the game better than most. Laurie comes across as someone who loves playing for the club and goes out of his way to interact with the fans. Also, featuring at left back, his light hearted berating of the nearby linesman, or “lino”, is generally quite amusing.

Favourite Game?

A 2-2 draw with local rivals Dunfermline last year at East End Park was probably the best game I have ever watched. It was a top of the table clash with Raith sitting in first place on 26 points and the Pars just one point behind. The tension rose to another level with kickoff being delayed by ten minutes due to an unexpectedly big crowd.

The Pars absolutely battered Raith in the first half and the 2-0 half time scoreline did not accurately convey the utter dominance they had. To add insult to injury, it also meant that as things stood, Dunfermline would go top of the league. However, the second half was a different story.

Just six minutes into the second period Dunfermline's Andy Kirk sliced a shot wide of an open goal. If Kirk's shot had found the back of the net, most agree that would have been no way back for Raith. However, Rovers took confidence from the miss and started to gain a foothold in the match, but were struggling to find a way through the Pars defence. This changed on the 73^rd minute when Dunfermline's Neil McGregor was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders by referee Eddie Smith. The atmosphere was now becoming more volatile.

Three minutes after McGregor's dismissal, Kirk was taken onto the sidelines to receive treatment for an injury and while this was happening, manager Jim McIntyre made two substitutions, one replacing Kirk himself. However, after a rub of the magic sponge Kirk trotted back onto the pitch, apparently oblivious to the fact he had been subbed. Play raged on with Dunfermline back to eleven men but soon a Raith fan nearby chirped “they've got eleven men again”. His neighbour screamed “whit?!” followed by a loud “BOOOOO!”. As word spread, the chants of “cheats, cheats, cheats” boomed out of the travelling support. Referee Smith brought his finger out and started counting the number of Dunfermline players. After consulting his nearby linesman he swiftly booked Kirk and ordered him off the pitch.

The match restarted again and seven minutes from time Raith clawed a goal back. Dunfermline 'keeper Chris Smith inexplicably dropped a ball at the feet of Iain Williamson and the Raith winger duly passed it into the back of the net. Just minutes later Williamson unbelievably hit the bar from just yards out, but the away support continued to urge their side on. Then, two minutes into injury time Willie Dyer clipped a speculative cross into the box which Allan Walker nodded on and the ball looped – almost in slow motion - into the top corner of the goal. The noise was incredible and the hugs were intense. Walker's equalising goal had kept Raith top of the league and the fans were sure to let the quickly escaping home support know this.

Allan Walker celebrates after his equalising goal against the Pars

Favourite Strip?

The 125^th anniversary “Blackburn style” strip was the most aesthetically pleasing one, made all the better by the fact Raith won the Second Division wearing it.

Iain Davidson shows off the 125th anniversary strip with the Second Division trophy

Worst Thing About Being A Raith Fan?

When Raith beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final a commentator apparently claimed that the fans would be “dancing in the streets of Raith tonight”. This was a glaring error as Rovers home town is Kirkcaldy, not Raith. However, the phrase is repeated far too often for my liking and has become a little tiresome now. 

Funniest Moment?

For the last two seasons Raith had a striker called Gregory Tade. In his first campaign he was well known for tripping over his own feet and blazing shots over the bar from two yards out, but the funniest moment came during a match against Airdrie United in October 2009. Tade – who was already on a yellow card - received a through ball, turned his marker and blasted the ball not only over the bar, but out of the ground. The referee ran up to Tade, threw up a yellow card, followed by a red. A large number of Raith fans began to start laughing hysterically, for it appeared Tade had been given a second yellow card and sent off for simply being rubbish. To this day the sending off is a mystery. There was no foul in the build up to the shot and with Raith winning 2-0 at the time, one can only assume the referee mistook Tade's wild shot as an act of time wasting. 

Walker protests, but Tade is ordered off

Favourite Moment?

The full time whistle after beating Dundee at Dens Park in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final last season is by far and away my favourite moment. The sheer euphoria of the fact that Raith were going to Hampden Park, not to play Queens Park, but to play in a Scottish Cup Semi Final was just incredible. It was also the first Scottish Cup Semi Final Raith had made in forty-seven years which made me feel like I was part of the club making history.

Laurie Ellis celebrates the winning goal over Dundee

written by Will Lyon

Foo Fighters - Walk [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the song "Walk" by Foo Fighters. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

Foo Fighters latest album Wasting Light has received mass critical acclaim since it was released in April. Lead single "Rope" was a fantastic return to form and now the follow up "Walk" has been released to keep the album sales ticking over.

"Walk" does not reach the dizzy heights of "Rope", but then the Foos have not managed to release a single so captivating since "All My Life" in 2002. However, "Walk" is a decent effort. The song takes a while to launch into action with a few procrastinating verses, although the chorus is worth the wait. It's a melodic and enjoyable creation, despite being led into battle with a surprisingly ordinary Taylor Hawkins drum riff.

Sadly however, "Walk" sometimes has the damning ability of being able to flow through one ear and out the other without the listener noticing. It is just a little middle-of-the-road, which is ironic considering the band take the mickey out of middle-of-the-road specialists, Coldplay, in the accompanying video. Do not be fooled by "Walk", it may be a little uninspiring, but Wasting Light as a whole, is far better.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 4:16
Release Date: June 13, 2011

Check out the song: "Walk"

The View - Bread And Circuses [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Bread And Circuses by The View. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 6/10

The View were heralded as the "next big thing" back in 2007 when the Scots released their debut album, Hats Off To The Buskers. The record shot to number one in the British album chart and the singles faired well too. Twenty-five months later their sophomore effort Which Bitch? was unveiled and it was invariably a flop. Alcohol and booze had began to rule the band and consequently the music suffered.

The View made a conscious decision to start putting the music first again and started working on album number three, Bread And Circuses. The result is a superior effort to Which Bitch?, but the band still appear to be lacking a bit of real class. "Tragic Magic", "Friend", "Blondie" and "Sunday" all contain infectious melodies and typical surf-rock harmonies, but fighting through the surrounding nine worthless songs is irritating.

With Bread And Circuses chart success even further down on Which Bitch? it becomes apparent that The View have failed to claw back the fans they lost after their second record. At this rate it will not be long before they disappear into indie obscurity alongside The Automatic and The Enemy.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 50:10
Release Date: March 22, 2011

Track Listing:

01. Grace
02. Underneath The Lights
03. Tragic Magic
04. Girl
05. Life
06. Friend
07. Beautiful
08. Blondie
09. Sunday
10. Walls
11. Happy
12. Best Lasts Forever
13. Witches

Check out the song: "Grace"

The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my album review of Passive Me, Aggressive You by The Naked And Famous. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7/10

Whatever your opinions of synth-pop are, one thing for certain is that there is still plenty of life left in the genre. There are a lot of bands on the musical landscape still mucking about with synthesisers and generally the quality has been surprisingly good. The Naked And Famous are continuing this trend. Although Passive Me, Aggressive You has been available in their native land of New Zealand for a while, it has finally been shipped around the world and the feedback has been very positive.

“Punching In A Dream” and "Young Blood" have some incredibly infectious electronic riffs which would bring chaos to dancefloors in clubs. The beats are loud and the tremendous Cyndi Lauper-esq voice of Alisa Xayalith shrills through the listener. However, the album is not all get-up-and-go. There are slower efforts, some of which are a bit weird and sadly a sharp drop in quality from the singles.

In truth, the album is a long, winding journey. From the dancefloor, to the chill out-tastic "The Ends" and then the hard rock of "A Wolf In Geek's Clothing", The Naked And Famous have nailed a really interesting and captivating record.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 49:13
Release Date: March 15, 2011

Track Listing:

01. All Of This
02. Punching In A Dream
03. Frayed
04. The Source
05. The Sun
06. Eyes
07. Young Blood
08. No Way
09. Spank
10. Jilted Lovers
11. A Wolf In A Geek's Clothing
12. The Ends
13. Girls Like You

Check out the song: "Young Blood"

Simple Plan ft. Rivers Cuomo - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" by Simple Plan featuring Weezer front man, Rivers Cuomo. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 1 / 10

No, no, no. Just no. When Rivers Cuomo and his geek-rock band Weezer emerged in the early 90s the last thing we expected from him, was to team up with power-pop trash like Simple Plan almost twenty years later at the age of forty. As musicians age, their music is supposed to develop into a more mature or technically advanced sound - "Can't Keep My Hands Off You" is anything but. Cuomo only features for one verse, but the lyrics are so, so terrible. "My clothes are six months old but I don’t care, no no no I don’t notice." Come on Rivers, what were you thinking?

Sadly, "Can't Keep My Hands Off You' - the first single from new album Get Your Heart On! is just as awful as previous Simple Plan efforts. There was enough of throw away power-pop in the noughties and it needs to stop. Simple Plan's music is just as one dimensional as it always has been and the lyrics are dreadful: "Cuz on the street, or under the covers, we are stuck like two pieces of velcro." The song and indeed the band are one to avoid, at all costs.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:42
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "Can't Keep My Hands Off You"

Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of "Gold Cobra" by Limp Bizkit. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9/10

It has been almost eight years since we had a new Limp Bizkit album in our hands, but in just under three weeks the clock will be reset. Gold Cobra will hit the shops on June 28, but to keep the fans on their toes, the title track has been unleashed onto the internet.

Pushing nostalgic Fred Durst crotch-grabbing aside, it appears that “Gold Cobra” is a real quality effort from Florida's finest. It is everything you want a Limp Bizkit song to sound like – fat, rough and utterly infectious. It honestly feels like it is the year 2000 all over again.

The short bridge is a little lacklustre, but nitpicking aside, "Gold Cobra" is a fantastic song. As is the norm with Limp Bizkit tracks, it is best listened at full volume and after this has been achieved, I imagine for many June 28 cannot come quick enough.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:54
Release Date: 06.07.2011

The Music - Ghost Hands [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my song review of "Ghost Hands" by The Music. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 9 / 10

 

With farewell gigs announced, The Music also decided to release one final single before departing the musical landscape. "Ghost Hands" was a song written for the band's fourth studio album, which was never completed. However, lead singer Robert Harvey announced that the band "love the track and it just seemed a shame to leave it gathering dust for ever. It's good to go out with something positive and new and we think it deserves to see the light of day."

And thank goodness the band decided to give away this final song, for it is an utter masterpiece. It begins with a very eighties drum beat and a very New Order-esq bass riff. The electric guitar trickles in, with a reverbing effect that U2's 'Edge' would be very fond of. Harvey's echoing verse follows and builds up to a mesmerising chorus passionately preaching "we get up, we get up, we make history."

The one criticism, would be that the "remix", or "extended version" is actually slightly better. Nevertheless, "Ghost Hands" is a truly epic way for a band to bow out with and the best thing about it, is that it is available for free off their website.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 5:43
Release Date: 04.21.2011

Check out the song: "Ghost Hands"

The Naked And Famous - Girls Like You [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest single by The Naked And Famous. It was published on Pure Grain Audio.

Rating: 7 / 10

“Girls Like You” is the third single from The Naked And Famous début album, Passive Me, Aggressive You. The single is actually about two minutes shorter than the album version, but that does not particularly matter. The 126 extra seconds on the album is basically some unnecessary weird noises and slowly descending feedback.

The song, musically, is quite enjoyable. It is a mixture of shoegaze and electropop with a very infectious chorus. The track builds up to a nice climax, followed by a much improved twenty seconds of feedback and noise, compared to the album format. However, the main downside is that after a few spins, the listener realises that the originally infectious chorus of “don’t you know people write songs about girls like you?” becomes a little repetitive.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 3:59

Release Date: 06.06.2011

The Vaccines - All In White [Song Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest single by The Vaccines. It was published on Pure Grain Audio. 

Rating: 9.5 / 10

Sometimes us British can become a little excitable over homegrown bands and The Vaccines can probably be placed in this category. Their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? was a slight let down, but nevertheless a decent effort.

Amongst the typical bouncy British indie pop, is "All In White", undoubtedly the gem of the album. A thumping, but measured bass riff intertwined with a haunting keyboard builds up into a quite exhilarating climax, alongside a piercing electric guitar and Justin Young's booming voice. The lyrics, unlike the surrounding songs, are emotional and mature, delivered in Young's fantastically deep tone.

"All In White" proves that the hype surrounding The Vaccines is not as ridiculous as it first appears, but the band must be more consistent with material of similar quality if they are to hit the real big time.

written by Will Lyon

Run Time: 4:34
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "All In White"

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See [Album Review]

Click here or read below for my review of the latest album by Arctic Monkeys. It was published on Pure Grain Audio. 

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Arctic Monkeys have come a long way since their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Lead singer Alex Turner no longer chats into the microphone, as he recently put it, about "fucking taxi ranks" and actually sings now. Jamie Cook's guitar playing and the stick work of Matt Helders is now less frantic and far superior in quality. Nick O'Malley's bass has changed to a thicker tone than before, supporting a rougher and slightly psychedelic sound that the band now possess. Although Arctic Monkeys have long lost their mainstream lad-rock status, it is obvious they are now a far more developed band.

Suck It And See is rather aptly named as it is a grows on you with every spin. Sometimes Turner does overdo his lyrics and indeed, a few songs are filler, but there are some real top quality moments which remind us that Arctic Monkeys are still the best British band around, both musically and lyrically. Many music critics have claimed that Turner and co. still have their best to come and there are prolonged periods on Suck It And See which suggest that they may just be right.

written by Will Lyon

Track Listing:

01. She's Thunderstorms
02. Black Treacle
03. Brick By Brick
04. The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
05. Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
06. Library Pictures
07. All My Own Stunts
08. Reckless Serenade
09. Piledriver Waltz
10. Love Is A Laserquest
11. Suck It And See
12. That's Where You're Wrong

Run Time: 40:06
Release Date: 06.06.2011

Check out the song: "Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair"

Season Review 2010/11: Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my season review of Raith Rovers. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

Raith Rovers: So Near, Yet So Far

Starks Park - the home of Raith Rovers

Watching your team miss out on promotion to your fierce local rivals after sitting at the top of the league for months on end is tough to take. Some may say that Raith Rovers possessed a squad that were never good enough to challenge for the title anyway, but having come so close it does not make it any easier to accept.

After winning promotion to the First Division in 2009, Raith finished seventh in their comeback season. It was a good achievement, especially after reaching their first Scottish Cup semi final in forty-seven years during the same campaign. However, even the most enthusiastic Rovers fan would not have predicted a title challenge in the 2010/11 season.

Despite comfortable wins over Partick Thistle and Dunfermline Athletic at the start of the season, followed by an SPL scalp in the League Cup, the expectation was that Raith would eventually lose their form and tip-toe down to their more natural position in the middle of the league. As it turned out, Raith never slipped down further than second place - a quite remarkable feat.

The key to Rovers success was their solid defence. Only eight league goals were conceded in the opening fifteen games. Craig Wilson, Grant Murray, Laurie Ellis and new signing Willie Dyer quickly gelled together and opposing teams struggled to break down their resistance. At the other end, striker John Baird would pull opposition defences all over the place with his neat technique and pace. His comrade Gregory Tade acted as the physical and acrobatic target man, causing absolute chaos amongst enemy lines. Although Baird and Tade were not the most clinical of finishers, the team possessed endless amounts of desire. Raith would time and time again force their tiring opponents into mistakes and find injury time goals to grind out an extra point or two.

A November fixture against Dunfermline would be a prime example. After a woeful eighty minutes, falling behind by two goals, Iain Williamson pounced on an error by goalkeeper Chris Smith to bring the deficit back to just one. Williamson hit the bar just minutes later, but Rovers were not done yet. Deep into injury time a speculative cross by Dyer was flicked on by Allan Walker and the ball just happened to loop into the top corner. This was not just an example of a comeback though. Walker's goal was one which kept Raith at the top of the league. Rovers fans made the short journey back to Kirkcaldy delirious with their team's spirit and it was this time that most started believing something special could be on the cards.

However, in typical Raith fashion the club crashed out of the Scottish Cup the following week at the hands of Second Division Alloa Athletic and went on to produce two mind-numbingly dull 0-0 draws against Partick and Falkirk.

The players regrouped however, and turned over the Pars in the New Year derby. Rovers then went up to Dingwall, claiming a narrow 1-0 victory, but it was here that the promotion train appeared to de-rail. Raith only managed to keep three clean sheets in the remaining nineteen league games. All of a sudden Rovers could no longer rely on just scoring one goal to win a match. This was a problem. Baird appeared to have lost some confidence, Tade was and always will be a poor goalscorer, Graham Weir had yet to score since May 2009 and Gary Wales was rarely fit. Now, Raith had to find even more desire and commitment to grind out results.

The Starks Park side managed to keep up with fellow title challengers Dunfermline for most of 2011, but ultimately the deciding game for the top position took place at East End Park on Saturday 23rd April. Raith looked jaded and one dimensional falling to a 2-1 defeat. The end result was Dunfermline gaining a four point advantage over the Kirkcaldy side with two games remaining. The Pars sealed the title seven days later cruising past Greenock Morton 2-0, while Raith lost 1-0 to Queen of the South, ironically falling to an injury time goal.

As the silent Starks Park troops walked home dejected, they tried to evaluate just how their side had missed out on a place in the SPL. Some blamed manager John McGlynn after he tinkered with a steady defence just before the New Year, bringing Mark Campbell into the centre of defence and shifting Ellis out to the left. However, to blame McGlynn for the sudden leaking of goals would be unfair as the outgoing Dyer lost his place due to injury and in the following months Ellis too, would struggle with his fitness.

More likely to be the significant two reasons for Raith's eventual downfall would be first: pressure and second: Dunfermline strengthening their squad.

The Rovers players were never expected to be challenging for promotion and after defeating Dunfermline at New Year, suddenly found the media turning up the heat, labelling them as real contenders for the title. Raith simply could not cope with the pressure. A second half capitulation to Morton at Starks Park in late January appeared to cause serious mental scarring amongst the Raith defence. In fact, it was at Starks Park that Rovers faltered most. Six defeats at home is simply not good enough for a team seeking the league title and the impact of the statistic looks all the more overwhelming when comparing it to Dunfermline's single loss at East End Park.

However, it was more than good form that emerged from East End Park. Dunfermline strengthened their squad quite considerably in January. Although talented winger Willie Gibson left to join Crawley Town, gaffer Jim McIntyre used the funds gained to bring in Liam Buchanan, Martin Hardie and Kevin Rutkiewicz. Buchanan went on to make seventeen appearances, Hardie fourteen and Rutkiewicz twelve. Contrast this to Raith's only January signing, Gary Wales, who featured just seven times from the bench.

Ultimately, Dunfermline were better equipped for promotion. McIntyre had his side playing neat, attractive football, while possessing the required desire and commitment in the latter stages of the season to grind out results when necessary. Raith melted as the levels of expectation rose, especially when playing at home and simply did not possess the required quality to see out the latter stages of the season.

Mid-table is once again the benchmark for Rovers next season, but with significant budget cuts this summer and fifteen departing players, there will be no miracle title challenge this time around. In fact, there is a possibility that the team could struggle to cope with the lengthy list of departures and come 2012, be flirting with relegation back to the Second Division.

written by Will Lyon

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - There’s Only Two James Morrisons

Click here to listen to this season's final podcast.

Hello and welcome to the final Terrace of the 10/11 campaign. We may be back with the odd close-season extravaganza, but for the moment just fill your boots with this offering.

We kick things off by talking through the Scottish Cup final, before moving onto the latest news in Scottish football this week, featuring Hearts' signings, Willo Flood, St. Johnstone and the Rangers soap opera.

We'll have a special Top 5 as we look back on five of the most memorable (positive) things to have happened this campaign and we will have the return of the Rumour Mill, where we talk Bothroyd, Conway, Aluko, Wallace and Taouil among others.

We give our congratulations to Ayr and Albion Rovers, both promoted through the playoffs and also talk Jimmy Nicholl, Paul Burns, Ross County signings from their Highland neighbours and Paul Hartley taking the reins at Alloa; fear the beard!

In this packed end-of-season show we'll also peruse the Scotland XI to face Wales and have Where are they Now?

Be sure to get in touch: email - theterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: @terracepodcast

It's been a blast, folks! Enjoy the show.

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - Cup Final Special

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

We preview the battle for Scotland's last silverware of the season between Celtic and Motherwell.

We all believed Motherwell have a great chance of lifting the Scottish Cup on Sunday, only to all comprehensively agree that Celtic are clear and away favourites for trophy.

While the domestic season ends on Sunday, Scottish players are still in action next week as Scotland travel to Dublin to face Wales and Ireland, and we talk over Scotland's chances of winning some vital co-efficient points. Furthermore, Scotland's likely line-up is discussed and carrying on from Monday's episode, Aberdeen's Chris Maguire receives more ear bashing.

Alan provides his usual Punt of the Week which includes some very favourable odds on Motherwell winning on Sunday, before we take a look at the First and Second Division's playoff finals between Brechin City v Ayr United and Annan Athletic v Albion Rovers (who are definitely not Weegies...)

Hope you enjoy

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com

Twitter: @terracepodcast @wrl1989 @craigfowler86 @alanftemple

Ronaldo: Il Fenomeno

Click here or read below for my player profile of Brazilian football icon, Ronaldo. It was published on Scotzine.

Ronaldo: Il Fenomeno

“Mentally, I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost [the battle] to my body.”

Those were the words of Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima speaking in February 2011, when announcing his inevitable retirement from football. Ronaldo had problems with his knees for large periods of his career and it appeared, alongside a heavy weight problem, an issue that he was unable to shake off.

There is always a tinge of sadness when a quality player finally admits defeat with their body and some Rangers fans may go through similar motions when their favourite old man, Davie Weir, hangs up the boots. However, while Weir has been a great servant to his club in times of financial turmoil, his achievements severely pale in significance to that of Ronaldo who would unquestionably be in most people’s top fifteen players of all time.

The Brazilian superstar – known by many fans as ‘Il Fenomeno’ – has an endless list of trophies and awards, some individual, some team-orientated. After winning the Copa do Brasil with Cruzeiro in1993, he moved to Europe, with a scoring ratio of almost a goal a game at PSV Eindhoven and continued to make similar impacts for Brazil and his next club, Barcelona. His unbelievable talent and goal tally was rewarded with the title of FIFA World Footballer of the Year in 1996 and 1997, making Ronaldo both the youngest ever to win the award and the only player to do so in consecutive years.

Unable to renegotiate Ronaldo’s contract, Barcelona were waving goodbye to their star man after just one season at the club. Inter Milan forked out, what was then, a world record fee of £19 million for Ronaldo’s services and the then, twenty-one-year-old, made his way across the Mediterranean.

The goals continued to flow and the whole world looked forward to witnessing what Ronaldo could produce on the biggest platform of football at the 1998 World Cup. Bizarrely, Ronaldo already had a World Cup winners medal after being included in the 1994 Brazil squad, but he had failed to make an appearance, so he was desperate to claim another, this time by firing his country to glory.

After a 2-1 victory over Scotland, Ronaldo scored his first goal of the tournament in a 3-0 romp over Morocco. Although Brazil fell to a 2-1 defeat to Norway in the final group stage fixture, they won their group and progressed to the second round. Ronaldo would score a penalty, hit the post and then coolly slot past Chile keeper’ Nelson Tapia to wrap up a 4-1 demolition of their South American neighbours. It seemed that after a typically Brazilian tentative start to the tournament, they had finally shaken off their complacency and looked set for another World Cup success.

In the quarter finals Brazil met Denmark in what ended up being a thrilling end-to-end affair. The Brazilians came up trumps to win 3-2 with Ronaldo assisting two of the goals. Indeed, it seemed that some people were oblivious to his clinical through-balls as well as his finishing, but after this special performance, his all-round game would be appreciated further.

The Netherlands were the next obstacle for the Samba Boys and they soon looked comfortable after a fantastically timed run by Ronaldo, finishing past Edwin van der Sar with ease to open the scoring. However, Holland equalised three minutes before the full-time whistle and after a fruitless extra thirty minutes, penalties would follow. Ronaldo set Brazil on their way, sending van der Sar the wrong way and after Ronald de Boer missed his decisive penalty, a final between host nation France and World Cup holders Brazil was set up.

It would be this infamous World Cup final which tainted the star’s reputation. Ronaldo, quite simply, failed to produce the goods, with Brazil on the receiving end of a Zinedine Zidane master-class, finishing 3-0. Conspiracy theories followed especially when Ronaldo failed to be placed on the team-sheet seventy-two minutes before kick-off, only to be mysteriously added again on a further team-sheet released around thirty minutes later. Ronaldo did take to the pitch, but he looked a shadow of his former self and failed to impose himself on the game.

In the end however, it transpired that the night before the final Ronaldo had suffered convulsions and it was only decided by medical staff at last-minute that he was well enough to play the fixture. Despite the clearance by doctors, Ronaldo’s team-mates were not convinced and it seems worry took hold of them and they failed to perform to their usual high standards. After the match, Ronaldo was quite philosophical about the whole episode claiming that “we lost the World Cup but I won another cup…my life,” underlining how close to death he and his team-mates believed he was.

Ronaldo continued his astounding performances when he returned to Inter Milan, but the first significant signs of injury troubles appeared on 21 November 1999 in a match against Lecce. The striker had ruptured a tendon in his knee and required surgery. He made his comeback in April 2000 and within minutes left the pitch injured once again. Two operations and months of rehabilitation followed and Ronaldo found himself ready just in time for the 2002 World Cup.

Ronaldo scored in all three group stage fixtures, knocking a single goal past Turkey and China respectively, followed by a further two against Costa Rica. The goal tally continued with a late goal against Belgium in a 2-0 win and although he failed to score, Brazil beat England 2-1 in the quarter finals, a match which was won thanks to Ronaldinho’s exhilarating lob over David Seaman. The semi-finals brought Brazil and Turkey together again with a forty-ninth minute Ronaldo goal enough to send the Brazilians through to another final.

This time, Ronaldo was fit and able to play and the man himself opened the scoring after sixty-seven minutes when he pounced on a rare Oliver Kahn mistake. Twelve minutes later Ronaldo popped up again to side-foot past Kahn and seal a fifth World Cup for the boys in yellow. This appeared to be the rebirth of Ronaldo’s career. He finished top goalscorer at the World Cup and later in 2002, won World Player of the Year for the third time after sealing an incredible €39 million move to Real Madrid.

As it transpired, Ronaldo continued to score but injuries still plagued him and would repeatedly do so for the rest of his career, often incurring lengthy spells on the sidelines. Criticism of his now sizeable weight followed him into the 2006 World Cup and indeed the most recognisable striker in the world failed to light up the competition as he had in the two previous.

Brazil won their opening three games of the competition, but Ronaldo would struggle, being substituted in the first two fixtures, before finally breaking his duck against Japan, twice. In the second round, Brazil cruised past Ghana with Ronaldo scoring the first goal of the match which came about from a perfectly timed run onto a through ball followed by a wonderful shimmy past goalkeeper Richard Kingson. This goal took Ronaldo’s overall World Cup goal tally up to fifteen, a record which still stands to this day.

Brazil were knocked out by France in the quarter finals and from this moment forth, Ronaldo’s career would spiral into oblivion. He made the trip back to Italy, this time to play for AC Milan, but ravished by injury, only featured for just over three hundred minutes in the entire 2007-8 season and the world icon headed home for Brazil.


Ronaldo was adamant that once he recovered from injuries he would sign for Flamengo, however, he shocked the country by joining league rivals Corinthians instead. Initially, the move appeared successful, after helping the club win the Campeonato Paulista and the Brazil Cup. Although Ronaldo signed a contract extension to the end of 2011, he announced his retirement in February this year soon after Corinthians were knocked out of the Copa Libertadores.

There is no doubt that the natural talent Ronaldo possessed was nothing short of extraordinary and the endless individual and team awards he has received recognise this. However, due to physical weaknesses his career was often interrupted for long spells. Therefore, Il Fenomeno should be given credit for continuing as long as he did and congratulated for his continued goalscoring record at all times, no matter how fragile he was. Despite his problems, he managed to play ninety-two games for Brazil, scoring sixty-two goals in the process, but perhaps the most significant blip on his record is the lack of a Champions League medal even though he featured at Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and AC Milan.

Ronaldo was not the fastest player in the world, but he did have incredible bursts of pace which enabled him to play off the shoulders of defenders to devastating effect and he seemed to almost contain a physic ability to draw out goalkeepers to meet him, only to fool them at the last possible moment and stroke the ball into the goal with, what appeared, relative ease.

Is he amongst Pele, Zidane, Best, Maradona, Beckenbauer and Garrincha? For some people, not quite. They argue that his injuries crippled him for too long and was therefore unable to provide the consistency to be an all-time great. Whether you follow this train of thought or not is somewhat irrelevant. He was sensational to watch when he was fit and undoubtedly added an extra dimension to the 1998 and 2002 World Cup which at the time, for a youngster like myself, was spellbinding to watch.

written by Will Lyon

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast: Team of the Year

Click here to listen to the latest episode of The Terrace.

 We talk about Rangers and how they are the Champions of Scotland for the 54th time, as Walter Smith bows out of the Ibrox hotseat a winner. We'll have the story of Helicopter Sunday, and chat about where the title was one and lost, what's next and chat about the extraordinary and laudable atmosphere's at both Rugby Park and Celtic Park.

The SFL playoff's promise excitement, and the semi-finals did not disappoint. Cowdenbeath and Alloa both went out at the semi stage, meaning both are relegated [to SFL2 and SFL3 resepectively]. We'll hand out praise where it's due and look ahead to Ayr vs Brechin [for a place in SFL1] and Albion vs Annan Athletic [for a place in SFL2].

And, as a special end of [SPL] season treat, we will be piecing together our SPL Team of the Year 10/11, with our usual proviso; that every team should be represented [11 players, 1 coach]. Feel free to get in touch if you agree/disagree with out selection.

Remember, also - we'll be back on Friday with a pre-Cup final special, so be sure to download that on Friday as your perfect prelude to the Hampden showpiece.

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com ¦ Twitter: @terracepodcast

Terrace Travels #10: Cowdenbeath 0-2 Brechin City

Click here or read below for my experiences at the recent fixture between Cowdenbeath and Brechin City. It was published on The Terrace.

Brechin are Reekin'

The playoffs have been an absolute revelation to the SFL since their introduction. They attract bigger crowds, high tension and drama. With this in mind, The Terrace's Will Lyon headed along to Cowdenbeath for their second leg, semi final fixture against Brechin City, with the scores tied at 2-2 from the first leg.

The unique Central Park, Cowdenbeath

 The sun was shining and the fans were out in force. Central Park may not be the prettiest sight in the world, but as it loomed in the distance I could not help feeling a tinge of sadness that this could be my last visit, due to new plans to demolish the old lady. Or am I just a bit soppy?

As my dad and I walked towards the rickety ground, we were made to feel welcome by a group of teenagers who booed us, presumably because we were walking behind two middle-aged men proudly sporting Brechin City shirts.

We walked into the ground and took our seats with fifteen minutes to kickoff. Of course, Central Park hosts stock car racing and therefore fans have to sit well away from the pitch. To make matters worse, floodlights and wired fences also hinder the view from the stands. Despite this, (and I am probably in the minority) I still cannot help liking the unique ground.

After initially basking in the sunshine, my dad realised he had left his phone on top of the car (he's getting old) and hurried back to the car park to pick it up. With the greatest of respect to Cowdenbeath, if you have visited the town before, I am sure you can imagine how lucky he was that it was still there five minutes later. 

As I was sitting on my own, Ross County manager Jimmy Calderwood came up into the stand, presumably to support his pal and Cowdenbeath manager, Jimmy Nicholl. The initially empty terracing was also beginning to fill and it was a pleasure to see both sets of fans freely mixing together, with few policemen in sight. The usual songs about Brechin fans liking sheep was sung by Cowdenbeath fans and by the sounds of things, City fans were only too happy to remind the home support that they were from Fife and therefore likely to be married to their sister…

My dad arrived back, just in time for the pre-match entertainment which featured a group of youngsters carrying out some daring dance moves. One unlucky girl was flung up into the air, only to be dropped after gravity had hauled her back to earth, but that aside, everything went to plan. 

The match kicked off at a frantic pace that bestows the typical lower league football fixture. Unfortunately, the quality of football in the first half was hampered by a bumpy pitch and the strong wind hardly helped matters. However, the two sets of fans on the terracing appeared to be having a good time and the policemen were chuckling along with the banter. Conversely, Raith Rovers manager John McGlynn, sitting behind us, did not appear to be having a particularly good time. To improve the situation, he left his seat just before half time and staggered back with a supply of pies for assistant manager Paul Smith and office manager Bob Mullen.

During the interval, numerous signed Cowdenbeath shirts were given away by mascot “Bluebell the Coo” to delighted youngsters, before the club's under-14s attempted a one-on-one shootout against their poor goalkeepers, dwarfed by the full sized goals.

In the second half, Cowdenbeath began to take control of the game, but repeatedly saw their shots blocked by brave Brechin defenders or saved by veteran ‘keeper Craig Nelson. However, it was the away side who took the lead. The impressive Jamie Redman nipped in ahead of a static defence and struck home from six yards. With just ten minutes to play, Cowdenbeath flung men forward, only to concede the inevitable breakaway goal, with Craig Molloy tapping in to seal his side's place in the final against Ayr United. The result also condemned Cowdenbeath to relegation down to Division Two and questions will be asked if Nicholl will stay at the club, along with experienced pros Stevie Crawford and Colin Cameron.

The Cowdenbeath young team let out their anger by chanting “Brechin are reekin'” and although their fans smelt perfectly fine to me, their team were no great shakes and you would expect Ayr to topple them for the coveted place in the First Division.

written by Will Lyon

Season Review 2010/11: Hamilton Academical

Click here or read below for my season review of Hamilton Academical. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast.

Hamilton Academical - A Season To Forget

New Douglas Park - The home of Hamilton Accies

New Douglas Park, Saturday 25th September 2010 – the day that set the tone for Hamilton's season. Accies found themselves 2-0 up at half time over Mixu Paatelainen's Kilmarnock. The home side had absolutely dominated and were unlucky not to be further ahead at the break. However, the standing ovation at half time would be replaced by stunned silence just sixty minutes later. Midfielder Simon Mensing gave away a completely unnecessary penalty when he brought down Danny Invincible with just seven minutes remaining. Tomas Cerny saved the penalty, but referee Crawford Allan ordered it to be re-taken after players had encroached into the box before Jamie Hamill had taken his shot. Second time around, Hamill slotted home and Killie proceeded to throw everything at the Accies goal. Their pressure paid off on the 89th minute when Connor Sammon redirected a shot into the goal from close range to clinch a 2-2 draw. Many Accies fans believe it was this game that set in stone the belief in the players that they could not defend a lead. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy and led to the club's ultimate demise. 

Obviously, there were other moments where Hamilton shot themselves in the foot. The Accies conceded a staggering fifteen penalties in all competitions and there is only so much a goalkeeper can do to keep them out, although Cerny did manage to save four. The seven red cards accumulated during the campaign will not have helped either, especially considering the number of injuries Accies suffered over the season. James Gibson suffered the third serious knee injury of his career in his comeback reserve match at the start of May, club captain Alex Neil was out injured for the majority of the season and so it appeared that manager Billy Reid rarely had his strongest first eleven out on the pitch at any point.

Although there were numerous setbacks throughout the 2010/11 campaign, Accies made things tough right from the start. After just two SPL games they had accumulated no points, failed to score any goals and conceded eight goals in the process. After just 180 minutes of football most bookies already had Accies down as relegation certainties.

A midweek loss to Raith Rovers in the League Cup heaped more pressure on Reid, but a Dougie Imrie screamer was enough to dispatch of Inverness Caley Thistle in the next league fixture and Accies began to find their feet. Imrie's magical left foot set up the South Lanarkshire side on an eight game scoring streak, but an underlying problem at the same time was Accies incapability to stop conceding goals. 

However, Hamilton did manage a few clean sheets, most notably in late October where they claimed a 1-0 win at Fir Park. After the match Reid came out and claimed that “if we just play our usual passing game, we'll pick up points”, but it was after this match that Hamilton failed to win in their next twenty-two league games - a damning statistic that simply is not good enough for any club expecting to stay in the SPL.

The elusive win to buck the trend came at Easter Road in mid April, but the problem for Accies was that they only had five remaining fixtures to turn over their nine point deficit at the bottom of the league. They managed to pick up a respectable seven in the remaining ties and even secured what would be their only home league win, beating Hibs 1-0. Despite the valiant effort by the stricken Accies, it was too little and too late to manage the great escape from relegation.

Reid would often come out after matches lamenting his side's lack of “rub of the green”, but it would be false to attribute this as the prime reason for Accies demise. When a team are on the back foot for long spells of football matches they will undoubtedly concede more fouls, freekicks, penalties and red cards, even if some of the decisions are indeed incorrect. 

Reid was always quick to praise the efforts of his players and Hamilton were well known for their attractive style of play, but ultimately, when your top goalscorer (Mickael Antoine-Curier) only manages to score five goals (two were penalties) you do not need to be a nuclear scientist to work out that Accies struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. 

Despite Reid professing after one match that “you can't tell me St Mirren are a better team than Hamilton Accies - I can't have that”, I am sure, with time, he will admit that Accies just were not good enough to stay in the SPL. Losing James McArthur in July 2010 was probably the final nail in the coffin for the club. Reid tried his best to bring in suitable short term replacements but his efforts were in the end, futile. 

The season of 2010/11 will be one Hamilton will hope to forget as soon as possible and what better way to do so, by winning promotion from Division One at the first time of asking. Reid has already made a few decent signings which includes the addition of Queen of the South talisman, Willie McLaren. To be fair, this upcoming season would have to be a capitulation of epic proportions if results are not an improvement compared to the monstrosity of the campaign just past.

written by Will Lyon

Fifteen Players Leave Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my article on the recent player cull at Raith Rovers Football Club. It was published on Scotzine.

Financial Turmoil at Raith Rovers?

On Tuesday this week it was announced that fifteen players had left Scottish First Division side, Raith Rovers. This followed just hours after the startling news that fellow league side Falkirk had asked eighteen players to depart their club. However, are Rovers simply shedding excess players, or are the Kirkcaldy club really in serious financial difficulty?

Gregory Tade: Off to pastures new

Recently, Chairman Dave Somerville offered an honest assessment of the club’s finances on the official website. He admitted it is a “myth” that the club are debt free and that certain Directors and a Shareholder have been adding personal funds at critical times of the season, but that “this practice cannot continue.” It seems that even Rovers, a club with a modest First Division budget, are struggling to sustain full-time football without outside investment.

However, while fifteen players does sound like a major cull (especially at a level where fellow First Division side, Queen of the South, often struggled to field eleven senior players throughout the season), the cuts to Raith budget do not appear as severe as first thought. Seven of the released players were from the under nineteen squad and four were ‘squad players’ or ‘bench warmers’. Of the four first team players released, Gregory Tade had been offered two contracts but had rejected them both, as he wanted to test himself at SPL level. Therefore the remaining three: Craig Wilson, Stephen Simmons and Mark Campbell are the only first team players who have actually been culled. Yes, just three.

Mark Campbell has left Raith after five years at the club

 So after looking a little closer at the cuts, it becomes apparent that while there are obvious budget cuts, the negative newspaper headlines and downbeat interviews from Rovers manager John McGlynn, are perhaps a little exaggerated. With the loss of promoted Dunfermline Athletic’s sizeable away support, there was always going to be a reduction in Raith’s budget and if Directors are having to subsidise the club during harsh winters, then obviously, re-adjusting the finances is required.

Clearly, it would be wrong to label Raith Rovers as a club in crisis, but simply one re-adjusting to the financial climate and factors out of their control. Indeed, if it is true that Raith have signed Greenock Morton’s top striker, Brian Graham, the cuts are not even close to being catastrophic.

John McGlynn and the Raith board are quite rightly lowering the expectation of fans, especially after a season of pushing above their weight, but perspective must be retained.

written by Will Lyon

Tividale FC with Leon Murray

Please read below for my interview with Tividale general manager Leon Murray. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Tividale FC

The Beeches - home of Tividale FC

Last month Football Focus caught up with Leon Murray, the General Manager of Tividale Football Club. 'The Dale', at time of writing, were striding away at the top of the West Midland Regional League, Premier Division and Leon was hopeful they could see out the challenge, although he was also looking forward to a bit of a rest before throwing themselves into another gruelling season. “Our hopes are to win the league and the two cup competitions that we are still in. Then a well deserved break!”

Leon is not surprised that Tividale have competed at the top of the table all season when he looks at the quality throughout the first team squad and says the nurturing of talented players is not uncommon at the West Midlands club. “There are a number of players in our squad who could play at a much higher level and a number of our former players have played at a higher level. Of our previous players, Leroy May left us in 1991 and signed for Walsall FC, and more recently Matthew Barnes Homer went to Wycombe Warriors in 2008 and David Davis signed apprenticeship forms for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009.”

Even if Tividale are successful on the pitch, times are hard in the current financial climate. However, Tividale are well known for their busy social club and there is no doubt that it brings in some vital extra income, even though some of it's members do not watch Tividale. “Despite the recession we have a thriving social club, even though many of our members have no interest in football! There is no doubt that our biggest challenge is simply survival. Since I have been here I have seen 6 pubs within walking distance of the club close down. I have also seen the demise of 3 very local football clubs, who all operated at either our level or the level above. However, along with the rest of our committee, we spend every spare minute we have, trying to keep the club afloat and thriving.”

While Tividale stormed their way to the top of the Premier Division, they were delighted to have club legend, Harry Shaw, as guest of honour for a match against Bustleholme recently. Harry was born in June 1925 and was brought up in Tividale. During the Second World War, he served in the RAF, but after being demobbed in 1947, he made his way back to the Black Country and immediately helped to form Tividale Rovers Football Club. He converted the sloping field at the club's Packwood Road into a playing surface, cutting down the rough growth with limited equipment. He played as a right-half for the first four years of the club’s existence before moving to Sedgley after meeting his late wife, Edith. Harry still follows Tividale's progress and would be delighted to see the club seal promotion this season.