The manager speaks

Last updated : 14 December 2008 By Firparkcorner

Most of the article is concerned with the current state of the team and McGhee's links to the jobs at Hampden and Tynecastle but tucked towards the end it the following snippet, "On Thursday the board met the council and discussed the feasibility of a stadium at Ravenscraig. It's light years away but in principle it has McGhee's backing. "The good news is that the study is under way. Maybe put a 12,000-seat stadium there, maybe 10,000 would be enough. Good access, good facilities. You have to consider it."

Mark on the telly


The current economic situation might hold back any development for a while but the fact that early talks are taking place might explain why there is a reluctance to make a huge investment in the current pitch. There seems to be a growing understanding with supporters that such a move will become inevitable as the escalating costs of maintaining
Fir Park continue to grow.

Also mentioned was the poor backdrop which often accompanies live television coverage of SPL games. "You see what is a really good game of football in some of our stadiums and there's no stand or there's big gaps and it looks terrible." He also advocates a return to a ten team SPL!

What he fails to mention is that fans faced with paying between £20 and £25 to attend are choosing to watch from the comfort of their own fireside or make a night of it in the pub. Maybe the next TV contract has to specify that games which are chosen for live broadcast have to charge a maximum of £10 at the gate. Maybe that would provide $etanta with the appropriate atmosphere.

McGhee, talking of our current on field woes, admits that "we're in a bad spot right now". The fault, he suggests, is largely down to the strikers. Clarkson, Sutton and Porter are not producing the necessary finishing and the rest of the team are not sweeping forward. The result is that the defence is under pressure. However, "nobody should be worried".

Looking forward he notes that we face Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Inverness and St Mirren in the next run of games and he feels that ten points from twelve will see us in the top six mix. Let's hope for a turn in fortune!

Mark McGhee interview: Conservative advice