It’s been an incredible season which has seen Germany become World Champions, Barcelona win the treble and Harry Redknapp finally being questioned for his job performance. Over the next couple of weeks, Scottish Comedy FC’s writers are going to be recounting their top moments from the 2014 World Cup and the 2014/15 season.
St Mirren don’t make the list, which is a pretty damning indictment of their fortunes last season.
Which SPFL club has underachieved most this season?
Hamilton Academical – Daniel Downie
Whether they under-achieved is up for debate but the lack of quality post-Alex Neil at Hamilton was marked. I was at New Douglas Park in October for the convincing 3-0 Hamilton win that put them top of the table. It was a barn-storming performance from Accies, who dominated the match from start to finish. Fast forward four months and they were languishing in the bottom six under Martin Canning and looked a different team in the reverse fixture, one which Aberdeen won 3-0 at a canter.
While we’re on the subject, they’re not a club, and they’re not Scottish– thankfully– but what about the Greek national side? Currently sitting bottom of their European Qualifying Group with 2 points, defeated home and away quite incredibly by the Faroe Islands, and still playing better football than when they won the competition in 2004.
Hibernian – Iain Todd
There can only be one winner of this award. A club with a huge budget. A club where the fans are unhappy with the board. A club whose city rivals do much better than them. Yes, it has to be Hibs.
Aberdeen – Andy Todd
Aberdeen fans like to sing that “the sheep are on fire”. This is the perfect song for Aberdeen – you never know if they’re singing it in triumph (“the sheep are on fire!”) or regret (“oh no, the sheep are on fire!”).
This year Aberdeen overachieved by finishing second. They also underachieved by finishing second. Aberdeen are the only club where each season fans don’t know if they should be conquering Europe like they did in the eighties or flirting with relegation like they did in the early 2000s. So, even in a year that they finished second Aberdeen fans still dream of what might have been: a cup triumph, possibly even the league if certain key moments had only gone for them when they played Celtic.
The sheep were on fire. But whether this was seen to be good or bad no one ever knows, not with Aberdeen.
Dundee United – Teddy Craig
This has been a more difficult choice but I’m opting for Dundee United. I know that they’ve lost Gauld, Robertson, Armstrong and Mackay Steven so this is probably me being harsh… but I still expect a bit more from them. I rate Jackie McNamara very highly but I feel that in the latter half of this season performances dipped lower than even Celtic hoovering up the last of those two players could account for.
In the previous season the presence of Gauld et al earned the club something of a ‘baby Harlem Globetrotters’ vibe to go with ‘Baby Messi’ Ryan Gauld. Last season though there were mutterings from some fans about both style of play and results. The talk of Stephen Thompson buying an A-League club may also have become an unwelcome and unnerving distraction for United fans and players alike.
Rangers – Eddie Cassidy
Easy one this, for a club to have the second highest wage bill in the country but to fail to escape the second tier and finish overall 15th (across the whole league) is really not good enough. I have to feel sorry for McCall, for me the blame for Rangers’ doomed promotion bid doesn’t rest at his door.
Who have been your biggest let downs this season? Let us know in the comments.
He is the editor of this fine site and a regular on the Scottish Comedy FC Podcast despite refusing to go anywhere near Owen's house.
He supports Kilmarnock and is a comedian to no-one but himself.
