Inverness travel to Ayrshire to take on Kilmarnock as our top-six dream is starting to fade.  Motherwell to their credit have made the most of their opportunity and appear to have all but wrapped up the last place available in the top half of the league. 

Nothing less than a win for the Caley Jags will do.  That, coupled with Motherwell dropping points in their last game before the split against Hearts at Tynecastle will keep the interest for Butcher's boys, who still have to play Celtic and Heart's in Inverness.  Defeat and the dream is over for another season; top six next year.  A tough ask for the Highlanders, but after a season in the first division, this one will still be seen as a success despite a downturn in form since before Christmas.

With last weeks game being controversially called off at a very late stage, Terry Butcher's 100th game in charge will happen this Saturday..................weather permitting at Rugby Park.  Butcher acknowledges that his first SPL win as Motherwell boss was at Rugby Park in 2002, a 4-1 scoreline that day, and a repeat of that would be most welcome.  It is a milestone for Terry & Mo, and one which the Inverness fans are largely in favour of.

For the record, that’s 81 league games and 18 cup games.  In the league games he has steered the club to 35 wins, 24 draws and 22 defeats, scoring 126 and conceding 87.  In all cup games we have won 12 and lost six, for 36 against 21.

Terry Butcher started his life as an Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager just over two years ago, and his first game was against, Glasgow Celtic in Inverness.  That game was a goalless draw, but what was important about it was the fact that we had stopped the rot, albeit briefly.  We had lost the previous nine SPL games and Mr Brewster’s reign had become untenable.  You know when you see that word, someone is about to get sacked, and this opened the door for the arrival of Terry and Mo.  So, fast forward two years and here we are this Saturday, 99 games gone and Killie will make it 100 not out.

So, we can all thank Terry and Mo this weekend for the roller coaster ride that is Inverness Caledonian Thistle and look forward to another century partnership from the management, surely worthy of a bottle or two of claret.

Since we last played Killie, manager Mixu Paatelainen has moved on to become the man in charge of the Finnish international squad.  He was head-hunted after taking Killie into the top-six comfortably and has left the team in good nick.  They are one of the season's success stories, playing attractive football and scoring freely.   Alexei Eremenko is looking like one of the leagues classiest players, spraying pin point passes like nobody's business, and his undoubted talent deserves a better audience than the SPL.  Irishman Kenny Shiels will see the Rugby park outfit through this transition period until the end of the season by all accounts, and he was in charge for the game at Perth.  The 0-0 draw secured Killies top-six place and left just one spot up for grabs.

Speaking to STV he said ""I want to try and get the attention focused on our next game, I want it to be about football and our next game against Inverness."  So, despite his team having achieved their goal, it appears there will be no let up for the visit of the Caley Jags.

Inverness boss Terry Butcher is still clinging on to the slim possibility of top-six football after the split and his team are raring to go after last weeks late call off in the early kick off against SPL leaders Celtic.  That call off was the second one against Celtic in recent weeks and both games were called off at the eleventh hour because of a waterlogged pitch, and both times the team and fans were in Inverness.  Both were to be televised and the early kick offs were part of the problem as the pitch was playable shortly after the call off.  Had the last game been a three o'clock kick off there would have been no issue whatsoever.

The Tulloch Caledonian Stadium pitch has not been the same since the SPL insisted that undersoil heating be installed to meet their requirements.  However, it appears that this is now causing more grief than ever as the drainage has altered leaving the ground staff with major problems due to the compactness of the ground and the shallowness of the heating pipes, making it difficult to get any depth when forking the surface.  All this adds up to much frustration for Tommy Cumming when the tide is high and the heavens open.  Much has been said about this already, and I'm sure more will be revealed in the future.

Just back from Barra, Alternative Maryhill will reveal the tale of the tape for this one, so let the fans see the boxers.

Kilmarnock v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, 9th April 2011

Saturday brings Caley Thistle’s second trip to Rugby Park this season, after a three week layoff from league football. Writing the preview for the corresponding fixture back in October, I began by lamenting the fact that it had been four weeks since the last away game and emphasising the keen sense of anticipation among the regular ICT away supporters. At the risk of sounding overly-negative, I’m willing to bet that there is slightly less enthusiasm for this match among the majority of those planning the trip this time around. This is partly a natural consequence of the weariness that tends to set in towards the end of a season, but also due to a marked reversal in the fortunes of the two teams since they last met in Kilmarnock.

At that time, Kilmarnock sat two points off the bottom of the league, while ICT sat fourth in the SPL table after a promising start to the season. Kilmarnock supporters would have argued even then that the table was not a true reflection of the quality of football their team had produced in the first months of Mixu Paatelainen’s management, yet despite a decent performance by Kilmarnock, Terry Butcher’s team won the match 2-1, increasing the gap between the teams, and ICT’s fine form continued for several more weeks. Now, however, it is Kilmarnock who sit fourth, with the promise that many detected in Paatelainen’s team eventually having been converted into a series of good results, while Caley Thistle, after a poor run of form since mid-December, which coincided with an injury to Jonny Hayes, sit in seventh: still a creditable position, but with the top six finish many had dreamed of looking highly unlikely in light of Motherwell’s recent results. Yet there are still some grounds for hope that Saturday’s game will bring a positive result for ICT.

Chief among these is the fact that Kilmarnock have recently lost Mixu Paatelainen, the manager unanimously credited with the dramatic improvement in the team’s fortunes, to the Finnish national team. Despite the loss of top scorer Conor Sammon in the January transfer window, the team continued its good form, with three wins, a draw and a narrow defeat to Rangers in the five matches prior to Paatelainen’s departure. The team’s first result under caretaker boss Kenny Shiels, however, was a 0-0 draw against St Johnstone which featured, by all accounts, a deeply uninspiring performance from the Rugby Park side. Shiels’ record in management, too, is patchy: promising starts at Coleraine and Ballymena United in the Irish league were followed by slumps, with Shiels eventually resigning his post at the former club, and being sacked by the latter. Shiels has already expressed his desire to become permanent manager, and the majority of Kilmarnock supporters on the Killie Kickback forum support his appointment, at least until the end of the season, but a bad result at home against a lower-placed team could begin to sway opinion, and Shiels may be feeling a certain degree of pressure ahead of the game after an unspectacular first match in charge. Also, although it might be too much to hope for, is it possible that the Kilmarnock players, who are already guaranteed a top six finish, might be slightly less motivated than ICT players still chasing the very faint hope of achieving that goal?

It is very difficult to predict how Caley Thistle will perform at any given time these days. The last five league fixtures have brought two convincing wins, against St Johnstone and Motherwell, but also three fairly abject performances in losing twice to Dundee United and once to Hibernian. Last Saturday’s scheduled league fixture against Celtic might have given us a clearer idea of the team’s confidence ahead of the trip to Kilmarnock, but after early morning rain that turned the TCS pitch into a paddy field the game was postponed, leaving in its wake an entertaining pantomime of blame-apportioning and finger-pointing from supporters on both sides. Rumours that the flooding was deliberately engineered, as the ICT board had decided after the ten-team league fiasco to resign the club’s place in the SPL and covert the club to a water polo team, and that Russell Duncan had been spotted riding a giant seahorse around the centre circle in preparation for his new role, remain unconfirmed at the time of going to press.

From a purely selfish point of view, I was secretly pleased with the postponement, as there is a chance I might make the rescheduled game, and also because had ICT managed an unlikely win, I might have found myself being burned alive in a giant wicker effigy of Neil Lennon by the enraged, naked, Celtic-tattoo-sporting population of Barra*, alongside erstwhile ICT stalwart Arbroathawayday. If there is a wider positive to Saturday’s cancellation, it is that it should have given certain ICT players additional time to regain full fitness. Terry Butcher has already revealed that Jonny Hayes’ ankle injury is an ongoing problem that will require surgery over the summer, yet for an hour at Tannadice he was our most threatening player, and hopefully he will be capable of playing most of Saturday’s match too. Meanwhile, the extra training time should have allowed Kenny Gillet to develop sufficient fitness that he can start the match: his substitute appearance against Dundee United was by far the most encouraging thing that any Inverness supporter could take out of that game and he should add strength and composure both in a defensive role and going forward. The continuing absence of Dani Sanchez deprives Terry Butcher of one of his more creative attacking options, and with Eric Odhiambo having been out of form for some time, and Aaron Doran yet to impose himself on any game, the team will probably rely heavily again on Adam Rooney and Richie Foran to present a threat. What we must hope for is that, if Kilmarnock continue to play the sort of passing game they have used for most of the season, this will inspire ICT to adopt a similar style, rather than opting for the long ball game that has crept back into the team’s performances since around December.

Predictions:

1. Killie 1 – ICT 1. There have been seven score draws between these clubs in previous fixtures: one is already overdue this season. 2. There will be an attempt to revive the ‘Jimmy Says Aye to a Killie Pie’ song, but it will peter out after two minutes. 3. By seven o’ clock in Fanny by Gaslight, no-one will care much about the result either way.

*See Davie’s Celtic preview. Despite the uncanny resemblance, this is not a reference to one J. Mackenzie

***Latest Team News***

Inverness will be be without the three usual suspects, Proctor, Shinnie and Sanchez, but the good news is that we may have a left back as Kenny Gillet could start after his long term injury.  Jonny Hayes, although nursing an ankle injury, is in the squad along with Aaron Doran.

Kilmarnock have Manuel Pascali suspended for this one.  Mehdi Taouil could well miss the rest of the season with a torn hamstring and Mohamadou Sissoko is struggling to be fit in time, but Liam Kelly returns to the squad after illness.

Other SPL News

The old firm are never far away from the headlines and Rangers have found themselves in a bit of bother over alleged sectarian singing during last month's Europa Lague match away to PSV Eindhoven.  Manager Walter Smith has challenged those singing these sectarian songs to refrain from doing so before the club receives heavy sanctions from the governing body. 

Keeping the old firm theme going, Celtic and Rangers have been playing leap frog at the top of the division, and this midweek saw Celtic take a two point lead in the race for the title after defeating Hibernian 3-1.  The previous evening, Rangers topped the league after edging past St Johnstone 2-0.

In the lower leagues:-  Jimmy Calderwood is finding the going tough at Dingwall as they plunged to only one point above the relegation play off spot after losing 2-1 at Cowdenbeath.

This weekends SPL game will be the Inverness duo's 100th game in charge of the Caley Jags since their arrival at the end of January 2009.

Left with a mountain to climb after the previous incumbent had taken Inverness to the brink of relegation that season, they almost performed a Houdini act to stave off the drop, but unfortunately Falkirk spoiled the party and they found themselves dumped into the first division.

Game off due to waterlogged pitch

They vowed to get the club back up, and said they would achieve this in one season, a feat not commonplace in the first division.  They achieved the virtually impossible and did it in style overhauling Dundee's seemingly unassailable lead to cruise to the title, and the manner in which this was accomplished saw Inverness win nine in a row; not quite the same as Celtic managed under Jock Stein, but nevertheless they finished with a flourish, crushing Ayr United 7-0 at Somerset Park and defeating a beleaguered Dundee on the final day.

Surely Terry's finest hour was that very game at Ayr.  Who can forget the sermon he preached from the summit of the main stand at Ayr.  The league was won in midweek without playing, this was merely the icing on the cake, and the dismantling of Ayr United into the bargain.  After the final whistle, a mini pitch invasion ensued and Terry climbed to his lecturn, the crowd mesmerised by his speech. He controlled the throngs of delirious ICT fans in a Monty Pythonesque style, waving his arms up and down, the crowd, like puppets on a string drawn to his charm and waiting with baited breath for his next utterance.  That was one of the great speeches of this Century, ending with, "we will show them how to party next week."  And party we did as we beat Dundee to end a glorious season.

Life back in the SPL started brightly for the management team but they knew it was going to be tough and as this season went on, we have become caught up in our own success and have struggled somewhat to keep the momentum going.  Still, 100 not out for Terry and Mo and still going strong, here's to more success.

For the record, that's 81 league games and 18 cup games.  In the league games he has steered the club to 35 wins, 24 draws and 22 defeats, scoring 126 and conceding 87.  In all cup games we have won 12 and lost six, for 36 against 21.

So, we can all thank Terry and Mo this weekend for the roller coaster ride that is Inverness Caledonian Thistle and look forward to another century partnership from the management, surely worthy of a bottle or two of claret.

Terry Butcher started his life as an Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager just over two years ago, and his first game was against, yes, you've guessed it, Glasgow Celtic in Inverness.  That game was a goalless draw, but what was important about it was the fact that we had stopped the rot, albeit briefly.  We had lost the previous nine SPL games and Mr Brewster's reign had become untenable.  You know when you see that word, someone is about to get sacked, and this opened the door for the arrival of Terry and Mo.  So, fast forward two years and here we are this Saturday, 99 games gone and Celtic back here again.

But that's enough about Terry and Mo, let's get down to the nitty gritty, the stuff we have waited a fortnight for, none of that International drivel we were subjected to last weekend when our national side watched Brazil pass a football around a park and a German almost started a world war; what's new.  A banana, that's what's new, a bloody banana.  Yes folks, it's back to SPL football at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium and if you put your clocks forward last weekend, then you should be arriving in time for this early kick off at 12:00 noon.

Your scribe this week is davie, who will provide us with this preview and his match report after the game.

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Celtic visit the Caledonian Stadium for the third time this season on Saturday lunchtime having already won on the opening day of the league campaign and defeating Caley Jags to send them out of the Scottish Cup earlier this month. In between times, there has been another defeat and a share of the spoils in the East End of Glesga. Actually, our Manager reckons we “know them inside out” after facing them five times this season. Still, it might be near end of season but it’s never boring and always unpredictable, a bit like Alternative Maryhill’s proposed weekend to the most fervent Celtic enclave outside the east End – Barra. Enjoy, youth, they might even get ESPN there.

History, despite our annoying ability to come up with the occasional “supercaleygoballistic” performance against the Glasgow giants, is still firmly on their side in SPL encounters. 12 – 1 in wins with 4 draws indicates where the balance of power lies, but this is football, and things can change. Our 2-2 draw in November nearly evidenced that.

The Hoops last outing was at HQ against their greatest and most bilious rivals, and they came away with that runner up feeling. Confidence is still high in the League, however, and they expect to win here. They are rumoured to have Sean Maloney close to fitness and their returning internationals are reported unscathed. That leaves only the long term absentees such as Majstorovic to concern them. Still, there’s always a chance when Glen Loovens and Charlie Mulgrew are around. From the last game, that charming man Scott Brown returns, as does Mark Wilson. Both should make a difference. It’s unclear if Neil Lennon will make a difference in the main stand for the second time in a couple of weeks. His sole sojourn to trackside in Bilbao last weekend ended in, you’ve guessed it, getting sent to the stand! Better take Mr. MacBride with you this time Neil.

On our side, Kenny Gillet should continue motoring down the road to full fitness. Hayes should hirple on and only Shinnie, Proctor and Sanchez remain invalided. TB has the opportunity to meld something of a first choice team out of the available players, but they need to show more than they have of recent weeks and arrest the creeping apathy that seems to affect them at times. Still, it is rarely a hard job to motivate the troops for games such as these - he’ll not have to chase them.

Talking of chasing, we'll hopefully get another Maryhill report before the end of the season, provided he survives the prodigious drinking that is second nature to Barra. He might even make Killie next week (who’s next to say aye to the pie?) I once chased a chap around Barra, who impressed me with his “bhoys” tattoo largely on account of the fact that apart from it he was utterly naked. He had done that most un-Barraesque of things and stopped drinking too quickly, thereby losing what was left of his unpickled marbles. I was there to transport him to the nearest “caring facility” Celtic fans. You can’t take them anywhere.

The crystal testicle predicts a score draw in this fracas, 1 – 1 being not unreasonable and for which thanks would be given. Just as long as St. Mirren beat Hamilton.

Ooooohhh, go on then Davie...........chase me!

Other SPL News

Kilmarnock FC are managerless as davie mentioned above.  Mixu Paatelainen (44) has resigned his position at Kilmarnock with immediate effect to become the new Finnish national manager after nine months in charge.  He started slowly at Killie but has since guided them into the top six comfortably and has the team playing some highly entertaining football.

David Goodwillie has extended his contract at Tannadice for a further year keeping him with the Arab's until May 2013.  Twenty two year old Goodwillie is one of the emerging Scottish talents and has been targeted by Rangers already.  He has been at United since he was 14 and made his debut at the end of 2005.  As good as he is though, he was unable to stop his club tumbling out of the Scottish cup as Motherwell thumped United 3-0 in midweek, to earn a semi-final spot against St Johnstone at Hampden.

Calum Elliot has been sidelined for at least six months after knee surgery on his 24th Birthday has left him plastered.  The Hearts striker has been plagued by injuries and looks to be out until Christmas.  Happy birthday Calum.  Better news for one of our nemesis'.  Big Kevin Kyle will be resuming training after a double hernia operation, although the Hearts squad has been decimated by injuries of  Caley Thistle proportions.

Minor League News:- Jimmy Calderwood's work at County is almost complete as he has taken the club to the brink of the precipice.  A goal for the Pars in the fourth minute of time added on means that our country cousins are staring into the abyss.  With Cowdenbeath taking a point off Dundee, County are only one point ahead of the miners in the play-off position, although they have a much healthier goal difference which is worth an extra point.  Tuesday the 5th of April will be an interesting night as the Blue Brazil take on The Staggies in what could prove to be a six-pointer.

***Breaking News***

Our Prayers Have been Answered:- It has been leaked that Scottish footballs first religious threesome will officiate at an SPL match this weekend. An SFA spokesperson has not revealed which match they will be in charge of in the 12:00 kick off, but it is believed that they are being flown in from Ireland at the request of one of Scotland's top clubs in a bid to reduce the  number of decisions that have gone against them. Canon John Paul Benedictus will be the man in the middle and his junior officials will be Father Timothy O'Flaherty and Patrick O'Reilly, both who hold senior positions within the Irish referee's in gods holy trinity organisation, (IRIGHTO). The idea has been given it's blessing by both clubs in order for this initiative to be a success and the winning club will be allowed to release coloured smoke bombs at the end of the game.  Celtic will let off green plumes of smoke and Inverness blue.  This will hopefully reduce any tension that may have built up in the crowds and will help to right the image of Scottish football blighted by recent events.  A draw will see a neutral colour being released, black.

Let's hope this is a success for whichever game they are at tomorrow April 2nd.

No let up for Butcher's boys this weekend as the battle for top six intensifies.  The dream of staying in the top six is fading for Inverness while United have gone on to greater things, a far cry from the first meeting this season when the Tangerines were crushed on their own turf by the newly promoted Caley Jags.

Four superb goals at Tannadice gave notice to the SPL clubs that the boys were back in town, but more recently we have slipped a little and now find ourselves just out of the elite group, with United up to fourth and still with a game in hand on most teams.

Both clubs played in midweek and United certainly had the better fortune.  Inverness battled hard in their Scottish Cup quarter final and ran Celtic close before bowing out of the national competition after a 2-1 defeat in the Highlands.  It could have been a different outcome had the Inverness defence not hit the pause button to allow Joe Ledley to score both Celtic goals, and once again the makeshift defence has let the side down.  Rooney buried a penalty to open the scoring but Ledley levelled within a couple of minutes before nodding home unchallenged in the second half.  Nevertheless, Inverness gave an encouraging performance, much better than the recent dirge dished out against the Arabs. 

United climbed to fourth in the SPL with a 2-0 victory at a foggy Tannadice, courtesy of a late Johnny Russell brace. Peter Houston's side are on a decent run just now, with four straight SPL wins including that 2-0 win in Inverness at the beginning of March, as they play catch up.  United are, in fact, unbeaten in seven games, including their 2-2 draw with Motherwell in the Scottish Cup.  Sutton had scored twice for the Steelmen, but United levelled with goals from Goodwillie and Daly.  Goodwillie's goal was a spectacular overhead kick, eat your heart out Wayne Rooney.

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davie goes back a long way, and he recalls some stories from deep inside his memory bank.

1001 Arabian nights

 My first memory of a football match was in the enclosure at Tannadice with my grandad in 1966. The ball was hoofed into touch near us, and I threw it back to the United No.7 who gave me a broad grin and a wink. His name was Lennart Wing, and he sold me on fitba. My granda told me then that the game “wisnae the same as it used to be” and never figured out that my interest in it would continue unabated to this day past Willie Pettigrew’s sideburns, proper shorts and 80’s casuals. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. I could just as easily be telling you that I was a Hibs fan, that’s what United were christened in 1909. There was, after all, a place in Dundee called Tipperary at that time so the Erse were not uncommon. Green & white leapt into a rebranding in 1924 and Dundee United were conceived wearing black & white, their “proper” colours. This lasted until 1969, when they played Dallas Tornado on an American tour and the manager’s wife thought their shirts looked “awfy braw” They were tangerine. No replica shirts in those days, I remember pestering my mum for an orange t-shirt that was never off my back. It could have been worse, just ask Heilan Dee. Nae Alan Gilzean for me. The late 70’s and early 80’s were prime time but always pursued with less of a demented vigour than the other half of the “new firm.” I guess that’s why United don’t seem crushed by their history in the same way as Aberdeen. 1982-3 saw a league win clinched in, of all places, Dens Park. It was like finding a £50 note in the cludgie! 1987 saw a UEFA cup final appearance in a heartrending/ hilarious year when United fell at the final hurdle in every competition they entered. If they were a horse, someone would have shot them. That team, however, gave me my first ever holiday away with my mates to Barcelona. A week of alcohol intake reaching self-harm proportions culminated in a win in the Camp Nou. Even through the vodka, we knew it mattered. I fell off a flagpole in a wee town called Blanes. I still have the scars. All this good time stuff was challenged only slightly by Jim MacLean, possibly the grumpiest wee man who ever lived. I remember him threatening to punch Hamish MacAlpine at a Forfarshire Cup game at Arbroath for swinging on the crossbar. No such thing as a dead rubber for Jim. United’s inevitable slide back to the middling girth of Scottish football was always enlivened by the nuggets that they unearthed; Duncan Ferguson, aka Duncan disorderly, Ivan Golac the dysfunctional Serbian hippy, Andy Gray sexist pundit etc. The best however was Sẽnor Walter Rojas and his story is thus. Jim McLean had been sent videos of a striker playing in the Argentine leagues, whose club was looking to cash in. United decided to take a chance on the guy, only when it came to the negotiations the player didn’t fancy a move to Dundee and was going to hang around in Buenos Aires. Undeterred, his agent said he had another player just as good who did fancy a crack at the sub arctic industrial wasteland. United took a chance there and then and signed Rojas without looking at him. He fetched up and trained, looked awful, complained of the weather, food, local talent etc. and generally got on McLean’s wick. He lasted less than a month and was sent back to Argentina. He was a footballer apparently, but there is a persistently credible rumour that he was actually a basketball player. Only in the land of the Beano. In the eighties, United won something; the cup, defeating Rangers 1-0. That day saw the elevation to near sainthood of one Craig Brewster. Erudite, intelligent and resourceful he seemed to have all the attributes of the successful manager in the making. It all went to pot after that, getting better only last year when they won the cup. Again. So we fetch up here at Arabia today, scene of our generally acknowledged best display of the season, cracking goals, the lot. Kevin McCann’s gone, but the rest remain, and are on a bit of form after disposing of Motherwell in an easy-peasy-japanesey style. United are also playing well and these matches have a history of being close. After Wednesday night’s loss to Celtic, we might be a bit down but there is the real consolation that Hayes and Doran are back and will offer a better counter to Conway and Swanson than that displayed in the last game. More of the same from the rest of the troops should reap dividends, United will be cock-a-hoop at beating the Jam Tarts 2-0 the same night, a result that consolidates their 4^th position and gives them serious designs on 3^rd. I don’t think we should underestimate them; Goodwillie is still on a high after that goal, several are called up to Levein's sacrificial squad to play Brazil and even the returning Kovacevic has got up to speed. All 94 mph of it, apparently. There are, after a trawl of the meedja, no indications of further injury, plague or scurvy amongst either sides troops although United must be getting a bit knackered by now. Life, as Ronan Keating would say, is a rollercoaster, and a downward swing is in order. Prediction; a sneaky but satisfying 1-0 win for the Caley Jags.

Latest team news:-  As you were for Inverness.  Sanchez, Proctor, Gillet and Shinnie all sidelined but Doran and Hayes showed no ill effects after their substitutes appearance in midweek.  The Tangerines have Scott Severin on the verge of a long awaited comeback.  Peter Houston is also suffering some long term absentee's, notably Garry Kenneth, Craig Conway and Darren Dods, while Prince Buaben is suspended.

Scottish Cup Quarter Final Action This Weekend Wednesday, 19:45

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Deja View:- The omens are certainly doing their best to help Inverness.  There are many parallels with a certain date in February 2000.  The same two teams drawn together for a Scottish Cup game.  First game cancelled because of the weather. Game to be played in midweek, three days after original date.  St Mirren and Aberdeen drawing 1-1 in the same round, 0-0 at half time and Saints took the lead for a short time. I'm not superstitious, but I think Jupiter may have aligned with Mars, and, just in case, my fingers are crossed, and I bought some lucky white heather, I found a four leafed clover, my path was crossed by a black cat and I saw a rabbit with only three feet.

I'm off to kiss the blarney stone to be sure, to be sure, and I won't be stepping on any cracks on the pavement or getting on a number 13 bus.

The God's are with us I tell you.  As I said, I'm not superstitious, so let's get stuck in.

Heavy overnight snow and sleet meant that the original Sunday afternoon date was put on hold as the pitch was deemed to be waterlogged and unplayable by the match official.  With the game being rescheduled for Wednesday evening, it now looks unlikely that there will be live TV coverage at the moment and this will mean a cash blow in excess of £80K for both clubs, although I'm sure it will only be loose change for Celtic, whereas Inverness will find it harder to balance the books with the loss of this revenue.

The draw has now been made for the semi-finals and with eight teams still in the pot, then it's a little complicated.

Scottish Cup semi-final draw:

Dundee United or Motherwell v Brechin or St Johnstone

St Mirren or Aberdeen v Inverness CT or Celtic

The semi-final ties will be played on the weekend of 16-17 April, (weather permitting) at Hampden Park.

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The omens have once again paired Inverness against the might of Glasgow Celtic in the Scottish FA Cup.  Celtic managed to battle their way past Rangers, literally, after a turbulent replay at Parkhead saw them defeat their Glasgow rivals 1-0, Mark Wilson netting the decisive winner with a mishit shot that eluded McGregor and Bougherra as it bounced upwards into the net.  This game though was more notable for angry scenes during and after the match, with three Rangers players red carded and McCoist and Lennon squaring up as tempers frayed in the aftermath.  Such was the animosity and fury displayed, MP's were debating the right's and wrong's of the whole fiasco in Holyrood and Strathclydes' finest were taking a closer look at the events of that evening.  In truth, such incident's have been brewing for a long time and it all reached boiling point for a variety of reasons.  It's not for me to judge these incidents, but in my opinion it's about time these two clubs returned to playing football and show a little respect for each other, the referees, and the organising body, not to mention fans of other teams.  It's no wonder the fans get into bother when managers and players are behaving like shell-suited Burberry wearing street brawlers.  For their troubles, Mr McCoist and Mr Lennon have received dugout bans for their part in the rather unsavoury scenes.

Inverness on the other hand played out a more gentlemanly affair against Greenock Morton and meandered into the quarters with a clinical display, routing the Cappielow side 5-1.  This result was a refreshing change from the turgid displays being dished out whilst on SPL duty, although a clear the air meeting seems to have lifted some of the gloom surrounding recent SPL performances.

It's not quite a western, but I'll let you make your mind up who The Good, The Bad and The Ugly were.

The Scottish FA Cup:- This is the oldest national cup competition in the world and the first winners were Queens Park in season 1873-1874.  In fact, the Spiders are still the third most successful side in this tournament with 10 wins to their credit, the last being in 1893, I think Scarlet Pimple and Johnboy still have their programmes from that game.  Celtic top the list on 34, Rangers next on 33 and in fourth equal come Aberdeen and Hearts with 7 triumphs.  Vale of Leven, Clyde, St mirren and Kilmarnock all have a hat-trick of wins, Vales dominance in the early years includes consecutive wins from 1887-1889.

Cup shocks:- there's been a few, but then again, too few to mention ................................ Crikey!  I don't know what came over me there, I almost burst into song.  Aye, cup shocks are what makes it all worthwhile.  It does seem like a long time now since Berwick Rangers humbled the mighty Glasgow Rangers, 1-0 in 1967, but let's not worry about them.  This century alone, Celtic themselves have been on the wrong end of cup scalps.  In 2006, Clyde took down high flying Celtic 2-1 with a patchwork side.  That was the introduction to Scottish football for one Roy Keane, and his debut saw Celtic humiliated by the Bully Wee.  It could have been much worse as an inspired Clyde were by far the better side in that game and had a couple of goals ruled out for offside and keeper Boruc kept the score down.  This brings me on nicely to March 2003, when Dennis Wyness sent Celtic crashing out of the cup in front of 6,050 fans in Inverness, rounding off a neat passing move with a clinical finish just before half time.  That of course, was not the first time Inverness had upset the big bhoys.  Who can forget supercaleygoballistic................ you know how it goes, Feb 8th 2000, John Barnes etc.  That was the game that announced the arrival of the wee team from the Highlands to a global audience.  In fact, talking about wee teams from the Highlands, Celtic had an uncomfortable time last season, when the team from the market town of Dingwall upset the odds to reach the final, much to the chagrin of the Inverness support, how dare they.  So, miracles do happen, let's see if there are any more miracles left in the world of football.

***Note, the kick off time for this re-arranged game is Wednesday 16th March 19:45***

Ginger Jaggy will describe the pros and cons of this cup tie for us, so read on.

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What is happening at 3.30pm on Sunday afternoon?  (Nothing I'm afraid, it's slushing). Is it time for Super Caley to go ballistic again as the Bhoys of Celtic travel Northwards for a massive Scottish Cup quarter final? For the winner a trip to Hampden awaits with a realistic chance of winning the competition as a whole. It is a huge ask for Inverness to pull off another cup shock and become heroes of the highlands again. Celtic is the current SPL leaders with a staggering 31 point difference between the two clubs, but Sunday is a cup game and the boys in blue and red stripes will stand toe to toe with Celtic, there are no advantages.

Fixture History

This season, Celtic has beaten us twice with one draw between the two clubs. Celtic won the opener 1-0 thanks to a fantastic goal scored by Paddy McCourt even though Inverness matched them stride for stride during long periods of the game. The second was a Co-op Cup tie at Parkhead when Celtic hammered a weakened Inverness side 6-0. But the high point for us was grabbing that valuable point at Parkhead back in November when 2-0 down we clawed our way back thanks to Richie Foran and Grant Munro, to see us go unbeaten for 12 months on the road.

That is this season but there have been memorable clashes between the two clubs in this very competition. The last Scottish cup game in this fixture was only played 3 years ago when Celtic triumphed thanks to a late Man Utd style come back. In a game which I remember attending Caley Thistle took the lead thanks to some brilliant wing play by Barry Wilson, he slotted the ball across to the unmarked Graham Bayne who put us ahead. That remained the only goal all the way up until the 89^th minute, as Celtic huffed and puffed for an equaliser. First a deep corner was nodded back by Stephen McManus onto the head of Stephen Pressley to equalise. But a replay (which was the least we deserved) was cruelly snatched from us by KennyMiller as he hit a decent curling shot from just on the 'D' to send Celtic through in a game they barely deserved to win. I remember the gut wrenching feeling afterwards which I'm sure was felt by every other Inverness supporter in the ground that day.

It hasn't been all doom and gloom though, with far happier tales to tell. I unfortunately wasn't there that day but there were a fair few who were at Parkhead on the 8^th February 2000. This has to be the greatest day in the clubs history. Then we were just another first division team, and we had progressed through the divisions within our own means, but no one gave us a prayer of progressing in this tie. Who would have expected a newly promoted side to division one to come up against the likes of Ian Wright, Lubo Moravcik, Paul Lambert, Mark Viduka etc and triumph. Probably no one, but the impossible happened as

Finally another cup upset as we knocked out Celtic again this time in Inverness thanks to a Dennis Wyness goal. Again Celtic was full of star names with the likes of Henrik Larsson, John Hartson, Chris Sutton and Neil Lennon etc and had actually beaten the likes of Liverpool and Stuttgart on their route to the UEFA cup final. What a couple of victories they were.

Form Guide

We come into this match in a period of inconsistent form. Poor performances blighted our chances of a top six spot with consecutive 2-0 defeats against Hibs and Dundee United. But last weekend the supporters saw a much improved performance in the 3-0 victory over Motherwell. The players looked hungrier and more determined which has got expectation levels rising that we can pull off another shock against the SPL leaders.

As for Celtic there is not much to say. They have been in great form since our last meeting in November when they have beaten Rangers three times. The two league victories have helped them scale the summit of the SPL table with them being five points clear even though the blue half have two games in hand. The other victory was a Scottish Cup replay which has set up this tie. Celtic looked invincible sweeping aside all challengers but were beaten at Motherwell 2-0 to show that they are not as invincible as everyone thought.

GingerJaggies thoughts

I don’t think any supporter of Caley Thistle will question Celtics tag of being favourites, but all I will say is if you have  read this preview, then you can see that the impossible can become reality. Besides there is a much smaller gap between the clubs now which should hopefully show them not to underestimate us. I also think that we can do it. Richie Foran has shown his quality in the SPL so far and will be key if we have any hopes of progressing. Hopefully Hayes will be fit again to tear the Celtic full backs to pieces, he will be a vital cog in our attacking midfield. I feel that if the players can get stuck into their players then we can really dare to believe that we can become Celtic’s nemesis for a third time. I have also added a hyperlink to the 3-1 win. Im sure everyone has seen it before but it is a bit extra to get the fans pumped up for Sunday.

***Latest Team News***

Inverness received a boost with the news that Hayes and Doran were both ready for a comeback, should Butcher re-shuffle the pack.  Hayes will require a minor operation on his ankle after the season finishes, but would be able to play should he be deemed fit enough.  David Proctor is still out and Graeme Shinnie is recovering at home after a stomach problem hospitalised him.  Better news of Kenny Gillet, the left back is training hard but will not be ready for a week or three.  Dani Sanchez is also healing well and is stepping up his leg work, which may see him return sooner than expected.  The additional three days will have given Hayes and Doran more recovery time and could work in our favour.

Celtic were dealt a blow with the news that Daniel Majstorovic could be out for eight weeks with a fractured toe.  He was injured during the 2-0 home win over Accies.  Skipper Scott Brown and scorer from the last round Mark Wilson are suspended for this game, but striker Gary Hooper is recovering quicker than expected and has a chance of making this one.  The former Scunthorpe United player has been in fine form since joining Celtic.  Hooper was scoring a goal every other game for Scunthorpe and has even bettered that with Celtic, scoring 13 SPL goals in 17 appearances.  Likewise for Celtic, Hooper has had an extra three days to recover and could be in contention for a start.

Other Quarter finals

St Mirren 1-1 Aberdeen (Sat 12:15):-  Paul McGowan opened for Saints, but a Rory McArdle injury time strike keeps this tie alive, replay Wednesday evening.  The game sparked into life in the second half, especially after the introduction of Michael Higdon.  The Buddies may regret not completing the task at the first time of asking given the chances spurned in the second half, but fair play to the Dons for digging deep and securing the draw in the 93rd minute.

Brechin 2-2 St Johnstone (Sat 15:00):-  A Rory McAllister double earns second division Brechin a replay.  Chris Millar and Danny Invincible had put the Super J's back in front before ex-ICT man Rory made it all square.  Another ex-ICT man playing for Brechin is Kevin Byers.  Replay Tuesday 22nd March.  Well done Brechin who more than matched there SPL opponents.

Dundee Utd 2-2 Motherwell (Sun 13:15):- Just to round off the Quarter Finals, United and Well played out a 2-2 draw, which leaves all eight sides still in the competition.  John Sutton continued his recent good form and put Well ahead in the first minute.  Goodwillie equalised before half-time, but Sutton again put the Steelmen ahead, alas that only lasted for a minute before Daly took the tie to a replay in the 73rd minute.

SPL game:-  Rangers have the chance to narrow the gap at the top to two points as they take on Kilmarnock at Ibrox , 15:00 kick off.  Update:- Celtic's weekend just got worse as a very late OG earned Ranger's all three points in the SPL game against Killie, 2-1 being the final score, so that's two points behind with one game in hand.

A disastrous run of form has seen Inverness drop out of the top six after the midweek games. One win in fourteen games seems to have disheartened the players, and the fans can sense the tension within the squad.  It's a catch 22 situation, poor performances mean poor results, poor results mean few points, few points mean unhappy fans, unhappy fans mean unhappy players, unhappy players mean poor performances............. and so it goes on.

In midweek, another home game and another defeat has surely set alarm bells ringing at the Caledonian Stadium.  Sure, relegation seems unlikely, but unless things improve dramatically, then top six looks like a lost cause.  Us fans of course are fickle folk, and have short and selective memories at times.  However, it seems like a long time ago that we were on a fantastic unbeaten run away from home.  We were riding along on the crest of a wave, even contemplating European football.  Right now we can't buy a win, although St Johnstone did eventually surrender a couple of weeks ago. 

What has gone wrong?  Is it just injuries, or injuries to specific players, or have we been found out, maybe lacking that extra quality to stay in the top six?  Is the management team selecting the right players?  Are our tactics right?  Other than injuries and suspensions, not a lot should have changed from that winning feeling we had earlier in the season, so where do we go from here?

For me, injuries to key players, combined with defensive punishments are major factors in our demise.  Jonny Hayes Dani Sanchez Kevin McCann and Kenny Gillet/Graeme Shinnie left us struggling for adequate cover along with Munro and Tokely being suspended recently.  That has meant a reshuffle of the pack at the back and with the introduction of the new boys, then our strongest link is in total disarray at the moment.  There is of course another mystery to be resolved.  Russell Duncan is not guaranteed a start, but surely his drive and passion would be more welcome than some of the tame excuses offered in his place.  Adam Rooney has not exactly been bulging the nets recently, and a couple of 'taxi for Rooney' misses must have dented his confidence a little.  Youngsters in the squad are being asked to fill the boots of men, and some are not ready for that, although they give their best, but it's not always enough.  Let's hope Terry and Mo get to the root of the problem sooner rather than later, as the fans, especially the home ones are getting a tad restless with the performances of late.  Defeat is one thing, defeat in the manner we have become accustomed to is a different kettle of fish altogether.

Motherwell are here on Saturday and they must be hoping our poor run continues.  They come north on the back of a tremendous result last weekend when the beat the Hoops 2-0.  That result, albeit fantastic for Well, dented our top six aspirations and we compounded that by losing at Hibs and at home to United.  All is not lost yet, Motherwell are only four points ahead of us, but unless we have a magic potion, then it looks to be a difficult task for Butcher to lift his beleaguered troops for another stressful home fixture.  I don't know about the players, but the fans are now starting to dread these fixtures. (Hold on, I think I am watching paint dry this Saturday, or, my hair's wet, or, I'm shopping at Tesco's).  All valid reasons to not turn up I suppose, but we are all gluttons for punishment as well, so I'll be there.

Ginger Jaggy will talk you through this weekends fixture, and hopefully report on a positive result.

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Well hasn't 2011 been a big disappointment so far. After all the jubilation and plaudits that Caley Thistle has received over a fantastic 2010 we have failed, to even come close, to hitting the heights we did. One win in fourteen is not good enough and after looking pretty comfortable to finish in our highest ever position we now face an uphill task to get there. Our opponents on Saturday are Motherwell who, although 4 points clear, still can be caught by us but a victory on Saturday is essential. The performances in our last two matches have led us to believe that finally the top six is over as an ambition. But it isn't over, five games to go including a massive cup quarter final vs Celtic the week after and the season is still well and truly alive. If we can win this one then we still have a chance but performances must improve dramatically if we are to go on a mini run of form until the split.

A bit on Our opponents

Motherwell has been erratic since Stuart McCall took charge of the Lanarkshire club around New Year. This last week has summed up their form with a 1-0 defeat to St Mirren last Wednesday at Fir Park, only for them to beat Celtic at Home on Sunday. But the upshot is that Motherwell lie 5^th in the table 4 points above us in 7^th.  They still play excellent football under McCall and try to get the ball down and pass like we should have done in our last two games.  Nick Blackman didn't return on loan, he followed Manager Craig Brown up to Aberdeen, however Motherwell still have dangerous players that can win them matches. Since Blackman departed it has been John Sutton filling in with the goals with 11 from this season so far. Other dangerous players I consider to see as a great threat, especially with a slow backline like ours, is the pace of Jamie Murphy and Chris Humphrey. They can also chip in with some important goals as well, helping to close the massive gap Blackman left behind. But the threat is there and performances like the win over Celtic shows that this will be a tough test (especially given our current form)  and that Motherwell could be the biggest game now at this stage of the season.

Form Guide

This part is hardest to write. The players gave us a ray of hope when they picked up 4 points from 2 matches against St Mirren and St Johnstone. But that was just a red herring as we have lost our last two matches 2-0, each game producing a woeful performance. In fact Inverness' run of form is actually relegation form and nowhere near what we need to get us into the top half of the league. Teams like Hibs and Aberdeen who were both so far behind are now rocketing up the table and both now have realistic chances of finishing above us. As for Motherwell they haven't been spectacular but have picked up victories and have stayed in one of the top six spots. The most unexpected result was there 2-0 victory over Celtic at the weekend but of course they also lost at home to St Mirren last week so they are inconsistent. They have though picked up a fairly decent 9 points from there last 15 which is the sort of form we would need to finish in the top six. So the upshot is a good side but not invincible.

Head to head in Inverness, (SPL) Motherwell have a massive advantage over ICT.  Eight wins for Motherwell, with only two for the hosts and a solitary game drawn.  Well also have the best result, a 0-3 scoreline in November 2007, and they lead the scoring by 9-14.  The visitors have won the last four SPL games in the Highlands outscoring the homeside 6-9 during those games.  Our away record is much better in this head to heads, however, this is a home game, so the omens are not great then.

GingerJaggies thoughts

Huge game no doubt about it, huge week in fact. This week will make or break our season starting with this game. If we have any chance to stay with the elite then this game on Saturday has to go our way. Two defeats in our next two games and our season could be well and truly over. I really can't say how this one will go. I would like to say that we will come out and play well and win but we were told that would happen on Tuesday and it didn't. Hopefully the players will perform and why shouldn't they, the pressure is off us. We are unlikely to get into the top six now so the players just have to go and give there all. A win and we still have a chance but defeat and it is all over with the fixtures to come. So hear is me giving one last bit of encouragement to get behind the players on Saturday and hopefully we can turn it around give ourselves a fighting chance.

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***Latest Team News***

Aaron Doran looks likely to miss out with a hip injury, but Jonny Hayes showed no adverse reaction after his return in midweek, although he lacks match sharpness.  Proctor, Shinnie, Gillet McBain and Sanchez are all missing.  Terry Butcher had his squad in for extra training this week after a dismal display against United.  A forty five minute discussion session was held with the players airing their views on what is going wrong and the managers taking on board the suggestions.

For Motherwell, Steve Jones will sit this one out, but Stephen Craigan will return after suspension and Steven Saunders is pushing for a start.  Consistency is Motherwell's problem, and they realise it's no use beating Celtic then struggling against teams in the bottom half of the league, so they will be out to consolidate their position and will be a difficult side to get the better of.

tm4tj Prediction:- It's not looking good for us at the moment, but that's what supporting Caley Thistle is all about, a massive roller coaster of a ride.  On paper we would appear to be on a hiding this weekend and Motherwell must be clear favourites to win.  But, we are at our best when given the underdogs tag, it sits much better than the expectation of winning three points and maybe, just maybe we can poach something from this one.

1-0 for the Jags..................maybe.

McGonagall revisited as United head north.

This twice postponed match will surely go ahead this Tuesday evening (19:45) barring a disaster of McGonagall sized proportions.  The weather has wreaked havoc with United's schedule this season, more than most others, and it will be a welcome relief all round to get this fixture out of the way.  A waterlogged pitch a month ago caused a bit of a splash as a late call off meant a wasted trip for many supporters and the United team.

However, blue skies overhead and no snow underfoot should see this fixture completed, fingers crossed, in fact you might need to bring your sun glasses.

Inverness will look to bounce back after a poor showing at Easter Road with the capital side running out deserved winners against a lack lustre Highland squad, full of strangers, if Butcher's comments are anything to go by.  The performance in Edinburgh was in sharp contrast to the  battling display against St Johnstone the week before which gave the support some false hope that we had turned the corner, despite a depleted squad taking to the field.

The Arabs are a bit erratic as well, two defeats and two draws in their last four is not the sign of a team firing on all camels.  They served up a goalless draw in the Tayside derby; the pitch, the pitch, and an even worse draw against bottom club Hamilton where they had to come from behind to take a point.

Hot shot stopper Ryan Esson will hit the ton tonight as he will make his 100th appearance for the Caley Jags since signing in July 2008.  He has made 84 league appearances and 15 cup games since coming to Inverness and the United game will see hime reach his century.  Ryan has been the most consistent performer for Inverness this season and the only surprise is that Craig Levein continues to ignore him for a call up to the national squad.

Davie bumped into McGonagall before the last scheduled game against the Arabs and lo and behold he met up with the master of disaster once more to bring you this preview from beyond the grave.  Think outside the box, (not the penalty one), and you will find a preview in this meeting with Sir William, good luck.

Pert Twa

WHAT IS IT NOW? Will you leave that Ouija board alone?

Sorry Sir William, I had something else to say.

Crivvens, can a poet no get any peace, even if he’s deid? It’s bad enough up here wi aw they harps and lyres. So what is it?

Sorry Willie, I mean Sir William, I just thought I’d interrupt the heavenly reverie and all that ‘cause the last game got postponed.

Postponed, how?

A Highland flood of biblical proportions that made the ba stick like nae nails tae a blanket in the penalty box, apparently. Pitch had less bounce than a silicone boob job. Ironic, since we’ve been playing fitba when everyone else has been in the deep freeze and Tannadice looks like the kind of arctic tundra that Bruce Parry would love, meet natives and drink stuff that tastes like brake fluid. Hang on, that could be Dundee...

Aye said McGonagall, I think I remember something about that - a danger to the fine citizenry of Dundee travelling o’er hill and dale to the Sneck. Terrible country - I wrote about Loch Ness once;

“Your scenery is romantic,

Wi rocks and hills gigantic,

It’s enough to make you frantic”¹

He sat back smugly as I choked on my tea. Is that with or without the A9, I enquired splutteringly, but he just looked at me. The A9 makes me frantic anyway.

I thought we were here to talk fitba.

Oh aye right then, what happened at Hamilton? I only saw a wee bit with yon gadgie MacLean on sportscene doing reminiscence therapy wi a pensioner, but it looked worse than the stuff we saw at Easter Road. What’s going on?

Dunno, Davie, it’s a tangerine mystery to perplex the heavens – serial underachievers whose league position is out of kilter with their talent. I’m told. Still, could have been worse if Casaluinovo hidnae fallen over his own feet, what wi Russell missing a sitter or Robertson blootering it fae a yard oot, ach never mind. It’s injuries you know – we miss Garry Kenneth. And Dods and Kovacevic, and Daly. Nae height. Houston says “We have to take one game at a time," and "We have a small squad due to injuries”. If the fixture list gets any worse, we might end up playing two games at a time, all with people under 5'6". Not easy.

Same old story with United then? Mind you, we wernae much better on Saturday in auld reekie Willie – we wouldn’t have scored if we were still playing now. Butcher says we didn’t turn up but something in blue n’ red did. I just don’t know what it was. Butcher claimed that he might have picked up 14 strangers on the A9, so they might have been Angus or Boab or Andy from Dalwhinnie and his mates – they played like them. Hogg certainly showed his lack of acquaintance with his fellow defenders, Cox was underwhelming in midfield and the forwards were no better. I’m sure that was Adam Rooney up front , but maybe not, Dalwhinnie is full of 6’2” ginger topped ghillies and distillery men.

Oh. You’re a bit disgruntled Davie. That bad?

It’s injuries again you know Willie, or rather its one injury. Forget Gillet or Blumenshtein or Royster or anybody else - we miss Jonny Hayes. We’re like a three legged dog trying to pee on a lamp post without him – we just keep falling over.

Shame that, could be messy.

I know, it’s pish.

Sir William refused to rise to the (admittedly malodourous) talismanic bait. I could sense he was distracted now. I searched for facts:

We’ve met the Arabs 19 times so far in the SPL and its remarkably even – 5 v 6 wins, and 8 draws. They have hardly any points from their last three games (D, D, L), we at least have one win to crow about (L,W,D) ominously being against Taysidish opposition. They are on 31 points, we are on 33. We’re both still in the Cup. A quick website trawl reveals no fresh injury news from either team (Monday) amid the general air of gloom. It’s the lack of daylight I tell you. If we could replicate the balmy days of August where we crushed these “fiendishly grinning arabs²” as Willie would put it, all would be riotously well. It seems a long time ago since that 4-0 victory and it can’t come round quickly enough again. McCann’s gone so Russell Duncan, grab some sunshine - this is your hour.

Okay Mr. McGonagall, I’ll go now. It seems a bit inconsiderate all this continually waking the deceased, but a month’s a long time in this life so I promise not to invoke you again until at least the 19^th of next month….

He looked disgusted at that and asked if I knew what “rest in peace” actually meant, then he leaned over his chair shouting at someone I couldn’t see “Is MacLean here yet?”

I’d given up the ghost.

¹ Loch Ness. More Poetic Gems, 1962. Sandwiched between “The troubles of Matthew Mahoney” and “The avenging Angel”

² The rebel surprise near Tamai, Poetic Gems, Dundee 1896. Neatly confined between “The Clepington disaster” and “The burning of Exeter Theatre” Utter quality.

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Thanks davie, so that was the verse from the hearse, let's hope it turns into a rave from the grave; for ICT anyway.

Prediction:- With both sides dishing out disgruntlement in copious amounts, it would be prudent to stick your money on a point each.  Of course from an Inverness perspective, the result could hinge on whether we get a glimpse of Jonny Hayes, or possibly no glimpse of Eric Odhiambo, who is having a tough time convincing the fans with some less than accomplished performances.  A dull draw is my best shout.

***Latest Team News*** 

Inverness are set to continue without Jonny Hayes as the wide player is struggling to recover from his ankle/foot injury, although once again Butcher will give Jonny every chance to prove his fitness before kick off.  Proctor and Sanchez will be out for the forseeable future but Kenny Gillet has returned to training.  Left back position is proving difficult to fill at the moment, and Graeme Shinnie is still out with stomach problems.

Dundee United will not have the services of Jon Daly and Gary Kenneth for the next couple of weeks, and Severin, Dods and Kovacevic are still receiving treatment for long term injuries. Peter Houston has bemoaned the amount of draws United have amassed and is looking for a positive result, ahead of a hectic schedule coming up for the tangerines.

Other SPL news

Hamilton's Simon Mensing has revealed he was banned for a month after taking the substance methylhexaneamine after believing it to be ok.   http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hamilton_academical/9407839.stm

Rangers took advantage of Celtic's first defeat in 17 games after thumping St Johnstone 4-0 on Sunday.  Neil Lennon's side were Well beaten, 2-0 at Fir Park.

St Johnstones Michael Duberry could be out for a few weeks after injuring his groin against the Gers.

Ricardo Vaz Te has signed for Hibernian until the end of the season.  The former Bolton forward has impressed Colin Calderwood in trials last week.  He has represented Portugal at u21 level.

Hamilton v Hibs are also playing on Tuesday night, and Wednesday night sees St Johnstone play Aberdeen, so top six places in the balance by the end of this week.

Inverness CT will know which side of the Old Firm will visit the Highlands on Scottish Cup duty after Wednesday nights 5th round replay at Celtic Park.  The first fixture was a thrilling encounter and Celtic seemed to be gaining the upper hand over their Glasgow rivals, but league results last weekend has thrown a massive spanner in the works with the Steelmen denting Lennon's pride and jhoy and Rangers title aspirations back on.

In the smaller leagues, Jimmy Calderwood will be looking for his first win as Ross County manager when they visit Stirling Albion.  Surely this time Jimmy?  Last seasons "team of the first division", ahem, are struggling badly and a defeat tonight could see them slip into the relegation play off position and only two points above the bottom club.

Elsewhere

Alex McLeish has become the first Birmingham manager to lift a major trophy since 1963.  City surprisingly defeated Arsenal 2-1 to win the Carling Cup with the decisive goal coming in the 89th minute, Obafemi Martins seizing on a calamitous error to stroke the ball into an empty net.  So, miracles do happen.

Maybe I’ve been exiled in Glasgow too long, but although a trip to either side of the old firm is meant to be the big day out for supporters of diddy just-here-to-make-up-the-numbers teams like ICT, I can’t help getting much more excited about away days against either of the Edinburgh teams. A lot of it has to do with setting: while the two Glasgow grounds erupt out of featureless wastelands, mad centres of pilgrimage for glory-hunters from across Scotland, both Edinburgh grounds seem to exist within real communities, tucked away among tenements and pub-lined streets, with families filtering out towards the grounds at five to three. Football as it is supposed to be.

***Latest Team News***

Inverness welcome back Grant Munro after suspension.  Definitely out are Proctor, Shinnie and Sanchez.  Gillet has returned to training but is short of fitness, although he could make the bench.  Jonny Hayes will be given maximum time to be ready for this one along with Nick Ross. Left back is a problem area, although Duff fitted in effortlessly against St Johnstone and may well find himself in the same position this week.

Hibs have Ian Murray suspended, the last of two missed games for him, but this is balanced out by Kevin McBride returning after his sin bin duty.  Danny Galbraith is struggling to make the squad after an ankle knock.  Steven Thicot and Michael Hart both sit this one out with injuries.

Cheers Maryhill.  As Mr Welsh said to me the other day:-  "Aye Maryhill, yir a complex f****r right enough"