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We’re selling the sole of the game we love it seems to me when each WC tournament comes around. The game football was created on the backs of the working class man. It was the outlet where these urban fiercely proud, hard grafting people (mines, shipbuilding and like) escaped and put aside for 90 minutes any domestic, money or personal worries. The rules were simple and both sets of players reflected the challenges their onlookers had in trying to overcome their opponents, (Fairly and on ability). The greed, corruption and commercialisation that infests the game today effective precludes the very fans that created the game are priced out of attending any match. Throw in VAR, water breaks (adverts), players that pride themselves in conning referees (cheating) and finally that the game has become an almost contactless sport! Heck I didn’t mean to rant on so much.🧐 I will attempt to follow Scotland without the hysteria that engulf our people at these times and hope they save face (don’t get gubbed). When I can’t watch the bbc I will avoid the commercial stations pre-match 3 hour build up, the 30 min half time and water break bookie and Christmas adverts. Finally - Hope every fan manages to avoid ICE agents and gets back home alive and safe. bc

mmm, I may tune in for Shakira :)

I share your feelings about Fifa and Trump but I am not going to let my disgust at the power brokers detract from my support for the players. For them, playing in a world cup is a dream come true. Sadly, the powers that be are tainting their dreams by the appalling way the tournament is being run and by the behaviour of the corrupt USA Government. The pricing and the politics means that overseas fans are being both discouraged and priced out with the result that the players will have less of their most vocal supporters actually at the games. Let's not make it worse for them by taking our support for the event away too. It is a shame it is too late in the day to move the event to another more welcoming country. Incredible though it sounds, players, officials and fans got a warmer welcome in Russia in 2018 than they are getting just now. The refusal to let the highly respected Somalian referee into the country is utterly shameful. Omar Artan has behaved with great dignity despite Trump having referred to Somalians as "garbage". We all know which one of Artan and Trump is garbage - and it isn't Artan. Apart from the politics, the players are also being exposed to extreme heat at some venues. This clearly puts players at risk. All the politics surrounding this event makes it more difficult for the players. This makes me more determined to watch a bit more of the football than I might otherwise do. I sure as hell won't be watching the half time "show" on the day of the final though.

I think some of our youngsters are contracted for next season: James Clark, Sam Reid and Sam Thompson. Did they not sign two year apprenticeships at the start of last season? I’d expect them to go out on loan in the new season.

Confirmed 4th July. Now we need a starting 11...

I lost all interest in the World Cup on the night of the draw. Couldn’t stand to watch the disgusting, sycophantic display from Infantino awarding the FIFA World Peace prize to one of the most dangerous, warmongering and deranged people on the planet. The corruption in the football world is still alive and well and there for us all to see - it completely destroyed any enthusiasm I had for this great tournament. So sad to see it abused so badly in the USA. I wish our lads well but, sadly, I’ll not be watching any of it.

Both Alfies would be nice but I'd settle for one

Alfie Bavidge next please 🙏.

Pretty decent 5 a side squad

Paul Allan Daniel Devine Luis Longstaff Adam Mackinnon Calum MacLeod Ross Munro Logan Ross Graeme Shinnie Liam Sole

Press Release from Club: Liam Sole returns to ICTFC Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC are delighted to announce the pre-contract signing of Liam Sole on a one-year deal, subject to SFA clearance. Liam will join the club upon the expiry of his contract with Livingston FC. Liam, 26, joins the club on a permanent basis following a successful loan spell last season, during which he made 43 appearances and scored six goals on the way to securing the William Hill League One title. Upon signing, Liam said: “I really loved my time at the club last season and I’m delighted to now sign a permanent deal. "I’m looking forward to coming back, getting stuck in for the new Championship campaign, and I can’t wait to see all the fans again.”

Zoom? MS Teams? Google Meet? Where there is a will, there is a way. Seems to be a lot of issues, even for our own fans with ESTAs being cancelled at the last minute and such like. [example: https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/an-absolute-shambles-of-bureaucracy-highland-folk-rock-437123/] Although I would not need an ESTA or other visa with a Canadian passport, that's why, in the end, I decided not to cross the border and head for Boston. Theoretically I should be ok crossing the border, but too many issues in the news about Canadians who should also have no problems encountering issues over the last couple of years. Also, all that 51st state rhetoric and the tariffs have seen a huge increase in people deciding against travel as well as country wide "Buy Canadian" policies that have seen imports from the USA and travel to the USA plummet. I don't need to be involved in the political BS so just staying home and watching it on TV as well as volunteering at the Fan Fest / Volunteer Centre during the tournament.

Aye, but the referees are all based in Miami, so that they can have meetings, reviews, briefings, exchange notes, ensure they are all applying the laws consistently, etc etc.

Daniel Mackay in the P&J dropping big hints about his availability for ICT, should we be interested. Might be a decent shout if he can stay injury-free.

What a spineless and sycophantic cretin Gianni Infantino is. The US customs refusal to allow Somali referee Omar Artan entry into the States smacks of Trumps MAGA FU policies. For Infantino to simply cancel the referees involvement in the competition is disgraceful. If this corrupt FIFA president had any spine he should have shuffled three match officials such that Omar Artan could / should have officiated (refereed) in Mexico or Canada. What a cretin Infantino has shown the football world he is. It seems the norm now that football authorities put more emphasis on their own image, recompense package and pensions ahead of the game they are supposed to care for, develop and present in its best light. bc

Chippies, plasterers, sparkies and painters/decorators me thinks. (Maybe a better chance of a good player in that lot than third or fourth team Celtic players being offered and assessed). bc

As we eagerly await news of signings and re-signings it looks like the Club have actually updated the First Team on their website except that they still include Ben Gardiner.

Passed the stadium just now! Hell of a lot of cars there! More cars than signed players i would think. Anyway i hope it's a sign of imminent signings?

Absolutely, I thought he caused confusion in the defence by shouting orders leading to goals against. Never liked him.

He allegedly made a naughty remark that was seen as a bad idea. He got sent off and never played for a rake of games thereafter. Possibly internal suspension. Don't think he attended the pride March in Inverness yesterday...

Ooh hopefully get to that one as I’m planning on visiting the folks in Brig o Don that week 🤞

Rather have Calum than Ross at right back.

That one is implanted in my brain! I can see it perfectly without having to look it up. Middle of May, 1978. I had just finished my final exams, in computer science, at university. Scheduling hours and hours of exams for thousands of students within two or three weeks - with a variety of halls and rooms to juggle, class sizes from single figures to well into three figures, and of course some people taking peculiar combinations of subjects - is no trivial task. In fact it was done by a neat program developed by a member of the computer science department. The best bit about that was that he "fixed" the program so that the computer science exams ended first of all in the university - i.e. they were over before anyone else's. And the reason for this was to allow us to enjoy the Home Internationals, without exams getting in the way. And what did we get? Willie bloody Donachie For those who don't know it, or who had managed to forget it - here it is: https://www.facebook.com/100079048004236/videos/you-cant-beat-an-own-goalback-in-may-1978-scotlands-willie-donachie-gave-us-one-/1608729533380674/

I was there the night we beat the Czechs to qualify for 1974 in West Germany. Also when we crushed them 3-1 in 1977 but that just led to Argentina… But then I was also there the night we were comfortably beating Wales, although it was just 1-0, till Willie Donnachie passed it back to Jim Blyth who wasn’t in his goals. Or the time against Austria, again 1-0, till Roughie laid it on a plate for Krankl… And after the embarrassment of being the worst side in the tournament two years ago, DoofersDad wonders why we’re so negative 😂

Our past nemesis Peru 2 - our likely future nemesis Haiti 1 last night.