G'day all,

If you didn't guess, I'm an Aussie who has just moved to Orkney and have decided to support Caley Thistle, cause I might be able to get to at least a couple of the games, as opposed to my first love, Liverpool (there's a good reason, please don't hate me!). I hope new supporters are welcome  :003:

I'm just trying to get my bearings here, so advice would be appreciated:

- what teams should I hate? I've seen Livingstone, Dundee United and Partick Thistle are on this list from these forums, are there others

- which players should I venerate? Players of old who would have solved all the teams problems if they were still around/

- where to drink before/after a home game? I saw the Inne listed here, is that the preferred haunt?

Thanks guys, looking forward to my first season as a Caley Jags supporter!

Welcome aboard aussie_lad. New supporters are certainly most welcome. I am sure that Immortal Howden Ender will be along with some antipodean references to welcome you in his own inimitable style. dont worry though, as he himself said in antoher thread, he is one of our more eccentric posters !!!

What teams should you hate ? : Whoever you want. We all have our favourites that we love to hate.

Personally, I would say our main rivalries are with Ross County, Livingston and probably now, Dundee Utd

Ross County rivalry stems from the Highland League days of pre-merger teams Caley and Thistle, the nearness of the hamlet of Dingwall, and the fact that we entered the leagues and came up through them at the same time (with ICT being somewhat more succesfull of course)

Livingston is a similar rivalry - we moved up from Div3 to Div1 almost at the same rate and the media kind of built us up as the new firm of the smaller teams - Livi changed their name from Meadowbank around the same time as we entered the league and the media therefore classed each as new teams ... we prevented them from being promoted on the last day one season and their fans dont really like us much !!! 

Our loathing for Dundee Utd stems from the way they appear to conduct business. It is alleged that they tried to tempt then-manager Steve Paterson to Tannadice while we were in Div 1 and although he turned them down and went to Aberdeen a short time after it left a bad taste in the mouth. They poached Craig Brewster from us at Xmas time and you cant fail to have read about the ongoing squabbles between the clubs over their signing targets and how its being conducted through the press. Personally, I loathe this team more than any other.

I would say we also have 'minor rivalries' with other teams. Aberdeen because the media see this as the 'north derby' even though we are in the north and they are in the north-east, St Mirren because their fans cant get over a single bad tackle that Ross Tokely committed years ago. The Partick rivalry you refer to is because of the whole promotion saga 3 seasons ago where they didnt accept relegation gracefully.

Players :- legends of ICT would probably be the likes of Jim Calder (GK), Charlie Christie (now manager), Ian Stewart (80 goals) and current players such as Wyness (90+ goals) ... but we also seem to like 'good honest hardworking professionals' such as past players like Teasdale, MacArthur, Cherry, Mann, Sheerin and current players like Tokely, Wilson, Golabek (despite the negative thread from last weeks game), Black etc.

I would direct you to the CLUBGUIDE section in the menu on the left of the screen - it contains a number of interesting pages such as STATS & FACTS and the CLUB HISTORY which will give you a good grounding in all things ICT.

Pubs : There are many pubs where ICT fans congregate. My preferred hostelry when I lived in Inverness was the Innes Bar and it has a fairly sizeable group of fans who go there on a matchday - many of whom post on here. As you are in Orkney, a nice bottle of the world's finest HIGHLAND PARK whisky for Big Stu will ensure you never leave the Innes sober  :004: ..... There is also the ICT Social Club in Greig Street on the other side of the river which is a members club but will allow guests in on match days. As it is a social club, the drink is somewhat cheaper and again, you will find many ICT fans congregating there and taking their bus to and from the game. The location of each pub is shown in the CLUBGUIDE > Stadia/Travel Map link.

A feckin mix of Aussie and Scouse!! A feckin hopping burglar with a pouch full of stolen goods. The initiation ceremaony revolve around buying anybody in a kilt a double feckin voddie and coke. But why Orkney?  :017: :017: Are you in a sect?

Orkney's a great place and Highland Park is a very nice whisky, must be the fast weather!

IHE isn't the only ICT fan who comes with a mental health warning but the rest of us are mostly harmless, and the Innes is a great place to join the "who can stay the longest at the bar without missing any of the match" club who meet there on Home matchdays  :003:

Welcome aussie_lad.

The teams you should detest are CELTIC and RANGERS!!!

All the others you are free to mildly dislike or even hate, at your discretion.

Hey Aussie

Pretty new here myself all be it a long distance supporter, as mee said the Innes is a good starting place before the match did it myself for the first time last Sat, great day shame about the result though...will be in again next sat for the Hibbies game....

by the way writing this from the launderete opposite tescos.

Usefull information for when u aint near a PC

DMACCA

Thanks for the info Scotty, I now feel confident that I know why I'm being punched next time I head into the local and declare myself a Caley Thistle supporter :)

I do wonder why everyone assumes that just because you are moving to Orkney you must be part of a sect. I spose that 'Wickerman' film didn't really help matters did it. Anyway, yes IHE - I did move here for what you call a 'sect', we much prefer the term 'The ones who won't be cast into burning pit of highland toffee upon the return of the great Xoonpoohpha', but we won't bother with semantics. Trouble is that after I got here they happily informed me that their togas were not Goretex lined, so I promptly renounced my faith. Unfortunately there isn't another ferry out of the place till March, so I'm kinda stuck.

I'm hoping that the sports shop across the street will have my jersey in soon so I can walk around and proudly display my new found allegiance. and hopefully get down to see a game in the near future.

yes IHE - I did move here for what you call a 'sect', we much prefer the term 'The ones who won't be cast into burning pit of highland toffee upon the return of the great Xoonpoohpha', but we won't bother with semantics. Trouble is that after I got here they happily informed me that their togas were not Goretex lined, so I promptly renounced my faith. Unfortunately there isn't another ferry out of the place till March, so I'm kinda stuck.

Ahhh - someone who can verbally spar with Gypsy Rose Johndo  :003: :015:

Ross County rivalry stems from the Highland League days of pre-merger teams Caley and Thistle, the nearness of the hamlet of Dingwall

Don't forget to mention that before ICT reached the SPL, the club from the 'hamlet' and surrounding areas had for season after season more fans than the Inverness club. And offcourse if the SPL club ever dropped out of the top flight the recent influx of shoppers..*cough*.. supporters would probably return to what they do best too.

Ross County rivalry stems from the Highland League days of pre-merger teams Caley and Thistle, the nearness of the hamlet of Dingwall

Don't forget to mention that before ICT reached the SPL, the club from the 'hamlet' and surrounding areas had for season after season more fans than the Inverness club. And offcourse if the SPL club ever dropped out of the top flight the recent influx of shoppers..*cough*.. supporters would probably return to what they do best too.

It's also rumoured that at Dingwall turnstyles if you told them you married your cousin  they counted you twice.

The Aussie infilitration continues.

I will be there is 48 days to add to the infestation!!

@ Gabby: so I'm not the only one of us poor antipodeans that believes that we are in fact a virus, spreading forth from Oz (and to a lesser extent, our poor little Kiwi brothers) infecting the world with wit, charm, drinking skills and, when the Pill doesn't work, unbelievably good DNA!

Bring me some Minties will ya! :)

I'm hoping that the sports shop across the street will have my jersey in soon so I can walk around and proudly display my new found allegiance. and hopefully get down to see a game in the near future.

Aussie_Lad....

My partner & I are considering taking a trip "down under" to Qld, early 2007....

What we're wondering is :  Do you still have to have a criminal record to gain admission to that country, or is it just desirable? :004:

Watch out for F'Baller's wife... A sex Godess and without question, ICT's favourite squad player....

More than capable of showing YOU a few things "down under" the likes of which you won't have seen before..!!  :015: :015:

oh my!!!

hi sweeti, welcome to hms sneck from me and all who sail in her.....

((( leaving it wide open for JB and his seamen jokes to step in!!!  :006:)))

howdi and the rest of the guys will keep you in touch with all the footy stuff and i'll gladly keep you in touch with every other aspect of HMS sneck life! :love07:

Well hellooooo...

I didn't realise that being a Caley Thistle supporter would be such a sexy adventure!  :004:

f*ballers wife: I look forward to being 'kept in touch with' as you so delicately put it :love10: I was not aware such lovely creatures as yourself inhabited the fine ship HMS Sneck, I'll have to make sure my hammock is straightened every morning.

In the words of Captain Zap Brannigan, "She's a beautiful ship, alright. Shapely ... seductive. I'm gonna sail her brains out."

I'll be seeing you in galley soon!

:blob08:

@johnboy: no, its not a pre-requisite to have a criminal record to enter Oz anymore. But being Scottish, that wouldn't be a problem for you anyway would it?  :015:

IHE: I didn't want to sully my post to f*ballers wife with this, so here you are:

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oh my!!!

i likey you sweeti!!! :love07:

trust me, there is a multitude of beauties who support cali, obviously not all as utterly gorg as me, but such is life!!!  :004: :015:

but we have rules babe.... on here, we have deep and meaningful relationships about footy on and off the pitch.... :006:

if however you wish to drop anchor and let me check out your rigging, then that would be best done on the anything goes board, where i spend most of my time, unless i have anything sensible to say about THE game!  (which has been known! ):love07:

Aussie _lad

I like the cut of your jib. Any poster that can put a bit of salt on IHE's tail deserves a cursory flick of the eyebrow.

But doooo watch out for FWife, Currently she is having a thing with JB but I don't think anything is going to come of it. Have to ask her hubby about that though....although, I muse, your direct and breezy approach might work with this one...hmmmm....I like her jib aussie (no pun intended). :002:

And Mee, pray tell, who is on your list of mentally unstable punters on this site.....? :016:

Finally, Aussie Lad, if you get bored  you can always go to Skara Brae up there and gaze out over the ocean of freezing water and dream of  the Caley park.Then drift intae the toon and walk along the cobbles to the jetty with teh Shetland boat tied up there--onwards then to Up Hellie 'A  or whatever,  as a prelude to the ICT versus Rangers match.... :015: