http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20543257

 

"Ross Tokely has hit out at the fans of former club Inverness Caley Thistle for the abuse he received on his return there as a Ross County player. Tokely spent his career at Caledonian Stadium until his summer switch.

"I was really disappointed the last time - 16 years service and to get booed like that, I thought it was a disgrace," said the 33-year-old.

"If people want to come out and boo me, that's up to them, but I'm a Ross County player, I've got a job to do and I will give it my all."

 

 

Thoughts?

I agree with him. To go from the biggest legend we have ever had and people singing his praises to people shouting at him that he beats his wife in the space of a few months...

Rather amusing given his comments in The Sun about not getting caught up in the hype and concentrating on the game.

 

Mind you, he'll probably be hoping the injuries situation doesn't improve and he actually gets a game!!!

Didn't boo him personally but really what did he expect? Think these comments are for the county fans benefit tbh

If he plays just give him a few verses of 'one Ross Tokely' at the start and he'll be so confused he'll hit the net instead of the bar this time.

I was really dissapointed at the booing of him, I thought he'd be welcomed back. There havn't been many games when another ICT player has worked his socks off more than him over the years and considering he was visibly upset in his final game, I really don't understand why he got such a booing. He's a legend in my eyes.

I feel he's just trying a bit hard too fit in at county, especially with the pressure of their imminent battle against relegation. I've never booed him - in fact, I nearly cheered when his header cannoned off the crossbar in the last highland derby. I think he's just trying a bit too hard to be liked by the county fans. However, Ross Tokely will always be an Inverness legend and part of our history. He was a key player in our meteoric rise through the divisions to become the established SPL club we are today.

Edited November 29, 201213 yr by Top Six Next Year

Im assuming its a back handed compliment with no malice intended and was only meant as a bit of banter, what else would he expect during 90 mins of play for the local rival club.

Before and after the match is  totally different though and he must know that surely.

 

If he gets a start on Saturday and manages to score at the County end  I'll cheer him with every touch of the ball followed up by a few Rosco's.

#obsessed

Well thats upsetting. I practically cheered his name when he hit the bar.

I agree with him. To go from the biggest legend we have ever had and people singing his praises to people shouting at him that he beats his wife in the space of a few months...

 

Ehh?

 

The reason people sang his praises was because he was good at playing football and did it for a long time with our team. He did that because he got paid well to do so.

 

He no longer plays for us as he wasn't going to be paid so well, so chose to do the same thing for our biggest rivals instead.

 

I thought the booing was pretty mild really anyway. He is trying everything he can to beat us now so what did he expect? We are ICT fans not Ross Tokely fans.

Edited November 29, 201213 yr by GATEPOST

Mr Yngwie using a bit of journalistic licence in the title of this thread I see.

 

The headline of the actual article is

Ross County's Ross Tokely brands Inverness booing a disgrace

To say the fans were a disgrace would be saying that all ICT fans are a disgrace whereas to say the booing was a disgrace is to target only those fans who chose to boo him.

Mr Yngwie using a bit of journalistic licence in the title of this thread I see.

 

Not at all Alex, it was a straight copy and paste from the BBC. They have changed the title of the article since it first appeared.

 

When I first saw the headline about our fans being a disgrace I actually thought Tokely would be saying how poor it is that our crowds aren't bigger given the fantastic football we are playing.

Edited November 29, 201213 yr by Yngwie

Oh dear. He's turned bitter like the rest of them....

Still must be our greatest ever servant and a true legend, unlike many of the johnny-come-latelys banded about on the Legends thread.

 

Mr Yngwie using a bit of journalistic licence in the title of this thread I see.

 

Not at all Alex, it was a straight copy and paste from the BBC. They have changed the title of the article since it first appeared.

 

When I first saw the headline about our fans being a disgrace I actually thought Tokely would be saying how poor it is that our crowds aren't bigger given the fantastic football we are playing.

 

Yup, can confirm I read the original headline too ..... wonder if someone complained ?

What I find a Disgrace is that Rossco turned his back on us yet we're the ones who get the branding for booing.

Now, I wasn't at that derby match, nor will I be at this one. The intention to Boo someone who, as many have said, gave his career to ICT, has never crossed my mind. It rarely does. (I actually hated hearing people boo Hayes on tuesday too).

But it is my understanding that Rossco had an offer on the table and he refused it. He wanted more, like a spoilt little child, and because daddy butcher said no he spat his dummy out and ran away to Uncle Roy.

I get peoples point that he is perhaps trying too hard to fit in over the bridge, but is targetting those fans that supported him all those years the way about it?

16/17 years of supporting a man to be branded a disgrace by him after less than 6 months? Perhaps a little lack of respect in both directions here?

I evidently will always feel that Rosscoe was badly treated by the club but I was as irked that he decided to get his own back by going over the bridge. There is no feckin way that he didn't understand how that would be received. It could be compared with Ryan Giggs or Scholes going to City !!

Lets face it - if he had gone anywhere else he would have continued to be idolised by many. So what the feck did he expect on his return - a feckin standing ovation - The boos only resounded becos they were made in combination with a muted silence of older fans showing grudging respect.

He has really fallen in to yet another media trap and should have simply said "no comment". I also suspect that his words may have been journalistically interpreted but he has simply fuelled the feckin fires again.

The name of Ross Tokely will always be legendary to me but the man has disappointed me yet again.

Lets calm down here folks ..... If the BBC has changed the headline (and it has), my opinion is that it is because the journalist sensationalised the comment in the headline in the first place to stir up some derby rancour.

 

Tokes branded the booing a disgrace, not the fans, and the article reads exactly like that ... lets not make it more than what it is !!!

 

Personally, I would not have booed him, but if others want to that is up to them ... I can understand his disappointment though as he gave a lot of years to the club and regardless of what he was getting paid, could probably have made a lot more elsewhere had he chosen to do so in the earlier stages of his career so to be booed first time back is a tad disrespectful. Had his header gone in, the booing may have come from a different stand though !!!  

 

Jnr - your view of the contract offer is a little idealistic and simplistic in my mind. Yes there was an offer on the table, but the devil is in the detail of what was contained in the offer. I dont know much about those details but from what I have heard (from normally reliable sources) it wasnt exactly "an offer you couldnt refuse" ... more like one it would be impossible to accept !!!

 

I tend to agree with IHE a bit too ... its all opinion and could be a lot of hogwash .... but to my mind, Rossco didnt want to move away from the area so did the next best thing he could which was to sign for another team nearby that matched, or at least came close to what he was looking for in terms of wages. The fact that it was County also probably allowed him to stick a couple of fingers up at certain individuals who he thought were responsible for him not being allowed to finish his career at ICT .....

 

Lets get on with humping county on saturday and not get distracted and dragged into this bullshit story !

Just looking at the actual article itself, I'm with Ross Tokely on this one. A club he has been with pretty much his whole career and a legend with the fans, you would think he would be welcomed back. I didn't realise that he was booed at the game as I wasn't at the game, but this is very disappointing.

 

I know he's playing for the county but even so, we should be respect him for his fantastic 16 years at Caley rather than booing him. The hundreds of games he has played in a Caley shirt for the cause. If Iain Stewart were up front and Jim Calder was in goals for Ross County would you be booing them?? I don't think so.

Welcomed back? For goodness sake he plays for our rivals now. He is for all accounts and purposes the enemy now.

He should take it as a compliment that he was acknowledged -any other type of acknowledgement would have been inappropriate to our existing players.He has done his stint been well payed for it,enjoyed by all when he was here and has now moved on like in any other business he has had his time .

Well now, I'm not one for booing but this I know.

Il the ball that struck the bar had gone in instead, Tokes really would have had a standing ovation.

Hope he tries harder on Saturday, we all want him to score against the County.

It could be compared with Ryan Giggs or Scholes going to City !!

Tomorrow's BBC Sport headline : "Caley fans compare Tokely to Giggs"

Just looking at the actual article itself, I'm with Ross Tokely on this one. A club he has been with pretty much his whole career and a legend with the fans, you would think he would be welcomed back. I didn't realise that he was booed at the game as I wasn't at the game, but this is very disappointing.

 

I know he's playing for the county but even so, we should be respect him for his fantastic 16 years at Caley rather than booing him. The hundreds of games he has played in a Caley shirt for the cause. If Iain Stewart were up front and Jim Calder was in goals for Ross County would you be booing them?? I don't think so.

 

Barry Wilson was booed when he was at Livi, he never girned about it though, it wasn't exactly vicious. Its just booing a man we know trying to play well against us. The same with Tokely. There was hardly an angry chorus off booing, just a few folk then the odd thing shouted and everyone would have a wee laugh. The main shouts he got was people laughing at him for heading at the wrong goal.

 

Most importantly though in case you hadn't noticed he players for fecking Ross County now. Our biggest rivals. He should be booed by everyone while he is wearing that shirt. It doesn't mean you hate the guy personally or have forgotten how well he did playing with us but at the end off the day he now wants us to lose. What are you going to do if he scores on Sat? Celebrate?

 

I find it a bit embarrassing that some here worry about offending an ex player, but the man himself will be delighted if our club is out the cup at the hands off our biggest rivals on Saturday.

 

Man up.

Exclusive photo of Ross Tokely during this interview