After counties defeat today against Hamilton could we have derbies again next season?

County will have nothing more to lose but to go all out for victory on Saturday. The same for Patrick except of course they can lose again and still stay up, but they will be quaking in their boots. It’s lining up for a county last day survival!!!

There is absolutely no scenario where having Ross County in a league above us is a positive for ICTFC.

The ideal situation would have been for us to have made the step up again, but that didn't happen and I found it quite bizarre that Robbo was in the courier yesterday championing County and hoping they remain in the Premiership.

6 minutes ago, CaleyD said:

There is absolutely no scenario where having Ross County in a league above us is a positive for ICTFC.

The ideal situation would have been for us to have made the step up again, but that didn't happen and I found it quite bizarre that Robbo was in the courier yesterday championing County and hoping they remain in the Premiership.

Maybe he feels, like I do, that it is refreshing to have Highland representation in the top tier of our national game after a century of almost half the land mass of the country being excluded from the national league system.

If, as now seems increasingly likely, County are relegated on Saturday, the Premiership will once more, with the exception of the Dons, become an exclusive Central Belt club.

As a native Highlander, I find that very disappointing.

1 minute ago, Kingsmills said:

Maybe he feels, like I do, that it is refreshing to have Highland representation in the top tier of our national game after a century of almost half the land mass of the country being excluded from the national league system.

If, as now seems increasingly likely, County are relegated on Saturday, the Premiership will once more, with the exception of the Dons, become an exclusive Central Belt club.

As a native Highlander, I find that very disappointing.

That is a very important consideration. For decades, there were instances such as Jack Steedman of Clydebank declaring that the Highlands would get into the SFL "over (my) dead body" and the complete scandal of 1973 when Inverness Thistle were kept out by a single vote by an Edinburgh works team called Ferranti Thistle, now aka Livingston. Then in the summer of 2004, look at the extended efforts that Ken Mackie and his colleagues had to go to in order to achieve a change to the protectionist "SPL Rules" (such as the nonsensical "10,000 seats") so the First Division champions and hence the Highlands could be granted top flight status.

I really am doing my best to stop turning this into a rant  but then on ICT's SPL debut, you had the likes of Hugh Keevins telling his readers that the team couldn't score and couldn't defend and Graeme Spiers declaring that he would eat his hat if Caley Thistle survived.

The central belt treatment of Highland football is simply an allegory of the manner in which the Highlands have been treated by the rest of Scotland for centuries and it would therefore be a very bad thing indeed if the Highlands were to lose its hard fought for Premiership presence after 14 years.

11 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

Maybe he feels, like I do, that it is refreshing to have Highland representation in the top tier of our national game after a century of almost half the land mass of the country being excluded from the national league system.

If, as now seems increasingly likely, County are relegated on Saturday, the Premiership will once more, with the exception of the Dons, become an exclusive Central Belt club.

As a native Highlander, I find that very disappointing.

I don't disagree that it would disappointing to have no Highland representation in the Premiership (especially given the battles to get and remain there...for both teams), but as an ICTFC fan first and foremost, I want what is best for my club....and employees are duty bound to, publicly at least, be seen to want what's best for the club also.

18 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

Maybe he feels, like I do, that it is refreshing to have Highland representation in the top tier of our national game after a century of almost half the land mass of the country being excluded from the national league system.

If, as now seems increasingly likely, County are relegated on Saturday, the Premiership will once more, with the exception of the Dons, become an exclusive Central Belt club.

As a native Highlander, I find that very disappointing.

That's very much my

thinking too, on a personal competitive level I want to see county get relegated but it will certainly lower the exposure and interest in football in the highlands which ultimately will lead to less youth participation interest and development. Ultimately what will be will be, its Robbos job to get us back into the PL and the same for county. I'd love nothing more than seeing both highland teams back in the PL, as Caley D mentioned it's sometimes very much perceived as a central belt sport in Scotland and everything revolves around that, and it shouldn't be the case 

Edited May 9, 20188 yr by CableGuy

I’d prefer if Caley and Ross co were in the HIghland league to be truthfully honest, maybe a space will be available on Saturday if Cove win

I’d prefer if Caley and Ross co were in the HIghland league to be truthfully honest, maybe a space will be available on Saturday if Cove win

46 minutes ago, CableGuy said:

That's very much my

thinking too, on a personal competitive level I want to see county get relegated but it will certainly lower the exposure and interest in football in the highlands which ultimately will lead to less youth participation interest and development. Ultimately what will be will be, its Robbos job to get us back into the PL and the same for county. I'd love nothing more than seeing both highland teams back in the PL, as Caley D mentioned it's sometimes very much perceived as a central belt sport in Scotland and everything revolves around that, and it shouldn't be the case 

The youth participation thing is open to debate. There's an argument to be made for more opportunity to break through in lower leagues...and as such youths seeing it as more achievable and therefore wanting to partake more readily.

Not sure if that's how it actually plays out, but would make for an interesting study.

5 minutes ago, CaleyD said:

The youth participation thing is open to debate. There's an argument to be made for more opportunity to break through in lower leagues...and as such youths seeing it as more achievable and therefore wanting to partake more readily.

Not sure if that's how it actually plays out, but would make for an interesting study.

Sorry I maybe worded that wrong, what I was referring to in terms of youth participation is purely the kids wanting to get involved in football and play football, I can only go on the basis of my son and how much hes loved having a high profile local club to support and this has certainly had a huge impact on his interest in just wanting to play and follow football in general. I cetainly agree that I see a lot of very talented kids go through to playing at caley or county dev squads and end up ultimately getting released. Harsh world for them

3 minutes ago, CableGuy said:

Sorry I maybe worded that wrong, what I was referring to in terms of youth participation is purely the kids wanting to get involved in football and play football, I can only go on the basis of my son and how much hes loved having a high profile local club to support and this has certainly had a huge impact on his interest in just wanting to play and follow football in general. I cetainly agree that I see a lot of very talented kids go through to playing at caley or county dev squads and end up ultimately getting released. Harsh world for them

In terms of local profile, County a league above will do us more harm than the specific league we are in as local papers/media give over more to the higher placed team.

I suspect, but have no evidence to support it, that getting more local youngsters through to first team level would go a long way to offset any dampening of aspirations coming from not being in the top flight.

Going back to the County thing again...we don't want Inverness kids aspiring to play for them as they are in a higher league.

All very complex....getting a migraine trying to compute it ?

2 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

That is a very important consideration. For decades, there were instances such as Jack Steedman of Clydebank declaring that the Highlands would get into the SFL "over (my) dead body" and the complete scandal of 1973 when Inverness Thistle were kept out by a single vote by an Edinburgh works team called Ferranti Thistle, now aka Livingston. Then in the summer of 2004, look at the extended efforts that Ken Mackie and his colleagues had to go to in order to achieve a change to the protectionist "SPL Rules" (such as the nonsensical "10,000 seats") so the First Division champions and hence the Highlands could be granted top flight status.

I really am doing my best to stop turning this into a rant  but then on ICT's SPL debut, you had the likes of Hugh Keevins telling his readers that the team couldn't score and couldn't defend and Graeme Spiers declaring that he would eat his hat if Caley Thistle survived.

The central belt treatment of Highland football is simply an allegory of the manner in which the Highlands have been treated by the rest of Scotland for centuries and it would therefore be a very bad thing indeed if the Highlands were to lose its hard fought for Premiership presence after 14 years.

For once I feel better that the English aren't to blame for everything

Anyway .... When I was up recently with my wife, we took the train to the Kyle of Lochalsh as a day trip, and of course when past Dingwall and RC's ground, it was a nice sunny day and Dingwall looked quite pleasant, so when I noted to my wife over the weekend that RC might be coming down to the Championship she said that it would be a good match to go to (see... she's hooked now as well!)   

..........But not in the middle of winter

Edited May 9, 20188 yr by Eagle4Caley

Sooner County get down below us where they belong the better. 

Sooner County get down below us where they belong the better. 

32 minutes ago, Eagle4Caley said:

For once I feel better that the English aren't to blame for everything.

No, that's not a sentiment you'll tend to find coming from me, either here or in the Serious Discussion section of the Forum - where I've long since desisted from discussing politics anyway.?

2 hours ago, CaleyD said:

In terms of local profile, County a league above will do us more harm than the specific league we are in as local papers/media give over more to the higher placed team.

I suspect, but have no evidence to support it, that getting more local youngsters through to first team level would go a long way to offset any dampening of aspirations coming from not being in the top flight.

Going back to the County thing again...we don't want Inverness kids aspiring to play for them as they are in a higher league.

All very complex....getting a migraine trying to compute it ?

Have a rest then CaleyD, I'm sure some of us wont mind.

2 hours ago, CaleyD said:

In terms of local profile, County a league above will do us more harm than the specific league we are in as local papers/media give over more to the higher placed team.

I suspect, but have no evidence to support it, that getting more local youngsters through to first team level would go a long way to offset any dampening of aspirations coming from not being in the top flight.

Going back to the County thing again...we don't want Inverness kids aspiring to play for them as they are in a higher league.

All very complex....getting a migraine trying to compute it ?

Have a rest then CaleyD, I'm sure some of us wont mind.

2 hours ago, Fraz said:

Sooner County get down below us where they belong the better. 

Well said Fraz I even agreed on both your posts 

2 hours ago, Fraz said:

Sooner County get down below us where they belong the better. 

Well said Fraz I even agreed on both your posts 

1 hour ago, bughtmaster said:

Have a rest then CaleyD, I'm sure some of us wont mind.

I'm sure there's plenty who wouldn't ?

Best still to have the said rest

Got to make the best of it while I can...won't be so easy when I take up my COO position next week.

8 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

Dreadful post for so many reasons.

Whys that??

Bring it on!!!! Welcome to the Championship Staggies!!!!!

Now that County's fate has been sealed, I have mixed emotions. I am, of course, pleased that they are no longer able to Lord it over us from a higher status, I am pleased to have the local rivalry and income from the derbies. I am happy that we can now compete with them for local commercial income and floating fans on an equal footing and I am happy that they are no longer in such a commanding position to poach our best players.

However, as I alluded to on another thread, I am sad that there is no longer Highland representation in the top tier after, one season aside, a decade and a half.

No doubt the football authorities and the inarticulate Weegie pundits so beloved of Radio Scotland will consider the natural order to be restored. I sincerely hope that we prove them wrong as early as next season and that County do likewise and join us up there again but ideally two or three later.