To modify a phrase that was popular here many years ago, as we rose through the divisions, "it shows how far we've gone", when the best we can do is take delight in County's downfall.

Still, take delight I shall! 😂  

I’d imagine we’ll get them in our league cup group 🤜 

In the words of Easter Ross oligarch Uncle Roy they're a "local community club" who somehow managed to start 11 non-Scots in the first game at Almondvale and upped the "local" content by starting the utter galoot Jordan White at home. Based on their lamentable second half performance last night there's no guarantee they'll bounce straight back-up.  Please God give us an away game in Dingwall in one of the cups next season and 4 league games in season 2026-2027. 

On the downside, they are in a very strong position to attract championship quality players...who hasn't accepted our contract offers yet?

4 hours ago, ymip said:

Please God give us an away game in Dingwall in one of the cups next season and 4 league games in season 2026-2027. 

The League Cup draw is tomorrow. 

Feel a bit sorry for Alex Samuel.

Gave it all for us last season - relegated!

Gave it all for County this season (when he got a chance) - relegated!

Would we take him back?

I would!

Me too, any player with his work ethic I would like to see here. All he needs is some goals

Bad result for us having 2 Prem teams relegated this season. Looking forwards we should hope that RC buy their way out, however on the assumption we get promoted then ideally having a Championship with the weakest opposition possible should be the desire. Having a RC/StJ along with (who ever is relegated next season) the usual PT, Ayr, RR, Dunf would make it all the harder

Additionally the impact of not having a top flight Highlands team does nothing but justify the central belt bias and narrative that our clubs are an inconvenience.

1 hour ago, bdu98196 said:

Bad result for us having 2 Prem teams relegated this season. Looking forwards we should hope that RC buy their way out, however on the assumption we get promoted then ideally having a Championship with the weakest opposition possible should be the desire. Having a RC/StJ along with (who ever is relegated next season) the usual PT, Ayr, RR, Dunf would make it all the harder

Additionally the impact of not having a top flight Highlands team does nothing but justify the central belt bias and narrative that our clubs are an inconvenience.

Wouldn't worry too much at this stage. 

Having been through what we've been through, although promotion to the Championship would be nice, it's no great disaster if it doesn't happen. Just, let's not get relegated!

Realistically I think it'll be 4 or 5 years minimum before we're seriously looking at being ready for Premiership football. And a lot needs to happen between now and then!

Edited May 28, 20251 yr by buckett

5 hours ago, buckett said:

although promotion to the Championship would be nice, it's no great disaster if it doesn't happen.

Not sure Savage (or a lot of the fanbase) would be agreeing with you on that.

Am I alone in actually feeling sorry for County? Perhaps I have been overseas too long, but my dislike for County is at a lower level than the Adams-Esque seethe that I feel for the 'Livi Lions'. In fact, County barely scrape into third behind Livi and Elgin. 

 

19 minutes ago, Scotty said:

Am I alone in actually feeling sorry for County? Perhaps I have been overseas too long

Likewise, I am over 500 miles away.  Was pleased to see two Highland teams admitted to the league back in 1994, although I did wish that they had been further apart.

Yes I wish that we had done better than County, and yes I know that they often field a team with no Scots, let alone Highlanders.  Nowadays my feelings towards them are apathy more than antipathy.  Not sorry for them - just not bothered.

1 hour ago, bdu98196 said:

Not sure Savage (or a lot of the fanbase) would be agreeing with you on that.

I think the number one goal for next season is survival.  (Assuming that we do come out of administration, of course - which is yet to happen.)

A different type of survival, though, from this past season.  More a case of seeing what sort of squad we can get together, ensuring that we don't get relegated, and, most importantly, getting the club up and running on a sustainable basis.

Anything else would be a bonus, especially in the league where we start 5 points behind everyone else.

1 hour ago, Scotty said:

Am I alone in actually feeling sorry for County? 

YES

2 hours ago, Scotty said:

Am I alone in actually feeling sorry for County? Perhaps I have been overseas too long, but my dislike for County is at a lower level than the Adams-Esque seethe that I feel for the 'Livi Lions'. In fact, County barely scrape into third behind Livi and Elgin. 

 

Aye !!

1 hour ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Likewise, I am over 500 miles away.  Was pleased to see two Highland teams admitted to the league back in 1994, although I did wish that they had been further apart.

Yes I wish that we had done better than County, and yes I know that they often field a team with no Scots, let alone Highlanders.  Nowadays my feelings towards them are apathy more than antipathy.  Not sorry for them - just not bothered.

I have to say that, having been a very strong advocate in 1993/94 of two neighbouring Highland teams getting into the league together, unforeseen subsequent events have led me to revisit that in recent years.

2 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I have to say that, having been a very strong advocate in 1993/94 of two neighbouring Highland teams getting into the league together, unforeseen subsequent events have led me to revisit that in recent years.

Yeah, ditto! 
I thought it would be great having derbies every year and visiting Dingwall for over most of the seasons. (To be fair we had some great ones at the beginning). 
Over time the novelty wore off and the large crowds dwindled down. Being in separate leagues (by both teams) just continued that detachment for me. (I have always been a ICT fan but did at the beginning pop over to Dingwall when ICT were ‘away’).

My thinking those years back was ICT would become the dominant team and attract players as we consolidated our place in the top league and grew our fan base to around the 4-5 thousand. 

It’s clear for a number of well known reasons after reaching our pinnacle of the Scottish Cup and Top league run it’s been a steady but clear drop down the leagues (and status). 
With County being relegated, I like some other posters take little satisfaction with the Highlands (wish it was us), not being represented in the top league. 
I have a feeling RC will find it tough getting back up to the top league next season. Uncle Roy has let it be known the money will be cut accordingly. I also have the feeling he will begin to think he may want to reduce his involvement (£££ & time) more. 
The realisation for me is the ability of either club to progress and succeed is directly linked to the number of fans it can pull through the turnstiles. In my view there are not enough (fans) for both highland clubs to obtain a firm standing in the top league. Ideally in my view a comparison could be be Kilmarnock or Dundee. (I know both these teams experience relegation, but both teams are ‘established’ and recognised ‘top teams’).

So, while I look forward to derbies returning in the season 26/27, I feel both highland teams are locked competing for the same fans. As a consequence each other is held back by their highland cousins. 

just my tuppence worth. 

bc

Edited May 28, 20251 yr by big cherly

1 hour ago, big cherly said:

Yeah, ditto! 
I thought it would be great having derbies every year and visiting Dingwall for over most of the seasons. (To be fair we had some great ones at the beginning). 
Over time the novelty wore off and the large crowds dwindled down. Being in separate leagues (by both teams) just continued that detachment for me. (I have always been a ICT fan but did at the beginning pop over to Dingwall when ICT were ‘away’).

My thinking those years back was ICT would become the dominant team and attract players as we consolidated our place in the top league and grew our fan base to around the 4-5 thousand. 

It’s clear for a number of well known reasons after reaching our pinnacle of the Scottish Cup and Top league run it’s been a steady but clear drop down the leagues (and status). 
With County being relegated, I like some other posters take little satisfaction with the Highlands (wish it was us), not being represented in the top league. 
I have a feeling RC will find it tough getting back up to the top league next season. Uncle Roy has let it be known the money will be cut accordingly. I also have the feeling he will begin to think he may want to reduce his involvement (£££ & time) more. 
The realisation for me is the ability of either club to progress and succeed is directly linked to the number of fans it can pull through the turnstiles. In my view there are not enough (fans) for both highland clubs to obtain a firm standing in the top league. Ideally in my view a comparison could be be Kilmarnock or Dundee. (I know both these teams experience relegation, but both teams are ‘established’ and recognised ‘top teams’).

So, while I look forward to derbies returning in the season 26/27, I feel both highland teams are locked competing for the same fans. As a consequence each other is held back by their highland cousins. 

just my tuppence worth. 

bc

BC,

not sure Roy from InverGordon has plans to reduce his involvement. invergordon fc to have their ground updated, get into the highland league and be used as a feeder club playing RC academy players.

Ground

The club's original ground was the old "Blackpark" (now part of Invergordon Distillery), before they moved to their current playing field at the town's Recreation Grounds.

In January 2025, the club applied for planning permission to upgrade the ground, including building a stand, floodlights, dugouts and a fence.^[4]

Your point regarding competition for fans………… is it time for another merger ???

ICT + RC = Highland FC. or inverness Caledonian thistle county has a ring to it.
Not sure what tuppence is worth these days but that’s just my xxxxxx worth.
 

 

 

2 hours ago, big cherly said:

Yeah, ditto! 
I thought it would be great having derbies every year and visiting Dingwall for over most of the seasons. (To be fair we had some great ones at the beginning). 
Over time the novelty wore off and the large crowds dwindled down. Being in separate leagues (by both teams) just continued that detachment for me. (I have always been a ICT fan but did at the beginning pop over to Dingwall when ICT were ‘away’).

My thinking those years back was ICT would become the dominant team and attract players as we consolidated our place in the top league and grew our fan base to around the 4-5 thousand. 

It’s clear for a number of well known reasons after reaching our pinnacle of the Scottish Cup and Top league run it’s been a steady but clear drop down the leagues (and status). 
With County being relegated, I like some other posters take little satisfaction with the Highlands (wish it was us), not being represented in the top league. 
I have a feeling RC will find it tough getting back up to the top league next season. Uncle Roy has let it be known the money will be cut accordingly. I also have the feeling he will begin to think he may want to reduce his involvement (£££ & time) more. 
The realisation for me is the ability of either club to progress and succeed is directly linked to the number of fans it can pull through the turnstiles. In my view there are not enough (fans) for both highland clubs to obtain a firm standing in the top league. Ideally in my view a comparison could be be Kilmarnock or Dundee. (I know both these teams experience relegation, but both teams are ‘established’ and recognised ‘top teams’).

So, while I look forward to derbies returning in the season 26/27, I feel both highland teams are locked competing for the same fans. As a consequence each other is held back by their highland cousins. 

just my tuppence worth. 

bc

Yes, I’m pretty well in tune with your tuppenceworth, Cherly!😊

I don’t think it was quite foreseen in the 1990s that both clubs would develop to the extent that they did, and I now believe that the Highlands are unable to sustain two clubs that became infinitely larger than the pair that entered the SFL in 1994… even with the vast amounts of other people’s money that both clubs have gone through.

We of course have to factor in the gross mismanagement of Caley Thistle over the last few years that has contributed to its decline but (as I’ve probably said too often on here) despite what I reckon is a ballpark £35 million of unearned subsidy between the two of them, we have a situation where Caley Thistle declined to the threshold of League Two and Ross County, after several years of teetering on its edge, have now fallen into the abyss of the lower leagues.

41 minutes ago, bishbashbosh said:

BC,

not sure Roy from InverGordon has plans to reduce his involvement. invergordon fc to have their ground updated, get into the highland league and be used as a feeder club playing RC academy players.

 

Ground

The club's original ground was the old "Blackpark" (now part of Invergordon Distillery), before they moved to their current playing field at the town's Recreation Grounds.

In January 2025, the club applied for planning permission to upgrade the ground, including building a stand, floodlights, dugouts and a fence.^[4]

Your point regarding competition for fans………… is it time for another merger ???

ICT + RC = Highland FC. or inverness Caledonian thistle county has a ring to it.
Not sure what tuppence is worth these days but that’s just my xxxxxx worth.
 

 

 

You will need more than a couch to hide behind there   not another one!  

Edited May 28, 20251 yr by IBM

9 hours ago, IBM said:

You will need more than a couch to hide behind there   not another one!  

What about hiding behind 4 grandkids, would that work. 😀. Don’t mention this when we have our HT chats this season, it is just …. 

Back in the 90s it was mainly local players who we all knew and had associations with. Now it seems we are just a feeder club for other teams youth prospects. The club has an opportunity to blood local talent and I’m sure if they do then more fans will come through the the turnstiles 

On 5/28/2025 at 4:12 PM, Scotty said:

Am I alone in actually feeling sorry for County? Perhaps I have been overseas too long, but my dislike for County is at a lower level than the Adams-Esque seethe that I feel for the 'Livi Lions'. In fact, County barely scrape into third behind Livi and Elgin. 

 

Taking about livi. Heading south tomorrow with 2 grandsons who are playing in RC U 14/ U 11 final games of the season.

its another  2 x RC v Livingston battles. 
 

u14 play on the main Toni macaroni pitch and the u11 play at st Margaret’s academy a couple of minutes away. I am on u11 duty I think.

daughter told me it was pretty gruesome fixture last year. Livi played players down eg at least a year older boys. They were throwing the county boys to the ground then stamping on them encouraged all the way by the parents watching.

Might come home tomorrow with the same view as you have. Got some antiseptic wipes but will leg it if anyone near me starts clearing their throat.

On 5/28/2025 at 11:08 PM, Charles Bannerman said:

Yes, I’m pretty well in tune with your tuppenceworth, Cherly!😊

I don’t think it was quite foreseen in the 1990s that both clubs would develop to the extent that they did, and I now believe that the Highlands are unable to sustain two clubs that became infinitely larger than the pair that entered the SFL in 1994… even with the vast amounts of other people’s money that both clubs have gone through.

We of course have to factor in the gross mismanagement of Caley Thistle over the last few years that has contributed to its decline but (as I’ve probably said too often on here) despite what I reckon is a ballpark £35 million of unearned subsidy between the two of them, we have a situation where Caley Thistle declined to the threshold of League Two and Ross County, after several years of teetering on its edge, have now fallen into the abyss of the lower leagues.

It was very clear to me, when County came storming up the Championship table to join us in the Premiership that one of the teams would stutter. Initially it was them, but they persevered and Roy threw more and more money at them and eventually we stumbled and down we went.

A city the size of Dundee can just about support two Premiership teams. Inverness, about a third the size cannot. And make no mistake, Ross County is an Inverness team - without the proximity of Inverness, Ross County would be nothing.

1 hour ago, buckett said:

It was very clear to me, when County came storming up the Championship table to join us in the Premiership that one of the teams would stutter. Initially it was them, but they persevered and Roy threw more and more money at them and eventually we stumbled and down we went.

A city the size of Dundee can just about support two Premiership teams. Inverness, about a third the size cannot. And make no mistake, Ross County is an Inverness team - without the proximity of Inverness, Ross County would be nothing.

When we got relegated from the Premiership under Foran a lot of posters on here thought a few seasons out of the Premiership would be fun! As I and a few other argued at time it would go on to leave us in financial difficulties due to our neighbours hoovering up money from sponsors/hospitality etc due to being in a higher league. 

No I don't feel sorry for them. I'd rather concentrate on our own team tbh