Â

On the road to recovery at last?

For the first time this season, Gringo's Gossip come's to you from the comfort of 9th in the table. Although for any pessimists amongst you, 9th probably doesn't seem all that comfortable at all.

Looking at recent performances our beloved Caley Thistle have been doing not too bad. The team were exceptional in the huge 6-3 demolition of Kilmarnock, held their own with 10-men against Motherwell, and despite playing against '14-men' (Jonny Hayes' words, not mine) as well as being wrongly reduced to 10, were very unfortunate not to get at least a point against Celtic. All was topped off nicely by taking all 3-points off St Mirren, a result that saw us move off the bottom as other results also went our way.

The supporters have been pretty evenly split when it comes to pressing the panic button. Some had done so after just a few games of the season, citing Terry's decision to release so many players in summer as their main (or even sole) reason for our poor run. I, like others, was of the belief that we would come good eventually, particularly considering the long injury list and bad luck that we'd suffered in the first third of the campaign. Low and behold, Jonny Hayes and Chris Hogg have returned from injuries, Meekings and Gillet are back too and have given added options to the back line and even Andrew Shinnie and Richie Foran, of whom I'd given stick in the past, have started to perform better.

But are some people's hands still hovering over that 'panic button'? I certainly think so.

Despite the good performances, the reduced injury list and being off the bottom, the league table still see's Inverness sit just 2 points off the bottom of the league. Only Dunfermline have a worse goal difference than ourselves and we have still failed to keep a clean sheet in all of our 17 matches thus far. In fact we are currently conceding an average of 2 goals per game, and that really is a concern.

Being positive though, the future is starting to look good for ICT. Players that once stood out for all the wrong reasons are now all of a sudden becoming regular starters and even fans' favorites. Andrew Shinnie, David Davis and even Richie Foran has turned a corner. Hayes has slotted in fantastically well around a somewhat unfamiliar midfield to what he may have been used to before his injury troubles, and as I said earlier, the introduction of Hogg, Meekings and Gillet at the back has given Terry and Mo new options at the back.

Away from our performances on the park, there is one issue off the park that kept me away from my only possible home fixture since the last Gringo's Gossip. That issue is the match-day stewarding at games featuring the Old Firm. Having read some posters comments after the Rangers fixture earlier in the season, as well as experiencing these games myself in the past, I made a promise to myself not to go to a game involving the Old Firm until the stewarding at these matches was fair. The novelty of having these two giants of Scottish Football playing at TCS has long disappeared, yet the stewarding remains the same. Fans in opposing colours sitting in the home end, a lack of stewarding in the away end, and constant religious or offensive chanting that, in my opinion, has no place in football.

It's for this reason that I decided to take in a 'proper' football match involving County. (And no, it wasn't that lot over the bridge, before you ask).

It was Nairn County of the Highland League, just 7 miles from my family home out in Ardersier. Knowing Gringo Senior was up the road from Coventry for the weekend, we decided to take on a bit of early Highland March training and watch the Highland League spectacle at Station Park, Nairn. A bargain at just £7 per adult (or £3 for children and OAP's) we were not to be disappointed.

Capital Caley also missed the big match to join us on our jaunt to and from Nairn, but before we set off, a cup draw was to be conducted for those who play '10p Bowling'. A camera was on hand to video the event and Gringo and I had already been busy getting some old Christmas Baubles transformed into 'draw balls' - complete with names inserted - ready for the event. BA oversaw the draw to ensure there was no cheating, and the video was posted 'live' (upon uploading) to the '10p Bowling' facebook page.Â

Those that don't yet play the game really are missing some cracking banta!Â

We set off via Fort George and the back roads to Nairn in decent weather, chatting football with a hint of random-ness. Score Mobile and the Sky Sports app's on our phones were on hand to update us on the goings on at TCS, and we made it in time to catch the last half an hour on the pub's tv screens. The bar was busier than we expected - packed out with fans of Lossiemouth FC - and despite the 2-0 defeat to Celtic, we were all looking forward to our Highland League adventure.

Fans of both sides were in good voice and the game was electric from the start. Gringo, Capital, Flymo and myself stood on the grass terrace enjoying our experience. One lonely steward would occasionally walk by picking up litter (and flymo's newly purchased sausage roll), and children were running around the grass embankment enjoying their day. This really is how I wish a matchday would be, even in the SPL - IE, enjoyable. Nairn took a 2-0 lead at the break with Lossie equalising early in the second half. 3-3 the final score, and I think the woodwork could still be shaking from a bullet shot from 25 yards by Lossie in the first half.

Unfortunately there are so many rules and regulations surrounding ground standards and the control of supporters that I can't see Old Firm match days at TCS improving any time soon. Having said that, performances have been good overall and are slowly improving, and it has to be said that, in general, all other match days tend to go without a hitch. I will always go to games when I can so that I can support my team, but after my experience at Station Park, I think I'll possibly repeat my trips to a Highland League encounter whenever Rangers or Celtic come to town.

I'll finish this edition by wishing all my fellow CTO users and everyone at TCS a Merry Christmas and we'll see you in the New Year. 'Mon the Caley Jags!!!