DETAILS

Celtic v Inverness CT - Parkhead, Glasgow Saturday 18th November

Referee: Willie McLean

Tickets: This is an ALL TICKET match. TV-info: LIVE commentary on BBC Radio Scotland and on Web (UK listeners only). Highlights available on Monday on Scotpsort SPL. Live on Setanta in some regions outside UK

FIXTURES Saturday 18th November: Aberdeen v St Mirren Celtic v Inverness CT Dunfermline v Dundee Utd Kilmarnock v Falkirk Motherwell v Hibernian

Sunday 19th November: Hearts v Rangers (Setanta, 2pm)

SPL ROUND-UP It was another 3-day SPL weekend last week and not a lot of high scoring games. Aberdeen continued climbing the table after a deserved 2-1 win at home to Motherwell. Smith and Miller for the Dons and an own goal by Hart which was a bizarre one, gave Motherwell some hope. Craig Levein is showing that Dundee Utd can perform after another good home performance. They beat Kilmarnock 1-0 thanks to Noel Hunt. It was a deserved win which means Levein has already equalled the amount of wins Brewster got in the SPL in 10 months!! Hibernian controlled the game against Inverness CT but the highlanders had a strong defence throughout the first half and created the best chance with Dargo and Bayne having a great chance but the Hibs keeper, Malkowski was on form which meant Inverness couldn’t find a way past him and eventually lost 2-0 with goals from Fletcher and a Killen penalty. Mark Brown was sent off meaning Michael Fraser will get a very rare starting place at Celtic Park this Saturday. Rangers finally got a much needed victory with a 2-0 win at home against Dunfermline. Boyd and Smith scored for the Gers and gave Le Guen a much needed 3pts but they will have to play better to keep a hold of second place in the next few weeks. Onto Sunday and a surprise hat-trick hero in Thomas Gravesen at Love Street. Celtic beat the hosts 3-1 with Gravesen just walking through the Saints defence at times. John Sutton got the consolation for St Mirren in a one-sided affair. Monday night football produced another 1-1 scoreline. Hearts were without Pressley for some strange reason and the turmoil at Hearts just keeps going on and on and on. Velicka opened the scoring for the Jambos but the never too old Russell Latapy equalised with 6 mins remaining. It was an even game which both teams could have won.

PAST MEETINGS The teams have played a total of 10 times (7 League, 3 Cup) with 30 goals (11 Inverness CT, 19 Celtic) between them. Inverness CT: 2 wins (0 League, 2 Cup) Draws: 2 (2 League, 0 Cup) Celtic: 6 wins (5 League, 1 Cup) THE TWO FAMOUS NIGHTS

08/02/2000 (Scottish Cup 3rd Round) Celtic 1-3 INVERNESS CT:

This game will always be remembered for all Inverness fans as this is regarded as the biggest result of Caley Thistle’s history so far. The original game was postponed due to apart of the roof falling off. In 16 minutes Barry Wilson headed in Paul Sheerin’s cross to the home fans shock. Mark Burchill scored a minute later but Bobby Mann restored the lead (some people say it was an own goal, but I call it Bobby’s goal!!). 10 minutes into the second half Paul Sheerin slotted home a penalty to the travelling fans delight. Steve Patterson was quoted as saying- “I think this is the moment Inverness arrived in Scottish football”. It sure was with the headline from the Sun reading “Super Caley Go Ballistic, Celtic Are Atrocious!!!!!!!”. The team for Inverness was as follows- Calder, Teasdale, Golabek, Mann, McCulloch, Hastings, Sheerin, Tokely (Byers 89), Wilson (Glancy 87), Christie and Wyness (Bavidge 79). 23/03/2003 (Scottish Cup Quarter-Final) INVERNESS CT 1-0 Celtic:

Was lighting going to strike twice? It certainly was as even though Celtic had just beaten Liverpool, Inverness always believed they could do it. Even Bobby Mann mentioned before the game that he thought there would be another Highland Fling!! The only goal of the game was when Richie Hart pulled the ball across for Dennis Wyness to slot home. The second half seemed to last a life-time but eventually John Robertson had copied the heights of Steve Patterson. Two people’s performances I want to mention are Stuart McCaffrey for marking Larsson sensationally well and Mark Brown for making good saves and getting the Man of the Match. FACTS BETWEEN THE TEAMS

• All League meetings between the teams have taken place in the SPL.
• Inverness CT have never won a league match against Celtic.
• John Hartson is the top scorer in the fixture with 7 goals.
• Dennis Wyness is the top scorer for Inverness CT with 3 goals.
• If Celtic beat Inverness CT on Saturday, they will have gone a clean sweep of 11 SPL victories.
• The Highlanders were the last team to take a point of them, securing a 1-1 draw at home.

TOP SCORERS 7 goals: John Hartson (Celtic) 3 goals: Dennis Wyness (ICT) 2 goals: Barry Wilson (ICT), Craig Beattie (Celtic), Alan Thompson (Celtic), Shaun Maloney (Celtic) 1 goal: Sheerin, Ritchie, Moravcik (own goal), Dargo Hart, Munro (all ICT), Burchill, Petrov, Sutton, Bellamy, McManus, Pearson (all Celtic). PLAYERS TO WATCH Michael Fraser (Inverness CT): Fraser is normally the first name everyone expects to see listed on the subs bench, but on Saturday he has a chance to shine against Celtic after Inverness’ number 1 Mark Brown got sent off last weekend. Michael has only ever started 1 game for Inverness, against Falkirk last season in May, however what a chance he has if he has a good game against Celtic to get a run in the side. From reserves games, he looks like he has the potential to succeed. Good luck to him on Saturday as we all know it will be tough. Thomas Gravesen (Celtic): The ex-Real Madrid midfielder was a superb signing by Gordon Strachan during the Summer transfer window. Although it has taken him a while to shine in the green and white but after last Sunday’s hat-trick against St Mirren, he is in superb form and eager to continue impressing. Currently has 4 SPL goals and has superb skill on a good day. Will be keen to play against Man Utd on Wednesday. FUTURE FIXTURES

28th Jan 2007 at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium Squad:

Jonathon Smith, Michael Fraser, Darren Dods, Stuart Soane, Ross Tokely, Guy Kerr, Richard Hastings, Stuart McCaffrey, Stuart Golabek, Grant Munro, John Rankin, Ian Black, Roy McBain, Zander Sutherland, Alan Morgan, Liam Keogh, Richie Hart, Barry Wilson, Russell Duncan, Craig Dargo, Gary McSwegan, Rory McAllister, Dennis Wyness, Graham Bayne

Injured: Nobody. Suspended: Mark Brown (Sent off in last match)