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He cant be that young Charles surely, as I spotted him on tv recently with a full grown beard.

Ooooh this is a tale. I warn you. But you did ask... I guess it al started back in the 2nd division days really. Up until then my only football obsession was Scotland and Brian Laudrup, who I had followed since his time in Italy, and henceforth Rangers(Yes I know, shame on me. One still shudders). I had parental help in picking a team. Neither had the slightest interest. At primary school, I was encouraged by peers, and fleetingly did for a short period, to support Hearts. It didn't really work out. I had no real affection for them and Brian Laudrup was not leaving Milan to join them any time soon. By the time 94 came around I was in the Rangers camp. Laudrup was there. I thoroughy enjoyed watching him destroy Hearts in 95. Now, getting onto the ICT part. It all started through my grandparents. They had previously encouraged me to follow Aberdeen or a local team (Aberdeen was pretty much their local to Aviemore, SPL team). Perhaps through that and our wonderful name, coupled with the amount of great scorelines we seemed to muster up, a certain Inverness Caledonian Thistle began to stoke my interest. They must have just gotten to the 2nd division. David Xausa was still there and scoring peaches according to any reports I got ahold of. Must have been articles in the Press and Journal perhaps. I remember beginning to watch the classified results at 5pm on a Saturday to hear that voice state whatever result we had. Add to the fact he always said the full name and with such flair. We were a pretty yo-yo team in terms of results and they always seemed to be phenomenally high scoring. Xausa went to Livi but but interest never waned and by the time ICT were in the first ICT had firmly become my 2nd team. By 98 Laudrup had left Rangers and went to Chelsea then Ajax, where I followed his career. I still followed Rangers due to their new regime and the excitement surrounding that and bringing in players like Numan, Van Bronckhorst and such like. I had by then went to high school and whilst folowing ICT I never made a deal of it. Late Jan/ early feb 2000. Celtic v ICT. I remember having a good few conversations with a Celtic following chum and warning him in jest his team was getting a beating. This continued on and past the original date and well... first there was the news highlights, then THAT headline. I ws beeming. Perhaps it was then i really began to realise how much ICT meant to me. The pride I felt. The next stage in my ICT supporting development was in late high school. A few of my friends in my year were season ticket holders at Clyde (dont ask why. ha ha!) It was at that time we would enjoy numerous banter sessions. They'd bring out their big guns of Leigh Hinds, Simon Mensing, Alan Kernaghan and Andy Millen (the choppers essentially) and I'd clearly trump that with Barry Robson (who left soon), Wyness, Tokely, Mann, Brown, Hart and even Paul Ritchie. Who was easily a match for any on loan Colin Nish (who even they called Shhhh not very good). After high school I attended Bell College in Hamilton, which incidently wasn't all that far from Cumbernauld. It gave me opportunity to get to some inter school derby games, Clyde v ICT. They one the 1st I went to that season 1-0. Their new striker (signed from Stranraer I think, Ian Harty) scored the only goal. I went to a few Clyde games with friends that season. A cup game abandoned at half time because of snow sticking in the memory. Clyde had opened up a fair gap and even though we closed it up we had a killer run in. Falkirk who we always seemed to lose to. Clyde, which was anyones guess but they had the upper hand that season. Even beating us in our own strip. The old Caleythistleonline headline 22 ICT shirts and still no win (v clyde) sticking in the memory and St Johnstone who I pointed out we had a good record against at the time. Home and away. So off I went to Broadwood ice box with one dorm and old school buddy who was supportig Clyde and my Stranraer supporting farming dorm mate who also decided to support Clyde as he felt they were most likely to win. I bought a ICT scarf outside from a stand, brought along by the ICT fans I guess. wrapped it round my neck and, parted with the mates, headed to the away end and bought a ticket. Back in the good old pay at the gate days. The score was 2-1 to ICT. I remember Hislop rising like a salmon to score his best ICT goal (in my opinion) and most important. The fans jumping onto the pitch to celebrate with Keogh and Hislop. I then went home waving my new scarf in my Clyde mates face. Sadly, for him, his belief that St Johnstone would win and ruin our party was proved wrong and we won the league. Amazing time. Having dropped out of college I got a new job. I had a dilemma I guess. Can't have 2 SPL teams. It was solved when asked by new colleagues who my team was. Quite simply "Inverness" was the answer. It just felt right. I had grown tired of the association with Rangers fans and the vile speel that could by heard at Ibrox. And I loved everything about ICT. Since then I've followed ICT only, grown to quite dislike Rangers and the Old Firm in general. It was a long way to becoming an out and out ICT fan. Took maybe 6-7 years. But looking back - WELL WORTH IT.

Dumbarton @ 1.73

Yes that's exactly why people are staying away. Nothing to do with paying top dollar to watch absolute pish on the field at all, is it? Could you please point out where I turned his performance into a negative. I'm pretty certain that I praised his performance. But let's not let little things like facts get in the way of a good ol' witch hunt for folk who disagree with you eh? May I suggest you stop trying so hard to be a smart arse? You obviously crave attention constantly... Or have you grown up now? *actual facepalm* You think negative people lack perspective yet in the very next sentence you say you didn't think we deserved to lose? Are you unstable? Injuries is a massive cop out of an excuse used by happy clappers. Isn't the point of having a squad rather than just a team so that the club can cope with injuries? Did we not have a transfer window in January to further alleviate any injury problems? You can use the injury excuse all you like but it's just not washing with this fan. Glad to hear you're so confident of beating County. I have actually taken the time to go and see them this season (in the away end with the Falkirk fans, naturally) and I actually know what I'm talking about when I say they'll see us as 12 easy points next season. Happy clapper, negative or realistic? Well from where I'm sitting, it's you who doesn't fully understand the meaning of "realistic" and you're definitely looking like a happy clapper to me. But by all means continue to drum up support from your fellow happy clappers. There's plenty to choose from on here.

I find this whole "group of expatriate Invernessians" line a bit disconcerting. Why don't they come out from the shadows and tell us who they actually are? What percentage of the share capital of the club have they purchased, etc. etc.... I'm not knocking the investment but why the cloak and dagger act ? I think a degree of transparency on this deal would be appropriate and welcome to the majority of interested onlookers.

Jaggie994 has a point - but I have found the ideal pre season bargain to use at home games : http://www.easycartsecure.com/wunderlinenvironmental/Contamination_Suits.html