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Also, it has taken County 82 years to reach the SPL. Caley Thistle did it in 10 years. :fingers:

Theres a wee article on the main page to welcome Ross County to our world. http://caleythistleonline.com/page/index.html/_/news-2011-12/the-highland-derby-is-back-r935

I don't accept the "technically correct" theory. Inverness Thistle FC and Caledonian FC merged upon entry to the SFL.....so "technically" C*unty are the third team from the Highland League to make it to the SPL.

Racking up tens or even hundreds of millions of pounds of debt with no intention of ever paying it back boils down to cheating and if clubs are able to get away with it by setting up a newco then it defeats the whole purpose of having a league competition in the first place. If the current club who are being linked with a newco are allowed to do so then i sincerely hope that there are severe implications for them. If there arent then i strongly think i would lose any urge to follow my team in a sham league. Given the choice i would rather watch my team in the Highland League than in an SPL that condones cheating The SPL is one of the most uncompetitive leagues in the world given that there were/are only two clubs capable of winning it, if it were to allow clubs to win leagues/cups based on cheating the tax system then it would make us even more of a laughing stock than we currently are at the moment!

full story here: http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/aberdeen/303285-spl-to-create-under-20-league/ I'm pretty sure that Terry had indicated that he would prefer the reintroduction of the reserve league as opposed to the U20 league Does anyone actually know how this differs from the U19 we have at presently Will this really gap the bridge in development between youth players and first team players? Not in my opinion Seems a lot of faff if the only change is going to be allowing youngsters so play year longer in the youth league Bring back the reserve league if you ask me

I see there were only 5 travelling fans at last night's game! http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17683896

What MacGregor should have said is "This promotion confirm's Ross County's status as the most successful football club north of Inverness. And south of Torshavn."

Race is on to see who makes it back to Div 3 first!!!! On your marks, get set.........

Interesting article on this theme: http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2012/04...ball-to-farce/ SPL Reduce Scottish Football to Farce Posted on April 11, 2012 By Mike Small What would it mean for Scottish football and wider Scottish society if a business was allowed to build up massive debts, live well beyond its means, distort the ‘market’ of it’s own league, operate illegal business practices for years and then be let off with a slap on the wrist? It would mean that the SPL is a farce not worth taking part in. It would mean that the idea of a common code – a leveling agreed practice was made a nonsense of. The games a bogey. Time to do walking away, en mass. The administrators report to creditors published last week lists the debts, the largest estimated combined amount, more than £93m, is to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). That’s your school and hospital and your community that doesn’t have income because of tax evation on a scale of grand larceny. And taxpayer-funded bodies are also directly owed money including: Strathclyde Police (£51,882), Scottish Ambulance Service (£8,438), Culture and Sport Glasgow (£10,338), Glasgow City Council (£7,000), and others. The report also reveals that Rangers owe more than £2.3m to 12 football clubs in Scotland, England and throughout Europe, including Hearts, Dundee Utd and Dunfermline. Today we’re told that such behaviour will result in a pathetic sanction. That Rangers could start the next season with a ten point reduction in the SPL. But this completely contradicts past precedent that newco’s have to provide three years accounts. As Rangers Tax Case has put it: ” I understand (but have not yet verified) that the process for a team that does not fulfill all of its fixtures is that all of its results are voided and it finishes the season on zero points. (or -10 points in Rangers’ case due to the penalty for insolvency). This would relegate Rangers from the SPL. The number of clubs who would likely object to a newco being dropped into the SPL could then start to rise. The chances of the SPL getting bogged down in court proceedings start to increase dramatically. Thus far, the SFA and the SPL have failed miserably to provide leadership in this process. Only recently stirred from their slumbers, they do not appear to have thought any of these processes through. It is vital that these organisations start thinking and listening to expert advice. They must figure out all of the pathways and pitfalls now.” This is true, but the SPL clubs and fans of all clubs need to make it clear that any attempt to waive the rules and allow Rangers back into the league will humiliate Scottish football. We’re asking all fans to support the statement: “If Rangers #newco are allowed back to the SPL immediately I will officially stop attending SPL football matches.” Put it on facebook and fans forums and twitter. There’s an opportunity to remake Scottish football, but if this is allowed to happen, there is no point.

The rules aren't to stop clubs going into admin/liquidation - it is providing clubs with the structure to walk away with debts and start fresh in the SPL 10 point slap on the wrist.

The comments, IMO, are clearly a dig at the achievements of ICT and smack of jealousy that we got the the SPL before them. Whilst his comment may be factually correct we have both played and won our way through the divisons and have grown substantially over the last couple of decades, the fact remains that we were first to do it however. Seeing as there is no pyramid system in Scotland connecting junior and amateur leagues then we both effectively started at the bottom so his comments dont really hold any credence. Both ourselves and County have done fantastically well to reach the upper echelons of Scottish football, we did it first in the Highlands, anyone who doesnt like will just have to deal with it!

You didnae need to read it Donview, they were stating it on the news at tea time. A mere technicality..............

Jesus wept Charles can you please give us all a rest with your views on the merger. I disagree with most of what you churn out on this issue but for the sake of everyone on here's sanity I choose not to go into print on this subject, unlike yourself. How about you fast forward eighteen years and tell us what you know about Muirfield Mills. Nah, I didn't think so......

Interesting indeed. Some decent thoughts there but it appears to suggest that if Rangers went into liquidation and emerged with a new name they would automatically have a place in the SPL. I can understand other clubs supporting that in the event it happened to them, but liquidation should mean you start at the bottom of the structure and work your way up.

The point about stagnation is a fair one. However any club will stagnate in the joke of a league that is the SPL. Once you are in it, the finance dictates that you must stay there. I would like to see the '10' grow some gonads and invite the top 6 from div 1 to form a league with them, giving the twins of evil nowhere to play except against each other. Aah Dougal, you were doing so well, then you throw in this garbage. Many people might justify one season getting beyond the last 16 of the Cup and reaching the final (and then not showing up), as outweighing all ICT's giantkilling (if I recall, 11 seasons outwith the SPL and 12 teams from a higher division beaten), and 2 semis plus 1 replay. I can just about swallow that, but it's a bit like the County banging on about their big win at our place about ten years ago, as if it mattered amongst all the routine 3-0 hidings we dished out. Then you're saying that 10 seasons to reach the SPL is poor (and then reach it again 6 years later), but then of course those record breakers from OTB did it in 18 so they must be getting something right. Seasons in SPL - ICT 7 County 0 - FACT ***ICT PLAYING in TOP LEVEL FOR NEARLY 40% OF THE CLUB'S HISTORY*** Seasons in div 1 - ICT 6 County 11 - FACT Seasons in div 2 - ICT 2 County 2 - FACT Seasons in div 3 - ICT 3 County 5 - FACT Why don't you come out the closet Dougal. You're not our old pal Buenos as it would be some achievement to make such a great show of hating the Rangers (sorry, 'Orcs'). If you truly are a Notts County diehard and relative newcomer to the fair city then somebody has been feeding you drink and indoctrinating you since I do not believe you have any first hand experience of the events of 1993-4 or the subsequent (Paterson-inspired) seasons. Yours etc The Mantis (formerly anti-merger and definitely not a happy clapper).

Good post. The whining from some posters on here is a joke.

It's a right damn shame that this forum and the club at times, seemed to be getting ripped apart by constant bickering over Thistle, Caledonian or County. What do we have to be jealous of County over, one single cup final? They got as much media attention for that as we did our semi-finals back in the day. The media attention they are getting as they take the step up to play with the "big boys"? The same we did, twice, for differing reasons? It's a tad pathetic that's what some folk seem to be getting their knickers in a twist over, then carrying it over to spoil the forum, that County are only now getting a moment or two in the limelight, that we too got many moons before them? Looking forward to them coming up and to be honest it'll give us a little something to look forward to in matches to come. 3 or 4 games with a little extra heat and well, though admitingly see them crash straight back down is my superior reasoning for wanting them up, it'll give us something to fight for other than aiming for 7th post-split. Some users on here need to sort themselves out.. there's arguing, then there's just being a whining c*nt that poisons the forums. No wonder folk hate us as fans, when we hate each other.

I don't see why not. It wouldn't have taken long for people in Inverness to see the benefit of the town having a senior football team. Money that was directed at ICT could just as well have been directed at any Inverness team. And without the merger baggage, whichever Inverness team decided to go it alone, could have hit the ground running and perhaps made even quicker progress than ICT. But it's all academic now, although it's always interesting to imagine what might have happened. And I do get a bit tired of reading that "it couldn't have happened without the merger." Of course it could - look at Ross County!

I just joined after reading that. I think Proctor is badly under-rated by the fans. Remember the huns at home in February? They destroyed Meekings 1st half, Procs came on for the second and was our best player, stopped it being a real battering.

The turning point in the season came when proctor was introduced back into the central defence after injury and two commanding performances saw two clean sheets against Hearts and St Mirren (The only clean sheets of the season). These two teams were in good form at the time. He's played a pivitol role this season as usual, most of the fans appreciate him, its just a few on this forum that don't. He has always bailed the team out, just as he did when he was introduced back into the team, along with duncan and rooney in the first division (he scored that day against raith rovers as well) and the team went on the unbeaten run and won the title.