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A couple of things Clacher: First, down where I live I can't count the number of times people have come up to me and said how well we're doing. They even know some of the players' names....... Contrast that with other years when we got dismissed as a long ball team that scrapped hard for every point. Hibs in particular - they used to say how ugly it was when we came to ER. Second, just as your luck evens out over a season, it more or less does that over a half season too. Every club counts points lost and forgets the lucky points they won. The shadows are saying they NEARLY beat Celtic and lost last minute goals to st mirren, hearts etc, but they forget the dire games like dons away where they got murdered yet escaped with a point. You're just choosing to do it the other way round for a change. Our team are playing with confidence and can recover from going behind (even 3-0!). No predictions, we could lose a couple of players in the window but it would take a real collapse to be as bad as last year. After all, who predicted we could lose Jonny Hayes and not miss him at all?

This is the first time since our elevation to the SPL that I personally have not had some lingering fear of relegation at the turn of the year. Congratulations and many thanks to Terry, Mo and all the boys. If the second half of the season is anything like as successful and entertaining as the first I will be a very contented Jaggie indeed.

Don't know why we are berating C*unty about a postponment. If you ask the fans of Celtic, St Johnston or Q o t S they would brand us as "the joke of the Highlands". Postponments happen.

But the home end that is another issue....

Apart from the transfer window, the next few weeks could be quite lean on this site. So let's start our own game. Question Number 1 - Mark Brown is known for his inability to save penalties but against which leading team did he keep ICT level with a top penalty save? Question Number 2 - Which former ICT player has the nickname 'The Butcher' because of his sturdy tackling? Question Number 3 - This former ICT Midfielder joined a Saudia Arabian team and then returned to his roots? Question Number 4 - Which ICT player was Ian McCall describing ...'' without a doubt the best distributor of a ball from defence, bar none" Question Number 5 - Name the four Robertson's to have been on the ICT books. Question Number 6 - How many MacDonalds have been on the books as opposed to Campbells? Question Number 7 - Who scored the winner for Falkirk in May 2009 to ensure our relegation? Question Number 8 - This ex Ross County and ICT player is now playing centre half for Dover Athletic. Question Number 9 - How many ex-ICT players have captained their full international side? Question Number 10 - Name the best 11 players who have played for Ross County and Inverness.

OOOh dear a little bit too much negativity creeping in, get real, this team has surpassed your expectations, why start wearing the blinkers now? The ICT deserve every bit of praise given to them for the first half of the season they have not beeen negative they have fought like tigers and redeemed themselves on many occasions when they have slipped up, yes two thrashings but lessons were learned and came back all the stronger for it. How much more can you ask of a team on their performance to date. Virtually a new team playing like an established side and you moan, come off it , go and get yourselves some decent glasses, watch carefully the progress the manager and team are makeing and get behind them in a positive manner. Who knows you might even think of getting a rose tint in your lenses by the end of the season. Happy New Year all. . . . . remember the watchword is togetherNess.

Well done to all the people above for making that happen. I'll postpone typing about the team being in 2nd, scoring the most goals in the League, going to a cup semi final for the 1st time in years, having the leagues top goal scorer, having a player who has the most goal assists (if thats still current) and our players being called up for their countries. I'll mention that another time for fear of offending some posters.

Your right Mantis, we have done well, even a non happy-clapper like myself can see that. The tone of your post suggests you're in agreement with me that some on here appear to be going OTT though? We aren't the finished article by a long shot, really open at times and so far this season we haven't really achieved anything. I'd be alot happier if it was the bad luck you talk of that's having us lose out on extra points and not sloppiness or poor preparation, which is how I see it. To me bad luck in football is conceding an exceptionally good goal, a poor refereeing decision, the conditions cancelling us out, a bad deflection or I guess any unpredictable event that any team has to weather over the season. Bad luck isn't conceding when you're defending on your 6 yard line for the last 10 minutes, a poor back pass isn't bad luck, sloppy sideways passing in midfield isn't bad luck, nor is your keeper being beaten by weak shots or giving away corners through flapping bad luck. I'd like to think those praising us aren't doing so in a patronising manner, I know the media are. If we do end up finishing in the top 6 we will rightly take praise but until then we're very much the plucky highlanders who are going above and beyond themselves. I mean there were calls amongst Hibs fans for the manager to get sacked up until they beat Celtic last weekend, yet nobody is commenting on them having an exceptional season? Theyre only 3 points behind us, so you would assume their fans would be as delighted as some of ours are. Same could be said for Aberdeen or Dundee United, both are only a couple of wins away from us yet they're having average seasons. This business of us doing well by our own expectations is nothing but an excuse for playing sh1te and dropping winnable points. Even I've been surprised a few of the new players coming in have been good, they've exceeded my expectations, by all means let us say that. However aslong as we have a team capable of beating most sides in the league then that's what our new expectations should be, once we get back to having a worse side than the likes of Aberdeen, Hibs or Motherwell then we can settle for dropping points and inconsistency. I just worry complacency will put all of our good work to waste, there's no need for it.

By the time the game takes place I'm pretty sure County will have strengthened their team, whereas the best we can hope for is that we keep hold of everyone.

Apologies my aunt has just informed me that she pulled the catheter off after I left and did a big wee.

What a farce.

Not hugely surprised about this - can't expect the surface to soak up that much moisture with all the greetin' from Derek Adams of late. Actually, I'm surprised the whole feckin' North Sea hasn't risen a few inches.

Well that would be a no brainier to most but I am reliably informed that Barnsley are offering a substantial compensation fee for TB !! Personally I doubt whether they have the necessary reputation to draw his attention but the better he does the more he is going to put himself in the shop window - so thank feck for the spondoolicks being quietly sneaked in by the Muirfield Mills mob.

Sir Terry is staying, he wants the Euro challenge as much as we do. Think ahead, the support and the money will come pouring in next season when we become the top Scottish Challengers for European glory. The days of the Celts are nigh!......... ICT are on their way and with Terry at the helm there will be no stopping the charge of the Highlanders. Keep the faith, TogetherNess will win.

Gudgies are far too fick to comprehend geological reasoning. The simple explanation is that the Legoland stadium doubles up as the latrine collection point for the village. You can see the rivers of urine and excrement flowing over the railway bridge and down towards the Jail End on the sunniest of days.

happy new nyrear every one. feck county t6hey are b elleneds. #foreverinourshadow

I really wish people would stop talking about our 'great form', we've been crap loads of times this season, we've dropped a lot of points purely because we've been complacent rather than because we've been outplayed. You'd think we' were 10 points clear at the top from Celtic the way some on here go on, the league table shows theres only 7 points between us and the bottom 6 and 10 to St Mirren in 10th. The league is very tight. I very much doubt theres many fans of other SPL clubs as impressed with ICT this season as some on here are, they'll be looking at how tight the table is and dismissing the league positions entirely.the same way we would if we were a mere 3/4 points behind a side with half the season left. Obviously we're way ahead of where our budget says we should be but then we've got the players to pick up these points for now regardless of their wages, total credit goes to Butcher and his contacts down south for that, I just worry that we should've had more points on the board by now. We've been lucky this past two weeks not to have been taken out of 2nd place, as the rest of the league closes up behind us, pretty much every dropped point will see us fall down a place or two. We should have the points in hand by now to keep us in the European places regardless of other teams results, instead we're two defeats away from trying to cling on to a top 6 spot and challenging for position with County.

Got links? Bound to be better than watching Only an Excuse! Edit - found them. Didn't think much of the Kiss one but the SPL one is quite good, particularly the mention of Tokely.

Wouldnt be surprised by this at all. Maybe Adams tears have flooded the place.

It's not the home team that decides if a game can go ahead ffs .

They don't seem to think the pitch will be a problem....

Their ground has always been shocking. You would think they would have spent something trying to improve it. I hope the SPL take a very dim view and hit them hard in the pocket and dock them at least 10 points.

It's true though. County wouldn't make things up to make them look good.

I think everyone at the club deserves a big well done for the season so far. Never mind Kenny Shields bumming himself up, I think he should put his duffel coat back on and get back to south park pronto, hes a lot more likable when you just hear a muffle. All involved at ICT have worked wonders, new faces at hospitality, hospitality B&B, new sponsors, the club shop taking the initiative to set up camp in th Eastgate centre prior to Christmas, the half time servery are serving at lightning speed, the staff at the bar keeping queues to a minimum, schools getting free invites and even looking out for a local school who had their gardens vandalized, great competitions, even different sections of the North stand are singing at matches, the membership numbers are swelling at Caley Jags together, the away support is growing and I havent even got round to the team yet. Its absolutely fantastic to be going in to 2013 in 2nd place, only 6 points behind Celtic, and still in 2 cup competitions, it just goes to show what a bit of self belief can do and long may it continue, just keep doing what you are doing as every week seems to take us a step closer to a top six finish for the first time, if and when thats secured the sky's the limit guys. Thanks to all for a great 2012 and hears to an even better 2013.

I've already spoken to Jamie and will be putting him in touch with the club.

Behind Celtic going into the new year! Butcher out!

Al tell you all this. ICT will NEVER come close in my affections as Caledonian FC did. Its all very well for the many of you on here who werent about at the time, or those who didnt support either team, to mock those ex Caley and Thistle fans who choose to stay away. You have NO inkling of what these teams meant to people. I openly admit my love for the game died, quite a bit, when The merger happened. I have to ask.....where were the majority (of the ICT support) when it was only highland league football that was on offer?