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Course you're welcome! Did the London Evening Standard tell you we eat our young

TV schedules are the least of your worries there - the fixtures are going to be completely revamped to enable Richard Brittain to play for both of his clubs.

I would much rather us sign younger players with potential who have no SPL experience than has beens from bottom six SPL teams just because they have SPL experience We have retained about 95% of our team from last year and we can all agree that last year was a very successful campaign ergo 95% of our team have SPL experience. Do we need more? I'm more than happy to supplement that with players from down south with no SPL experience.

As a former Caley fan, I would have to respectfully disagree !!! to an extent ..... We will never know for sure, and to me it is a largely irrelevant scenario as we are now ICT, but my belief is that if Caley had applied individually, we may not have got in initially, and may have had to wait until about the time Gretna got in. Even if we had got in on our own in '94, I think the progress would have been quite a bit slower, and at best we would have emulated County rather than ICT in taking a longer time to reach the top league. I have no doubt that Caley would have reached the SPL, but we would have spent a few additional seasons bouncing around the 1st and/or 2nd divisions, and staying in the top flight may or may not have been sustainable. My reasoning? simple. The early years of ICT is peppered with people from both the former Caley and Thistle camps (be it supporters or officials) who have business know-how & football savvy that helped us develop, and very importantly, some folk with extremely good contacts with the old boys network that was deciding who would get in ..... for example ... we should not underestimate the influence of the likes of former Thistle Chairman Jock MacDonald in getting us in in the first place, or David Sutherland who was also a Thistle supporter in steadying our finances, ploughing money in for stands, and generally putting practices in place that sees us now crowing about how efficiently run we are in another thread ...... without them we may have been successful, or we may not .... we will never know for sure.

You'll be welcomed and looked after I'm sure. I've been travelling to see ICT from Coventry Nil for many years. Great people, great fans, great club. But be warned though, its addictive...I went in the Highland League days of Caledonian FC and kept going back for more. There'll be no trouble and you can mix with other fans for sure. We don't get many fans..you're looking at 3500+ for Hearts and sometimes we sing so loud you can hear us from the half way line

I think it would be safe to assume that our starting line-up will be something along the lines of: ESSON RAVEN MEEKINGS WARREN SHINNIE DRAPER FORAN A.N.OTHER DORAN A.N.OTHER McKAY 81.8% with SPL experience. Not quite the 95% I suggested but my point stands, we will have a starting line up will a very high percentage of players having SPL experience. The way people are banging on about signing players with SPL experience you would think that the SPL was some amazing league full of technically gifted players and superstars

Aye but surely most of them supported caley too ?

You guys are awesome.... Not sure about the Scum shirt, defo dont mind the hating Don Cowie thing... and would it be ok to add Malky MaKay to the henna tattoo as we are not overly fond of him either? And Mr IHE.. are you wearing the County strip when I do my initiation? You could do it down London or something?

"...would it be safe?" Scottish football (excluding the old firm) is very friendly, you'll have a good time. North Stand behind the goals no bother. Just remember don't go over the bridge. Unless you've had your jabs. And watch out for IHE.

Anyone who doubts that wisdom comes with age should read this! There's even hope for CB and IHE in years to come!

What a novel concept! Call youself a fan? I don't go to to football to be entertained. I go to support my team and to belong. I go to bleed and suffer with other members of my tribe as we slip to a lacklustre defeat on a wet and bitingly cold December afternoon. I go to share in the sense of communal puzzlement about the team selection. I go to enjoy a strange combination of frustration and moral superiority when none of my team seem to be able to do the most basic things with a football - things which I, of course, could do with my eyes closed. I go to be part of the mob shouting their outrage at the officials for pulling up one of our players for being offside - when they were - and not blowing for offside against the opposition - when they weren't. I go so that I can join the ranks of the oppressed and feel a sense of righteous moral indignation at the conspiracy behind the decisions which led to our defeat. I go to endure the pain of defeat and that feeling that I am deserving of sympathy for my sacrifice and suffering. Of course its not all about the suffering of losing - there is the suffering involved in hanging on for a win when we are totally outplayed and the opposition have wave after wave of attacks and the final 10 minutes seems like an eternity. It is worth it though for the sense of relief and achievement. It's a bit like climbing a munro in a blizzard - you're as miserable as hell doing it but you get a great sense of achievement when you've done it. The nervy win is also good so that you can rub salt in the wounds of opposition supporters - after all, we know how they feel and our bragging rights allow us to play on their sense of grievance and bewilderment. If we were to play the opposition off the park, their supporters might simply acknowledge they were beaten by a better side on the day - and where's the fun in that? I am a fan. I need to suffer to bond with my tribe. I do not go to football to be entertained. But if I am entertained then that's good too, but remember, it is the suffering that's gone before which makes the victories and the success all the sweeter. Ok, so a bit tongue in cheek (but only a bit!) If this strikes any chords with you and you haven't read Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch" then give it a go. It is certainly the best football book I have ever read - even if he is an Arsenal Supporter.

And Charlie Bannerman in the middle with the cap.

BUMP