Leaderboard

This is just a wee reminder that the supporters represent the good name of the club and the city tomorrow. There has been a bit of worryingly aggressive "banter" on twitter over the last day or so (which most people on here will be unaware of) and whilst CJT or me can't tell people how to behave please remember a couple of things; don't go on to the pitch under any circumstances. No "pyro" or other banned articles (County have a list attached to each gate) and please, no aggression to other supporters. We have an away support that has a great reputation as a noisy, colourful and passionate bunch and we've worked really hard for that over the years. Let's keep it that way and enjoy our new year the way that only we can. Cheers.

Lazy cut and paste from a similar topic of your five favourite footballing moments of 2014. Two aren't strictly ICT but there are (tenuous) links to us so they can stay in for all I care! 1) ICT 2 - 2 Hearts (ICT win 4 - 2 on penalties) League Cup Semi Final Down to nine men, going into injury time and trailing 2 - 1. Up steps Nick Ross to fire home the equaliser and send the game into extra time. A great Dean Brill save from Hamillin the penalty spot and ICT eventually, against all the odds, win the shoot out and are off to their first major final ever. Let's ignore the final though :( http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25900500 2) Ross County 0 - 3 ICT An absolute pumping of Ross County at a venue where we hadn't won in 10 years (although mos of those years we were in separate divisions). I like the Staggies fan at around 4:50 who makes to throw a bottle at Watkins but thinks better of it and backs down. 3) Terry Butcher joining Hibs I was disappointed to see him go to Hibs but in a fabulous bout of schadenfreude ICT fans were able to see Butcher fail spectacularly and take Hibs into the SFL1 after a laughable run of results. I suspect he won't regret the move but sometimes I do wonder what we might have achieved that season had he stayed with us. Still 4) My favourite ICT goal of 2014 this Aaron Doran strike v Ross County in another derby win in Dingwall 5) Jamie Hamill v Derek Adams. Nothing more needs to be said here

Starting the ball rolling with Nick Ross at ER. No other explanation needed

I think that's right? I think it seems narrower due to the stands being much nearer the pitch? We had the same debate last year. Whether the pitch is bigger, smaller or the same size the fact is we beat them 3-0 and played them off the park with one of the best performances I've seen from any ICT team. Same again would be good. By the way, I understand that County still have plenty tickets for sale and are surprised that ICT shut up shop early for New Year and didn't want more tickets once the original 1,000 were sold. Why would ICT pay staff to sell tickets for another club? ICT ran out and the directed fans to buy through County and collect tomorrow. BTW County cancelled their bus from the north due to lack of interest

I am in total agreement with your second paragraph D D there is much too much of that going on, very often right in front of the referee too, is it ' gamesmanship ' or is it cheating ? To my mind it is cheating. Football has never been 100 percent honest but as the years have passed the amount of referee deception has increased in all sorts of subtle ways so much so that I am really beginning to believe this is down to training ground tactics. Apart from the blatant foul stopping a player get through on a scoring chance which is dismissed as taking one for the team there is the shirt holding and pulling, the knee in the thigh, elbow in the face and punch in the guts used when jumping up with a player for a high ball all very often missed by the Ref. Then there is the 'accidental' stamp or back heel on the player on the ground. the obstruction on Keepers. Anything goes as long as it is not obvious to the Officials.

Was the tape measure from Poundland?

Don't get this with the stick Doran got on Sunday. He wasn't at his best but was by no means the worst on the pitch and to say he was a nonentity is ridiculous. He poses an attacking threat from either wing and is a creative player but only if he gets the ball which wasn't always the case on Sunday.

Give Ferguson some time in the first team? He's a skillful,hard working lad isn't he and he probably deserves this? Bringing him in will also send a message to first team players that all must play well to retain their position and that you are always only as good, relatively speaking, as your last two games. Billy--unable to determine the problem from this distance (i.e over 5,000 miles away) but either he simply is not getting the service and through balls that he got before the slump or he is having a loss of confidence or something. But if CT get a very good offer then ....maybe it's time to move him along in his career where a new club might re-kindle the verve and timing etc. Of course, then the question arises...who do you put in his place?