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Well it is part and parcel of my job and has been for 45 years. Taking calls two nights a week at the moment. BUT calling a NHS run Mental Health "Crisis" Line is not the whole answer unless you are in Mental Health Services, have a recognised diagnosis and the "Risk" level is deemed "High". I am mainly sought to action Section 136 presentations or MHA Assessments. Of course that is usually urgent and needed. But it is often life events, loss and potential loss that eats away - leading to guilt, hopelessness, worthlessness and helplessness - and often when we "bottle" it up another kind of bottle is a coping mechanism. Many people who call want to maintain strict confidentiality and often anonimity, many are still put off by the stigma and most just want to talk and be consoled. Primary Care Mental Health has been overloaded and waiting lists are "ridiculous". I have heard good and bad feedback from the large number of helplines available. Over the years I have found that it is usually the ones who have perfected the "cover" or act impulsively, that often choose the suicide route. I bet that word made people shiver. Should I have used it ? To me the only way to ask about "suicide risk" is to be direct and blunt. Not at all easy but I would say - Ask the question. Well I am now off to an assessment. A young 19 year old who made a serious attempt at the weekend. The aim will be to establish the risk and to try and establish the precipitators. But as Gringo succinctly pointed out - Tell someone - In fact identify somebody close to you NOW and get them to be your "buddy" and make an agreement to act when necessary. As the tears begin to fall again - I wished that you had called out mate - there were so many who would have answered the call.

It's true we need to look after and out for each other. Within my organisation (ambulance service ) we use the r u ok? Campaign. It's simple but effective. If you feel or see someone is not right for whatever reason use the r u ok? Question. A lot of people don't want to or feel they are unable to ask for help and by offering that far to listen or hand to guide then you are taking the burden off them. One simple question can change and save a life. If you find someone is in distress then there are a multitude of organisations there to help. As a health care professional we sign post to Samaritans, breathing space and the person own gp. The help is there we as a group of similarly minded people just need to make sure those in need find it. Maybe as a legacy we could get the club along with one of the charities to hold a course for interested fans on how to deal with mental health crisis to help identify someone in need and to give them the confidence and skills to help that person through their dark moments just a suggestion.

Tragically Bronson is not the first site member of ours to have passed away over the 25 years the forum has been active, and unfortunately he wont be the last, but the news this weekend seems to have affected a lot of us deeply as we have known him a long time even if we all had different degrees of closeness to him. I have been thinking about things a lot since I heard about this and would like there to be something positive to come from his passing. The Bronson Legacy referred to in the title of this post if you will. I do not know what fits, how best to phrase it, or even if we are able to do something lasting and beneficial on the site but FFS we need to look out for each other somehow .... I have seen comments on Facebook and elsewhere where members of our site have posted the offer to be there for others who might need to talk. I also hold my hands out and say the same thing to anyone on this site whether we know each other or not and whether we have crossed swords or are best of buddies. If you need to talk, I am here. If you need to vent, I am here. If you need a second, third or fourth opinion, I am here. I am no expert or psychologist, but I can do two things quite well ... listen and give an opinion. Many of us are the 'strong silent type' and that stoic Highland reserve is how I used to deal with things as well. It's a man thing, it's a Highland thing, and it's most definitely a Highland Man thing. Over the last two years my personal life has been less than perfect. 2018 started (on Jan 1st) with the suicide of someone I knew from the Toronto FC supporters group who didn't realise how much he was loved and revered (and still is). After watching an uncle die from Prostate Cancer, I was then diagnosed and treated for cancer myself and will live with some side effects forever but the crucial thing is that I will live. I also lost my mum in June 2019, two days after returning to Canada from our last visit to see her. Through it all I had the support of friends on both sides of the Atlantic, family and colleagues and this helped. I was in a dark place a few times but someone was always there with encouragement or a quick word. Its amazing how even asking how someone is doing can be uplifting and bring you out of that slump. It also helped me shed that stoic reserved approach. I now view life as too short and bottling stuff up is less of an issue now. I now participate in Movember each year and one of the key cornerstones of this is mental health (along with Prostate and Testicular cancers). I have talked openly about my cancer and told colleagues at work that if anyone is scared to go for testing or wants to know what happens after a diagnosis, I am here. The same applies for trying to remove the stigma over talking about mental health. I have added the MikeysLine link to our site pages over the weekend and there are a couple of other links below to sites that may help or form the basis of some small thing we can do for our little community here .... because thats what we are, a community, and community means looking out for each other even if/when we dont always get along. Please use this thread for comments, links or brainstorming anything you think we can do here. https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/we-need-to-ask https://letstalk.bell.ca/en/ways-to-help

I was at the game and remember it being a bit of a cricket score. I'm pretty sure I have the programme in the loft. Some legendary Caley players amongst the scorers...…… and Alan Smart :) I was at Cove vs Queen's Park a couple of weeks back and spotted Wilson Robertson, Bob Summers and Kevin Mann watching the game. I've seen the three of them together watching games in and around Aberdeen numerous times over the years (including in the away end at Pittodrie watching ICT) and find it quite touching that these guys spent in excess of ten years driving up and down the A96 to play for Caley and have remained lifelong pals. Massive respect to the three of them.

We deserved our win. Great effort throughout the team, but both goals we conceded were poor. Great delivery by Walsh for White’s opener, and Rooney’s header was sublimely placed before Toddy turned up to clinch it. Not our best performance, but a solid team effort got us through it. Just what we need on such a hectic run of games. Ridgers had a good early save. Toshney was steady. McHattie always looks calm, but possibly not his best game at centre half tonight. Rooney and Tremarco both got forward well. Carson and Trafford worked hard in midfield. Walsh and Storey both had the beating of the dull backs, one of whom should have got a second yellow for a challenge on Doran. MacGregor got valuable game time. White had a a good game. All the subs then contributed, particularly Toddy! Just what we needed as at 2-2 I was a bit worried. Whilst we had beaten Morton heavily earlier in the season, they came tonight as the form team in the league: that was their first league defeat in 2020.

There are many avenues people can seek help from and I'd say talking to friends and family is very high on that list. Another charity that is closely aimed at helping people is https://www.thecalmzone.net/ It's called CALM [Campaign Against Living Miserably] If anyone on here listens to Planet Rock Radio will be aware of the monies their DJ Wyatt has raised for this cause with his cycling exploits. He was actually in Inverness towards the end of last year. It's not just those with that Highland Man stoic thing, it can happen to all, even hard faced rockers and hairy ersed bikers. Help is there - we just have to ask. As I mentioned in a earlier post, Bronson was the saviour and founder member of the Highland March. With this in mind the Highland Marchers from those years plan to get as many of us together and hit the roads, hills and river crossings again.

Something done at last about this curse would be a very fitting tribute and perhaps something positive to emerge from this tragedy. We are brought together my a love of football and of ICT in particular but this puts the trivial nature of sport and the various, spats, niggles and emnities we have with our fellow posters into stark perspective. Mea Culpa as much as anyone. I have always been a good and willing listener to the concerns of others but, and I think that being a middle aged man brought up in a stupidly stoically Highland tradition has been a large factor, I have always had a tendency to bottle up and cover up my own worries when sharing them, or at least discussing them, would have been better for myself, my family and colleagues both present and past. If by being more open and honest about ourselves and offering the help and experience that we are able to give to others can prevent another such tragedy then some good will come of this and I too am very happy to make myself available to listen to anyone at any time. I have been as guilty as any but perhaps, whilst still having robust discussion and disagreement, we can start being a little more respectful and tolerant of one another not just on this site, not just on social media but in general.

Well a great 3 points and other results went our way...for a change! Mind you we struggled for long periods tonight, Morton did what other teams have done and worked their asses off to close us down and stop us playing. First 25 mins were fine then Morton woke up and put us under a fair bit of pressure although not creating much of note, Jordan had a great header tipped over the bar before fairly battering a header into the corner of the net to make it 1-0 ( not like him) Into the second half and Morton had us on the ropes, We decided to help them score... Up stepped Rooney ( well placed header ) to restore our lead, ICT then decided to help Morton score again by another calamity in defence by Tremarco. However as the disgruntled fans started thinking about heading for the exits up stepped Toddy and left us not a bit disgruntled. Bit of a Jeckll and Hyde performance again, Walsh man of the match...giz a break.

If we can win our two games in hand we cut the deficit to utd to 10 points. This is still doable. Reminds me of the 15 points and you ****** it up season Dundee had.

A great team effort tonight kept pushing till the final whistle after loosing 2 sloppy goals. We will have to do a lot more of that to stay in second place.

We never gave up tonight

Magnificent result. Just like the Paterson years, a team that can take the knocks and come back 😎 Onwards to Alloa on Saturday

That's a great result for us tonight and gives us a little breathing space since all other games finished in draws 2 goals in 2 sub appearances for Todorov I don't know why he does not get more game time

well done guys 👍

Fantastic result. We're usually on the wrong end of injury time winners, so great to see us getting one tonight. Good results elsewhere too so altogether a good evening. Well done lads, same again on Saturday please.

Last minute goal gave us 3 very important points. The only win in the league tonight!

Great result for us tonight We have gained two points on other clubs in the championship.

What a very good suggestion. I am sure that a very suitable charity will benefit considerably from the members of this site alone.

There's not much that makes me contribute here nowadays but this does. RIP Simon. Unfailingly bright, sunny and optimistic whenever I saw you at away games. https://breathingspace.scot/

Hits home on many levels Scotty so thank you. I've not been brave enough to seek help when needed or open up about it like you have, it's a lesson so many of us need to learn. I get the Highland Man stoic thing - I find it very easy to reach out to help others but have found it incredibly hard to seek that same help for myself or talk about any issues I've had. I hope those that need to can take the opportunity to find that help and support when needed. I also do the Movember thing and take part in the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride... https://www.gentlemansride.com

My Facebook Post from earlier today..... Words can not explain how I feel right now. Today I heard of the passing of one the nicest guys I ever met whilst supporting Inverness Caley Thistle. He was a laugh, a true Caley Thistle fan, a gent and was always in awe at my (our) long distance journeys that were made as a family to follow his (our) team. He was also a founder member of the infamous Highland March and also became the saviour of it too on that very first event. I shared the support bus with him on a number of occasions we're we talked football and rock music. From those halcyon days of the HM, the fun in the Innes Bar, the home matches and the away matches on the supporters bus I will never forget you Simon MacDonald ‘Bronson’ never. With a heavy heart I bid you farewell my friend and may you rest in peace now. My heart also goes out to all your family and friends. A pain unimaginable right now. I hope my words ease that awful pain somehow.

As CaleyCanary has said, Bronson was part of the original Highland March back in 2003 and was indeed part of its conception. He was also so welcoming of me when I moved from Coventry to Inverness nearly 14years ago, and though I seldom saw him in recent years, he'd always be full of smiles and laughs whenever our paths crossed. A real ICT-nut and true legend. RIP Bronson x

SHAG ME TODDY!

This is harsh news to take. Bronson was one of the original Highland March crew and I'm not sure I'd have got through that first trek without his laughter and personality to help us through the tough bits. He had a heart of gold and I used to love his late night calls when he'd phone up three sheets to the wind with the latest joke he'd heard in a pub somewhere that night. My thoughts go out to all his family and close friends.

Speechless - no amount of words can express the loss 😢