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It never came home.....but football is back. It's the start of a new season and we welcome fans back to the Caledonian Stadium with Peterhead our first visitors in a group 'A' League Cup encounter. The game is a 7:45pm kick off on Tuesday night and although it's restricted, there will be fans allowed to enter the stadium as covid regulations relax. The game can also be streamed live from ICTV for £10 Matchday Info & Streaming The new season brings new challenges with Billy Dodds now the man in charge of the dugout with Robbo 'upstairs' as Sporting Director. There's also some returning faces as well as some new faces. With a restricted pre-season, it looks likely that League Cup games will form part of our preparation to tune in the players for the challenge ahead. Three pre-season games saw an Inverness XI beat Clach 5-0, Forres 1-0 and draw 1-1 with an Aberdeen XI in a closed door friendly. I imagine it will be our standard low key start to the season with players still getting to know each other. It's difficult to determine who will and who won't feature this early in the season. Manny Duku, Reece McAlear, Michael Gardyne, Tom Walsh, Aaron Doran, David Carson , Sean Welsh, Cammy Harper, Shane Sutherland and both keepers have all been involved in pre-season games along with most of our young academy graduates but there has been no sign of Danny Devine, Wallace Duffy, Anthony McDonald, Robbie Deas or Billy Mckay yet, and still waiting for confirmation if the Kirk Broadfoot rumours are correct (player/coach). As an aside, I notice that Toddy scored twice for Dunfermline Athletic in a 4-2 win over Partick Thistle in his first competitive game for the Pars 😭 Peterhead have already played their opening fixture, a 2-0 defeat at Balmoor against Hearts on Saturday. Gary Mackay-Steven and Liam Boyce the scorers for the visitors with a goal in each half. Stirling Albion beat Cove 3-2 in group 'A' on Saturday as well. The other group 'A' game tonight is Hearts -V- Cove Rangers with Stirling Albion having the night off. Peterhead's starting XI v Hearts Wilson; Strachan, Mulligan, McDonald, Conroy, Ritchie, Ferry, McCarthy, Cameron, McLean, Payne. Subs: Cook, Kesson, Brown, Long, Lyle Latest News Kirk Broadfoot confirmation. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are delighted to announce the signing of central defender Kirk Broadfoot on a 1 year deal. As Head Coach Billy Dodds continues to build a squad with a blend of youth and experience, Kirk becomes his sixth summer signing alongside Tom Walsh, Billy Mckay, Manny Duku, Reece McAlear and Michael Gardyne.

Let’s see how he does before criticising the move. Other than Devine, our defenders are all youngsters, so it makes sense to bring in an experienced player. Hopefully he helps to develop Duffy, Deas, Harper, Nicolson and Fyffe and, who knows, Nicolson or Fyffe may well be ready to be a straight replacement in a year’s time.

Ah well the Morettis went down a treat in the end. Actually enjoyed the encounter, despite the Italian dominance England were always a threat on the break and one day soon they'll give someone a right doing. They should pose a threat in every tournament for the next decade and if we can find someone to put the ball in the net then so can we! Such a great pity that once again so much of the after match talk is about the disgraceful behaviour of yobs and racist online abuse. Doesn't look like they'll ever be able to shake off the ugly side that seems to follow them everywhere.

I tend to agree here. You need some veterans in your team to balance out the youth. They may not have the speed or mobility of the youngsters, but they have the match experience and the smarts to grind out results, and both are needed over the course of a season. They can also help mentor those kids on the pitch and in training so they develop their own smarts. I see it all the time over here .... Beckham was 30+ when he played for LA Galaxy and his vision on the pitch was actually pretty amazing. Same with Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Kaka, etc. .... and just look at Ibrahimovic ... he came to MLS, lit it up for a couple of seasons (I was witness to his 500th career goal - which was against Toronto in front of my section) and then went back to Serie A .... He's about 85 now - or seems that way - but still puts some of the young kids to shame - mostly because he doesnt need to run, he just knows where to be after years of experience and game smarts. Now, Gardyne and Broadfoot are not exactly Beckham and Ibrahimovic but the principle still applies in my mind. The old adage is that "if you are good enough, you are old enough" when talking about young players ... I would say that the other side of that coin is that "if you are good enough, you are not too old" ..... but (father) time will tell if that proves correct for us this season .... ever hopeful though.

Getting excited. Somehow, last season seemed both surreal and unreal. This feels like the first start to a proper football season for to years and, with a new manager and a refreshed squad as well as fans back in the ground, there are real grounds for optimism.

Sadly, all to predictable but thel social media platforms and criminal authorities need to pull out all the stops to to identify those England 'fans' who have been directing abhorrent and disgraceful racist abuse at the three young men who either missed penalties or had them saved and, once identified, they need to be properly punished with, in the worst cases at least, significant custodial sentences. Enough is enough.

Italy deserved to win, but penalty shoot outs are cruel. I will never forget how it felt when we lost the League Cup final on penalties. Thankfully we have avoided the media hype that would have happened if “it had come home”. The poor kid who had the last kick saved will hopefully not be turned on by the English media. How a 19 year old was put in that position is ridiculous, whilst the others who failed to score were only on the pitch for seconds. Italy were the best team on the night, and thoroughly deserved to win, and ought to have won without needing to resort to penalties.

It's just you Jack

It would be far more of a concern if we were giving players of that age longer contracts.

It's one player on a one year deal and, for someone of his age, that seems sensible. Haven't seen anything about club going down the short term contract route again so not sure why you feel this is a concern.

Andrew Shinnie was significantly later and the only player, so far, to have a full Scotland cap while actually playing for the club.

Kevin McNaughton played four times for Scotland so will be a more recent example.

I have checked with someone I know at Stagecoach and they have confirmed the football bus will be running now that fans are allowed back in the ground. It leaves the Bus Station 45 minutes before kick off, returning after the final whistle. Hope that helps.

Sensible signing. The team appears more balanced this season with regard to age and experience.

Another thoroughly entertaining game with Italy deserved winners.

Pedantry at it's finest.

I think thats a brilliant signing. We needed cover for a centre half and someone with loads of experience - can you imagine how much Duffy, Harper and Deas (all just about 20/21 years old) as well as Nicolson and Fyffe can learn from him. That's a great looking squad now.

You are right Mr Canary, it is unbearable down here. It's all you hear whenever you turn on the TV or radio. Why they have to bang on and on and on about 'that year' is beyond my comprehension - so annoying. No need to apologise to me...I might have Pizza tomorrow night too.

In our group today, away wins for Stirling at Cove and Hearts at Peterhead. The Cove team included Vigurs and Draper, with Vigurs getting his customary booking.

But it wasn't, so a little bit of humour is allowed isn't it?☺

I wouldnd gloat. If our own Covid problems had been a week later it would have been us.

C*unty losing 3-0 before a ball has even been kicked 😭😭😭

Got tickets for both games at lunchtime. In the North Stand for both. Ticket numbers 220 for the Peterhead game and 186 for the Stirling Albion game, so still plenty space left….,

I agree that Broadfoot is hardly an inspiring signing but he is a seasoned professional who played over 30 times in the Premiership last season. We have a very limited budget for players so, if KB is prepared to come within it, then it seems to me to be a decent signing provided it is on a one year deal. It's not confined yet but, if he does come, don't condemn the lad before he's even kicked a single ball for us or pulled on that rather meh new home shirt.

Cove are now selling tickets for the game on the 20th. Capacity 500, £10/£5. It does say home supporters but I can’t see any obstacles to ordering.

Moving to Level 1 this weekend should allow up to 1000 fans to attend the home games.

Sadly no bar anymore. Being used as a dressing room due to social distancing