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Links Park is a football stadium in Montrose, Scotland. It has been the home ground of Montrose F.C. since 1887. Links Park was opened in 1887 on land rented from the 'Auld Kirk'. To help finance the new ground, Montrose F.C. rented the pitch out for circuses and livestock grazing. ------------------- We've tried everything else at our place maybe this is worth a go?

1st Leg Play-Off As Dunc said, "It is what it is, isnt it". The dreaded play-offs are here and we find ourselves with more work to do if we want to retain our Championship status. Standing in our way are Montrose. A side we have not played against since 2009, prior to that we locked horns with them in the lower divisions until we were promoted after 1997. A man we all like to hate, Michael Gardyne has been a prominent player for them and Kane Hester is top scorer at Links Park. A mixture of old heads, journeymen and promising players against our bunch of mercenaries. The return leg is this Saturday at the Caledonian Stadium. Who will make it into the final showdown. Accies or Alloa are the other options. We will do well to not underestimate a Montrose team who do not lack some very experienced players. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Streaming Info ***AWAY FANS: Entry is strictly by online ticket only £17*** Supporters Bus Second Leg v Montrose ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Venue H2H Pld Won Drn Lst For Agst + / - Home 5 2 1 2 6 10 -4 Away 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 Neutral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 9 4 2 3 12 15 -3 We don't have that great a record against Montrose to be honest, albeit our last meeting with them was a Challenge Cup game in 2009 which went to penalties before Inverness progressed scoring all five spot kicks. Summary: In the end, it was a set of 5 flawless penalties from the home side that forced the tie in their favour. Rooney, Tokely, the captain Munro, Duncan and Djebi-zadi scoring for Inverness, while Ryan Esson saved well from Hegarty. Davidson, Crighton and Gemmell all dispatched their penalties for the Gable Endies, but in the end it proved fruitless. For many the final whistle and the final penalty was the highlight of the match, although Lionel’s celebratory dance certainly forced some entertainment into a poor showing from the 1st division side. The home gathering left grateful to have snatched victory from their surprisingly tough 3rd division opponents, while the small but vocal away support left with heads held high. Montrose put up an admirable fight but a ring rusty ICT eventually forced their way to the end of the match and into the next round for a home tie against Stranraer. All nine Competitive Meetings v Montrose ***click on first score on left for full report on above game, or any other. 1 - 1 (H) 3 - 2 (H) 2 - 0 (A) 2 - 0 (H) 2 - 2 (A) 0 - 3 (H) 1 - 0 (A) 0 - 4 (H) 1 - 3 (A) Prior to that early season Alba Cup game, our encounters with Montrose started in October 1994 up until we left them behind in 1997, a 3 - 2 League win, Promotion, an Iain Stewart hat-trick and a customary lob in front of 3036! On our Way Up: A great day for Inverness as the home side won promotion with a superb hat trick from Iain Stewart. They started well and Charlie Christie hit the bar in 4 minutes. They took the lead in 13 minutes when Iain Stewart took a pass from Daisy Ross and slid it home from 8 yards. It all began to go wrong in 23 minutes when Colin McGlashan equalised from the penalty spot after Mike Noble pushed Craig Mailer. Shaun Smith made it 2-1 for Montrose in 42 minutes with a shot from 6 yards after a cut back from David Fisher. The home side came back strongly in the second half and were rewarded in 67 minutes - a Brian Thomson free kick from the left was turned in by Iain Stewart at the far post. The winner came in 81 minutes - a Brian Thomson through ball found Iain Stewart who ran 20 yards before chipping it over Jim Butter under severe pressure from Mark Haro. The Division Championship can be won next week - the only team that can overtake them is local rivals Ross County. Inverness find themselves in the play-offs after one of our most frustrating seasons ever, with many believing this is our worst ever squad. Injuries have been a big part of our last couple of seasons and this one was no different. Billy Dodds was relieved of his duties after winning just one point in our opening six games. Big Dunc the celebrity came in and it looked like we might be saved, despite his shocking track record in management. However, we soon reverted to type and constantly struggled to gain points at home, and on the field that is one of the main reasons we are up to our eyes in sh1te. Add in the continuing off field antics of our board and CEO, then the mismanagement from above is dragging us down. These play-offs are not about them though. This is about the players and the fans who have tried to lift us out of this gloom. Should we avoid the drop, and unless anything changes higher up the chain, then the same problems will exist within the club next season wherever we find ourselves. We did end the regular season with a home victory, unfortunately a bit of a hollow one with QP confining us to the relegation zone despite amassing 42 points and a positive goal difference (just). Montrose are here by virtue of an excellent season and finishing fourth in League1. 53 points; 15 wins, 8 draws and 13 defeats with 58 goals scored and 57 conceeded, that was enough to qualify for the play-offs despite a less than impressive end to the season with only two wins from their last six games L D L L W W . They look likely to have rested some legs once safe in fourth, the likes of Gardyne not used last week in the 3-2 comeback win over QotS. Familiar names in their ranks are Michael Gardyne, much hated around here. Matheus Machado the young Brazilian prospect once at Inverness and Kane Hester formerly at Elgin City. Sean Dillon, the former Dundee United defender is a player coach at Montrose, plenty experience there. No surprise that Gardyne tops the assists table with 10. Three players are well in front of the rest in the goals scored department: Kane Hester: 11 Blair Lyons: 10 Graham Webster: 10 Here's their team lines from the home defeat to Hamilton Accies three games ago. Starting XI: Gill; Williamson, Steeves (c), Graham, Dillon, Quinn, Gardyne, Shrive, Lyons, Batchelor, Webster Subs: Hester, Hermiston, Emslie, Callaghan, Craig, Matthews, Brown, Machado, Davies. Latest Team News Inverness: I doubt Ferguson has much wiggle room within his squad. Alex Samuel took a heavy knock last Friday and might be a doubt, will have to wait for Duncs pre-match spiel. Sean McAllister is struggling as is James Carragher. The good news is Alex Samuel is fine, he only got a whack on the face so he is good to go. Longstaff is also ready after feeling a twinge in his knee. Much of these knocks are dependent on their plastic pitch. Montrose: They appear to have a solid squad and I have no news of any issues within. (and it's a bank holiday) Play Off Schedule Tuesday May 7th Championship play-off semi-finals, 1st leg Montrose v Inverness CT Alloa Ath v Hamilton Saturday May 11th Championship play-off semi-finals, 2nd leg Inverness CT v Montrose Hamilton v Alloa Ath Wednesday May 15th Championship play-off final, 1st leg Lowest-ranked team at home in 1st leg Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 8.05pm Saturday May 18 Championship play-off final, 2nd leg Highest-ranked team at home in 2nd leg Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 5.30pm

I have to totally agree with robbylad. The money is not the issue. Our club implies there is no choice but to charge season ticket holders but Hamilton football club throws this in to doubt. I will be buying my ticket, my club needs me and as many supporters as possible.i just have the feeling that the club are telling us anything to get us off their backs

I suspect that at that point we may have been financially OK. It was after that - paying inflated wages, paying Yogi off, paying Foran off, etc etc - that the financial slide started. Football-wise, we've never really had a reliable, consistent goalscorer since Billy Mckay first left us in 2015. I know they don't come in six-packs at the supermarket, but we really should have done better. As folk have said, look at our goals for and goals against this season, and that will show which end of the field our problems are at. Club management and directors - I only know what I read here, so I have nothing to say.

What Gringo said. Thanks for all the hard graft you have put in. It's been fun. From leading the table with 290 points at 17 weeks, I wonder which team I would resemble Best of luck to both leaders in the final week.

This will be fun. Going for the 'tap in' with the Arabs last week could have been my downfall. Now, do I go tactical in the final round (didn't work last time out) or go for it? Whatever happens I never expected to be fighting for the NAPS Bragging rights title a few months ago. It's been fun and I thank you again for keeping this competition going. I know it's been a struggle for you. Well done.

Congratulations to CDN Girl for claiming the 2023/24 NAPs title CDN Girl: 287.80 Gringo: 259.00 The Caley One: 226.40 Jodie Carnie: 206.50 Scotty: 203.00 Robert: 202.00 Caleyjag: 201.80 MrCaleyjag: 158.40 NOHO: 120.20 Mrs Gringo: 115.50 The Mantis: 111.50 SOS: 91.50 Caley Canary: 76.50 Caley Braveheart: 72.30 Old Caley Girl: Bankrupt Crown Jaggie: Bankrupt IHE: Bankrupt Wyness101: Bankrupt Joonya: Bankrupt Well done also to @Gringo @TheCaleyOne @Caleyjag @Jodie Carnie @Robertand @Scotty for turning in a profit although in some cases, if it were real money, you'd be struggling to buy a pint Not been the easiest, at times, this season to post however will be back in July/August for the 2024/25 season. Hopefully we can maintain the same participant levels, or maybe even entice others to play also.

As I said, I've got my ticket. The point is the club shouldn't be telling people that it's spfl rules if it isn't. It's as if they're suggesting "nothing we can do about it". It's misleading.

I don't think they ever have but that's a club rule and not an SPFL rule on this occasion

I have already bought my ticket. I am happy to have done so. The issue is, the club shouldn't be hiding behind a rule that doesn't exist. If people aren't aware that it's discretionary at this level, their money is being taken under false pretenses. That seem to talk bollocks fluently

Only for premiership/championship playoffs

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/3267683/explained-season-tickets-premiership-play-off-clashes/

Like cup competitions the ticket income is pulled into a pot and split (I don't recall how the split is done). Any club offering free entry for season ticket holders will have to pay an amount equal to what they would have taken from sales into the pot.

Congratulations @Robert on winning this again for second time running, my challenge faded slightly over the final weeks. Echo the comments above and thanks to @Gringo for running and keeping this going.

Thanks Fraz. I was looking at Montrose's twitter but there was no info regarding tickets. No pay gate for away fans - advance ticket sales only on the link above.

I’ll be back next season guys - I’ve missed playing the CTO Prediction league but life got a bit complicated for a while. Mind you if it’s anything like the last couple of seasons I played Robert will have nothing to fear from my title challenge!

Curiously there is an 18 game rule after which a player is automatically suspended if they reach 6 cautions. I have been through the BBC records and by my count Sean played 6 games for us in the Championship. When Inverness played Queens Park at Hampden in early April it was his 13th game for them. He then played in their final three games without missing a game.

Maybe save this speech for the League two playoffs

Yes and this has occurred in an era of 5 consecutive managers who had been forwards themselves!

It is a big straw and surely valid? Why should one club headquartered at Hampden not be subject to scrutiny?

It is all quite simple and it’s solely down to the so called guardians and blazers who correct me I’f im wrong initially handed out free season tickets and hired in help to outvote the real fans and members? Decades of deliberately failing to communicate with the new fan base probably using the naivety of same fan base to inflate their egos and take the club down this route of destruction. Vast overspending and paying inflated wages chasing the pipe dream that Inverness could support an SPL club despite having such a very poor fan base and no rich backer. This amazingly continues today if we are to believe what big Duncan’s rumoured wage is. Yes we got to the SPL won the Scottish Cup and entered Europe but at what cost? The cost is what we are currently witnessing serious decay due to gross mismanagement and neglect it would be difficult to argue otherwise although there are still sadly some happy clappers/deluded halfwits on here that will. It could be argued the next 2/4 games are the most important games in the clubs short history failure to get through these successfully is a quite frightening prospect. Dougal

My thanks too, to Gringo for keeping this going. It is always a bit of fun and very quick to take part in. Hopefully a few more taking part next season. Congratulations to Robert for his back to back successes. I left it too late again and didn't quite manage to pip you on the post. Bring on the new season!

Just to cheer you up a wee bit. I travelled north on Friday and holed up in Nethybridge, a favourite haunt. Armed with train timetables I plotted my day and slept easily.......contemplating a mighty do or die game.......on Saurday at 15.00hrs!!!!. Sprung out of bed on Saturday morning and , on reading the news, realised the season culminating games had all taken place on the night before. My wife laughed and, after 3 or 4 hours, I joined her. What a f,in plonked!!!!

Indeed, massive congratulations to you on retaining the CTO PL Bragging Rights title. I don't keep a record of winners but, I can't remember anyone retaining the title before. You could be the first but I'll stand corrected. A poor show from me this season and never looked like hitting the top spot all season. The CTO PL will return next season and hopefully without adding teams we've never seen in this league before. It's just a shame we can't attract more players to the contest. Well done.

Thanks for keeping this going Gringo. I’ve just seen the final table: two in a row, which I’m amazed at given I normally back ICT to win. Looking forward to another close battle next season, and hopefully some new players enter.

You can add on the chairman refusing to let Yogi speak to Yenitit, in an attempt to avoid showing weakness. If Yogi had gone then, we would have got compensation and been able to afford better than Richie. As for Richie, anybody who saw us capitulate at Hamilton on a Tuesday night in January knew he should have been gone the next morning. Exactly.

The final slide down the slipway started with us reaching the cup final, it kept Dodds in the job. Without that reprieve we may very well have had a new manager in place before the season started and hopefully have avoided the disastrous start to the season.

Elgin City @ 3.6 ta…

Richest club in League One allez allez

Scotty: ICT @ 2.00 CDN Girl: ICT @ 2.00 SOS: ICT @ 2.00

ICT @2 please. Thank for running NAPs again this season and enjoy a well deserved break after this weekend.

Mrs Gringo Cove v Edinburgh draw @4.33 Gringo Bonnyrigg v Forfar draw @2.75

QP V. Airdrie draw @ 2.88 please

Montrose @ 2.40 please.

Queens Park @ 1.83 please

Partick @ 5.5