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Is there no positive news that you are not prepared to put a negative spin on these days ?

That sounds quite childish. "Oh I want to see the top before him!" It's a shirt, they are mainly for kids. They'll be out shortly for all to see.

Pleased to see Livingston promoted for a number of reasons. Firstly; it freshens up both the Premiership and the Championship. One of the many issues with Scottish football is an ongoing sameness or staleness. The Premiership will have two different clubs next season and the Championship no less than four which, in my view, has to be a good thing. Secondly, they did it the hard way by coming through the uneven play off system which was cynically stacked against them and in favour of the incumbent top tier club. They will face a challenge next season with, almost certainly, the lowest budget in that league but they have earned the right to face that challenge. One in the eye for the self centred powers that be. Again, in my view, that can only be a good thing. Thirdly, at not leastly, Livvy gained promotion on half our crowds and no more than two thirds of our budget. If they can be promoted this season then proof and incentive, if that is needed, that there is no reason why we can't do the same next.

The only thing that reeks is your paranoia! Here’s a more balanced account, speaking as somebody with no axe to grind, but who campaigned and petitioned for Caley to be admitted in the 1990s, but nevertheless can say the words ‘central’ and ‘belt’ without frothing at the mouth. First, the vote was actually in May 1974, not 1973. Most posters on this forum will already have stopped reading, having not been born at the time. However, they may remember that the ‘protectionist barstewards’ overwhelmingly voted in TWO Highland clubs 20 years later. If not, they will certainly be more interested in reigniting the rivalry between ICT and Livi than any historical guff spouted by an old man with a chip on his shoulder. The fact is that football clubs vote -individually- in self interest - always have, always will. Leagues start centrally then spread outwards. Back in 1974 the car journey from Edinburgh to Inverness took 5 hours (cue more conspiracy theories). The real “scandal”, then, should be ‘why did the Inverness-centric protectionists keep Wick Academy out of the HL till 1994?’ ? The first ballot was tied at 13-13. If the Highland vote hadn’t been split 3 ways (Elgin, Ross County and Thistle) the Jags would probably have won on the first ballot. The Lowland vote was only split between 2 clubs- Ferranti and Hawick. Ferranti Thistle were an established EOSL club at the time, and had been full SFA members for two years. Typical snobbery then to repeatedly refer to them as ‘an Edinburgh works/welfare team’. As is sneering at ‘The Toni Macaroni Arena’ which after all is no worse than ‘The Global Energy Arena’. I don’t know whether dementia is creeping in or whether you just think nobody was paying attention the first couple of dozen times, but as other posters have pointed out, you don’t half tend to repeat yourself. Mind you, as for Partick Thistle, you got that bit right.

dont think there's any need as those responsible for making the naff changes to our badge no longer have any meaningful position in the club.

Holding a pre-Election forum to present the perceptions from current Board members (preferably ones also seeking re-election) and open questions sounds like a very good idea. If I lived closer then that is what I would be seeking. However DD - put your name forward and if there is not sufficient interest then pull out - with understandable reason. The thing that got me is that certain individuals have been butting in and putting people off with their tainted views with NO intention whatsoever of helping out.

That's me renewed for another season. Looking forward to hopefully having a better start to the season than the last one.

No advanced kit reveal for Season Ticket holders, then? It's those little things that, in my experience, make ST holders feel valued. After failing to honour the exclusive player meet and greet (and other things) last season, I thought they would have been careful of stripping out even more of the stuff that shows appreciation for those parting with their hard earned up front. It's seems like they've stopped even pretending that they care!

I spoke to them once but I think I got away with it. But see those bloody Vikings and Romans?! ?

Oh well, after the first leg of the Premiership Playoff Final, it's advantage Livingston, tipping the current balance in favour of top flight Scottish Football being played next season at premises known as "The Tony Macaroni Arena". Even by Livingston's supremely tacky history of stadium naming, this one (apologies in advance for the dreadful pun!) is a lot cheesier than most. So which of these two would you prefer to come out on top in this contest to achieve a status which now eludes the entire Highlands? Personally, I would go for "neither of the above". Firstly Livingston. It's difficult in Inverness to forget that Livingston owes its place in the National Leagues to one of the most disgraceful stitch-ups in the history of Scottish football. In 1973, an Edinburgh works/welfare team called Ferranti Thistle got into the SFL by a single vote ahead of Inverness Thistle in a poll which reeked of central belt protectionism. Ferranti then morphed into Meadowbank Thistle which moved out to Livingston. Now, TWO administrations later, so at the cost of other people's money, Livingston are pressing to get back into the top league. No thank you. Then there's Partick Thistle - a club which, in 2004, finished eight points adrift at the bottom of the SPL with 26 points - a total which historically is well below average for the bottom club. However that mediocrity didn't prevent them from dragging their relegation issue, kicking and screaming, through much of the Scottish legal system. It got to the stage where you half expected them to turn up with a QC in the dugout to challenge each and every refereeing decision. Eventually they lost and justice was done - ICT got into the SPL and the ultra-litigious Partick were correctly relegated. So no thank you again.

Is that Charlie Bannerman in the second row? ...and which one's the hooker?

The Seer strikes again

No it isn't. Baird scored four goals in 31 games. That's a ratio of nearly one goal every eight games. Mutombo scored twice in 30 games. One goal every 15 games. A class act...?

Gonna be a nightmare this season can't afford as poor a start as last year. Gotta sign another striker to Austins very injury prone and don't think bells up to it tbh Oakleys a player in the making tho

Congrats to Partick for earning the right to play ICT next season.

I think the bullying and personal attacks on Charles are unacceptable. Just because he dishes it out to others....two wrongs do not make a right. Make love...not war ?

I take it these new ones won't have that embarrassing Pride of the Highlands drivel on them? I don't think the most recent ones did.

To late Govan has beaten us

My 6 year old grandson lives in Nairn and is already excited about this, as he was at the Brechin Betfred Cup game last pre season and loved it. He can't go to Saturday games in school terms due to sports commitments so this is ideal to keep him interested in Caley Thistle.

Yes. I think that would be very helpful. It must be clear to anyone who has read through the various recent threads on CJT that significant work is necessary to get CJT functioning at a level where the Board can be seen as legitimately representing the supporters and where it would be able to defend any challenge of legitimacy in exercising its 10% voting right on the club's Board if there was ever a need. Beyond that, there is much that a Supporters' Society could be doing routinely in working with the club in the mutual interest of the supporters and club. There are 10 places on the Board for elected members and for some considerable time the Board has had substantially less than that. Clearly that impacts on what can be achieved. The more people who are prepared to serve on the Board the more there is that can be done. I am certainly prepared to consider putting my name forward but | don't want to find myself in a position where nobody else new comes forward. Were that to happen, it is unlikely I would be able to make any meaningful difference and I don't want to feel I am wasting my time. There must be others who feel the same way. Meeting to discuss how we feel and to learn a bit more about what is involved might well provide enough mutual support and encouragement to allow sufficient people to put themselves forward to make a real difference. If, after learning a bit more about it, people decide that they don't want to stand for the Board after all, then at least they may be encouraged to provide some help and support in an unofficial capacity instead. I would imagine those on the Board will be grateful for all the help they can get. The more people who are willing to help out in some capacity or other, the easier it is for people to volunteer without feeling that everything is going to be dumped on them if they put themselves forward.

If they didn't, they'd be accused of being monsters for only pedalling the bad news and ignoring a happy event. I'm no fan of the royal wedding, but it's a welcome change from the constant stream of misery that usually occupies the news.

The BBC website is giving much more prominence to this than an air crash in which over a hundred people lost their lives. What a strange World we inhabit.

You might want to get in touch with Nairn County then before people start making plans for a game that might not be taking place.

Nairn County lying then?

Fortunately it's not about how their fore-runners behaved over 40 years ago, but more to do with how they play football now! I wonder if Charles refuses to speak to Germans!

Best friendlies would be in England or Wales. Would love to go to somewhere like Fleetwood or Blackpool / Southport / Morecambe - More of a thank you to the Away Day Crew.

Iain Vigurs would almost certainly be in the Top 10 "Good Guys" (players wise) I had the pleasure of working alongside at Caley Thistle and I would have no hesitation in testifying on his behalf with regards to how much he cared for what happened on the pitch every time he stepped out there; and how much it hurt to see us relegated last year. ICTFC certainly won't be a better place (on or off the park) for his leaving, despite what some eejits will try and make out.

In two minds about the players we're signing. Excited about new faces and hoping for the best ... but also aware that we've essentially acquired the midfield of a team that has just got relegated from the Championship ? Hope to be proved wrong

People are quite right not to go to pre-season friendlies, they are complete *****. I used to go to all of them when I lived in Inverness, what an idiot. I once drove, on my own, after work, to Huntly, watched us lost 1-0 and when I got home, found out that it had actually been 1-1, I'd missed the goal by arriving late. Having said that, I do remember seeing Steve Hislop pinging in a 35 yard volley against QPR and realising that we'd signed a diamond in Ian Black during friendlies. So maybe I'm being unfair.

It's all relative really. Back then we would all flock to see teams from a higher league playing Caley (or Thistle!) in a pre-season friendly, and marvel at the higher level of skill on display. Nowadays, though, we're generally in the higher league and watching a team like Nairn County doesn't really have the same appeal. There is of course the lesser attraction of seeing some of our new signings and 'maybes' performing in ICT colours for the first time.

Very true. Even our higher profile pre season home matches have tended to be played in front of a scattering of fans in the Main Stand. Both Thistle and Caley used to get much bigger crowds when facing league opposition in pre season friendlies back in the Highland League days. Sadly, it did not take the vast majority of the Inverness public to become complacent about the standard and status of visiting teams unless it's Celtic, the Dons or whatever current legal entity is playing out of Ibrox who bring their own large numbers.

I know you just love stats and trivia. NPL Stats – 2017-2018 Total individual entries: 1158 Total correct HT: 236 Total correct FT: 62 Total correct 1st Scorer ICT: 72 Total correct 1st Scorer Opp: 101 Crowd - 10 pts: 1 Crowd - 5 pts: 255 Highest individual points tally: 24 – Kingsmills [Game 26 - Queen of the South (h)] Most correct HT: 12 – Doofer and Gringo Most correct FT: 5 – Caley Mad in Berks and EyeSeeTea Most correct 1st Scorer ICT: 9 - caleyjag Most correct 1st Scorer Opp: 7 – CDN Girl and DoofersDad Most correct Crowd - 10 pts: 1 - Kingsmills [Game 7 - Greenock Morton (h) ] Most correct Crowd - 5 pts: 17 – DoofersDad and Gringo The 100% club (entered all 43 games):- CDN Girl DoofersDad Gringo Mrs Gringo Scotty SOS But there's only one stat' that really matters.... NPL CHAMPION 2017/18 GRINGO

Who is it that's getting married ? And on cup final day too, must be a Rangers fan !

I can't say I'm all that interested in the wedding of two people I don't know, have never met and who don't know me either. On the other hand, that nice young couple who saved hard to buy the house up the road and who greet me with a smile and a hello every time they see me - that's different.

I propose we move this thread to "General Nonsense"!

I see we're playing away to Nairn County at Station Park on Friday 6th July. Kick off at 1930.

Nah, they're going to have the 2018/19 season hashtag #OhInverness on them ?

Surely trying to turn the erosion of ST value and ST holder benefits in to positive news is where the "Spin" is taking place?

Repeat of last year then, Nairn County, Forres, Brora and Elgin.

Still a better ratio than john Baird lol