The Mantis

If you want to make comparisons with Stoke City - we had the bottle in 2004-5 when we first entered the SPL. Everybody was writing us off but we BELIEVED. 4 years later some people seem to be a bit battle-weary

I don't think they're biased either but you have to question the competence of Murray and the far side linesman who seemed to find the game as boring as us and went to sleep. In the lead up to the first goal Lionel was pushed, right in front of sleepy, but on his blind side. Lionel then decided to foul the man back and this time it was given as it was three inches away from sleepy's nose.

Even Pele's team got rogered 6-0 one week at Airdrie and 5-1 at Morton. One week Airdrie came up and did us 5-1, same as some amateur team from the Highlands did once, so I heard, though I don't believe it myself. Anyway the players have 2 weeks to think about this disaster now. As Mary says let's see how they react.

I often went and watched Falkirk a year or two before our merger time and I always liked the club. I think they're in much the same boat as us - very little money to buy creative players. I also think the standard in the SPL is woeful compared to even 10 years ago. Yogi would probably kill for some of the players that Jefferies had, such as Stainrod, McCall, Weir, Cadette.... I think they are now a very physical side who also pass the ball reasonably well (as we can do when we're not in the mindset of panic and punt). Like us they can't score goals (except yesterday obviously). I think that Calum Murray let some bad challenges go yesterday and penalised us a few times at crucial points in the game (e.g. the first goal). But anybody who thinks refs are biased needs to grow up. The day after, I'm trying to be positive about our performance without sounding like Brewster. But we really played no football at all and deserved to lose. On the few occasions we did get it on the carpet, we were as good as Falkirk but the end product was always a high cross mopped up by Bullen or Pressley or whoever. I think there's not much point in criticising Black, Duncan, Foran and Proctor as they must have all had stiff necks from seeing the ball whizz into orbit over their heads. I'm worried that whatever Terry and June brought us has just disappeared down the pan. The second half last week and the whole of yesterday were just dire. We now need a performance against the Midden.

I felt the stewards did very well being civil and polite to us but they obviously had their instructions from some numpty who wasn't having to follow those instructions. They moved us into the third row from the back and we sat there happily for 10 mins till the game started, then they suddenly decided to clear that row too, even though they had put us there. So we refused as we had a good view of the game and didn't want to go away down the front. Also we started off near the young lads - many older guys like us will usually join in the chants if we're nearby. So the place would probably have been rocking. But when they moved all the young guys down the front they effectively divided the support - good tactic if they had been clever enough to do it deliberately.

I think that if you take away the numpties that support the OF, who call themselves British or Irish out of some dogmatic devotion to a cause by their twisted logic, which includes one lot supporting Palestine, so the others must support Israel etc etc etc- take away those and your average weegie is more patriotic than your average Edinburgher. I always feel Aberdonians are very patriotic as well, but Edinburghers less so, because a huge part of the Edinburgh middle class is English. Edinburgh University has long been the third choice for those who can't get into Oxford/Cambridge and these people take the place over in the summer when the fringe is on. They like the quality of life and move up permanently.

A bit of a sweeping generalisation Mr A :thumb04: :018: ;) Certainly a good few people may have been swayed for business reasons. But down here we're a bit closer to the border than Sneckie is and there's been more animosity without necessarily taking part in uniformed combat :015: Not forgetting that we had Flodden, Bannockburn, Stirling Bridge etc. In fact, come to think of it - what a load of bollox :D Also you forget that the ordinary people of Edinburgh were rioting in the streets when the aristocracy sold us out to the Union. And those brave footballers you mentioned - where did most of them grow up? And the fans that followed them?

Aye, Ness is quite a healthy community with a bit of pride in itself. The Uig district where I go is a bit remote and it's about an hour's commute to Stornoway, with a lot of single track. Most of the population are aged, but there's a fair number of incomers having kids. Many of them are very interested in going native, but there are very few natives left! And sadly others come up from England and only want to turn the place into the place they've just left.

No, it's just you (that's become more arrogant, judging by some of your dismissive posts on just about anything) :thumb04: I'm not, er, assured. Care to provide a bit more than just prejudice? In my experience, the tourists think it's what makes the Isles what they are. Before anybody accuses me of representing the 'Gaelic Gang' (eh?) can I say Mrs Mantis is a native speaker from Lewis and I visit the Isles every year. I did a learner's O Grade over 20 years ago and find the language and culture fascinating - but not something that should be preserved artificially. That would be pathetic. Maybe to push Gaelic in the Sneckie area is too much (but let's have some reasoned argument without the abuse). However I do think some effort should be put into preserving it (in the heartlands) and just see whether it bottoms out and recovers, or continues to die. This would be a small price, in return for all the efforts by various governments since Culloden to eradicate the language and the culture completely, ethnic cleansing in effect. In my experience over 30 years, all of you won't have much to worry about shortly as all the natives are dying off anyway.

What do you mean 'even the Welsh'? Oh we know all right. That's why we boo it.

What alimci said. Away crowd 542. Didn't deserve anything but you have to say it was heading for 0-0 as neither team had created anything. Then a definite push on Lionel before the first goal but the linesman never saw it then awarded a foul when Lionel tackled the boy back. Then a weak header away from Granty who had a terrible game. Finnigan looked offside to me but would have to see it again. Second goal - we were still in the game and actually did a bit of pressing for once. Typical sucker punch on the break, seemed like Granty phucked it up. Good finish from Stewart. Right away Imrie had a volley over which would have changed the game and we did chase it for a while but obviously the pen was game over. Have to say that was as bad as any game under Brewster - we just punted it long and nobody could look up and make a pass. I didn't think Falkirk were much better but they got the breaks at the right time. This could give them a boost and us a right bad blow. I never usually criticise refs but I thought Murray and the far side linesman today were shocking.

Never had any problem with Killie fans- don't think they are huns any more than we are. Now JJ - that's another story But I'd rather see the Midden take the big tumble.

I mind being at the Clach Park about 1990 or thereabouts. At half time the announcer said 'They say Caley are talking about an all-seater stadium. Judging by the support they've brought along today, it'll be a 3-piece suite they'll need'.

I'm guessing that 'South' means behind the goals? Isn't there a restriction on building opposite the main stand?

Craig Nelson in his many guises but especially on May 15 2004 :thumb04: Willie McCulloch of East Fife (who remembers him?)

Cadgers Brae for us. Not really walking distance from the ground though.

The topic's about Brewster - get over it :D :P :021: :thumb04: :018: ;) :015:

Well at least yours is a sensible team unlike certain other dafties I still think Russeldinho's graft will be needed next week but we'll see how Kerr gets on if he's picked.

Not much sign of the staggies today?

Lucky it's TB that picks the team then. Duncan has to return after that garbage yesterday.

I think that's probably fair comment on the first half. TB spent the whole second half out on the track shouting at the players, probably because they weren't playing how he wanted.

Hear hear, well said that man. Fire in the belly. Must be the Greek bird.

I used to have a peek at the thread occasionally and I know some of the posters as they drop clues to who they are. Sometimes people remind them that it is a thread to REMEMBER CALEY rather than BASH ICT but too many just end their posts with a swipe at ICT. A couple of times my own photos have appeared on there - for example somebody blatantly nicked a photo I took of Wilsie Robertson, cropped off the ICT badge and posted the rest without as much as a thank you. I too stayed away for a bit. Went for a while in 94/5 out of curiosity, lost interest in 95/6 apart from a couple of times just for ground bagging. Went back in August 97 to a game at Forfar to see if the fancy football would be arriving under Pele. The Forfar fans started abusing Herchie on account of being fat. I started sticking up for Herchie as a Caley legend and suddenly it all started to click. When we battered County 3-1 at Viccy Park it was even better and the players and fans all went into a huddle after the second goal. That season we walked away with the championship and I even thought I might buy a scarf one day. Agree strongly with Yngwie though, the rest of your life is a long time to feel bitter. I've actually met more ex-Caley fans since I started watching ICT, and loads of other decent guys. Hell, I've even spoken to one or two Jeggies even if it was by mistake..... Johndo - often Caley printed a list of the last year's results in the programme near the start of the season. Away back then during a bit of a sad phase I catalogued all my Caley programmes onto a spreadsheet and I included the score if I could trace it. However they're Appleworks files, not Excel, so you can't open them on a PC. I'll print them off though.

A Glesga wummin goes into a sex shop and asks to see their vibrators. The assistant says 'that's our whole range over there on the wall'. She says 'I'll take that big red yin then' He says 'that's a fire extinguisher.......'

Ya feckin beauty! Dynamic Earth