buckett

Yes, best wishes Scotty. Hope it all works out!

"Shocking stuff", "Shocking complacency", "Truly shocked" - there's a lot of shock on this thread!

I'm shocked at all this "faux outrage"

28 minutes ago, Caley Stan said:

 Irish Catholics are hated in Scotland, 

Maybe a bit of an over-generalisation there, in my opinion anyway.

I certainly have no issue with Irish Catholics and haven't witnessed this sort of thing in the part of Scotland I inhabit, but I take your point if you're referring to the Strathclyde region.

10 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Note: MY people. Roman Catholics are MY brethren and I have many RC friends whom I hope to convert to the true path before this life is done.

It may surprise you to know that followers of every religion maintain the arrogant belief that theirs is the only true path! Even the Free Presbyterians!!!

And it would be a fallacy to suggest that the Rangers/Celtic thing (which, lets face it, is what this is all about!) is motivated by religion . It is motivated by hatred, and religion is only an excuse.

1 hour ago, Kingsmills said:

 I was clear that I equate religious bigotry with racism.

This is what I don't get - how can we put religious bigotry on the same level as racism?

Religious bigotry is prejudice against people for what they believe.

Racism is prejudice against people for what they are, and is many levels more serious than religious bigotry.

You can change what you believe but you can't change what you are!

And I think the reason for any implied complacency about this matter is that many people in the Highlands just don't get this Catholics vs Protestants thing.

On 12/11/2018 at 7:09 PM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

To kick it off I doubt whether any of us, even given the availability of a Tardis, would have changed one bit of the post merger histories of Caledonian and Inverness Thistle - from the agonies and soul searching of the initial post merger years through the unbelievable climb up the leagues, the momentous giant killings en route, culminating in a Scottish Cup victory and a surreal jaunt, albeit brief, into what many of us would have termed the UEFA Fairs Cup. As we progressed we were undoubtedly abetted, financially backed (perhaps saved) by injections of cash by a number of previous Board members and one in particular. But to me the Boards were blinded by the light, they spent in an attempt to try and secure a position which was probably well above our potential without a bonafide Sugar Daddy. To me their biggest downfall was that they were "weak". They rolled over like starstruck puppies when played with by the likes of Brewster, moreso Butcher and again by Yogi. Three very big egotistical control freaks. To me Brewster had many positives but he was aloof. Butcher is a textbook narcissist which augured well at the off. We will never be associated by a bigger name in our history. He became the Mr ICT of the media and he wallowed in it. He brought in players through his name and reputation and was abetted by the one of the best scouting system ever in Scottish football. But he was ruthless and his personality scared the crap out of the Board. He probably started off our rise to the top but he also put us on a perilous financial slope. When the Board had a fit of realism and tried to pull back the reins he fecked off and in true narcissistic fashion didn't give a feck what he left behind. So what did the Board do. They brought in a manager in the same vein and allowed him to repeat the process. Although it was feckin great and he also had his strengths. But we continued to overspend and whos fault is that ?

Now that is why I get so frustrated over the criticism of the current Board. Yvonne Crook knows more about Marks and Spencers shopping ranges than football. Graham Rae probably thinks penalties are called free throws and you get three points for scoring a free kick from outside the designated box. They were brought in primariy to sort out the finances which is evidently a rotten and difficult task which probably annoys many at the Dump. But they appear to be getting there. Robbo is forthright and has a more personable and stable personality. He is a true communicator and knows his limits. Why is he still here ? Shure the Board were lacking in the communication skills but they have taken on Board people to carry out those roles for them. They take a back seat and let Robbo and the locally sourced Backroom staff to instill the "play for the shirt mentality". Scotty alludes to the future ambition. Of course it simply has to be an eventual  return to the Premiership but stabilizing the finances and solidifying a place in the Championship has to be the initial goal. We have become accustomed to success but perhaps the realization is that a return to the Premiership may take a number of seasons and is dependent on an influx of extra finance.

MERRY FECKIN XMAS

My goodness!

I had no idea you were capable of such wisdom!!!

Dunno what all the fuss is about.

I fully expected another draw!

Didn't you?

1 hour ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

 

This is entertainment, lads and lasses, nothing else, Make it a family affair. It's showbusiness and the show must go on

 

Spot on Scarlet me old pal! It is nothing more than entertainment.

And sadly nowadays, the masses demand only the best. Watching football now involves attaching oneself to a top-tier team from some country or other and sitting in front of the telly watching highly-skilled multi-millionaires exhibiting their abilities on Sky. The attachment is seldom geographical - maybe one likes the name, maybe it's a team that usually wins, or perhaps one is drawn to a star player.

The financial gap between the top teams and your local team is ever widening and so long as people choose to pump their money into rich football teams with no geographical relevance and Sky Sports, I can't really see the situation changing.

Football, as a spectator sport has evolved from the tribal affair it used to be, to a 5-star exhibition of riches and skills that we, supporters of our local team, could never realistically aspire to.

3 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

Much as he went down in my estimation for his flat cap and flasher coat antics at Easter Road, one advantage we had last time in attracting more fans through the gate the last time we were vying for promotion was the much higher profile we had with Terry Butcher cheerleading very loudly which also helped with attracting lower league players from South of the border.

That is not a criticism of Robbo who is a very competent manager and coach.

I think Terry Butcher had a significantly greater budget for attracting players from south of the border.

Successful youth development is probably the only way we can sustain ourselves as a top-tier team.

So long as we can do it better than anyone else!

Cr@p - another forking draw!!

At this stage last season we were worried about relegation. An easy 3 points.

Now, nobody can beat us!

How can that be a bad thing?

6 minutes ago, caley100 said:

maybe this is us, maybe this is where we are, cant afford better players, hoping to unearth some jems,  

Been thinking along these lines for a while now.

Championship team with the occasional foray into the Premiership, maybe dropping down to Division 1 for the odd season.

With our limited finances and fanbase, I think that is quite realistic.

3 hours ago, MorayJaggie said:

Not sure relegation is the reason I think a lot of folk have lost trust in the way the club has been run. For example falkirk regularly exceed 3000 as does Dunfermline and across the bridge today had 3500. Promises have been made by this board and remade and they have failed to materialise and better communication is one. The club in recent weeks have been slow to make public several news stories whereas they have been reported elsewhere days before.

County supporters I know feel that they are part of the whole Ross County thing. It's very much a community club, hence the large support.

I used to feel that about ICT, but now I feel the upper management is aloof and arrogant, and I wonder if others feel likewise, and if that would contribute to the lack of support.

5 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

How do you send a thread to General Nonsense ?

You grow up and become a Moderator!

Thanks Scotty and Kingsmills (and RiG) - clarified nicely.

As I said, I wasn't complaining, just curious, so there was no ire directed at anyone.

Might just delete this one now. BECAUSE I CAN!!!

Just wondering if these forums are being tidied up now and again, and threads deemed superfluous deleted.

I coulda sworn there was a thread here the other day suggesting which of our players should take a penalty kick, should it be awarded.

Now it's no there anymore.

Just . . . . . . . . gone!

And then I remember contributing to a thread a few weeks back  (Ok - so I'm not such a prolific poster anymore!), and that's gone too!

Not complaining - just curious really!

Very frustrating game which we completely dominated.

Numerous crosses into the box, numerous corners - just couldn't score!

As for the penalty - regardless of whether the offence took place in or out of the box - it all resulted from extremely casual defending where the ball was given away in a very dangerous position, and not for the first time!

With a 250 mile round trip for home games, at least I've got a much needed week and a half to try and work up some enthusiasm to attend the next one!

Sadly the mindless, thuggish English support and the arrogant English media turned many in the remaining "home" nations against a very promising, competent young side!

Must be awfully difficult for the savages across the bridge to support a first team that is essentially a squad of Weegies and Englishmen.

I know we're not much better but at least we have a few token Invernessians in the team, and judging by an article in today's P&J, a few more coming through the youth system.

I've always thought of football as a tribal game, pitting our local champions against their local champions.

Not so easy to make a connection when all the local champions are imported from other parts of the country.

Anyone else have similar thoughts?

On 6/10/2018 at 8:26 PM, Northern_jaggie said:

Ding dong the witch is dead! (the witch is dead!!) 

Close the door on your way out and don’t come back! Woohoo! 

*dances on grave*

*High fives Scarlett Pimple*

I think you are wrong to imply that Scarlet Pimple had any wish to force Charles Bannerman to withdraw from these forums. That sort of thing is I think way beneath his dignity.

It is true that Charles seems to have lost his way a bit, and was maybe less aware of what is acceptable and what is not, and Mr Pimple merely offered him guidance.

The faux outrage at some of Charles' more controversial posts was particularly distasteful.

Although I didn't always agree with Charles' point of view, and we occasionally crossed swords, I regret his decision to withdraw as his posts were generally insightful, sometimes inciteful and always well presented, and I do hope that once he's cooled down a little, perhaps researched what is acceptable and what is not, that he will resume his valuable contributions to these forums.

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!

3 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

. . . . . . 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.

3 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

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.

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.

I wish Vigurs all the best and am grateful for what he has helped us achieve.

I also look forward to the outrage on these forums when he is healthily booed and abused on his return to TCS!