buckett

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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?

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!

?

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!

Dunno what everyone is worried about. Isn't Blair going to save us? Soon!?

Trying to think how many seasons County finished above us in the grand scheme of things. They were well ahead of us at the end of our first season in the Scottish League, and of course this season and last season. That's 3. I've a feeling there was one more, round about 2012? So I suppose you could say they were the 'Big Team' for four years! Or was it just 3?

Quite right Scarlet. There are unfortunately a few posters who take great pleasure from insulting new contributors to these forums. Live and let live, I say!

In the mid 60s Elgin City did particularly well, being the only Highland League team ever to reach the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup, losing by a very creditable 3-1 to 1st Division Motherwell. (There were only 2 divisions then - Division 1 and Division 2. Very sensible names!)

Just opened that link and ma computer exploded! Caution is recommended!

Admittedly once the input from the "sugar-daddy" is removed there is a sharp return to reality! Presumably there is a bottom to Uncle Roy's pit.