buckett

Can't help thinking he's away for a valuation - might be good for the ego, and maybe a bit of ammunition for contract negotiations with his own club.

I reckon Caley could go it alone!

I really wish this thread had never been started!

1. Born in Inverness 2. Childhood spent in Inverness 3. Started following CALEY in 1965/66 4. Currently living on Isle of Skye.

The top 2 divisions should be the other way around. "Championship" has more clout than "Premiership"!

I always knew the truth would emerge, eventually!!!

And yet you continue to post on it, thus keeping it alive. Sorry Charles, but I think you're as addicted to "Merger Talk" as everyone else who's posted on this thread!

I think we all know, deep down, that a go-alone Caledonian FC would have fared just as well, if not better than ICT have done. And unlike some on this forum, I see no harm in reflecting on what might have been. Except of course that, somewhat irrationally, it clearly upsets some people! And regarding wisdom, well, maybe there's hope for me too in years to come!!

Anyone who doubts that wisdom comes with age should read this! There's even hope for CB and IHE in years to come!

That would be a great pity. It is clearly a subject that many find interesting enough to contribute to - look no further than the "Merger Talk" thread which has recently stretched to over 400 posts. Tedious? Obviously the opinion of a small minority! I don't think those who posted find it tedious. Otherwise, why would they post and keep the thread alive???

Doubt it - wouldn't be much different from what ICT are getting now. That would be missing the point though - who'd have thought you'd be trying to wind up the same prefect 40 years on!!!

"inbred sense of loyalty" Yes, that's more a Dingwall thing.

Just want to see Derek Adams' greeting face again!

GSOH or no - he's still a thug!

How dare they leave early!!! The gates should be locked until the final whistle so that NOBODY can get out until the game is over!

If Thistle had got into the Scottish League instead of Meadowbank, I wonder if their progress would have been as spectacular as that of ICT, and indeed Ross County. And what of Caley - would they still be in the Highland League? Would the Caley support migrate across the river to watch Scottish League football or would they remain loyal to their Highland League team? Would Caley in the HL still draw bigger crowds than Thistle in the Scottish League? Doesn't bear thinking about!

What's an Alloa? Or indeed an Arbroath? It's a pity that some supporters need to pay homage to the original teams, even after all this time. What a pity we didn't start with a clean slate - a team called Inverness - no Caley and no Thistle, playing in a strip with no blue, white, red or black. As many have pointed out, the younger supporters only know of ICT - they had no allegiance to either of the original teams. They think of ICT as a team in its own right - not an amalgamation of two now-defunct teams, and that's the way it should be. As the years go by more and more supporters will be of this persuasion and eventually this ridiculous carry-on with strip colours will end. Sadly, by then, me and Charles will be long gone!

BRILLIANT!!! ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!!!!

Isn't the purpose of a forum to enter into discussion on a relevant subject which interests you? And put your views and opinions across? Whenever the subject of the merger comes up, a lively discussion always follows, and Mr Bannerman is perfectly entitled to share his views, as are you and everybody else!

Not a fact at all - just an opinion! And my opinion is that Caley, on their own could have done just as well as ICT have - possibly better because they wouldn't have had the merger baggage. As the only Scottish League team in Inverness they would have attracted just as much investment as ICT have and would have made it into the SPL in a similar timescale, attracting larger crowds as they progressed. Don't believe me? Look at Ross County!! No comparison. ICT have stayed, barring one blip, in the top league for near a decade. Compare when and if RC can do the same. No comparison!!?? Perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but Inverness is a much bigger town than Dingwall, with a much bigger fanbase. And yet, looking further up your post, near the top, where you talk about a part-time team making the odd foray into Div 2 . . . . a few hundred fans! I think our neighbours across the bridge have long exceeded that status! Don't get me wrong - I like the way things have turned out with our merged team. But each of these teams could have gone it alone and achieved as much - no doubt about it!

A very linear and simplistic viewpoint, Charles, which I'm afraid just doesn't hold water. As you're probably aware, many years before the merger Caley had been trying to relocate with a view to Scottish League entry. I think there was a site in Carse which had been considered although the District Council had been very obstructive to this proposal. Had it gone ahead we would have had a Scottish League team in Inverness with a stadium within easy walking distance of thousands of houses and with room for expansion to accommodate the growing support. No need for £4.8M stadium budgets and no need for another team's assets. And with such an accessible stadium, attendances would probably exceed those of ICT now. I mention this because there are so many ifs and buts that you can't just make a statement like "it couldn't have happened without the merger". Of course it could! Also, I have to take exception to your statement that "Caley weren't that popular . . . actively disliked in Inverness." This is simply not true!

Not a fact at all - just an opinion! And my opinion is that Caley, on their own could have done just as well as ICT have - possibly better because they wouldn't have had the merger baggage. As the only Scottish League team in Inverness they would have attracted just as much investment as ICT have and would have made it into the SPL in a similar timescale, attracting larger crowds as they progressed. Don't believe me? Look at Ross County!!

See!? Told you someone was gonna get mad!!!

Ooooh! Someone's gonna get mad!!!!

In the style of the great Topaz MacGonagall