Jump to content

Bridge_Ender

03: Full Members
  • Posts

    348
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    4

Everything posted by Bridge_Ender

  1. Shiels - No chance, wouldn't want him near ICT ever Levein - I'd take that. At club level at boht Utd and Hearts he was excellent, especially Utd when he was allowed to shape the whole club. Sheerin - Has been doing OK but bit early for me Hartley - A good shout but only with an experienced no2, i.e. Malpas (assuming he stays) Wilson - Far too early for him
  2. http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/Munro-departs-Ross-County-15102013.htm Anyone know what his career outside of football will be? Just out of sheer nosiness
  3. I was at their game v Motherwell a couple weeks back and I have to say he did look out of condition and off the pace. Fantastic servant for us over the years though, just wish he'd been allowed to see his top level career out with us. Deserved to be remembered as a one club man.
  4. It's a shame that that was your last post as it raised a few interesting points. Not least with your incredibly simple minded assumption that because I acknowledge that Scotland, and west central in particular, has a deep rooted historical sectarian problem of which one side have utilised the Union Jack as their badge that I must, by deafult, have a 'big team'. The debate over their legitimacy for doing so is another debate altogether but for the record, and to remove all assumptions you've made (and as an educator I'm sure you are very aware of what it means to assume...?) I have no 'big team' and I never have had any 'big team'. In fact, just to make it very clear, I dislike what the Old Firm stand for to the extent I do not visit Ibrox or Parkhead as a spectator even for ICT games and haven't done for a good few years. They may not be the direct cause of the deep social problems in Scotland but they've both become very successful off of reaping the benefits of it, to the detriment of every other side and the sport of football overall in this country. I really do not want to discuss the armed forces on a football forum but I suggest your naivety is displayed by your choice of words above. They are not 'sent out by uncaring governments to be shot, maimed and killed for a country that does so little to help them'. They have made an informed choice based on balancing the element of risk against recompense (not necessarily financial but also opportunity, career, lifestyle, etc.) offered and decided it is worthwhile to be there. That does not detract from the necessity or the relevance of their role or make any support of them undeserving but it is their choice to put themselves there.
  5. Whats somebodies job got to do with how appropriate or not taking a Union Jack into a football ground is? I could not agree more with that Clacher. I'm going to keep my opinions on the armed forces, war campaigns and British identity to myself as, to me, a football forum is not the place to do it. The negative association from a purely Scottish football perspective regarding the Union Jack is well known and accepted though. Having said that, we live in a democracy and there is no reason why it can't or shouldn't be taken to a game. Personally, I'd prefer that ICT were not linked in any way whatsoever to any element associated with Rangers. For me, there is nothing at all positive which can come from that link. However, I have never understood why choosing to make your career in the armed forces appears, to many, to elevate those who make that choice above anyone else and given a status which is certainly not afforded to many others in careers which can provide just as many intense challenges. To be clear, I am not dismissing the job the forces personnel undertake. It is more the, perhaps media driven, notion that by pursuing a forces career someone automatically becomes a 'hero'.
  6. Is that Ross Draper celebrating with the second scorer? 2.20 approx
  7. 1. Charlie Christie - Has done everything at ICT. Probably played well below the level he was capable of 2. Jimmy Calder - We'll never see another like him! 3. Iain Stewart - Perhaps the most naturally gifted striker we've ever seen, denied a better career by injury 4. Barry Wilson - Genuine class and another who was capable at a much higher level 5. Mike Noble - Captain of first league winning side and still seen often on matchdays. Player, Captain and fan!
  8. Do tickets need to be bought in advance or is pay at the gate an option?
  9. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21471225 I think he makes a fair point and is probably justifiably feeling frustrated that attendances are not going up in argurably one of our best seasons ever. However... Personally, like the league system, I don't think the odd tweak in pricing or scheduling would make much difference. What would, IMO, is the introduction of summer football. The SPL would be pretty much the only (football) show in town over the summer months (the 2/3 weeks of World Cups and European Championships aside), SKY would almost certainly be keen to show live UK football (think Rugby Super League for a case in point), supporters would be more encouraged to come out on a summers evening rather than a cold winters night, travelling becomes easier for fans not having to worry about treacherous journeys, being snowed in or just general discomfort of a long journey in poor weather, players would be plying their trade in good conditions rather than frozen fields and sodden pitches. The traditionalists will no doubt argue against it but the truth is that Scottish football will never again be able to compete with the English or European competitons for fans - people will just watch on TV now. Surely there has to be some realistic thought given to it and to perhaps think a little bit outside the box? The international calendar issue is nonsense - the Scandinavians have been playing in the summer months for years. Is summer football a no-brainer or a non starter?
  10. Did Davide Xausa ever score for Canada whilst playing with us? I don't know the answer but surely one of the stattos will!
  11. How could it be anything else? Point remains though, why is it in the main forum?
  12. Why is there a thread about someone who doesn't want to read another thread on the main forum? If you don't want to read it, fine. Well done you. Have a gold star for whatever point it is you're trying to make!
  13. Who cares? They're all wonderful
  14. It's not particularly feasible and the crowd levels certainly don't demand it but I'd like to even a small structure go up along the length of the west side just to complete the stadium. On 3 sides I think the ground looks fine but whenever cameras catch that west side I cringe a bit as it just looks so unfinished. Can't imagine there are any plans afoot to do anything about it though! Certainly not a priority at the moment.
  15. Citylink. All blue strips shirts. The terrace at Stenhousemuir. Going to the open day at the TCS when it was pretty much all just steelwork. Only having one stand. Voting on the club name after moving to TCS. Taking a couple thousand fans to Livi and being 0-3 down after 22 minutes (still one of the best fightbacks ever...). Ridiculous scorelines weekly during the Pele years. Pele. February 8th 2000. Drawing with Dundee Utd with a Mark McCulloch wondergoal. Calling Pittodrie 'home'. The first SPL game in the Highlands. Skelping Liverpool 5-0. Clach Park for the Inverness Cup Final v County in '95 (?). Being delighted with a cup draw at Tynecastle in our 'lucky' strips. There's been a few...
  16. What a pathetic stance from what is fast becoming a laughing stock of a club. Do these morons not realise that by boycotting United will benefit? Lower stewarding and policing costs and, presumably, 100% of the ticket income given they must surely be forfeiting that under the circumstances. Also, were ICT ever in a similar position that would be a game I'd be pulling out all the stops to get to and show them that as a club we're here to stay, a show of strength if you like. They really are a ridiculous club nowadays. Never lost any love on them before but even any grudging respect for their achievements is gone following the last few months. The decent minded Rangers fans must be embarrassed and increasingly fed up with it all.
  17. CaleyJags.com - Pic 38 Sums the whole evening up perfectly! :laugh:
  18. The season ticket which gives discounts at various restaurants, cinemas etc. is a great idea and can drive business for both parties as everyone loves a discount! It might even encourage people who go to games regularly and choose not to get a ST to get one if the offers were good enough? Also, has Groupon, or similar, ever been considered for a ticket offer? Not totally sure of the %'s involved so may not be worth it but surely for smaller games, i.e. not County/Celtic/Aberdeen, it could drive sales if, for example, a £30 adult + 2 kids ticket or a 2 for 1 was offered? As has been noted above, half of something is better than 100% of nothing! Another thing which can work well is the Fan Appreciation Day. Nominate a perhaps quieter game at the end of the season, get a few interactive games going on inside the stadium from 2/3 hours before kick off where you can with prizes which obviously will be covered in ICT logo's (caps, hats, scarves, t-shirts, miniballs, whatever) which are relatively cheaply produced and with sponsorship could be basically free for the club? Maybe not directly fundraising but anything which creates a positive relationship between fans and club can only encourage the fans to spend their hard earned with the club longer term?
  19. Rangers at home are a very different beast to Rangers away and the appetite from their fans and the club in general to stick it up the SPL and it's teams is pretty huge. They looked decent against Motherwell in the last round, who albeit offered nothing on the night, and will be similarly motivated against us. Having said that, this is definitely a winnable game and if we play like we did last night against County there is absolutely no reason we cannot progress!
  20. My point was more about getting the Trust/CJT organised so that a pool people are in place to undertake projects before offers of help are made so situations where assumptions need to be made are avoided. Advertise for people to take ownership of specific projects who could then be called upon to do some regular tasks. I don't believe there isn't, for example, one ICT supporting tradesman/handyman in the Inverness area who wouldn't be keen to head up a maintenance group of volunteers/college students who gave up a couple hours a month to go in and help Tommy with groundstaff chores like painting toilets or whatever other odd jobs need done. Or that there are no ICT supporters among the Business and Marketing Students at the UHI who wouldn't be keen to add to their CV by running a marketing and promotions committee and arranging some of the things above. Free match tickets and a good reference on someone's CV would be all these things cost. I'll take your word on the emails being sent out, I've obviously missed them, but I'd imagine that in this time of information overload most people barely glance at them. Personally I've always argued this is the biggest fallacy about the worth of direct email communication - sure, it's free and it can look great at next to no cost but it only takes 2 clicks to delete and when it's bundled in with the other 15 emails from whatever else in your inbox it simply isn't going to be read properly. Also, and again not in a 'having a go way', a generic 'who wants to help' plea is, in my experience, rarely going to gain much response. A lot of people who volunteer didn't realise initially that they have skills that are useful to others or that the opportunity to practice and utilise these skills even exists.That's why I'm suggesting that if these opportunities were created and targeted specifically there may be a better response. Then again, the traditionally apathetic Inverness response may still dominate and you'll continue to p1ss into the wind... You're right though, it is easy to sit behind a keyboard and demand this and that. Especially when you live too far away to offer practical assistance and don't have the free time to offer anyway. **Edit: This isn't a dig at the progress that has been made with regards to communication and how the club and those involved with it are approaching fans as that has all been very positive with some definite changes for the better. It's about how to develop it further.
  21. Surely this is something the Supporters Trust/Caley Jags Together should be trying to coordinate? I've been a member of the Supporters Trust for a couple of years now and rarely receive much communication. The email last week was the first I can remember recently. This isn't a negative dig, merely an observation. Maybe a 'volunteers vacancies' part on the website identifying exactly what the trust is involved with and recruiting people to do it could help in that respect? Perhaps the Supporters Trust/CJT could identify what the members feel could improve the experience, perhaps from a members poll or online suggestion box, and then organise the opportunity, get people involved who may have the skills required and are willing to devote 5 hours a week, or whatever, to it. Surely one of the main points of having CJT is to provide the means for fans to get involved with the club and I'm sure it will in time. Maybe have an incentive for volunteers to get free tickets for matches? I used to sell the 50/50 tickets for free but got to stay in the ground to watch the game as recompense. It's not as if we're short on spare seats after all! A few things, off the top of my head, that could be coordinated by a volunteer marketing group locally to raise awareness and would only take a couple hours of people's time if organised correctly: weekly run round the local shops, tesco, asda, morrisons, eastgate as well as the hotels, bars and B&B's with posters advertising the next match ticket giveaway competition running weekly with the draw live on MFR? stall in the eastgate on weekends selling merchandise and match tickets and raising awareness of how to get involved with the club identify local fairs, shows etc. where a stall could be taken to promote ICT and the trust
  22. Stewards have no additional powers to you or I so cannot lay a finger on you without it being treated as an assault, be it for searching or ejection purposes, without your permission unless they are reacting in self defence and only then with 'reasonable force'. However, they do have the authority to refuse you entry to a private place of business , i.e. a football ground or a bar, if you fail/refuse to meet entry requirements without being obliged to provide a reason to you. If when you are inside said private business and are asked to leave and you refuse they are allowed to use 'reasonable force' (that grey area again) to remove you from the premises. In practice that means whilst you are well within your rights to refuse a search when going in then they are also within their rights to refuse you admission for failing to agree, if it's in the stated entry policy. Unfortunately it also means that when they ask you to leave/'come for a chat' during the game it's the fan rather than the steward who is potentially breaking the law if they refuse and that's when the Police can become involved as I believe it is an offence to refuse to leave a private place of business when asked to by management, or agents of management as stewards are... The old phrase 'if you pay peanuts you get monkeys' comes into play here as most security companies do indeed pay minimum wage or thereabouts, therefore... The criticism also has to be applied to the club management who will stress to supervisors and managers of the company that this is the entry policy that must be adhered to who will then stress to their subordinates that no deviation is acceptable as they ultimately run the risk of losing the contract and consequently staff lose hours/jobs. Personally I avoid going to Hibs, Dundee and United given the way stewards have behaved towards me personally and ICT fans generally when I have visited there. I don't make nearly enough home games any more to comment on what happens now but it does seem like every week there is a gripe or a moan about the stewarding. One final point, if the steward doesn't have a valid SIA badge on display when their on shift then they can perform none of the roles described above and have the same authority as a shop assistant or usher does. May be worth remembering and checking next time anyone is in conversation with one...
  23. Off the top of my head Martin Kelly, Dani Pacheco, Jay Spearing and Nathan Eccleston are still at Anfield and have all progressed to play for the first team with Kelly also becoming a full Engerland International. Dean Bouzanis, the goalkeeper, had an absolute howler that night if I remember right!
  24. What do the SFA do next after the Court of Session have agreed with the Rangers lawyers that the sanctions imposed were not within the powers of the SFA? There seems to be 4 main options: 1) Suspension from the Scottish Cup 2) Suspension of SFA Membership 3) Expulsion from the SFA 4) Do nothing With FIFA and UEFA now taking an interest it appears 4) will no longer an option. So what is a fair SFA sanction to be imposed on Rangers? And, perhaps more importantly, realistically what wil the SFA do? Personally, I thought the SFA tried to do the best they could by everyone involved by putting the transfer ban on them. Under the circumstances and how seriously they are taking the case it looked like they were taking tough action on Rangers whilst in reality the club were unlikely to ever be in a position to sign many players over the next 12 months anyway. If Rangers had engaged the brain before complaining they would have realised they had got off lightly. However, by taking it to the Court of Session they have put the SFA in a position they would not have wanted to be in by attracting the attention of FIFA/UEFA and surely toughening of any penalty that will be imposed next. Rangers own arrogance and stupidity in taking this to the civil courts beggars belief. For that reason I'd argue a years suspension from the Scottish Cup is nowhere near enough while permanent expulsion, as much as I would like that to happen, won't realistically happen. I think a years suspension of SFA membership is the most appropriate. Realistically, I can see the SFA caving and only issuing a years suspension from the Cup.
  25. So you are happy with the quality of the SPL then? You want the best players to leave? This perochial attitude is part of the reason why Scottish football is so low. I'd imagine it's because he doesn't want him at a rival team and inevitably damage us next season as opposed to a parochial attitude?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. : Terms of Use : Guidelines : Privacy Policy