Scarlet Pimple

Oh Dear! Did I inadvertently hit the bullseye --- or what? Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you. Besides I've got a thick skin. Slithery Alligators are like that.

Maybe that's because footie in North America seems to have taken off and I assume that the prices will match the take off speed. Smile!.

Well, Caley D, you are entitled to your opinion about Jake. Not a problem. But when a player has ability but hasn't really contributed a great deal at the beginning of his tenure, then improves slightly in fits and starts but erupts in spasms of very demonstrative anger and didn't he also have a tantrum as he went off the field once and kicked a bottle or something--what if that had hit Scotty's little boy? THEN what? Nice as he may be off the field, that would have created a REAL incident for the club wouldn't it? So these actions could very easily have led to his being sent off. Secondly, if he had been suspended, even for one game, you are forgetting that the team at that stage needed that situation like a hole in the head. Correct? And these uncontrolled outbursts were emotionally unsettling for the other players !! In this scenario what exactly do you mean by saying he is not letting the team down? Jake was something of a Prima Donna and also was a potential liability. And that was, IMHO, what John Robertson saw as a mature person and did the best for the club (and Jake by the way) by giving him his chance at Hearts. And Robertson should be given credit for the smartness of that move. I was very relieved when it happened because I sensed a negative situation about to happen with Jake...…... The club was not unaware of Jake's talent, he simply did not apply these talents often enough and he allowed his emotions (from what I could see) to erupt in public in tantrums that were unseemly and reflected on the club as well.Frankly he was too immature (young, whatever) and although I wish him well I could not see him as being a major contributor to Caley thistle either last year or this new season.

The devil you know is better than the Devil that you don't know.! i.e. Robbo has done a great job to keep the fighters in a holding pattern and is now assembling the attack force to go in for the kill. At the end of this coming season you will see what I mean. It's all about good communication and man management. And Inverness Caledonian Thistle is ready for the thrilling season ahead of us. Hope the fans are too since the team can't forge ahead without the support of the fans. Yes!

Excited about the start of this new season. I have the feeling that it is about to be a good one. On the indiscipline front, ...yes.... that's the crucial situation. Mulraney was unable to control his emotions and set a bad example,, as well as letting he team down. But he has gone and no doubt has learned his lesson so good luck to him at his new club. I think the chances are that he will do well there. You can't have Prima Donna's in the club because their attitude is unsettling to the other team members who might either be uncomfortable or want to follow his poor example , and suggests that individualism is the only thing that is important, not the team. John R. sorted that one out and hopefully things are now very much under control. About J R I think last season was a very difficult one for him and, hopefully, his vision and input to date will be rewarded this season.

White from Barrow in Furness is an interesting player who has an eye for the goal. Has good balance. Barrow are doing better at this point in their season. Not the most prepossessing place in the world. Industrial town. Furnaces in the Furness district , like! He is tall and resilient and is very cool under pressure, usually picking his spot. Does score some cool goals and has a turn off speed and is difficult to dispossess when running in on goal. How he fares in the Championship is still open to question, though, and he may get a bit of a rough ride and closer marking as well. Aye.

And I had a thing for "The Shadows".

Boris + his band of Politicos

Winnie Churchill and Winnie the Poo.

Does anyone know whether or not Warren was offered a non-playing position ? If so did he turn it down. Should he have turned down a reasonable offer even though he liked living in the highlands but figured he was worth more money.?Just asking ......?

Promotions and advancements are always major decisions. But if you never move from one place in life then you may well miss great opportunities to improve your position and grow as a human being . Facing the unknown and possible adversity is what being strengthened is all about. If you fail then you learn to live another day; If you succeed there is the satisfaction and energy to allow you to continue the process of moving onwards and upwards. And you can move careers at the drop of a hat in Canada whereas in Scotland if you quit the Bank job, as I did, then you would have to start in another bank at the bottom again and that was vicious control factor on your ambitions by upper Management that I abhorred and ditched at the first opportunity. Then I was free to grow and develop and to make a major contribution on my terms, my energy and my drive to contribute. I moved two younger children to Canada to a much different environment than what they were experiencing in Scotland an both thrived. My (now) middle aged son was recently recognised at a touching ceremony for being a 25 year veteran city bus driver in the Vancouver area with a medal and a document attesting to his competence and as an example of an honest , effective member of the whole team. AND they looked after him when he recently had to go into hospital for his second major heart operation. My daughter was recently recognised with her two assistants for being the British Columbia Police Force representative that changed the Canadian Judiciary rules for allowing the police to advance computerised evidence instead of paper documents in Court cases (which leads to speedier outcomes and great cost savings and less trees having to be cut down to make paper, etc). So both my kids did not suffer but revelled in the greater challenges which allowed them to grow and thrive and make a meaningful contribution to society. And, thirdly, my wife admits that when she returned to Ukraine a couple of years ago to see her mother she found that she could not live there any more because she had changed , having risen to the challenge of becoming fluent in English, adapting to challenging circumstances and demands and revelling in the less restrictive freedoms of Canada where nobody cares where you come from or are going so long as you can do the job, fit-in and want to thrive and succeed. The restrictive atmosphere of Britain stifled me and kept me from growing and advancing. Waiting for "dead men's shoes" foe promotion in Britain changed into whether or not you can do the job and "when can you start?" In short, opportunity for mental and emotional fulfilment and success. So, friends, let John Robertson introduce his changes and remember, please , that if John makes mistakes then that's good 'cos it's the learning process of his job. So far I think he is doing a splendid job for Caley Thistle and deserves our full support.

impactful

I am left wondering what Germans have to do with a difficult child like Partick? Ja vohl! Das ist eine ser gut question, mein herr. Oh well, maybe the question is only germaine if they prove to still be really difficult to get along with.

I think it only right to thank this obviously dedicated Committee. Wish I was there to be on the bus. You all have a great time next season and keep up the fantastic work. I once went on a sports' outing bus and it ended in a near riot. No harm was ever intended by any of the participants, however, except that that ski club called the "Inside Edge" was regarded by some of the higher class skiers here in Vancouver as, well, a bit of a rough lot. I used to go with my own club , called the Outsetters, where everyone was slightly tamer and non-controversial. After our day out in Washington State in the U.S. we entered the bus for the return trip to Vancouver and soon the noise level started to rise to fever pitch. Booze flowed, voices rose and the atmosphere became more smoke filled than oxygenated. Spirits got higher and higher and the songs started up etc. Well, I can't imagine how the driver got back to Vancouver either sane or not asphyxiated or not deaf,. I think I remember adding a few bucks to the hat that went round for the Driver and I think he realised that we actually were all great people, men and ladies. I found the outing to be fun-filled and exciting and found nobody to be offensive or stupid. But when I got to our destination I felt it would be better if I skied alone , and not join the other guys since I wanted to arrive home in one piece. I had noticed the look in their eyes as we approached the mountain and realised that all-out speed and dare-devil dives off cliffs was probably going to be the order of the day . The speed on a standard run I did not mind but the latter d-d-d's was clearly somewhat beyond me at that stage so ....what would you have done, eh? Was I chicken or just smart?

Ah, was wondering the same thing. Hope his illness is not serious and he is back to health shortly. Missed the highlights though, especially when our boys won with verve aplenty. Heartening win at the end of the season - - bodes well for a great start to next season and, hopefully, a just reward at the end of it as we win promotion. See you all then, then.

So what has been the catalyst to meld these different players into a real , forward-looking team? My feelings are that it was....wait for it............ Why, The presence of John Robertson , of course. And now I know why my parents made me wear the Robertson tartan in my kilt when I w as a wee lad and not the MacBean tartan which was the family clan on my mother's side..

All of the above posts are positive. And so is the energy. John Robertson must be really chuffed to bits with the development , commitment and desire of HIS team. And a passionate thanks and long clapping for him and his constantly positive outlook throughout the season. What a way to end the season and so many emphatic wins to boot. This must be a harbinger of things to come. Roll on next season and a brilliant series of wins to start the campaign for promotion back where we belong---the Premier League.

Now that's a "Black bear" not a grizzly and could be a cub......well as far as I can judge with him being seated.. But cute though. Grizzlies are huge; ten feet tall etc. And don't think running away from them will save you because they are very fast on their feet. So just keep your distance and enjoy watching them. And the caption might have read " Bored waiting for the Announcement like."

Well at least by signing him we will at least get Charlie's "Willie"..that's good too. Right?

Well, it's quite a long way for the team to travel I think but the boys will definitely be up for it. Travelling support will be crucial. Fingers crossed for another dynamic win. Yess!

Charles Probably better for you to try really hard to avoid the personal attacks hidden behind the superficiality of lengthy soliloquies emanating from Hamlet. Just disagree with the member and not try to dismember him under the guise of dismembering his past statements. He is not your competition and I thought that hitherto you should be on the same team, eh? If your attacks, and that's what they come across as, carry weight you might win the day but winning gracefully trumps maybe being perceived as a tad vicious and uncontrolled. Plus the fact that I often can't comprehend what your point really is. It's fact or opinions that we need not a contest of wills and the ability to survive in a hostile world where the other guy's opinion doesn't matter ...... I think!

Major monetary injection needed then to salvage this club and promote a resurgence of past glories. Right? So maybe at this point in time we should invite Blair to comment upon his ambitions and intentions re bolstering the strength of the club. Since by now he will, no doubt, have generated some definite scenarios in his mind as to the advantages of supporting the club financially. And with what actual goals in mind ? Remember Guys, "the tide, if taken at the flood , leads on to greatness" . It's now or never to take the plunge. The risk may be high but with the right investment accompanied by energetic support in other ways this energy could work wonders for this club. The players have shown their passion and energy and they will continue to do so if a resurgence of support occurs. Continue to inject positive energy into this club and the sky may be the limit. ESPECIALLY if we win our last league match of this season. We have a good Manager now so we have to try to support him. And then figure out what the crowds in Inverness actually want? Find it , work on it, ,try things and see what happens. Could be a real challenge I guess. But nothing ventured , nothing gained. The Yanks know how to get the enthusiasm to fever pitch and, yes they DO use Dancing Girls, pulsating marching bands and a lot of "Hoo-Ra". to get the blood going. And it works and the coffers fill up with spondoolacks . so ....? If you don't want that then what do YOU think the crowds will respond to? Certainly NOT water-logged pitches and frequent postponements, cluttered fixture lists etc. etc. Or of course the complete opposite:- wring our hands and do very little?

Breathtaking finish to the season. Just imagine if we win the last match handily? Why. IHE may just be willing to place a bet on us to get promoted?

I've absorbed all of the above with interest and appreciation. Last season I saw some appalling refereeing in the overseas videos that we were once allowed to watch live during the home games and inevitably got the impression that refs were definitely out to get our team . You know, the team that beat the top dogs such as Celtic and Rangers and played them off the park more often that not. (Supercalifragilistic etc.) Let's be blunt- these teams are the money bags of the Scottish Leagues and defeats at the hands of upstart minnows will never be welcome. More than once I've heard the phrase "Tulloch Stadium is a hard place to come to...." and Caley Thistle is a force for anyone to reckon with 'cos we have the Highland spirit. But with regard to Dunfermline it's not clear why they would, be regarded as really special. Again, it might just be that the directives from on high that spur refs to rub it into our team are designed to continue to make absolutely certain that we don't go places such as continuing to win the Scottish cup and so on. There are some folks on here who seem to want to be petty at the expense of Blair. Please remember that English may not be his native language and so, please, just give the man a break. He's the only fan I have heard of that wants, seemingly, to put his money where his mouth is and you can't deny his interest and zeal for our team. Encouragement is always a great thing to offer anyone who tries hard to succeed so I say.....good for you Blair and "long may your lum reek".

Dunfermline must be a good team then?