Scarlet Pimple

IBM it depends on the hour of the day . Since my memory is definitely going downhill fairly rapidly ( I was on the phone to me son a couple of days ago and I forgot HIS name so what hope do I have of a peaceful run-in to the finishing line?Smile.) I now know why people call Alzheimers one of the worst diseases known to man. It's fatal, by the way. Anyway are you sure that it was not you that chatted with me --I remember thinking at the time that the man I had been conversing with was "across the ferry" and had definitely told me that he had been stationed at another airfield in the north of Germany etc. Maybe it was your father ...eh what?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IBM--International ballistic missile. Floored me. Back to the memory bank to remember which ICT guy it is and hope that he will come forward with a big grin on his face.

Sandy Kent I notice you went off to the RAF, National Service , in 1957. I think that I was also drafted similarily in the same year at the age of 19. Believe this or not but, whilst posted to JEVER in North Germany as a radar operator down a hole in the ground, I met IBM on a football field on our base at Jever when his team from another nearby base came over to play ours. That's a coincidence and a half isn't it. Although I was born and raised in Dunain Road I rarely ever went into Dalneigh. except that I remember the houses being built when I was younger. The canal and surrounds were of more interest at that time but when I remember looking down into the locks then yes, unless you were a good swimmer, I think drowning was a real possibility unless you were able to swim to the side of the lock where the built-in ridges might have allowed you to climb up but my memory is now hazy on that one. Where did you end up in the "Forces" Sandy?

O,K, You are entitled to your opinion, but please remember that unless there shows the black you cannot see the contrasting white. And Scotty's site is for everyone and anyone, n'est ce pas? In that context, banning Mr. C Bannerman is ridiculous since all you need to do to reply to his posts if you disagree with them is to REPLY to them. Personally I've learnt a lot from Charlie since I may have been born and brought up in Inverness but , having lived away from the town now for donkey's years, I concentrate on learning as much as I can of the progress of Caley Thistle and not really the town so the more posters the merrier. And the more posters with differing viewpoints the better I like it. And the more different the personalities even better since it shows me up to some as the brilliant ,scintillating and titillating , numbscull that I am but I do walk away feeling much better emotionally having been allowed the privilege of posting my two bits worth even if it's corny as heck. Missed you Charlie oh Dude of the mighty vocabulary but....er….somewhat wordy mind. Keep yer powder dry 'cos the Indians are after you Buddy.. Isn't that right Itchie?

I can't recall , Caleyboy , but I think you are right. The name Angus resonates some. And if I am not mistaken may have been on the books of Caley as well as he grew up. Peter was a train engine driver or fireman in these days .He was very popular at that time and the very fact that he always spoke to me in a very friendly way when I was just a young teenager has remained a very endearing memory for me.

Bughtmaster, I fully agree with your sentiments: In life we all have that seed of ambition within us. Rarely , however, do things turn out exactly as you had hoped or planned! It's then you have to adjust your thinking to the realities of life and in so doing you can forge ahead by the making of what you feel are the changes that are necessary for you to again start the process of your successful advancement. And as IHE is wont to say."Put your head to the grindstone , keep yer powder dry and your eye on the ball, work hard and be nice to the boss's wife". and you never know what will transpire. The same with players. For them to return they must have a lingering respect and affection for ICT !! So I say. every time ....."Heh, Mister tambourine, if you wanna return, God bless you. But don't forget to contact IHE first for a wee chat from a veteran who will besiege you with lots of advice which, of course, you will have to wade through to find the right sparkling nuggets that fit into your own scenario. Then sell-off the others on the black market.

So I guess your favorite dance will not be "Strip the Willow" in future then?

Chernobyl is in the north of Ukraine, Alan. The nuclear disaster there caused such pain and misery and they still, apparently, have not fully recovered. I hope and pray that the lad is not from there, otherwise you may be seeing his ghost. Bulgaria is a long way away from that, thank goodness. Prevailing winds can cause havoc with wild fires or cancer causing nuclear fumes.My wife has cancer and she blames Chernobyl even if she was born in Odessa which is a few hundred miles to the South. Her father also died of cancer.....hmmmmm.

Well, on a slightly more serious vein, here is one of the Reviews that we received for our novel www.destiniesinmotion.com https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/destinies-in-motion And a couple of more facts about writing a novel:- 1. It's very hard work and it's all up to the Editor. The publishers will not help you with anything....unless you are related to Donald Trump or are some film star or celebrity who can have people write the book for them etc. and their name does the rest. On the assumption that you have never written or edited a book then you are in for a shock. My wife, Liliya Galitskaya, wrote the book but her written English is not as good as her native tongue , being Ukrainian/Russian. So, It took me 300 hours to edit the book and sometimes an argument would break out because she wanted a certain word or phrase left in when I knew it was not the right word ,etc. But I knew what she wanted to convey so I gave-in just for peace and waited for a week and then went back and changed it to the correct word or phrase. Worked a charm and she never noticed the change. 2.The selected format must be correct:- It must be written so that each new paragraph is elected by means of a "Hard-Return" (press " ENTER") which sets the format and spacing after every paragraph as the same for all. One miss and the whole thing is returned to you. Then it has to be proof-read and edited very carefully. All spelling must be correct and so on. Then you submit it to the publisher with instructions as to where the illustrations are to be inserted etc. Then you await receipt of the proof and you notice a whole bunch of mistakes which the publisher has made and back it goes ...e,g, Illustrations not inserted correctly (in our case one was fifty pages away from where it should have been inserted) and so on. All of which takes additional time to find, report and wait for the response and so forth. Would I ever edit a book again? Answer: No, not unless the job was a small one and/or the money was large and enticing. Or, perhaps , to help a disadvantaged person fulfil a life's dream...…! Cheers, Roderick (Aka Scarlet)

Assuming that Robbo stays of course. After the frustration of last season perhaps he may be open to an approach from another club? Then what? But, whether or not the new team can be sufficiently improved and strengthened taking into account the lack of money, that's an "iffy" situation right enuff. Getting in the right players is definitely a challenge for Robbo but what if, at the end of the season, he is again pipped at the post? Will the club think about letting him go? If we finish lower than last season then I think that might be a possibility. But, if within 2 of the top, I predict that the Board would still keep Robbo at the helm of the ship. Then what? Half-time entertainment (without which I can't see where the crowds are going to appear?). Raffles, even a Lotto thing? We do seem to be in a ditch with high walls and what suggestions would you think will get more money into the coffers and allow us to climb out and into the sunlight? But, IHE, I do like the way you predicate by way of your predictions.

Frankly speaking the last beastie that I would like to tangle with is a Moose. It's a very large animal and has a rare and huge pair of antlers on it's head. It appears to be much larger than a stag as well. At rutting time the males all head for the lake where the females are usually to be found and that's when you make sure you are not near them! One bellow and you would be smart to be off at the toot. And ladies, the weans are really cute....awwwww!

I just love jousting with IHE. Never a dull moment. I have found his Achille's heel but am keeping it a secret pro-tem. Looks as if the Welsh race owen the name, like? I once knew a Welsh wizard...….every time he waved his wand, the spots on my face disappeared. But when they inevitably came back to me after they left Canada I had to step in and provide accommodation for them many times because they tearfully claimed that no one outside Canada understood their accent. They all had to carry a miniature phone for this purpose to allow them to spell things out for people, however, but none of them really knew how to use it. So they just claimed that their functional capability was SPOTTY at best. When things got really hot I just referred them to IHE whom I claimed was a wizard as well. Doing this proved the efficacy of the diversion therapy that I had been attending...… i.e cleverness trumps lies and slipperiness.

Forby let's surely be realistic. We have lost a few in the last few years many times. And the club will sell on a good player at a good price if the offer suited them. And they will not necessarily get down on their knees begging his permission or forgiveness before the deal is signed It's what is and life is like that. No use crying over spilt milk, IHE. Might as well drink it as a female supporter) and feed the baby. What would you have said if he had come back but not to ICT? Two options:- 1. YOU Traitor, you. How dare you advance your career for you and your family without our permission? 2. Glad to see you back and, yes, we can slot you in.....in the reserve team? Anyway since the club has hired back, then him maybe it's just best if we think that it's just water under the bridge and move R...I...G...H...T along. Heh Festus , is my hat on straight: I hear the Super is in town …..

That's SP off the hook then. Phew.! That was a close one eh IHE?

That's another reason that I like you Kingsmills- -you get straight to the point. Actuellement, when Owain came back he was , seemingly, jettisoned by the club and left on the sidelines. He is a good keeper (or was at least) and there was no reason for such an isolationist policy against a player who either made a mistake or should be praised for having the guts to try anther scenario abroad. No manager nor any club should attempt to control the life or destiny of any player UNLESS there is a signed contract in the boardroom of the club which he has either not kept to or abandoned or the other party to the deal was refusing to play him etc, etc. We don't know exactly how much he was paid before his departure and it says quite a lot for the player that when he decided to come back he came back to Caley Thistle, showing by that move alone that he cared for the club. He is not a criminal and yes, he may have made a mistake, by swanning off abroad like Dick Whittington to make his fortune but so what.? ..He was still able to kick a ball out of the goalie's area, was a very good keeper and the club should have put bygones behind them and encouraged him by playing him as frequently as possible. And IHE, spell out to me what other players would have done anything different to OFW re his actions to the money that came to him?

It's water under the bridge and now is spilt milk. Much more important things to look at the noo,

Nobody is perfect (unless you have a red face and your name starts with a "S & a P" of course) and he seemed like a very straightforward and likeable guy.

Bloody intellectuals! Can ruin a guy's real day ….. Clever though.

Much ado about nothing then--or so it appears from a long distance perspective anyway. DOH! But you have scuppered my plan for Caley and Clach to merge so I am raising my eyes to heaven and uttering one IHE's whistles. In my case though it's just despair-air because unless they do then I just don't see the fans of the town merging either and that's a real pity. To succeed , real change is often necessary and often that means a merger --- of money, title and heart. i.e everybody's shoulder to the wheel! But it looks to me, based on the comments above, that Clach is now never going to be a candidate for higher things and so why not just merge. I mean, just look at the general decline in Caley's fan base to date of those who actually attend games--meaning a huge negative in the prospects of building savings for the future. Has this signal message penetrated the minds of the owners or managers of Caley Thistle yet? They are not going to support the club financially for ever and a day so either the penny drops for all concerned or Caley will continue to slide farther down into mediocracy and financial despair . And then what? I'll tell you--mediocracy alright and no Scottish cup , yes to continuing dwindling crowds, little finance available to bring on the youngsters and less and less real interest by the general population of Inverness. And, perhaps, even the dissolution of the club...?

Complacency, Alan, won't do the trick. We need to win and win big to definitely have a chance of promotion next season.

Doofers ..many a word spoken in possible jest. etc. I just hope that Robbo comes back next season; After all it's not very nice for him to be the Manager of a "marked " team .

A win at any level is a development stitch in the fabric, PROVIDED that the Manager understands very well that this is just a warm up to advancement and has a definite plan in place as to improvement and progress.

OCH!

Would a new business , into pies, be a good investment ? Or is that just, perhaps , a load of pie -in-the- sky, like? If not you could always hire a "pied-piper" to lead a march down the old High Street as a "send-off".

Whether it's fair ,or whether we like it or not, ICT will invariably be seen as the "wee-er "of the teams and always , seemingly to the beaks, playing above our place in the general scheme of things and who should stay in the lower leagues where they belong and will always be seen, though, as a danger to their plans. Hence, despite the wrath of J R to recent events , there simply will not be much change. He will have to counsel our team to be ultra careful not to give-away soft or stupid penalties and bad fouls, control individual tempers and not to do things that give refs an opportunity to come down on ICT like a ton of bricks. So, what about "heat of the moment " tantrums though--well, JR will simply have to say "play on MacDuff and don't respond to deliberate dunts. In other sports, teams hire what they call "enforcers" ....they go after opposing players who deliberately do bad things and make them pay a high price. Especially when it's behind the ref''s back and such players have honed their emotional skills to make it seem as if the other player started the fracas in the first place. Also, ICT can school their players to commence a whispering campaign whereby the blue shirt whispers in the ear of the other offending player that if he does that again he will land up in hospital before the end of the game AND then get JR to hire a very large and imposing defender----er maybe Alan Simpson will be interested : what with your talking skills you can bamboozle the guy from the first sentence and sow the fear of death into him from one of your scowls accompanied by a reflex of your muscular flame. something like.. "Listen, Jimmy, wanna Go.....? Anyway, roll on next season. Hope John Robertson stays on. P.S. Lovely day here in La La Land...sun's out and Spring is springing. Time for me to get on the bike and limber up for a walkie in the sun..eh?