Huisdean

Totally agree IHE. If we get through all fine and well but if not, enjoy the experience. These ties have unfortunately come at the wrong time in terms of team re-buildlng (for which someone has to take some responsibility for) but let's not kid ourselves that we will be an instant success on the European stage

Not sure that is what he is saying as appears to be comparing Scottish Championship (ie 1st Division) with Conference league. On a slight related topic, I think loaoning out some of our younger players to Highland league clubs would be of benefit as would certainly toughen them up and give them better competitive experience thasn reserve/under 20 league or whatever it is called now.

Bad move in my opinion unless he has been guaranteed more game time. Even then, don't honestly think he is as big a loss as some make out. Really need to strengthen squad now for the coming season although probably too late for Europe.

Like most Thistle or Caley fans ( I was a season ticket holder for may years at Kingsmills but not at the time of the merger), I think IHE has made a valid point. A lot of these supporters had a "big team" as well as a local team. I was an Aberdeen supporter as I was born in Aberdeen before moving to Inverness as a child and started to support Inverness Thistle. This did not stop me going through to watch Aberdeen games however. After the merger however, which I still think was the best solution, I decided that as an adopted Invernessian, ICT would be my team and have been ever since. I am sure that many people also did this but the "rebels" just decided to support their big team to their great loss.

While undoubtedly Nick Ross is a talented footballer, has he really played better that other players to deserve a more regular starting slot. I don't think he has and until he shows he is deserving of a start every week, then he should not be guaranteed one. If he moves, is he guaranteed a regular start wherever he ends up?.

I find if you go up the Polmadie Road, just north of the M74 there's loads of street parking, an easy getaway right onto the Mway after the game. I still don't believe all the guff about them taking you through the courts for parking at Asda mind. If it ever gets that far, and it won't, just tell the Sheriff that £80 or whatever it is, is unreasonable for 3 hours parking and offer them a tenner. It's not a fine after all, it's a "parking charge". [Thanks Mantis/quote]

Team more or less picks itself but Doran has to start ahead of Nick Ross as he offers a far greater threat going forward so Esson Raven Meekings Devine Shinnie Doran Tansey Draper Christie Watkins Ofere

Personally a red and black stripe away kit would be good (like the Inverness Thistle strip of the early 70s) and would be worth it to see IHE's face!

Personally, I don't really care how many fans we take as those that will be there, myself included, will have a huge memory of the day ICT lift their first national trophy . However, there will be local people who are starting to realise the significance of this event as shops start to put on displays, press coverage increases and the shop opens in the market. They may be swithering on whether to go to the final and if they know x thousand tickets already sold, it might, just might encourage more people to but tickets. Peoiple may not know that jkids can go for a fiver or that their travel is subsidised so ant postive media information that the club can spin is bound to help ticket sales. I am genuinely not having a pop at the club but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to attract more/new fans. As we start to reach more finals, the novelty aspect will wear off (!!) but if you can say you attended the first Scottish Cup final that ICT got to, and saw them lift the cup, then you will be part of history.

Don't know if that will be the case Jo but to stress the point again, if ticket sales on the low side, we have to try and increase. Promoting how many we have sold,if more than the League Cup final, and we will have our highest ever support for a game (which I believe we will). All positive messages that can be spun for the benefit of the club and supporters.

Totally agree, what harm can it do to publish sales figures. It builds excitement and momentum for the Final. Cannot understand why the club are so reluctant to do this as this can only generate positive publicity. It would appear we will have our biggest ever support at the Cup Final but we don't know for sure which, is quite frankly, an appaling piece of PR. This could be expoited in so many ways to help the club and grow the interest and fan base. This could be a one off occasion or not happen again for many years so please let us make the most of this heaven sent marketing opportunity.

I'm driving down, any advice on car parking near Hampden?.

No

Not sure if the word fine is correct. I can think of another work, also beginning with f but also adding the word awful after it.

By all means make 2 or 3 changes but no more. We need to keep the winning run going into the final and I want to se the strongest team we can put out against Dundee Utd.

Agree but remeber only half the north and south stands for us and they will only open up the east stand section by section as tickets start to sell as I understand it. I am sure there will be plenty tickets for all but would be dleighted if we needed more.

I don't think this is the game to be trying out such radical changes for players and Doran is not a defender. He is far better as an attacking option. This is quite simply, a game we must win and if it means winning ugly then that has to happen. two more wins would seal third place I think so let's start tonight.

but todays sale was for season ticket holders/shareholders and fans who attended the semi. A casual fan will be able to get them when they go on general sale and there will be plenty days to get these so your comments are a bit harsh. It took me 2 hours to get mine, probably with 4 serving, may have taken an hour but this was down to several things, volume of people, people choosing where they wanted to sit and lots of people buying got groups. The two people in front of me bought in excess of 20 tickets each which did cause delays but tickets got and final here we come.

While it would have been good if tickets were cheaper, don't think we can complain too much about the prices especially the concessions. If you go to a concert, you will pay much more than this on average and for people who may only attend this game this season, prices are reasonable.

last 2 games have shown we have got back to the ability to pass our way through teams and create chances but oh how we lack a natural goal scorer. Not one of our best defensive performances yesterday although the first goal had a touch of good fortune about it. For the second, not for the first time this season have we been slow to react in the box when the ball come s back out from a save/clearance etc. Something to work on.

A bit harsh there Lawrence. Playing against the wind did have an effect on either side but to say we didn't look fit??????

It was reported on Monday or even Sunday night that the ref had consulted the goal-line assistant and linesman as to the incident with Josh. He did not see it clearly to award a foul, the goal-line assistant though it hit Josh's head, and the linesman didn't see it. That was as clear as day, they mis-interperated what happened, but did consider it could have been an offence but ruled it out as none of them knew for sure. The tv pictures show the incident clearly, but you cannot tell if he tries to save the header, you normally have your eyes open if you try to save a shot or header. It was certainly not intentional. I do remember an 'incident' earlier this season, at Kilmarnock, but can't remember who the opposition were, but it wasn't Celtic, may have been the Dons or Well. Player unsighted from ref and linesman, raised his hand and saved a shot from 8-10 yards or so. No question about being accidental, or to close to avoid, he saved it like a keeper. No penalty, and it was near the end of the game. I can remember Sportscene making a feature about it. Conclusive tv showing the player raising his hand to his right and palming the ball off the line. No Complience Officer involved for what was an unquestionable deliberate handball. That would have set a precident for the after the incident retrospective handball, not to raise it when it was extremely questionable because it was against Celtic. I do hope that the Celtic players and management after this are men, and do not lay out a Roy Keane, Graeme Souness or Scott Brown style of vengence in their last game of the domestic season. And that is why the SFA could have totally diffused this situation by simply stating, from the view of the referee and assistant, they could not tell which part of the body the ball struck so could not award a penalty. The more I see of the incident, it would have been interesting to see, had the referee spotted this whether he would have sent off Josh as he deemed it be deliberate.

Now that this has been sorted out, correctly in my view, it is time to look at who are the real villians in this matter. For me it is the SFA. If, as reported, the officials did not see the handball incident clearly enough to be sure it struck a hand, they cannot give a penalty, end of story. As I have said before, there is no conclusive TV footage that gives the view from the referee or his assistant so to use TV footage to try and retrospectively ban a player is a very gig step to take and a wrong one in my opinion. People will say the referee made a mistake on this but again, in my view he has not as he cannot be sure it was handball from where he saw the incident. That really should have been the end of the matter but the SFA, who are the real villians in this wanted a scapegoat to appease the Celtic support. How difficult would it have been for the SFA to say that "referee or assistants, from their viewpoint, did not see a handball and could not give a penalty". I do feel for the officials in this game now as they have been hung out to dry by a spineless SFA. Finally, and this is really lazy journalism, if this citing could have happened since the rules were introduced, why did someone not ask Vincent Lunny why he had not raised a case before as don't for one minute think this has not happened previously. Lunny was constantly stating rules are the rules, clubs are aware of them and citing perfectly valid so why had this not happend before. Not wanting to start a conspiracy theory but you can draw your own conclusions.

I just wonder if we will rest Meekings for this game given all he has been through and give Devine some game time.

Would have thought 12.15 would be more appropriate!! probably about an hour before the first bus or train from Inverness arrives in Glasgow You mean they have taken this into account