Huisdean

Feck me Johndo, your looks have improved with age!

I don't know why the authorities have such stupid rules.  The TV replays clearly showed the decision was wrong so why should Hearts even have to appeal?  You can't put things to right during the game and an incorrect decision and a sending off can seriously alter the course of a game.  That being the case, why punish the club even further for an "offence" that those administering the punishment know was not committed?  Its a waste of people's time and money.

 

These things happen so fast that I would be loathe to criticise the referee in this case, but when he sees the footage he will know he got it wrong.  Why can't referees be asked to add statements to that effect to their report so that the decision is then rescinded and the disciplinary panel then has no "offence" to punish.

Totally agree and it seems strange the SFA can use TV evidence to charge a player for an offence the referee has missed (witness the Dundee UTd player offered a 3 match ban for allegedly kicking a Celtic player) but cannot or will not use the TV evidence to rescind a decison that is so obviously wrong. Surely the SFA do not operate double standards!!.

Troll-tastic - in fact a lot of trolling going on tonight ;-)

Tichy if I'm trolling its certainly not intentional

In my opinion no self respecting Caley fan would ever wear the away top

As long as ICT continue to display the Thistle on the badge I personally won't purchase club merchandise but I certainly am not stopping any of my fellow ICT fans from doing so, like I said its my personal opinion

Dougal

How very true Alex. Hopefully some posters may take note of this including Dougal.

Perhaps one of the biggest factors in attracting decent numbers of fans back is actual competition. Many fans realsie their team will not win the league so for them, they don't see any point in attending. Many years ago, the majority of fans would attend no matter what but with so many other attractions these days, this could account for a large chunk of fans and maybe explain why, when we had a successful season, still no upturn in crowds.

I agree that somethings cost money and will be a non starter in these difficult times. An example of this would be the installation of large TV screens in corners of the ground but unless we have a willing sponsor to do this.......... However, i was thinking about specific deals for season ticket holders or specific events just to try and make it more than a ticket just to watch football. This could be a free draw for a hospitality once a quarter or discounts on hospitality packages/exclisive to season ticket holder hospitality packages. Point I am trying to make is to make a season ticket more than just that to try and increase numbers and market the club more.

I tend to agree with RIG on this but think that the club could look at making the season ticket more of a package than just a ticket for football. This doesn't just apply to ICT as I think clubs have to do more to make the game on a Saturday more of an experience and greater fan/audience participation.

I will be the first to admit i don't know how we can do this or start to go about this but I still think the season ticket idea is worthy of some thought.

Troll-tastic - in fact a lot of trolling going on tonight ;-)

Tichy if I'm trolling its certainly not intentional

In my opinion no self respecting Caley fan would ever wear the away top

As long as ICT continue to display the Thistle on the badge I personally won't purchase club merchandise but I certainly am not stopping any of my fellow ICT fans from doing so, like I said its my personal opinion

This is my personal opinion as well but I find your post very depressing. There are no Caley or Thistle fans any more only ex Caley or Thistle fans and Inverness Caledonian Thistle fans. If the word Thistle is in the name, it is logical that it appears on the club crestespecially as it was a merger of two sides that led to ICT, not as many Caley fans still seem to think, a takeover.

I was a Thistle fan for many years and still consider myself proud to have supported Thistle but I am now an ICT fan, end of story and to those fans who still cannot do something because Caley or Thistle are mentioned in the name, it's time to get a life and move on.

Dougal

Really disappointing if we are around the same levels as last year given last season. I do think, as another poster has already mentioned, that we could do more to market the club and it's products but too late now. Fro various poster as well, it seems that some have not purchases seasonn tickets but will apy at the gates for games that can/want to attend. I guess therefore that it may take many games into the season to see what the impact is on attendances but as Alex has said, they are not the be all and end all and, in my opinion, probably damaged the financial structure of clubs as years ago, season tickets were a relatively small percentage of ticket sales. If more people are going to turn up for games on the day however, the club has to work at making the matchday experience as pleasureable as possible.

On the bright side, possibly 3 home fixtures after the split if County and Aberdeen and ourselves make top 6!

Bannerman should really stop posting now as he is becoming a complete laughing stock

Maybe you should heed your own advice!

It's a shame actually; this thread could have been quite interesting, but due to it's derailment by the regular suspects/aliases/trolls it's become less "Merger Talk" and more like "Merger Cringe".

Well said that man.The fact that some posters still think it is important to harp on about how big Caley etc were in the 80s as if that really matters now is laughable. I know IHE clearly stated IF Caley had got the financial backing, they would have progressed to where ICT is today, very debateable point in my opinion, but if they had, it would not have been becuase it was it was Caley but the fact that more people would attend to watch a higher grade of football, not because they were caley supporters

It's quite simple Caledonian Fc had outgrown the Highland League, crowds were dwindling because by the late eighties there was no achievement in winning the title as it meant absolutely nothing

Had their been a proper pyramid system in the Scottish game Caley would have left Thistle a long way behind years ago, jags fans don't like hearing this but deep down they know had they not been taken over by Caley they would no longer be here in name at all

Jags fans to me are a very very strange breed, ICT are widely called Caley by 99% of Invernessians and also by the local and national media

The predominantly blue strip, The Caledonian Stadium etc etc I could go on but I don't really want to rub further salt in the wounds

Caledonian had the biggest support in the Highland League a lot larger than Ross County yet County have always had the better average attendances than ICT while they were in the same leagues

The merger has severly stunted crowds in Inverness no matter what the Jim Leishman worshippers like to spin as their story

I've said it before it will take a generation or two to pass before ICT will recover from the damage done twenty years ago

Dougal

Absolute nonsense Dougal. In the 80s and 90s, the Highland League was becoming dominated by the teams from the East and all three Inverness teams were not as strong as they had been. The fortunes of the Inverness teams tended to move in cycles with Caley/Clach and Thistle all having dominant spells although admittedly Caly were more dominant in the latter years. Before the mergers, both teams were dying on thier feet in terms of support and, while the merger certainly galvanised the caley support, it wasn't reflected in a massive surge in attendances.

Can we put all this to bed once and for all. I was and remain an ardent Inverness Thistle supporter but ICT are now my team and I support them 100%. If people still choose not to attend gamnes because of the merger then sod them and if they are supporting Ross County as IHE states, then I for one, don't want them in our support.

True but 4 wins from 1980 to 1994 is hardly being a dominant force although, as you say certainly better than my team's achievments.

It's quite simple Caledonian Fc had outgrown the Highland League, crowds were dwindling because by the late eighties there was no achievement in winning the title as it meant absolutely nothing

Had their been a proper pyramid system in the Scottish game Caley would have left Thistle a long way behind years ago, jags fans don't like hearing this but deep down they know had they not been taken over by Caley they would no longer be here in name at all

Jags fans to me are a very very strange breed, ICT are widely called Caley by 99% of Invernessians and also by the local and national media

The predominantly blue strip, The Caledonian Stadium etc etc I could go on but I don't really want to rub further salt in the wounds

Caledonian had the biggest support in the Highland League a lot larger than Ross County yet County have always had the better average attendances than ICT while they were in the same leagues

The merger has severly stunted crowds in Inverness no matter what the Jim Leishman worshippers like to spin as their story

I've said it before it will take a generation or two to pass before ICT will recover from the damage done twenty years ago

Dougal

Absolute nonsense Dougal. In the 80s and 90s, the Highland League was becoming dominated by the teams from the East and all three Inverness teams were not as strong as they had been. The fortunes of the Inverness teams tended to move in cycles with Caley/Clach and Thistle all having dominant spells although admittedly Caly were more dominant in the latter years. Before the mergers, both teams were dying on thier feet in terms of support and, while the merger certainly galvanised the caley support, it wasn't reflected in a massive surge in attendances.

Can we put all this to bed once and for all. I was and remain an ardent Inverness Thistle supporter but ICT are now my team and I support them 100%. If people still choose not to attend gamnes because of the merger then sod them and if they are supporting Ross County as IHE states, then I for one, don't want them in our support.

I actually do think that Caley would only have grown and gown IF they got the same financial backing afforded to ICT. Caley were a local institution and were always the biggest draw fer the fun loving Sneck football fraternity. Caley had a fair core following and had the historical and family influences. The vocal support would have been a magnet fer the yoof beginning to follow ICT now and that would have probably have ignited years ago. ICT have attracted a lot of curious support from around the world and a tradition like Caley may well have attracted many more. Can you imagine sticking a full Howden End under the bridge and multiply it by 4 or 5 !!

But then again, if the Jags had got into the league instead of Ferranti Thistle, they would surely have started to attract a bigger support similar to what you suggest for Caley. Let's be honest, both supports had dwindled dramatically pre the merger and the days of 5/6000 at local derbies had long gone.

Not that good news as we hardly ever win when on TV!

Am I not right in saying that Hogg's wife is Butcher's goddaughter (She's the daughter of George Burley I believe)?  I remember talk as well that one of reasons Butcher punted Munro was due to preferring Hogg and apparently never rating Munro since he arrived.

 

With that in mind, I wouldn't be surprised to see Butcher offer him a new deal (and I hope he does).

IMO both penalty decisions were wrong.  The Motherwell one was a blatant dive, while Ross just falls over his own feet.  The first Motherwell goal should never have happened either - it came from them winning a free kick that was never a foul.  Another poor poor game from Willie Collum and it's not the first time that's happened.

 

I actually thought as well, that we were almost contributing to our own downfall in the second half.  The all-out-attack system from the first half seemed to have been stopped and the defence was sat far deeper than before.  As we've seen in the past (the Challenge Cup Final for example) that can be suicidal and could have cost us.

 

A great, exciting game though, and our first half tactic, of taking the game by the horns and playing with far more gay abandon rather than the recent tentative safety-first football that we've seen in the previous weeks, is the way to go, till the end of this season and next.

A classic case of Gollum evening things up after he realsied he had made a mistake for the Motherwell penalty perhaps?

Don't think Hogg will play as asking a lot for him to play 2 games on the trot after such a long time out. Meekings to centre back and Raven back in would be the only changes. We need to play as we did against Motherwell as if we can get ahead, Utd don't pose the same attacking threat as Motherwell. Need to get ahead early in this game and if we can do that, i am convinced we will win.

The problem that needs to be solved here however is that the fand want a bigger league but the clubs don't as it gives them less games and less revenue especially the clubs who want 2 games against Celtic, and previously Rangers as big money spinners. Until that is resolved, there is absolutely no chance of a bigger leagie in my opinion. I also think fans missed a big opportunity this season in that there was a lot of talk of boycotts of games, not turning up to watch your team again if Rangers were allowed to stay in the SPL/Division 1 as the clubs wanted their money. However the clubs listened to their fans, and by and large the fans kicked the clubs in the teeth by not turning up in greater numbers. Had the fans done so, there would have been a much better chance of getting bigger leagues agreed.

I also think part of the problem is the increase in season tickets now sold. 20 years ago, it would have been nothing like the levels at all clubs today as more folk turned up on the day to watch and thiswas more affordable for them. Wioth the clubs relying so heavily on season ticket sales, I think that inflates the on the day price and is a barrier to some fans attending.

Although you are a master of debate IHE, you master baiting doesnt seem to be attracting anyone better luck on the next fishing expedition, 

Not sure if intentional Scotty but two words in your post may well sum up IHE!!

I could live with bringing in Taylor full time.  He's looked pretty good every time I've seen him play and can play on the wing as well apparently.

 

Roberts is lazy.

Keep all squad together. I would re sign Charlie Taylor and Phillip Roberts. Undecided on Gibbons as only seen him in one U20.

Maybe not the best but that comment is just ridiculous and don't forget, he is still a youngster. He does have fair bit of skill but needs to improve his workrate and the defensive side of the game.

Nah, routine stuff, although his handling was good, not deserving of points though, unlike Meekings who was once again superb, strong and fast, another good night for Josh.

I think the only thing for sure on this is we will have Celtic and County away guaranteed.

At the time, I thought the penalty decision was a shocker; having watched the Alba pictures it seems a very difficult one to call - one angle seems to suggest Ikonomou got the ball and one does not.  I'm not complaining, mind!  Iain Brines was just embarrassing; asking a policeman to go and have a chat with Derek Adams seems pretty cowardly to me, and he showed the patience of a saint with Vigurs' dissent and repeated fouls.  I'm just grateful that we got the rub of the green with the clown's biggest decision.   I've not come away from any of the derbies this season thinking we were particularly better than County, and today was the same.  After we got the early goal, they dominated midfield and we struggled to get any possession.  That said they created very little before Lawson's goal.  It was certainly a terrific hit, but I'm flabbergasted no-one got out to try and block it, and disappointed that Esson didn't save it - I thought he had plenty of time to get across his goal and he got a hand on it.  I'm not too worried about Reguero being in goal for a bit - for me, the Spaniard has looked the superior keeper this season.   The back four played very well for the most part; I thought Taylor really struggled at Dens Park last week but he did an excellent job this afternoon and was probably our best player.  Warren, Meekings and Raven were all good.  I'm not convinced the shape of the midfield was a good idea, but as the game went on Foran had more influence in the middle of the park and Draper got into it more and more.   I'll take that result - and the sour look on Adams' face - any day.  Hopefully we can get through the last derby of the season - I'm certain there will be one more - with an unbeaten record for the campaign against County

He shouldn't be getting involved in these arguments with the fans in the first place, its not the first time. 

True but in the heat of the moment and when you are disappointed, easier said that done when some idiot shouts abuse at you. There were a few comments from fans at the end of the game directed at Butcher from the main stand that were just ridiculous. Some fans really do need to get a grip and take a long hard look at themselves. I wonder why some of them even come to see us as some of these fans I have yet to hear shout anything positive or encouraging towards the team at all.

What abuse was shouted ?Along the lines of you're ****ing useless Butcher, get xx(player) ****ing off as he's useless etc. The same people also are like that in most games with the players as well and I have had arguments with some of these people in the past about getting behind their team instead of always being negative. Perhaps, because of the low crowd, lebvel of disappointment and general quiteness of the fans, especially at the end, these commenst seemed to be more audible than usual.