Scotty

I know we have a multi-page thread discussing Barry's testimonial but this is going in as a separate thread at the request of the club and the testimonial committee as they want as many of the "priority" groups to be able to get tickets before the deadline. A press release was issued today MAKE A BRIEF STOP FOR YOUR BRIEFS Tickets for Barry Wilson's Testimonial match against a Liverpool XI on August 18th went on sale yesterday to priority categories (season ticket holders, shareholders and members of the Supporters' Trust, the Supporters' Club and the Centenary Club) and sold extremely rapidly all day. Barry's Testimonial Committee are particularly concerned that people in these categories do not lose out on this opportunity to purchase tickets and are now urging them to claim their tickets as soon as possible. "People in priority categories are entitled to tickets over and above for their own use and during the day their has been a large uptake for extra tickets," said Testimonial Committee member Les Kidger. "I'm most definitely not being complacent and saying that this game is going to sell out, but if season ticket holders and priority groups, are looking for extra tickets we are definitely suggesting that they get down to the Caledonian Stadium or call the ticket office, as soon as possible to purchase them, especially if they want a number of seats together." Single tickets for season ticket holders are guaranteed until close of business on Saturday and all remaining tickets will then go on sale to the general public on Monday 19th. The match organisers have been overwhelmed by interest in the fixture ever since it was launched last Wednesday. "We are especially grateful to the staff at the Stadium who have been been of huge assistance to us in connection with this game which is clearly going to be a major occasion for football in Inverness ," said Les. Tickets are priced at ?15, ?7 for children and ?40 for a group of two adults and two children.

totally agree. However, it does sound like there is a plan though as the young lad who just extended his contract (McNulty) has been told he will be in the first team squad as 3rd choice keeper next season.

very true

Had a nightmare last night where Dennis and one or two others who dont seem to get a look in at ICT were absolute revelations at County and propelled them to the first division title with a team not dissimilar to the one that took ICT there ...... :004:

The difference is also that Hearts are 40 MILLION in debt (and rising) compared to the 4 Million of Gretna ..... If Vlad ever gets too much grief, decides he cant be bothered any more, or has a crucial planning application go the wrong way and walks away in the huff then I cant see him being too charitable about his bank calling in the debt he has allowed HMFC to rack up .....

AIM #1 - Finish 11th or better AIM #2 - Finish 10th or better AIM #3 - Finish 9th or better AIM #4 - Finish 8th or better ... you get the idea !!! I cant remember who made the comment - I think it was Brewster when he took over from CC - but I liked it. It was something along the lines of no matter what position you are in, the focus is to catch the team ahead of you and to put space between you and the team behind you ..... if he can do that and finish 8th, 7th, or into the top 6, I will be happy.

Very commendable Caley 100 but I wonder how many will do likewise when he eventually takes us back to the first division :024: That would indeed be the "acid test". As ICT fans we have all been somewhat 'spoiled' since 1994. We have advanced from Division 3 to the SPL and in all that time we have usually progressed or at least held our own. We have never experienced the very real emotional trauma of relegation or financial administration even if we have come close to both at times. We have had a few setbacks and some really bad results .... hammerings in Ayr, Greenock and Airdrie, and at home to County, losing in the semi-finals of the cup twice, losing to Celtic in the last couple of minutes of yet another cup tie after seemingly cruising to victory, losing to Alloa on penalties in the Challenge cup etc etc etc but we have also had a multitude of happy days - The Div3 championship, The Div1 championship, Winning the Challenge Cup, each and every victory over County, beating Celtic and Hearts in cup games while a lower league team, memorable games like the 4-3 or 7-3 victories over Ayr, beating all SPL teams except Aberdeen ... I could go on. I think that many of us feel like the team has stagnated in a state of mid-table mediocrity and some changes need to be made. However, we all wonder with a measure of both dread and anticipation whether the wholescale changes that Brewster seems likely to make in the close season will move us forward or propel us backwards. This time next year Brewster will either be "hero" or "zero" and despite my misgivings about him, I hope it is hero !!! From my point of view, stagnation is probably to be expected, we are a small provincial team in the top division of the country. We are not good enough to win the league because - whether we like it or not - other teams do have more pulling power when it comes to wages, support, and the quality of players they will attract. However, I will take mid table stagnation with the odd expedition to the top reaches of the league and maybe to a cup final over the spectre of relegation anyday !!!! [li]If I still lived in Inverness I would still be a season ticket holder regardless of division, manager or anyone else at the club.[/li] [li]If the club ever get relegated, I will still run this site with the same enthusiasm as I have done since we were in Division 3.[/li] [li]If the club ever get their act together and provide those of us overseas with audio/visual options, I will be one of the first subscribers regardless of which division we are in.[/li]

The standard of refereeing in Scotland (and MLS for that matter) is shocking and McCurry is only one of many who consistently get complained about. I didnt see the incidents (no highlights for us non-UK based bods unfortunately) but reading various reports it certainly sounds as if he was either grossly incompetent or biased. Also, if the statistics mentioned earlier about how Rangers win significantly more often when he is officiating than when anyone else is prove to be true then his position as a referee is untenable at any level of the game. It is time for professional referees that have to meet certain standards and can and will be held accountable when they fail to meet them. However, in recognition of the fact that it is also hard for refs at pitch level to see everything through a ruck of bodies and make split second decisions without the benefit of the grandstand view that we the punters or indeed the pundits have I would say it is also time to look at what technology we could implement to help them whilst not interrupting the flow of the game. Goal line cameras ? A 5th official in the stands watching a monitor that has a TiVO / PVR type player that not only records but can pause/rewind live footage and allow them to give an instant decision in controversial circumstances ? Two additional linesmen so that each one covers only one half of one side of the pitch ? earpiece/microphone so communication with assistants is instantaneous and not by way of running over to the side of the pitch and having a discussion ?

If you want to be pedantic, there was no such team as Inverness Caley either !!!! it was Caledonian FC However, lets get back on topic by assuming the original poster meant Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Caley Thistle, Caley Jags, Inverness CT, I.C.T., Caley, Jags, or whatever 'common name' you like to call the team.

Kevin MacDonald - no chance. He is currently doing his UEFA PRO license which is a pre-requisite for managing in the English Premiership (or will be come 2010). This guy is thinking ahead and I very much doubt that Inverness is anywhere in his plans. Steven Pressley - what makes anyone think a) he would come here and b) he would do a better job. He has no track record. Robertson / Paterson - sorry. no. Doesnt Brewster fall into that category ? He may have been around a long time on the park but despite 3 roles as manager (ICT,DUFC,ICT) he can hardly be described as having been around a long time in a management sense. I will grant you that its yet to be seen whether he actually has any "new ideas" though !!!

Bob - CCC is a bonafide female poster ..... soon to be Mrs Gringo Jnr.

Looks like SKY got the lineups wrong ...... according to the BBC Russell Duncan came on at half time and Brew is NOT a sub. SKY have now changed their lineup page and added Duncan to it and removed Brewster !!!

no radio coverage today - blocked game. having to listen to St Mirren / Gretna :007:

[li]Discuss the game in this very thread right here :004:[/li] [li]Get to the chatroom HERE[/li] [li]See the subs / bookings / report - after the game starts - HERE[/li] [li]See the stats etc after the game has ended by choosing today's game from HERE[/li] [li]At the game ? - Dont forget to vote in the POLL after the game has ended. HERE [/li] [li]At the game ? SUBMIT A MATCH REPORT [/li] LINEUPS FALKIRK [attach=1] ICT [attach=2]

The more popular MLS teams (like Toronto) get 20,000+ at every game but if you look at the websites of some of the others for attendances they can be pretty low.

[attach=1]

not really .... the stadium staff do talk to each other you know .... at least most of them do :004:

ICT will always be #1 though :004:

Dont think Tom Parratt played in MLS though !!! MLS is a decent league regardless of what people with little knowledge of it might think. Its not to the same level as the English Premiership, Serie A or even individual "superstar" teams in other leagues but I think most MLS teams would hold their own in the SPL (on a good day). Creating a squad in the MLS is a complicated affair with so many different designations of players as well as a salary cap but it does tend to level the playing field a little as no team can fill its squad full of highly paid superstars .... (http://web.mlsnet.com/about/league.jsp?section=regulations&content=overview) If you look at Toronto FC you will see that the wages range from US$12,900 for Attakora-Gyan who is basically a youth player to 330K+ for Laurent Robert and Carl Robinson who are the midfield mainstays. What surprises me is that Marvell Wynne (a recent call-up to the US national team) is only on 47K per year (although he does seem to be guaranteed a lot in bonuses etc)...... he is an excellent player ... a speedy right back who tackles hard and gets forward on surging runs and IMHO worth more than quite a few who get higher wages than he does !!!

MLS actually publish player salaries !!! http://www.mlsplayers.org/salary_info.html

A lot would be affordable as the wages for "developmental" and "normal" players can be quite low ... not everyone gets Beckham style wages ..... the bigger question is whether players would be willing Out of TFC's squad, I would love to see Greg Sutton (GK), Marvell Wynne (RB), Maurice Edu (CM) or one or two others at ICT .... but cant see it happening. Sutton is settled and both Wynne and Edu WILL play in the English premiership before too long. On another note ... I see Derek Soutar may go the other way ... to Houston Dynamo !!!!

Huckerby will end up in the lower leagues in England or at an MLS side who can both pay more than we can (or are prepared to pay more).

i tried, i really tried, but when they are teed up so well you just cant resist responding and mentioning the title of "master baiter" that some have earned on here ..... :tic01: :tic01: :tic01: .... anyhow, warning to self about going off-topic ..... and now back to the topic great news for Barry to get Liverpool, hope he makes a decent profit from it.

Press release now issued : see it on front page at www.caleythistleonline.com No point having two threads on the same subject

Actually BornCaley, our chief executive has overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the stadium, including matchdays. He may have staff members to handle certain jobs or roles but ultimately - as far as I am aware - he is responsible for everything except team matters. He takes a lot of stick on here, some of it is justified in my opinion, but a lot of it is not and it is to his credit that he is not firing off emails or phone calls in our direction most weeks after some of the things that get said about him. Now that the official tag is gone from this site, I will openly criticise the club when I think they get things wrong but on the flipside, I will also say when I think they get it right. If he behaved as the initial poster said then this is not right and an apology is warranted but as with many things posted on here you sometimes wonder if you are getting the full story ...... As for banners - I have to side with the club on this one ..... The banner in question was "attached" to the stadium and as such it is the club's decision as to what is allowed to be attached in such a manner and what is not .... He didnt confiscate it like some clubs would do - or like nasty stewards did at Hampden with the beachball we had for our first ever SF - he gave it back to the guy and told him he could wave it or do whatever he liked with it, he just could not attach it to ICT property because of the message it contained. The fact that it is hard to wave a banner about without the use of a pole and said pole is a restricted item (nationally) is neither here nor there. Think of it another way .... We are happy for people to come on here and express their different opinions but when those opinions break our rules or when people come on here and "attach" abusive messages to the forum about one of us we also do exactly what he did and tell them they cannot attach it to our property (the forums), we pretty much confiscate it (by moving or removing the post) and we dont give it back ...