Scotty

Believe he is registered with the SPL as Alexander but goes by Zander in the same way as Juanjo was registered as Juan Jose Carricondo Perez

I am behind Charlie 100% and still think he is definitely the man for the job. Hopefully he has developed enough of a thick skin that some of the comments made here will bounce right off him. However, there is definitely room for constructive criticism so here is my tuppenceworth. We are all armchair managers, and of course we all know better than whoever is in charge because we are great at Championship manager or something like that .. or at least we are in our own minds .. However, to be fair to the management team, they see the players day-in and day-out in training so can perhaps be a better judge of who they think is the right man for the job come Saturday (or Tuesday/Wednesday or whatever day the game is on) .... and its down to that player to prove them right. At the end of the day, CC is not going to select a team based on favouritism as its his job that is on the line not the players' jobs if it all goes pear shaped. Having said that, I think we definitely need a shake-up in several areas as regardless of comments about 'competition for places' some of the players dont seem to have been performing in recent weeks and complaints of 'complacency' may appear valid. I wont pick individual players as it would be unfair given that I am only listening on the radio and not seeing it in person, which is an entirely different experience but the commentators have made mention of how much more potent we looked with Richie Hart on the park, how we dont 'tick' when Barry starts to lose steam late in some games, how certain players should tie their feet together as they only have one good foot ..... so maybe it is time to give the likes of Dargo a full game, have Richie Hart on from the start, have an option for a sub when Barry tires so he can give his all for 60 minutes and then leave it to someone else (Zander perhaps ? .. he has played on both wings) ... also, what about giving McSwegan a start alongside Dargo to provide the same sort of experience and guile that has some users calling for Brew to be re-signed .....

If any of them can do as well as the only other youngster to come through our ranks (Grant Munro) then we will be fortunate. However, despite bags of potential, not every player manages to get to the next level - remember how highly rated Chris Finnegan was, yet he was released. Mike Fraser - great young keeper, not sure I would call him a youngster anymore though. By all accounts he would already be a first team player if we didn't have 'marvellous mark' keeping him out of the side. Rory McAllister - bags of raw talent, rated highly by some, but the jury is still out on this one. Will he be a goal machine or another 'almost made it' player - a la Bavidge. I hope the first answer is the correct one ! Zander Sutherland - From what we have heard he may well be the most exciting prospect we have. haven't had much of a chance to see this potential yet though.

I have received an email from the chairman today but have not yet had a chance to read it through thoroughly. At first glance, it appears that he has attempted to answer pretty much all our questions and left the door open to this becoming a regular feature. The tone of the response suggests that communication with the fans is a key part of his plan and that both this website, the official website and supporters organisations such as the supporters club and supporters trust will all be involved in some way. Due to my own time constraints it will probably take a few days for the article to appear, but hopefully it will be online before the weekend.

Sounds like you live next door to CaleyD :015: :015:

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"We need to have eight, nine players being near their best to have a chance of winning games and we were far from that today" Charlie on Official Site after Well game

We weren't at TS in 97/98 ... think you mean a Scottish Cup game on 6th January 1996 which we won 3-2 with goals from Ross, Teasdale and Hercher. SATURDAY 6TH JANUARY 1996, TELFORD STREET PARK, INVERNESS TENNENTS SCOTTISH CUP SECOND ROUND CALEDONIAN THISTLE 3 (Ross 5, Teasdale 24, Hercher 77) LIVINGSTON 2 (Duthie 67, Harvey 76) CALEDONIAN THISTLE - Calder, MacArthur, Hastings, Bennett, Noble, Ross, Teasdale, Scott, Thomson, Christie, Hercher Subs not used - McGinlay, Mitchell & McAllister LIVINGSTON - Douglas, Sorbie (Callaghan 65), Alleyne (Coulston 85), Davidson, Williamson, McLeod, McMartin, Bailey (Thorburn 46), Young, Harvey, Duthie REFEREE - W Crombie (Edinburgh) ATTENDANCE - 1845 MAN OF THE MATCH - Mike Teasdale (Caledonian Thistle) BOOKINGS - Teasdale (Caledonian Thistle) & Harvey (Livingston) REPORT - Snow, ice and flooding put this game at risk but hard work by ground staff ensured the pitch was playable. Caley Thistle took the lead after 5 minutes - Brian Thomson was sent clear on the left by John Scott, cut the ball back and Daisy Ross sent a low drive into the net. It was 2-0 after 24 minutes when Mike Teasdale dispossessed Alleyne before running on and rocketting the ball home from 18 yards. In 67 minutes Livingston scored through Mark Duthie, a curling 20 yard shot which gave Jim Calder no chance, and 9 minutes later Graham Harvey made it 2-2 with a low drive from the edge of the box. Straight from the centre Caley Thistle's Alan Hercher ran on to a long through ball from Ian MacArthur and slid the ball past the onrushing Douglas. To the great relief of the home fans the match finished 3-2.

Yeah, they've already organised a night out with FW :015:

They obviously changed the technician to a sober one .... can now listen to ICT game by choosing ICT game

choose Kilmarnock game to get the Inverness game :017:

getting Hibs game again now

Dont remind me :008: ... I had to work that day and although my boss was gonna let me off if it was quiet at work, the place was feckin crazy busy so all I could do was go to the pub later in the day .......

I am sure FW has much experience in handling robust tackle(s) ...... oooer missus, I will give myself a warning now :018:

I think CC has got it right. The number 1 priority every season is avoiding relegation and when that is achieved - either because another team has a nightmare start or because we have a good one - then other goals such as top 6 or European qualification become realistic targets. I know we all like to think of ICT as world beaters and prefer to banish all thought of relegation from our minds, but the truth is that at the beginning of each season we are very much one of the group that are considered relegation candidates. Celtic and Rangers are not going to be relegated, and out of the rest, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, and Kilmarnock seem to comfortably avoid the dropzone each year ... those teams have routinely finished in the top six for a few seasons now. That leaves us with 6 teams including ourselves who could possibly have a nightmare set of results and find that relegation is a distinct possibility. I think Charlie's attitude in realising this gives us an edge over some of the other sides who feel they are "too big to go down".

Season runs from May - September/October .... no need :015: although we are screwed for entry to the SPL

renamed topic for you Charles :004:

so many games to choose from ..... (only picking games I was at) ..... here is my top10 in date order. [Mantis - I would have added Hearts and Celtic cup games if the original question didnt ask for home games ;) ... Tynecastle was great, especially the impromptu ICT chorus of Travis at the end in the p****** rain] 0-4 V Forfar - 03/05/97 - got gubbed but we didnt care as we got presented with the 3rd division trophy 2-3 V Dundee Utd - 18/02/98 - cup replay, looked dead before two very late goals. lost in extra time. my only time in the terracing at TCS. 5-0 V St Mirren - 06/05/00 - spoiled their title party but they didnt care 7-3 V Ayr - 02/12/00 - what a game 4-3 V Ayr - 27/01/01 - cup game, felt dead and buried at half time ! 5-2 V Raith - 19/09/01 - was in hospitality and put a fiver on the correct score at 50-1 - Wyness got 4 that night 3-0 V Partick - 27/04/02 - spoiled another title party 5-3 V QOS - 16/11/02 - memorable because i know a few QOS boys that were up for the game. ripped the **** out of them. 1-0 V Celtic - 23/03/03 - Cup game, late winner, night to remember (part 2) 1-1 V Celtic - 18/12/05 - my only SPL game at the TCS - memorable for that reason alone.

merged your two exact same posts - please dont double-post.

Toronto previously had a team called the "Blizzard" many years ago but they are now defunct. They played in the NASL. I don't know all the history, but the LYNX played in the 'A' League of professional 'soccer' over here which to my mind is of a similar quality to Highland League. However, with the formation of Toronto FC they decided to drop down to a lower league and are now classed as amateurs. Personally I think their demise started when they had to move from the 'varsity' stadium in the heart of the university campus in downtown Toronto to a site in the middle of nowhere west of the city near the airport. Toronto FC is an expansion franchise of MLS

Johnboy: Its 20,000 all seated. [attach=1] [attach=2]

I think pricing has a lot to do with it ... I am not intending to be over critical of the club here, as prices do have to rise in proportion to the division we are in, the costs we incur, and the recommended ticket pricing structure that the relevant league imposes, but maybe there needs to be a radical look at the way the charges are computed, especially for kids as we need to get them young and turn them into lifelong ICT fans and we cant do that if they wont go to games because the prices are too high .... Is it better to have a stadium half-full at 'expensive prices' or totally full by offering cheaper deals ? I would say the latter as it generates additional business for things like programs, 50-50 draw, merchandise, catering etc which in turn trickles back into the club's coffers either directly or indirectly (higher rent for catering hatches for example). However, as well as looking at prices, we also need to do more to make fans feel "valued" so they actually want to come back. We have heard grumblings about stewarding, lack of facilities, and other things over the years and this along with other measures (such as the potentially easily abused FBOs) has helped dilute the enjoyment factor to an all time low (not just at the TCS). The diehards will always go, but will potential 'new' fans return if they feel they are being treated like something nasty on the bottom of your shoe if they have the audacity to enjoy themselves ? I have just purchased a season ticket for Toronto FC (no worries, not jumping ship just need to see some live footy) - The ticket cost me $200 Canadian dollars (about 90 quid) but I had a range of price points to choose from depending on where I wanted to sit in the stadium (see picture at end of posting) and they have lots of things they have added in an attempt to make the supporters feel "valued". Toronto is of course a brand new team and are pulling out the stops to try and create a hardcore fanbase in a city more renowned for Ice Hockey, Basketball, Baseball and even Lacrosse so these incentives may erode over time, but maybe ICT could steal one or two of their ideas to enhance the "ICT experience" ? Here is what I get for my $200 (bullet points taken from TFC's marketing literature and have added some of my own comments in red) [li]Personal account executive to deal with all queries/problems. I feel valued already, any problems or queries about my season ticket and I have a direct line number to someone who can help me. OK, i realise he also deals with hundreds of others but I have spoken to him twice already to choose my exact seat and he remembered my name and has a great telephone manner[/li] [li]Special member prices for Toronto FC tickets, including purchases of additional tickets. mmm, buy additional tickets at a slight discount for friends who might only come to one or two matches, there's a good idea[/li] [li]Members entrance into BMO Field 15 minutes prior to the public. Jump the queue - always good for making you feel special :015:[/li] [li]Access to exclusive Toronto FC members-only team related events, parties and promotions. They already invited members on a pub crawl with Mo Johnston :015: and have sent out info about merchandise that will be available prior to official launch[/li] [li]15 home games and up to 5 additional matches. Basically all league and cup games[/li] [li]Advance window / discounts to other International games, friendly matches, Canadian national team games. Youth world cup here next year and I have first choice on my own seat for it.[/li] [li]Toronto FC membership card. gimmick but kinda cool[/li] [li]Advance access and 15% discount on team merchandise. they make money and I save money, everybody wins[/li] [li]Access to our ticket exchange program. I like this idea, and think it would work well at ICT with 'away' ICT fans who travel to games but dont buy a season book as they dont know how many games they will get to. This program means that if I cant make it to a game I can sell my ticket to someone else and the club will help me find that person. Not sure how it will work but presume it will run in conjunction with the second point about members being able to get additional tickets. I believe that I can also use the 'exchange' to upgrade to other parts of the stadium for matches where i might want to sit elsewhere (with visiting friends for example).[/li] [li]FREE access to all home games of the Toronto FC Reserve team. no big deal, but decent enough offer[/li] [li]Four issues of our team magazine "Free Kick". They havent got a full squad yet, but already their communication with members is excellent[/li] [li]Commemorative inaugural season Club Member pin. another gimmick but a kinda cool one[/li] [li]Special offers from our corporate partners. The only feature i didnt like, it means they are sharing their membership lists with sponsors and unlike UK, I dont think I can opt out.[/li] As I mentioned above, there was a wide range of price points from $200 up to $1600 for normal seats and from $25,000 to $40,000 for one of the 30 corporate boxes that line the main stand giving the club a chance to let normal fans in for a normal price while also allowing others to pay a premium for premium seats .... could that work at ICT ??? Seating chart. (with my seat in 113 marked - its where a section of supporters i used to meet at Toronto Lynx games decided to buy seats) [attach=1] Corporate boxes [attach=2]

found this interesting snippet about Denmark and taxes ....... Denmark is the master of tax. According to international statistics, Denmark has the highest overall taxation in the world. The following is a selection of the taxes: * A complex system of income taxes takes up to about 70% of peoples' salaries. * Plundering of personal pension funds. One of the underlying principles is that the funds are allowed to grow with the inflation plus 2-3%. Any revenue above that is confiscated as tax. In fact, the calculations are so complex that it's impossible for anyone to verify them. * The Value Added Tax is the highest in the European Union with 25% on all products and services, food and children's articles included. * Excise duties ("punktafgifter") add some extra tax to specific products like alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, soft drinks, packaging, matches and petrol. The excise duty is calculated on the goods and the VAT, resulting in a system where one pays tax on tax. * Car registration tax of 180% of the car and the VAT (the first 45.000 kr. are taxed "only" at 90%, and there are deductions for some safety equipment). Note that this includes a "tax tax" because the registration tax is also calculated on the VAT. * Annual road tax. * Tax on car insurance. * Fuel tax. * Energy taxes. * Green taxes. * Driving licence tax. * The European Union's most expensive television licence of 1894 kr. a year. * Various stamp duties, such as 600 kr. for a passport. * Tax on the number plates for cars of about 1200 kr. * Full income tax on all savings interests and capital gains. Many countries have taxfree schemes to encourage individual savings. Not Denmark. * Property tax. * Another tax on owned property. This used to be called tax of lejeværdi af egen bolig (letting value of own habitation). The communist principle behind it was that the habitation represents a potential taxable letting income. The letting value was calculated on a progressive scale from 2.5% to 7.5% of the public valuation. The letting value was added to the personal income before income tax was calculated. Thus, one paid tax of an income one never had. The principles have now been changed in order to hide the fraudulent nature of this tax. This tax is due even on properties abroad owned by residents of Denmark, and even if such properties abroad are already taxed in the country where they are. * Inheritance tax. * Emigration tax.

Very good interview with Donald Park on the official site from our very own Charles Bannerman. (believe its a copy of the article that appeared in the Highland Inverness News) CLICKY CLICKY

Ended up at Elgin City working in the commercial department AFAIK .... not sure if he is still doing that or not. Mike was a great guy too .... back in the early days of the site when we managed to get a few of the players to do live chat sessions Mike was always the first volunteer and seemed to enjoy it - think he did it twice or three times in total.