IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

And another Away day pissup

Get yer Dad a bottle of Pomagne, a bottle of Four Crown and 10 Woodbines - give it to him with "Under The Moon of Love " by Showaddywaddy blaring away in the background - What about a Photoshop outside the ground ? (Worked fer me) - And you could frame it and get it signed by some of the old Caley Legends, a few who still go to games. Oh and I could organize a signed Davy Milroy Dart Board.

Lets bring back Stevie Hislop fer this game

I know that it will get me into trouble with the Seer Society but the final is going to be ICT v Wrexham or Solihull at Dingwall.

Welcome Clyde 😉

Perhaps there has been brick building to maintain an open house ? To invest is to control ?

Same again next week. That is the next preview.

Three foreigners win it to hopefully bring on foreign opposition. The only way we will get back into Europe. Sick.

Aloha Alan. Well this game takes the feckin biscuit but it is a fig roll and not a chocolate digestive. Just win it and get a tie in another feckin country.

All we need now is IBM to tell us the feckin makes 😎

Well the Caley fare wheest Ayr in there oan back yard. Ended 2-zip with crackers from Vincent and Rooney. Welsh fecked his toe but Triffid stepped in. Sick. Already to go Tm4J 😉

Perhaps he has been keeping that car there fer years. I was always suspicious as to why he always sped in front by himself. Now I may have the answer. This may be the biggest scandal since Mo Farah. 😉

Well the Caley fare wheest Ayr in there oan back yard. Ended 2-zip with crackers from Vincent and Rooney. Welsh fecked his toe but Triffid stepped in. Sick.

Lets just say that some of us are more astute than others - Feel free to disagree

ME, YOU AND PIKACHU It was the day that the Highland Pokemon prevailed in deepest Ayrshire and I am sure that Pikachu was envious of the lightning strike by Shaun Rooney in the second half. It was my first “live” game of the season and the fare served up by the Caley Jags enthused and surprised me. That was as solid a team performance that I have witnessed for some time. We could have been ahead in the first minute when Miles Storey outpaced the Ayr defence but then dragged his shot slightly wide. And then game ten minutes of Ayr dominance. I felt that Ridgers kept us in the game three times, especially saves from McCowan and Moffat. Then on the half hour the away support lamented the substitution of Sean Welsh who hobbled off with yet another injury. But within seconds we were celebrating a contentious opening goal. Not many would have been surprised if the referee had stopped play to allow treatment for the poleaxed Jordan White, lying prostrate in front of the Ayr goal. But the referee played on and JAMES VINCENT appeared to deflect home a Rooney cross. Not exactly a carbon copy of his Hampden clincher but very important none the less. And I thought that we controlled the game thereafter. We were wholly solid defensively and looked dangerous on the break. The midfield certainly worked their socks off. Ayr’s final touch or shooting was well off although Ridgers did save us twice more in the second half, especially one save where he appeared to turn himself in the air when the initial shot was deflected. Roddy McGregor should have notched a second after the break but he hesitated and he who hesitates is lost. And then what must be a contender for goal of the season. In the 64th minute Donaldson punted upfield and SHAUN ROONEY remarkably kept the ball in play, swiveled, sped inside and as cool as a feckin cucumber slotted the ball home. Rooney could have claimed a second late on when Todorov failed to execute the through ball with Rooney sure to overlap again. Doran really should have made it three but slashed at the ball from the penalty spot. That completed another fine away day and the long journey home was worth it. Robbo’s after match comments summed it up and perhaps he really does think that Ayr are more of a danger than the Tannadice bunch - "We are only eight games in, but it is important that we are still there at the top of the table. We faced the best team in the Championship today and we asked the players to put on a performance, show their character and that's what they did in some style." And so to the Smileymometer and my apologies to the short-sighted Caley Stan !! 😉 RIDGERS (*****) On many a day he would have been MOM but he was outshone on the day by a Ross Tokely lookalike. ROONEY (*****) + Looking forward to seeing a replay of that goal. But apart from that he was solid at the back and always looked a danger when going forward – which he did menacingly on a regular basis. DONALDSON (****) Looked more assured and far much more like his old composed self. Perhaps his fitness has hit the 100% mark ? McCART (***) Tends to play in the shadow of Coll but he also looked assured and that central defence partnership will be a very important building block for the remainder of the season. TREMARCO (***) Appeared to concentrate more on defensive duties which may well be his remit from now on. VINCENT (***) Playmaker in the first half and very effective. Quieter in the second but defensively solid. WELSH (**) Another bitter blow and leg injury allowed only 30 minutes of holding midfield at its best. McGREGOR (***) Very lively, sharp and pacy. Some nice touches but too easily knocked off the ball. Did look like a wee boy on a pitch of men. But he can only improve and he does have the required potential. DORAN (**) Never does shine when the game is mostly about defending. Has lost some pace and that shows at this level. WHITE (**) Poor Jordan is simply not my cup of tea. His height and presence does attract central defenders but he does nothing in the air and his hold up play is lacking. His main contribution was the first goal assist !! STOREY (***) If only he had that bit of panache and composure to add to the lightning pace – he really would be wearing a magic hat. More effective out wide though. TRAFFORD (****) He more than successfully filled the boots of Welsh. He was winning everything in central midfield. CARSON (***) Evidently taken on to beef up the midfield. The complete opposite of McGregor. No nonsense needed in a game of this ilk. TODOROV (***) Still not the final product but I feel he is more mobile, is a better holder and has more pace than any other forward at the club. Probably a better foil for Storey as well It says that the attendance was 1912 but there looked a lot more than that – although the migration of Honest Men at the start and half time may have confused me. There were not many in the home end at full time though. My thanks to all, on and off the pitch, for making my first away day of the season a very enjoyable and wet one - and that surprising includes Kenny McLean

I was not Pichachu - Report 2morro

Of course there are "political" reasons for the EGM. To me the message is clear. We need more funding from new sponsors - we need better attendances - we really need promotion or have to look at all the other options - we cant afford the present youth system but we have to maintain the present playing squad as they actually look like they may do something this season.

Highland football has lost another famous son following the passing of former Caledonian Football Club Chairman Hugh Crout. He joined Caledonian Football Club initially as a committee member in 1970, a period in which David Birrell was club chairman, his second spell in the chair. Hugh took over the helm at Telford Street in 1973, and would go on to serve the club for a decade, by which time they had amassed a treasure trove of silverware along the way. A superb ambassador during his tenure with the “Blues” he formed a superb partnership with then Manager, the late great Alex Main, and together they would go on smash records throughout the Highland League. The silverware haul included: five Highland League Championship titles 1976-77, 1977-78, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84: Five North of Scotland Cup: 1973-74, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1983-84: Three Scottish Qualifying Cup victories: 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84: Two Highland League Cup successes: 1976-77, 1977-78: Two Inverness Cup victories 1977-78, 1982-83 Hugh was very much a real gentleman and made numerous friends throughout football, a man of integrity, who will be sadly missed.

My contacts are suggesting that Orion will be putting up the 250K "Bridging Loan". And a mini "takeover" at Fort William would provide a "feeder" team.

“We wanted to get a sound financial foundation for the rest of the season, to get the funds together so we don’t have to worry every month. “We’re going to have to look at what we’ve got at the moment in youth development. “The first thing we have to make sure is the normal football activity in the first team is protected. That’s the figures I gave tonight. “Then, we have to see what we can do with the youth academy. “It is survival of ICTFC on the park every Saturday and then we have to look at the luxuries of the youth development side. PERHAPS WE SHOULD ALL BE GETTING BEHIND THE BOARD INSTEAD OF LAMBASTING EVERY MOVE - We need starlings not vultures

Were you not a refusenik then ?

Can you book me in fer two ends and ten double voddies and coke please

Best of Luck Greg - Thanks for the great memories 😎

Same thing happened to me but I bought the cigarettes.