Sneckboy

2. Barcelona - Juanjo

20. Happy Valley - Paul Ritchie

Here's a great website for previous kits!

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Scottish_Football_League/Inverness_Caledonian_Thistle/Inverness_Caledonian_Thistle.htm

Was it a change of sponsor logo? From flybe.com to OrionGroup?

Ryan Esson's favourite song is The Reflex by Duran Duran...or should that be Doran Doran!

Ah, welcome back fevtyke!...No need for the gloating(!) but your comment is taken in the good humour I'm sure it was intended!

The recent results of our teams are in sharp contrast- I see you guys have won 5 and drawn 1 of your last 6 - and have a realistic shout at reaching the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup! Inverness have had a poor rub-of-green in the last few games...no need to hit the panic button just yet!

Saturday 2nd February

SPL

Iain Vigurs (Ross County 2-2 Hearts)

1st Division

Bryan Prunty (Dumbarton 3-4 Livingston)

3rd Division

Rory McAllister (Peterhead 1-1 Berwick Rangers)

Highland League

Zander Sutherland TWO goals (Brora Rangers 4-1 Keith)

English League 1

Adam Rooney (Crawley 1-1 Swindon)

Check how far off his line Dudek is saving that pen!

Yeah, the Brora move might actually materialise for Tokely! Then again, there's always Elgin or Peterhead!

Let's try to make the Top Six first?! February will be a crucial month with 5 tough fixtures in 19 days. The gap between us in 2nd and St. Mirren in 11th is just 9 points. As nice as it is to be where we are, there are no prizes given out for January league positions. Things could yet unravel very quickly!

Wednesday 30th January

SPL

Gregory Tade (St. Johnstone 3-1 Aberdeen)

Yeah, he was released at the end of December along with Andre Martins.

I have one question.

 

Why did we let an Englishman take a penalty? Look at Englands records in penalty shoot-outs.

 

 

Well Draper netted a penalty again against Stenny! And by the way, Philip Roberts isn't English! He plays for the Republic of Ireland!

I'm just trying to think about who took a penalty in the Stenhousemuir game.  I know Foran missed one, but I think Draper and Warren took one as well (might be wrong though, but I'm pretty sure the former did).

 

I've no problem at Roberts taking a penalty per se, but perhaps having him take one of the earlier ones would have been a better option.  He is a more forward player after all (doesn't always make a good penalty taker mind, hence why I never wanted to see Tade taking one) and must have volunteered.  Perhaps having a more experienced player like Jones or Andrew Shinnie would have been better off saving for the fifth, particularly with the pressure that came with the pivotal final penalty.  

For the record, the penalties vs. Stenhousemuir were:

Foran - Missed...!

G. Shinnie - GOAL!

Morrison - GOAL!

Doran - GOAL!

A. Shinnie - GOAL!

----------------------------

Sudden-Death

Draper - GOAL!

Roberts - GOAL!

The phrase 'rubbing salt in the wounds' was invented for what I'm just watching on BBC 'tisnow...looks like St. Mirren are going to set up a Final with Hearts!

Ach, second rate tournament - Hearts v. St. Mirren - it gets the final it deserves!! Haha

Got to feel for young Philip Roberts. Although I don't think anybody should be to 'blame' either him or Butcher for the miss. We're a fickle bunch - often with short memories.

It should be remembered that he stepped up last -and scored- in the penalty shoot-out win over Stenhousemuir to effectively put Inverness through. There might not have been the game today had he not shown the bottle on that occasion!

Saturday 26th January

1st Division

Darren Dods (Falkirk 4-3 Airdrie United)

2nd Division

Graham Bayne TWO goals on debut (Arbroath 3-1 Forfar Athletic)

Man alive charlie boy, a little over reaction there! Im well aware of what our club has achieved and the trials its gone through in the last 18 years, i was there i saw it. All im saying is the plans that the club had for seated stands are far better than what we ended up with.

And Philee i like your vision of the CL trophy being in our boardroom. However if we wish to see any european action in Inverness we would need at least a 10,000 seated stadium

A 10,000 seated stadium is not needed for the Europa League. ICT's ground meets the UEFA criteria for the Qualifying Rounds. However, if Inverness happened to reach the Group Stage, there may be an issue, as they stipulate that clubs must have 8,000 seats for that stage. UEFA may turn a blind eye as the Caledonian Stadium is close to that!

Saturday 19th January

Notable mention : Mark Brown saved a penalty for Ross County at St. Mirren (!)

Highland League

Craig MacMillan TWO goals (Brora Rangers 3-4 Nairn County)

Zander Sutherland HAT-TRICK on debut! (Brora Rangers 3-4 Nairn County)

Saturday 12th January 2013

1st Division

Bryan Prunty (Dumbarton 2-0 Partick Thistle)
 

3rd Division

Garry Wood (Annan Athletic 2-1 Montrose)

 

Highland League

Graham Bayne (Lossiemouth 0-4 Wick Academy)

Bookmakers appear to have suspended betting on the Barnsley job...

Not wanting to sound obsessed with Bookmakers' odds but they are usually a good gauge. These guys have sources - after all it's their business and livelihood. You never see a poor bookie (unless of course you happen to be a small Turf Accountant in Fort William and a horse called Ben Nevis wins the National!)

Anyway, the odds are moving favourably...8/13 now on Butcher for Barnsley (approx 62% chance of leaving). But significantly, Micky Mellon's odds have been massively cut. He's a Paisley born manager who guided Fleetwood Town from obscurity into the Football League before being sacked prematurely last month.

Had a look at the latest odds, half expecting the 'book' to have been suspended. However, a tiny glimmer of good news...Butcher's odds have 'improved' since I last checked. 1/3 now as opposed to 1/4! For those unfamilar with odds this loosely equates to the bookies shifting from an 80% chance of Butcher leaving, to a 75% chance! Or am I clutching at straws!

Bookies now have Butcher heavily odds-on at 1/4.....

I would keep the squad together. The priorities however, have to be, Andrew Shinnie who has been offered a new contact, OTJ, Aaron Doran who has indicated in the courier that he'd like to stay, Ross Draper, Antonio Reguero, David Raven and Garry Warren both of whom have today said in the courier that they want to stay. WIth Nick Ross already signing a new contract, that just leaves us with Shane Sutherland, Gavin Morrison and Scott Mathieson who i'd like to see stay but if they did leave, it wouldn't be the end of the world. 

 

The one I really worry about is Andrew Shinnie. He's the standout player in the squad and having yet to sign a contract that has been on the table for weeks now, i'm beginning to worry. I believe that the players really want to stay and fight for Europe together.

That means nothing. There are many reasons why those things take time. The main one being organising a time when player, agent, manager and DoF can get together. Graeme signed, Andrew will do likewise. Champions league qualifiers a begging.

I'm sure the Champions League Qualifiers comment was said with 'tongue in cheek', but regardless, this season's SPL Runners-up don't go into that Competition. The coefficient has caught up with Scottish Football! For that reason, as much as it sticks in the throat of some, Scottish fans should be supporting all Scottish teams in Europe.