Sneckboy

"Romanian NHS" - you couldn't make it up... "The NHS" are not some world-wide body waiting for you, to right your indiscretions and woes, or possible medical needs - it's unique to the UK (in name, certainly). Almost every country has it's own 'healthcare system'. This arrogant 'NHS will pick it up' attitude is so typical of society today - no personal responsibility. Bugs me particularly, as I work in the NHS - and can't go to the away leg! But, unlike IHE, I don't compile the 'off duty', (as we call it in the NHS)!

Not sure why my post above has been 'linked' with a previous post - as I only typed in the reply box - I didn't intend to 'quote' anyone!

Would we need to pay for him under the Bosman ruling? Show-reels are so misleading! Any player who's played enough 'videoed' matches can be made to look good - or bad, depending on what's shown. With strikers, they are simply a visual record of that player's goals - they make them look as if they literally net with every chance! There's one of Jason Oswell's goals during his time in Australia, after leaving us. Fifteen goals squeezed into a 75 second clip, making him look like a player who wastes nothing and is clinical in every opportunity. I'm sure Rothes wouldn't touch Manual Neuer as a goalie if a 'reverse show reel' was all they had to go on - duffed clearances leading to goals, indecision, and beaten time-and-again at the near post. Mistakes by the world's best 'keeper are few-and-far-between, but as every game he's played as a pro is recorded, his rare mistakes could be combined into a clip and highlighted on a YouTube vid, making him look like a bomb-scare! Surprised at you PumpFake for 'going back' on your initial observations, having seen the guy in the flesh - only to have your head 'turned' by a show-reel! The Ben Greenhalgh thread will still be around in the archives - some of the comments about our then new player, based on his video highlights, were quite 'funny'! *Funny = naive and cringe worthy.

With Shinnie and Ross now away, time for an update: Penalties taken for ICT. (Most recent: Greg Tansey (scored) v. Celtic - 19th April 2015) Match penalties Greg Tansey Y Y Y Y Y (100%) James Vincent Y (100%) Richie Foran Y (100%) Aaron Doran Y X (50%) Penalty shoot-outs Ross Draper Y Y (100%) Aaron Doran Y Y (100%) Greg Tansey Y X (50%) Richie Foran X X (0%) Combined total (* = penalty shoot-out) Ross Draper (100%) Y* Y* James Vincent (100%) Y Greg Tansey (86%) Y Y* X* Y Y Y Y Aaron Doran (75%) Y* Y Y* X Richie Foran (33%) X* Y X*

Brora Rangers v Inverness CT (Wednesday 1st July - 7.45pm) Fort William v Inverness CT U20s *CLOSED DOOR* (Saturday 4th July - 1pm) Forres Mechanics v Inverness CT (Tuesday 7th July - 7.45pm) Romanian Liga 1 - FC Astra Giurgiu v Concordia Chiajna (Saturday 11th July) Europa League Q2 - 1st leg - Inverness CT v FC Astra Giurgiu (Thursday 16th July) Draw for Europa League Q3 (Friday 17th July) Wick Academy v Inverness CT U20s (Saturday 18th July - 2pm) Nairn County v Inverness CT (Saturday 18th July - 3pm) Romanian Liga 1 - FC Astra Giurgiu v Targu Mures (Saturday 18th July) Europa League Q2 - 2nd leg - FC Astra Giurgiu v Inverness CT (Thursday 23rd July) Europa League Q3 - 1st leg (Thursday 30th July) Premiership - Inverness CT v Motherwell (Saturday 1st August - 3pm) Europa League Q3 - 2nd leg (Thursday 6th August)

Astra have already played a couple of pre-season games. They drew 2-2 away at Lokomotiva Zagreg, (4th placed in Croatia), who themselves are 'warming up' for the Europa League. Then Astra crossed the border into Slovenia to play current champs and Champions League regulars, NK Maribor (although Maribor didn't use their official pitch). Maribor 0-3 Astra !!! The opening goal was stunning - I've seen goals scored from corners before, where the 'keeper, in a crowd of bodies, has lost an inswinging corner - but this was driven in! It's just after 1 minute in the 3 mins of highlights. Astra in the red. Really hope Ryan Esson's aware of this 'party piece'!

A couple of new fixtures: Clachnacuddin v Inverness CT (Saturday 27th June - 1pm) Brora Rangers v Inverness CT (Wednesday 1st July - 7.45pm) Fort William v Inverness CT U20s *CLOSED DOOR* (Saturday 4th July - 1pm) Forres Mechanics v Inverness CT (Tuesday 7th July - 7.45pm) Europa League Q2 - 1st leg - Inverness CT v FC Astra Giurgiu (Thursday 16th July) Draw for Europa League Q3 (Friday 17th July) Wick Academy v Inverness CT U20s (Saturday 18th July - 2pm) Nairn County v Inverness CT (Saturday 18th July - 3pm) Europa League Q2 - 2nd leg - FC Astra Giurgiu v Inverness CT (Thursday 23rd July) Europa League Q3 - 1st leg (Thursday 30th July) Premiership - Inverness CT v Motherwell (Saturday 1st August - 3pm) Europa League Q3 - 2nd leg (Thursday 6th August)

I know we're a bright bunch, but better just to clarify - tomorrow's game at Clach is a 1pm kick-off!

I think they took around 100 fans to Parkhead last season. Or, 85 allegedly, as a Celtic fan (I read on a forum and have no reason to doubt) decided to count them accurately, as there were so few of them! Reading an old SKYSports summary of that game, the reporter described the Astra support as "...there was no away support worthy of the term..."

I too am puzzled by this 'report'. As Alex has mentioned, above, Celtic are more of a buying-club and have developed fewer first-team squad players than we currently have. It's really only James Forrest and possibly Callum McGregor. I amn't agreeing with their criteria at all - whatever it may be. I've just looked at the most recent SFA licensing / standards / gradings publication (from 15th June 2015) and notice that Hamilton Accies are apparently also not quite 'up to scratch' with their youth development - which is a joke. They have a renowned, excellent system and have developed some gems in recent years. Remarkably, the town of Dingwall, with it's population of 5,000 seems no barrier to them having a conveyor-belt of Premiership standard Ross-shire youngsters breaking through...what an utter farce! For the record, the 'findings':

Yeah, I read somewhere it's a 10th July cut-off for new players to be eligible for the Q2 round. Still a fortnight, although I'm aware we're back playing again on Saturday!

Honest interview from Yogi! But, someone better tell him that we're not 'bringing them back here' for the 2nd leg (Astra)! And I'm sure we can forgive him for, "Where were you when JFK was shot?" - "Where were you when Caley Thistle played their first European match?" He's just sounding so enthusiastic and excited about the campaign ahead!

We've had some success with players from non-league in England before - definitely worth a look at him in our upcoming friendlies.

You haven't always said that, though!

Signed until the end of next season (2016-17): • Gary Warren • Richie Foran • Greg Tansey • Josh Meekings Signed until the end of this season (2015-16): • John Hughes - Manager • Russell Latapy - Assistant Manager • Dean Brill • Aaron Doran • Danny Williams • Ryan Esson • Ryan Christie • Carl Tremarco • Ross Draper • James Vincent • David Raven • Daniel Devine • Ali Sutherland • Liam Polworth • Lewis Horner • Calum Ferguson • Cammy Mackay • Nat Wedderburn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Development Squad players available for this season (2015-16): • Calum Howarth • Jason Brown • Jaime Wilson • Kane Hull • Struan McArthur • Blair MacLennan • Chris Brown • Stephen Rennie • Chris Blackett • Daniel Hoban (goalkeeper) • Alasdair Stark • Andrew Macrae

^^^ Sorry, I deleted the picture from another thread. I'll put it up again here!

Ben Greenhalgh has joined Concord Rangers for a second time. They're in the National League South. Level 6 in England.

Aye, Aye Captain! You'll clearly argue black-is-white until the 'cows come home'! Football is incredibly 'tribal'. Leaving aside 'glory hunters', who attach themselves temporarily to the current successful clubs, one grows up supporting a particular club. You're clearly passionate about ICT, which is terrific. They're probably a fabric of your life - and their results literally affect your mood and self-esteem/identity for at least a few days anyway? Football is competing with far more distractions than it's ever been challenged with before - and I feel this will continue to be the case in years to come. It will simply become less relevant to folk with so many other 'activities' available. Over the next 20-40 years, more clubs will be going part-time as their income lessens, economics will dictate. Mergers, to sustain viability, will be the norm. Don't think we'll be immune to that. Fast forward 25 years and the interest will likely dwindled, as most folk will spend Saturday afternoons playing 3D Call-Of-Duty at home (for example) or other. There could be the formation of a British 'Super League' - inevitably a Highland club called 'Inverness County' would follow - formed to compete in the 3rd or 4th tier. Colloquially known as 'County'. I'm sure Inverness County would do fine, punching-above-their-weight....and you'd be a happy man, Captain! But then a poster who's never seen Ross county or Inverness Caledonian Thistle playing came on the forum to denigrate the level (in this case, SPL) we'd been playing at, or it was implied that the new club was just simply a continuation of Ross County, you'd take umbrage - as passions run deep! Don't belittle the feelings folk had for their club - as it may happen to your club one day.

Okay, I'll try the return press and I get this, as expected. Now trying the 'other' way ...and I'm getting this!!!! Brilliant!!! Thank you! Great, prompt service as always - great job, Scotty, many, many thanks!

Hi Scotty. Perhaps you could help me with a minor issue. I seem unable to get lines of text to appear directly under each other. When continuing a sentence on the same line, as in this example, the text continues 'underneath' which is much easier on the eye! However, if I finish writing, but want to start a new line (for clarity), and I hit 'RETURN'..... ....this happens!!!!! (space between lines). I'm possibly overlooking some simple formatting feature! I'm using Wndows 7 and Internet Explorer 11.

Astra are actually quite 'fortunate' to be in European competition this season. They were warned in December (along with Cluj) that they would be banned from the next UEFA competition they qualified for, if they didn't settle unpaid monies by January 2015. Astra obviously managed to do this. Nevertheless, by finishing 4th in Romania, they should have started in Q1 but were elevated to Q2 as Cluj failed to comply and have been banned this year. Article (in English) http://www.thenational.ae/sport/uefa-europe/uefa-slaps-bursaspor-ekranas-cfr-cluj-and-astra-giurgiu-with-bans-and-fines-for-unpaid-bills

Thanks, CaleyD!

Clachnacuddin v ICT Saturday 27th June (1pm) -----------------------------------July------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brora Rangers v ICT Wednesday 1st July (7.45pm) Fort William v ICT U20s Saturday 4th July (1pm) Forres Mechanics v ICT Tuesday 7th July (7.45pm) Possible friendly? Saturday 11th July Europa League Q2 - ICT v FC Astra Giurgiu Thursday 16th July Draw for Europa League Qualifying round 3 Friday 17th July Europa League Q2 - FC Astra Giurgiu v ICT Thursday 23rd July (Europa League Qualifying 3rd round - 1st leg) Thursday 30th July ----------------------------------------August------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Premiership - ICT v Motherwell Saturday 1st August (Europa League Qualifying 3rd round - 2nd leg) Thursday 6th August

Preventing Brora from reaching the SPFL! But he's since turned down a contract extension at Montrose to sign for Formartine.

They had some really poor attendances in the Group Stages last year - should be plenty room!