Sneckboy

Gaelic is part of Scotland's heritage and should be supported to an extent, however, the funding given to it is disproportionate - 99% of the population of Scotland consider it to be alien. There are more Polish speakers! Similarly, shinty (apologies to Charles Bannerman), is something of a relic nowadays - it doesn't 'capture the imagination' of the public. The Camanachd Association are again thinking of a 'league reconstruction' in an attempt to keep it relevant. Is Inverness such a hot-bed of cricket that it needs TWO teams!? Both, if there must be two, should play at Fraser Park in Kingsmills Road. The Northern Meeting Park could then be used for Inverness City FC's games - a progressive club - yet it would still be available for Craig Hill's annual Hogmany sickfest. Shinty in Inverness is genuinely of such poor calibre, that nobody would even notice if they nipped across to the Queen's Park to hit their balls inside the running track! Inverness have an 'American Football Team'? Inverness Dolphins or Ness Monsters or something? Okay, dudes - go play your 'football' at Millburn or Charleston - they'll be happy to book you - you both 'win'. Inverness & District Amateur League's summer games could be held on the Culloden pitches or other available sites such as North Kessock, Avoch, Ardersier, Maryburgh, Farr, Cubokie etc. The Bught would then be available! A central location. Bulldoze the pitches! Not sure if the current small wooden stand is 'listed' or not. It could be utilised if needed - a players' gym, a fans' snack bar - a pub!? Nevertheless, could we plan for a small, 4-sided stadium with 8,000 capacity - over the huge expansed of the remaining Bught area. There would be acres to build a car and bus parking area. The planned crossing from the Lochardil/Holm area to Torvean/Kinmylies would obviously help with traffic. I'm probably in cloud-cuckoo-land, but I'm certain that a Bught Park venue would attract more fans than the Longman. It certainly wouldn't attract any less!

Hear, Hear! Totally agree, Kingsmills. A timely, call-to-arms! And I concur with your reckoning that 2,500 is our hardcore fan-base these days. And I think Renegade's spot-on with his observation about the stadium. I stumbled upon an article on the Daily Record website today - regarding our support. Credit to the author and I apologise if he's a member on here with an alias. I don't mean to plagiarise. But I'll do it anyway! The article outlines our disappointing crowds with reference to the stadium as a primary factor. (as mentioned above, by Renegade). There are some other links on that page which have some brilliant articles and insights in to Inverness CT from the perspective of a fan. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/record-fc-inverness-time-caledonian-4666547 If it doesn't work, the text is: Inverness: Is it time the Caledonian Stadium was flattened? Record FC blogger Paul Irving wonders whether Caley's stadium is holding fans back from coming to watch the team. "ICT have announced a “pay what you like” scheme for the forthcoming game against St Johnstone. This is a nice idea and is one in a line of offers in order to get more people through the turnstiles. The attendance seems to be the flavour of the month around these parts and for good reason. It seems to be a common occurrence now that ICT struggle to get anymore than just over 3,000 to games. Compare that to when we first brought football in the top tier to Inverness in 2005 (remember we played the first half of the season at Pittodrie), where over 4,000 was a regular occurrence and for important matches and those against the Old Firm, crowds were almost always over 7,000. This scheme has obviously been inspired by Albion Rovers who did it last season for a match against Montrose. It worked very well, with 700 in attendance as opposed to the 300 they got for the fixture the last time round. Hopefully Caley Thistle can see a similar upturn in takers. I think where attendances are concerned, there’s is a massive elephant in the room for ICT - the stadium. An ugly, unfinished, poorly placed mess. We’ve got a very open stadium in what must be one of the coldest and windiest places in the town. It’s not rocket science, that when winter comes, it becomes a freezing tundra which isn’t exactly an appetising place for old people and casual fans to spend their afternoon. It’s also so open that any atmosphere is instantly lost, as well as being in a location that is a long walk from the city centre with little public transport nearby. The new stands that were build behind each goal are also quite a distance from the pitch, while the side opposite the Main Stand is essentially wasteland. No stand can ever built there due to gas pipes under the soil, which to move would cost an absolute fortune. Why wasn’t that considered at the time? Many people are quick to point the finger at why crowd numbers are down and there may well be a lot of truth in what they’re saying, but perhaps the poor planning and poor design by the club itself means it should also take some of the blame. If we want to get more people through the turnstiles, we either need to heavily re-develop the Caledonian Stadium or knock it down and go somewhere else. If something like that doesn’t happen, it’s inevitable that crowds will drop to even lower levels than they are now."

Apologies to Lewis Horner - he 'slipped off' the end of my cut-and-paste! He's another player 'out of contract' at the end of this season. http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/12040/9417504/spfl To be honest, I wouldn't be alarmed at Horner being released. Signed up until the end of season 2016-17: • Gary Warren • Richie Foran Signed up until the end of next 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 Signed up until the end of this season (2014-15): • Greg Tansey • Daniel Devine • Graeme Shinnie • Nick Ross • Marley Watkins • David Raven • Josh Meekings • Billy McKay • Liam Polworth • Lewis Horner • Jaime Wilson (Development Squad) • Kane Hull (Development Squad) • Jason Brown (Development Squad) • Struan McArthur (Development Squad) • Blair MacLennan (Development Squad) • Calum Howarth (Development Squad) • Chris Brown (Development Squad) • Ali Sutherland (Development Squad) • Stephen Rennie (Development Squad) • Cammy Mackay (goalkeeper) (Development Squad) • Chris Blackett (Development Squad) • Daniel Hoban (goalkeeper) (Development Squad) • Calum Ferguson (Development Squad) • Ryan Baptie (Development Squad) Signed up until January 2015 • Ibra Sekajja

The dripping-tap method isn't getting through to me! OKay!

Signed up until the end of season 2016-17: • Gary Warren • Richie Foran Signed up until the end of next 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 Signed up until the end of this season (2014-15): • Greg Tansey • Daniel Devine • Graeme Shinnie • Nick Ross • Marley Watkins • David Raven • Josh Meekings • Billy McKay • Liam Polworth • Jaime Wilson (Development Squad) • Kane Hull (Development Squad) • Jason Brown (Development Squad) • Struan McArthur (Development Squad) • Blair MacLennan (Development Squad) • Calum Howarth (Development Squad) • Chris Brown (Development Squad) • Ali Sutherland (Development Squad) • Stephen Rennie (Development Squad) • Cammy Mackay (goalkeeper) (Development Squad) • Chris Blackett (Development Squad) • Daniel Hoban (goalkeeper) (Development Squad) • Calum Ferguson (Development Squad) • Ryan Baptie (Development Squad) Signed up until January 2015 • Ibra Sekajja

We've done really well keeping the majority of our squad intact over the past few seasons - having the players committing to extended contracts has been key to team continuity and harmony, as well as sending-out the message that Inverness CT is a more than 'viable' place to progress one's career. However, time seems to have flown (!) and many of these guys are approaching the expiry date of their contracts... All 9 are important, for different reasons - I would love us to retain all of them, obviously! Shinnie - goes without saying. The best left-back in the league. That said, I agree with the manger, another season with us would benefit both. Devine - not a first-team regular, but certainly the immediate pick if/when Warren or Meekings are out through injury or suspension. Tansey - has been a revelation since returning. Certainly a better, more 'rounded' player after his spell down south. Polworth - a squad player, but holds his own whenever needed and whose best years are yet to come. Would be a waste if he was released, to say, Elgin! McKay - proven goal-scorer at Scottish Premiership level and a vital player for us - I'd expect renewed interest in Billy, come January. Raven - a mainstay of the team, for a few years now - often unspectacular but reliable and seems settled here. Ross - Nick's a local lad, but sentiment aside, is a terrific player with an abundance of experience for his age. Keep! Watkins - outstanding this season. An integral part of the team who must be kept. Meekings - improving all the time. Will certainly be drawing attention, but at 22 should be looking to develop further, with us, for at least another season.

Tomorrow's game (25th Nov) away against Celtic, has been postponed. Not sure why! I assumed that they were wanting to 'save' the pitch for the European game on Thursday - but then noticed that Celtic play their Development League games at Cappielow. So it can't be that. It'll be something else not suiting Celtic!

Premiership Adam Rooney (Partick Thistle 0-1 Aberdeen)

I couldn't go today but am delighted to hear that we won - and convincingly! Very encouraging...

Just reading that Martin Laing's 4 goals were scored between the 61st and 68th minute! He'll certainly have set some sort of record - the fastest hat-trick maybe...but almost, surely, the 'quickest' four-goal-haul' in Highland Football League history!

Reading the report, that's an interesting stat - the first ever FA Cup tie played on 3G 'turf'! That's also the first time I've seen Greenhalgh's name since he left us!

Well done to Ryan - he helped the Scotland U21s to a 1-1 draw in Switzerland in midweek, collecting his second cap.

Former players Graeme Stewart and Lewis MacKinnon have been placed in temporary charge of Buckie Thistle after the club sacked their manager.

last night: Highland League Dale Gillespie TWO GOALS (Strathspey Thistle 0-7 Brora Rangers)

He scores in almost every game! Obviously an eye-for-goal. Undoubtably one for the future!

I'll be amazed if you even look as good as that, after your celebrations this weekend, IHE!

75p to go to a game in Nigeria! Probably cheaper flying there from London than buying a few pints in Knightsbridge then attending the Chelsea game, govner! Great stats from Alex & Renegade! I've always been aware that the English Championship was better supported than many county's top leagues, but didn't realise it was as high as 12th in the World! It does bug me when folk 'go on' about how Andrew Shinnie must 'regret' leaving ICT to go to Birmingham City! I'd be gutted if Graeme went to Aberdeen or Rangers - the English Championship is far bigger than the Scottish Premiership. Those attendance tables show the Scottish Premiership to be performing quite well - the per-head-of-population stats consistently put us 2nd. But they're hideously distorted, but nonetheless accurate, due to Celtic and old-Rangers!

Do the SPFL have any say in what prices are charged by the clubs? I'd assume we'd have had to advise them of our plan to go with a 'pay-what-you-want' fixture? Maybe they 'recommend' say, a minimum price depending on the level - ie Elgin would be instructed/encouraged to charge £10 in the fourth-tier, whereas we'd be expected to set prices at a around £20 in the top-flight? I agree with Davie, that the gate receipts are the life-blood of teams in Scottish football. It's different, down south - the SKY and BT Sport deals are paying absolute fortunes to the clubs. I can't remember which Chairman it was - but one recently, candidly revealed that with the annual sponsorships from (particularly) TV money, shirt logo, pitch-side etc that gate receipts were 'no longer terribly important'! It's unfortunate that we share a border with the country with a league that's become little more than a grotesque business with Arab billionaires and Russian oligarchs treating it like a play-thing.

It seems Motherwell won't have a new manager, as I'd thought they would, by the time this game comes. They usually make life difficult for us when they come up here but even without Draper, I think we can win on Saturday and remain 'joint top'! Agree with Roughie's selection - the back 5 pick themselves - ahead of that we've options. Doran could also feature.

English League Two Alex MacDonald (Wycombe 1-3 Burton Albion)

Jason Oswell netted today against Bangor City in the Welsh Premier.

I'd totally missed that one! Went out to watch the Scotland game in the pub on Friday night and was oblivious to other games - and eventually, much of everything else, to be honest!

The Lowland League in conjunction with a group called ‘Groundhop UK’ have partnered for one weekend next march, to innovatively schedule the Lowland League’s fixtures for that weekend in a sequence that would allow ‘groundhoppers’ to notch six venues in one go! Groundhoppers are individuals or groups who like to visit as many different football grounds as they can – ‘doing’ obscure grounds and the travel plus the often complex accommodation arrangements are all part of the genre. I understand it can become quite an obsession! Ordinarily, for an English groundhopper, a trip to Scotland to ‘notch’ a ground is expensive and time consuming – and for the most part, hoppers tick-off grounds one-by-one. To do six over a weekend is a rare opportunity. From what I’ve read, it’s not just half-a-dozen anoraks – but literally many hundreds who are coming up from England for this – within hours of the fixtures being announced, 3 buses from London and 2 from Manchester were fully booked. The clubs, regardless of the day or kick-off time, are going to benefit, as will local pubs, restaurants, hotels and B&Bs. Staggeringly, East Kilbride v Whitehill Welfare has already been designated as ‘all-ticket’! Friday 20 March (West of Scotland) 7.45pm East Kilbride v Whitehill Welfare Saturday 21 March (Borders) 12 noon Vale of Leithen v Preston Athletic 3.30pm Selkirk v Spartans 7pm Gala Fairydean Rovers v Stirling University Sunday 22 March (South-West Scotland) 12 noon Dalbeattie Star v Edinburgh City 3pm Threave Rovers v Edinburgh University

League One Rory McAllister HAT-TRICK (Ayr United 2-3 Peterhead) Highland League Andrew Greig TWO GOALS (Huntly 0-8 Brora) Dale Gillespie (Huntly 0-8 Brora) Martin Bavidge (Inverurie Loco Works 3-2 Rothes) Martin Laing (Inverurie Loco Works 3-2 Rothes) - (goal after 2 minutes on his debut) Stuart Soane (Fraserburgh 1-2 Forres Mechanics) Zander Sutherland TWO GOALS (Huntly 0-8 Brora) English non-league Robert Eagle TWO GOALS (Lowestoft Town 3-2 Tamworth) Aidan Chippendale for Stalybridge v Barrow

Valid point , Alex. My 'back-of-an-envelope' calculation did indeed fail to account for season-ticket holders - although, I doubt Albion Rovers have too many! It would be great to see the full 'breakdown' of money taken at the gate at the St Johnstone game - but I fully appreciate that such 'transparency' is unlikely - sensitive business figures and all that!