Sneckboy

9 hours ago, PerfICT said:

4. Hopefully, there are signs of an obvious first 11. Hughes is not a striker, so Foran and Storey must be an option? Tansey was a miss tonight, but he and Draper in centre of midfield and Warren and Meekings at the heart of the defence has to be considered (has this happened this season yet?) Tremarco is cemented as left back. The right back/midfield is between Polworth, Roberts and Horner. Vigurs and Williams are options down the left.

The 'quartet' of Warren, Meekings, Draper and Tansey have started together only 3 times this season.
Inverness 0-1 Astra
Inverness 0-1 Motherwell
Inverness 1-3 Celtic

Tansey is suspended for this game.

2 hours ago, AlexJones said:

Did Hibs field an ineligible player?

No.

Win or lose tomorrow, we've apparently got to return the Cup to the SFA by the end of the month.
Near the beginning, rule 2 (c)
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/SFAPublications/ScottishFAPublications2013-14/Cup%20competition%20rules.pdf

I actually thought the cup we have is a replica and is ours to keep - with the actual trophy kept at Hampden?

22 minutes ago, 12th Man said:

Does anyone remember the good old days when their used to be a load of hype surrounding a Scottish Cup QF.

Not really!
To be honest, I wonder how many folk could instantly remember who we were playing in the quarter-finals last year?
There was barely a squeak in the build-up that match. (Raith...1-0..Daniel Devine...anybody...?!)

The previous season was a joke. We had Dundee United at home in the quarters and painfully, few people, including the team gave it enough credence - we lost 0-5 in a record home defeat.
But, it was of little consequence as we had far bigger fish-to-fry the following week. The League Cup Final. That, honestly was the narrative back then - and left me the most disillusioned I'd ever been as a fan. It was League Cup Final this, League Cup Final that...
And those same folk are the ones who now speak loudest about the League Cup being a diddy trophy!

The OP is mid 30s, I'd guess.

Great win for Ross County!

Result:
Inverness CT 2-0 Dunfermline Athletic
Dean Brill kept a clean sheet this afternoon, on his competitive comeback.

Tremarco is suspended for this game.

Unusual to have a Friday game, but tomorrow it's Inverness v Dunfermline Athletic (2pm) at the Highland Football Academy.
 

That's an interesting summary, FoolPhysio.
We took 7,000 - 8,000 supporters to the League Cup final, suggesting it's anything but a 'wee' cup. We don't mobilise that sort of support for nothing-games!
At the time, it was our first major final - County had been in the Scottish Cup final v Dundee United, but in the build-up, there was absolutely no reference to us only being in the 'wee' final. Any distinction was simply labelled, 'our final' and 'their final'.

You've either got a very short memory or are feeling a tad bitter that County have a 'major' (your words) cup final at the weekend....
Thanks to the wonders of search-engines, here's a post from you, word-for-word following our semi-final win against Hearts - and let's not forget, this was after 'just' the semi-final of the "meh" cup!

2^nd Feb 2014

Brilliant, simply brilliant.  Only the final between us and our first major tournament trophy.  

And am I pleased that I wasn't the only one with tears in my eyes and a lump in the throat immediately afterwards!

Tremarco's available for this game - but is suspended for the Hamilton match on Saturday.

I heard that Arsenal had to specifically apply to UEFA for 'permission'! Apparently, there's a rule that replays can be televised, but it very rarely happens. If Hull v Arsenal had been a 'first attempt' game, then there'd simply be no chance of it  being allowed on TV. However, it seems it's got 'special dispensation' to be televised!

Rangers 4-0 Dundee
Ross County 2-3 Dundee United

Celtic v Morton (Sun 6th March, 12pm)
Hibernian v Inverness Caley Thistle (Sun 6th March, 2pm)

Just 6 teams left!

Inverness Caley Thistle
Celtic
Dundee United
-----------------------------------
Rangers
Hibernian
Morton

For a change, the draw for the next round is not being held-back until Monday or Tuesday - happily, the semi-final draw is tomorrow at 4.45pm on SKY Sports News.

^^ Just 'twigged!

Our first pre-season game for next season is already in the diary!
Fraserburgh (away) on Saturday 2nd July. http://www.fraserburghfc.scot/news/pre-season-friendly-dates-1576200.html
I assume it'll predominately be the Development team...well, I'm suggesting that as I've no idea where else to post this!

Although I've not seen it reported in the previews on the usual media outlets (focussing instead on who's likely to be missing through injury), I'm fairly sure that Ross Draper is suspended for tonight....
Would obviously be a catastrophic blunder playing an ineligible player!
If it is the case, he'll be a miss. Although, always an integral part of the team, I've felt he's been particularly influential for us in recent weeks.

Calum Ferguson was tremendous last season, but has been dogged by injury this term. Although, I noticed he's recently returned to the Development team.
He was frequently on target last season despite the team having a wretched time, finishing 17th and bottom of the Development League. But, for me, that's the sign of a guy who knows his way to goal.
He may have got a few games towards the end of last season if we'd had a series of 'meaningless' games - but obviously that wasn't the case as we were aiming for 3rd in the League and had the Cup Final.
He's certainly one to watch and will hopefully stay fit and rediscover his scoring form!

The last place to look for reasoned opinion is on a football forum, robbylad.
The posters are biased beyond belief! The 'electorate' covered is simply not conducive to the general public consensus.
Why?
Because, most users of football forums are generally, white, young guys. It's really that simple. (but, I state, 'generally')
It's Ironic, as CTO's most reasoned contributors are outwith that democratic frame!

However, 32 of the 42 Scottish League clubs ran unofficial polls in the lead up to the November '14 referendum - and EVERY SINGLE ONE was in favour of independence!!I

Yet, it's NOT just a coincidence it didn't materialise - the 'sample' simply wasn't representative enough!

But, this referendum isn't anything like as devise as the Independence one!

As 'few' as 40 points may be enough to secure top-6 this season!
In the 15-year history, the least points required to make the top-6 split has been 41. The average being 44 points.
15 seasons is not a huge sample but still enough to go on. 44 points should be the benchmark to make the split - but, with teams taking so many points off each other, the previous lowest total of 41 could be enough. But, I doubt a total in the 30s will be sufficient!
We're 9 or 10 points away, I'd say.
 

35 minutes ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

Their fans don't know what the cup looks like it. Should they win the cup, I fully expect them to show it off using a traditional open top horse. 

Joking aside, there literally isn't a Hibs fan alive who's ever seen them lift the cup! There are probably only a handful of their oldest supporters who had fathers who witnessed it!

Inverness Caledonian Thistle is also shorter than Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare! (which ties with Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale)
There will be countless others - depends how far one wishes to go. There will be plenty Welsh clubs with very long names.
Speaking of which, the club often abbreviated to TNS is officially known as The New Saints of Oswestry Town & Llansantffraid FC !

1 hour ago, Kind of Blue said:

I refer you to my post dated 17 Jan  

Well, If you're playing that 'Look at me!' card, then I'll refer you to my post 2 days prior to yours!

49 minutes ago, RiG said:

Highland News reporting that Vincent and Williams are likely to join Dundee.

 

Dundee can just Bake Off!

24 minutes ago, ForzaCaley said:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me you have more videos like this? There used to be a channel on youtube called Caleyclips which had loads of games from our early years, anyone know what happened to them? 

As for the statement the OP made, I used to have that attitude and cringe every time I heard the mere mention of the merger. But after reading Going Ballistic and then Against all odds, I believe we should be doing a lot more as a club to embrace the two former clubs. Both Caledonian and Inverness Thistle were institutions of Highland football with independent and successful histories. I remember reading footballgroundfrenzy twitter page, they had a magazine extract from 1990 claiming that Caledonian were the "Greatest Non-League Football Club in Britain"........That is some accolade! Therefore, although ICT were formed in 1994, our story really began in 1885! 

Also Sneckboy made a point that we are the only merger in the past few decades. I disagree, there have been countless mergers in non league football ie Rushden & Diamonds, Hinckley United, Lothian Thistle Hutchieson Vale(stupid name) etc. In fact the first two are now extinct and have been replaced by phoenix clubs. This further details the fact that our merger, has been an undoubted marvelous achievement. No other merger in Britain (at least) has the same success/fairytale story that we do. Again we should remember, embrace and celebrate this more often! 

I didn't mention that in my post, Forza, it was Renegade!