Sneckboy

Bryan Prunty has left Dumbarton after 4 years and signed for Airdrieonians. http://www.dumbartonfootballclub.com/news/?mode=view&id=1501 I've just read that Inverness born-and-bred Mark McCulloch has officially called-time on his long career and retired from football at the age of 39. He was a dependable, key player for us during the lower league years.

Did you notice the way Scarlet managed to get a reference to his pension cunningly into the match thread?! As for the crowd figure - the plot thickens.... The 3,800 figure would be good, relative to the opposition. But 2,800 wouldn't be great. Thankfully, the 'footballing public' won't realise and will spare us the usual slagging for our crowd sizes. Actually, there might still be a few comments regarding 'only' 3,800 for a home game for the leaders of Scotland's Premiership.

Yeah, that's a good point rocky1.

Actually feeling optimistic about this tie. I can't find any prices yet, but I'm certain Rangers will start off as slight favourites - but I prefer that! One slight downside - but shouldn't be too problematic, is that Hughes will have to tinker a bit with the team selection, as Shinnie and Draper (and Foran) are suspended for this game.

The 3,830 will, for all intents and purposes, be the 'official' figure. It'll certainly help our end of season average! It would appear somebody has made a simple 'typo' - but the figure is now 'out there' and won't be getting changed. All the media outlets will have the 3,830 figure, I'm sure. I know that bookies often refer to the BBC stats as 'defining' when it comes to settling bets on things like goal-times so what they publish seems to be accepted. I've just checked the likes of Soccerway and Soccerbase and they've got the 3,830 and significantly, so have the SPFL on their website! We've certainly scored with that! A simple mistake, not blatant massaging of the figures that so often happens at Celtic Park!

The attendance figure of 3,830 actually fares favourably when compared to our most recent crowds v. Kilmarnock. Since our return to the 'SPL', we've played them 6 times here, before today: 3,735 3,348 3,060 3,012 2,529 2,948

I think that's the answer! But, it's not strictly true as at the time the question was posted, Brora had, in fact, conceded one! But, as it was a penalty, Alex will surely claim the answer as 'haven't yet conceded a goal from open play'!

I would hope not. In his position, he needs us more than we need him! He's battling-back to overcome a serious injury, which at his career stage, (and football age) may see him struggle to recapture his form of old. And, To be honest, his best days are already behind him. Any player who goes off to play in the backwater of India (in football terms) in the 'prime' of their career surely hasn't lived up to their early career potential. If a player like that is holding-us-to-ransom, I'd say 'no thanks'! Edit: Libero 'beat' me by a minute in posting - what I've said mirrors his views entirely regarding Gow!

If Butcher were to be given the job, and knowing what football's like with it's sense of timing and fate, his first game in charge would inevitably be the Highland derby in Inverness! Personally, after Butcher dismissal by Hibs and the manner of their demise, I assumed that Butcher would be unlikely to be a candidate for managerial jobs for some time - particularly in Scotland. I'm not paying much attention to the Bookies odds - it's one area where they don't have any real idea and it's usually just speculation. Just look at our appointment of Hughes! Indeed, their 'sack race' odds are just guess-work. They don't know what's going on behind the scenes at clubs. Just recently on this forum there was indignation at the bookies having Hughes as 3rd favourite manager for the next sacking - Derek Adams was considered 2nd SAFEST at the time!!! There's more to his sacking than just results I'm sure. I would welcome Terry back into Scottish football, even at our local rivals. He's undeniably a bigger 'name' than Danny Lennon. But Terry needs to remember that he wouldn't be getting the house at Abriachan this time - and Dingwall is a far cry from Loch Ness side!

Never mind 6pm - I'm looking at 3.06pm - a clean sheet record! But, in seriousness, I'd happily concede in 2 minutes as long as we win the game! Aall games are significant, and 3 points are given regardless of opposition (if you win). Obviously, later in the season, some games take on greater significance when placings are up-for-grabs, but at present, these bread-and-butter (not high-profile) games are where the better teams gain momentum. I rate Killie as a good side, despite losing Boyd. Dangerous. But we've got enough to beat them if we perform on the day.

Just deleted my post as Hawkeye has explained it better than I presently can. I can't string two coherent sentences together right now as I'm fizzing. The way the SPFL have 'worked around this' is utterly diabolical. They effectively left open the prospect of their worst member club (by their own definition of club-ranking) being seeded as a top 8 club ahead of, amongst others, 2012 winners Kilmarnock. And they wonder why folk brand this competition as 'mickey mouse'!

The blazers just breezed through that draw as if all was present and correct. Shameful.

A complete joke. Not surprised though. The League Cup rules are available to view and they categorically state that at the last 16 stage, the 8 highest ranking clubs will be seeded to play the 8 lowest ranked teams from the previous season's league positions. In other words, if Rangers beat us, they should be playing any one of 8 Premiership clubs. But this farce ensures that instead, they're potential opponents are 2 Premiership and 6 Championship clubs. You couldn't make it up. Well, the SPFL clearly have! To suit The Rangers. Let's hope we beat them to make this academic. But it still won' make it right. One quick glance at a Rangers fans forum there - and there are threads including how they're always 'persecuted', why they're always treated with contempt and cheated by the SFA, the media, the SPL and the SPFL...and 'what can we do to punish the clubs on our return to the SPL? - for voting us out of that league'. We didn't vote you out - you were liquidated and ceased to exist! We just didn't want a new club gate-crashing the top flight or second-tier - when natural justice dictated that you should start at the bottom! (And it should've been lower that the 4th tier).

Still none the wiser on what's happening with the seeding for tomorrows draw! Definitely seeded, by my reckoning, are Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Motherwell, St. Johnstone, St. Mirren and Ross County. The 8th team could be Kilmarnock, but it could also be 'Rangers or Inverness CT'. But with a ranking of 17th out of the 17 teams remaining, Rangers should be nowhere near the top 8 seeds!

I dislike Celtic but take no pleasure in their dismissal from the Champions League. It reflects poorly on Scottish football - our stock is really low on the continent. It also affects our UEFA co-efficient which could directly impact on ICT further down the line. It's also cost ICT a reputed £100,000 tonight.

Was that you!!?? Did you lose count of the score, like!? I didn't know this was on either. Was it at the Bught?

The 3rd round games are due on the 23rd and 24th September. No date for the Rangers away game yet though - I've heard speculation that it maybe the week before (16th or 17th September).

That's a glaring schoolboy error from me! Scarlet, I was simply being facetious in response to your post #155 which was most certainly 'Cantona-esque'!

Just to clarify, I meant tomorrow as in Wednesday, but 15 of those ties will settled tonight. Apologies, what I wrote was misleading. What's still not clear is which 'pot' we'll be in! I suspect 'Rangers or Inverness' will be in the seeded 'pot'.

Steve Williams scored the winner for Halifax in a 3-2 win over Lincoln City, yesterday. Also yesterday, Gregory Tade notched 2 goals for CFR Cluj in the Romanian League - bringing his total to 5 goals in 4 games this season.

I'm just tying to keep things in perspective, SP. Our league fixtures finish in May next year - we're still in August 2014! Tell you what, I'm glad Churchill didn't 'put aside negative thoughts' when Hitler was heading into Poland! If he had 'dwelled on the positive', he might have assumed the Germans were simply visiting old friends!

I hope so - the fortunes of the U21s has largely mirrored that of the Scottish national team in recent times - very poor.

Aidan Chippedale scored for Stalybridge this-afternoon in the English bank-holiday, non-league programme. He seems to be doing okay there - maybe that's his level. Conference North is a decent standard - many folk rave on (no pun intended) about FC United of Manchester - but they've never yet played that high (Conference North)! Chorley (IHE's 'other' team) are in the same league as Chippendale's Stalybridge - level 6, it's higher than Ben Greenhalgh's playing!

No date yet. I suppose it depends on who wins. As usual, *****-footing around the 'big teams' and potential TV opportunities. Pathetic.

Nah. I'm going with DoofersDad's reasoned post. It seems difficult to be rational without being 'jumped on' for perceived negativity! We've made a great start to the season. That should rightly be acknowledged and celebrated - but it's very early days. It's a solid foundation - but the hard work lies ahead. Look ahead to January, I think it's 7 games in a short space of time. 34 games from the finishing line is too soon to be thinking we're going to do this or that. It's 10 points on the board - points we'll need when things start going sticky for us and we go through the inevitable difficult patch. Anybody denying that Celtic were playing their reserve team against us is simply wrong - davie! (above post) Just because a club's 'reserve' team is packed with quality doesn't negate it from being such. If we kept only one player (say, Draper) in our team to take the field against Kilmarnock next week, I'm sure you would agree it was a weakened ICT team...or indeed a reserve team. We were simply fortunate to meet Celtic in a fixture they didn't want - but were clinical in taking advantage of that and getting a bonus 3 points. These points could be huge when it comes to top 6 - or dare I say it, higher up! Don't get carried away though - we were top after 8 games last season and stayed 2nd until game 15 - but ended up 5th. It's a long season. Enjoy it, it's brilliant - but don't lose sight of the fact that once Celtic hit the top, they will just soon stretch away.