ictchris

Looking forward to seeing the mural on the London Road Tavern wall, it's probably the worst painting I've ever seen. You can't tell the difference between Bobo Balde and Alan Thompson.

That's been the case since we got into the SPL. Our crowds in every SPL season have been much higher than when we were in the lower leagues and had a chance of winning the title just about every season.

I think that some people in Inverness have an inferiority complex. People look at us and think 'it's only Caley' and that Rangers and Celtic are 'real' football. It comes from the legacy of not having a league club and of having Highland League teams that people supported alongside their 'big' team. I think some people in the Highlands have an attitude that 'we don't do things like that' here - we can't have Nandos at the retail park, we don't have people singing and getting passionate at the football. It is changing though, when we were in the First Division we had averages of 1500 people there every week and zero atmosphere. There are also a generation of fans for whom we are an SPL team and always have been, which makes a difference.

Our average crowds for the last ten years 03/04 - 2375 04/05 - 4067 (with half of home games being held at Pittodrie) 05/06 - 5061 06/07 - 4879 07/08 - 4753 08/09 - 4457 09/10 - 3509 10/11 - 4526 11/12 - 4023 12/13 - 4038 If you look at crowds individually then I think that most of the individual games have pretty similar crowds. I think that where we have lost crowds is matches against teams like Aberdeen and Hearts. I remember the first game we played against Aberdeen in Inverness (1-0 loss, Noel Whelan scored for them) and it was a complete sell out, every seat was full. I went to the 1-1 game last season and our end was significantly empty. There is a constituency of people in Inverness who used to go to 'big' games like derby matches, cup ties against SPL sides or games against the Old Firm and they seem to have drifted away now that these games aren't big anymore and are just normal matches.

It's a brilliant flag. I remember standing waiting for my mates outside Firhill for the 2002 Scottish Cup quarter final when loads of our fans came round with it unfurled, singing. Shivers, etc

1 - Raigmore Hosptial, Inverness 2 - Inverness 3 - First game attended - Thistle v Caley @ Kingsmills in 1990. 4 - Edinburgh. I own the capital.

Any footage of Meekings' wonder goal?

I couldn't care less if Richie Foran committed war crimes, he's a brilliant player and our captain.

He hides where he wants He hides where he wants Richie Foran He hides where he wants

I would hold off believing the Lee Rigby stuff. Sounds a little too unbelievable to me. However, Celtic fans behaving like utter minks sounds well within normal range of conduct from them.

£0. Friendlies are crap, not proper football. I'd rather watch Caley play Montrose in the league cup first round in front of 300 fans than watch a friendly against Real Madrid.

Well done to Chris Froome for winning the Tour. I feel a bit sorry for him for having to face the constant questions about doping but given the history of the sport it's inevitable. Froome has responded well to the questioning, keeping his cool (unlike Wiggins last year) and has had his data assessed by professionals. Sky have also offered it to Wada for investigation. However, and it's sad to say, looking at someone dominate in the mountains and in time trials the way Froome did rings alarm bells. The fact that he has emerged really from nowhere has also got to count against him - he just sprang out from the juniors to a top three finish in the Vuelta in 2011. I do think that some hardcore cycling fans just don't like Sky, the fact they've come into road cycling from the outside and dominated and thus have it in for Froome. It's perhaps a cliche but these things will be judged in the future - in ten years time we'll either shake our heads about being fooled again or we'll be offering sympathy for Froome. Cavendish also looks like he won't be the king of the sprinters any more, beaten on the Elysses for the first time in a few years. I liked Peter Sagan's green goatee as well

I'm glad we didn't get into Europe. Flights cost a fortune, Norwegians spend thier time killing themselves or whaling and people abroad don't even speak English! We are well out of it.

Seems legit.

It's good for us but also a bit of a joke - getting a bye to a stage of the tournament where more than half the teams have gone out? From a fans point of view, the best things about cup ties are the trips to grounds in different leagues that we don't normally go to. Stenny away this season was excellent.

Quick, direct, attacking football - pleasing.

I say this every season - we should give the shirt numbers out alphabetically, that would be cool. Any trialists with us for pre-season, usually there's a few.

Watch for idiot Rangers fans and their media acolytes blaming this on Rangers being KB'd to Division Three. All of Hearts debt was run up before Rangers imploded and they have been subjec to winding up orders for the last two years.

Steve Marsella looks like a Mafia hitman.

"It is inevitable that Hearts will reach the level of Rangers and Celtic" - Vladamir Romanov, November 2004. Half right Vlad. Hearts are taking their fans for mugs with this, how many tin rattling exercises are they going to have before people get wise to them? They've been a shambles for years, blaming Rangers for a tax bil they didn't pay from 2-3 years ago? Gid yan meight!

Great move for Motherwell, Vigurs is a class player. I don't think you can slate Butcher for releasing him, he's really developed at County. It's not as though he was at the level he is now when he was playing for us.

Someone told you that the 18 year old Arsenal have put out on loan to the SPL and then extended the loan isn't going to get kept on? You must have amazing contacts. I told you so! Looks like I do have amazing contacts after all! http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/transfer-talk/news/meade-to-be-released-by-arsenal_86832.html As mentioned on the other thread, Philip Roberts is to be released by Arsenal. Yes, your contacts really have come through on this. Eighteen year old Academy player, sent on loan to the SPL where he has a relatively poor season to be released? Stunning revelations. I'll be completely honest with everyone here, I was pretty sure that Wenger had planned to sell Giroud and Walcott and use the money to plough into the Roberts-fund. Let us know what your contacts are going to give you next, meight, it's top having someone so ITK on the forum.

--------------------------------Reguero-------------------------------- ----Raven---------Meekings--------Hogg--------Taylor--------- ------------------------Jones-----------ShinnieG------------------- ----------Ross--------------ShinnieA--------------Doran---------- ---------------------------------McKay----------------------------------- It's been an interesting season for derbies - obviously the first ever games in the SPL, the first ever in the Scottish Cup as well. The games have also seen some of the highest attendanes at a Highland Derby and the first appearence of flares, anarchy and tifosi in the Highlands, although I understand the Clach ultas once set fire to an advertising hoarding for the Nip Inn during a game against Nairn. Every goal County have scored in a derby this season has been a screamer. I think I'm right in saying they have all been from outside the area, the best one was probably Paul Lawson's in the last game, a great strike. Vigurs chip in the cup replay was very good as well. For us, the best strike was probably the volley that McKay bagged in the cup tie up in Dingwall. As CountyTactics says, we've based a lot of our success against County on domination of the midfield and pressing and pressuring the County ball players. Obviously being without Ross Draper and Richie Foran, two of our most combatitive players, is going to have an impact on our ability to do that. I think we could see Taylor playing at left back and Graeme Shinnie moved into midfield, ShinnieG is a hard-worker and could do a pressuring job well. I'm unsure if he's got the positional sense to really be effective in the middle though. Taylor at left back has had some good games - I thought he was excellent against County last time out - but has also had a few anonymous showings. I have to say, I wouldn't be at all surprised if both us and St Johnstone lost. Motherwell are an excellent side and are perhaps playing with a bit of freedom and enjoyment towards the end of the term. I can't see their minds being on the beach, they probably don't want the season to end. As for us, as I said earlier, we've struggled towards the end and this is set up for County to get their first win of the season. My prediction at this stage is for Well to beat Saintees 3-1 with County prevaliing by the same scoreline over us.

The Danny Statford Memorial Stand.