Caley Stan

Edinburgh bars are starting to open late and strange characters lurk in the wee small hours. I met one from Skye around closing time in the Oak. Socially awkward and with the appearance of an unkempt version Statto from Fantasy Football League, the guy said he was a professional gambler who had just put a substantial amount of money on an SPL handicap bet at Totesport - ICT + 48. He kept saying it again and again - ICT + 48 9-1 at Totes, ICT + 48 9-1 at Totes, ICT + 48 9-1 at Totes. Like that. The bet seems to be based on two assumptions - both of them a little shaky. 1. The Old Firm are getting weaker in comparison with the rest of league and the Champions will therefore have fewer points than usual. There is a trend in this direction over the past few seasons but it's not reliable. There was a period in the late 90's / early 00's where the OF were regularly winning the league with well over 90 points. This has calmed down a bit over the last few years - Celtic were the last team to hit 90 points in 2006. 2.ICT will benefit from the kind of early season promotion bounce that Hamilton and St. Johnstone have enjoyed over the past two seasons - St. Johnstone finished 40 points from top last season, Hamilton were 45 away the season before. If we assume that the champions finish on 90 points then ICT would need 42 points to make the bookies pay. In 4 of our 5 previous SPL seaons we finished on more that 42 points, in 3 out 5 with less than a 48 point gap between us and the champions. 2004/05: 44 points - 49 behind champions 2005/06: 58 points - 33 behind champions 2006/07: 46 points - 38 behind champions 2007/08: 43 points - 46 behind champions 2008/09: 37 points - 49 behind champions As i say, i find the 2 assumptions a bit shaky. 1. The Old Firm may be relatively weak but they are still considerably better than everyone else and capable of going on runs that leave them with a very high points total. 2. The "promotion bounce" is based on only 2 seasons - Falkirk, St.Mirren and Gretna came up in the 3 seasons prior to that and struggled, finishing 58, 48, 76 points behind the champions respectively. Also, our defence looks rotten. The reason that i've worked through the stats is that my initial reaction was that the bet was too easy. My gut tells me there's no way we'll finish more than 48 points behind the OF, and 9-1 is very tempting. This is a bet that should be made in advance of the opening day pumping of Celtic - that will wake the bookies up. Scots Prem Handicap bets at the Tote

There's been a big Darren Dods shaped hole in our defence ever since he left. Still needs filled.

That's the team and formation i'd go for. I'd also like to see Robson, Whittaker and McManus getting a run out.

He was being filmed by television cameras and stuck his fingers up in a very childish way. He has since apologised and is now back in the Scotland squad. It's not a big deal and i don't think too many Scotland fans will see it as a big deal. Unfortunately, a small, Sun-reading part of the population is offended and outraged by McGregor's actions and wants to see him hung by his baws for treason. Get a grip.

Wow, poor Allan really upset you boys. Was it getting drunk and giving the fingers to media that upset you so much, or has he messing with your wives?

Don't worry about it pusecar. It happens to the best of us. Thanks for the info.

pucesar, We have a player form your part of the world by the name of Dani Sanchez. He plays just off the striker and with the rhythm of Xavi and the trickery of Iniesta - except he's bigger and better than those. Inexplicably, there is no information about our Dani on the internet. Do you have any idea who he played for in Spain before coming to Scotland? If you find this out for me then i promise to come and have a chat with you on the Blanquivioletas.com English Forum, where it seems you are a little lonely.

A friendly in Sweden. There isn't much to argue about with this squad. I can't think of any notable absentess besides Maloney, O'Conner and McCormack but they all suffered form a combination of injuries and poor form last season. I don't think it's a bad squad - we just look very weak in the centre of defence but i suppose we're all used to that by now.

Goalkeepers: Alexander (Rangers), Marshall (Cardiff) McGregor (Rangers) Defenders: Hutton (Tottenham), Berra (Wolves), Broadfoot (Rangers), McManus (Middlesbrough), Wallace (Hearts), Webster (Rangers), Whittaker (Rangers) Midfielders: Adam (Blackpool), Brown (Celtic), Dorrans (West Brom), Fletcher (Manchester United), McCulloch (Rangers), Morrison (West Bromwich Albion), Robson (Middlesbrough), Thomson (Middlesbrough) Forwards: Boyd (Middlesbrough), Fletcher (Wolves), Iwelumo (Burnley), McFadden (Birmingham), Miller (Rangers)

From Wikipedia: I can see why this character appeals to IHE.

Can't find a date for the draw but i believe the game will take place on the final midweek of August. The draw will be seeded, with the bottom 7 from last years SPL and the top 4 from SFL1 comprising the seeds. That means we can get County. I suppose most folk would like to us get them or Elgin for obvious reasons. I'm hoping for Peterhead away myself - never been to Balmoor and would love to see Bobby and Denzil combining again. Not sure who i would be supporting actually!

I liked the 1995-1997. Ian Stewart was drowned by his though. Had a we look through the old Caley and Thistle strips, reminded me of this.

A couple of inches taller than Philipp Lahm and Roberto Carlos.... Good post from Harry - a centre-half, a striker, and most importantly, a left-back will leave our squad with a good balance.

While it's true that we don't take much of a support to Tannadice, we do bring a fair few to Pittodrie and the Edinburgh grounds and i would expect to see a decent Caley support in Perth next season as well. Understandably, most of our supporters pick their away games according to importance and distance - and i think we do allright given our geographical disadvantage. I see where Thompson's coming from, but it feels horrible to be compared with Hamilton fans in any context.

I fancy Aberdeen home or away for the first game. They're bound to be nervy after the season they've just had and i could see us go bouncing in and giving them a doing.

Tommy Sheridan lost his deposit in Glasgow South West with 931 votes (2.9%). This constituency contains most of the old Pollock constituency that has consistently produced the strongest far-left vote since 1992 when Sheridan finished second from his prison cell with almost 20% of the vote. His decline, it seems, is almost complete. Even in the bourgeois paradise of Edinburgh South West, Colin Fox will be embarrassed with 319 votes. One of them was mine, though it was cast more out of the frustration and helplessness that comes with living in a safe Labour seat than any connection with the tabloid-like slogans which characterised his campaign. I haven't looked through all of the results yet, but i think i can safely say that none of the far-left candidates kept their deposits. This may well be end for 'dinosaurs' like Tommy and Foxy, with their out-dated references to the proletariat and Trotsky, but that certainly doesn't represent the end for more extreme forms of socialism. The effects of this recession have still not been felt by the majority of working people in this country and as cuts to pay, pensions and services become a reality over the next 4-5 years, i predict that we will see an increase in militancy and louder calls for government to establish more control over the economy and to implement a more redistributive tax system. While Cameron and Clegg work out the details of their coalition, those on the left (the Greens, the Unions, and the old socialists), should be working on a coalition of their own which represents the millions of frustrated and disenfranchised.

Granty's top is hanging on the wall in front of me. Where is that thing i got from Telford Street? I haven't seen it for years. It was the piece of metal that people would put their money on as they paid to go through the gate. I think it was inscribed with something in Latin. I doubt very much if it has survived 15 years of Caley 100's garage clear-out's. Latin my ass.... Norton Improved Patent Turnstile Le Grand & Sutcliffe Sole makers and Proprietors of Norton Patent Abyssinian Wells Tube Works. And its safe.. You've left out the most prized possession of all - a ball signed by the Caley team of 1992/93 which was presented after a 3-4 defeat to Steve Paterson's Huntly in the Highland League Cup.

Granty's top is hanging on the wall in front of me. Where is that thing i got from Telford Street? I haven't seen it for years. It was the piece of metal that people would put their money on as they paid to go through the gate. I think it was inscribed with something in Latin. I doubt very much if it has survived 15 years of Caley 100's garage clear-out's.

Just looked through all of your photos Mantis. Great stuff. Still gutted i wasn't there.

Surely Billy Urquart's appearance in the last Caley v Thistle game can't be used against us 16 years later!

Her comes Rosscoe...................YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSS

That's the spirit.

How did it mange that? Have you compared social security rates with comparably rich EU nations like France, Germany, Denmark and Sweden?

Savage propaganda from Robbo.

I think we can celebrate now. Unbelievable effort from the team to go on this run. Can't wait to give them the reception they deserve over the next 2 games. See you all in Ayr for a party.