A96

We have a prophet in our midst. Well done Smee!!! (P.S. what are tomorrow's lottery numbers?)

Next to the emphatic 3-1 beating of our feeder team tonight, the highlight of the evening for me was the playing of Cher's classic "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" over the tannoy. Magic. The soap-dodging caravan dwellers can't say we didn't make an effort to welcome them to Inverness!! And, of course, the evening was nicely rounded off by the playing of "Happy Days". Well done to that DJ

Fair point. It's good to have a nice piece of PR with a local school - especially when there are press cameras about. But do any of our players or management show up at any of the many Caley Thistle 'Hotshots' training sessions for local kids (who pay for the privilege)? The answer is ..........no!! This area of PR neglect by our club needs sorting!!

I left Easter Road today knowing that I had just experienced an exciting, if frustrating game of football, but one well worth the ticket price. The end result though was really satisfying. After going two down I had to get away for an early pie 'n Bovril to relieve the stress - only to find that Hibs do the worst (and most overpriced) pies in the SPL! It seemed like we might have been facing a rout from the 'potential' league leaders after going two down but thanks to that Connor Pepper goal it was a changed game. Well done to the team for yet another fine Edinburgh comeback! There is spirit in this team - even although we can look a bit chaotic at times. Richie Foran is an inspirational leader and had an excellent game today. He plays for the jersey - and that really matters. I really think this team will gel and improve significantly. We rode our luck a few times today and Ryan Esson pulled off some amazing saves. But the will to push forward and use some imagination in attack was really encouraging to watch. This team will improve significantly - I'm certain of that. This was my first visit to the 'new' Easter Road. Their stadium is fabulous and the atmosphere is terrific. The stewards seem such a nice bunch too. Top marks to Hibs for providing an excellent venue and well managed event. I look forward to going back there again sometime. Reasonable turn-out from the ICT fans too.

Thanks for this info Gringo_Jnr. I will check it out.

With respect OCG this is not so. If you re-read my post you will notice I said "our team played a fabulous opening 20 minutes and showed some urgency after the break." and "penalty (brilliantly saved by Ryan)" and "some of our new guys look promising". This team will come good in time - but we have to acknowledge that the disciplinary record over the last year (especially at home) has cost us dear in terms of results. My second point (as above) was about doing something about discipline. My first point is that - while there are many positives about our club's treatment of supporters - there are still some niggles that need to be addressed when it comes to relations with supporters. Making it easier for a man and a boy to get through the Main Stand turnstiles when paying cash was a problem on Saturday. It needs fixed. But one of the other major niggles has been stewarding. As mentioned by someone else on another post, I also saw the stewards being OTT on Saturday in the way they dispossessed a harmless looking older lady of a small juice bottle as if she was about to cause mayhem, bloodshed and carnage in the North Stand. Yeah, I know 'rules are rules' but this was a harsh application of the rules. I well recall the last time we had really good atmosphere at a home match - versus Dunfermline some seasons ago. A good sized group of fans had gathered on the uncovered section of the Main Stand. They were fantastic - great singing, good natured banter and really getting behind the team. But they were standing, so the men in yellow weighed in heavy-handedly, ejected poor old Immortal Howdenender and snuffed out the atmosphere. Meanwhile, ever since then, away fans can stand and do whatever they like and are left alone by the stewards. I have faithfully followed ICT for many seasons and if you check my earlier posts you will see that I have always endeavoured to be positive. But the reason I have made my original comments on this post is in the hope that maybe someone in a position of influence in our club might read what I have written and take note of what an ordinary supporter has to say. Maybe its a vain hope - but you never know. My main concern is that we get the missing fans back at the stadium supporting their team and helping with the club's finances. What can be more positive than that?

I went to the Killie game on Saturday with my son and decided to sit in the Main Stand for a change so that we would get a better view of the game. £42 is a fair bit to pay for a day out during a recession but seemed worthwhile. We queued at the first turnstile and asked for one adult plus one under-16 ticket - "sorry, don't take cash, try turnstile 4" was the answer when we eventually reached the front of the line. Went to turnstile no.4 and joined the queue there - "sorry, no under 16 tickets, can only give you a £21 concession". So we decided to go to the North Stand as normal. On our way to the far end of the North Stand, two very kind lads (who we'd never met before) offered us spare complimentary tickets. So we got in to the game for free! Sorry ICT - you lost our £42 on Saturday thanks to your Main Stand turnstile ticketing policies which seem to act as barriers rather than entry points to the game! We normally buy season tickets but decided to pick and choose our games this season after the shocking discipline we witnessed at home games last season - players sent off, penalties conceded and own goals scored. Well our team played a fabulous opening 20 minutes and showed some urgency after the break. Overall we were second best to Killie and fortunately got an ill-deserved 1-1 draw (although I accept that our new team will take time to gel - and some of our new guys look promising). And yes - deja vu - our team gave away a penalty (brilliantly saved by Ryan) and finished the game with 10 men after a bout of routine stupidity by one of our players! Meantime, the Main Stand was sparsely filled and the North Stand less than half full. There were 3,012 people at the match on a beautifully sunny August day. Thankfully Celtic are here next otherwise we could expect a crowd of less than 3,000. So ICT, if you want better crowds, rethink your pricing/turnstile policy - and forcefully remind our players that the ill-discipline that results in things like sendings off and penalties being conceded will well and truly scunner your fans, prevent you from winning games, disillusion your supporters and lead to lower attendances!! At least I didn't feel compelled to ask for my money back on this occasion!!

As folks have been saying, great first 20 mins. A bit more urgency and passing after the break too. A lot of new faces so it will take time for the team to gel. Also we now have some big strong guys giving the team a fair presence. There are grounds for optimism. Penalty and red card yet again today. Deja vu!! Last season was a series of red cards, penalties against and own goals. Please guys, spare us another season of that. Little wonder the crowd today was so poor and lacking voice. If we can avoid the stupid stuff, finish games with 11 men, get results and play good football then we will hopefully get some missing fans back to the stadium again. But its going to be tough getting people back who were completely scunnered by the frustrations experienced and indiscipline prevalent in so many home games last season.

Attendances will always drop when your team repeatedly finish games with 10 men, score ridiculous own goals and give away stupid penalties - the story of last season. These are all about the basics of discipline in defence. I'd rather we lost a goal fair and square than see our guys hack down an attacker inside (or outside) the box to prevent a goal. If we can sort that out for this coming season then we will gather a lot more points - and fans - than we did last season.

Letting Grant Munro go last year was really hard to take and we paid a heavy price in defence for it (R*ss C**nty's gain). Letting Rosscoe go is just a step too far and totally stupid. These were guys who played for the jersey - not just using ICT as a stepping stone to something else. They were true Caley Thistle heroes and stalwarts. All we can look forward to now are unknowns from the diddy leagues of England who will use ICT for their own career progress. Grant Munro & Rosscoe were fans' favourites and played with the true ICT spirit. We've had the heart of our club ripped out - these two guys were still in their prime and now we can 'look forward' to them playing for C**nty against us in the SPL. I'm truly dreading next season! Will it be a case of more sendings off, penalties against and own goals - which was the story of last season? I hope not. Over to you Mr Butcher to prove that my fears are unfounded. Happy to eat humble pie if you can improve things this season.

Rossco has to stay!! We are running seriously short of players who play with the traditional, true Caley Thistle spirit - and who play for the jersey.

Penalties against, sendings off, penalties against, sendings off, penalties against, sendings off etc, etc. etc.................................................story of the season!!!

Would love to see our team finish with 11 men on the pitch sometime. I've been to a few home games this season and I am yet to see our team finish without someone being sent off. Inspired substitution by Houston today. The game changed as soon as Russell replaced Flood. United had been toothless up to that point and our defence were having an easy ride. After that our defence buckled and were ripped apart at will by United's attack. We were defending far too deep.

I'm not in the habit of having a go at referees but it seems that some refs are running scared of upsetting Neil Lennon after his tantrums last season. Today's game was a prime example. I was proud of our team and the way they played today though. There wasn't a weak link in the side and we were the better team until the ref's intervention with the red card. A bit disappointed with the size of the home support today. The way the team are playing just now they deserve a lot more supporters at home games. Its just a pity that so many of the noisy glory hunters in the away end were from places like Dalneigh, Hilton, Dingwall, Wick, Fort William etc. Didn't know there was so much famine and oppression going on in these places (banners, songs etc.)?!?!

Advice to ICT players: 1. We can string two passes together - now lets try to get put three or more together. 2. No rash tackles in the penalty box - bad idea. 4. Don't hoof ball aimlessly up the park - bad idea. 3. Play for the jersey. Lets see some more passion from our new players (Tade & Meekings excepted). Richie Foran may not be having his best season but he cares about the team, he has passion for ICT. My ears are still recovering from the moron sitting behind me who lambasted Richie endlessly today. Players can hear these things quite clearly. What good is slagging off a player like that going to achieve? Our midfield looked uncertain, timid and were too easily over-run by Dunfermline. Too many new players trying to get used to each other. We had this problem at the start of season 2009-10. Absolute madness getting rid of Grant Munro and Russell Duncan (two good players who cared about ICT) - but too late to moan about that - our loss is County's gain. We need to move on. Take heart though, we are not (yet) cut adrift from the pack but we need to get results pretty soon to restore confidence and get some semblance of unity and team spirit on the park.

Letting Grant Munro go? Total madness. We need both Grant Munro and Russell Duncan!!!

Davie - the boys on the park gave the best response to the way the thugs in yellow treated you at Parkhead. I trust that eases the pain.

The good news for Hibs fans - today they scored twice as many goals as all their previous league games in Inverness combined. The bad news for Hibs fans - they got thumped by Inverness yet again! The sight of Drumochter Pass must be quite demoralising for the Hibees ICT seemed to play their away game at home today. Good breakaways and the rare treat of witnessing 3 ICT goals at the home end. Quality finishes Mr Rooney!! Nice to see our mascot make his way in to the home dugout. We could have played him/her in midfield and still have beaten the Hibees comfortably!!

Excellent result and first class performance. Aberdeen looked as poor as any of the teams we played at the lower end of Div 1 last season. So comfortable were the team on the ball that there was even a chance for a wee bit of showboating. Great too to see five players on the pitch who have come through the ICT youth system. Full marks to the police, stewards and the club for letting our singing section stand throughout the game. It's the only way we will get some atmosphere in to the stadium again. The previous heavy-handed approach was a PR disaster for the club which antagonised many fans. Good to see common sense prevail. May it continue. Heard a loud noise of bleating from the A9 on the way in to the stadium. Was it a lorry load of sheep - or an Aberdeen supporters' bus?

Yes definately!!!

Because we've had a season worth laughing at haven't we? Scrap what I said in the first reply, Come On You Arabs!! Sorry Guys - you misheard the County fans. I too thought they were slagging off Caley, at first, but they were actually chanting the name of the gal who was doing the interviewing......"Nicola MacAlee, Nicola MacAlee......".

Amazing surge to the finishing line!!!! Well done to Terry, Maurice and the team. Incredible achievement. ICT are back in the SPL at the first time of asking - just what the Weegie-biased, anti-Highland Scottish football establishment and media never wanted. May their favourite teams all enjoy many more trips down the A9 with no points!!!!

I suggest we rename the Forum as the "Caley Thistle Fans Foran" in respect of our Richie's contribution to the ICT cause!! (OK, silly thought but its a nice idea :icon_sailor: )