dougiedanger

I don't know about ex members because we actually have rather a lot of current ones, but this Life Member of the Harriers certainly could. Just to put you right on one or two other matters, the last Harrier to win a national championship medal on home ground at the Queens Park actually came from the darkest Ferry. The first Harrier of the modern era to win a national title was brought up in a council house in Hilton. And as far as I can make out dougiedanger - Charles is not from the Crown or Lochardil either - a Dalneigh boy by all accounts. And your point is caller?

Oh dear, we seem to have huge Freudian problems with rugby as well as athletics! So maybe the key to the balance I was advocating on the Harriers thread is therefore to put the Rugby chip on one shoulder and the Athletics one on the other. Pommes frites, surely.

I don't know about ex members because we actually have rather a lot of current ones, but this Life Member of the Harriers certainly could. Methinks, reading between the lines of your post, that either you have never been near the Harriers so haven't got a clue what you are talking about or you used to go along but socially or athletically or academically, or possibly for all three reasons, you felt you couldn't quite fit in. Your problem - not the Harriers'. Just to put you right on one or two other matters, the last Harrier to win a national championship medal on home ground at the Queens Park actually came from the darkest Ferry. The first Harrier of the modern era to win a national title was brought up in a council house in Hilton. As for the "football" reference, one of the best athletes I ever coached was Neil Fraser who gave up the offer to play for Caley (where he was coached by Hamish Munro) instead to go on to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games, Great Britain at the European Indoor Championships and to hold the national record for the hurdles for 7 years. There have been quite a few more like him performing at a level which, with all due respect to our footballing colleagues, has not really been aspired to too often by Invernessians within that sport. If you could only manage to take half of that apparently rather large chip and place it on the other shoulder, you might manage to achieve a rather more balanced viewpoint. Ach, cool down CB, it was only a bit of craic. I love to see any Invernessian excel. From what you say, it seems it's like Tough of the Track down Queen's Park of an evening.

No that hill anyway mate.

Another bourgeois set-up was "the Harriers", where Lochardil and Crown's finest young athletes(i.e. the ones who couldn't play football) would congregate, discuss their "uni" choices, and occasionally run around a bit. At least that's how it seemed. Any ex-Harriers care to put me right?

Can't stand rugby but I remember being taken to a game at the Northern Meeting Park when Highland were in the first division, I think it was Hawick who were the opponents. This was the 70s. Anyone else recall these halcyon days for the town's bourgeois brigade?

Santa bypassed Dalneigh in those days?

Agreed Caley D. (And I won't tell them that you have an interest here in that your brother is a senior member of staff there! :D ) I'm talking of Hilton chipper in the 70s, when the word was Jojo spat in the chips, or so my neighbour said (she still got her chips from there). Probably nonsense but such is/was our narrow-minded suspicion of foreign-looking fellas. Do they still have a Chipper mob?

Good shout, that a BMX?

What was yer most memorable Christmas pressie as a kid: a seedless tangerine, a walnut, Ker Plunk, Buck-a-roo, a Step Reebok, a Raleigh Chopper, a Dukla Prague away kit fer Subbuteo, or what? For me: Action man with eagle eyes.

Following on from the ice cream thread, name yer favourite all-time chipper. I'll start with the old Academy Street chipper, with the two parts, the carry out place and the restaurant, where ye got the same scran, but served on a plate. A revolutionary concept. We lived in Hilton, but we never had chips from there for some reason...

Leslie is a good shout, always gave ye his broken cones. I don't recall Eric.

Yer thinking of Cath's van there mate, C&C Allan, cracking smell as ye stepped on board.

So who was your favourite ice creamer back in the day? Leslie, Mr Softee, the Big Yin, others? Who and why?

"one of the most economically deprived areas in Scotland" I presume they are referring to Merkinch rather than Inverness. But even so, is it a valid claim? I haven't lived in Inverness since the 80's, but my perception of that area is that it's deprived and a bit rough, but there are dozens of worse areas. There is a difference between Merkinch and the Ferry. A big difference. South Kessock has traditionally been classified among the worst 2.5% of housing areas in Scotland.

Big scraps in the Howden End that day. Ended up with an overnight stay in the Infirmary.

Add: Martin Taylor Gary Munro Mark Robertson Kevin Wemyss Charlie Christie Danny MacDonald Davie Cooper

Never actualy thought of that. I asumed it was maybe somebody who knew Charlie from Inverness. So who is ghu then.... Alex Bone perchance? Charlie Christie was a brilliant player. I remember him just walking through teams as a youth player.

Of all those you used to hear singing at the Caley games, how many did you see at the game today? You would have seen many more old school Inverness fans in the away end. No matter what anyone says, this lost generation was a massive loss to the merged club.

Very sad to hear of the death of Jocky Clark, who, amongst other things, was first team trainer with Caley in the early to mid 80s. He was a cracking little guy, encouraging to young players and the kind of guy who would light up any room with his enthusiasm and good humour. A true gent. God bless you Jocky. http://www.north-star-news.co.uk/news/full...ll_starlet.html

Tear in my eye here, nostalgic for days scurrying home from Clach Park, looking anxiously over yer shoulder.

Well done indeed. Is he a local lad then? From what part of town? No relation to any other footballing Duffs? (can only think of Alan "Duffers" Duff)

That came through quiet and clear on the radio today. well done to both sets of supporters. unlike elsewhere where a minute's applause had to be observed to drown out those who would disrupt it. Well maybe things are not so clear cut, and maybe some among that support would have little cause to celebrate the memory of lost British soldiers, who until very recently had been considered an occupying, enemy force. We no doubt all have relatives who have died in wars, and we honour them, but other people's experiences are not necessarily the same as ours.