tm4tj

Hair of the dog? ***Game Postponed - Waterlogged Pitch*** Hangover cure on the 2nd of January at 2:00pm is the fixture in Inverness as the home side seek to extend their unbeaten run to three games against the surprise packet of the season, St Johnstone. The lads from Perth come first footing at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium and will be looking to continue their good form into the new year. Inverness remained unbeaten for the second game after a deserved point at Easter Road in midweek, achieved without the services of top scorer Andrew Shinnie and defensive stalwart Ross Tokely. Both players were sidelined with calf injuries since the narrow defeat at Ibrox and not risked since then with the hectic festive fixtures coming . While Inverness were drawing in Edinburgh, the Perth Saints were beating Kilmarnock 2-0 and securing back-to-back wins and consecutive clean sheets. That's why they sit in fourth place in the league 13 points above Inverness. It has been a tremendous season for St Johnstone so far, with Steve Lomas continuing the good work started by Derek McInnes who departed for warmer climes in October. Inverness' home form has been a bit erratic with 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 defeats, conceding 16 goals in the process with zero clean sheets. Much of these stats have come in our darker days from this season and Butcher will be glad to see the back of 2011 which has seen the club suffer a spate of long term injuries. This, coupled with some major decisions going gainst us in some crucial games have meant it has been difficult to gather some momentum and get some consistency in our performances, and the result of this leaves us entrenched in the lower quarter of the league with a goal difference of -12. Not the worst in the division, but not one to be proud of. St Johnstone have the best defensive record in the SPL away from home, only Rangers equalling their miserly loss of five goals. That has given them a platform to build on and their away record is a dream for the Perth men, 5 wins, 4 draws and a solitary defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road. Their last two matches saw them score 5 goals without reply with Sandaza notching 3 of them. Saints won the first encounter this season 2-0, beating a below par Inverness during our poor early season form, Sandaza on the scoresheet in that game as well with Mackay getting the second goal. That result left us rooted to the bottom of the table on eight points and Saints in fifth with eighteen. Head to Head at Inverness:- Including Scottish Cup and First Division games we have a healthy 5 to 1 advantage over the Super J's with only one draw. In terms of SPL games it's one win and one draw. Highest score was the 3-1 win that clinched promotion in 2004, a game which incidentally saw one of the best goals ever at the stadium. It was Keigan Parker who scored it with a stunning 35 yarder on the run into the top corner; some strike. That was however overshadowed by the result and susequent promotion to the SPL, after some off field antics by the Harry Wragg's was put to bed. ***Latest Team News*** Inverness captain Richie Foran is suspended for this game and top scorer Andrew Shinnie remains a major doubt with a calf injury. Ross Tokely could recover in time and will be thrust straight back into central defence as we are a bit threadbare in that department. Aaron Doran returned to action at Hibs following a serious shoulder injury and will be loking for more game time. St Johnstone midfielder Chris Millar is struggling with a hamstring problem and Frazer Wright and Cillian Sheridan remain out, (must be that jumper) but midfielder David Robertson could be added to the squad after his concussion. tm4tj Prediction:- We appear to be over the worst of our troubles and with the squad list getting healthier I expect us to be able to handle the Perth men on our own patch. They have been excellent on the road but I am going for a narrow win, maybe without that elusive clean sheet, but a win all the same and three points to get the new year off to a flyer. Happy New Year from all at the editorial team.

It beats Xmas shopping (hopefully) Aberdeen call early on Xmas Eve for a 12:30 kick off at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium for a Xmas cracker as the festive events get under way. The SPL are offering all clubs an early Christmas present in the shape of standing areas at all grounds. I thought we already had that; especially when the Old Firm are in town as the entire away support stand for the full ninety minutes in the South Stand with police and stewards looking on admiringly. Merry Xmas! Terry Butcher was left bemused once more as his Inverness side gave Champions Rangers a doing at Ibrox and still came away pointless after an enthralling encounter ended 2-1 for the Glasgow giants. "We don't get penalties" was the cry after referee Bobby Madden waived away two big shouts for spot-kicks in favour of the visitors. That's twenty games without a penalty he mused. Despite going down at Ibrox, Butcher can be proud of the whole teams efforts as they took the game to Rangers after going behind only to be denied inside the last ten minutes by a Lafferty sucker punch. But that was not before McKay missed an open goal and struck one straight at McGregor, Foran had a header agonisingly chalked off for offside and Jonny Hayes burst through the Rangers defence only for his stabbed effort to be miraculously cleared off the line by Lee Wallace with no margin for error. It was a great attempt by the Inverness lads to change the rules as they had Rangers on the ropes for long spells, and this with eight players out of the squad and playing first choice left back in the right back position, a role Gillet performed rather well as did Graeme Shinnie his deputy at left back. Young Spaniard Roman Golobart showed his talents at Ibrox as he contained the threat of Jelavic for most of the game; ole! But plaudits are no consolation when it's points that we need, so it's onwards we have to look for the next game. This was a much improved performance from the United game where our Jekyll & Hyde characters overshadowed our Superman traits, and more performances like this will surely be enough to maintain our SPL status long enough to see the advent of the standing section. Craig Brown has managed to get a mini-revival going at Pittodrie as the Dons have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three games to ease them away from the foot of the table. A hard fought draw with St Mirren was followed by a comfortable away win at Perth and last weeks 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Hibernian. These points are borne out of desperation and the need to get off the foot of the table, but it shows how quickly your fortunes can change with a couple of back-to-back wins, something we should have completed with the United game, unfortunately we blew that chance to edge further away from the bottom and are paying the price for it. Aberdeen's win over Hibs was not without controversy, the sending off of young star Peter Pawlett for a tackle that was not a tackle if you know what I mean. He slid in to block a clearance by Lewis Stevenson and as the Hibs player rode the tackle, the linesman flagged for the referee to red-card Pawlett, a decision the Dons will contest. Pawlett was the centre of attention in this game as it was he who gained the penalty that led to Scott Vernon scoring the winner, going down rather easily under a challenge from Ivan Sproule. Scott Vernon has scored three of Aberdeen's goals in the revival and will be a threat to our under fire defence which as reported last week will be without the unfortunate Chris Hogg for the season. What we did see at Ibrox though, was the quality of Roman Golobart alongside Ross Tokely, a pairing that will need to gel quickly as they would appear to be our last realistic options for centre back. It has been well documented that we have not kept a clean sheet all season and the statistic of 38 goals lost in 19 games is exactly 2 goals per game. That was not for the want of trying at Ibrox though as Ryan Esson pulled off a magnificent diving save (think Gordon Banks) to deny Whittaker in the first half. Our defence on the day also played well to a man and hopefully a clean sheet would be a welcome early Xmas present for Butcher and the fans. Dunfermline are now the team with the worst goal difference stat at minus 20, compared to Hibs and ourselves at minus 13. Anoraks Corner:- Since Inverness joined Scotland's elite in the SPL in season 2004/2005 the sides have met twenty times on league business, and twice on cup duty, the Dons winning both cup games. It took Inverness fifteen competitive games to get the better of Aberdeen and they did it in style with two collectors items in that game, an Andy Barrowman goal and a Roy McBain goal in a 2-0 win at Pittodrie in August 2008. A new era perhaps for football in Inverness? Not so as Barrowman flopped and Inverness were relegated at the end of the season. The omens are heavily in favour of Aberdeen for this Tulloch Caledonian Stadium fixture as they have a total of 7 wins against a solitary win for Inverness with 2 games drawn. We have scored three goals against Aberdeen in Inverness, unfortunately they scored four with a last gasp Maguire winner, and a Russell Duncan red-card at half-time was followed by one for Grant Munro after the full time whistle. Russell Duncan only ever scored spectacular goals for ICT and this one was no different as he lashed a low drive beyond Soutar from 25 yards, his celebration being deemed worthy of a yellow card by the ref. His second on the half time whistle was for taking his anger out on the ball and thumping it high into the main stand; bye bye Russell. Roy McBain had shown his prowess in this game as well by scoring ICT's third goal. Dave Bus had scored the opener for Inverness as he diverted a header past his own keeper; taxi for Bus. Other scorers for Aberdeen that day were the diver Sone Aluko who started the ball rolling, Nicholson with the second, Lee Miller the third and that Maguire sickener in the 93rd minute. Our only home victory came in the first encounter last season when Hayes and Rooney scored in each half for a comfortable 2-0 win that saw Aberdeen's Michael Paton red carded for a foul on Hayes. That was Inverness' first home points of the season and saw us climb to fifth in the table, two above Aberdeen after seven games played. Aberdeen have scored twice as many goals as the home side, only nine for Inverness and eighteen for the Dons. tm4tj Prediction:- The stats weigh heavily on the side of the visitors, but the reality might be closer to the truth. Inverness' defensive fragility combined with Aberdeen's shot shy away day form tells me that a low scoring game is on the cards, although Scott Vernon has eight goals to his credit this term. Jonny Hayes is getting back to full fitness and Andrew Shinnie is showing his talents in front of goal and if Inverness can steady the ship at the back then we might sneak a narrow win, but can we keep a clean sheet? If we can stop Aberdeen scoring then I can see a home win coming, if not then we are looking at a draw. ***Latest Team News*** Inverness have David Davis back after suspension, but David Proctor and Josh Meekings are still unavailable to add to the longer term crocks of Jones, Doran and Chippendale. Meekings is closest to a return and Piermayr was on the bench at Ibrox and will be in the squad. Chris Hogg can be found at his Fightback blogg as he continues to pour his heart out after his serious injury and will be out for some considerable time. At the time of publishing, there is some dubiety over the eligibility of Richie Foran who has exceeded the bookings threshold, but he may still be included as he is not on the SFA discipline list of banned players yet.........confused.com? Aberdeen's *Peter Pawlett won't have to worry about beating the beaks regarding his red card as he was given a two game suspension for simulation to earn the penalty which won the game. Is it something they teach them at Pittodrie as Aluko suffered the same fate a couple of weeks ago. Fraser Fyvie is back into contention after his suspension. Rory Fallon might not make this one as he is suffering from a groin problem, and Yoann Folly and Mo Chalali are out injured *Pawlett did beat the red card for the sending off as it was reduced to a yellow, but the simulation has cost him a two game ban starting tomorrow. Some you win, some you lose Pete! Other SPL News Hearts have managed to pay the taxman a six figure sum which will keep the winding up order away for a while, let's hope they pay the players what they are due before Xmas. Ryan Stevenson has told Hearts he won't be back unless they pay him what he is due. Eggert Jonsson will join Wolves for a fee believed to be in the region of £200k. Andrew Driver is also creating interest after his Hearts career has come to a standoff. It's all happening down Gorgie Road. Rangers will no doubt show an interest in Kris Boyd as he has now left Turkish club Eskisehirspor, (not easy to say if you have been drinking). A proven scorer in the SPL, this could be a good move for player and club. Celtic will have to make do without Englands record goal scorer Daniel Majstorovic after he suffered a fractured cheek bone against St Johnstone. He is expected to be out for around six weeks. Stand up for the Caley Jags:- Standing at SPL games..........what next. Plans are in place for SPL clubs to allocate safe standing areas within the stadiums. Well at least the scope for continued discussion has been approved, but it's not as straightforward as it appears. Terracing here we come? http://ictfc.com/new...-standing-areas Promotion Watch:- Falkirk narrowed the gap slightly on runaway leaders Ross County after thrashing QotS 5-1, as County battled for a 1-1 draw with the other contenders Dundee. County however, have a game in hand over both clubs and lead Falkirk by six points, but the sting in the tail could come this weekend as County head to Falkirk for what will be a testing time, whilst Dundee take on lowly Morton. The race for promotion hots up as the mercury plummets.

Rangers grab all three points in a hard fought battle at Ibrox. Caley Thistle,  once again travelling without a full matchday squad, held the champions at bay for the first half but it looks like Ally McCoist gave them a rollicking at half-time and they certainly moved up a gear in the second. Carlos Bocanegra opened the scoring in the 55th minute but it was former Ger, Andy Shinnie who equalised in controversial fashion 12 minutes later. Jelavic was down injured (or slow to get up) and Rangers did not put the ball out of play ... they then lost it and the end result was an Andy Shinnie goal. It was a deserved goal, and as the BBC commented, Rangers could have put the ball out if Jelavic was really as injured as he was making out ! The final 20 minutes were, for want of a better description, "pulsating". Chances fell at either end with McKay hitting the post and having another attempt saved by McGregor, and Foran also had a "goal" chopped off.  Rangers had the ball cleared off the line three times and hit both the post and the bar before Lafferty grabbed the winner seven minutes from time. Plenty for our intrepid reporter to write about when he gets home from Ibrox ..............................and here he is safe and sound as Capital Caley relates his day out down Govan way....................... What a performance. What an effort. So close to being a result. That has to be one of the best performances we've ever had at Ibrox. This makes it even more frustrating that we didn't take anything from the game. I feel strangely happy after this game. Of course the result is bitterly disappointing but I think the 140 away fans in attendance will all feel very proud of the way the players went about their business. The day started for a few Caley Thistle fans how it usually starts when we play Rangers â€" by hitting Glasgow's number 1 Unofficial Caley Thistle bar â€" Brechins. Taking part in the Brechins festivities along with myself were familiar faces such as Govan Jaggie (of course) tm4tj, Red Card, Snow, Snow Jnr, ICT Bob, JK, Ginger Jaggy and last but not least, Alternative Maryhill. As we headed along to the stadium (running late as usual) there was a feeling of optimism within the ranks. Hindered slightly by Glasgow Council's inability to relieve the pavements of their coating of ice we skated merrily towards Ibrox and entered the stadium to the noise of the Gers singing section. The game kicked off just as we were settling into our seats. With our dearth of players for this one, Butcher elected to try Kenny Gillet at right back and pulled Richie Foran deep, leaving Tade up front to compliment Billy McKay. Lee Cox slotted into the midfield with Davis out because of his red card last week. The first half hour was very quiet and nothing to get too excited about. Our first real chance occurred when a Foran header struck the hand of Jelavic in the box â€" the referee decided to play on. As Terry Butcher said â€" we don't get penalties! Rangers only real chance of the first half occurred just before half time. A Whittaker shot was brilliantly saved by Ryan Esson. He dived to his left to somehow palm the ball away from goal. The team looked comfortable in the first half with the back 4 looking strong. In particular, Roman Golobart, who had a very good game. His challenges were perfect each time and he did the business. A no nonsense performance, where he tapassed the ball out of play when needed... Don't all laugh at once! Half Time 0-0 17/12/11 Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow Rangers:- 2 - Bocanegra (55), Lafferty (83) TEAM: McGregor, Papac (Bendiksen 78), Wallace, Whittaker, Bocanegra, Bartley, Edu (McCulloch 46), Davis, Bedoya (Lafferty 53), Wylde, Jelavic SUBS: Alexander, Broadfoot, McKay, McCabe Booked: Bocanegra (75), Laffery (83), McCulloch (87) Sent Off: none Inverness CT:- 1 - A.Shinnie (67) TEAM: Esson, Tokely, Golobart, G.Shinnie, Gillet, Cox, Hayes, Tansey (A.Shinnie 60), Foran, Tade, McKay (Sutherland 85) SUBS: Tuffey, Piermayr, Ross, Morrison Booked: Gillet (43), Cox (64), Foran (90) Sent Off: none Referee Bobby Madden Attendance 43701 Into the second half, and there was much more to talk about! Rangers started strongly and had a couple of shots cleared off the line/six-yard box. From our small corner, I couldn't see who it was that cleared it â€" but I'll attribute it to the new Golly! We then had another penalty claim turned down. Right in front of goal, Billy McKay was hauled to the ground with the Rangers defender wrapping his arms round him. I was right behind the linesman, who had a clear view. He must have sneezed at the moment of the foul I suppose. Please refer to Butchers previous comment. Rangers went ahead on 54 minutes. A Bocanegra shot from close range slotted into the bottom corner. In fairness, we could see the goal coming. Rangers did start the second half very strongly. Papac then hit the crossbar for Rangers from a loose ball thirty yards out as they started to show signs of quality. However, we came back into the game and deservedly equalised in 67 minutes when a brilliant run and cross from Gregory Tade found Andrew Shinnie who flicked the ball into McGregor's top corner. A few minutes later we were 2-1 up! A Foran header at the back post, almost identical to the first goal sailed into the top corner. Jubilation! We were on the road to victory! Then the flag went up for offside. I haven't seen the goal again, but I am certain Foran was not offside. I am certain he was onside by a country mile! TV evidence apparently backs this up. With the game raging on, Billy Mckay rounded McGregor and from a tight angle, hit the post. It was tight, but he looked almost certain to score. Then again, within minutes, Hayes shuffled past McGregor and his poked shot was somehow cleared off the line by Wallace. I don't think he hit it hard enough as he was under pressure. This gave the Rangers defence time to blockade the goal. Mckay should have put us 2-1 up when he skinned Whittaker, spun around and from close range, hit it straight at McGregor. Against the run of play, Rangers went 2-1 up. Steve Davis found Lafferty who fired in the ball from close range. We continued to press with great runs from Hayes, Shinnie and Tade but couldn't break through in the end. Full Time 2-1 The Caley Thistle support gave a standing ovation for their team at the end as the players approached and applauded back. Then it was back to Brechins after the game. Being an over 21's pub I had hatched a plan to get two slightly younger fans in â€" martinskye and twin brother Iain â€" or Jedward as they are more commonly known! Unfortunately they got lost and ended up walking a couple of miles in the wrong direction. They ended up closer to St Mirren Park than Brechins! Overall, there was a feeling of optimism within the support after the game. We were all so proud of the team. If they take that performance into the next few games, they shall do well. Every player on the park was first class. It's difficult to pick a MotM. I would like to give it to McKay, as he did play fantastic but really should have scored. Shinnie made a massive impact when he came on but for running Rangers ragged, I'll give it to Hayes. Lets take this feeling of optimism to the Dons game on Christmas Eve next week. Have a Merry Christmas!

No Xmas Cheer at Inverness After last weekends disappointing result, Inverness head to Glasgow to take on champions Rangers at Ibrox. Maybe not the easiest of places to go after the obligatory handing over of three points last week and the loss of Hogg and Davis has just compounded our misery; not the Xmas present we were hoping for. Yes it's been a long week to ponder over the happenings of the United game. An even longer one for the unfortunate Chris Hogg who's season has finished now after the results of his scan were revealed and David Davis can reflect on his stint at right back which ended with him seeing red. All in all, a disastrous week for Inverness, let's hope we can use the trip to Ibrox to recharge our batteries for the relegation tussle ahead. Capital Caley has sorted a preview out for us before he heads to Brechins Bar for the pre-match entertainment, read on............... He's making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's injured tonight.......Terry Butchers coming to town Terry Butcher has more injury worries again ahead of this game, but it's that time of the year again. The Caley Away Christmas party! Tynecastle was the venue this time last year. The hard fought point secured the unbeaten away run in 2010. A year on and things don't feel quite so festive on the park. We head to Castle Greyskull with yet more injury and suspension worries. With the devastating news that Chris Hogg will be out for the rest of the season we are now looking as fragile as ever at the back. Josh Meekings and David Proctor may also be missing again and the influential David Davis will be missing for this one following his red card against Dundee United. Caley Thistle have been incredibly inconsistent over the last month. A wonderful 6-3 victory at Kilmarnock, followed by a spirited performance against Celtic, then a dire game against Hearts and a solid hard fought victory against St Mirren. It was back to square one last week with the collapse against Dundee United. What Caley Thistle team will turn up in Govan on Saturday? That question could be asked literally and metaphorically! Terry Butcher has had to make more changes than a gremlin in a snow shower. Although we sit awfully close to the bottom of the SPL, no doubt the Caley Thistle faithful will have a joyous time on Saturday. The Official Festive Fun bus looks like it will have everyone in Yuletide spirit, whilst most of the Glasgow based crew will be drinking beer and scoffing mince pies in Brechins Bar pre and post match. No doubt we'll be looking up the Christmas songs for the Saturday night karaoke! Rangers have other problems to worry about over the festive period. With the meeting with HMRC looming as well as stuttering SPL performances, a Caley Thistle victory could still be achieved. Some would argue that Rangers deserve a lump of coal for Christmas. Their years of overspending has finally caught up with them. Can that lump of coal be delivered a week early in the form of a Caley Thistle victory? Possibly" but i'm not holding my breath! Caley Thistle lost out to Rangers the last time the clubs met. Two 'penalties' for the men from Glasgow won the game. Both penalties looked dubious and Terry Butcher unsuccessfully appealed Ross Tokelys red card. A harsh outcome considering all the camera angles pointed to a good challenge. There have been some great memories from our games at Ibrox in the past. In 2005, a long punt by someone called Grant Munro found Brian Prunty who scored one of the worst goals in an ICT shirt, but it felt like the best, earning a point in injury time. Ian Black scored a last minute winner from the penalty spot in 2009 to win the game and take us off bottom. Terry Butchers celebrations that night aggravated the Rangers loyal; well the ones that hadn't left from the 70th minute onwards. Last season we earned a point away to Rangers. An 81st minute Eric Odhiambo leveler kept the unbeaten away run going. Although I've still not figured out why Odhiambo ran to celebrate in the wrong corner! Unfortunately, our last trip to Govan wasn't as successful as Rangers scraped a 1-0 victory. The game was rescheduled twice and the second one was rescheduled less than a week before the new date, leaving Terry and Mo with little time to prepare properly for the match. Caley Thistles first competitive game against Rangers occurred in March 1996 in the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup. We lost out 3-0 at the neutral Tannadice Park in Dundee. Rangers were hoping for a repeat of their 10-1 victory against Keith from the previous round. However, a spirited Caley Thistle performance kept the light blues at bay and the score line flattered Rangers. Many media commentators at the time predicted Caley Thistle would rise to the top flight one day based on what they saw of the club, the team and the fans that day. Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne played that day up against the likes of Mike Teasdale and Brian Thomson. The shrewdness of Steve Patersons signings has taken us steadily up the leagues all the way to the SPL. In contrast, Rangers flamboyant signings in the 1990's and early 2000's have kept them in the upper echelons of the SPL and in Europe until late September most seasons. The question has to be asked, was it worth it? It certainly won't be if HMRC gets its way in January. They will be meeting Hector the Tax Man in administration heaven. If proceedings go as bad as they could, they will be replaced by our neighbours from the other side of the Black Isle. The last time Ross County brought a sizeable amount of supporters to the Central Belt, a caravan jam had blocked the whole of the A9 between Dingwall and Perth. The Central Belt based SPL teams are wary of this happening in their neck of the woods but it is starting to look more and more likely. Capital Caley's Prediction:- Our past performances and results at Ibrox have been impressive. We have beaten Rangers on their own turf whilst we were bottom of the league. We have shown in a few games this season that we can play well and are capable of scoring. Rangers have dropped more points at home than away this season. They are starting to struggle and if we can contain them early on, they will get restless. If the Caley Thistle team performs to their best standard on Saturday, then we can get something from the game. Although I would like to say we'll get all 3 points, the odds are against us, but there's no reason why we can't get a point, so I'm going to predict a 1-1 draw. I believe in Santa Butcher. I believe in the team â€" whoever happens to be picked on Saturday! Now lets don red and blue Santa hats, get caught up in the festive spirit and hope Jonny Hayes can fire a festive cracker for all 3 points! ***Latest Team News*** Inverness are once again ravaged by injuries, none moreso than the extremely disappointing news about Chris Hogg, resulting in the rest of his season being written off and a prognosis of at least nine months out of the game after sustaining a serious knee injury when he clashed with Gary Mackay-Steven and David Davis in last weeks match. Davis also misses this game after his red card against United. Meekings is struggling to shake off a calf injury, Proctor (ankle) and Piermayr (back) making all three doubtful for Saturday, although the Austrian looks to have the best chance of making the squad. Chippendale is still out making a total of seven injuries and one suspension when you add on the two long term casualties, Doran and Tudur-Jones. Chris Hogg has put pen to paper after his injury, as a sort of self therapy, and you can follow the story on his Blog, The Fightback http://chrishoggthef...t.com/?spref=tw It is an insight into how he will cope with this devastating blow to his career, let's hope he makes a comeback from this, all the best Chris. Rangers have less problems than the threadbare Highlanders and a much greater squad to choose from. Like Hogg, Steven Naismith is out for the season and Sone Aluko is spared the embarrassment of showing his face on the park after his attempt to cheat the system failed on review and he rightly received a two match ban, (not enough in my book). Kyle Lafferty (back) and Dorin Goian (bug) are doubts and Jamie Ness is out. The depth of squad at Ibrox means that these absentees are a drop in the ocean compared to that of Terry Butcher's squad, such is life. Other News SPL News:- Aberdeen crawled above Inverness in midweek after defeating St Johnstone 2-1 in Perth. Celtic left the Europa League after a 1-1 draw with Italian side Udinese was not enough to see them progress. Hearts have paid Novembers wages now; somone tell them it's nearly Xmas please. Anti bigot law's have been passed by the Scottish Parliament, so behave or stay away. The legislation will create two new offences relating to behaviour deemed to "incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred". You have been warned! Promotion Watch:- Proof of the pudding time this weekend should their game go ahead. Ross County take on a resurgent Dundee and should they see off the dark blues, then they will go eleven points ahead of the challengers. Falkirk are still interested and should maintain their challenge with 3 points from QotS.