absent friend

Could not agree more with Caley100 - surely it is not too difficult/expensive to raise the area in front of the north stand a bit, to offer better vision, to the disabled, or some such work. I realise disabled people are very much in the minority but surely disabled people matter or should that be, surely ICT fans caring for them, matters!

My golfing pals, here in Aberdeen, would have welcomed a phone call as one renewed his seat at Pittodrie, where they have sat, side by side, for 6 years and the other was a day late and is now a row away. They would definitely not have complained at a phoned reminder! Poor administrators -damned if you do - damned if you don't!

'What a place Eastgate used to be for wee shops - Mario's, Wards the newsagent, Fraser & McColls, Ronnie's chip shop, Rosie's cafe, Riggs the butcher, Washington Soda Fountain, The Sheiling, Thomson the lady's hairdresser and Thomson the electrical shop (weren't they brothers ?), Jan Zagorski's restaurant upstairs next to Henry's the newsagents, Ernie Mason's electrical shop, the Plough Inn, the post office (very handy), the radio and TV shop and Clubb's shop at the corner which had a Stratton milk dispensing machine outside it for a while. Quite a place in the 1960s and 1970s.' You left out the most important one - my home from home- George Mckay's, Crown Bar, (across from Ronnie's)with Big and Wee Alex dispensing the necessary liquid requirements. Changed days but how often I heard them say to a family man who was spending maybe too much of the paypacket ''I think it's time to go home now, you've done well'' as they escorted them to the door. Then, so as not to hurt, ''See you tomorrow Dan, there Will be a pint waiting for you'' How to treat a customer correctly!!

Overheard at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, A & E Dept, 8am on a Sunday - from an overnight cubicle: Best Inverness accent 'Nurse, nurse, I need a bot-ill!' 'Billy, be quite!' ' But nurse I do!' 'Billy!!!' 'Nurse make it a bot-ill of Glen Grant!' We all fell about laughing despite our sore bits. Then Billy to nurse 'How's yer murrer, Jean?' Nurse 'Not too bad Billy'. 'Do you get home much?' 'Not really' 'Gees, I miss the Gilleons, do you Jean?' 'Not really, Billy' 'But you don't go the dram like me, Jean' Silence for a wee while, 'Jean, can I get money for a taxi?' 'Billy, if I give you money for a taxi you'd spend it on drink!' 'Jean, you're right, you can see straight through me' Exit one happy soberish, drunk. Made us all happy and me proud of him. Strong Inverness accent, no badness, no swear words, just a need for a drop more water of life. This lightened up the A & E for us all. If I remember correctly Billy stayed on Druid Road, don't know which part of Inverness Jean, or to be more correct 'her murrer' came from.

Charles, the pies 'side effect' took a wee while to kick in - I think it was maybe about 10 years later that the waif was gone and another 10 years later the cream doughnuts took their toll and the youthful figure of yesteryear disappeared into the mists of time! Waif now a memory, diet now a permanent part of life, with a fish supper creating a large attack of guilt!! But I can still remember the Locarno taste to this day!!

Looking at the photo, I would also date it mid to late fifties and I am certain that there are two Macdonald sisters in it, one of them being Jean but I can't recall the smaller, younger ones name! A hot pie, swimming in fat. followed by a cream doughnut was my 11 o'clock 'snack' daily, back in those days and I was still like an under nourished waif! Changed Days Indeed!!

Nexr Charles, you will be starting on Santa Claus!! Don't bother!!

If I were Shell I would cancel the contract with the haulier, due to the lack of deliveries by his drivers. to their stations and award the contract to another haulier. Result- happy new haulier, happy new drivers - greedy guys now looking for new driving jobs paying ?25000? Don't get me wrong, a job has a price but in this case their claim is linked to the increase in the oil price(using Shell's profit level and their wish to have a bit of this) however I do not expect them to be out on strike when the oil price drops to have their income reduced!

It is interesting to read in the press that we have at least one happy chappie at ICT - even if he is not here next year! I wonder how many clubs will receive the thanks, bestowed by him upon ICT, from any of their players. He not only mentioned the club but fellow players also received a mention. It is perhaps worth remembering, at this time, the amount of flak this guy received on this forum from many quarters, and has ended up grateful to be here!! God knows what the Romanian supporters are like if he feels welcomed and 'at home' in Inverness! Some of the description regarding him, on here, come to mind- crap, lazy, overpaid, no touch, can't head the ball, no assists(at a time when he was 2nd in the SPL stats!), etc., etc. I wish we had some more players that came into the above bracket so that we could make 'loads o' money' from them as well!! I think the whole Niculae time at the club has proved that we may have some contributors that have a problem judging a players ability or at least, are at odds with the Romanian managers opinion.

Caley D, Are you saying that this course is a resit for one that CB has already failed??

I don't understand all this negativity regarding our signing plans!! We are not told what irons are in the fire and indeed in the Barrowman affair we have a lot of one sided info. CB is away studying and therefore, I would suggest, Borrowman can say what he likes without reply and knows it! This is not a reason for all this ''hope we get relegated'' crap!! OUR team will still be feared by all the other teams in the SPL - no small feat for a 'diddy' team. Last season we had a bad run of results, calling for CB's head along the way, and then a run of better results at the tail end of the season - a bonus for Brew and Marius - and at one point we were looking good for the top six, above Aberdeen( who ended up coming 4th!) Now we are even candidates for the chop before we kick a ball, according to our own support! The OF we may never be - but we will compete with the best of the rest. We have the history to prove it!! ( Aberdeen don't count - roll on the first game of next season!!) I realise that I am not a manager of a football team but, looking at stats, I would suggest that the Borrowman affair is less important than signing a **** good stopper!!

''touching cloth'' It does not appear to be hands that are touching your kilt, Scarlet!!

I recall the waygoing of Dargo and how he was going to come back and make us regret his leaving and I hear the same sentiments for Denzil now. Well with our defence having the worst record in the SPL(forget Gretna, they don't count unless you are looking at our latest win against them!) I doubt, looking at the scoring statistics of the pair of the above mentioned forwards, any sleep will be lost by whatever players make up our defence next season, whenever St Midden comes to town!! A cause for not renewing your season ticket?? I think NOT! They are history - get over it! I think Brewster had a reality check when he changed his mind or had his mind changed for him, over the contract and I think this time next year we will appreciate the sensible course of action that was. For the record, I don't like Brewsters management style - or should that be, lack of management style.

Point Taken - Thanks!

I seem to recall that an accountants value of a player is related to:- Ability - Goes without saying His Age - Younger increasing in value - Older reducing in value Playing Position - Forwards are past it at a youger age and therefore their value reduces quicker - defenders retain their value longer. Potential Transfer Value - is related to the foregoing and the time left on their contracts Why therefore is there an apparent move to shorter contracts, for younger players, at ICT?? If this be the case, does this not reduce the net worth of the player/club?

I think only 2(3?) teams have performed above us in the last six games - or is that clutching at straws too?? Maybe it is going in the correct direction!

Best PR coming out of the club for a while! At the same time as we are trying to recruit and fighting against our geographical position and lower wage structure. 'Caring employer' is a selling factor!! Maybe the club have an insurance plan that pays/part pays on a serious injury claim and it is not the cost to the club that we assume. If not, maybe the cost to the club will be recouped by the aforementioned PR allowing a decent signing to be made due to this course of action.

I think mayde our average gate receipts will create a problem here, L_G!!

What a super idea! Get rid of them all and vote in ???? Lets get rid of all the brain surgeons and employ other people because you think some some brain surgeons are iffy!! Wait, I know what, lets sack all the ICT team and get new guys in, who cares about their abilities, because some of the current team are not up to YOUR standard - that will keep them on their toes!! Quaint!!

I don't think that there will be much money forthcoming from Tulloch Homes, Barrett Homes or any other Homes for the next two years or so!!

Having lived in Falkirk/Bathgate/Edinburgh and now Aberdeen, I do accept that to anyone in central Scotland, Inverness is another country!! However when they do arrive there it appears to change and indeed I have known many who would not now leave Inverness and regard it as their home. I agree that it is an Inverness trait to put the area 'down' - something I find hard to understand as coming home is still a big thing for me. The first glimpse of Sneck is worth all the miles under the wheels!! On the football front, however, I think that we are somewhere for a player to prove themselves and once this happens they will move on, as we cannot offer the income offered elsewhere. We will, of course, be able to retain some 'good' players - journeyman types - that will do a good job for us but may not shine sufficiently brightly to be the subject of transfer talks. The strength, due to the foregoing, will be team togetherness, something Brew does not appear to want and I feel that we will therefore not see the team 'punching above their weight' for sometime.

There are a number of areas to consider here. Brew as a manager - It would appear he has made a huge mess of this, both the initial situation and the current handling of it. Club - They are also to blame for allowing this situation to develop and not stepping in to resolve the problem. The above two parties are supposed to be professional and it is their positions to behave accordingly. Black - He is a footballer and does not profess to be a PR guy and therefore he is MORE entitled to speak out of turn but, I accept, there must be a limit that the manager will allow. It was however behind closed doors!! Team ICT - The weakening of the team on Saturday, due to the non-inclusion of Black, was unfair on the players and fans and indeed could alter our final position in the league with, I think, a loss of finance to the club. Solution 1 - Black will have to toe the line and apologise to get back in the team but he must be on the way away right now, either in his mind or his managers mind! Brew upset the dressing room at Dundee Utd and it was assumed, at that time, that this was because he was dealing with experienced pros and was having a hard time from them, due to his inexperience - well Black is not an experienced pro and he obviously can't handle him! Solution 2 -For the good of ICT Brew must not be allowed to create any more mayhem, at Inverness, than he has already carried out AND MUST GO!! Any talk of comparing this with Fergie is nonsense - we cannot offload a ?15million player and buy in a ?20 million one in his place! We are lucky to have a player of Black's ability in our team and we will not be able to financially afford to replace him, in my opinion. Lets use him in the first team whilst we have him.

CCATWEASEL '' Typical of Inverness folk & their narrow mindedness'' How to win friends and influence people!! This is an INVERNESS CaleyThistle site!! OR has nobody told him!!

Groom 2b running into bride 2b's home with the tail end of the wedding presents, on the eve of the wedding. As he sets them down his sister in law 2b enters the room and flirts openly, taking him by the hand onto the stairs and offers 'as we are the only ones in the house and indeed you will be a married man this time tomorrow, how about a wee bit of what you and I, fancy!' He runs out the door to be greeted by Dad2b in the garden - 'you are indeed a great man for my daughter to marry, we tried to tempt you but you were too strong' Moral of the story Always keep the condoms in the car!!

Now lets think - Caley d's thought out presentation, Scotty's thought out presentation or Johnboy's dozen sarcastic words. I think the IQ (or lack of it) is showing through!!