Charles Bannerman

Seriously, though, all the best to John. He's a cracking lad and a real professional.

You mean you have the papyrus version?

Destabilise.

F and R MacDonald at Holm Mills. I've been very happily going there for over 20 years. 01463 231344.

Last time I did it I could see your feet clearly!

Fiona now has the text of the HN atricle on the Official site. I would do one of these link things of I knew how..... ???

No, I'm not confused at all really. In fact I'm more than aware that within one post EWS has made three quite individually specific statements, but the first of which contradicts the second and third. By placing the question mark there, I was perhaps just reverting to the red pen practices of the day job!

:symbol_question:

Thanks Mantis, I'll see what I can find. If unsuccessful I'll try Leakey's next time I'm in Inverness. And people complain about prices of tickets for the Caley Stadium!? I take it Mantis is using Gaelic when the quotes the word "mearlach"! I went into Leakeys a couple of years ago and thought I had got a reasonable enough deal for two manky looking but interesting tomes which I thought he was selling me for 80p. He did indeed give me a strange look when I gave him a pound coin because it transpired he was wanting 18 quid!!! ****'s teeth, one of them only cost ?1 7s 6d new! I left the books on his counter and walked out of the shop.

The Highland News has got the full story on two pages, including a lengthy interview so if you're in its circulation area, run out and get a copy. If not I'm afraid you'll have to wait until ithe HN comes online or when the HN story goes on to the official ICT website tomorrow.

Write enuff!

I don't own a copy but I've read it (borrowed it from Peter Paul). Well worth a read. Did Rodwill Clyne write it?

Gloryhunter. :003:

Johnboy... if you can get a hold of "Against All Odds", the complex story of how the stadium ended up at East Longman is all in there - especially the chapter entitled "Finding a Home". It might be cold and windy at TCS but you'll possibly be interested to read about the alternatives ... or indeed the severe lack of them... in and around Inverness. In addition to that, the tale of a stadium site is not restricted only to ICT in 1994. Before that, Caley in the Highland League also had a long and fruitless search for a new home.

Just in case any of my lords and masters at HC may read this, I haven't actually said anything which could be agreed with. All I've done is set out three groups of facts in relation to three decisions about the use of CGF cash. On the other hand Johnboy may simply be articulating a fairly common conclusion from these facts, but that conclusion has to be his and not mine. Scotty... thanks for spotting my slip of a decade. I've amended the original.

Whilst following in the media the saga of the Inverness Common Good Fund cash for the closing ceremony of Highland 2007 and its associated fireworks display, I couldn't help but think back to a couple of instances over the last decade or so where there was debate over CGF money being allocated to football. One of the longest and most bitter arguments over any decision by Inverness District Council took place across 1995-96 (dates amended by a decade thanks to Scotty's eagle eye!) when the Council stumbled from one crisis to another over David Stewart's motion to give Caley Thistle ?900,000 towards the cost of the Caledonian Stadium, or more specifically the road on which Highland Council had insisted as one of a plethora of planning conditions. The motion was carried, then cancelled on QC's advice on the strength of the presence of the word "payable" and then there was the marginal failure of an attempt to suspend Standing Orders to have the issue discussed again. Under threat of legal action and with the future of Caley Thistle in the balance, the embryonic Highland Council (which, in its urgency to solve the problem, contacted Dougie McGilvray in his hotel room in California) agreed to pay the money from the CGF... but it had to be in two instalments due to shortage of ready funds. The whole saga was an unholy rammy which lasted for months and tore Inverness District Council apart. Then a couple of years later, Clach were (again) in very straitened circumstances and ?280,000 of CGF money was spent purchasing Grant Street Park from ICT Properties. This was not a gift - Clach had to pay 5% of the value of the transaction annually (?14K) as rent - and the CGF continues to own Grant Street as an asset. All the same, there was still some unhappiness in certain quarters about the deal which ensured football for the Merkinch whilst acquiring an investment for the CGF as well as income. More recently still, a very similar amount of CGF cash - ?250,000 - has been allocated to the end of 2007 celebration - at least ?150,000 of that towards a ?10,000 a minute fireworks display. Although there has been definite unhappiness about it within the Council, the allocation of these funds, much of which will be burned in a single night, certainly seems to have been rather more straightforward than the allocation of cash which saved Clach and which ultimately brought SPL football to Inverness and also opened up the entire harbour foreshore to development. I also note with interest that the two ex Provosts - Bill Fraser and Allan Sellar - who were most involved with and supportive of the ICT cash, have stated that they believe that the allocation of the fireworks money is improper use of CGF assets since the Kessock Bridge is outwith Inverness. Now, as an employee of Highland Council I'd better just state facts (which I have done above) rather than express opinions on HC policy (which they don't like their employees doing). Any comparisons/ observations from those not employed by Highland Council?

Yup, Johndo. :023:

:015:

Roshie Fraser would know. He's bound to have played in one! :015:

"Typeen" with Vicky Smith then? Vick was a Royal Academy FP and captain of the football team there. I believe he also played for Caley in his day, which would have been just before the war. On the subject of "cafes" (or at least old Inverness eating establishments), I see Serafini's West End Chipper has now gone way of the Chinese now and has become Charlie Chan's. At least we've got the Kingsmills Hotel back!

Obviously. However that last post has expanded the focus of discussion from the likelihood of Caley Thistle finishing specifically third in the SPL this season (and thereby qualifying for Europe) to any year and by all possible means of doing so which also include winning the cup and until recently becoming losing finalists. At least three on that list (Dundee, Dunfermline and Gretna) got in through being losing cup finalists. In the case of both Dundee (2003) and Dunfermline (2004), ICT came very near to taking their places in Europe since they ran them very close in the semi finals. So let's refocus on the original topic which was the likelihood of Caley Thistle taking third place in the SPL this season. After six games, they had NO points and were bottom of the league. That leaves 32 games to put together a run formidable enough to catch and stay in front of nine of the eleven clubs above them - in effect give some of them a six game start. After such a poor opening six, that would very probably mean that they would have to score more points than any other club across these last 32 game (which include a final five against the rest of the top six clubs)... and this by a team which has less than any other to spend on wages, located in a place where it is notoriuosly difficult to get players to come. There is absolutely no doubt that for years now Caley Thistle's return in terms of performances and results has far exceeded what they have had to spend on wages. It's called "punching above your weight" and players and management alike have worked wonders to achieve this. Football is a sufficiently strange game to be able to produce a serries of results which might send ICT into third place. But the likelihood of that is minimal. It certainly seems odd to me that such a notion should be touted as a serious proposition... especially apparently inspired by little more than a recent run of five wins. Presumably by the same logic, those who subscribe to this notion were also confidently predicting relegation after the first six defeats?

I think I can see the way this thread might be in danger of developing over the next few months. First, a few more increasingly optimistic observations and expectations like that one. Then the realisation that the most thinly resourced team in the SPL which has been playing catch up since it lost its first six games is NOT in fact going to finish third. And then calls for the heads of the management and board of directors for failing to deliver the promised European place.

December 27th 2006. A Wednesday evening. First class winner from Rankin.

3 victories over Celtic, beating Rangers at Ibrox and 2-1 in Inverness, beating Hearts away in the cup in 2002, both 2000 cup ties against Aberdeen, Rangers at Tannadice in 1996, coming back from 3-0 down to beat Ayr 4-3 in the cup, 5-2 over Arbroath in the very first league game in 1994, three (inc replay) cup semi finals v Dundee and Dunfermline (thanks Craig!), losing 4-3 at Almondvale which was indeed on 1.5.99., beating Livi 3-2 in the cup at Telford Street in January 1996, losing 5-1 to County at the Caledonian Stadium (you did say "memorable"!)

"Jesus died for all the Children" (which then became "We're on the march with Ally's Army") I believe.