Charles Bannerman

2:30pm Tuesday Jan 11th.

Given that this national story has now taken an ICT angle, as can be seen in the link to the BBC website pasted below, I thought it might be appropriate to place this in the ICT section. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9339466.stm A statement has also gone out from the club to the media and I would imagine this will also appear on the ICT Official site before long.

It would appear, then, that your wish will be granted. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9339466.stm Caley Thistle have also just issued a statement to the media which I would imagine will be on the official club website before long.

Mike Grant (ex Inverness Courier and now Chief Football Writer with The Herald) made a very good point on Good Morning Scotland today when he suggested that this proposed reversion to the previous ten team top league is perhaps as much as anything being driven by TV companies who want four Old Firm games in a season. I would add that if the TV companies can get rid of a couple of "riff raff" at the same time they would probably also be happier to have more of their other televised games as the Old Firm against what they perceive to be the "bigger clubs". I would also be very surprised indeed if the Old Firm themselves didn't emerge from any change to ten teams with more money while the other side of the coin (literally) is that the fans would be left with a format which the vast majority of them don't want and which they and so many of the game's respected professionals believe would result in an inferior, defensive product. So it rather looks to me as if this could well be a case of money and those who already have a considerable capacity to acquire it dictating to the rest of the Scottish game. We could also be looking here at a legacy of the collapse of Setanta inasmuch as TV revenues have shrunk and in its desperation to restore these, the SPL might just be prepared to allow the TV companies to call the shots to a greater extent. Certainly this does appear like a further step for Scottish football away from the interests of the fans in the stands and in the direction of the televised game. And as far as Caley Thistle are concerned, for how long can a club with the kind of budget ICT has stave off a season of finishing 10th as opposed to 12th? I would suggest that the likelihood of another relegation within the first five years would be significantly higher and it would also be correspondingly more difficult to get back up. And as for the promises of better resources, especially parachute payments,to be given to the second tier... does anyone seriously believe that SPL2 would be significantly different from SFL1?

Correct - you ARE wrong! It was merely a totally unsinister and spontaneous query, prompted by your post and based on my recollection of what was agreed at the Shareholders' meetings in question which I attended some years ago - presumably along with yourself? And do not fret! When I need verified information for "work" purposes (such as who owns the stadium :biggrin:), I have sources which I can go to which don't include you good self! And there ends my input here on this issue.

Yes IHE, and probably against my better judgement. I think the best policy on running stories is not to intervene at all, not even to ask questions on factual matters.

Such as when I cross examined you during your very many previous postings on the issues of stadium ownership/ arrangements for the ICT Trust etc etc?

This is a running story on which I am reporting so, as always, I won't be contributing to this thread on it. However, as a one off, I do have to ask a question. Was the "Tulloch Directors" arrangement, which was eventually agreed in 2001, not a five year agreement which expired in 2006 although in practice a number of the individuals involved there are still on the Board of ICTFC?

Aye ma loon.... Bothy Nichts wi' the Kennethmont Loons an' Quines John Mearns. It wid mak ye cringe back in the days o' Jimmy Spankie, Douglas Kynoch and June Imrie on GTV. I think it was indeed 1961, creating competition for the likes of Cliff Mitchelmore, Judith Chalmers and Fyfe Robertson on the BBC.

What about the wireless or the horseless carriage?

I did once hear it alleged that Jimmy Chisholm also used to work there (hence probably about the same time) and used to play football with the pies and put bolts in some of the others for a laugh. Pure pantomime mun! Were you also involved in such practices IHE? And dermas... Edgar's bakery was in Church Street. I well remember collecting the empty Mackintosh's lemonade bottles after "joopeen in" over the back gate at Telford Street to save the 9d that it cost through the turnstiles!

Yes, quite a few shops did "penny boxes" and in fact the Post Office in Laurel Avenue had ha'penny, penny and twopenny boxes. Jocky Lawson also had a penny box when he ran the van and then opened the shop on St. Margarets Road opposite Christison's. Lawson's was never so busy because that bellicose old bag Mrs Lawson used to antagonise so many customers. Amazing what you could get for a penny in the early 60s (that's approx 0.4 New Pence we're talking about here.) You could get whole variety of stuff ranging from a HUGE McCowan's Penny Dainty (which wasn't in the least dainty) to the Penny Banger at Guy Fawkes time, which packed a fair punch if thrown on to somebody's front step, to explode just as you escaped round the corner. Aye, there's been a whole lot of inflation in the last 45 years or so. Back in the early - mid 60s you could get into the front stalls in the Playhouse, the Palace or the La Scala for a shilling, into the Caley Park as a kid for 9d (although we usually climbed over the back gate), a Mars Bar for 6d and a hardbacked Enid Blyton "Secret Seven" book for 6 bob.

A short life but a glorious one, The Scene! I think it only survived for about a year around 1968. It was in what used to be the old laundry on Haugh Road (just out the road from the Haugh Bar)and in these days I was just in 3rd year in school. As a result we never went there in the evening but they had special "after school" discos for kids and we would troop down the Godsman's to get there from up the hill. It was a bit strange because the blackout wasn't very good and you would get bright shafts of summer sunshine all over the place. It also felt very strange when the disco was over and you came out into a lovely summer day. However I only have a recollection of it during that summer of 68 and I don't think The Scene lasted that long. Maybe ia "discotheque" was regarded as a bit too revolutionary for Inverness in that era!

3-0. February 1985 I think. 0-6 at Celtic Park in the next round. Les Fridge in goals (I think) and Jimmy Calder substitute striker. Also seem to remember an incident during the Tic game where danny Mcgrain fouled one of our players and the physio came running on and gave Mcgrain a right good shove which he didn't like. I wasn't there but it was Murd Urquhart and the version I heard was that it was a wee bit more than "a right good shove"!

Would that be Jimmy Wilson's?

3-0. February 1985 I think. 0-6 at Celtic Park in the next round. Les Fridge in goals (I think) and Jimmy Calder substitute striker.

Are you sure about that? Threepence for a cigarette..... and an extra ha'penny for a match! By the way, I think Caley Mad in Berks may be of a vintage before the "sweet shop" he refers to belonged to Frankie Jew and was run by an old guy called Tom Galloway. I think Frank took over in about 1965. (Sorry if you're younger than I thought CMIB!) For the benefit of the long term disapora, these premises have for many years now been a gents' barber.

Yes, you used to get the smell of the distillery at the Distillery End at Telford Street.... and a very similar smell in the Howden End!

I realised that it was late evening on December 22nd and there was still no sign of this Festive regular on here which gives Sneckie folk all over the world a seasonal opportunity to get moist eyed about the place in their younger days.... so here we are. Traditionally the mods have been tolerant and left what should really be a "Memories" thread on the main site at this time. And unless they are in "bah humbug" mode, I would hope that this Christmas tradition can continue. So to set the ball rolling.... Santa in Benzie and Miller's/ Arnotts. Nights out at Dillingers. "Scratchy" nights out in the La Scala. Dancing in the Caley Ballroom. Haircut in Diggar's then an ice cream from Salvadori's. Playhouse Cafe Disneyworld at Christmas (you have to be at least 40-something for this one.) Granville, Toich and Willie Bell. Ok then folks.... over to you......

I had a vague recollection that shinty outlawed heading the ball a few years ago.

For the less brave who are sticking to their own firesides - live commentary from David Begg on Radio Scotland 92-95FM. No Open All Mics today - not enough games have survived the weather.

Delighted that MFR have got "Baynie" on their team. He is a true gentleman and getting that injury was a tragedy. I believe it was plantar fasciitis - inflammation of the surface beneath the foot - which is painful and notoriously difficult to get rid of. Graham made a big impact on football in the Highlands and I am sure will best be remembered for his winner at Ibrox in, I think, October 2006. I remember meeting a group of ICT players on Academy Street one lunch time a day or two after that game, and whilst issuing a general greeting I simply stretched out and shook Graham's hand in the passing. Nothing more needed to be said as to what the gesture was about. In similar vein, Ryan Esson seemed to be the object of a great deal of spontaneous congratulation when he came into the Social Club last Saturday night!

In the last of four minutes of stoppage time, I believe.

That is a REALLY impressive post!!!

10,000 people travelled on mountain roads to Scotland's Ski Areas on Sunday from all parts of Scotland and beyond. Should the ski areas have stayed closed to stop these folk travelling for their own safety and to prevent any possible incidents that the emergency services have to deal with? Steady on ski freak. The general point you make may well be relevant but you have grossly overstated the figures. The official statistics I got from Cairngorm Mountain on Sunday afternoon were 2000 for both Saturday and Sunday. Nevis Range quoted 800-900 for the weekend. These are official figures released by the resorts. Glencoe was closed and I doubt if the Lecht and Glenshee would have made up anything like the difference between reality and what you are attempting to claim.