Kingsmills

I believe St Johnstone made in the region of of £450,000 last season winning the cup. Whoever wins this season may well earn a bit less due to the anticipated lower crowd but nevertheless, should it be us, a very useful windfall and, even by reaching the final, we have guaranteed a modest profit for the financial year which is likely to increase the player budget for next season by a little.

He may well be including Ofere and Kink in the four or five.

STILL SURPRISES ME I REKON THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION OF THE TRADITIONAL COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASHIRE WATCHING ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL MUST EXCEED EXCEEDS ANY AREA OR REGION ON THE PLANET If you press the 'Caps Lock' key you will find that you will find lower case letters and thus not need to shout..

Scotland has 9% of the population of England and, as such, football, including national finals, is proportionally considerably better supported than it is South of the border... In fact, in Europe only Albania has a higher proportion of the population regularly attending professional football matches.

...and a very poor pay day for the participating teams both of whom have to run very tight financial ships and deserve the financial windfall their achievements will bring. A sensible pricing structure is what is required not a ridiculous giveaway...

Caesar......

Of course I'm over simplifying..I'm a football fan.....

One way of looking at it is that we are effectively in a two leg play off with the Arabs for third place with us having the advantage of both legs at home as well as a six point and six goal start..

If free balloons and moderate ticket prices is what it takes then so be it, I'll even volunteer to inflate a few hundred..balloons that is not ticket prices.

We could do a lot worse than using some of our cup final income in extending young Ryan's contract for a further two years. We would be unlikely to keep him that long but we would get more for him when he leaves. Ryan is almost certainly destined for big things including being the first player we ever sell for a seven figure sum..

Being a fortnight later but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Ensure qualification first.

I hope he handles the ball when scoring the winner. but not in the final, in the final league game of the season thus depriving Celtic of the double....

Three years ago we were warned by those who ought to be promoting the Scottish game that the rightful placing of the team that replaced Glasgow Rangers in the lowest tier would lead to disaster for the game. Since then we have had six national finals featuring eight different finalists with Celtic featuring in just two, precisely the same number as Aberdeen, Dundee United and ourselves with five different winners of the two competitions. The cups have never been so interesting and competitive and the finals crowds have been impressive. This season we have even had a semi serious challenge for the league which, at least in part, due to the five league points we have deprived Celtic of, is still just about live at this late stage. The great majority of clubs have reduced or eliminated their debts and are living within their means. Clubs are bringing on their own youngsters instead of importing mediocre foreign journeymen. I, for one, rather like this Armageddon. Can we please sign up for at least another three years ?

Odd that, they and their fans are normally such a classy bunch.

Surely, in all fairness and in the interests of sporting integrity, the match should be replayed from the 44th minute with poor benighted Celtic one goal up, ICT reduced to 10 men and the penalty about to be taken....

The major national cup final on a Saturday at a sensible time in the early Summer sunshine. Even given the general apathy of the Inverness public towards it's greatest ever sporting achievers, I am confident we will take in excess of 10,000.

It will, for once be a traditional 3PM kick off. Speaking of tradition, given that there are likely to be 15,000 empty seats and no history of animosity between the clubs, how about having a neutrals area with traditional cash turnstiles to encourage anyone who fancies, even at the last minute,coming along for an entertaining day out in the sun...

I admire your attempt at logic....but now view the incident again having removed your red and blue tinted glasses....

Not much to add about the match beyond what was already been said other than a terrific effort and a wonderful performance all round. We did get a bit of good fortune when Celtic were denied an obvious penalty and Josh dodged bullet but how often have we been on the wrong end of dubious decisions in the past especially against the Old Firm. The most blatant Cup decision in our favour since the officials missed a 'goal' for Kilmarnock god knows how many year ago that was about a yard over the line. A special word for Ryan Esson who, I know could have done better for their second goal, but who commanded his box and made some important saves throughout. In the absence of Brill, we have a safe pair of hands behind the defence for the rest of the season. As I understand it, if we win the cup then, despite the fact that we will finish behind Aberdeen in the league, we will enter the Europa League a round and a fortnight later than them and one step closer to the group stages. ICT v Liverpool on a rainy Thursday evening in Inverness anyone ?

Thanks for that. Why not come to the final as a neutral ? An entertaining match likely and a day out watching two teams with no sectarian baggage in the late May sun....

I would have been in favour of a venue other than Hampden had we drawn Falkirk in the semis but' for the final it has to be the National Stadium. Properly scheduled, priced and marketed there is no reason why we can't get a crowd in the region of 40,000.

Agreed absolutely but, in line with what I was saying in another thread about the New Religion which is Political Correctness, it's sometimes a bit difficult to say thngs like that without being issued with a Fatwah by the PC handwringers. Only half true, there is very little doubt that there is racism ingrained in football and that black managers and coaches, if they get a chance at all, don't tend to get a fair chance and that, like any other discrimination, is a disgrace. What is equally true is that, although there is certainly discrimination against black managers, John Barnes was not a victim of it. He was given a chance with a huge club and the only thing he personally was a 'victim' off was his complete lack of talent as a coach, motivator, manager and tactician. Just because Mr Barnes is wrongly playing the race card does not mean that there isn't racism at play and that every reasonable effort shouldn't be taken to eliminate it and level the playing field. Totally agree with this ... not surprising as it is basically what I said in post #3. I abhor racism in all forms and 100% support all efforts to eradicate it from our society through education and also through calling it out for what it is when dealing with situations where it is so ingrained that is almost seems 'normal'. Football, and football management in particular, is one of those situations. I have no doubt JB has dealt with racism as a manager, he certainly did so as a player, but I equally abhor situations where it goes to the opposite extreme and the race card is played to cover up other faults or inadequacies. It devalues (or can devalue) the claims those who are legitimate victims of racism. Sometimes a person (regardless of colour/religion/gender/sexual orientation etc) doesnt get the job because there are better candidates or because they have no track record of success ... and when they failed before it was not because of those same factors, it was simply because they were no good. JB may not have had a fair crack at getting a football management job since Celtic, but we dont know what he has applied for or if he may be setting his sights too high? In some cases the lack of a job offer may be because of his skin tone - and that is offensive to any fair minded person - but the fact that he was in charge when one of the most memorable headlines in global football EVER was generated means he will always be tarnished by that result against then 'league minnows' ICT. Kenny Dalglish hasnt exactly been high profile in football since that day either albeit he did have a brief stint back at Liverpool !!! If anyone wants to show racism is rife in football management and that black managers are not getting a chance then I would respectfully say that John Barnes is not the example to hold up ..... Yes I noticed that CB had very selectively quoted your post citing only the limited part that suited his agenda....

Agreed absolutely but, in line with what I was saying in another thread about the New Religion which is Political Correctness, it's sometimes a bit difficult to say thngs like that without being issued with a Fatwah by the PC handwringers. Only half true, there is very little doubt that there is racism ingrained in football and that black managers and coaches, if they get a chance at all, don't tend to get a fair chance and that, like any other discrimination, is a disgrace. What is equally true is that, although there is certainly discrimination against black managers, John Barnes was not a victim of it. He was given a chance with a huge club and the only thing he personally was a 'victim' off was his complete lack of talent as a coach, motivator, manager and tactician. Just because Mr Barnes is wrongly playing the race card does not mean that there isn't racism at play and that every reasonable effort shouldn't be taken to eliminate it and level the playing field.

After we have been reduced to nine men.....

Or, this being 2015, whatever you think of the system, perhaps she is there on merit. Who knows, we might even have a woman as First Minister one day...