Kingsmills

Being a bit of a realist, this is the first time since we first entered the SPL that I have gone into the new year without some lingering fear of relegation. Rather like the feeling.

As Mantis says, the best yet. Just as well Adams has a sense of humour and is well known for his self deprication.

Would have been a very soft penalty if given.

I am 50 and had a brief infantile flirtation with Glasgow Rangers but grew out of it by the age of ten when I was old enough to appreciate just what they and their fans espoused.For the last 40 years my big teams have been Inverness Thistle and ICT although I must confess a soft spot for Clach as my late father supported them all his days and never quite forgave me for my red and black affiliations.

Well said. However, not all of the current young generation should be tarred with the same brush. Not by a long shot.

In my experience most of us Highlanders are somewhat questionable....

Don't you just hate it when your enjoyment of the Tannoy is ruined by an attractive game of football breaking out on the grassy area in front of the stand.

Last season and the begining of this I could not understand how OTJ had gained international recognition. I can now.

Before I ask "which one", could someone confirm that that's George Junior rather than Dougie behind George Senior? I think it's "young" George but both Messrs Rodgers, whoever the younger one is, indeed do look very happy - and rightly so. It's a good book on Clach in which I think Rodwill Clyne may also have had at least a hand. I'm guessing the photo may be of the celebrations after Clach winning the Highland League title in 1975. There's an interesting post script to that, beacuse the League Flag, normally raised on the first day of the season at home, wasn't raised in 1975 at Grant Street until into September which is a fact I stumbled across purely by accident a few weeks ago. The key to this mystery is possibly in who Clach's opponents were that day. Beacuse the away team was none other than Caley and my theory is that the Clachers delayed the ceremony until they had the opportunity to perform it right in the faces of their neighbours and local rivals! I was referring to George senior. Believe that is young George behind but, like yourself, not entirely certain.

When did The Shadows merge with The Village People ?

Could certainly do a job for Elgin or Peterhead.

No harm in the matter being raised no more than about twice a year and without invective.

Slightly off topic but I tend to agree that the location of the TCS does have an adverse affect on crowds but probably not more than to the extent of a couple of hundred and, in fact, suits many of us who travel from outwith Inverness quite well.

If Caledonian had outgrown the Highland League how come it was dominated by Steve Paterson's Huntly at the time and not the mighty Caley ? Does the same argument apply to Perth which has a similar population and similarly poor crowds ? Get a grip on reality.

Capacity of Kingsmills circa 1970 7,550. Full to capacity for a match on a Wednesday night in a match against Celtic to inaugurate our then new floodlights. The Jags won 2-1 against a Celtic XI including a sprinkling of first team players. Until Jock MacDonald had a few dozen seats boarded over to avoid having to comply with safety regulations post the Bradford fire disaster we had the largest Grandstand in the Highland League.

True. We are not in a position to ignore any reasonable offers that may come our way.

Aye Stephen and Cowie were a forward line to conjure with but they would probably tire after an hour or so against the Old Lady.

It will not be long before those of us who actually care are posting while sitting on our incontinence pads during ever rarer lucid spells between ever lengthening afternoon naps.

I remember a crowd of 7,000 at Kingsmills for a midweek friendly. So what. The fact is by the early nineties neither side could regularly attract more than a tenth of our current minimum fanbase.

In all seriousness, I largely concur with that.At best a team yo yoing between the Second and First Divisions. Even with our combined resources we have come perilously close to having to revert to part time status more than once.

I know of 4 supporters, 3 Caley and 1 Thistle who never went back to a game while I would have prefered Caley to have gone it alone ICT were and are still ahead of our shadows and have a Premier Team to follow which is great for the youngsters of Inverness and surrounding areas. You are right in saying quite silly, they are the ones that are missing the great football now! If only the Jags had been voted in ahead of Ferranti Thistle we would be red and black champions of the world by now !

Great pricing for a semi final. I know times are tough just now but surely we can tale 4,000 to our very first semi final in this competition.

What the hell has thistles history got to do with a Caledonian F.C. fanzine page ? A great deal given the recent joint history of the clubs.

George Rodgers looks pleased with himself.

Pleased to say that I have much thumbed copies of Caley All The Way, Hub On The Hill, Against All Odds and In A Different League which is another good read especially for former Howden Enders, mortal or otherwise.