Kingsmills

At last, he will be closer to his family in Edinburgh which is the reson he gave for moving from Inverness to Gretna in the first place.

To be accurate, we didn't start work on two new stands straight away. We only startted work on these stands once we received sannction from the SPL to return to Inverness after the second complete round of fixtures if we had 6,000 covered seats in place.

Not a great deal by way of transfer fee I suspect. The Pars would have been quite happy to get him off the wage bill given that they are destined to spend at least one more full season in Division One.

I believe that's right. The most we've paid for an incomong player apart from Rankin.

As long as somebody does and gets this monkey off our backs.

Gretna, like ICT before them, gave a firm undertaking to have an SPL compliant; ie, 6,000 covered seats, stadium in place by 31st March. It looks like they will not and appears that they have made no effort to do so. If they can demonstrate that they have made some sort of real effort to comply but have been frustrated by some third party such as a local planning authority and simply require more time through little or no fault of their own I believe the SPL should have some sympathy with them. If on the other hand, as appears from the outside to be the case, they have merely ignored the promise they made to their SPL partners including Caley Thistle then the rules should be applied, whether they finish bottom of the league or not, and they should be excluded from next season's competition with the top team in the first division taking their place. As Raydale appears to meet the SFL's criteria for First Division grounds there is no reason why they should be demoted any further than the First Dvision.

What a relief that the end of our enforced winter shutdown is in sight. Great to have a football match to look forward to at the weekend at long last.

Good, if Killie are misguided enough to part with Jeffries we could have another Gretna-esque cushion against relagation next season.

The former is probably a lost cause but the latter would surely help.

I know that in recent years, in common with the FA Cup south of the border, there has been a downward trend in crowds for the principal national cup competition but crowds for this years last sixteen have been particularly disappointing. Despite both halves of the Old Firm featuring, albeit away from home, the total attendances so far wouldn't half fill Parkhead. Bearing in mind the home teams in the outstanding ties, the Ibrox replay apart, that already disappointing average will only go down. What, if anything, can be done to reverse the trend ?

The core of the team is still there, until the summer at least. It's then that we're likely to see more significant comings and goings and wewill be able to judge Brewster's acumen, or oherwise in the transfer market.

I'm begining to think that Eddie is a secret admirer of ICT and that whilst he doesn't want to be seen by his true love overtly showering us with gifts he's alway on the look out for way to discretely slip u the odd token of his affection without her knowing.

Are there any former players either of Caley or Thistle who are still playing the game other than at amateur or welfare level ? If not who was the last to play for at senior level ? The only one that springs to mind for me is Jim Calder who turned out for a few Highland League clubs last season and who had a short spell on the books as cover at Peterhead.

David Bingham could be added to the list as could Duncan Shearer who'd receiveved his last Scotland cap not so very long before he joined as a player.

ICT have a major investor based in the Tayside area. With our cut from the Barry Robson deal Eddie Thomson must have invested the guts of ?400,000 in our club over the last couple of years or so with no tangible asset remaining To show for it. Well done that man. Feel free to throw us another couple of hundred thousand whenever you feel like it !

Looks Brewster has him in mind as a replacement for Rankin rather than Paatelainen who would seem to be on his way out. Imrie could be a decent aquisition if he can control his temper.

Why? neither is likely to have an immediate impact on the first team.

Harsh but probably the right decision as long as the SFA are consistent and apply the same rules to all whether it be Brora Rangers or Glasgow Rangers. That said, I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the poor, almost certainly unpaid, official responsible.

If he has that option he'd be a fool not to take it.

See the Barry Robson thread on Rumour Mill where there is some discussion about that.

How much have Celtic paid for Robson ?

I don't think the pies are all that bad, especially the steak ones.

Hartson's so ample these days that we could use him as a central defender and just park him in front of the goal. He'd cover at least half of it.

I reckon we will sign a central defender but I've no idea who.

I was about to say anything but Bring It On Home !