RossP

2-0 ICT win

If we line up with Tasney, Vincent, Foran and Draper v. Dundee United (and St Mirren for that matter) I unfortunately see a grand total of zero points coming from the game(s). We need to get away from the 'fill the midfield with CMs approach' that we are doing currently, as it is stifling the supply to Billy Mckay. He needs movement from others on the wings or in an advanced CM position and the likes of Vincent (who has been played out of position at RM and LM recently) have not given him any service. This is how I'd line up the midfield... ---------Draper --------Foran---------- Watkins-------Ross--------Doran (Williams if Doran is injured) ...as that would give the width we need and also give Billy someone who can (i) go past a man and (ii) find a pass, in Nick Ross.

It's a diddy cup final* on a Sunday. If it were the Scottish Cup final (i.e. the last competitive game of the season) on a Saturday, then we'd likely have way over 10k in my opinion and there'd be a lot more neutrals attending, most likely in our end of the ground. *I reserve the right to re-evaluate the 'diddy cup' assessment at 4.30pm on Sunday...

Saturday - 11am to 12pm 8aside kickabout at the Sports Village, then 1.15pm Brazilian meat feast at Hey Brazil, before 3pmish train to Glasgow. Head to a few pubs in the evening to catch up with Dons supporting mates. Sunday - get up at hotel, go for a swim, sauna and steam room. Big Breakfast, then head to somewhere central for 11am pint (Horseshoe maybe). Probably go to Bierhalle at 12pm for decent beer and 2 for 1 pizzas, then walk London Road to the game at 1.30ish.

I've just come back from Pittodrie (got a ticket for my Dons supporting dad), and there was only 100 or so tickets left for their allocation which will likely have sold out by now considering the queue behind me.

Something that I've been musing over since the midweek win last week... Pros + Since Ross County have come into the top league it has boosted the away crowd for 1/2 fixtures a season. The derby matches and rivalry has also been enjoyable. Cons - There may have been a swing of 'neutral' fans in the area who came to our home games, that now attend the Ross County games. Corporate package uptake and sponsorship may have also suffered due to the local competition. Away fans will also perhaps don't make the same effort to come up to Inverness, due to the expenses incurred from the County away game(s). We also don't have the same 'feeder club' opportunities that we once had, with them in the same division offering unsustainable wage packages. I'd be swaying towards preferring them getting relegated if I'm honest. I imagine it would be quite unlikely though, with the fixtures remaining putting St Mirren in pole position for the play off spot. The play offs are also heavily weighted toward keeping the SPFL team in the top league...

Seems the people of Aberdeen have really gotten behind their team and caught cup fever. Good on them. Downside is that it appears to be making a number of Dons supporters into complete crowdwa***rs. Try living and working here! I've been getting ticket sale updates on a near hourly basis from colleagues and mates

I'd also suggest it being a good idea to contact Youth Groups (Scouts, Football teams etc) if there isn't interest from schools. Aberdeen City Council are offering tickets out to youth groups and schools, but I would anticipate little interest due to lack of transport and many staff preferring to spend the cup final with friends rather than deal with the stress of looking after someone else's kids!

The ref for the final is Steven McLean (Brian McLean from Ross County's brother). - http://sport.stv.tv/football/265696-steven-mclean-named-as-referee-for-league-cup-final-at-celtic-park/ http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/mclean/profil/schiedsrichter_1712.html

If this was a final v. a central belt club, then I reckon there'd be no bother with arranging enough buses. But as the Dons have a large support attending and had 24hours further notice than us of their place in the final, there will have been a huge uptake of buses from the north being booked out by Dons fans. The only other option is getting buses to drive from the central belt Sunday AM, to pick up fans from Inverness, to then go back to Glasgow, then back up to Inverness to then go back to central belt again. All this will make the cost of bus travel much more expensive than normal away games. Would we be able to fill a bus at £30-50 pp with no child discounts? I'm not so sure...

That's an excellent offer, which will be gratefully received by the club and fans! I know that John Hughes and Russel Latapy met with the Inverness BID on Monday to help encourage business linkups - http://www.invernessbid.co.uk/news/201402/support-your-city-support-inverness-caledonian-thistle-league-cup-final I'd assume that we are well over the 3,500 mark, since the Highland news article in question was published on Tuesday i.e. when the tickets went on general sale. I'd hope that we'd be over the 5,000 mark by now, especially after our victories v. St Johnstone and Ross County. Payday has also arrive for many today, which could result in a little spurt of sales.

It was quite a poor deal compared to other SPFL teams' sponsorships IIRC. I'm sure there will be big interest from potential sponsors with our increased publicity over the last calendar year. From what I've read as well, there has been positive meetings with businesses in Inverness in regards to tie ups with the Cup Final; so I'd anticipate these links to yeild further interest in potential sponsorship.

Billy has been called up for N.Ireland for their away friendly in Cyprus next Wednesday. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26353415 Not ideal considering our back log of games, but well deserved recognition all the same. Unfortunately, like Poland v. Scotland, it appears the game isn't being covered live by any of the TV stations

Remember the days of following the scores on Ceefax?! That's how I followed the 'SuperCaleygoballistic' game.

He could still do with giving Devine some game time before the final in my opinion

I agree with Hughes completely. It's a very realistic statement, considering our fixture pileup. I remember Craig Levein saying that every game in the Scotland qualifiers recently is winnable. That went well... I would be delighted if we got anywhere near Aberdeen by the end of the season but if we can cement our top six placement in the next few weeks and take a further step forward in either/both cup games it'll be a brilliant season

250 per hour (as reported) over 8 hrs would suggest around 2,000. Not bad on day one of sales when a lot of people had work and them not being on general sale yet. It would be fantastic if we can smash the 7,500 allocation by the end of next week!

I've just phoned again and left a message to call me back. My Dons supporting pupils might take great delight from my explanation that the class could be interrupted by a phone call to buy Cup Final tickets in the ICT end...

As a centenary member and someone who bought a ticket for the Hearts game online (both qualify for Cup Final purchase priority according to club), it has proved quite difficult to get a Cup Final ticket bought today. No joy online or on Ticketmaster phone number and the club ticket office isn't picking up their phone. Not stressing about it yet and totally understand how busy it will be today. Hopefully I'll get through to the club ticket office sometime this afternoon

There is also this little news snippet which boosted the bank balance last autumn: 'Rangers missed out on a share of a £600,000 pay-out from former TV company Setanta - because technically they don't exist anymore. Clubs who were part of the SPL between 2009 and 2012 received payments this week as their final divdend for the company going administration back in 2009. But Rangers got nothing because they were classed as a club which no longer exists after their liquidation in June 2012'

The final alone could net us £500k I imagine, with share of ticket sales/merchandise/prize money/TV If we get into the top 6 aren't we likely due a home game v Aberdeen, Dundee Utd and Celtic as well; which I would like to think will all have good attendances in the home and away ends. The accountant would be in dreamland if we sneak through our Scottish Cup QF and get yet more gates/tv/prizes etc!

I've chucked my stub from the Hearts game, but as I got my match ticket organised over the phone during the week before... I'm assuming there'll be no problem with the club having a record of my attendance?

Will it be though? I can understand Sky having to shell out the rumoured £83k per club for a televised fixture, do the bbc not just pay a lump fee at the start of the tournament for the rights and then a % goes to each club based on their progression... rather than the money going to the televised teams? I may be wrong though.

Don't suppose there'll be any BBC/ICT/YouTube highlights of the game published soon? My missus was quite bemused by me remaining in my car for 20mins or so after my football match last night to listen to 810mw to hear the match conclusion! There really needs to be an online facility for 810mw coverage.

I seem to remember a few seasons ago Billy Dodds doing an SPL prediction on the BBC website each week, where it would essentially have Rangers and Celtic winning every game (except the old firm game, which he'd normally have down as a draw)... and he would put us down to lose every week. I'm pretty sure someone once made a league table of his predictions and the actual predictions on here or P&B and it had us stranded at the bottom of the league where as we were actually sitting comfortably mid table by the end of the season.