RossP

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.

Am I right in saying Draper misses the QF after getting booked tonight?

4-4-2 with Foran up top and Vincent RM? Or 4-2-3-1 with Foran LM and Ross RM?

Blackfriars in the Merchant City would maybe be able to accommodate fans, as they have a basement function bar used for club nights etc. It also has a brilliant beer selection http://www.blackfriarsglasgow.com/

With an Aberdeen fan getting jailed for sectarian abuse... http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/aberdeen-fan-jailed-10-months-3150717 ... could Joe be sweating on a bit more than just his ICT football career?

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/Meekings-searching-for-home-comforts-13022014.htm Meanwhile, Hughes insists he is still on the look out for a forward to act as cover for Billy Mckay, but if none can be found then he is confident he has options within the squad to cope. "We always knew that Richie could go and play up there, going back into his old position" said Hughes, who has no fresh injury worries with Matthew Cooper now back in training after a lay-off with an ankle problem. "He done that against Stranraer to great effect. "It’s one that we felt if we could get someone in just to give us that bit of competition for places that it’s something we would look at, so we’ll see what happens. "However, we do have options. I remember back to before the League Cup semi-final we picked the team to face Hearts and played the rest of the boys against them. "Nick Ross was causing all kinds of problems playing in a different kind of position and Marley (Watkins) the week before that, we asked him to play centre forward and he was absolutely outstanding. "There are players that we can shift about, so we’re not bad for numbers. As long as we keep everyone injury-free and suspension-free, we can shuffle the pack enough to get through the games." Hughes confirmed that talks are continuing with Ross Draper and James Vincent regarding both players signing new deals. The two midfielders are out of contract at the end of the season, but Hughes is optimistic there will be positive news on this front next week.

I've played in a few games recently for Saturday and Sunday Amateurs in Aberdeen where a team has started with 9/10 players due to players not arriving in time, where they've then got changed at the side of the pitch and came on. Not quite the psychological advantage you talk about, but the refs have never made an issue of not kicking off.

Foran playing at CB apparently...