gingerjaggy

Like Eagle4Caley I am also late to this party. I am from the North West orginally and grew up a Man Utd supporter through my dad. In 2001 my dad (working in the nuclear sector) moved us to Caithness for his job at Dounraey and after taking in a game against Ayr United with him (2-1 win) I was hooked on ICT. I attended the first ever SPL Promotion from the Kessock Bridge and after that I got a Season Ticket when they returned to inverness after a half season at Pittordrie. My mate gave it up and my sister took over and we both continued to travel down from Caithness to every home game, while we were both at School. I left for Stirling in 08 for uni and continued my ST as well as increase my away game consumption. After graduation i moved back to Cheshire (my home county) and had to give up my ST. I continued to attend big matches when i can (Scottish League cup semi with 9 men, the final that year and of course a year later 2015 against Celtic and then Falkirk) but my biggest regret was missing the trip to Romania but I had to work. After relegation I came up for a few derbies and sadly missed the play off run but watched it from a far trying to initiate some new members by watching with friends. I was there in 23 and I do try to get to matches when I come to my family that now live near Tain - including Alloa earlier this season. I'm here now but my parents have surprised us to have a trip away this weekend otherwise i was planning the Peterhead game on Sat. I know live and work in Ipswich (current season ticket holder and done quite a few away in the last 4 years since covid) and met someone through Town, who also supports ICT having been on a work assignment in Glasgow in 2000 and decided to go to a midweek Scottish cup game at Parkhead - he went in the away end and was hooked ever since as well as doing the NC500 and seeing the magic that is the highlands. Hopefully will get re-promoted and i hoping to bring a few of my Ipswich Town mates up for a long weekend and maybe take in a Derby (if they survive hahahahaha). Ive got a great affiliation to Scotland especially the Highlands and saw Scotland in Germany in 24 in a fanzone - mate had a ticket - and wore my ICT 15 scottish cup winning shirt as my only Scottish item and ended up in the middle of the black isle Tartan Army singing going bust going bust going bust - well the joke is them hahahaha. I was at Hampden in Nov and although I will always support England when they play (rarely) I always want Scotland to do well all because of my time going to school, university and falling in love with ICT and the great people i have met through all of them. Wish everyone a Happy New Year!!!! Liam

I was born in Cheshire in the North West and have moved around the country a fair bit. One of these moves happened in 2001 when i was just about to leave for High School and moved to Caithness on the very North Highland coast. I grew up a Man United fan and my only football game i'd ever been too was at Crewe Alexandra my home town. After moving to the Highlands me and my dad went to watch ICT play Ayr United with just over a 1,000 supporters and three parts of the stadium being terraced. I Remember Barry Robson was playing as someone made an unsavoury comment to do with his hair and thought it was aimed at me haha. We continued to go to the odd game and then decided to go to the promotion game vs St Johnstone in 04. We hadn't bought tickets and only found out it was sold out listening to Moray Firth on the way down. We were distraught and annoyed at my dad for presuming but we ended up having a great day. We spent the day with about 50-100 others standing next to the A9 watching partly from the Bridge. When Caley were promoted and they opened the gate we ran inside to see the trophy lifted. From then I was hooked and went to a few games in the top flight when Caley returned to Inverness for half a season. Their first full season in 05/06 saw my purchase a season ticket with my mate from school and we travelled down from Caithness on the bus for every home game. My mate stopped going and my sister took his seat eventually and we both continued to be season ticket holder until 2012. By that time I had moved to Stirling for university and continued to travel up by train for home matches, while adding some away days to the card. I wrote match reports and previews for this site. After i graduated in 2012 my family moved back to Cheshire for a few years temporarily as part of my dads job. I had to give up the season ticket but i continued to go to the big games with the League cup semi win over Hearts with nine men and the final against Aberdeen. I returned a year later for the Scottish Cup semi vs Celtic and subsequent final vs Falkirk. I missed the small trip to Europe and will remain a regret as not sure if that will ever happen again. I came up for the final vs Celtic 2 years ago and met my sister at Hampden before returning home with her to see her get married up here. My family moved back to sell our house in Caithness but loved the lifestyle of the highlands too much to leave Scotland and ended up moving slightly further South to a small place near Portmahomack not far from Tain. I regularly come home to visit and even my sister moved back here with her wife after covid. I came up for the final vs Celtic 2 years ago and met my sister at Hampden before returning home with her to see her get married up here. It gives me the great opportunity to get to a home game and I am currently up North and attended the Alloa match 2 weeks ago. I am in my mid 30's now and live in Ipswich, I have made lots of friends through going to watch Ipswich Town and becoming a ST holder there. I went to some fun League 1 matches that reminded me of some the grounds in Scotland that i went with following Caley and eventually got to take in the premier League last season albeit for one season. I have a mate through Ipswich, who is also a Caley fan and happened to be working in Glasgow on the week of the famous Scottish Cup upset. He bought a ticket for the away end and ever since has been hooked. He has also done the NC500 but has not been to many matches in the highlands so I am trying to get a small band of Ipswich supporters that I am close too, to come up and see the highlands and take in a game for a long weekend. Ever since the first time I went to watch I was hooked and continue to support the club afar with the Wyness Shuffle Podcast being a great listen to keep me connected with everything Caley Thistle and hope that the bad times are behind the club and that soon it can again punch above its weight and give some of the more established names in Scottish football a bloody nose once again.

Was a close run thing passed by 1 vote. Chair backed to refuse and that was seconded but only had 5 councillors allowed to vote and passed by 3 to 2. They have got through by the skin of their teeth

So it has been passed

I saw Forest Green get battered at Portman Road but they are a small club and we’re not ready or invest well enough to stay in League 1 so 1 in 18 sounds bad but they were well out of there depth. His one win actually came against Sheffield Wednesday. He took over after there previous manager - might have been Rob Edwards - left to go to Watford I think and a lot of the players that got them promoted left too. Ferguson took over when they were already bottom and struggling so although that record not great can’t all be pinned on him. By the sounds of it he’s a very good coach at Everton with Ancellotti wanting to take him to Real but whether he is a good manger is the question. Time will tell!

Being an Ipswich Town Season ticket holder I know that Terry Butcher is part of a show called Life’s a pitch (was a local bbc radio show but been cut) and that is done every week talking to members of past Ipswich squads or current ones. I’m guessing he will be at PR most Saturdays.

Agreed r.e.The Celtic fans. I left the ferry about half 3 and caught the back of police accompanied march to the ground. But they were all great with me shaking my hand and wishing me a great day out. They asked if I was confident and I said no but they were all like it’s a one off. Spoke with a very friendly guy on the train from mt florida after. I had a great day and nearly went over some seats when Dan’s header hit the net. I had no expectation and that made it more enjoyable and the euphoria if we had won ever higher. We won just being there and I am glad I was there. I think the tactics were fine - against a side that can rip teams to shreds we needed to stay in it for as long as possible. I knew we weren’t going to get lots of chances but I felt we lacked a little belief to really go at them as they could be got at with carter vickers. But can’t fault the effort of the team and being near to the front next to the singing section was a brilliant atmosphere. Even in defeat I loved the whole day and hope we experience this again in future 🔴🔵

The winners of the Scottish Cup go into the Play off round of the Europa League and if they lose will automatically drop in the Conference League group stages (Hearts this season). If the winners of the cup have qualified for any of the European spots via the league then the Europa League play off spot will go to the team sitting in 3rd in the Prem (why Aberdeen are partying) and an extra spot conference spot will be applied to 5th. That will all happen if the likely even that Celtic win the cup. If Caley cause the biggest shock in history (hope so) then we will get the play off spot and guaranteed Conference Group Stage football and Aberdeen and currently Hearts will get the Conference qualifying round spots.

Lets be honest it was the same for the Semi Final in 2015 and there were fewer and it didn't do us any harm 😉

Gutted i cant' make this but i am also missing potentially seeing Ipswich get promoted this weekend as I am away. Will definitely be up for the final if we are successful on sat so i just wish everyone a great day out and i am hoping i get to join you guys and more in the final on the 3rd. Mon the Caleyjags 🔴🔵

Its plausible but only result that I have next to no confidence about happening is Cove winning at Dens. I would take 2nd place and looking at QP's run in then it is a great chance if we win all our remaining games. But funnier things have happened and even a draw between Ayr and QP could still be profitable for us. But from where we came from and what we have had to do to get into this position then i would rather make sure we finish top 4 than hope for a dangerous set of results that may win us the title but unlikely

Maybe we offer him a 6 month contract so he can start and finish a season but we get someone in to do the mid season winter period 😂

The Scottish Cup winners go straight into the Europa League PO round. If the winners of the Cup are already in Europe through their League placing - I.e. Old Firm - then the play off spot will go to 3rd place in the Premiership currently held by Hearts, who would qualify for the conference league for 3rd atm. Five teams qualify for Europe with 2 Champs League/1 Europa League and 2 Conference League so if the cup winners are already in Europe then the top 4 that qualify will become the top 5. Its a long shot with beating one side of the Old Firm in the final if we beat Falkirk but if that happens then Caley will be guaranteed group stage European Football if we won the play off or not as will slip into the Conference League groups. Bit early to get over excited about that but that is what could happen if we lift the trophy on the 3rd of June.

The only thing I want to know is that this is the original tie and not a replay. Because of the postponement do all players need be registered for the original date to be available for the postponed date is the question. Otherwise then I don't see them breaking the rules and saving us from another Dodds masterclass in paint drying.

My first game since before Covid. And what a game to return on! We made a decent start but you could see Cove coming back into it and the goal from a corner was looking inevitable as we looked so poor defending them. But I thought we always looked quite fluent going forward today and turned it around for 3-1 at HT. The second half was fun but I thought Billy Aaron were outstanding linking together and showing their quality and experience. The gap to Queens Park at the top is 10pts so not completely gone but hard but only 4pts back to the play offs. One win doesn’t mean it’s all rosey in the garden but still plenty to look forward too if this is a beginning of something.

I saw Derek Adams on Saturday at Morecambe - moaning about time wasting in added time yet his team started it from minute dot

I believe that the Football League (who the blackout really protects) is being looked at as to whether it really serves any purpose. I think the blackout is to protect those in League 1 and League 2 because of the lack of TV revenue. I am now a ST holder at Ipswich Town and since their relegation from the Championship I believe the TV revenue dropped from 7m to 700k for being in League 1 so the bottom two leagues relies very heavily on fans through the gates to make an income and the blackout is to protect them encase I guess many decide to watch 3pm Prem matches on TV instead of attending. The fact they are going to discuss it suggests that eventually it will be removed. Having watched games during Covid on a screen it was a bleak fare and having the EFL IFollow down here where with VPN I can watch away games at 3pm it still doesn't have the same feeling even with fans back. The real joy of football comes from attending live but all the social interaction pre and post match. I think clubs will be able to stream to make another revenue income but the joy of still attending live will still be a greater pull than watching on a screen.

The SPFL have agreed to the postponement. The lower leagues are less of an issue than the Prem with the lacking of international players as the Premiership has to finish on time because of the earlier start due to Qatar WC shut down. Add in cup games and European commitments there isnt a huge amount of space where as the lower leagues can so no issue on the forfeit front

Glad you said it as I thought it read that they would transfer a win over Kllie for a cup run haha

I went to School with Shane and Gary Mackay-Steven. They were the two standouts although Gary was different Gravy, Shane is still a a player who make a a big difference in the top flight now he's matured. I think first spell he wasn't suited to being out wide and it made him inconsistent.

I was just making a reply to what someone said about Terry Butcher earlier in the thread. I don't think he will come back and I wouldnt want him back at ICT now so we agree haha

I wouldnt return to Terry Butcher in fact if he was to return i would rather in the role Robbo is in. He is currently a coach with Keiron Dyer with the Ipswich Town u23s so i doubt he will return

I think its good to be disappointed as at one stage it was more fear of relegation. It has been a strange season with ups and downs and the downs have contributed to missing out but as people have said we have a decent core and will look to try and improve the squad adequately. There will be no standout team next season and we have to be optimistic and take our medicine until the start of next season and go again.

We more than likely need to win both matches to get into the play offs but the key thing from the weekend for me is that we make sure we have chance on the final day. If that means draw then thats fine too but the fact is we have beaten better Hearts teams at Tynecastle in the past and they have been gunk for a lot of this season so why shouldn't we win. I still think Arbroath may help us as they seem in good form and still need the results so sneak a win and we draw and we go into the final game ahead of GD. Of course though lets get 3 points and make sure Friday will be a cracker. Im still hopeful that Dundee miss out as they are gunk and deserve to reap what they sow from last April