LancsDave

Glad I was at Killie on Saturday instead of Burnley!

Back home in darkest Lancashire after a 4 day foray in Ayrshire. As a not as committed as some supporter, I'd say that Killie failed to get at least a point through bad luck and bad finishing. Some of their forwards wouldn't have scored yet. Their 18 looked a good player until he had sight of goal - then he shat himself. Jonny Hayes, though, showed fantastic confidence in taking his goal despite a poor display generally by him - but he never gave up and was always willing to take his man on. Foran showed he could read a game but never really got involved as he should. Rooney worked hard and the defence were sound apart from defending through balls. A valuable 3 points but it's not often you win a game and drop a position!

A Reading fan, eh? Well, I'll be at Killie on Saturday, staying in caravan at Ayr for a few nights. I'm also English but try to see ICT 2 or 3 times a year, even though I've no Scottish blood in me (though I have climbed all the Munros!) Normally I'd be watching Burnley and I'm missing a match this Saturday - now, who are they playing.........READING!

I think Dan is on about a visit to nearby Ayr at the end of last season, maybe. The good lady and i will be doing our first away match of the season, staying in our caravan for a few days at Ayr. Do you have a tame hostelry in Kilmarnock?

Main team?! MAIN TEAM!??? Well, Gordy, an accident of birth caused me to be born in Burnley and I've supported them for 50 years. I've only been following Caley for 10 years and have only seen 8 games........but I'll be there against Kilmarnock! I've seen them 6 times away AND NEVER SEEN THEM LOSE! (twice at home and lost them both!!) Back to Sheff Utd, they've got a cheek. It must have been given to them - no reason to have bought it - so it's a bit mean to sell it in such a public way. Shame on them - typical Yorkshire!

Has Sheff Utd ever played ICT? If not, what are they doing with it! My main team, Burnley, play them tomorrow at Sheffield but I'll not be there. I will, however, be at ICT's next away match on the 22nd! Burnley hosted ICT in a friendly a couple of years ago. I hope they don't insult Caley by trying to sell a pennant for a few bob!

I've only seen the BBC highlights and they were impressive! Rooney had style, skill and confidence. I think he was ambushed as much as fouled for the penalty. I have to say, though, that I'm not convinced Duncan was going for goal! Some of the passing moves shown on BBC were quality. I'm now trying to find a chance to get north to see them but it looks like I'll have to wait for Hearts away in December. I'll have to console myself watching Burnley in the meantime.

I've just pulled a caravan along the A9 today from Inverness to Perth and beyond - I don't know where it finishes. I'm one of those who gives the road a bad name! On a dry bright Sunday morning, there was little traffic and nobody held me up and I didn't hold anybody else up. I once drove from Inverness to Perth (without caravan!) and only 2 cars overtook me, a speeding racer and a police jag chasing it!

Back in Lancashire after 11 days around Moray area. It's only the second time I've been to a home match and 2 defeats. Seen them 6 times away and never seen them lose. I'll better keep away from the Tulloch! Celtic were too strong in possession for ICT after the first 25 mins. They were beating the planned or unplanned offside trap too easily. I'd like to see a few replays on TV of these incidents. Hayes was inspirational until he was rugby tackled, then he never really got going again. Samaras got more dangerous the longer the game went on but he should have been off for 2 bookables in the 1st half. Esson was MOM, Tokeley seems to divide opinion. I thought his positional play was excellent but just lacks the pace - a good game overall he had though. He'll cope another season against most teams. I thought they all worked hard and Foran would have made a big difference. I don't know too many other players well enough yet. Having watched EPL at Burnley last year, a fully fit Hayes could perform there, but is he consistent? All in all, a creditable performance.

Personally I prefer the sound and taste of an Englishman's severed bollicks in an industrial fat fryer. :_funny: I thought that you'd prefer them unsevered in an indusrial fryer or would that make you bite off more than you could chew?..................and I thought you were a Lanky like me. Looks like I'd better tread carefully, especially if there's severed bollicks rolling around!

You don't know what pies are until you come round our way in Lancashire! The traditional mutton Scotch Pie should be banned under EU Health and Safety Law, especially when it's passed via the chip fryer. (I promise not to be controversial too often!)

Thanks for the welcome and I'm now signing off until after the Celtic match. I start my journey north tomorrow morning via Dunkeld, Findochty and Findhorn. I'll be equipped with cagoule and windproof!

Fairly good Spanish but I doubt that Sanchez would appreciate being given a feminine gender!! I thought you could have got the Spanish equivalent of "Specsavers" in it.

Never heard about Alexander and ICT but he'd do a job at ICT, no doubt, even though he's Coventry born and bred! He's also captain at Burnley now. So, you're a Chorley Cake are you! I've had a few silly night there (Harry's Bar?) and some late nighter called the Ambassador, maybe - near some Park Gates. I used to visit Chorley for work. I usually fit away matches in with other reasons, such as Runrig concert (I'll be at Hearts the day after Runrig play at Dunfermline in December, or a trip to, say, Applecross, that I visit a couple of times a year and I pick up a match en route, Falkirk and Raith to mention 2. But I've never travelled up and back in the day. However, who knows, I'll bear it in mind.. I assume you're house trained - not a certainty if you're from Chorley!

There's a membership scheme at Burnley which was worthwhile when we were in the Premier last year. We paid a fee of ?20 and had first choice for non season ticket seats for home matches, at a reduced price. These were available for about a week before the general public could have them. The saving was ?7 a match, so 3 matches and the fee was paid! We were getting near full houses every game, so the general public were being confined to seats in front corners. This year, it still operates but the saving per match is less. Also, full house will not be the norm! I've not paid the fee yet.

They are available at the ground in person or by telephone as from 24 July.

I think I might have gone in the Innes on my only other home match. The bar was quite near the ground and had a sign saying no football colours. I had an old SHARP white shirt on so I zipped up my fleece and walked in. I was met by about 100 Caley shirts! I had 4 pints and still felt a bit worse for wear driving back to Braemar after the match!

Well, I'm following in Laurence's footsteps on this forum as an Englishman in his 60s (but not as old as Laurence!). I live in the shadow of empty dark satanic cotton mills near Burnley in Lancashire and am, in fact, a supporter of Burnley and watch them maybe at half their home games. In the 90s, I was a regular visitor to the Highlands, doing the Munros (big hills) and when I approached Kessock Bridge, I would see your ground and be uplifted that I was only an hour from Ullapool, my favourite bolt hole. I started following your progress through the leagues and decided that it was time to watch ICT. I therefore dragged my missus to both Rangers (draw) and Hearts (win) and then it was time to see them at home so I slotted in a visit on my own during a hillwalking trip to see Dundee U, under Levein, win 2-0. The highlight was the fact that Dundee supporters came out from hospitality late for the second half and didn't know they had scored in the first minute of the half until one of them got the score on his phone! Last year, with the wife, I did matches at Dumfries, Kirkcaldy and Ayr (7-0!) and we finished up pictured in the Daily Express, stood in the centre circle after the match. This Wednesday, I'm dragging our caravan to Dunkeld for a couple of days, then up to the Moray Firth for just over a week. On the morning of 14 August, I'll mention to the wife that Celtic are in Inverness and find 2 tickets in my pocket! I've enjoyed the banter at the games as much as the football ad I enjoy the lack of theatrics which is crippling the game down here. My favourite player is Roscoe Tokely as he's the same height as me and nearly as old. I'll finish where I started by mentioning Laurence. I thought his avatar was Johnny Rotten (sorry you youngsters - before your time!) but now I realise it's a certain SPL manager in a rather bloodstained England shirt!