Caley Mad In Berks

airgweilo I remember "Valleyfield" very well. It was next to the Carol nursing home where my old Dad was head gardener in the late 1940s/early 50s. We lived in the gardener's cottage which was at the back of the nursing home fronting on to Drummond Crescent. Valleyfield's large garden backed on to Drummond Crescent also. It contained a large open field at the back with a set of goalposts in it which all us local kids were allowed to use. The Harper's had two boys, Frank and Sandy. If I'm getting my generations correct you must we the son of one of these two. Sandy Harper was closer in age to me than Frank. He was 3 or 4 years older than me. He was brilliant with us younger kids, always arranging games for for us, like football, cricket and athletics. Well do I remember the "Drummond Crescent Olympics" he organised. Sandy also took me to my first Highland League game, Clach v Caley at Grant Street. I became a Caley fan immediately, and remain so to this day (ICT of course since 1994). We moved to Hilton in 1951 and I lost touch with Sandy. Last I heard he was a doctor in Canada. I guess he would be late 70's in age now, and Frank in his 80s. I'd love to hear what became of them. You can PM me if you prefer.

That's a bit better. Could have had a barrowload of goals in first half. Hope it doesn't get down to GD. Obviously we're still favourites for the drop, but, the fat lady has not yet sung.... It could still come down to a grand stand finale v Motherwell. But first we need at least 4 points before we play them, and then it could be interesting Hope springs eternal...

H/T 1-1 F/T 3-1 ICT Warren Hamilton Imrie Crowd 2451 "JOKER"

4 May 2017 And again! In another early kick off this morning Ryan Williams scored the winner for Ottawa Fury v Edmonton in the Canadian Championship.

In a game starting at midnight (can you believe?), Canadian time, Ryan Williams scored his first goal of the new season today, for Ottawa Fury in a 2-2 draw with Charleston. Also, I have just noticed that Alex MacDonald left Oxford United at the end of January for Mansfield Town in EL2. So far he has scored once for his new club.

The sad and frustrating thing is that many of us saw this coming and have been calling for him to be replaced for months. Here are a couple of quotes of my own taken from posts on 28 January and 1 February ...... 1 "He doesn't look the part, sound the part, or act the part of someone who knows what they are doing. I fear the worst, and can only hope that I am wrong." 2 "Give another management team the chance to rebuild , get the squad sorted out, and get them playing with some passion. I fear saving us from the drop would now need a miracle, and the new management primary role should be aimed at preparing us for Championship football." If we humble fans could see the problem back then, or even before then, I find it beyond belief that those running the club could choose to ignore the issue until it is too late to save us. Are they just naive, pig-headed or incompetent? Whatever the answer, we fans deserve better.

Only scorers today (Sat 29 Apr) were both for Brora in their 3-1 North of Scotland Cup win at Nairn :- Andrew Grieg got two and Zander Sutherland the other one. Also, I missed a hat trick on Thurs night (27 Apr) by Ibra Sekajja for Dulwich Hamlet in the Ryman league. How we could have done with him this past month. He has scored 8 goals for DH in April alone!

What a shambles. I couldn't watch the game live as I had a commitment I couldn't get out of, so I recorded it. Just watched first half with my whisky glass covering my eyes for a lot of it. Gave up then and flicked to BBC to see the full time score. Not surprised that it got even worse.. Nothing more to add. Feel sure that with this manager, no matter how much the squad might be improved, we will struggle again in the championship. I said months ago that we should bin Ritchie, get new blood in and prepare for lower league football. Even more important now that a new man is appointed quickly to give him some time in the summer to try and get some organisation and dicsipline into a new squad. Thanks anyway ICT for giving me a few years of top flight football, and of course, the brilliant cup win, and even a taste of European football, none of which I could even of dreamt of, when growing up in Inverness after second World War, and watching Caley play at Telford Street for a tanner (2.5pence in todays money) ,in the glory days of the early 50s. Hopefully, I'll still make it up north occasionally for the odd game to meet up with old friends, especially if we manage a decent cup run from time to time.

H/T 1-1 F/T 1-3 ICT Tansey Ross Co Gardyne Crowd 5849

I got back from holiday last Saturday and saw the post split fixture list for the first time (having had little or no internet whilst away). I was gutted to see that our first match is against County tomorrow, knowing that I have a long term commitment tomorrow night and won't even be able to catch the match live on TV. My only hope is to record it and hope that no kind sole gives me any match updates whilst the game is on. My phone will be off I assure you! As to the match itself, I can't ever remember feeling so apprehensive in the pre match build up to any other important match in our history. Nothing has happened this season either on the park, or in particular from a management point of view that gives me any optimism whatsoever that we can get a result. I suspect many of us feel the same if the noticeable absence of pre match posts on this forum is anything to go by. I can only hope I'm wrong and that we can produce a few miracles over the next 5 games. Good luck to the team anyway. I'm sure for me, and I hope for most of us, that ICT is 'in our blood' and that we will support them loyaly whether in the dizzy heights near the top of the Premier league or even down in the lower leagues.

I didn't credit Hayes with the 3rd goal as BBC have it down as an og.

Jason Oswell voted Newtown AFC's player of the season (2016/17) by their supporters.

Other scorers today (22 April), besides Curtis Allen (reported above) Scot cup A Rooney, R.Chistie (Hibs 2 - Aberdeen 3) Ryman League I Sekajja (2) (Wingate/Finchley 0 - Dulwich Hamlet 3) N o S cup S Soane (Forres 2 - Clach 1)

Here is a summary of all the ex ICT goal scorers I have spotted during my 3 week absence (1st to 21st April) :- 4 goals Jason Oswell (Newtown AFC), Andrew Grieg (Brora R), Tobi Sho-Silva (Bromley) 3 goals Ibra Sekajja (Dulwich Hamlet) 2 goals Stuart Armstrong (Celtic), Marley Watkins (Barnsley), Lewis Mackinnon (Buckie), Ben Greenhalgh (Hemel H Town, on loan) 1 goal Sam Winnal (Sheffield Wed), Rory McAllister (Peterhead), Ryan Christie (Aberdeen), Zander Sutherland (Brora R) Gary Wood (Formantine), Michael Finnis (Clach), Dan Park (Cove R), Curtis Allen (Glentoran), Dani Lopez (Arenas de Getxo) Lonsano Doumbouya (RNK St Polten)

Adam Rooney scored tonight (31 Mar) in Aberdeen's 7-0 pumping of Dundee. btw I am going to be out of the country for the next couple of weeks with limited access to the Internet, so my updates on this thread may be patchy (or non existent). I'll do a 'catch up' when I get back.

No real surprise that he is going, finally. In hindsight, it might have been better to take the money for him in the January window 15 months ago, when his likely move to Aberdeen was first mooted. Personally, I have liked Tansey. Definitely one of our better signings. We'll miss his free kicks and especially, penalty kick taking. He has been a good servant and I wish him well, but probably best that we don't use him over these last few matches this season.

H/T 1-1 F/T 2-1 ICT Mckay St J Kane Crowd 4501

H/T 0-1 F/T 0-1 ICT Tremarco Aberdeen Rooney Crowd 11905

H/T 1-1 F/T 3-1 ICT Tansey Killie Boyd Crowd 2895

Ibra Sekajja scored another tonight (28 Mar) for Dulwich Hamlet in a 2-0 win at Billericay in the Ryman Isthmian league.

Jason Oswell scored another for AFC Newtown today (26 Mar), in their 2-0 win at Rhyl, in the Dafabet Welsh premier league.

I see man of many clubs, Phillip Roberts, has been with Chelmsford City in the National League South, for the past couple of months. That's his 5th club since leaving us! I wonder how long he'll last there.

And tonight (25 Mar), Adam Evans scored two for Shelbourne in a 4-1 win at Athlone in the Airtricity Irish League, Div 1.

Sat 25 Mar 2017 Scot Champ N Wedderburn (Morton 0 - Dunfermline 1) (His first since leaving ICT) SL1 R McAllister (Peterhead 2 - Stranraer 2) National League L Hughes (Solihul 2 - Barrow 4) Highland League Z Sutherland (Brora R 5 - Formantine 0) G Munro (2) (Fort William 3 - Rothes 5)

Stuart Soane scored another two tonight (22 Mar) , for Forres , in a 7-1 win over Nairn.