NormaStitz

I sat with a Dunfermline fan who had come from Rafford (Nr Forres) and his mate from Inverness who'd only been to 2 games in the past, both against Celtic. They made a night of it with a curry in town and paid a tenner each. So that's +£20 for starters, and 2 very impressed spectators who said they will be back.

If charisma and character has got anything to do with it I'd love to see Holloway. Players seem to like him and Palace never gave him a chance. I think he might even remember where Inverness is - brought QPR up here pre-season in about 2004 - we drew with them 1-1 in a friendly. Somebody else suggested Warnock. Me too. Just can't see the attraction in Levein.

I was on the train and the police decided on an alcohol ban because an additional load of irate Hearts fans would be on it. Talking to Transport Police it appears that a bus was, indeed, stopped and found not to be roadworthy and with no MOT so was put of the road. The driver may have been charged. As it transpired the bus load never made it to the train. According to the HMFCKickback Fans Forum: "had heard a different story when speaking to people after the game PTBCAL, as we saw the police by the minivan when we came out the ground. What I had been told was that the police had been made aware there was drink on the bus, and there had been an incident on the road during the journey up (something had been thrown out of the van which hit a car behind it). However southampton jambo then said on the other thread that it was down to the driver not having a license, and he has now said it is going to court. I have no reason whatsoever to disbelieve him, as I heard it from third parties, but I'm not sure either how the police would have known the driver didn't have a license, unless they had another reason to run the bus through their systems/contact the bus operator." Apparently the driver of the car behind (whose car had been hit by a bottle lobbed out of the window on the A9) had reported this to the police and the van got intercepted at the ground.

I drove up from Grantown and got stuck before the Milburn turn off at 2.20 pm. After half an hour of being virtually stationary, a blue light came past at 2.50 and the traffic suddenly started moving. The problem must have dawned on someone eventually, but way too late. It was carnage on the carriageway, full of Hearts fans mostly tanked up abandoning mini buses etc. I finally got in to the game 20 minutes late - a complete joke. Someone today told me about someone else who was going to get a ticket on the day and gave up. Hardly the way we're going to build better attendances.

What was on offer on the pitch was enough to remind anyone to go for a dump, let alone Butcher.

An over achiever at work seemingly. Well you learn something new every day.....

I wanted to share the thoughts of a neutral. My impression of the game too. Heavy Whalley, who's from Ayr lives in Burghead is a legend of Scottish Mountain Rescue. Apart from not being to tell his Derek Adams from his elbow he makes some encouraging comments on the future for football in the Highlands. His daily blog is superb and well worth following. http://heavywhalley.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/observatory-ridge-27-years-on-the-highland-derby-great-afternoon-in-dingwall-much-safer-for-an-old-guy/

Accidentally came across this. So it's true then. And I thought travelling was an offence in basketball

Just phoned County ticket office 01349 860860 for a seat. No longer available on line. Still a few left but only on the front 3 rows as those are the only ones we sent back apparently. Completely agree that the train times are sh**e..

Thanks for the explanation CaleyD. I'll pass the info on. Personally I think it's overkill, especially if tickets can be got through unofficial means anyway. It doesn't achieve a right lot (except depriving ICT of £20). Like you I'm no pie expert, but our local butcher sells cold pies no bother. Mindst you the queues aren't so long there.

Can somebody in the know explain this one for me? In the pub last night a friend (a Dunfermline fan who comes to a few Caley games with me) told me about his experience at the Celtic match. Having come all the way from Forres and pitching up at the gate he was told there was no cash entry. So he went to the ticket office only to be told that the police wouldn't allow the club to seel any tickets less than one hour before kick off. On his way back in to town, assuming the game was sold out, he saw a tout selling tickets and got one for the Celtic end for £25 and got in 15 mins after kick off. At half time he queued up for 15 mins for a pie, but with the 2nd half about to start was told that they'd run out of hot ones and he'd have to wait 10 mins while they warmed some more up. Asking for a cold one, with the game about to restart, he was told that they weren't allowed to sell cold pies. Meanwhile the queue stretched back about 25 yards. We think we're an entertainment industry. Somebody tell me that this was all some big misunderstanding.

Note to self. Avoid bookmakers premises at all costs.

Don't often get vibes pre-match but when I do they are normally right. Today is one of those rare days. Certain of an ICT win today and I'd go along with Doofer; we owe someone a do-ing. At least of I'm wrong it will save me some wasted trips to the bookies in future.

Tomorrow's impending bloodbath FA Cup tie in Bedfordshire brought to mind one of the greatest (in my opinion anyway) football-related lyrics of all time. Hardly a tune to whistle while you work but some unforgettable lines including............. Singing Sealed Knot Society, let’s see you try and do this one: Luton Town – Millwall, nineteen eighty-five Mine's an acquired taste but anyone care to share theirs?

I thought we were decent today. Every team hits a bad patch and we're hitting ours without playing badly. Wednesday is a huge game which could define the reast of the season. Would love to have another other local derby with the 'dwellers' after the split

The North League seems to go in fits and starts. As one club goes on the up another seems to slump, so the league never seems to really catch fire and capture much public imagination which is a shame. But Scotland has produced some decent cricketers. Wasn't Mike Denness the only Scot to captain England at cricket and didn't Bradman once play in Forres? Doug Jardine in the 1930s had Scottish parents but he wasn't born here so presumably didn't count in those days. Denness became capt after Welshman Tony Lewis in the mid-1970s.

The SRU are offering free entry at the TCS for this game on Friday 8th March. KO 7.35pm. Worth getting along to. http://www.scotlandrugbyteam.org/content/view/3251/9/

No, I think you missed the point. In the interview he said he went down to Barnsley for "football reasons". I wouldn't mind betting that those were the same football reasons that produced those words on 18th November. Remember the post-match reaction that put 99.9% of the football world completely on the back foot after the 5-1 defeat to Motherwell? Remember what happened next? The man's a man-management genius. Did I hear that Boycott's just been recalled from India? Something about a lucrative job offer back home.

Absolute bo**ocks. He conducted himself like a gentleman. The message he's sent out is that anyone, having been given proper permission by the club, has a right to listen to what potential suitors have to offer. It's no surprise to me that he prefers the Sutors that he can probably see from the upstairs windows than the other kind and good on the man. If I were a player, this is the sort of manager I'd dream of playing for, someone I'd want to work my guts out for. Someone who shows, and expects loyalty but isn't going to stand in the way of a player's progress if things are done by the book. We're lucky (but deserve) to have him. I wonder if Rooney's reading this.

What a masterful stroke of managerial brilliance. TB has demonstrated his own loyalty, and has ignored the dollars caption on his flight control system. What self-respecting ICT player contemplating a contract offer could ignore that inspired piece of leadership?

This guy is doing a load of aeral photography round the Moray Firth. Same one that Dewsbury Dude found. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scotavia-Images/178725362156526

See that Saints have given the Arabs a good do-ing at Tannadice. Good to see them keeping up the good work.

We looked tired - mentally more than physically. Defensively we were sound against a St Johnstone side lacking, in equal measure, in imagination and any form of passion from the stands. OTJ and Warren did a good shift, and the 1st team experience is clearly working for young Cooper But all too often our offensive play was 3 steps forward 2 steps back - everyone seemed to need too much time to think today. The winter break is coming at exactly the right time for us, but one last big effort next Wednesday will do nicely Mr Butcher.

This is going just the same way as the out-of-hand H&S culture. The Elgin City farce was caused by people with zero interest in football setting ridiculous crowd figures, and well-meaning folk in the club trying to get round it. According to people at the game the ground felt half empty, and it was the same at Forres V Rangers where the council had set a limit of 1,471 before public outrage got it increased to a laughable 2,500 or so. I've seen more folk in the beer tent at Forres Highland Games (where there isn't any such thing as a crowd limit) than in the end behind the East goalmouth at Mosset Park. There were almost as many folk hanging out of the tree behind the ground for God's sake, but as that wasn't inside the ground the H&S police weren't interested. Dave and Heilandee are spot on (as I suspect will almost every outraged punter who posts on here). This is banter (and bloody good banter it is too). It's what supporting a team is all about.

Thought so, but hadn't heard of Abril tonto. Reggy doesn't have a serious bone in his body.