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One Week On Inverness travel to Galabank Stadium Annan for this rescheduled game which was a casualty of the winter weather last weekend. With both clubs dumped out of the Scottish Cup, this free weekend comes in handy to take up the slack after last weeks postponement and it negates the need for an arduous midweek trip to the other end of the world in mid winter. It's the fourth meeting between the sides this season with Annan holding the upper hand so far with two wins, with one of those being an away tie in the League Cup. Incidentally, we won the last encounter which was Duncan Ferguson's last game in charge before administrators took over the running of the club. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Supporters Bus Info Queen of the South next game ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's our report of Big Dunc's Last Stand: 1-0 - With Administration pending at the start of next week, this game might be the last time we will see the famous Inverness Caledonian Thistle in it's present form. Administration does not come alone. Redundancies and heartbreak goes hand in hand with it and that is the price paid for years of neglect. We had already lost twice to Annan this season, once in the League Cup and once on League business when a Tommy Goss penalty was the difference at Galabank but he was missing out this time. Paul McGowan and Wullie Gibson added their experience to the Annan starting XI. Danny Devine returned to the team but Charlie Gilmour, Adam Brooks and Charlie Reilly were missing. After a slow start, Danny Devine headed Inverness in front in the twenty-first minute. That's how it was at the interval with chances difficult to come by. The second half was similar with Devine coming closest to adding a second but his header was just the wrong side of the post and it ended 1-0 with the creditors closing in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A bright and breezy afternoon greeted the players on a somewhat sombre afternoon for the Caley Jags with the stench of administration lingering around the stadium. Annan looked spritely in the opening few minutes firing wide on a couple of occasions before Inverness ventured forward. Duncan Ferguson was yellow carded after discussing a penalty claim with the referee when Billy Mckay appeared to be barged off the ball inside the penalty area. After a couple of poor balls into the box Paul Allan provided Danny Devine with the perfect opportunity and Danny duly headed the Caley Jags in front after twenty minutes to lift the mood. Keith Bray was put through on goal on the right side of the box but keeper Smith spread himself to block well. HALF TIME: 1-0 The second period was less than entertaining with a bit too much faffing around outside the box and down the wings with directness the last thing on the minds of the players. Bray had a volley comfortably saved and Devine went very close following a free kick angled into the box by Paul Allan, Danny's header just bouncing past the wrong side of the keepers left hand post with Smith beaten. We did have a few attempts from around the edge of the box but they all went well wide of the target. Meanwhile Annan never troubled Musa Dibaga and two poor teams played out the final forty-five without adding to the scoreline. FULL TIME 1-0 INVERNESS CT The Season So Far D L D D W D D D L / W L(11)D W W W L W L W ? Since Scott Kellacher was handed the reins in game 11, there has been a more positive approach to our matches which has resulted in improved performances and a more enjoyable matchday experience all round. Alas we were brought back to earth with a disappointing result in our last game of 2024, a crushing 1-4 defeat at home to Cove Rangers. We'll have to put that one down to a bad day at the office. However, we bounced back in our first game of the second half of the season in the six pointer against Dumbarton with a hard fought 2-0 win. That win over Dumbarton was a vital one and the introduction of Alfie Bavidge was a welcome one as he opened the scoring early in the first half. Charlie Gilmour slotted in the clincher in the second half to give us a cushion over the Sons and to narrow the gap on Annan to seven points. Only a handful of League games across the SPFL Leagues this weekend and we are the only League1 game tomorrow. We also play Queen of the South away on Tuesday night (21st January) Pos Team Pld Gd Pts 1 Arbroath 20 8 34 2 Stenny 21 9 32 3 Kelty Hearts 21 9 31 4 Alloa Ath 21 4 29 5 Cove 20 5 28 6 Queen of Sth 20 -4 26 7 Montrose 20 -2 24 8 Annan Ath 20 -16 20 9 Inverness CT 19 -1 13 10 Dumbarton 20 -12 07 Inverness CT Latest Team News Nothing new coming out of our camp. One or two niggles but we expect the team to be along similar lines to the Dumbarton game. On the Transfer Window, Kellacher had this to say to the press: “There’s nothing going about at the minute, I’ve heard bits and bobs about clubs being interested and that’s what you’re going to get when boys are doing well. You want boys to be playing well every week and we’re getting results and that’s the main thing. As far as we’re aware, nothing will be happening in the short term.” Annan Team News Annan have signed midfielder Dan Carmichael from Dalbeattie Star since they fielded this side in a 1-1 draw against Stenhousemuir a couple of weeks ago. Tam Muir headed in the equaliser after Buchanan had given the Warriors the advantage just after the interval. Annan keeper Jamie Smith saved a penalty and there was a red card for Aidan Smith for his involvement leading up to the spot kick and he will miss out this weekend. Luca Smith's loan deal has been extended for the season. Last Six League Games: L D W L D D Only one win over the last six League1 games. That was a crushing 1-5 win at Dumbarton. Losses were against Montrose and Arbroath and also a surprise 2-0 Scottish Cup defeat at Fraserburgh. The draws were against Cove and away to Queen of the South and Stenhousemuir a fortnight ago.

There's Life Jim but not as we know it With Administration pending at the start of next week, this game might be the last time we will see the famous Inverness Caledonian Thistle in it's present form. Administration does not come alone. Redundancies and heartbreak goes hand in hand with it and that is the price paid for years of neglect. We had already lost twice to Annan this season, once in the League Cup and once on League business when a Tommy Goss penalty was the difference at Galabank but he was missing out this time. Paul McGowan and Wullie Gibson added their experience to the Annan starting XI. Danny Devine returned to the team but Charlie Gilmour, Adam Brooks and Charlie Reilly were missing. After a slow start, Danny Devine headed Inverness in front in the twenty-first minute. That's how it was at the interval with chances difficult to come by. The second half was similar with Devine coming closest to adding a second but his header was just the wrong side of the post and it ended 1-0 with the creditors closing in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A bright and breezy afternoon greeted the players on a somewhat sombre afternoon for the Caley Jags with the stench of administration lingering around the stadium. Annan looked spritely in the opening few minutes firing wide on a couple of occasions before Inverness ventured forward. Duncan Ferguson was yellow carded after discussing a penalty claim with the referee when Billy Mckay appeared to be barged off the ball inside the penalty area. After a couple of poor balls into the box Paul Allan provided Danny Devine with the perfect opportunity and Danny duly headed the Caley Jags in front after twenty minutes to lift the mood. Keith Bray was put through on goal on the right side of the box but keeper Smith spread himself to block well. HALF TIME: 1-0 The second period was less than entertaining with a bit too much faffing around outside the box and down the wings with directness the last thing on the minds of the players. Bray had a volley comfortably saved and Devine went very close following a free kick angled into the box by Paul Allan, Danny's header just bouncing past the wrong side of the keepers left hand post with Smith beaten. We did have a few attempts from around the edge of the box but they all went well wide of the target. Meanwhile Annan never troubled Musa Dibaga and two poor teams played out the final forty-five without adding to the scoreline. FULL TIME 1-0 I suppose the result was more important than the performance, which was just as well as both sides were honking. However we have bigger fish to fry on Monday as the grim reaper comes calling with bad news. We may have seen the last of some of these players as the high earners might be culled as our cloth gets cut by the Administrators. Billy Mckay did get a rousing round of applause when he was substituted five minutes before the end and the rest were warmly applauded as they left the field at the end of play. Match reaction from CTO Good summary from Robert: I thought we deserved the win, but once again we made hard work of it in the second half. We dominated the first half and should have had more than one goal. One definite penalty was not given, possibly two (I wasn’t sure if the other incident was in or just outside the box). Devine took his goal well and led the back line with, as others have said, MacKinnon also having a good game. Allan also looked good to me. We allowed ourselves to get hemmed in after the break but Annan were fortunately toothless. With the 15 point penalty, next week’s game at Dumbarton becomes a real six pointer as we try to get ourselves back into the pack. Well done to all who played a part today. It must be tough with all the uncertainties at present. Robbo 1985: Danny Devine was awarded the sponsors man of the match and credit to him for popping up with another crucial goal and putting on another very good defensive display. For me though, Adam MacKinnon stood head and shoulders above every other player on the park today. Broke up play, drove us forward, distributed the ball well, had some shots on goal and worked his absolute socks off. A fantastic individual performance but well done to all the players and staff today for digging in to get the result. Alan: A deserved victory over a poor Annan side who didn't manage one shot on target during the 90 minutes. it wasn't the most exciting game but I'll take 1-0 wins in every every match between now and the end of the season. A wins a win Alloa top the table after a 78th minute winner at Stenhousemuir. Other winners today were Inverness, Dumbarton, Cove & Montrose. Pos Team Pld Gd Pts 1 Alloa Athletic 10 2 17 2 Montrose 10 5 16 3 Kelty Hearts 10 7 15 4 Cove Rangers 10 1 14 5 Stenhousemuir 10 1 14 6 Queen of Sth 10 -2 14 7 Inverness CT 10 0 12 8 Arbroath 10 -2 12 9 Annan Athletic 10 -9 10 10 Dumbarton 10 -3 9 Danny Devine got his MotM award after the game in Bar94. Date: 19/10/2024 Venue: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 1501 Referee: Peter Stuart Inverness CT: 1 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Dibaga; Duffy (Macleod 46), Devine, Savage, Nolan (Ewan 92), Longstaff (Thompson 84), Davidson, Allan, MacKinnon, Bray, B Mckay (Ferguson 84) Subs (not used): Newman; Strachan, C Mackay Scorers: Devine (21) Booked: Devine (17), B Mckay (20), MacLeod 75) Sent Off: none Annan Athletic: 0 Manager: Wullie Gibson (player manager) Lineup: J Smith; Gibson, Todd, Dixon (Ross 81), Breen, Kilsby, (Quitongo 31), Zaid (Quigg 81), A Smith, McGowan, K Fleming, Stevenson, Subs (not used): Aitchison; Muir, Barnes Maxwell, Lennon Scorers: none Booked: Dixon (42), Stevenson (46), Quitongo (74) Sent Off: none a

Too Little Too Late Inverness added their two new signings to their squad which meant Keith Bray was benched with Wallace Duffy returning to the starting XI and Musa Dibaga as back up keeper on the bench. Annan had one change with Josh Dixon replacing Paul Smith in midfield. Jack Newman had the only notable save of the first forty-five denying Aidan Smith after ten mintes. Other than that it was Annan on top without overly threatening. After the interval Annan were awarded a penalty after fifty minutes and Tommy Goss duly scored from the spot. That was the difference between the sides as Annan took all three points despite a late charge from the visitors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plenty of early posturing and the first action for the keepers saw Jack Newman save brilliantly from an Aidan Smith header in the tenth minute as Annan came close to the opening goal. Inverness' first effort followed soon after as Adam Brooks shot over from a tight angle. Annan were controlling the pace of the game in the first quarter and forced three corners to no avail. Smith again went close on the half hour when he shot just wide. Josh Dixon shot over from the edge of the box ten minutes before the break and Wallace Duffy picked up a yellow for abruptly stopping an Annan attack. Half Time: 0-0 Danny Devine gave away a penalty five minutes after the restart when he fouled Tommy Goss who got up to slot home the spot kick into the bottom corner. Luis Longstaff fired a free kick over the bar and Billy Mckay was denied by the keeper after a turn and run from Longstaff. Almost a tap in for Smith but for a great interception by the defence. Devine headed wide from a Charlie Gilmour free kick as we tried to get back on level terms. A double denial for Inverness as Gilmour's effort was well saved then Devine hit the underside of the bar from the recycled ball as we entered the final ten minutes. Bray shot wide as we pushed for an equaliser with Annan looking for the final whistle. Annan were by now hanging on by a thread and a couple of late corners for the visitors came and went before the final whistle ended the siege. Full Time: 1-0 More detail to follow>>> Date: 10/08/2024 Venue: Galabank Stadium Attendance: 0386 Referee: Alex Shepherd Annan Athletic: 1 Manager: Wullie Gibson (player manager) Lineup: J Smith; Gibson, Dixon (K Fleming 89), T Muir (Quintongo 70), McGowan, Todd, R Muir, Goss (Stevenson 89), Kilsby, A Smith, Zaid (Barnes 79) Subs (not used): G Fleming; Maxwell, Quigg Scorers: Goss (50 pen) Booked: McGowan (51) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Newman; W Duffy (Thompson 83), Davidson, Devine, Savage, F Duffy (Strachan 83), Mackinnon (Bray 74), Gilmour, B Mckay (Ferguson 74), Brooks (MacLeod 46), Longstaff Subs (not used): Dibaga; Walker, Keogh, C Mackay Scorers: none Booked: W Duffy (37) Sent Off: none a

30 years On... Thirty years on from our entry into the Scottish League system when we were then known as Caledonian Thistle, we head to Galabank Stadium, Annan, for a League 1 game, having already lost there this season in the League Cup group stages. This will be only the fourth meeting between the two clubs having won the first two 8-1 and 4-0 many moons ago before losing 1-0 last month. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket/Bus Info Thirty Years Ago Today ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not much has changed since we played Annan a month ago. Ethan Cairns is still out with a health issue. Trialist keeper still not signed up. Spoke to the 'Owner', hopeful of adding another couple of players. Wallace Duffy is also still a possibility. Annan beat Cove Rangers last week in their opening League fixture. Second half goals from Max Kilsby, Josh Todd and Malik Zaid gave Annan a 3-1 win over Cove. That win put Annan at the top of the table on goal difference. The League cup encounter was a close affair against Inverness and Tommy Goss got the winner despite a promising display from Inverness where Ferguson felt we were unfortunate not to take something from the game. Whilst Annan were beating Cove, we were drawing with Dumbarton in a game of two halfs. An opening headed goal from Danny Devine put us ahead just on the interval in a lively opening 45'. Alas we went back ito our shell after the break and the Sons capitalised on that to draw level. The Good Old Days Who remembers this one? Four days before the legend that was Alan Hercher scored that opening day League hat-trick against Arbroath at Telford Street in a 5-2 League fixture, we faced East Stirlingshire in the Coca Cola Cup first round and came away with a 2-0 win thanks to first half goals from Wilson Robertson and Alan Hercher. Report by Ian Broadfoot: A fine performance by Caledonian Thistle in their first competitive match won them a second round tie against Dundee. The home 'keeper Moffat denied both Hercher and McAllister but the deadlock was broken in the 36th minute when Wilson Robertson scored after a 1-2 with Paul MacKenzie. Just on half time they went two ahead - Hercher distracted Ian Lee and a Scott corner ricocheted into the net off the defender. Alan Hercher was credited with the goal. In the second half the result was never in doubt and both MacDonald and Hercher nearly increased the visitors' lead. East Stirling did come close seven minutes from time when John Scott was forced to clear from his line. A few minutes later Robertson and Noble had shots saved by Moffat. In the last minute a Geraghty shot nearly gave East Stirling a consolation goal but it came off the bar. League Cup - Rd 1 Tuesday, August 9th, 1994, 7:30 PM at Firs Park, Falkirk Attendance: 899 Referee: M Clark Starting XI Mark McRitchie Dave Brennan Mark McAllister Mike Andrew Mike Noble John Scott Danny MacDonald Graeme Bennett Alan Hercher Paul McKenzie (Smart 66) Wilson Robertson Subs: Jim Calder (GK), Martin Lisle, Allan Smart

League Cup Opener ends in defeat New look Inverness made the long trek to Galabank Stadium for the opening game of the season to face Annan Athletic in the League Cup group stages. Most of our injured players made the game but Jack Walker and Ethan Cairns missed out. Annan added Aaron Quigg to their squad today and in former Dundee midfielder Paul McGowan they won't lack determination, skill or experience, something we lost over the summer. We'll just have to see how it pans out. Tommy Goss headed in the opening goal midway through a fairly even first half but we trailed at the break. No more goals after the interval and it ended 1-0 to Annan. In other news, Cammy Harper has changed his shirt number to No3 at Carlisle United and Roddy MacGregor scored on his debut for Queens Park... Sigh! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Inverness got the season underway on the 3G surface as captain Billy Mckay sets the ball rolling. Annan were first to threaten through Aidan Smith who saw Keeper Jack Newman save low to his left after eight minutes. Adam Brooks had our first effort after being fed through on goal but shot just wide five minutes later. Annan opened the scoring in the 21st minute through a Tommy Goss header. Brooks was denied from outside the box as Jamie Smith saved his effort on the half hour and following a corner Aidan Smith's header from a tight angle was denied by Newman with a super save. Billy Mckay shot over ten minutes before the break as the visitors looked to draw level before the interval. Brooks again missed the target shooting over after a lengthy injury break for Jake Davidson. Possession was even over the first 45 but it's the hosts that have the one goal advantage. HT: 1-0 No changes at the interval and we were very close to an equaliser two minutes into the second half as Adam Brooks saw his initial effort hit the post and the rebound fell to Calum MacLeod in the box. Alas, his effort came off the bar and Billy Mckay couldn't quite scramble the ball in. Meh! Keith Bray brought out a save from the keeper and Aidan Smith did likewise at the other end before being booked a minute later for a late tackle on Charlie Gilmour. The hosts continued to dish out the rough treatment and Quitongo was booked minutes later for being late on Bray. Brooks continued missing the target, shooting wide after the hour and he would be replaced by Robbie Thompson for the last twenty minutes. Thereafter a spate of substitutions and one of them, Calum Mackay, had an effort saved by Jamie Smith. A late header by Ferguson never troubled the keeper and it was defeat in our opening match. FT: 1-0 Narrow defeat in the opening League Cup game at Annan but nonetheless an encouraging display by the the young squad. Johndo was at the game looking to tear the team to shreds but came away with a different perspective after watching the new look squad compete with Annan. Positives - I attended in the belief that this report would be a total slagging. We were the better team, we played the better football and we did not deserve to be beaten, We were quicker going forward, we tried to use width, we tried to hit the bye line. Some of the forward thinking 1-2 touch football was a joy to watch. We worked for 90 minutes. We looked solid at the back. Newman *** Rarely tested but looked solid. Strachan *** Looked raw and needed support of those around him. Not scared of going forward, Davidson **** Huge improvement in what I have seen before. Devine **** Gawd do we need to keep him fit Savage **** Appears to have become some fans boo-boy. On today's performance totally undeserved. Always in space and looking to go forward. MacLeod ***** MOM - first time I have seen him and very, very impressed - Roddy MacGregor + Gilmour **** Solid as ever Bray *** Some great touches and full of energy but may be better utilised centrally. Longstaff *** Ran and ran, some great touches - so left footed - play him wider left. McKay ** Sorry but he was the weak link today. NOT a forward any more. Our Harry Kane !! 20 30 minute man. Brooks *** Plenty of pace and energy, Could/should have had a hat trick. Needs big man up beside him, Now if we had Goss we would have options and walked it. Ref was poor and allowed too many fouls to go unpunished. (nothing new there) Negatives - Oh jeez many of our final balls and finishing was shocking. OK we made the chances but blew them all. There were a number of occasions when we played the ball back when there was a forward ball. Some of our support are still in the boo-boy category and lets get rid of the dynasty but lets support those on the field - including Dunc. I bet there will not be many of the blindfolded agreeing with this report. On reflection I actually did want this to be a slagging, ended up pi$$ed of with score BUT encouraged by the performance. Highlights from Annan Athletic Date: 13/07/2024 Venue: Galabank Stadium, Annan Attendance: 427 Referee: Jordan Curran Annan Athletic: 1 Manager: Wullie Gibson (player manager) Lineup: J Smith; Gibson, Dixon (Quigg 85), T Muir, Quitongo (K Fleming 69), Todd, McGowan, P Smith, R Muir, A Smith, Goss Subs (not used): G Fleming; Maxwell Scorers: Goss (21) Booked: Goss (24), Aidan Smith (52), Quitongo (55) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 0 Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Newman; Davidson, Devine, Savage, Strachan (Keogh 79), Bray, Gilmour (Ferguson 75), MacLeod, Longstaff (C Mackay 75), B Mckay (Corner 75), Brooks (Thompson 69) Subs (not used): Rebilas; Sam Nixon. Scorers: none Booked: Keogh (88) Sent Off: none a

Into the Unknown It's a journey into unchartered waters as the rebooted Caley Jags travel to Galabank Stadium, Annan, for the first competitive game of season 2024/2025. It's going to be a difficult season for pennyless Inverness unless a wealthy benefactor appears out of the Highland mist or the Battery Farm Project takes a massive U turn. I'm no holding my breath for a quick decision on either happening anytime soon. As they say around here, it is what it is, but it beats training at Kelty and and being dictated to by the very people who are responsible for the situation we find ourselves in. We will try and concentrate on events on the field and keep our fingers crossed that a resolution can be sought for the off-field issues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Match/Ticket Info Panos pleads for patience ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ First Competitive Meeting Jan 24th, 1998 Scottish Cup (Rd 3) (H) 8 - 1 We have only met twice in competitive games with both ending in resounding wins for the Caley Jags. Last meeting was in 2009 though and Annan have bedded themselves in to the Leagues well. However, given our current demise I would imagine Annan will be feeling confident about this one as Ferguson has little to choose from since our financial demise and mismanagement. This was Ian Broadfoot's report from the first meeting in 1998: 8 - 1 The home side demolished a determined Annan side after an early fright. A loose ball found Norman Montgomery clear inside the Inverness half and he lobbed the ball over Jim Calder. Caley Thistle stormed upfield and scored 3 goals in a 6 minute spell. In 16 minutes Barry Wilson was set up by Iain Stewart just inside the area and he drove the ball low past Robert McColm. Three minutes later Brian Thomson slipped it to Stewart on the 18 yard line and he sent a low ball past the keeper. On the 20 minute mark Thomson was fouled just outside the box. He took the kick himself and sent it into the top corner. A fourth goal came in the 38th minute. Thomson and Stewart set up Barry Robson down the right and he headed straight for goal. Under strong pressure Robson hit it home. In 55 minutes Mark McCulloch cleared upfield from the half-way line and found Stewart who ran through the defence and slipped it to the side of the keeper he unselfishly sent it across to Thomson who only had to tap it in. In 74 minutes it was 6-1. A Vetle Andersen cross from the left went in off the head of defender Stanley Leslie. 10 minutes later Wilson got the seventh with a low drive from 15 yards and with 4 minutes left substitute Duncan Shearer rose above the Annan defence on the penalty spot and headed in an Andersen cross to complete the 8-1 record score. Annan's bad tempered tackling was finally punished in 86 minutes when Stanley Leslie was sent off. Only other Meeting: Adam Rooney (21), Robert Eagle (52), Dougie Imrie (72), Dani Sanchez (87) Aug 1st, 2009 League Cup (Rd 1) (H) 4 - 0 Annan Athletic: They finished 8th in League 1 last season and will be facing us at least another four times this season. New additions: Wullie Gibson (Manager) Paul Smith (midfielder, Ayr United) Paul McGowan (midfielder Cove Rangers) Josh Todd, (midfielder Queen of the South). Max Kilsby and Ryan Muir are signed on again. Loans in: Jamie Smith (GK Hamilton Academical). Who to look out for: Striker Aidan Smith became the clubs leading SPFL goalscorer last season when he passed Peter Weathersons goal total. His great work ethic and attacking running has seen him become the first name on the managers team sheet. The lively, left sided attacker started his career at Queen of the South before moving to Annan then onto Peterhead FC. Striker Tommy Goss joined the club from Queen of the South in the summer of 2021 and has become a firm fans favourite. The 6ft 4″ striker grabbed 28 goals last season and became the clubs record scorer for goals scored in a single SPFL season. A man with a wealth of experience at hailing taxis, Paul McGowan joined Dundee in June 2014 and became a mainstay and a key player for the side throughout his 9-year tenure there, making over 300 appearances for the Dark Blues. He joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan in 2023 and won both the Scottish Championship and the Scottish League One in the same season. After leaving Dundee he then spent a season with Cove Rangers. Inverness CT: Much has been made about our plight, and the way the club has handled it. Danny Devine, Charlie Gilmour and Billy Mckay were the only big names not to be disconnected from the club. Add a couple who struggled for game time last season in Luis Longstaff, Adam Brooks and Jake Davidson and the rest of the squad is made up of fringe players and youths. Yes, that is the reality we are facing this season in League 1. It's going to be a long season methinks unless a miracle happens to come our way. Injuries are starting early this season and we have doubts over Billy Mckay, Danny Devine Robbie Thompson and Adam Brooks, so nothing new there.