Merger Talk

[Scarlet Pimple]

O K, IHE, may I stick to Heckling from now on?

[Philip]

I like Dougal.

[Yngwie]

I like turtles.

[FoolPhysio]

I lick lolipops

[ilpadrino]

I like Dougal.

 

I like Florence.  I've only been to Florence, not Dougal.  Maybe one day they'll merge.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I like falafel

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Why are people trying to thrash this thread. I have to conceded however that it is heartening that Owd Scarlet has not suffered from the venom of some of the more volatile posters. I am not shure whether it is out of respect for his age and wisdom or out of pity for his oft babbling demented vitriol

 

But lets get this thread back on track with a wee competition - Can you tell me where this quote is from and by who?

 

"And with Caley came one of the most uncompromising supports in the North which did not endear itself to its rivals. The Caley support was perceived as many as regarding victory and success as a God given right. The club in its blue and white was also known as "The Rangers of the North". In like fashion it carried with it more than its fair share of the diehard "here's tae us, wha's like us following, sometimes verging on the arrogant, which is often the lot of the biggest club in town"

[Kingsmills]

I like raspberry flavoured Cremola Foam.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I like raspberry flavoured Cremola Foam.

So do I

[Philip]

I like Mr Charles Bannerman.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I like Mr Charles Bannerman.

So do I becos he makes such good quotes.

[+bughtmaster]

crawlers

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Why are people trying to thrash this thread. I have to conceded however that it is heartening that Owd Scarlet has not suffered from the venom of some of the more volatile posters. I am not shure whether it is out of respect for his age and wisdom or out of pity for his oft babbling demented vitriol

 

But lets get this thread back on track with a wee competition - Can you tell me where this quote is from and by who?

 

"And with Caley came one of the most uncompromising supports in the North which did not endear itself to its rivals. The Caley support was perceived as many as regarding victory and success as a God given right. The club in its blue and white was also known as "The Rangers of the North". In like fashion it carried with it more than its fair share of the diehard "here's tae us, wha's like us following, sometimes verging on the arrogant, which is often the lot of the biggest club in town"

BUMP

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

_{I have managed to get a phottie of the last Inverness Thistle squad to visit Telford Street:}

 

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Even dressed like that they strolled to a 3-0 win....bump.... ;-)

[dougiedanger]

A young Fraser Taylor third from left, front row.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

And Charlie Bannerman in the middle with the cap.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I have also just found a piccie of Murd Urquhart training on Stephens Brae.

 

[buckett]

Charles B. why do you hate Dougal so much? He's different perhaps, but so are a few others, including Scarlet who is so different when he is on form that even his Daddy Pimpernel can't cope with him, so he shakes his bright and breezy head and just walks away carrying an "I surrender" flag in his right hand hoisted high. 

 

What would happen to this site if everybody who had a different opinion than yourself was thrown out at the first statement?  I welcome different opinions than my own because that's why I come on here and furthermore, if I can't justify mine without descending to acidic, viperish, vituperative put-downs, then Scarlet is in real trouble.

 

 And what difference does it make whether a poster comes from Inverness and does not understand the local vernacular that well or from Germany where, incidentally, I note that  at least one intelligent poster comes from and does tune-in to this site very well indeed? Why do you have to  go "joupeen over the gate" instead of simply jumping over it ? Is this some rite of passage from intellectualism to common-manism that you feel is necessary to convince other posters that you are just another ordinary guy in the street thus justifying your opinions and language and getting their tacit support.

 

Forgive me Charles,  but I get the impression that you only go after those in this way whom you consider to be  vulnerable and perhaps not the favorite posters on the site but when up against a stronger opponent you tend to backtrack and joke your way out of the morass that is forming around you that frankly is of your own making. No doubt in your profession, being an icon of  admiration from the students, you have a hard time adjusting to the real world in which the average man or woman has to grit it out  facing challenges from adults, not children, which tests their will and attitudes to the limit. I have always yearned for a place in cloistered academe as my glorious fantasy but, alas, alack , it has always been Scarlet's fate to have to face the rough and tumble of life's brutal realities and never wear  a mortar board and gown to earn respect.

 

As for  Dougal I don't know how he has lasted  so long on this site in the face of such unfeeling rejections of his views  and frankly I admire his persistence and his spirit. And if you study his remarks carefully enough, without allowing your emotions to get the better of you, then there are some interesting references and views expressed by same, de temps en temp.

Dougal is a burr under your saddle, Charles, and long may it continue and you should just hope that he doesn't one day come after you with such intense sarcasm and ill-considered remarks by way of riposte or we shall see at that point how long you stay in the field of battle to suffer the slings and arrows....  

 

Anyone who doubts that wisdom comes with age should read this!

There's even hope for CB and IHE in years to come!

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

But Buckett - I thought that you would have preferred some wise words regarding the potential of a go alone Caledonian FC.

[buckett]

I think we all know, deep down, that a go-alone Caledonian FC would have fared just as well, if not better than ICT have done.

 

And unlike some on this forum, I see no harm in reflecting on what might have been. Except of course that, somewhat irrationally, it clearly upsets some people!

 

 

And regarding wisdom, well, maybe there's hope for me too in years to come!!

[Scotty]

I think we all know, deep down, that a go-alone Caledonian FC would have fared just as well, if not better than ICT have done.

 

As a former Caley fan, I would have to respectfully disagree !!! to an extent .....

 

We will never know for sure, and to me it is a largely irrelevant scenario as we are now ICT, but my belief is that if Caley had applied individually, we may not have got in initially, and may have had to wait until about the time Gretna got in. Even if we had got in on our own in '94, I think the progress would have been quite a bit slower, and at best we would have emulated County rather than ICT in taking a longer time to reach the top league. I have no doubt that Caley would have reached the SPL, but we would have spent a few additional seasons bouncing around the 1st and/or 2nd divisions, and staying in the top flight may or may not have been sustainable.

 

My reasoning? simple. The early years of ICT is peppered with people from both the former Caley and Thistle camps (be it supporters or officials) who have business know-how & football savvy that helped us develop, and very importantly, some folk with extremely good contacts with the old boys network that was deciding who would get in ..... for example ... we should not underestimate the influence of the likes of former Thistle Chairman Jock MacDonald in getting us in in the first place, or David Sutherland who was also a Thistle supporter in steadying our finances, ploughing money in for stands, and generally putting practices in place that sees us now crowing about how efficiently run we are in another thread ...... without them we may have been successful, or we may not .... we will never know for sure. 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

My original statement was along the line of IF Caley had received the same financial backing as ICT did. The other point that I was trying to emphasise - and I strongly believe in - was that from a fan/attendance perspective Caley had the significantly stronger numbers and their entry in to the leagues would have attracted bigger clubs from the off and the yoof of Sneck would have been enticed in numbers to join an entourage which was envied already, had a reputation and home games would have been noisier from the off. That has been my beef from the start and to be frank I don't think that anybody apart from CB and a few blind fools from the hills have argued against.

To be blunt Thistle were a fine family orientated, straight laced, inoffensive football club. Caledonian FC was a feckin institution.

[Scotty]

To be blunt Thistle were a fine family orientated, straight laced, inoffensive football club. Caledonian FC was a feckin institution.

 

and now ICT are a fine, family orientated, straight laced, inoffensive football club that has become a feckin institution in just 18 seasons .....

[The Mantis]

my belief is that if Caley had applied individually, we may not have got in initially, and may have had to wait until about the time Gretna got in.

Scotty, take it from me, they would have got in OK. The system of votes back then was Premier clubs 4 votes, First Div clubs 2 votes, Second Div clubs 1 vote.

So first of all, the big clubs would vote regardless of distance as they would think it unlikely they would ever have to go there, while the wee diddy clubs with no money, but only 1 vote, would go for the likes of Gala, for reasons of self interest.

Second, a club with Inverness in the name would always get one place regardless of which other towns applied. In the unlikely event of two Inverness clubs applying, it would have taken a dreadful presentation by the likes of Norman Miller and Jim Falconer to screw it up given Caley's infrastructure and Scottish Cup record (although Jock MacDonald could have pulled in a few favours on behalf of Jags).