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"... a bit more respect" - Duff.


Charles Bannerman

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I've had a bit of a debate with myself over whether to place this thread here or in the UK football section, but I've decided that it's relevant enough to Caley Thistle  for this part of the forum.

First of all, many congratulations to Caley Thistle's longest serving player of all time and appearance record holder (456) Ross Tokely, now manager at Brora Rangers, on their superb passage through to the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. More eye-catchingly still, in four victories to date, two of them away to League One opponents, Brora have scored at total of 12 goals and conceded none at all. Several Caley Thistle "old boys" have made a huge contribution to what Brora have achieved in recent years, and another of them is Jamie Duff who seems to have been put up as their post-match player interviewee at Methil.

Jamie was not slow to reveal that he thought East Fife "would have given a bit more respect" to Brora while instead "they thought they could turn up and stroll it". Jamie's words do bring back memories of 22 years ago at the same last 32 stage in January 1996, when East Fife appeared to treat the then still embryonic Caley Thistle with the same lack of respect. Many will remember East Fife manager Stevie Archibald subbing himself off, apparently reckoning the game to be won..... without bargaining on the resilience of Herchie and Co, a replay, extra time and a penalty shootout victory for Caley Thistle.

The rest .... Brian Thomson's glorious winner at Stenhousemuir leading to a quarter final encounter with Rangers at Tannadice.... became history as the "new" Inverness club recorded the first major achievement of its then short and still difficult history. I have always believed that the Scottish Cup campaign of 1995-96 was a major turning point for Inverness - and it came thanks in part to a lack of respect which, according to Jamie Duff, still hasn't been addressed down Methil way.

Edited by Charles Bannerman
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East Fife played Brora Rangers a few years back in the Challenge Cup and needed a late winner from our own Nathan Austin to go through - I doubt any clubs in the lower end of the league are in any doubt as to how good the well funded Highland League clubs are.  East Fife also have Kyle Wilkie, who played a season in the HFL for Nairn.

In this season's Scottish cup the HFL v SPFL record is as follows

HFL wins - 4

HFL goals - 8

SPFL wins - 2

SPFL goals - 8

(Keith 0 Clyde 3 / Airdrie 2 Cove 3 / Buckie 2 Brechin 3 /Formartine 1 Forfar 0 / Stranraer 0 Brora 1 / East Fife 0 Brora 1)

Here's hoping Fraserburgh add to the HFL win tally on the 31st.

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That's interesting to see this in terms of numbers which certainly back up the perception that this year's HL performances in the Scottish Cup have been better than of late, although Fraserburgh haven't actually had to face an SPFL club in the first three rounds. Certainly the Brora epic is a welcome return to some of the heroics that Thistle, Caley and Ross County pulled off during the decade before they themselves went into the SFL.

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Is a team really disrespectful if they lose against a lower league side? Were we disrespectful when Elgin, ayr and partick to name a few knocked us out of the cup when we were two leagues above. I don't really think so. It happens in football and yes it's a great achievement so by saying a team didn't take it seriously kinda lowers it a little.

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4 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

If you watch the highlights East Fife blew it. They should have won it 4 or 5 -1. It was an Alamo type performance. But fair do to Brora as they stuck it out.

The East Fife coaching staff were too frightened to instruct their players to score what with big Ross Tokely in the away dugout only five yards away.

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