Its not how you start, its how you finish.

Top of the SPL table clash at Tulloch CALEDONIAN Stadium today, isn't just feckin great how far we have come?

Today? Top of the table clash today?

As for how far you've come, I'd have to point out that Livingston are a year younger, have won more trophies - including the league cup - and have played in Europe. I appreciate that the small time ambitions your club holds for the season have pretty much been met already in beating Aberdeen, and thats nice for you.

Livingston did it on a lottery winners millions plus, we however have got where we are on a shoestring budget, big difference.

So what? Thats your problem, not theirs. All you've got to show for yourselves is the fact you got lucky in being in the top flight around the same time as Gretna.

Had we ever finished 2nd bottom of the SPL that ridiculous comment may hold some validity but as we have never finished 2nd bottom it'll have to be ignored and added to your ever growing 'bitter and twisted fantasies about ICT and her formation' list.

Hopefully youve now exhausted every inch of material you could possibly spin into an anti-ICT rant so this forum can get back to being used for HL banter, as you seem to be having a go at us for not winning major trophies and competing in Europe. I have to hold my hands up to that one and give you your dues, youre right, we have yet to win a major trophy or play in Europe, clubs death immintent?



Get a life sunshine.

What a lot of people forget is that Caley stepped in and saved Clach from being wiped out.

Anyway top of the SPL table clash tomorrow, a first in the Highlands, what would have been the alternative if we were still highland league, 200 tops turnout for a visit by Forres maybe? where as wewill have at least 3000 for tomorrows game.

Nope.



One can only hope.

That is so not the point.

By the looks of his post he forgets that ICT never played

Jonathan you should have a look over the other threads, most of the ex Caley fans on here are living on another planet, most seem incapable of grasping that only 250 Invernessians saw fit to vote for their survival and that their tiny support wasnt segregated between Rangers/Ce;tic/Aberdeen fans, apparently they were 'real' fans and we arent.. you can see for yourself on here that even amongst the small pnb sample, thats garbage.

As I have said elsewhere I've all the sympathy in the world for those who genuinely still feel for their lost club but not a jot of it for those who wish us dead, thats a totally different matter.

Believe what you want about their stories of loyalty and passion for their club, I'm sure youll find one or two its true for, but you can goto HL games today and see for yourself just what a shambles the whole setup was in Inverness.

As for Jimmy Shaker, he had absolutely nothing to do with the old clubs, hes just a right bitter weirdo who has taken it upon himself to lead the cause against Plastic FC. The fact Plastic FC were voted into existence, and command a support many many many times larger than the old Inverness Clubs combined, he still feels the need to see us dead.

He is a product of the internet age no doubt, the online uber-fan, I've no idea what hes making up for in his real life with his online persona here and I really dont care now I'm wondering about it, I'd just wish he'd mind his own fucking business

I really don't know enough about the history to be able to, or want to comment much about this. I have tried to keep out of discussions regarding things like this as I am an 'incomer'.

My comment was really to outline that the point that you can't justify merging two teams by the fact that you have crowds of 3,000. The entire Highland League could amalgamate as one team; the 4 Fife teams could amalgamate as one team and it would have very little affect at the top of Scottish football. After a generation, the crowds would start to improve, but little else.

Hmmm... Not sure what I am really trying to say? It's very interesting to see the attitude of Highland League fans online between Ross County and Caley Thistle. This seems to suggest that the 'hatred' is more down to the merge, than the fact that you guys are now 'big time'

As I've already mentioned, I don't know enough about this to properly comment.

The arguments stem from the hatred towards the new team from the fans of the old team who didnt come along, theres no doubt whatsoever the new side is far more popular than the old teams couldve ever been given the facts and figures available from the early days, Sandy quoting 3000 fans is probably a big underestimate of our average home support (inc the away fans its always been between 4500 and 5000 in the SPL but the home capacity of 5,000 is usually well filled, (the year we won the league especially) we've always sold thousands more footy tops than our average attendance which shows theres still along way to go at the ticket office) though is pretty irrelevant to comparing the popularity of ICT and Caley. The merged side were pulling in gates of 1500+ v the likes of Arbroath and East Stirling, when a few months earlier the old sides were struggling to find 250 fans to save them from death, theres no argument about the fact there was a big latent support waiting in Inverness for a league side.

A few have said on here the vote was rigged by outsiders but the truth is that if 000's of old Caledonian supporters existed then it wouldve been impossible to rig, only 250 voted for them and that number included those who didnt attended games too. Less than 200 folk were involved with the entire Thistle vote, the numbers are so ridiculous that claiming the new club is hated in Inverness by these ex-Caley fans is pure fantasy.

Like I said the arguments stem from the bitterness towards the new team and the old diehards, who themselves were littered with Rangers wannabees and lads heading down south for their other teams games all the time, crazy state of affairs. Believe waht PRS or Raybees say and youd think there wasnt a single weeteam bigteam'er amongst the support.

I've no problem with folk looking back with their misty eyed specs on about their teams standing in the world but they shouldnt then turn round and have digs at the new team, if Caledonian were destroyed in a Clydebank/Wimbeldon style buyout then there would be more understanding off the hatred but the facts AGAIN (and for the last time) show that they couldnt find more than 250 people to vote for their survival.

As for the likes of Jimmy Shaker, well hes a totally different species to the rest of us, why oh why he chooses to add such passionate hatred of a foreign football team to his life is beyond all psychological reasoning.

Jimmy Shaker? well the name says it all I suppose.

The Raybees etc are a sad lot, they just like whining for the sake of it and wallowing in the past, their friends and families, like us, are probably feeling sorry for them as even with all their hatred and prophesies of disaster the Famous Caley forge ahead showing them for the fools they are!!

Keep wishing.

It says I saw Ransom the day I first used it?

Brilliant result today in front of a paltry crowd. Well done Accies.

A crowd of 3,595 barely deserves the term 'paltry'.

Not a great result for THE CALEY and the sooner we get rid of The Duckmeister and his cronies the better.

Anyway 3,595 of a gate is a way beyond a pitiful 200-300 we could have expected if we had stayed in the HL, give up Raybees as well you know it's a lost cause and nobody gives a f**k what you say or think.

I bet you sad anti Caley feckers are still members of the Caley Social Club on Greig Street????

Of course Sandy, everyone cares about what you say don't they?

Crowds of 200-300? Hardly. You're so obsessed with crowds - a bit like your more sensible half brother Bloobell - but tell me what is ICT's record attendance at the dump? Because The Original Caley's was over 9,000. And as for 3,500 thousand in a PL game for a town, sorry, city the size of Inverness? That's pretty shameful. There was probably more folk through the doors of the Rangers and Celtic shops in the town centre yesterday. Caley had 3,500 for a Scottish Cup game against lowly Clyde in 1993.

Anyway don't worry about Brewster. When your side get relegated you'll be switching over to watch County like the other gloryhunters.

Sandy you're the only one around here who's into private member's clubs.

Obviously you care about what RayBees thinks or you wouldn't have bothered replying. Lets face it, 3595 is a pathetic gate in the Premier League. Surely the way ahead is for ICT to merge with Ross County and form, say Highlands United as by your own analysis of mergers, fans of both clubs would flock to watch them

Fact is regardless of gates we are in the SPL, and our average gate last year was 4,500 which in a city of 70,000 is fair enough when you consider that Motherwell with a cachement of one million in the central belt gets about the same average, we've grown year on year and will continue to do so.

Are Motherwell 100-odd miles away from their nearest SPL opposition? No.
Do ICT play on the doorstep of the Old Firm? No.

Keep trying tho.

Still think the way ahead would be a merger of ICT and Ross County. This would mean combined home support of somewhere in the 6000 mark and as we are continually being told by some posters on here, the only people who choose not to support a merged side to progress the case of Highland football, are stuck in a time warp.

A merger would be a good idea. How about they merge, play in Dingwall in Ross Countys colours, call themselves Ross County Caledonian Thistle (only for everyone to abbreviate it to Ross County) and use only Ross Countys existing playing staff? We could have a vote on it, eh? They seem popular.

A lot of the new fans of ICT are missing the point that the merger didn't need to happen - there was no need to kill off two clubs to create a new one and Caledonian Football Club were well equipped at the time to enter the Scottish Football League by themselves, and is what should have been allowed to happen.

What would have happened had it happened that way?? I think you can pretty much guess that Caley would have achieved much the same as ICT have done - but with the added advantage that many people who were lost to the game now would have still had the club that they grew up supporting, be it Caledonian in the SFL/SPL or Inverness Thistle in the HFL. Caley would be enjoying the 1000s turning up, just as ICT have done. Was there really any major benefit from swallowing up Inverness Thistle? Maybe a little bit extra cash initially from whatever assets ITFC had, but it would have been small fish to what is needed to make a go of it at the national level.

The merger stunk badly - from the enterprise group holding a financial gun to the heads of those wanting to see an Inverness team in the SFL, to hiring 'new members' of the clubs to vote and get the (ahem) 'right result'. Shame.

Some Caley & Thistle fans accepted the new ICT and that is up to them. Some found new teams to follow or became neutrals. And some have been lost to the game altogether. No matter what category they fall into, they will look back on the memories from Telford Street and Kingsmills with a lot of fondness.

It didn't have to be this way.

Location - how about Tore or Jemimaville as they are equidistant between Dingwall and Inverness? No on second thoughts, play the home games in Dingwall as the residents turn up in far greater proportions pro rata to watch their team than the city dwellers. Like your ideas, Jimmy, pretty sound. Now who's to say that mergers don't work in football? Look forward to you sharing your other thoughts on this, in fact any fans on here who have already seen their club merge would be in a good postition to make positive comments on this.

Good idea, it'll save playing in that pit of a ground in Inverness.

How do we go about raising awareness of this issue? Surely ICT fans would love to see their side merge with another if it meant even more 'success'.

Raise awareness? Well as neither club can make it on their own in the playing sense, possibly down to lack of resources, then I think HIE, Highlands and Islands Enterprise should be involved to help progress the merger and add their own business expertise/funding. Have you any ideas Jimmy?

Couldn't have said better myself. Well put .

You would think the two teams are one with the amount of players transferring from Ross County to The Famous Caley.

By the way I note that RC are already bottom of the first division with only two games played, winning the second last year with the only full time squad in the second division was a steal and this season will be tougher for them.

Travelling to SPL away games when I get the chance has convinced me that Caley have the best located and most scenic stadium in Scottish football, thank goodness we moved from that awful congested Telford Street and the ramshackle stand.

I had heard that Clach were also invited to be part of the original merger but voted against it, is that correct ?

So does that mean you are in favour of Ross County and ICT merging?

Re the ICT ground, it may be scenic, but its also known for its total lack of atmosphere, perhaps the latter has little to do with the design and more to do with the lack of passion shown by the home support.

It also makes pittodrie seem like tenerife..

Lot more noise at Caley stadium in the SPL than ever there was at Telford Street when Caledonian were in the HL with 200 of a crowd.

How do you know what the atmosphere is at Caley stadium Lets all Laugh?

Closet Caley supporter are you attending home games in disguise??

Yes. The three teams were going to form something like "Inverness United".

There's more noise in the Currys' car park than down at the dump.

No doing very well with this topic, are you, Sandy? Roll on Highland United

Deary me, you really aint the sharpest tool in the box.

Like a pet ict fan.

You love that 200 figure, don't you. You do realise ICT only attract the crowd they do because they play in the SPL and if Caley had gone that far, they'd be getting similar numbers.

As for noise at the Dump, the sound of 2000 school kids shouting 'Ca-LEE! Ca-LEE! Ca-LEE!' repeatedly isn't much to boast about. Nor do they ever sing anything else.

[quote name='Jimmy Shaker' date='Aug 20 2008, 17:29' post='2712444']
You love that 200 figure, don't you. You do realise ICT only attract the crowd they do because they play in the SPL and if Caley had gone that far, they'd be getting similar numbers.

Arguably more as the howden end would be there then too

C'mon the Hibees on Saturday

There is no doubt that Caley would have played to a bigger crowd in the SPL than ICT as the Howden End would be there. Not only that, they would have generated a great atmosphere.

Apologies to ICT fans if they are unfamiliar with the word "atmosphere". Ask an old Caley fan for an explanation

It amazes me that you losers seem to know so much about the noise and what is chanted at Caley stadium, if I disliked ICT as much as you feckin neeps say you do I would be avoiding the ground as much as possible and would be totally unaware of the set up.
So I'm sure you lot are feckin backsliders and certainly have attended Caley games.

And I've got to laugh at PRS's take that the Howden End would have swelled the crowd, wakey wakey you sad fecker there's only you four who would like us to believe you don't attend games, the other 196 regular caledonian highland league supporters have been with us from the start PLUS all the ex caledonian players jumped ship as soon as ICT were formed and the only dissenters you have among them are the ones who weren't asked.

Cheers,

Why do the Caley (not ICT) fans dislike Clach still ? Dispite the old rivalries i would have thought that the admiration to stick with the principles would have outweighed an old local rivallry. Or is it only the Thistle fans who think this way ?

I don't dislike Clach, admire tham for not getting sucked into the merger and that their support gets right behind the team.

No, fucuk them, could never follow a support with the likes of fag end in the ranks.

To be honest, it because they are smelly ba@stards from the land that time forgot.

You enjoy now!

Aye. You simply have to go to a ground to know what its like.