A recent survey of 33,425 people has revealed that Great Britain's most popular city to relocate to is Inverness. The recent economic climate has meant that many people want to escape the hustle and bustle of big city life in places like London and Birmingham for a more peaceful existence, and the Highland capital tops the list of favourable places to live, ahead of Bournemouth, Torquay, Ipswich and Norwich.
Inverness is considered one of the fastest growing and developing cities in the whole of Europe. It is home to approximately a third of the population in the Scottish Highlands, with many people living in and around the city. With the Cairngorm mountain range and ski resort of Aviemore to the south, Loch Ness to the west, the Moray Firth to the east, and the picturesque Black Isle to the north, Inverness is central to an area of outstanding natural beauty and endless options for holidays, extreme sports and activities. The city itself is a great place to live, with one of the lowest crime ratings and best school results in the UK. Unlike the big cities, it doesn't feel dirty and crowded. The citizens are generally friendly and helpful, as I found when I got lost looking for the hostel I was staying in.
The city's airport is served by a shuttle bus that runs between the airport and the city centre. The Kessock Bridge which carries the A9 trunk road over the water where the Moray and Beauly Firth's meet has transformed road transport in the Highlands and one of the key factors that has lead to the prominent growth of Inverness as a city. The city has also received an image boost in recent years with the success of the city's main football team, Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The club was formed in 1994 by the merger of 2 teams that used to play in the city, Inverness Thistle FC and Caledonian FC. Starting at the lowest level of Scottish League football, they worked their way up through the divisions, culminating in promotion to the Scottish Premier League. 5 years at the top level, and impressive victories over the biggest teams in the country, Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers, meant the club rose in prominence. The club were relegated in 2009 but bounced straight back the following year and are now back among Scotland's elite. The city also benefitted as a result of the club's fortunes.
The surrounding area is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the whole of Europe, let alone the UK. The Moray Firth is home to the UK's most northerly population of Bottlenose Dolphins. The dolphins are a major tourist attraction, with dolphin-spotting boats sailing from Inverness and the village of Avoch on the Black Isle taking visitors out into the Firth to look for the animals. Chanonry Point, a small peninsula on the Black Isle, is regarded as the best spot in Europe to see wild dolphins from the land. With the deep channel that the dolphins hunt in coming less than 100 yards offshore, it feels as if you can almost reach out and touch them as they swim past, looking for fish and leaping from the water. The Cairngorms and Aviemore to the south appeal to everyone. From skiing and snowboarding, to wildlife watching and hiking, there is an abundance of activities and pastimes to be enjoyed here. Loch Ness, of course, needs no introduction. Just 10 miles from Inverness, the Loch is famous worldwide for it's mysterious inhabitant, the Loch Ness Monster. Boat cruises sail from the town of Drumnadrochit on the Loch's northern shore, and an exhibition in the town itself about the history and mystery of 'Nessie' should satisfy any keen monster seeking tourists. All in all, Inverness sounds like a bloody good place to live, right?
But that is my problem. With the city being projected as it has been in recent years, more and more people will want to move there. This will mean more housing being built on landscape that should be left well alone. It will mean an increase in unemployment rates in the city. This in turn will lead to a higher crime rate. The city will become overpopulated and that means more vehicles on the roads in and around the city, and more pollution. The tranquility of the surrounding area will be gone. Locals who have lived in the area all their lives will be forced out, or made to live in a less favourable community. The increase in population will lead to a greater demand for natural resources and fossil fuels. This will most probably mean permission is given to drill for oil within the Moray Firth, eventually driving away the dolphins, seals and other marine wildlife that have lived in the area for hundreds of years and been a major tourist attraction and source of income for local communities. The Inverness way of life could come to an end, maybe very quickly, maybe it will take years, but it will not end well.
I thought I was pleased that the City of Inverness and the Scottish Highlands were finally getting the recognition and praise they deserved. But now I'm not so sure it's a good thing.
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Friday 6 August 2010
Livin' Like Pompey
Good news everyone! Go out and spend spend SPEND!!!
Spend as much as you want and run up astronomical debts. Jet off to far-flung exotic lands, stay in the most upmarket hotels, in the biggest suites available. Buy as many souvenirs as you like - heck, buy the souvenir shop! Do everything there is to do, and when you feel like it, come home again. But wait, the fun doesn't stop there! Oh no, because there is still plenty to spend money on here.
Why not build yourself a brand spanking new extension? Maybe build a swimming pool and a zoo in the garden? Of course, there's always the worry of planning permission. But don't panic, because this won't be a worry for you! That's right, just go ahead and do it anyway! The council could well take you to court for not asking for planning permission, but just make sure you sell the courtroom a heart-breaking sob story about how a decision against you would be devastating. "Think about the occupants of this house and what an impact this would have on their lives, Your Honour!" This will have the case dismissed by lunchtime, giving you time to go grab a bite to eat at the most expensive restaurants in town. Maybe, if you're feeling generous, (chances are you almost certainly aren't) why not pay for everyone else's food and drink as well?
Oh, and if you're feeling a bit rebellious and naughty, what better way to get that adrenaline rush than by ripping off a few charities? Maybe an ambulance service. That would really fuck them up wouldn't it? Think of all the ill or injured people that could be going unaided thanks to you. Ooooh you rebel! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Now, you're probably reading this and thinking:
"But Ryan, I don't have that much money. How can I possibly afford all this?!"
Well that's not a problem. Because you see you can do all this with money you don't have, and almost certainly never will have, and be safe in the knowledge that you will get off scot-free and be able to get on with your life unjustly and unpunished.
Result!
Spend as much as you want and run up astronomical debts. Jet off to far-flung exotic lands, stay in the most upmarket hotels, in the biggest suites available. Buy as many souvenirs as you like - heck, buy the souvenir shop! Do everything there is to do, and when you feel like it, come home again. But wait, the fun doesn't stop there! Oh no, because there is still plenty to spend money on here.
Why not build yourself a brand spanking new extension? Maybe build a swimming pool and a zoo in the garden? Of course, there's always the worry of planning permission. But don't panic, because this won't be a worry for you! That's right, just go ahead and do it anyway! The council could well take you to court for not asking for planning permission, but just make sure you sell the courtroom a heart-breaking sob story about how a decision against you would be devastating. "Think about the occupants of this house and what an impact this would have on their lives, Your Honour!" This will have the case dismissed by lunchtime, giving you time to go grab a bite to eat at the most expensive restaurants in town. Maybe, if you're feeling generous, (chances are you almost certainly aren't) why not pay for everyone else's food and drink as well?
Oh, and if you're feeling a bit rebellious and naughty, what better way to get that adrenaline rush than by ripping off a few charities? Maybe an ambulance service. That would really fuck them up wouldn't it? Think of all the ill or injured people that could be going unaided thanks to you. Ooooh you rebel! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Now, you're probably reading this and thinking:
"But Ryan, I don't have that much money. How can I possibly afford all this?!"
Well that's not a problem. Because you see you can do all this with money you don't have, and almost certainly never will have, and be safe in the knowledge that you will get off scot-free and be able to get on with your life unjustly and unpunished.
Result!
Monday 21 June 2010
Bamboozling
Evening all. Or should I say morning? It's half past midnight. I can't sleep, so I'm just going to write a short piece about a comment made by Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, back in 2008.
"I'd eat the last panda if I could have the money we've spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with."
Naturally, this provoked a lot of negative response. However...
If/when the Giant Panda inevitably becomes extinct, what would have been the point of spending all those hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to save it when all we'd done was allow it a few more years of existence? We've spent all this money, and for what? So we can admire it for a little while longer?
Essentially, what it is, is funding prolonging the inevitable. Would you spend £20 on a chocolate bar, knowing it would only last about 5 minutes? The situation with the panda is basically the same thing, only on a much vaster scale. The panda is just about beyond help. It cannot be saved.
Should we ever find ourselves in a situation where there is just one panda left on the planet, i would quite happily make it into burgers if I could recoup all those many thousands of pounds so that I could do something more realistic with it.
Because let's face it, saving the Giant Panda is not a realistic target.
"I'd eat the last panda if I could have the money we've spent on panda conservation back on the table for me to do more sensible things with."
Naturally, this provoked a lot of negative response. However...
If/when the Giant Panda inevitably becomes extinct, what would have been the point of spending all those hundreds of thousands of pounds trying to save it when all we'd done was allow it a few more years of existence? We've spent all this money, and for what? So we can admire it for a little while longer?
Essentially, what it is, is funding prolonging the inevitable. Would you spend £20 on a chocolate bar, knowing it would only last about 5 minutes? The situation with the panda is basically the same thing, only on a much vaster scale. The panda is just about beyond help. It cannot be saved.
Should we ever find ourselves in a situation where there is just one panda left on the planet, i would quite happily make it into burgers if I could recoup all those many thousands of pounds so that I could do something more realistic with it.
Because let's face it, saving the Giant Panda is not a realistic target.
Saturday 19 June 2010
Boo Are Ya?
It was the game every England fan, and most other fans, had down as a guaranteed 3 Lions win. Algeria were hopeless against Slovenia in their opening group game and there was no way they would be able to hold out for too long against the awesome might of England.
Well, after the first 10 minutes, it looked as if things would go exactly as predicted. Algeria struggled to string more than a couple of passes together, and their set pieces were dreadful. Unfortunately, the same could also be said of the team in white. England were poor in the early stages. But maybe it was just early match nerves. England and Algeria had never met before in a competitive match and so perhaps both teams were just unsure of each other. As the match wore on though, it became clear that one side began to grow in confidence and for large periods of the game were all over their opponents. They were passing the ball around with relative ease, testing the goalkeeper frequently, and forcing the other team into making mistake after mistake.
But it wasn't the team ranked 8th best in the world.
It was Algeria. A country in Northern Africa with a population nearly 20 million less than their illustrious opposition. A country whose national football team were ranked 103rd in the world just 2 years ago. Since then the Desert Foxes have climbed the rankings and now sit 30th, just 22 places below England in the much maligned FIFA World Ranking System. Egypt, the team beaten by Algeria in the African play off for a spot at the World Cup, are ranked 12th. So work that one out.
Cock-up keeper Rob Green was dropped in favour of the more experienced David James. Glen Johnson, John Terry and Ashley Cole kept their certain places in defence, and Jamie Carragher started alongside Terry in the absence of the injury-prone Ledley King. Aaron Lennon started on the right of England's midfield, with Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry, returning from injury, in the middle. Steven Gerrard was played out on the left wing. Up front, Barnus Doorus Banjonus, or as most people know him, Emile Heskey partnered Wayne 'Best in the World if you believe Terry Venables' Rooney.
Looks like a team capable of coping with even the likes of Italy and Brazil, let alone Algeria, right?
Wrong. England were abysmal. They started on the back foot and stayed there pretty much for the duration of the match. The defence looked shaky and nervous. The midfield, save for Gareth Barry, couldn't string more than 2 passes together, and we might as well have played Bruce Forsyth and Chris fucking Moyles in attack for all the good Rooney and Heskey did for the England cause. David James didn't do a lot wrong, but then he didn't do a lot full stop. Three or four comfortable catches and a weird Lampard back-pass that looked more like an attempt on goal were the only real danger for the England keeper. A Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea), (sorry, that's the bird geek in me shining through) got the best, and safest seat in the house as it perched on top of the Algerian goal for the whole first half. There was no danger of it being knocked off of that perch, not with Heskey and a surprisingly useless Rooney in attack.
Everyone expected Fabio Capello to lay into his players in the dressing room at half time to provoke some sort of response in the second half. For all we know he may well have done; it didn't have the desired effect though. If anything, Algeria grew in confidence, and even in the closing stages they looked the more likely to score. England replaced Lennon with Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second half, which didn't work. Aren't Lennon and SWP essentially the same player? Shaun had a chance to justify his old man's relentless and tedious blabbering about how good his son was in his newspaper column. Needless to say he made absolutely zero impact. Heskey was taken off in favour of Jermain Defoe, and England legend Peter Crouch replaced Gareth Barry. But even with 3 strikers on the field, England couldn't penetrate the stubborn Algerian defence.
England 0-0 Algeria
The final whistle prompted a mixture of cheering and booing. You don't need me to tell you which set of fans was doing what. The Algerian fans celebrated the result as if they'd won the Cup. The England fans that weren't jeering were sat with their heads in their hands, or just staring into space. England captain Steven Gerrard said "We simply weren't good enough." He held his hands up and admitted that they had been poor, and he should be respected for that. The same could not be said for his fellow scouser, Rooney. As he trudged off the pitch he looked into the TV camera and said:
"Nice to see you own fans boo you. That's what loyal support is."
Excuse me? I'll boo whoever the bloody hell I want, and no over rated petulant little git is going to tell me otherwise. He was useless, a joke on the pitch against Algeria. And yet he has the cheek to say it was unwarranted? Algeria did ok against England, but they were still poor. I suppose that made it worse. If Algeria had actually outplayed England, a draw wouldn't have seemed to bad. But they didn't. They were as poor as England and that made the result an even more bitter pill to swallow.
England's fate is still in their own hands. A win in their final group game will take them through. And that game is against Slovenia. They beat Algeria and held the USA to a 2-2 draw. But England will win won't they? I mean it's a foregone conclusion.
Right?
Well, after the first 10 minutes, it looked as if things would go exactly as predicted. Algeria struggled to string more than a couple of passes together, and their set pieces were dreadful. Unfortunately, the same could also be said of the team in white. England were poor in the early stages. But maybe it was just early match nerves. England and Algeria had never met before in a competitive match and so perhaps both teams were just unsure of each other. As the match wore on though, it became clear that one side began to grow in confidence and for large periods of the game were all over their opponents. They were passing the ball around with relative ease, testing the goalkeeper frequently, and forcing the other team into making mistake after mistake.
But it wasn't the team ranked 8th best in the world.
It was Algeria. A country in Northern Africa with a population nearly 20 million less than their illustrious opposition. A country whose national football team were ranked 103rd in the world just 2 years ago. Since then the Desert Foxes have climbed the rankings and now sit 30th, just 22 places below England in the much maligned FIFA World Ranking System. Egypt, the team beaten by Algeria in the African play off for a spot at the World Cup, are ranked 12th. So work that one out.
Cock-up keeper Rob Green was dropped in favour of the more experienced David James. Glen Johnson, John Terry and Ashley Cole kept their certain places in defence, and Jamie Carragher started alongside Terry in the absence of the injury-prone Ledley King. Aaron Lennon started on the right of England's midfield, with Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry, returning from injury, in the middle. Steven Gerrard was played out on the left wing. Up front, Barnus Doorus Banjonus, or as most people know him, Emile Heskey partnered Wayne 'Best in the World if you believe Terry Venables' Rooney.
Looks like a team capable of coping with even the likes of Italy and Brazil, let alone Algeria, right?
Wrong. England were abysmal. They started on the back foot and stayed there pretty much for the duration of the match. The defence looked shaky and nervous. The midfield, save for Gareth Barry, couldn't string more than 2 passes together, and we might as well have played Bruce Forsyth and Chris fucking Moyles in attack for all the good Rooney and Heskey did for the England cause. David James didn't do a lot wrong, but then he didn't do a lot full stop. Three or four comfortable catches and a weird Lampard back-pass that looked more like an attempt on goal were the only real danger for the England keeper. A Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea), (sorry, that's the bird geek in me shining through) got the best, and safest seat in the house as it perched on top of the Algerian goal for the whole first half. There was no danger of it being knocked off of that perch, not with Heskey and a surprisingly useless Rooney in attack.
Everyone expected Fabio Capello to lay into his players in the dressing room at half time to provoke some sort of response in the second half. For all we know he may well have done; it didn't have the desired effect though. If anything, Algeria grew in confidence, and even in the closing stages they looked the more likely to score. England replaced Lennon with Shaun Wright-Phillips in the second half, which didn't work. Aren't Lennon and SWP essentially the same player? Shaun had a chance to justify his old man's relentless and tedious blabbering about how good his son was in his newspaper column. Needless to say he made absolutely zero impact. Heskey was taken off in favour of Jermain Defoe, and England legend Peter Crouch replaced Gareth Barry. But even with 3 strikers on the field, England couldn't penetrate the stubborn Algerian defence.
England 0-0 Algeria
The final whistle prompted a mixture of cheering and booing. You don't need me to tell you which set of fans was doing what. The Algerian fans celebrated the result as if they'd won the Cup. The England fans that weren't jeering were sat with their heads in their hands, or just staring into space. England captain Steven Gerrard said "We simply weren't good enough." He held his hands up and admitted that they had been poor, and he should be respected for that. The same could not be said for his fellow scouser, Rooney. As he trudged off the pitch he looked into the TV camera and said:
"Nice to see you own fans boo you. That's what loyal support is."
Excuse me? I'll boo whoever the bloody hell I want, and no over rated petulant little git is going to tell me otherwise. He was useless, a joke on the pitch against Algeria. And yet he has the cheek to say it was unwarranted? Algeria did ok against England, but they were still poor. I suppose that made it worse. If Algeria had actually outplayed England, a draw wouldn't have seemed to bad. But they didn't. They were as poor as England and that made the result an even more bitter pill to swallow.
England's fate is still in their own hands. A win in their final group game will take them through. And that game is against Slovenia. They beat Algeria and held the USA to a 2-2 draw. But England will win won't they? I mean it's a foregone conclusion.
Right?
Thursday 10 June 2010
Urban 'Fox' Attack
This may be a bit controversial, and not everyone who reads it will agree with me. But frankly my dear, I couldn't give a shit.
You will all no doubt have heard the news recently that 2 small children were supposedly attacked by a fox that got into their house through a back door. As tragic an incident as this is, it is being blown way out of proportion by the media and people who are easily manipulated by what is reported in the news, newspapers, magazines and the internet.
How many of these people that write into newspaper letters pages and internet forums actually know the first thing about the topic they are outraged by? I'm guessing very few, if any. These are people who are just looking for something to rant about and feel like they're a part of something. All over the country right now, mothers of young children will be banging their heads repeatedly on their keyboards in blind anger about a subject they have little or no understanding of.
One person in the Sun letters column today wrote:
"Foxes have been the scourge of the countryside for years, with hunting raising numerous debates and protests. It was horrific reading how two babies in London have been mauled by one that sneaked into a house. These deadly predators have moved from the country to the city and now have no fear of where they roam."
How very ignorant of you, dear reader. Firstly, foxes have not raised any debates; humans have. Secondly, the fox did not 'sneak' into the house, it found an open door. Perhaps there was a smell that caught it's attention. And third, they are not 'deadly predators' as you so elegantly and unbiasedly put it. (I have checked that unbiasedly is a word). Most foxes would run from a pet cat, let alone attack one. The same is true of humans, more so infact. Pet dogs maul more babies and toddlers in a month than foxes have in the last 5-10 years. Judging by this, should we not call for a mass killing of family pets? My budgie has bitten me and drawn blood before. Why not cull all the teenage hooligans who like to go out on the streets and stab the first person who so much as looks in their direction? How about a ban on cancer?
This was nothing more than a freak accident. This fox did not go into the house with the sole intention of snacking on some toddlers. An urban fox is constantly at risk. They will take any opportunity they can if they think it will provide them with food. The animal found the back door open and simply wandered inside. If you found a fiver on the street, would you pick it up? Of course you would, and don't try and claim otherwise.
When the fox got into the room it most probably felt trapped and panicked. Animals have an instinct called 'Fight or Flight'. In this instance, the fox found itself in an enclosed space with two humans. Much like a dolphin or whale that has swum into a harbour can not always find the harbour entrance to get out again, this fox could not find a way out, felt cornered and lashed out; the 'fight' mechanism. It viewed the children as a threat, and attacked them when it thought it was trapped.
There are a great many reasons why this alleged fox may have attacked two small children in their own home, but it does not mean that the entire fox population of Britain are bloodthirsty killers out to get us.
RJ Wallace.
You will all no doubt have heard the news recently that 2 small children were supposedly attacked by a fox that got into their house through a back door. As tragic an incident as this is, it is being blown way out of proportion by the media and people who are easily manipulated by what is reported in the news, newspapers, magazines and the internet.
How many of these people that write into newspaper letters pages and internet forums actually know the first thing about the topic they are outraged by? I'm guessing very few, if any. These are people who are just looking for something to rant about and feel like they're a part of something. All over the country right now, mothers of young children will be banging their heads repeatedly on their keyboards in blind anger about a subject they have little or no understanding of.
One person in the Sun letters column today wrote:
"Foxes have been the scourge of the countryside for years, with hunting raising numerous debates and protests. It was horrific reading how two babies in London have been mauled by one that sneaked into a house. These deadly predators have moved from the country to the city and now have no fear of where they roam."
How very ignorant of you, dear reader. Firstly, foxes have not raised any debates; humans have. Secondly, the fox did not 'sneak' into the house, it found an open door. Perhaps there was a smell that caught it's attention. And third, they are not 'deadly predators' as you so elegantly and unbiasedly put it. (I have checked that unbiasedly is a word). Most foxes would run from a pet cat, let alone attack one. The same is true of humans, more so infact. Pet dogs maul more babies and toddlers in a month than foxes have in the last 5-10 years. Judging by this, should we not call for a mass killing of family pets? My budgie has bitten me and drawn blood before. Why not cull all the teenage hooligans who like to go out on the streets and stab the first person who so much as looks in their direction? How about a ban on cancer?
This was nothing more than a freak accident. This fox did not go into the house with the sole intention of snacking on some toddlers. An urban fox is constantly at risk. They will take any opportunity they can if they think it will provide them with food. The animal found the back door open and simply wandered inside. If you found a fiver on the street, would you pick it up? Of course you would, and don't try and claim otherwise.
When the fox got into the room it most probably felt trapped and panicked. Animals have an instinct called 'Fight or Flight'. In this instance, the fox found itself in an enclosed space with two humans. Much like a dolphin or whale that has swum into a harbour can not always find the harbour entrance to get out again, this fox could not find a way out, felt cornered and lashed out; the 'fight' mechanism. It viewed the children as a threat, and attacked them when it thought it was trapped.
There are a great many reasons why this alleged fox may have attacked two small children in their own home, but it does not mean that the entire fox population of Britain are bloodthirsty killers out to get us.
RJ Wallace.
Monday 26 April 2010
15 Points And You F***ed It Up
Wednesday 21st April 2010. Long time league leaders Dundee travelled to Kirkcaldy knowing anything less than a victory against Scottish Cup semi finalists Raith Rovers would consign them to another season in the First Division.
Raith 1-0 Dundee
A result which virtually guaranteed Raith safety from relegation, but, over 100 miles to the North, meant just as much to the good men and women of Inverness...
It's been a long, hard slog in the first division after relegation from the Scottish Premier League last season, and when Lee Cox scored deep into stoppage time at East End Park to beat Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 on the opening day of the season, it looked like a positive sign of things to come. However, it was another month before Caley fans witnessed their team earn another league win. A 3-0 away win over Morton coming after draws against Dundee and Ayr, and a 3-1 home defeat to local rivals Dross *ahem* Ross County, who would later go on to reach the Scottish Cup final, emanating ICT's famous cup victory over Glasgow giants Celtic.
Cup results were encouraging for Thistle over the first few months of the season, but league form, at home in particular, left a lot to be desired, and many fans fearing a quick return to the big time would have to wait at least another 12 months. In fact, they would have to wait until the final day of October for their first maximum at the Caledonian Stadium. Morton again the victims of a 3 goal margin; 4-1 the final score. The next league match was another disappointing defeat to Ross County, this time 2-1 in Dingwall.
November 22nd was the date for the ALBA Challenge Cup final between Dundee and Inverness. ICT went in at half time 2 goals up and looking good to collect their first silverware of the season. After the break, however, things took a turn for the worse. A Nauris Bulvitis own goal at the beginning of the half set the wheels rolling for an unlikely Dundee comeback, completed when Craig Forsyth scored 7 minutes from time. Dougie Imrie, who left the club for SPL football with Hamilton Academical in January, was sent off in injury time to cap a miserable afternoon for ICT and the fans.
The cup final defeat to Dundee seemed to set a precedent for the season, with the Dees 15 points clear of ICT at the turn of the year and surely heading for the league title and promotion. Things started to get better for Caley though. On 18th January they knocked SPL side Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win. Bulvitis and Imrie (his last goal for the club) were the scorers. This win set the ball rolling and by the end of March the club had gone 15 games unbeaten, propelling them to the top of the First Division table. The final game of the March programme saw Ross County return to the scene of their 3-1 derby day victory over Inverness. However, this time round they were facing a very different side. ICT raced into a 3-0 lead at the break. A stalemate in the second period dampened the affair a little but there was no stopping the party atmosphere within the Caledonian Stadium. 3-0 the final score and revenge for the two previous league defeats to County earlier in the season.
April saw a mini revival at Den's Park, but as much as Dundee were doing to keep in the title race, Caley were doing more. A last minute Richie Foran goal, a smart overhead scissor kick 4 minutes into injury time, ensured 3 more points against Raith Rovers, who had battled back from 3-1 down to seemingly earn what would have been a well deserved point. Wins away at Morton and Queen of the South, the scene of a 1-1 draw back in December which started ICT's 19 match unbeaten run, put them within touching distance of a swift return to the SPL. Morton then nearly pulled off an unlikely win over Dundee, a result that, coupled with ICT's 2-0 win over Dunfermline that same saturday afternoon, would have confirmed the Highland side as Champions. As it was, Dundee hit back with 2 goals and the game ended 2-2. These results meant Caley could now only be caught by Dundee on goal difference. At the time however, Dundee's was 14, while ICT had a healthy GD of 32. A huge swing of 18 goals would be required for Dundee to take the title.
As I may have mentioned previously, Dundee lost on April 21st to Raith, thus confirming Inverness Caley Thistle as worthy winners of the Scottish First Division.
The following saturday, ICT travelled to Ayr for their penultimate game of the season. A huge following travelled down from the Highlands and set about creating a brilliant carnival atmosphere at Somerset Park. The mood amongst the away fans certainly wasn't going to be dampened, and in just the second minute, Jonny Hayes scored to set ICT on their way to their biggest ever away win in the SFL. Further goals from Adam Rooney, Richie Foran, Eric Odhiambo, Danni Sanchez, Robert Eagle, and Gavin Morrison made the final score Ayr 0-7 ICT, and sparked three pitch invasions from the jubilant Caley fans, after the 6th and 7th goals, and at the final whistle.
Now all that remains is to play Dundee in the final game of the season, where the Dees players will (should) form a guard of honour as the Inverness players emerge from the tunnel at the Caledonian Stadium for the final time as First Division players, for one year at least(!)
My personal thanks and congratulations go to Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas on the fantastic job they've done this season, to the players for the effort they've put in and the results they've produced, to everyone at the club for the work that's gone on this season, and to my fellow fans, for roaring our boys onto league glory and promotion.
Here's to another 5 years (and hopefully many more) of SPL football in Inverness.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Irn Bru Scottish First Division Champions 09/10
Raith 1-0 Dundee
A result which virtually guaranteed Raith safety from relegation, but, over 100 miles to the North, meant just as much to the good men and women of Inverness...
It's been a long, hard slog in the first division after relegation from the Scottish Premier League last season, and when Lee Cox scored deep into stoppage time at East End Park to beat Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 on the opening day of the season, it looked like a positive sign of things to come. However, it was another month before Caley fans witnessed their team earn another league win. A 3-0 away win over Morton coming after draws against Dundee and Ayr, and a 3-1 home defeat to local rivals Dross *ahem* Ross County, who would later go on to reach the Scottish Cup final, emanating ICT's famous cup victory over Glasgow giants Celtic.
Cup results were encouraging for Thistle over the first few months of the season, but league form, at home in particular, left a lot to be desired, and many fans fearing a quick return to the big time would have to wait at least another 12 months. In fact, they would have to wait until the final day of October for their first maximum at the Caledonian Stadium. Morton again the victims of a 3 goal margin; 4-1 the final score. The next league match was another disappointing defeat to Ross County, this time 2-1 in Dingwall.
November 22nd was the date for the ALBA Challenge Cup final between Dundee and Inverness. ICT went in at half time 2 goals up and looking good to collect their first silverware of the season. After the break, however, things took a turn for the worse. A Nauris Bulvitis own goal at the beginning of the half set the wheels rolling for an unlikely Dundee comeback, completed when Craig Forsyth scored 7 minutes from time. Dougie Imrie, who left the club for SPL football with Hamilton Academical in January, was sent off in injury time to cap a miserable afternoon for ICT and the fans.
The cup final defeat to Dundee seemed to set a precedent for the season, with the Dees 15 points clear of ICT at the turn of the year and surely heading for the league title and promotion. Things started to get better for Caley though. On 18th January they knocked SPL side Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup with a 2-0 win. Bulvitis and Imrie (his last goal for the club) were the scorers. This win set the ball rolling and by the end of March the club had gone 15 games unbeaten, propelling them to the top of the First Division table. The final game of the March programme saw Ross County return to the scene of their 3-1 derby day victory over Inverness. However, this time round they were facing a very different side. ICT raced into a 3-0 lead at the break. A stalemate in the second period dampened the affair a little but there was no stopping the party atmosphere within the Caledonian Stadium. 3-0 the final score and revenge for the two previous league defeats to County earlier in the season.
April saw a mini revival at Den's Park, but as much as Dundee were doing to keep in the title race, Caley were doing more. A last minute Richie Foran goal, a smart overhead scissor kick 4 minutes into injury time, ensured 3 more points against Raith Rovers, who had battled back from 3-1 down to seemingly earn what would have been a well deserved point. Wins away at Morton and Queen of the South, the scene of a 1-1 draw back in December which started ICT's 19 match unbeaten run, put them within touching distance of a swift return to the SPL. Morton then nearly pulled off an unlikely win over Dundee, a result that, coupled with ICT's 2-0 win over Dunfermline that same saturday afternoon, would have confirmed the Highland side as Champions. As it was, Dundee hit back with 2 goals and the game ended 2-2. These results meant Caley could now only be caught by Dundee on goal difference. At the time however, Dundee's was 14, while ICT had a healthy GD of 32. A huge swing of 18 goals would be required for Dundee to take the title.
As I may have mentioned previously, Dundee lost on April 21st to Raith, thus confirming Inverness Caley Thistle as worthy winners of the Scottish First Division.
The following saturday, ICT travelled to Ayr for their penultimate game of the season. A huge following travelled down from the Highlands and set about creating a brilliant carnival atmosphere at Somerset Park. The mood amongst the away fans certainly wasn't going to be dampened, and in just the second minute, Jonny Hayes scored to set ICT on their way to their biggest ever away win in the SFL. Further goals from Adam Rooney, Richie Foran, Eric Odhiambo, Danni Sanchez, Robert Eagle, and Gavin Morrison made the final score Ayr 0-7 ICT, and sparked three pitch invasions from the jubilant Caley fans, after the 6th and 7th goals, and at the final whistle.
Now all that remains is to play Dundee in the final game of the season, where the Dees players will (should) form a guard of honour as the Inverness players emerge from the tunnel at the Caledonian Stadium for the final time as First Division players, for one year at least(!)
My personal thanks and congratulations go to Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas on the fantastic job they've done this season, to the players for the effort they've put in and the results they've produced, to everyone at the club for the work that's gone on this season, and to my fellow fans, for roaring our boys onto league glory and promotion.
Here's to another 5 years (and hopefully many more) of SPL football in Inverness.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle - Irn Bru Scottish First Division Champions 09/10
Sunday 14 February 2010
Southampton 1-4 Portsmouth
Southampton
01 Kelvin Davis
03 Wayne Thomas
05 Chris Perry
06 Radhi Jaidi
02 Dan Harding
14 Dean Hammond
19 Morgan Schneiderlin
37 Michail Antonio
20 Adam Lallana
07 Rickie Lambert
09 Papa Waigo N'Diaye
Subs:
Lee Barnard > N'Diaye
Lee Holmes > Perry
Portsmouth
01 David James
07 Hermann Hreidarsson
39 Nadir Belhadj
06 Hayden Mullins
08 Papa Bouba Diop
05 Jamie O'Hara
32 Hassan Yebda
33 Angelos Basinas
35 Marc Wilson
17 John Utaka
24 Aruna Dindane
Subs:
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie > Basinas
Frederic Piquionne > Utaka
Richard Hughes > Hreidarsson
Goals:
Southampton - Lambert 70 mins.
Portsmouth - Owusu-Abeyie 66, Dindane 75, Belhadj 82, O'Hara 85.
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 31,385
Alas, it wasn't to be. The cupset factor gave St Mary's Stadium a miss today as Premier League basement club Portsmouth ran out 4-1 victors over League One Southampton. Make no mistake, this seemingly emphatic scoreline flattered Pompey, who were arguably second best to their Hampshire rivals for the majority of the first half and the first 10 minutes or so of the second. In the end, a combination of tiring defenders and Premiership experience meant there was to be no fairytale for the Southampton faithful, who turned out in great numbers, holding aloft cards to create a sea of red and white. Anyone watching on television would have been impressed with the atmosphere created by both sets of fans. Well, I was. So then, what happened?
01 Kelvin Davis
03 Wayne Thomas
05 Chris Perry
06 Radhi Jaidi
02 Dan Harding
14 Dean Hammond
19 Morgan Schneiderlin
37 Michail Antonio
20 Adam Lallana
07 Rickie Lambert
09 Papa Waigo N'Diaye
Subs:
Lee Barnard > N'Diaye
Lee Holmes > Perry
Portsmouth
01 David James
07 Hermann Hreidarsson
39 Nadir Belhadj
06 Hayden Mullins
08 Papa Bouba Diop
05 Jamie O'Hara
32 Hassan Yebda
33 Angelos Basinas
35 Marc Wilson
17 John Utaka
24 Aruna Dindane
Subs:
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie > Basinas
Frederic Piquionne > Utaka
Richard Hughes > Hreidarsson
Goals:
Southampton - Lambert 70 mins.
Portsmouth - Owusu-Abeyie 66, Dindane 75, Belhadj 82, O'Hara 85.
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 31,385
Alas, it wasn't to be. The cupset factor gave St Mary's Stadium a miss today as Premier League basement club Portsmouth ran out 4-1 victors over League One Southampton. Make no mistake, this seemingly emphatic scoreline flattered Pompey, who were arguably second best to their Hampshire rivals for the majority of the first half and the first 10 minutes or so of the second. In the end, a combination of tiring defenders and Premiership experience meant there was to be no fairytale for the Southampton faithful, who turned out in great numbers, holding aloft cards to create a sea of red and white. Anyone watching on television would have been impressed with the atmosphere created by both sets of fans. Well, I was. So then, what happened?
Southampton started on the front foot, and continued to stay on top for much of the first half. Papa Waigo N'Diaye was guilty of 2 or 3 wasted efforts from good goal scoring opportunities, the best of which was a near post header which David James got down well to claw out. A rare scare for Southampton came when Jamie O'Hara's dipping 20 yard effort was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Kelvin Davis. The first half was a trouble-free affair. Referee Howard Webb gave no bookings and there was just the solitary minute of added time at the end of the first 45 minutes.
Into the second half, and Adam Lallana had a chance to put the home side in front; James making the save once again. The introduction of local boy Quincy Owusu-Abeyie spurred Portsmouth into life and they took the lead against the run of play. Owusu-Abeyie scoring with a calm shot which curled past the despairing dive of Saints keeper Kelvin Davis and into the bottom corner. 4 minutes later and Southampton were on level terms. A high free kick into the box was put beyond David James via the back of Rickie Lambert's head, his 25th of the season in all competitions. With 15 minutes remaining, Pompey retook the lead. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (yep, him again), teed up Aruna Dindane to silence the home crowd for a second time.
Southampton thought they had equalised again when substitute Lee Barnard put the ball in the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside, cutting his celebrations short. If he had left the ball for the on-rushing Adam Lallana, however, the goal would have stood, with Lallana coming from an onside position. As it was, this proved costly. With Saints pushing forward for a second equaliser, they left themselves vulnerable to a counter attack. Nadir Belhadj was only too happy to oblige as he ran 3/4 of the length of the pitch and slotted home Pompey's third. The misery was complete for the home team five minutes from time when Belhadj made another run on the break, finding Owusu-Abeyie, who subsequently laid it off to O'Hara who volleyed home.
So Portsmouth through to the quarter finals, for Southampton it's back to concentrating on the league, and making a late push for the play-off's, not to mention a trip to Wembley next month for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final against Carlisle United. It's not all sunshine and buttercups for Portsmouth right now, and this victory may have given them a morale boost for their relegation battle. How much the foreign players really understood and how much they will take from this into their coming games is debatable. But the next few weeks will prove to be the most pivotal in the 112 year history of the club. Exciting ain't it?
Ciao for now.
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