Stuff We'd Rather You Didn't Mention:

There have been a lot of good times since 1994, and a lot of stuff that we Caley Thistle fans really enjoy reminiscing about. But equally, there are many bugbears that we would like to forget about but are not allowed to. If you drop any of the following into the conversation, be prepared for some heated debate.

Utter frustartion
"You HAD to go and mention the merger again, didn't you???!!!"

The Managerial Supermarket
It started with Steve Paterson and Duncan Shearer, who after apparently "signing" five-year contracts for the TV cameras decided to make themselves extra-popular by changing their minds and buzzing off to Aberdeen. Lord knows that they both lived to regret that particular little bit of theatre, but that's another story. Paterson's replacement, John Robertson was extraordinarily successful in the two years that he was with us, but of course when the Hearts vacancy became available he was the obvious choice. Fine, we were unlucky with two managers being lured to their "dream jobs". However, when Dundee United performed their bi-annnual managerial overhaul there was a dreary inevitability about the way they immediately came looking for Craig Brewster, who at the time had only 13 months' managerial experience. If other clubs constantly using us as a supermarket every time they need a new manager is a joke, then it's not in the least bit funny. Having said that, if anybody's looking for a slightly used manager with a penchant for Greece...

Don't Mention the Merger
Actually it's perfectly safe to mention the merger, just a bit boring. It's been almost a decade and a half since the merger and it's about time that media pundits stopped dusting off this hoary old chestnut every couple of weeks, instead shoving it firmly to the back of Archie MacPherson's sock drawer.

Yes, the merger upset a good few people at the time and yes, Caley and Thistle fans used to view each other in the same way that environmentalists view Jeremy Clarkson, but this was a LONG TIME AGO. The group of ex-Caley and Thistle fans who refuse to come to games was pretty small to begin with, but is now so tiny in comparison to the number that do support the club as to have an almost negligible effect on attendances. As for the few who continue to hark back to the past and are unable to say anything constructive about ICT, everybody likes to reminisce, but you can't live in the past, only in the present. Get over it and take up golf or hang-gliding or something.

"He's the Fans' Favourite"
No he isn't.

When someone says this, they are usually wrong, especially when it comes to managers. People assume that they know what we want rather than actually finding out. Or else, they know what they want, and they like to think it's the same as what we want. Next time you hear that So-and-So is the fans' choice for manager or whatever, take it with a pinch or three of salt. It's usually media talk or spin of the sort that Alastair Campbell would be rather proud of.

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