Blogging from the Highlands of Scotland
'From fanaticism to barbarism is only one step' - Diderot

Sunday 16 May 2004

Inverness Caledonian Thistle triumph in Scottish First Division Football League

I have no interest whatsoever in football (soccer), but as this news is so close to home I feel it is only right that I mention the match yesterday in which Inverness Caledonian Thistle beat St Johnstone 3-1, sealing their leadership of the Scottish First Division.

The victory gives the Inverness team the right to apply to join the Scottish Premier League, the one in which top teams such as Rangers and Celtic compete, but it is apparently not entirely certain that the team will apply to make the move - local sporting and business politics seems to be the source of this doubt. However, as someone who neither knows nor, if I am honest, cares very much either way there are probably better sources than me for those speculating on how things might go - my best guess is that the team would be foolish to miss this perhaps once-in-a-generation opportunity.

It so happens I was driving back through Inverness and passing by the stadium where the match was played and was certainly aware of the commotion as there were police motorcycles contiunously circulating on the dual-carriageway which passes by, slowing the traffic down (grrrr!) to avoid any accidents as people were about to flock out of the stadium as the match had just finished, although I was completely unaware of the significance of what had been going on. I had been at Strathpeffer, listening to a lecture on the wartime code-breakers of 'Enigma', the German code, who helped us to win WWII by getting knowledge of our then enemy's secret war plans. The code-breakers worked in great secrecy at Bletchley Park and we were privileged to hear first-hand from two of those who were there, the speaker and someone in the audience, the roles they played in what was a very complex and crucial part of our efforts to save western dmeocracy from tyranny.

The talk was to help raise funds for the restoration of the Strathpeffer Pavilion, which I have fond memories of visiting with my parents when I was a small child for 'high tea' on numerous summer evenings when we were in the area on holiday.

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