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Yes, CB, the young players and parents are told the statistics by the SFA at U11 at the only session of sports science they get. And yes, the 1in 20 statistic is for those kids already selected for development squads - hardly the odds on which to build a career. As for your other point: Don't get me started! Why oh why is there not a system between ICT, Ross County, Highland League clubs and Elgin City (for example) whereby boys discarded by one club can be trialed at others further down the pyramid. The best example is Clach and ICT: The coaching staff compete with each other for children at the age of 8 or so. No formal system for exchange of players recruited at the wrong level for ability. I realise the hatred runs deep, but not having the boys' best interests at heart is inexcusable. So many of those dropped give up football altogether or just play street league. Not that there's a problem with street league - great fun and well organised, but how much talent is lost to pro and semi-pro football on account of poor handling by clubs?

Obviously it was good to win but there were still glaring deficiencies in that team. Hamilton were utterly abysmal in the first half and in particular were all over the place defensively. We should've scored more goals against a side like that and shouldn't have to rely on a penalty to win - it was the correct decision but a lot of referees wouldn't have given it. In the second half we sat too deep and were really dominated by Accies. There were also several really poor defensive moments in the game - in the first half we let the ball ricochet about the box following some soft set-pieces which allowed Accies chances. Better teams and better strikers would have scored. Also, Henri Anier worked hard but he has to be one of the worst players we've ever had. If he was slightly capable we'd have scored more goals. It's not quibbling either - if we'd won 4-0 that would be very important in terms of goal difference. On the plus side we did win, that's good. We did the more basic things in defence better and looked OK going forward - Mulreany had a good game and is growing into being a first team player. Draper and Tansey in the middle are a no-brainer, if anyone can explain why Draper wasn't in the team for the derby then please share.

Have to agree with all of the above re youth development. Growing up , AstroTurf was the surface sold on making first touch and passing better, yet as a country we produce fewer first class players now than we did when kids played on streets and in fields with jackets as posts. I know the game is greatly different now, but kids are over coached from an early age, instead of letting them enjoy and learn to love the game before we get into serious stuff.Do we think Patrick paying £4m for training facilities will produce more talent and better end product than currently? Can't see it myself. Better end the post as starting to sound like my Dad, and besides, they are away to lock the doors to my care home.

But can the same not be said at most clubs in Scotland ? And the said much better facilities across the bridge don't fare better either. It is an underdeveloped national problem which affects us right to the very top - which ain't very Feckin high.

I think there needs to be a reality check around youth development. The SFA's estimate for boys "making it" through youth development across Scotland is about 5%. So 19 of every 20 kids that enter will be turfed; on average only one from each year group will come through. Looking back over the past few years, ICT are probably just about on that average. The problem is nationwide, not just here. It is very often not the best player at 11 who makes it, more of which later. Speaking as a parent with a young player in one of the squads, here are my observations: ICT's youth development is under-resourced compared to the elite clubs. For those who don't know, teams with youth development are split into "elite" and "the rest" at U12 level and above, based on level of coaching badges amongst coaches. ICT don't make it into the elite group, so stop playing the likes of Celtic, Dundee United, Aberdeen, Hibs etc. Instead, it's Alloa, Airdrie, County, Elgin etc. The quality is not great - you really noticed the difference when Celtic came to town in the U11s - they had top quality coaches, sport scientists, video analysis. That on top of better raw material through 10x the catchment made a huge difference. They didn't always win, but they usually played much better football. As for the ICT experience of coaching: There's a mixed bag. All try their very best, some are not much more than unpaid volunteers. The SFA's mantra below U17 is to concentrate on development not results. This is probably my only criticism of the system here: Results are everything. This encourages classic 70s football of long ball from the back, flick on and stab home. No touches for 8/11 players, but celebrated instead of criticised. All the coaching during the week centres on passing and possession seems to be abandoned at the weekend. The other classic error is to focus on one or 2 "stars" at this age and ignore the rest. Picking a winner at 12 on the basis of talent alone is bound to fail in almost all cases. Football is so much more than raw talent: Discipline, fitness, attitude are all justt as important and you don't know who'll shine in those areas until later. Equally, the big guy who's shaving at 10 might be the most powerful then, but will be caught up with at 17 - don't put all your eggs in that basket. Ryan Christie is an excellent example of the small guy who didn't really shine in the younger years, but turned out to have the unique mixture necessary. Select too early and you might just miss the real star. So, the youth set up is what it is. Under-invested, yes, but the question is whether more money would really pull through more than the average 1/year of lads who have all the ingredients. The direction of travel from the SFA seems to be to reduce the number of development squads and focusing investment. If that happens, far fewer kids will be given the opportunity, selection will be far too early and the Ryan Christies of this world will slip through the net. ICT will almost certainly not have a youth development squad any more, which would be tragic.

Agree. You can't just sling serious mud at people from the comfort of anonymity when you haven't a scrap of evidence to justify it. If you have, other than hearsay, put it out. otherwise withdraw it.

ictforresfan - these are pretty hefty accusations which, if you are unable to bring forth evidence to confirm them, could very easily be construed as defamatory.

Same team as today. Not less Fon Williams is fit. FORAN CAN YOU HEAR US.....SAME TEAM AS TODAY DO NOT CHANGE IT

We did have seven subs: Hoban, McNaughton, McCart, Horner, King, Cole and Boden. Interesting watching them at half time: McCart was doing a serious warm up with the others having a kick about. Not sure if that is a McCart thing or what he has been taught at Celtic.

A solid midfield performance without Vigurs and Polworth - hopefully they will both me missing against Kilmarnock

Is that acupuncture IHE to get him better?

don't dismiss the goal difference, particularly with respect to Motherwell, Caman. At the moment, we are 4 goals worse off than Motherwell. For goal difference to become important in the final match, well need to have at least one result better than Motherwell - likely scenario (though not certain, of course) is that the GD will then be down to 3. If we need to win the game against Motherwell to go level on points, a 2 goal margin would do it. If we've already got level on points with Motherwell, I'd wager that we'd either be level on goal difference (maybe goals scored as well!!) or possibly even better than theirs. As for what the "best" result for us is - it depends how greedy you want to get. If you're happy with a shot at 11th and taking our chances in the play-off, than a win for Hamilton (heavy, if possible) is definitely best. If you still hold onto the fantasy that 10th is possible, then a draw has to be the best result. Isn't it ironic that our fate might lie as much in our own hands as in County's? We really need them to whip Hamilton the night before we're away at Dundee. Killie could also do us a favour against Motherwell that night. We'll know what we have to do at dundee before we kick off....

Exactly, IHE. Whatever we're doing football-wise as a nation is just not good enough. Yes, I meant to mention the training facilities, which are rank. Ross County definitely did much better out of the "Highland Football Academy" deal than we did - they got indoor facilities (which they have now badged as theirs!), while we got a first generation astro pitch at Charleston which needs to be replaced. In fairness to County, they have enhanced their facilities beyond the indoor astro with an excellent outdooor astro pitch.... we haven't. The other thing I meant to add is that Charlie Christie did not bring Danny MacDonald in - he was brought in by the Board at a level above Charlie to oversee the youth development + the community team. I doubt Charlie was too pleased about the appointment tbh!

Personally I don't want to think about this until 17.00 hours as I am hopefully walking out of Rugby Park with three points. Nothing else matters.

Another very enjoyable NAPS contest even if I did throw it away a bit and collapsed quicker than a pack of cards in the wind. Some quiality banter throughout and a big thanks to Gringo for running it again this year. Hopefully I can maintain a longer challenge next season.

Watched on TV : should have had 5 or 6 at least. Some woeful (embarrassing) attempts at finishing and such a soft goal to concede at the end. Two winnable away games coming up but we have to be more clinical when chances come along. There is still a pulse.............just. Still convinced RF is not the man.

Scorers this afternoon (7 May) were :- Adam Rooney in Aberdeen's 2-1 win at Hearts , and Sam Winnall for Sheffield Wednesday in a 2-1 home defeat by Fulham.

Even a corpse can twitch!

This is not about JH. This guy is nowhere near the quality of our most successful manager of all time. .

Well done Charlie ! Some one with balls .Time for the club to move to that new level , club is Totally run amateur and run like the old highland league days .

Of course they can't be sacked, but I can't think of a better way of expressing my anger towards them in witnessing what a shambles the club is becoming/has become!

At least they wouldn't have put up with a failing manager....

You don't seem to like Scotland or the way Scotland is governed much--there is a whole world out there where you might find a place and people you don't hold in contempt and don't have to be constantly greeting about.

Sugar daddies are great while they are there but when the plug is pulled, the consequences are devastating. You just have to look at Gretna, Rangers and Nairn County to name but three. It isn't sustainable. I must also say again that I find this expectation that directors and wealthy people should be expected to subsidise loss making football clubs. The root cause of the problem is that players just about everywhere are paid more - often far, far more - than their realistic market rate.

I have supported the club since its inception. Are you saying you are not interested in how this club survives? If our relegation situation is not sufficient to get our custodians to notify the support of their intentions/plans then why shoukd we pass on our hard earned cash before we know their plans? Do you have a better idea?

JH's public criticism of the board was his way of manufacturing his exit. He had the biggest budget of any ICT in history and was moaning publicly about the lack of money. He did well with Butcher's team but couldn't bring in talent himself. He had to go.