GC35

That was awful today. Everybody keeps complaining about dropping attendances and blaming supporters for not getting behind the team. The bottom line is that there is very little to get excited about. I am an ICT supporter and want to go along to a match to get entertained. Although I love to come away from a match having won a game I would be 'almost' as happy coming away having got beat if I felt that all the players were giving 100% and the game was entertaining. Until there is more entertainment on show I feel we will continue to haemorrhage supporters. Sometimes I think that the players forget that they are there to entertain the fans. Everyone makes mistakes. That includes professional footballers. Perhaps fans would have more sympathy with certain players making mistakes if those players got back into position asap and tried to make amends. Polworth is a classic example of this. On his day he is one of the most talented players in the squad. However he continually makes mistakes, blames others then doesn't put in much effort to get back into position. He acts like a petulant child and his outburst at fans today after he messed up a cross ball, to my mind, should not be tolerated. Yes fans get onto him but these fans are just venting their frustration about the poor show being put on from a player that is a lot more talented than he shows. I'm not talking about personal abuse that was dished out a few months ago. That was totally out of order and is unacceptable. Fans are paying customers and should be free to express their discontent (although not through a personal attack) if they do not feel what they are seeing comes up to their expectations. People would not be happy with a substandard meal they are paying for, should it be any different on the football pitch. Although the above is largely negative I do not feel it's too late. If the players raise their game the fans will get behind them. This is evident when there is a sustained period of pressure on the opposition goal. In order to get to the play-offs we need the players to raise their games, take the game to the opponents and then the fans will follow suit. Players upped their game against County. Lets do it against every team.

Apologies if this has been raised before. During the woeful game on Saturday I noticed how young and inexperienced out ballboys and girls were. It appeared as if they had not been told what so do and were unaware of what they were there to do. When we are trying take quick throw-ins or keep quicker play moving quite often it gets slowed down by the players not getting the ball back fast enough. Should we not be using older boys/girls? Maybe even use the u15 squad.

Totally torn with this decision. On one hand. He cheated. For years I had gone along with his stories and just thought it was a miracle come-back from cancer. It now looks, beyond all doubt, that he systematically used drugs to enhance his performance. On the other he has done a huge amount of good in the way that he raised money and has provided lots of hope and insperation of sufferers within the cancer community. For the people suffering with Cancer and looked up to Lance I wish they'd left him alone. My heart wishes that it's all been left alone. After all there are plenty of riders that never admitted to doping but will be left with the honours and victories gained while doping. My head says that he cheated and should be stripped of everything. At the end of the day I firmly believe that cycling is a much cleaner sport now. There will always be the tempation to cheat to get ahead of your rivals. This happens in every sport. I do have to wonder if the people who make up the route also added to the problem. They made the routes so tough that some riders felt the only way they could get through it was to get 'extra' help. Cycling is one of, if not the, hardest sport to compete in. Hats off to anyone who races at any level.

I renewed my season ticket but if county hadn't come up this year I may well not have. That lack of passion, effort and entertainment showed in the majority of home games last season will have put people off renewing. When ICT were progressing up the divisions under Paterson we didn't win every game. However when we didn't win I seem to recall leaving the game disappointed at losing but also feeeling that i had been entertained and the team had given everything. Maybe that's just me looking at things through rose tinted glasses tho........... I will remain an ICT supporter but if the on field performance does not improve this season I may well give up my season ticket next year.

Just heard from a reliable source that Ross has signed for county. Another player with something to prove when they come up against us next year.

Did anyone else think it was very strange that Butcher and Malpas were almost invisible during the game tonight? Butcher was shouting instructions from the dugout but was very reluctant to venture out of it. Malpas, who is normally always visible, was also keeping a low profile. Jeffries on the other hand was out all of the time. Did the game mean more to him?????????????? Any thoughts? Has there been a huge falling out in the dressing room? Or am I reading too much into it?