Press today quote Grassa as saying the rules would not allow us to recall Michael if Mark got injured so he's staying. Bad news for Michael perhaps but good news for us unless this means no Hoolihan.

SPL Reserve League plus SPL Subs bench is still good experience for Michael.

Pity in a way, a season playing first team football in the first division would have been of benifit both to Michael and the club in the long run.

You can recall players in England why not up here?  :017:

Press today quote Grassa as saying the rules would not allow us to recall Michael if Mark got injured so he's staying. Bad news for Michael perhaps but good news for us unless this means no Hoolihan.

SPL Reserve League plus SPL Subs bench is still good experience for Michael.

I think Michael Fraser has had enough subs bench experience to last him a lifetime.  The guy wants to play first team football and who wouldn't in his position.  Charlie acknowledges that he has closed the gap on Mark Brown over the last 18 months. Hopefully that means he will get a few more games, but then will Broonie take the huff.  It's a difficult one - who would be a football manager????!!!

I think it's only another year until Michael is 24 so we could lose him without a fee if we are not careful.  He's a local guy and enjoys being at ICT, but he has to have some games or what is the point in it all.  I could see him being like Grant Munro and being with us for years to come, but it would have to be on improved terms.

I expect him to go to County.

It's a shame the deal can't be arranged because I think we'll lose Michael now. I was speaking to him the other week and he was keen to arrange this Livi deal so he could then get some first team experiance. Now it's fallen through I expect him to look elsewhere. He's just desperate to play, and he'll go anywhere to do that.

That's my concern too.  The thing in he would be happy to stay in Inverness, he just needs to get a few games.  Surely that's not too much to expect.  When I said improved terms in a previous post, I didn't only mean financial, but also getting a game now and then.

I wonder what rule is actually standing in the way of this move??

FRASER'S LIVI LOAN DEAL HITS SNAG 

ANDREW DICKSON

08:50 - 28 June 2006 

Michael Fraser is likely to remain at Caley Thistle after the SPL ruled out any chance of him being recalled from a loan spell at Livingston in the event of an injury crisis at Inverness.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper, a back-up to Mark Brown for four seasons, had been poised to join Livi for the new campaign.

His temporary transfer would have been on the condition that he could return north at any point, but top-flight officials have said that cannot happen.

That now leaves Caley Jags manager Charlie Christie with a dilemma as he wants his second-choice goalkeeper to gain more experience. Fraser has just three SPL appearances, two of them as a substitute, to his name so far.

But with no other senior players in the same position and no plans to recruit anyone else in that department, Christie has no choice but to retain Fraser's services.

Christie said: "We wouldn't be able to just recall Michael from Livingston. Things are, sadly, a bit more complicated than that. The move is not completely dead yet, but it looks unlikely.

"I spoke to someone at the SPL about the situation and they have a problem with that fact we don't feel our under-19 goalkeeper Jonathan Smith is ready to step up and play every week.

"I am a fan of Michael Fraser, as a lot of people at the club are, and he is definitely my number two goalkeeper, but I feel he needs to get a bit more experience.

"Going to Livingston would have been ideal for him, but it seems he will stay here and compete with Mark now as the gap between them has definitely lessened in the last 18 months."

Interesting to hear CC saying the gap between the two has lessened.

Does anyone think Michael might be just as good as Brown, or even more, better than him??

Brown is fantastic, no question, and he's won us a fair few points over the years. His shotstopping is second to none. BUT...I get nervous everytime there's a decent cross into our box, I don't think the communication between keeper/defence is all it should be at times, and his kicking out is....well, fecking awful!!

From what I've seen of Michael, he commands his box better, and his kicking is superb. I know he lacks the experience, but that's simply down to Marks consistency.

Put it like this...if Brownie left tomorrow, I wouldn't be a bit concerned about Michael taking the step up to the first team.

I think the SPL are wrong, or this is a new rule off their own invention.

Prior to the disbandment of the International Registration Transfer Committee a recall clause would not be permitted as a loan was dealt with in the same manner as a transfer with the simple addition of a return clause which had to fall within the relevant transfer window.

However, since the IRTC no longer exists and no body replaced them, all internal loan/transfer deals are administered by the relevant domestic association.  As the governing association for the SPL is different than that for the SFL, I believe this loan would fall outside the regulation of the SPL & SFL and become a matter for agreement between both clubs in the same manner as all other transfers where players move between associations.  In effect, all that would be needed is an agreement that on production of a medical certificate showing Brown unfit for work then Livingston terminate Fraser's contract (techincally making him a free agent) which automatically kicks in the recall clause.

It could be argued that both teams fall under the SFA, but as the SFL and the SPL have their own transfer & loan rules/policies I don't think the argument would hold much water if properly challenged.

At the very least the club should be checking this with the SFA.