This resumes on 4th August. The same 17 clubs are competing. We endured a dreadful campaign last season, finishing last! Hopefully, a year on, our youths can perform better, as I understand last season much of our team were boys who'd just come 'up' from the U17s.

A couple of pre-season games soon - the first-team have St Mirren on Saturday while the 'U20s' head to Lossiemouth the same afternoon.
Similarly, the following Saturday Inverness CT have a 'double header' with games at Nairn and Wick, with presumably the youths heading to Caithness.

Gilchrist levelled for us. 2-2.

Killie 3 - 2

89 minutes

The team : Hoban, C. Brown, Howarth, J. Brown, Gilchrist, MacArthur, McLennan, Foran, MacRae, Sutherland, Wilson.

Good to see Richie Foran and Ali Sutherland getting game-time!

Edit: F/T
Kilmarnock 3-2 Inverness Caley Thistle
 

Edited January 26, 201610 yr by Sneckboy

Game today (Tues 2nd Feb)
Inverness CT v Dunfermline
1.30pm Highland Football Academy

GAME POSTPONED!!

 

Edited February 2, 201610 yr by Sneckboy

No surprise, dreadful weather across the country...

Hearts today, 1300 hrs at Riccarton. Would have gone along, fixture was down for Tuesday.

0-0 at half time.

Hearts Twitter.......Scrappy stuff here at Riccarton, neither side getting a strong foothold in the game.

No team news

On ‎18‎/‎01‎/‎2016 at 11:37 AM, Sneckboy said:

 

1 hour ago, TheMantis said:

Hearts today, 1300 hrs at Riccarton. Would have gone along, fixture was down for Tuesday.

 

Half time Hearts 0 ICT 0

1-0 Hearts. Ally Roy

FT 1-0 Hearts.

I see Foran was in charge for the game, because Duncan Shearer had somehow managed to get a touchline ban!

Ryan Williams and Liam Hughes played yesterday.

Next fixture is on Friday (12th Feb) away to Aberdeen.
2pm on the artificial pitch at Banks o' Dee's Spain Park.

20 minutes in and getting humped 3-0

Inverness CT: Hoban, C Brown, Howarth, J Brown, Gilchrist, MacLennan, Macrea, Rennie, Ferguson, Blackett, Sutherland

HT 3-0

4-0 FT

One of Aberdeen's goals was scored by Sam Robertson - who I've just learned is the son of ICT's first ever goal scorer - Wilson Robertson!

Jason Brown is the latest player profiled in the SPFL Wonderkid series:

SPFL Wonderkid #17 - Jason Brown

Friday 12th February 2016

Brown, 19, is the latest of a conveyor belt of young Scottish talent coming from Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He currently plays for the development squad, primarily in the centre of midfield, and the club certainly have faith in Brown, who has captained the team on a number of occasions this season.

In addition to being given the role of skipper, he signed a one-year deal with Caley Thistle last June alongside fellow under-20 team-mates Cameron MacKay, Ali Sutherland and Calum Howarth.

After signing his new contract and ahead of Inverness’ Scottish Cup triumph, Jason Tweeted: “Delighted to extend my contract at @ICTFC - looking forward to next season already and of course the big one this weekend #ICTFC”

Brown is yet to play at the senior level for Inverness, but in May 2014, got his first call-up to the Caley Thistle senior squad for a home game against Dundee United which ended 1-1. He has since made 15 appearances on the bench.

As the end of the season approaches, it could be the perfect time for Brown to look to make his first senior appearance. It also fits with John Hughes’ plan at the beginning of the season when he said: “They’re in their first year as a professional and you’ll find it will take them two or three months to find their level in the first-team.”

Brown will certainly be hoping that’s the case and no doubt will be looking to emulate his friend and former team-mate Ryan Christie, who after making his debut at 18 went on to make 56 appearances and score nine goals.

There should be no doubt though that on his current trajectory Jason Brown's, name will be ringing around the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in no time.

Today 13.30 k.o v St Mirren at Highland Football Academy

F/T
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1-3 St. Mirren

Game tomorrow at Airdrie's ground v Motherwell (2pm).

Just had a look at the table and am surprised to see us second-bottom - last time I looked we were in 7th!
However, It's extremely tight between 6-16th place. http://spfl.co.uk/development-league/dev-fixtures/
Certainly, It's been a lot better, as hoped for, in this campaign. Last season we were last with just 23 points. As the table shows, we've already got 22 points, with 11 fixtures still to play. But, as always, it's questionable how 'important' actual results are in this league.

Incidentally, it was good to see one of the Development boys on the bench at Parkhead - Blair MacLennan...obviously he was unlikely to be 'used' but still a great experience for the guy - and I'd imagine, hugely motivational!

Which is why, when he can't populate the bench with first team players, the manager should always give the place to a young player rather than just naming five or six subs which, apart from everything else, looks unprofessional.

Its a difficult one...Should you always fill the bench with youngsters so they gain matchday experience or should you have that place derservedly earned and used as a reward for effort and performances

It would be a motivator for a youth player to join the first team on a match day for sure, however if its then expected you or another U20s player will be in the matchday squad because the first team are short again next week then it devalues the whole experience. 

I think perhaps the young man has been given this opportunity as a reward on this occasion. Hopefully inspire him to achieve when the odds are firmly stacked against him.

Once again I'll use the Hamilton Accies approach to outline the use of youngsters on the bench.  What they used to do under Billy Reid (and may well still do) is name their starting eleven, then a bench with five first team subs and a goalkeeper.  The seventh spot was reserved for a player in the youth set-up but he'd have little chance of coming on.  What the coaches would then do the following week is look at how he'd changed as a result of that experience.  Had he become arrogant?  Was he still pulling his weight?  Did he now think he was too good for the youth team?  Or on the contrary, did he benefit from that experience?  Was he now working harder to gain that spot again?

If it's good enough for the highly acclaimed youth system at Accies, it's good enough for us.  And who's to say they won't make an appearance?  If we were gubbing a team, what would the harm be in giving him the last 20 minutes and if he didn't, at least he'd have the experience of being in the matchday squad.  We'd have nothing to lose by doing this when he can't fill the bench but could well potentially have something to gain.