I am fairly certain that most fans/posters on here know that at the end of this season there is likely to be a mass exodus of players leaving so my simple question is, would you rather we replaced them with experienced players or youngsters because I am clearly in the youngsters camp but would also believe that we may need some experienced players no matter what league we're in but especially if we're in league 1 which is the worst case scenario but also the most likely unless we can win our 6 pointers against Arbroath, Queens Park and Dunfermline 🤔.

I don't know who's here for next season but I would imagine that the key ones to retain if at all possible are Billy McKay and Mark Ridgers : ictscarf:

2 hours ago, Leaky Blinder said:

Bert Trautmann played on in a FA Cup final with a broken neck. I expect nothing less 

He wasn't a local lad either, so maybe we'll be OK.

Apparently Ujdur has been sold to Queens Park. 

i can't read this because it's behind a paywall but no more signings this summer i think? looks like we are using a squad full on youngsters click

No happy about that if true about Ujdur. I thought he was the new Bobby Mann when he arrived. Great player.🤬

7 minutes ago, northstandfan said:

i can't read this because it's behind a paywall but no more signings this summer i think? looks like we are using a squad full on youngsters click

Are you even allowed a 15 year old as 2nd keeper? 

22 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Are you even allowed a 15 year old as 2nd keeper? 

Forres got a 3 point deduction in the Highland League last season for fielding an under 16. I’d imagine the same rules apply in the leagues.

Ferguson also said there may be one or two leave and one or two come in.

1 hour ago, northstandfan said:

looks like we are using a squad full on youngsters click

Is that not what everyone's been saying they wanted......so long as they are all local of course?

1 hour ago, old caley girl said:

Are you even allowed a 15 year old as 2nd keeper? 

Maybe it's his birthday soon lol

22 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Is that not what everyone's been saying they wanted......so long as they are all local of course?

Yes, so hopefully once Gardiner goes the air of nihilism surrounding the club will lift and people will start backing the Bilbao of the north.

22 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Maybe it's his birthday soon lol

Maybe lol 

26 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Is that not what everyone's been saying they wanted......so long as they are all local of course?

Not quite.  Given the choice between shifting weekday operations and training to Kelty or having to use a squad of young local players following relegation the fans said they would prefer the latter.

9 hours ago, STFU said:

Not quite.  Given the choice between shifting weekday operations and training to Kelty or having to use a squad of young local players following relegation the fans said they would prefer the latter.

Pretty sure there were plenty posts and comments in Jan when the numerous loans came in and the youngsters went out criticising the philosophy. Statements that we should have been focusing on the young players in the team.

Regardless now we will see if the concerns around the quality and readiness from the manager were misplaced.

13 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Pretty sure there were plenty posts and comments in Jan when the numerous loans came in and the youngsters went out criticising the philosophy. Statements that we should have been focusing on the young players in the team.

Regardless now we will see if the concerns around the quality and readiness from the manager were misplaced.

There's a big difference between wanting to give young local players a chance and wanting a squad almost entirely made up of young local players.  I don't think anyone was advocating for the latter.

It feels like some people (including Ferguson) are trying to rewrite what fans have been saying in a way that says "you got what you want and if it all goes wrong it's on you".

To them all I say '**** You'.  The fans are in no way responsible for where the club finds itself right now.

Our board, CEO and manager have and continue not to learn anything.  In their view they have and can do no wrong.  That's why I'm pretty much done with the whole thing.

 

After a long wait by not just supporters, but staff and the mass media, the Board through Ferguson has spoken. After yesterday, it looks like Ferguson is not that optimistic about the Club's liquidity position. If Ujdur has been sold that upsets me. Ferguson did not seem to like him or was restricted by loan agreement restrictions on not being able to select him. If other Clubs want our players and offer cash, that's a no brainer if the Board is bluffing about the likelihood of new investment. Will Brooks be sold?

Since relegation, we have witnessed the big clear out.  Billy and Danny have a year left on their contracts as indeed are other players in the new squad. So fast forward, and part time football without new investment is easy to facilitate and the only sensible option to remain in existence. 

When Ferguson said 'You know the position of the club, that is where we are' he clearly does not know that people DO NOT KNOW. The club beyond him remain tight lipped. Someone somewhere is funding what is happening currently.

As a reminder, it was Rae who appointed Gardiner  'Graham Rae, Chairman of ICT, said: “Scot has attended a number of our games this season and I have always been impressed with his knowledge of the game, both on and off the park.  He has a wealth of experience in the football and business world and is highly regarded in the game.” '

 

2 hours ago, STFU said:

There's a big difference between wanting to give young local players a chance and wanting a squad almost entirely made up of young local players.  I don't think anyone was advocating for the latter.

It feels like some people (including Ferguson) are trying to rewrite what fans have been saying in a way that says "you got what you want and if it all goes wrong it's on you".

To them all I say '**** You'.  The fans are in no way responsible for where the club finds itself right now.

Our board, CEO and manager have and continue not to learn anything.  In their view they have and can do no wrong.  That's why I'm pretty much done with the whole thing.

 

Having a team made up of youngsters is clearly not ideal in a competitive sense - but it also provides a positive incentive for people to reconsider the withdrawal of their support for this season.

Now that there is a good core of local young players to get behind, Kelty has been canned, and the CEO and chairman are out the door (or on their way out the door), the only sticking points now seem to be communication from the club, the continued ill treatment of staff by the board, and the fact that the manager is still in place. We can only hope that the first couple of these are resolved once Gardiner's notice period ends. I am also willing to give Ferguson the opportunity to prove us wrong after he gets a full pre-season in for the first time with us.

We are at the point where not supporting the team will only lead us further into the abyss, and in my view it is no longer worth us as fans cutting our noses off to spite our faces. I will be buying a season ticket this year.

9 minutes ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

We are at the point where not supporting the team will only lead us further into the abyss, and in my view it is no longer worth us as fans cutting our noses off to spite our faces. I will be buying a season ticket this year.

Some fans are looking for the utopia of a board they like making decisions they want, local team of homegrown superstars and on field success to rival previous histories.

Maybe the reality is that you can only ever have 2 of these at any time.

12 minutes ago, bdu98196 said:

Some fans are looking for the utopia of a board they like making decisions they want, local team of homegrown superstars and on field success to rival previous histories.

Maybe the reality is that you can only ever have 2 of these at any time.

Out of interest do you think going to Kelty would have improved matters? Wasn't this always a financial car crash waiting to happen? 

13 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Out of interest do you think going to Kelty would have improved matters? Wasn't this always a financial car crash waiting to happen? 

Possibly but im not privy to all the information the board had. With little income and huge losses then cost savings are an inevitability and as such quality has to drop which again impacts future revenues. Its an ever decreasing spiral as you are aware.

Happy to accept this path but acknowledge we will more likely be heading towards league 2 than Premiership in the short term at least. Suspect this is an unpopular opinion on here though.

Edited June 30, 20241 yr by bdu98196

Im still bothered that the lies continue to come, or is it just a wee white lie?

I overheard Gary Bollan reply to a fan yesterday when asked where Ujdur was. He said "he is not playing today because he had back spasms in training and he was left out of todays squad"

So, what is the correct rumour. Is he still with us with a sore back, or is he away as suggested.

It's time a spokesperson stood tall and told us exactly what the fork is going on. You would think the club thrived on all the adverse speculation going around.

FFS tell us the truth for once

17 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Im still bothered that the lies continue to come, or is it just a wee white lie?

I overheard Gary Bollan reply to a fan yesterday when asked where Ujdur was. He said "he is not playing today because he had back spasms in training and he was left out of todays squad"

So, what is the correct rumour. Is he still with us with a sore back, or is he away as suggested.

It's time a spokesperson stood tall and told us exactly what the fork is going on. You would think the club thrived on all the adverse speculation going around.

FFS tell us the truth for once

I agree with honesty being an absolute basic requirement when communicating with fans. Time will tell if Bollan is telling lies or not. I suspect he is and Ujdur has already left for another Club. 

3 hours ago, STFU said:

There's a big difference between wanting to give young local players a chance and wanting a squad almost entirely made up of young local players.  I don't think anyone was advocating for the latter.

It feels like some people (including Ferguson) are trying to rewrite what fans have been saying in a way that says "you got what you want and if it all goes wrong it's on you".

To them all I say '**** You'.  The fans are in no way responsible for where the club finds itself right now.

Our board, CEO and manager have and continue not to learn anything.  In their view they have and can do no wrong.  That's why I'm pretty much done with the whole thing.

 

I agree with all of that apart from the last sentence.  I am certainly not anything like "done with the whole thing".  I fully intend watching ICT for many years to come after the current custodians of the club are out of the door.  I'm not going to sit back and allow the current management to kill off my football club and deny me the pleasure of supporting my team in the future.

The key thing is to ensure that somehow, the club survives.  One option is for one, or a very small number of "investors" to put a significant amount of money into the club.  From the club's statement of June 14th it appeared this option might be on the cards, but the wall of silence since suggests this may not be the case.

If no big money is going to come in, then the second option is for the club to be financed by a large number of small sources.  That means investment from fans and support from local businesses and the wider community.  That would involve a radical change in the business model preceded by a difficult transition period where the club opened up about the club's finances.

The current position is clearly unsustainable.  If nobody is coming in with big money to stabilise the club, the current management need to swallow a bit of humble pie and start working constructively with smaller shareholders, the Supporters Trust and other community interests to find a way to stave off administration in the short term and to develop a more sustainable model for the long term.  Something needs to happen very, very soon. 

 

As expected

 

18 minutes ago, RiG said:

As expected

 

Is this the end of the destruction?There can’t be many more left .😡

I despair........

Just Udjur left to announce