The Orion Group provided the following statement to CaleyThistleOnline this afternoon.......

?In light of various reports in the press, on TV and Saturday?s programme against Kilmarnock Orion would like to confirm that Alan Savage?s resignation from ICTFC on the 9th of April was with immediate effect.

We would also like to point out that the signing of Marius Niculae was a unanimous decision of the ICTFC board on the recommendation of the then Manager Charlie Christie.

Further it should be noted that at no time has the Orion Group or Alan Savage made any payments to Marius Niculae in respect of a signing on fee, wages or anything else whatsoever. ?

No direct quote from Savage

precisely !!! we were led to believe this but who can say who actually did the leading !!!

it was common knowledge that Orion were paying most of Marius' wages.

common knowledge ... or assumption ??

I think that there will be more revelations before we can begin to understand.  I don't think that all the blame should be laid at the feet of Alan Savage, he was only the chairman of the board.  Seems a lot of people have told a lot of lies, or at least deliberately misled us.  Maybe the truth will yet come out.  I'm very concerned at the apparent disharmony on our current board.  Let's see how things unfold

it was common knowledge that Orion were paying most of Marius' wages.

common knowledge ... or assumption ??

savage speaking out on stv news soon...... :029:

There has always been conflicting stories about how much Orion were or weren't involved.  What is clear is that we have been misled by THE BOARD, and not just Alan Savage.  He has obviously decided to put his side of the story, so there must have been some kind of issue to make him take this course of action.  Just announced on North Tonight that they have an interview later in the programme.

it's on...........

so how much does marius get paid really.......

He left because the postion as chairman was being "diluted" by Sutherland.

Surely it's a case of 'he who pays the piper'?  Alan Savage would ahve known that most of the shares in the club are owned by David Sutherland/Tullochs before he took the job.

What else is being said in the interview, for us South based types?

did you request a statement or did Orion contact you out of the blue?

Orion contacted us.

As LG has said it would seem that we have been misled or at least allowed to assume things that were not actually true. Is this Savage's fault or is it the board as a whole - who knows (other than those involved). I think we need the benefit of more information before we can actually decide to lay the blame at anyone's feet or absolve anyone. I am sure there will be comments and counter-comments from both sides in the coming days.

Whatever the actual truth, and whether we ever find out that actual truth, the bottom line is that there seems to have been a fair bit of boardroom disharmony during this season and it has infected the whole club from top to bottom. A club that was once renowned by the football establishment for its team spirit and by its fans for its openness is currently an amateur looking shambles of petty arguments, power struggles, cliques, spin, secrecy and downright lies. I think we are all sick of it and those who have been involved in this disintegration of values should give themselves a **** good shake and ask themselves if their positions are tenable.

Surely it's a case of 'he who pays the piper'?  Alan Savage would ahve known that most of the shares in the club are owned by David Sutherland/Tullochs before he took the job.

What else is being said in the interview, for us South based types?

correct me if im wrong any1

he also said marius gets a wage in line with the other professionals and him nor orion have given marius anything.

did you request a statement or did Orion contact you out of the blue?

Orion contacted us.

As LG has said it would seem that we have been misled or at least allowed to assume things that were not actually true. Is this Savage's fault or is it the board as a whole - who knows (other than those involved). I think we need the benefit of more information before we can actually decide to lay the blame at anyone's feet or absolve anyone. I am sure there will be comments and counter-comments from both sides in the coming days.

Whatever the actual truth, and whether we ever find out that actual truth, the bottom line is that there seems to have been a fair bit of boardroom disharmony during this season and it has infected the whole club from top to bottom. A club that was once renowned by the football establishment for its team spirit and by its fans for its openness is currently an amateur looking shambles of petty arguments, power struggles, cliques, spin, secrecy and downright lies. I think we are all sick of it and those who have been involved in this disintegration of values should give themselves a **** good shake and ask themselves if their positions are tenable.

:clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

Thats how I heard it elderberry

Thats how I heard it elderberry

:029: :015: :015:

He sounded very bitter on stv. This can only cause more trouble I fear.

I think he spoke quite well.  Made his points well.  Now for the other side of the story.  :003:

[attach=1]

I didn't see the interview, did he explain why he said he was stepping down because of the growth of his company?  It seems he's admitting now, which many of us suspected, it was due to David Sutherland's involvement.

Personally I think having Sutherland in control albeit in a puppet master role is the best thing for us, we were in the best place we've been when he was chairman and things have been on the slide since he left.

Hmm, something is not right, as people have rightly said Alan Savage has been noted in the press as paying Marius's wages.  On the point of Charlie Christie...I have been led to believe that he left the manager post because he was kept out of the loop with the signing of Marius Niculae...which was all Savage and his business contacts in Romania

This really is a real mess - for all concerned :018:

Honesty is the Best Policy - a statemet I had drilled into me as a lad and one i still stick to on a day to day basis. Here we have a classc example as to why this statement holds great truth.

Why Now though?

Who is really to blame?

How do we rectify these problems?

and finally,

How can ICT bounce back from what can only really be described as the biggest embarrasement of the history that ICT hold?

This is just a total shambles.  :009:

I have said it many times before, A Premier League Team run by an Amateur League Administration. This old boys club must be sorted once and for all! It is obvious our PR is still being handled by uncle Bill MacAllister (Sutherland's PR guru) and it continues to be an embarrassment.  :crazy07:

I have said it many times before, A Premier League Team run by an Amateur League Administration. This old boys club must be sorted once and for all! It is obvious our PR is still being handled by uncle Bill MacAllister (Sutherland's PR guru) and it continues to be an embarrassment.  :crazy07:

It is heartening however, that Orion, have seen to contact this board directly themselves rather than allow us to hear all the stuff round it via the meeja. I am just disappointed that those who run the club have seen it suitable to p1sh around with us, the fans and stakeholders, in such a shoddy dishonest and deceitful manner. These wordgames are lies, and we deserve better. We know that not everything works all the time, and mistakes can be made at all levels. Lets start seeing some owning up.

Where next? A hunder season tickets lie in the balance. I for one am heartily stick of the whole sh1tey mess.

Can we take some consolation from the fact that that even at our lowest point we are still more professional than Liverpool FC?

I agree. At least Orion have made some kind of official statement to the people that matter at this club - THE FANS! This seems to be lost on much our hierarchy. I await a response with baited breath  :rolleyes02: