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It's not a question of punishment. This is a new club - it is the old club and those who are responsible for all the wrong doing who need to be punished. The point is simply that a new club should enter an established league system at the bottom and work its way up. If they are good enough they will get into division 1 in 2 years time. If they are not good enough a club that is good enough will move into division 1 instead. Meanwhile it would be quite wrong to deny a place in the the first division to a team that is good enough, who play by the rules and who therefore have earnt that place. It is exactly the same argument as that which says they have no right to be in the SPL.

To be fair to Dundee they have had their punishments and 'done their time', don't really think it's fair to keep holding it over them with regards to this decision.

6 lads showed for a wee kick about at bught park this afternoon. 4 of which are playing in 2 weeks time. It wasnt anything formal and we all enjoyed ourselves. Not too many opertunities to get together for another kick about before the game, but may start a new thread if one arises.

County aren't some sort of homespun, Old Ma's Kitchen club. They won the First Division by assembling a squad of experienced lower league players under a good manager. Their title winning side didn't feature any youth players and the only local players were ones they'd signed from us who had come through our youth system. That absolutely isn't a criticism of County, the job of the manager and the team is to finish as high as possible and win the league and they did that. It's worth noting though that County signing Ross Tokely hasn't made them into some sort of Highland Dream XI. A lot of people on this site have turned into pantie-knotted knicker-wetting whiners, especially when it comes to County. In terms of our signings, we've always operated in the basement of the transfer market, certainly since we went into the First Division. Most of the players that everyone would laud were rejected previously by other clubs - Barry Robson by Rangers, Dennis Wyness and Russell Duncan by Aberdeen, Liam Keogh at Celtic, Craig Dargo by Killie, Darren Dods by St Johnstone. I'm not sure that this quality of Scottish players is out there in that market any more. Wyness was a youth player who came through at Aberdeen and got released - do we think there's anyone who'd score 20 goals a season in the First Division being released from the AFC youth programme now? If so, who? Dargo was released by Killie and no-one else wanted him, we even had him on trial for a week before offering him a deal - he went on to score 20 goals in his first season. What realistic targets have been released by a Scottish team this close season who you could be confident to any extent of performing like that? I'm not saying that I agree with the signing policy, it's pretty obvious that releasing Grant Munro was a huge error, one that cost us dearly in the league last season. Freeing Tokely could be this summer equivelent but we'll have to see. I can see why we target English players, England is a bigger market and there are literally thousands of players available every summer. The only question is how good are the players we bring in. We signed guys from England last close season and had a disappointing campaign but previously built our promotion winning side with guys brought in from England. We signed loan players (two of our best players last season were loan signings actually) but the results weren't that impressive but look at other examples - Killie signed Alexei Eremenko on loan and he was arguable the best player in Scotland that season, Hearts signed Craig Beattie on loan and he was excellent for them last season.

Togetherness, unity, thanks for doing what is morally right even though its made you financially poorer. Didnt last long did it. The club has taken a hit to do what is morally right and are searching far and wide for players, maybe if we get into Europe or get a good cup run we can throw more money at players and attract more local lads like Rooney and Hayes. I was at the Olympic concert at the NMP, had a look around and thought to myself Inverness is a pretty good place, with good people and felt proud of Inverness. If any player wants to come here and play their best for the SPL club that represents Inverness, the people of Inverness, Invernessshire and their fans far and wide then theyre ok in my book. The club has recently spoken out on our behalf and I for one would rather use it as an opportunity to rekindle the faith in, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, shortened to ICT these days but in its unedited version reads out three pretty important and words. Its the fans that make a club a great club so the rest my friend, is up to you.

I share a few of your fears, but this last bit is slightly OTT. For much of the 18 years the two clubs have been in the Scottish league system, ICT have had a higher concentration of local players and more stability and continuity in their squad than County. Under Terry Butcher more than any other manager this has changed - some would argue that he has had no choice, others that he's gone too far too fast - but just because County has accumulated a few of our former players, this doesn't mean they should be held up as some model of visionary, ethical Highland football. Without wishing to rush to conclusions about players I haven't seen yet, I do worry that the signings so far do seem to be repeating a pattern that didn't really work last season - pretty much exclusively players who are either very inexperienced or injury-prone, from outside the Scottish system. If we had (and have) no choice but to offer only short term contracts anyway, then last season we could really have done with a couple of old heads who knew the Scottish league and the players they would be facing, and who would help to bring through the young local players. I had hoped to see Butcher try to bring in one or two of this type of player this close season instead. Maybe what we're hearing is correct - that there simply aren't such players available that we can afford - but other clubs of our size have managed it in the past (St Johnstone last season being the shining example), and the suspicion lingers that TB has a 'type' of player and that he might see older, very experienced Scottish players as less likely to bend to his authority. We'll see, though - there's still a fair bit of time left in which to add players, and some players' wage demands may become more manageable if they start to feel they're in danger of not finding a club.

Surely it can't be long now! I'm guessing pre-season training is in skins since the training tops haven't arrived yet! Whenever the contract runs out, I hope the club ditch Errea.

Rossco put the O and Y in County!

Ross Count Y ourself F orever C aley.

Tade will probably not be missed. He scored 9 but missed a range of amazing sitters. Let's be positive here. We have Aaron back to fitness, Billy Mackay has a season under his belt, Richie may well start scoring again, Andrew Shinnie who is far more cultured than Jonny, Shane must start scoring soon at this level, and Nick. If Jason breaks his duck early, we may well have found a winner with him. He's a tall lad and will be keen to impress. Unlike Barrowman he will not preen himself on a regular basis and will be driven by hunger to succeed. We have Gavin back, Owen back. Josh Meekings will have a season under his belt. Graeme will want to build on a very good year at full back. Our new signings so far for the back four will have a lot to prove and potentially this may be where we need more experience. If Chris can overcome adversity we will have it with him. We can surely expect at least two more players to arrive soon. There may be a third although it would be nice to see Kenny back. If you look at other SPL clubs, we are making steady moves to raise standards. We have Martin Laing, Liam Polworth to name but a few promising youngsters. Our new keeper has a point to prove. It was remarkable that Johnny Tuffey was so loyal over two years as a back up keeper. Beyond that, it is similar to Dundee United. Until people star putting money in the kitty, providing SPL football in Inverness will continue to be a business challenge.

I agree that we need to get through this season financially intact but we also need to get through this season embedded in the SPL and avoiding a potential dreaded play off situation. Stay in the SPL at the close of the 2012-2013 season then it is likely that further configurations will make us "safe" until 2015. That is why I wanted the consolodation season to be last season - and dont give me the injuries nonsense. That is why I now have to look at this season as being the consolodation season and that is why I feel that we need to spend that little bit extra to get a bit of experience in at the back and a goalscorer I doubt if that can be acquired via a loan signing. And Noel Intern - would you stop feckin moaning.

But does that not mean Newco starting in the Southern League or Highland League or equivalents to get the required three years of audited accounts etc that every other team which applies to join the SFL is required to have...or alternatively, buying a Club in one of the other divisions and taking their place as Airdrie United did? Every other brand new team takes a minimum three years, unless they go the alternative route, to even get to the application stage, so Newco should be looking at a minimum of five years in the wilderness before hitting SFL1....which should be plenty of time to ensure that by then, Scottish Football has sorted itself out...and stopped running the whole of Scottish football for the benefit of two teams and the flaming TV.. You may well be right. I don't know enough about the rules to say whether they have actually have any right to apply for the SFL in the first place. All I am saying is that if they do then it has to be division 3 or not at all.

.................... Eurika, I've got it, it's the number 12.

Not sure if its the jaw or the forehead. It's the gloves!

Just you.

is it me or does antonio reguero kind of look like tuffey at first glance

With the uncertainty over Sky's money ICT are playing a prudent game, which is hard to stomach but necessary. Rangers, having artificially inflated the transfer market for years, have been exposed as a sham (not a Rangers hater by any means) and the correction will take place at the end of this season when clubs find their tv money slashed and administration a real possibility as they struggle to pay their longer term contracts. Scottish football will naturally find its level next year and I think we just need to get through this year financially intact. The SPL was founded on greed without much thought for the good of the Scottish game and I am glad that this is finally being addressed, albeit not by choice.

I renewed mine on Thursday. I debated as to whether or not I would bother as I am studying in Aberdeen at the moment meaning I am between Inverness and there. I didn't get to enough home games to justify having one last year, however I decided that I would get one again partly because of the clubs decision on the newco. I made a point of contacting the club and venting my anger on here and I felt that I and other fans were listened to. I'll just need to make an extra effort to get to more games this year and work it around my uni/work life.

Whether you agree or disagree, I think it's a bit out of order to be slating these guys and personally insulting them before they've even had a chance to kick a ball in an ICT shirt. I really hope they aren't reading this site and tarring all our fans with the same brush because a few don't posses the common decency of keeping a civil tongue and not prejudging them.

Lets all laugh at Killy they now have to visit Dingwall.

I think that's what the budget allows. We stayed up last year with the help of loan players we could never afford to buy. County have a rake of 1st division players who may find it tough in the SPL, we will see. But a cut in our budget has made it even harder to get the players in not easier. An increase in the budget would have meant showing faith in the team's ability to stay up but that hasn't happened so we are back to 1 year contracts and loanees, it's a vicious circle. To survive in the current climate with our fanbase and budget is always going to be a challenge. I do think we could build a team for the 1st Div though as that is probably the reality of our budget and a few years there building a team we can relate to maybe wouldn't be a bad thing. We could blood some youth there too.

The worst and most negative post I have ever seen on this forum, I would hate to be a newly signed player reading this thread. Your a disgrace and your comments are not helpful and not welcome.

Still 7 short of a full team and subbies. Thats not including squad players. Going to be a long summer!