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I'm not getting involved in this but there's a few interesting points in here that are continually voiced by mainstream media. I have no opinion on the merits (or otherwise) of what happened to Rangers. What happened, happened and it may be that after CG's departure more information will clarify the true picture of what went on at Ibrox. What cannot be denied is that the SPL is a better place this year. People do tell me that its uncompeditive and that Celtic didn't have to try and that's why they won the league at such an early date. No one levels that criticism at Manchester United or the EPL, although Man Utd won the league the day after Celtic and may well finish with a record number of points amassed in that competition. Celtic's pricing for an end of season game, albeit one that promised a celebration, was entirely reasonable and mirrored pricing incentives that have been used by all the SPL clubs this year. The fact is that in times of economic uncertainty, entertainment industries suffer and football is just one of them. The quality (or otherwise) of the product is secondary but this has been the tightest SPL in years. Motherwell have been excellent and we could have been clear in second and close to Celtic if our early season run of draws had been translated to wins. From what I can remember, that wouldn't have taken much so it's not a flight of fancy to imagine. The standard of football has been better this year and that fear of losing that permeated previous seasons seems to have lessened. Celtic may win the League for the next however many seasons, but man United or City will win the EPL, Real or Barcelona will win La Liga and teams like Rosenborg will have a stranglehold on their leagues. Does it lessen the TV viewing public? No. Does it devalue the other clubs in these leagues? No. What will devalue it is continually talking it down. Tell a dog its bad for long enough and guess what? Bad it will be.

Your quite right Kingsmills,I hadn't forgotten, and when the inevitable becomes mathematical,I will drop in a chq for ICT youth development to LG at the TCS. :-)

Agent N... I would beg to disagree 100% and suggest the complete opposite. You imply Rangers and Celtic are the solution to the problem. I would put it to you in total contrast that Rangers and Celtic actually ARE the problem and that they have historically stifled competition from other clubs. Scottish football is struggling for viability because so much of the cash circulating in it is going into the coffers at Ibrox and Celtic Park. Within a population base of just 5 million, there's not enough left for much else to survive at any significant level. However Rangers and Celtic disappearing off to England, for instance, wouldn't solve the problem since the money would still follow them. I'm afraid Scottish football is stuck with this situation since you can't unmake Rangers and Celtic in the form in which they exist - unless you can renegotiate the Anglo Irish Treaty and undo the Reformation!! So you can fiddle about with league structure as much as you like. It really won't make any significant difference since there is no solution to the core problem of Old Firm hegemony. I also don't think the negative factors you point to are a result of Rangers being in the Third Division this season. My own view is that from the perspective of the other 11 SPL clubs apart from Celtic, this has actually been a rather better season than normal. OK, there has been no competition for the league title but that isn't any concern of these other 11 clubs and anyway nothing has really changed there - once again it has been won by an OF club. But on the other hand the other clubs have been going to Celtic Park or entertaining Celtic with a greater hope of taking something from them this season, there was an absolutely wonderful scrap for top six places, the battle is still not over in terms of who finishes second and there is an extra European place for one of these other 11 clubs.

Sadly, having seen him play yesterday, he wasn't giving 100% and hasn't done since he's known he's away. While he's a good player, playing Ross or even Pepper in his role on Saturday would, I believe, mean we have a better team on the field, than playing an Andrew Shinnie putting in about 10% and looking not to get injured more than anything else.

Och that whole 'bent the rules' is being too sensitive. Spartans themselves said they wouldn't put a bid in against a team with a world class stadium, crowds to rival Celtic and bringing in money that dwarfs any other club that could gain entry. Of course, they would get in. Agent N: see above. No-one said they were bigots for flying the flag but bigots who fly the flag. It's a subtle but important difference. I don't think Green did pander to them (and I've never saw Rangers as racist [or at least in the past few decades] - bigots yes, but religion, not race). Green just was a bit niaive. Even that whole comment about Imran Ahmed was part of a speech saying he wasn't racist/bigoted. Read the whole quote. Indeed, he was saying the bigotry towards Rangers wasn't based on race or religion either but because of being a big successful club. A brain-disengaged, loud-mouthed, money-obsessed man but doubt he cared much beyond that. But this season's SPL has been more enjoyable than the past 10 years or more. Who won the league has always been immaterial since Souness. Rangers/Celtic/who cares? Who qualifies for Europe has taken in everyone in the league at some stage. The old guard of Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen and, to an extent, Dundee Utd losing ground to new clubs has been more exciting than which millionaire team can score how many goals against which bankrupt club. Who wins the league has always been of interest to Rangers, Celtic and outsiders. Scottish fans of other clubs couldn't care less. Yeah, you're right. Competition is needed. But not the old two-horse race. That's what's led to the staleness of so many years. A number of clubs need a chance of winning. Rangers haven't been missed but Celtic are still too rich.

Just because they wave union flags, does not make them bigots, if you don't like the flag of this country go and live somewhere else, I would suggest you are the bigot. Today at Parkhead we were entertained by a number of choruses of Paddy McCourt's Fenian army, because we live in a country where people fought and died, under the flag that you consider bigoted, they are entitled to do that. Did I miss your post condemning the waving of the Irish flag and starry plough after the last time Celtic visited Inverness?. ..... Guess you weren't too disappointed in todays result! The SPL hasn't been a breath of fresh air this season, ICT have had a magnificent season, but we all knew that Dundee were up against it and would get relegated and Celtic would win it. I would suggest the only fresh air is between your ears!

Initially I was disappointed to hear the news that he'll be away come season end. But on reflection, I'm not too fussed. When he arrived he was useless. It took a long time to settle in. At the start of the season he was our main man. Excellent all-round footballer and it was probably our best player. Definately deserving of his cap. Since that cap for Scotland he's not performed as well as he can, and I have to agree with Renegade that he's not shown 100% commitment since the rumours started about Birmingham. Although I still think he's best placed to start ahead of Ross and Pepper, I'd like to see either of these replace him sooner rather than later if he under-performs again this weekend

All this chat reminds me of an incident which Mantis and meself managed to clear up at the last gudgies game in Dingwall, it was the old argument - what did CC say to Bone in THAT game at viccy park to send him mental and earn 3 reds.<br />We spoke to the man himself and as he remembers, it went something like this - ref was booking Bone for a foul and as ref was speaking to bone Charlie wandered past and said to the ref in a loud voice 'no point in asking his name ref, he cany even spell it' to this Bone went daft and the rest is history.

Going a bit off topic but I must say that while I thought Dundee would probably finish bottom of the pile, I believed that they had the players to make a much better fight of it than they did. Although Barry Smith seems a very decent man, the fact that Brown has comes in and made a much better fist of it while only bringing in a 'keeper seems to confirm that. That said, I know which of the two I'd prefer to live net door to me !

Most important game of the season to drop either Shinnie or McKay would be cutting off our nose to spite our face notwithstanding the fact that neither have been at their best recently.

What in Brora?????

He was talking about Ross Tokely. Since promotion to the SPL, fame went to the big man's head and he kept missing training after nights out with Paris Hilton and was rumoured to be spending £1000 a night on champagne.

Been arguing since I was a youth with anyone who would listen,Scottish football would be a far better,more entertaining product with both the larger Glasgow teams out of the picture. The one statement of Agent N I totally agree with is " Football needs competition to survive" I also believe supporters need hope to keep them returning.When I started following Scottish football, Celtic and Rangers were dominant, but did not have a complete monopoly on championships, however,since 1985,(nearly 30 years!! ) no one outside these 2 has had a look in,with all other teams scrapping for crumbs from the top table with the odd cup win or one round jaunt into obscure European terroritory the prize for hanging on closest to their coat tails! Competition???? As Joe Royle would say, My ......!!!! The interest this season has been seeing ICT and (sorry) County grasping the opperchancity and really going for it with a belief and confidence that they are where they are on merit,and yes, that was a breath of fresh air, also the pecking order throughout the game,(with the exception of Celtic) has changed big time,and any other season, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen would now be involved in a relegation scrap had we not so gloriously squandered our golden ticket out of first division obscurity :-( I truly am disillusioned and dismayed with the state of the professional football set up in Scotland,the charlatans,cheats and self interested money men who control and manipute our game to the ruination of all have scunnered me and only an inbred sense of loyalty towards friends and club keep me returning at all,but even this gets tested more and more with every passing season.

Would start him against St. Johnstone but only just and if he shows the same lack of effort and commitment as he did against Celtic then that should be his last game for the club. Watching him on tv against Celtic he made no effort to close anyone down or chase back and when he lost the ball he would just stop dead and stand there and let the opposition player run past him with no effort to try and win it back or put in a tackle.

You need an innoculation against mad player disease when you play Liverpool these days.........

The U20s played Dunfermline today. We won the game 1-0 but the game wasn't as eventful as 2 weeks ago when they played Motherwell and St Johnstone. Nick Ross got on the score sheet again. I thought that Shane Sutherland had a good game in setting up attacks and keeping hold of the ball but still had a few of his off target shots. Chris Hogg played 45 minutes of football today. Not to sure if this was due to Injury or as a pre caution. This change saw Charlie Taylor moving over to centre back and Ryan Watson coming on to left back. Jordan Gibbons played on the wings today. This was the first time I have seen him play in his "Natural" position since joining on Loan. I thought he done well in the attacks and was a nuiscence for Dunfermline's left back. Personally think he was quite suited in the centre mid position or even the Andrew Shinnie role when they played Ross County's U20 last month. Despite the high winds at TCS, it was again a good performance from the youngsters. Next Home Game is on Wednesday 24th vs Celtic at the TCS. Kick off at 2pm.

He is likely to earn more in those three years than if he spent the whole of the rest of his career at ICT and the standard of the English second tier is probably better than our top tier. The crowds, exposure and atmosphere are certainly better. In addition, it has also become apparent that Gordon Strachan favours English based players over domestic ones. It would have been good to see him in an ICT shirt for another season but I understand his motives and wish him well.

Outclassed by team who contained a high number of internationals and averaged 4 goals per home game this season. yesterday was their day. It was pitty to see us throw away the hard work we had done in the first half but its hardly going to de rail the rest of the season, no ground lost from Perth FC so next week and the games following that are vital. Time to get behind the lads for the remainder of the season.

To the disgruntled. Do you think that those of ( us ) who have a more optimistic ( to you happy clappers) outlook are supposed to sit back and let you would be pundits with visions of 'knowall ' grandeur put your side of things forward without reply ??? ICT have achieved what they set out to do for this season, any advance on this is bonus. Can you not just accept that ? Many of you were moaning at the start of the season about losing all you favourite players ( sounding like children having their toys confiscated ) then when the new arrivals came you said that we had no hope of getting to the top six, and fearing relegation. All last season we had to put up with your drivel about happy clapping, well now it is our turn, this season has been a success, so if you cannot see that then it is time to take your dark glasses off. Constructive criticism is good I am all for it but slagging off players and management for the sake of thinking you are making yourselves sound good is something else.

I agree Johndo. This happy clapping atmosphere is starting to grate. We have been average at best for a while now, unable to take care of a dour Perth side and I honestly fear for us should we approach next weeks game with the same attitude. Billy Mckay is supposed to be a top scorer.............well he was anonymous today along with a few other shirkers. Happy clapping is all good and well as long as you have something to happy clap about. In case nobody has noticed, we have won feck all yet, albeit a decent season, of course without one of the major players involved because they were too busy losing to Stirling Albion and Peterhead etc. I am getting tired of people telling me that we should be happy about our season regardless. Well I have news for you. I think we are going backwards in the stages of the season where we should be cementing our place in the history books. Are we scared? Maybe, but we need to get ourselves out of this rut before it's too late, starting with a win next week. Disgruntled

If we do get into Europe I sincerely hope that the support at Tulloch will be on the increase next season. This team , and Terry, deserve it. Who WOULD have thunk it..eh?

You are not a bigot because you wave the Union Flag. Millions of Brits died for that flag over two world wars including many Scots. Have some respect.