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Sure the board have made some PR and communication gaffes BUT their undoubted initial task was to sort out the financial stability whilst trying not to affect the team balance and keep hope for the new season. I actually think that they may well have achieved that. I would have also thought that Robbo would have been off ski if he smelt a rat. I think that we are better prepared pre-season than we ever have been before. I think that we have a squad that can hold it's own in this league. I also think that if the players develop then we will be in the next set of play offs. The board are on a hiding to nothing with the vultures waiting to pounce on mere scraps of mistakes. Now Stage 1 is complete it is now the time to look at the other improvements which need to be made. I was hoping that CJT would be part of bringing that about but it feels like there continues to be an internal political power game continuing. The only way is up but that has to be together.

Some people aren't getting it. Most accept that moving Gary on was a necessary evil. However what is disappointing in the nature and manner of the exit. He was a player who went above and beyond his duties. He was our club captain. He therefore deserved a bit more respect rather than forced out the club via the backdoor with a shoddy statement.

Pretty much agree with everything you say....as far as I can see everyone wins. Gary now has a longer contract on possibly more money, we have rebalanced the squad financially, and certainly from an age point of view. Imagine if Warren had got an injury next season, he would have been in a more vulnerable position in terms of his next contract. We've lost a good man no doubt, with plenty of experience, a great servant....it was ashame he was banned for two of our finals. However certainly in our relegation season there were a few on here having a pop at him and it's probably true that he might not have been first choice next season. It's difficult for the board to get it right, not least since social media, always outflanks you. There was obviously suggestions being made, as in 'if you fancy finding yourself a better contract elsewhere we wont stand in your way/demand a fee' but that has empowered Gary. In the end the board (any board) will never satisfy all the fans nor that it needs to....yes I get 'more transparency, openess' thing, but just what do we really expect with player contracts and transfers. Someone else has suggested the board is a 'shambles'...really? At the end of the season people were speculating about whether we were in financial trouble or if we could avoid going part time. Yet what I see is a club that's got key players on extended/better contracts (and longer than a year!) and recruited five new players in good time (yes we lost Vigurs), leaving us with squad that has some potential and longevity and no sign of going part-time as well as organising itself off the park. Sure people have had issues with the departures of Gary, and Ross Draper and David Raven previously, but ultimately the club makes 'business' decisions about what it can afford and fund.

It's strange that so many support and back the board without criticism and think the way it has behaved over the last 2 seasons in releasing or more forcing players out is acceptable. Cost cutting is accepted as required however the way we do this is unsavoury behind the scenes and farcical in public. Regardless of the end result sometimes acting professionally to get there will carry more favour - football is a 'business' built on loyalty of not consumers but fans and without those a club has nothing and no business. All those citing the number of games Warren played last year, his age, concerns about declining form and high salary are people's opinion yet nobody questions the re-signing of Doran (again) over the last 3 years he's hardly played, been on and most likely still is on a good contract keeping him as one of our highest earners and has yet to get anywhere near previous form at a lower level of football- surely that's as big a risk for the club financially.

Gaz was a great servant to the club, put his body on the line, led from the front and saw our best times. It was lovely to see him lift a cup as captain last season after missing the previous two finals. However there were signs at the end of the relegation season and last season that he was losing a yard or two of pace. OK the club made it known that he was available to go if he could find another suitable club but if he couldn't he was welcome to see out his contract. It is a huge challenge to balance the books and it seems we've arrived where both parties will be content .... 1. Gaz has gone back to his neck of the woods to a decent, standard ... closer to his family no doubt ... and teaming up with an old ICT pal (Fisher). 2. The club has released a more expensive, ageing player where recent, younger, very promising replacements have recently been recruited. What's the big problem? Do we really have to take a pop at the board at every potential opportunity ... or can we not choose to be a bit more positive and encouraging even? P.S. even our more affluent near neighbours have seen the need / financial benefit of agreeing the release of their well paid captain? I'm not sure Uncle Roy has taken the same flack.

Well said Johndo, some posters really do need to take a reality check on this situation

Perhaps Roy McGregor hasn't taken the same flack because, like him or loathe him, unlike the current members of our own board, he has invested millions of pounds of his own money in his club, runs it very professionally and, perhaps most importantly, makes a point of communicating well and often with its fans. Our board may not be either willing or able to match his investment in a financial sense but they could learn a lot from him in many other respects.

As per my last post on this topic I am still to be convinced that agreeing a settlement for Warren itself will yield savings. There are negative effects which the way this event was handled and the effect beyond just the outgoings to the player but what he brought into the club or his contribution influences. Getting rid of one of the most marketable assets doesn't always correspond to surplus cash at the end of the season.

Not sure I agree with your last sentence. We may be going backwards still in the board room but on the field, we have arrested the decline and, in the latter part of last season, showed every sign of starting to move forward again. I am disappointed to see Gary Warren go as the latest victim of cost cutting but remain optimistic for the season ahead.

Wow! To be honest I suspect few people on this forum can have any doubt that you have a bit of a beef with the the current board! ....But I don't think it's that hard to see that Gary Warren might benefit at 34 by having a two year contract with someone else (unless it's on a peppercorn rate!) against the 1 year he had left with ICT. Your point about ANY player getting injured is irrevelant since I'm talking about GW, it's not hard to see that should GW had suffered a bad injury in his final year with us then when nearing 35 next year getting another contract could be tricky, so he now has the benefit of two years pay. I'm sure had he stayed with ICT he would have featured during the season, however with Robbo securing a right back and with Mckay, Donaldson and Tremarco all on extended contracts beyond GW's it's possible to envisage those four being the regular back line (and with McCart available too). TBH I'm neither pro-this-board, nor anti-the-old-board, either set have made mistakes and the current one will still do so, still at least ICT aren't going into the new season with one fit striker like Palace did last year (you can imagine the flak the CPFC board got for that!), any football board gets few thanks if ticket prices go up, or results are bad, or signings don't materialise, the manager isn't sacked etc etc. And I'm not naive, I understand situations are manipulated by either side when it suits them.

FTFY

At least 3, if not 4 of these teams have larger average attendances than us. If ours were at the same level, then perhaps not all of the financial savings would be needed. The spend of some of these clubs, especially Dundee Utd is not sustainable long term if they do not get promotion. As I have said before, an extra 1000 fans at each home game would make a huge difference financially. Bottom line is club cannot spend money it doesn't have although many fans appear to want to do this.

All players had wages cut upon relegation (contractual)...said to have been 20%.

I think Glover (Ewan) and Old Caley Girl (Lynne) make the point fairly clear that whilst both are members of the ICT Supporters Society (CJT) Board, that does not preclude them from having thoughts/opinions of their own and expressing them as they see fit. If and when any CJT Board Member is communicating information on behalf of the organisation they will make that clear...e.g. I clearly make this post in my capacity as Society Chairman...no other posts made by them should be viewed as representative of CJT. The organisation has a Board Members Conduct Policy and nothing mentioned in this thread would put them anywhere close to being in breach of that, but if you want to complain (and put your name to it) then you can contact me via the DM system on this forum or email [email protected]. If you include your real name and membership number (if known) to allow us to properly record the complaint, that would be extremely helpful. Having only been in place for 10 days, and with a mountain of work to do in order to get the society itself back in order, I can assure you that we have not formed any collective view (critical or otherwise) on the club or any other aspect of the ICTFC Community at large. I'm all for a bit of constructive criticism and I have said elsewhere that I actively encourage it...however, please try and give us a chance to at least draw our first breath before trying to stick the boot in...many thanks ?

To make it crystal clear any views I post on here are my personal opinion only. Devious and subversive are strong words!

To reply to IHE's 'vulture' analogy conflating my views with CJTs as 'internal political struggle' and 'divisive' echoed by Cif, as also 'taking a pop' and 'flack' along with making erroneous inferences, and being observed as 'devious and subversive' by Bughtmaster. Firstly, if I am accused of 'taking a pop' or 'giving flak' it is based on evidence. I have given support for my belief through quotes, web links, facts, statistics the whole way through. Any rhetoric beyond that circles back to my belief that there is no reason for fans currently to be positive or encouraging. Again, I gave evidence - through the comparison of ICT to Dundee Utd, Falkirk, Partick and Dunfermline and specifically to a combination of fan involvement on the board and Open Days - and I compared that with the record on ICT and found it to be far far less and yet couldn't reconcile that with the vision set out over a year ago. As for political struggle and CJT. My views are my own. I may be called to account for my stance by the board (whom I have no relationship with, outside of that single first board meeting a few weeks back, whatsoever) and if anyone wishes to contact the Chair or Vice Chair or whoever to say I am overly divisive, devious or subversive, you may do that, and I won't hold any grudge - I am accountable. I have never met or communicated with any ICT board member past nor present so politics or ideology I don't get. Lastly, I have on my own volition acknowledged the club shop, the ticketing gates, the compliance, the need for financial prudence, and the board's achievement of it. I have also recognised the value of differing opinions on this matter and think it is important, healthy, and progressive to have debate. I did make too much of a leap attributing fans being submissive to Cif73 and so that was not accurate and I take that back, If I can. Devious and subversive. I do wish to alter the board's mindset to fan involvement, yes. I'd like to see the Dundee Utd model of fan representation on the board in place but I don't think it's so linear that cuts happen first, then fan engagement second. Or that it takes over a year to begin, I just see it as an MO. I don't feel I've been dishonest or deceitful in my actions, but if you want to hold me to account, have at it.

I don't recall suggesting or inferring this approach .

Is there wine and fine dining available in corporate ?

Ross County offered Davies a restructured deal which he turned down. We did not do that with Warren and just stated we wanted him gone. Nail - hammer interface here with this post.

I can't believe that people actually think that Yeovil have made a good signing with Gary. He is clearly at the end of his career and I suspect getting closer to home and playing in the reserves is going to be his swan song. Most people did not think that he would get a game for us and now some are making him the captain of Yeovil. Good luck Gary and thanks for the great memories.

Does it have a bar? Do they sell pies? ? ?

This is not a pop! The Chairman said himself the vision was to '...restore trust...be more open and transparent...better communication, better collaboration...' and the Pride of the Highlands catchphrase had been tarnished, and the solution was everybody engaged, everybody participating https://stv.tv/sport/football/1395967-new-inverness-chairman-targets-top-flight-return/ Not only has that not materialised it has got worse. Look at the Draper issue. The season ticket pricing last year. Twice the knee-jerk, heavy handed attacks on fans. No progress on the 25th anniversary plans for February, no fan collaboration on that organising committee (in place since February). 6th longest-serving player and captain forced out and when the sage dragged out for a month and was finally settled and he left, fans heard from P&J (with details of the departure). This year the only direct communication from Mr Rae to fans has been a scan of a letter of complaint to the SPFL, to highlight dire finances, and an unacceptable behaviour statement. Indeed that was the last one, three months ago. I'm not sure why your default for fans is to prostrate themselves submissively, I wouldn't do that for any board. They were not invited by the fans, last I heard, and don't seem to be fledgling trainees in need of reassurance. View fans as powerful stakeholders, which they absolutely are (certainly at Dundee Utd they are, and Dunfermline). There has been the club shop and a move to automatic ticketing gates, in a year. Asides from the chairman/board, we have had a CEO in since November but yet again, no engagement, no collaboration, no communication - I am using Mr Rae's words .

It's been a while since I looked at it, but ICTFC had one of the highest % of population figures for any club in Scotland. That's not to say that there's not room for growth, there always is, but what we can't afford to do is shift so much resource into chasing small margins that we end up neglecting and losing the existing fan base. In fact, when it comes to such matters, there's very good argument to be made in favour of almost solely concentrating on your existing fanbase and allowing their positive experience to work as the attraction to draw in new fans.

Gary is without doubt a leader...on and off the park. The type of player who will also, literally, put his body on the line for the team. If a squad lacking a bit of direction and self belief has been your problem, then you couldn't have asked for a better man than Gaz to have in the changing room. As if that wasn't enough, top bloke and total gent off the park....oh and he has his coaching badges....and is always willing to take time to talk with fans. You could do worse than give him the captain's arm band.

I thought the SEVCO job was already taken...

The club have missed a trick here. The semi final kicks off at 7 so if you go to the friendly, you'll see really none of it. Why didn't the club arrange the game for a 1730/1800 kick off and then open up the bar and the hospitality suits after the game so folk can go in and watch it? If they put food on as well or some type of offer, they could do quite well.

Unpopular opinion here it seems (what a way to make my first post, eh). I would rather he went elsewhere but only because I don’t see him being picked as a first choice player next season. He’s played really well for us, always (literally sometimes) putting his face on the line for the ball...when he can get there in time, and that’s the only negative I can see with Gary. Whether it’s his positioning or a lack of speed I’m not sure but there were quite a few times last season when the defence was missing or sleeping (admittedly not just Gary’s fault). To end his career on a big payday I’d rather he found somewhere else but it would be sad to see him go. And that’s where sentimentality comes in. I think we should be saying yes, if we can get someone younger, fitter, faster that can do the job by all means let him go, but do right by him financially. The only problem is, we probably can’t do both.

Ah, I seem to have set the cat among the pigeons here, I wonder why ? My post is in no way offensive, merely a summarising of what in my opinion I have read into what has recently been arising in this forum in general. All it is, is a call for positive unity (togetherness) from the posters on here, surely that is a much better way of helping the Club than decrying it ? My reference re. CJT is entirely a suggestion to the same effect, merely a suggestion, is that putting the boot in ??? I think not Caley D. Perhaps though you know best and don't want any interference to your thoughts on how to improve relations with the Club and Supporters. In which case I shall refrain from further comment in future regarding this. You have however made me think twice and possibly others about joining the organisation if it is not to be run in a democratic fashion.

How do know that? Robbo is given a budget, how he spends it is up to him, not the board! Get back to earth.

The Board, to my mind , have so far been putting their house in order, they have made some improvements to a number of measures that have been neglected for a very long time. They have recruited personnel they know they can trust to support their aims and ambitions, surely this must hold promise for the future? Perhaps at this moment in time we are not receiving the amount of communication we expected but we are getting every bit as much if not more than we have done from the previous board that was in office. Immortal H E mentions the political undercurrent that is having a diverse effect on the support, I fully agree with this and as he says working together not division is the way up. Perhaps doing so on this forum will be a start. Rather than some of the devious and subversive digs and comments made by some on here which are divisive to the Supporters it would be good to get back the togetherness element Certainly CJT should be working towards that too, certainly if there is criticism to be made their voice should be heard but through consultation with the Board rather than by public outcry I