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He became manager there five days before the transfer window closed. Not that easy to sign an entire squad in that time. And the few signings he did make included Onyango from Everton (who has been on the bench several times for the first team) and Robbie Savage's son from Man Utd, who had been considered good enough to play once for the first team there. Given our previous managers include Baltacha (first managerial job), Paterson (only managed in the Highland League), Robertson (first managerial job), Brewster (first managerial job), Christie (first managerial job), Brewster again (had been a disaster at Dundee United), Butcher (did great at Motherwell but rotten in Australia and at Brentford before coming to us), Hughes (hadn't been great at Hibs), Foran (first managerial job), Robertson (hadn't managed anyone in forever) and Dodds (first managerial job) I don't particularly see why Ferguson should be considered less qualified than so many of his predecessors.

I like the idea of a manager with contacts and a history of no nonsense in his playing career. We are severely lacking in gritty players and hopefully Dunc can be transformative for those softies we have on the books and bring out a new side to their game. We are in a dogfight at the bottom, make no mistake. It’s a gamble of an appointment, a big gamble, but one I’m quite positive about.

Well I for one am hugely up for this, probably because it's the first time I've been starstruck by a managerial appointment; Dunc was one of my favourite players to watch when he was at Everton and Newcastle, one of the great target men. As for his coaching credentials, as stated previously his Forest Green stint can be taken with a pinch of salt because they were a shambles that anyone would have struggled to fix. I'm more interested in the fact that so many Everton managers thought he was worth keeping around as a coach. This is a guy who has worked for Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti, amongst others. Surely he will have picked up a few tips? And like Butcher when he was here, Ferguson should have plenty of contacts for finding players and the charisma to convince them to come here. Fingers (and toes) crossed.

With a 3 year contract, it plainly has to. Otherwise we're relegated bankrupt f****d !

Every coach has there ups and downs, and some of the best coaches had some failures in the past, even Sir Alex, so let's hope this is the start of DFs rise up the coaching ladder, and he brings success to ICT this season, and success this season, for me, would be staying in this league first and foremost.

Very pleased with this news . Welcome to the Club and Very Best Wishes .. Looking forward to new beginnings ….

It’s a pity we didn’t appoint him in the summer, we’d have sold more season tickets, attracted better players and might not be bottom of the league!

I just get the feeling that some supporters wouldn't be happy with anyone who gets appointed as the issue is with the current regime ie Gardiner and Robertson. I am by no means a happy clapper but was quite happy about the appointment. The guys had input from some of the world's top managers will have a ton of contacts hopefully and at the end of the day is the club not about taking and rebuilding careers that have went somewhat by the wayside?

Gardiner and his ego still need to go imo.

Well that appointment took everyone by surprise,but fair play I think this appointment is what ICT need.Enough of all the excuses,now big Dunc will sort the men from the boys. I agree a 3 year contract is strange but if I was him that's what I would ask for to get time and stability to sort the mess we are in out. However funny to see club statement say they hope supporters will get behind Dunc.We will,but why dont the club now look inward at themselves review procedure and process and engage properly with fans. This divide cannot continue. SG jacket still on a shouglie peg but I doubt he ain't going anywhere. Maybe he has just saved his skin,but he needs to look at how he is running the club.

Not the appointment I was contemplating but I guess we'll need to buckle up and brace ourselves for the ride. Irrespective of the calibre of the candidate you really have to question the wisdom of a 3 year contract after the Dodds contract fiasco. The battery farm money tree must be in full bloom this week....

The decision of the people (SG, RM & GB I understand) has been made, and having sifted through the names applied via emailed, agents or via pals picked Duncan Ferguson to manager the team. I don’t know what the criteria and expectations these 3 people had to come up with DF, however I have to put aside my own thoughts and reservations for now and give the new manager a clean slate to see what he can do in what happens on the park, ie results, style and performances. He is stepping into a team that is in a difficult, (but not yet perilous) position. He has to hit the ground running and get results quickly as the fans are no mood to see us detached and anchored at the bottom of the league too long. So, I will wish the new manager does well and is a success. I believe however whoever he brings in (I assume he will), as his No 1, needs to know his stuff. DF is and will be the showface on the telly, but it’s the footballing side that needs to work. I see nothing from DF post playing days to convince me we’ve got a new ‘Pep’. I think being away from family and home is difficult for anyone and Jan and Feb will be long nights to mull over things, so fingers crossed here. So in closing, Good luck ‘big Duncan’ , we need a sprinkle of magic dust! I look for the 3 people that made this decision to be fully accountable to take the plaudits or criticism in May next year. bc

Gets us more compensation when Dundee Utd come in for him next season.

Forest Green is full of vegans. That in itself should exonerate Dunc from any blame in that shambles.

I hope I am wrong, I really do, but I cannot shake the feeling that we are going to end up in serious relegation trouble this season with this appointment.

Meltdown. Ah well, you'll always have Lisbon.

Oh no - one of my footballing heroes who I idolised from the Gladwys Street. There were a lots of side issues at Forest Green and he was lauded as a coach at Everton. But this is an expensive ploy by Gardener. "Ambitious Club". CEO has sprung a big surprise and some would say 'coup', putting him in a strong position for the now. Will also say that three years gives him the time to get us back into the Premiership.Good excuse to keep Robbo as he will say that he will advise about Scottish football. Dunc is a very approachable and open guy and I look forward to having a wee chat. Oh I want him to succeed but I am far from confident and we need to know where the spondoolicks came for this move. We may now have one of the most expensive hierarchies in Scotland and the least expensive player budget.

Having slept on last night’s rumour and reacted this morning by predicting it will end in tears, I’ve had time to reflect. It is a bold appointment, and has a lot of risk about it. However, he will stand up to the CEO and Board, which must be a positive. He was highly rated as a coach at Everton and nearly went to Real Madrid in a coaching role, so he clearly has strengths. Forest Green was a disaster for him but probably would have been for whoever had the job. He’s here now, so he has my support. During the next few weeks I hope he earns my continued support. As I said after Saturday’s game, there is hope!

Very pleased and excited with this appointment !!!!.I will now renew my Season Ticket.I wonder how many of those who disagree with " Big Duncs " appointment would be jumping with joy if Scott Brown or Darren O'Dea (who are probably less qualified than Dunc?) had been given the nod. So come on Caley Jags "Up and at Em". Welcome aboard "Big Dunc"

Heard it was going to be @RedCard myself.

You wonder at the economics of this whole situation. What did it cost to get rid of Dodds and Wilson? How much are we paying Duncan Ferguson, and his assistant when he's announced? I would imagine that it might be a tidy sum. So, if all this expenditure that ICT have found over the last few days had been spent on new quality players over the summer, we might not be in this mess now. Just a thought.

Wow, never saw this appointment coming. Should at least drum up interest and revenue. Football wise we’ll have to wait and see. But certainly the most interesting and left field appointment since Terry Butcher. Exciting times.

Three year deal on the face of it is bonkers but I suspect if Ferguson was to commit to us then we needed to commit to him and so that meant giving him a chunky contract to get him up here.

I know we have to give him a chance and I will but 3 years! How much will this be costing and if we have the money why didn't we spend some of it on players in the summer to replace the ones that left. I really hope this works out

At least he will put some fight into the team............ just sayin

3 year deal

I hope I’m wrong but this will end in tears.

I look forward to him chinning Gardiner and/or Robbo the first time they stick their nose in where it's not welcome.

Donald Park got us there .

I don’t think anybody (except Dodds) was saying it just needed more time. The club’s decision was based on them concluding that a different manager could get more out of the squad and better results than Dodds was getting.

There was a small part of me hoping this morning's press conference was to announce a new CEO. Sadly, I think the only way we'll be rid is when he's driven the club into administration.

If we've got money to bring in a big name manager, and money to bring in more loan players, then why was it not available for Dodds? If they didn't trust Dodds to spend it wisely, then why give him a new 2 year deal? If we believed there is more ability in the squad than they've shown and it just needed a little more time, why sack Dodds? As has been the case since Gardiner was appointed, every action leaves us with more questions than answers.

That’s 4 consecutive ICT managers who were attackers for Scotland. This attacking mentality is why we are such a, erm, free scoring side?

A bold managerial decision doesn't change anything, even with an upturn in results. All the same questions around finances, top heavy structure and dismissive attitude towards fans all remain. Whether Dodds & Wilson has been paid off or getting paid we have now an outlay on a new managerial team on a long deal plus retaining our DoF. Even if we stay up this year financially we not strengthening so big worry if we drop to the seaside leagues.

Did the Goodison Park tour a few years back. In the dressing room the guy pointed to an upright walk in ice therapy unit and confirmed it had been used by big Duncan Ferguson ... exclusively .. no one else went near or else .. he'll wake the club up one way or the other that's for sure .. maybe he could start by locking Scot Gardiner in one of those units.

Last season Dundee Utd fans were wanting Big Dunc as manager and everybody laughed at them for being unrealistic and getting ideas above their station. And now we have landed him. This aspect of it makes me smile and has been mentioned already to my Utd supporting friends and colleagues.

“….but if ICT ever come calling…!”

Well I wasn't expecting that! Welcome big Dunc Work your magic on Harry Lodovica!

A bold appointment for three years I hope it works out

My point was that you are ignoring, and trying to explain away, the similarities between Forest Greens situation and ours and throwing in about him having contacts etc. that will serve him well here, when they did jack all to serve him well with Forest Green. I'm sure you will have noticed that our window has closed, so he doesn't even have 5 days, even if we had the money to bring anyone in. Any managerial signing comes with risks, but this one just stinks of a decision being made as a result of fanboyism. I'm not saying he will or won't be a success, I'm saying there's nothing to back up your assertations.

What your suffering from there is called confirmation bias. We are in as big a shambles as Forest Green. He didn't bring in any of these amazing players you think he has access to then, and we've no money to bring them in here. We needed someone to get the best from what we already have and he failed to do that with Forest Green.

The things some folk will do to sell their horrible orange kit! I will lay money on it now, that the announcement and accompanying picture will be Ferguson holding up the ICT orange kit,(or sevco away kit 2002), with FERGSON, sprawled across the back.

Expensive disaster written all over it. 3 people on long contracts sitting doing nothing by new years.

So what you're saying is that in his previous appointment, he was taken in when a team was bottom and he failed to get them off the bottom? *Checks our current league position* Exactly what we need right now

I saw Forest Green get battered at Portman Road but they are a small club and we’re not ready or invest well enough to stay in League 1 so 1 in 18 sounds bad but they were well out of there depth. His one win actually came against Sheffield Wednesday. He took over after there previous manager - might have been Rob Edwards - left to go to Watford I think and a lot of the players that got them promoted left too. Ferguson took over when they were already bottom and struggling so although that record not great can’t all be pinned on him. By the sounds of it he’s a very good coach at Everton with Ancellotti wanting to take him to Real but whether he is a good manger is the question. Time will tell!

We're doomed!

Or maybe Scot Gardiner thinks he could do a better job, and wants a crack at it himself! Now, would that be saving a wage, or would he want two wages? Because if anybody could be able to do both jobs, it would be him, in his mind!

From Am Baillie site The Mound railway station, late 1950s. Located on the Far North Line between #Rogart and #Golspie, the Mound was also the junction for the #Dornoch Light Railway. The station closed to passenger traffic in 1960 and to goods traffic in 1964 #railways #locomotives [source: Highland Railway Society]

I think you are The house I thought was the old station was the bridge keepers cottage and your cottage is still there. I am learning more local history all the time. Check out the links below. The Mound, Golspie - ARCH Highland MHG45526 - Mound Bridge, Loch Fleet - Highland Historic Environment Record