Leaderboard

Well done to the 98 stalwarts who made the trek down tonight!

Sheer speculation! From the moment Coote came on, nothing that did happen in his 16 minutes on the pitch would have happened had an eligible player been there instead. Coote didn't need to score to change the game, he just needed to position himself half a yard from where the alternative player would have been and it might cause an ICT or DU player to have played a different pass and from that moment, everything is different. That's why in football these days, the result never stands. Today's ruling is outrageous! It doesn't matter that we might feel we didn't play well or deserve to win, but we all know that football matches can turn on the slightest thing. We are the wronged party here, and the punishment dished out today does nothing to rectify that and give us the chance to play against a fully eligible team. At the very least we should be entitled to replay the game, and if there is no time for the fixture to be replayed, a win should have been awarded to us.

The dates show the first leg of the play-off involving a Premiership team isn't until next Thurs, we already know its not ICT or DUtd therefore providing any rescheduled game was played by Wed then surely the season will have finished to allow for the play-offs given a completed league campaign?

"The disciplinary hearing concluded that replaying the game before the end of the season - with the final round of games scheduled for this weekend - was not practical." Not correct - they could have replayed the game the following midweek if they really wanted it. They have therefore made the decision that we should not have the opportunity to collect the 3 points although they clearly believed that was what should have been the solution. A quite bizarre decision.

Even if an ineligible player stays on the bench you can't say it made no difference. Had an eligible player been on the bench instead, the circumstances of the game may have led the manager to have made different substitutions to those that were made. You have to have clear and consistent rules and then stick to them.

Hi folks, Sorry if this isn't the correct place to start this thread, please move it if so. There is a growing feeling in Scotland that the OBFA has failed and is criminalising chiefly working class football fans. Campaigns are being put together up and down the country and some of us believe it is time that we have a campaign against it up here in the Highlands. If anyone is interested in taking part in this campaign please get in contact with me - conor.cheyne@outlook.com

Sounds like a rip snorter of a game...................... Wait a minute, Danny Devine has just scored, surely not, he's rubbish is he not 3' Foul by Antons Kurakins (Hamilton Academical). 4' Foul by Gary Warren (Inverness CT) 12' Foul by Michael Devlin (Hamilton Academical) 13' Foul by Jesus Garcia Tena (Hamilton Academical). 16' Foul by Carlton Morris (Hamilton Academical). 21' Foul by Steven Boyd (Hamilton Academical). 25' Foul by Greg Tansey (Inverness CT). 26' Foul by Antons Kurakins (Hamilton Academical). 30' Foul by Jesus Garcia Tena (Hamilton Academical). 39' Foul by Jesus Garcia Tena (Hamilton Academical). 39' Ross Draper (Inverness CT) wins a free kick in the attacking half. Jamie Durent ‏@IC_JDurent 2m2 minutes agoHamilton, Scotland GOAL #HAFC 0 #ICTFC (Devine) 1 - Quick free-kick by Vigurs puts Devine one-on-one and he slides under McGovern.

So, SPFL rules, the game didn't happen as there is no points won. In their rules SPFL say they are bound by UEFA rules and decisions; The obvious precedent is Celtic v Legia Warsaw in 2014. But as most expect, SPFL would rather find a big carpet and a big brush.

Okay, well, I've not called for him to be sacked, or said he is uninspiring or fit for purpose here but feel free to carry on with your reductio ad absurdum if you so wish. We're not just talking about the ability of individual players here though. It's the approach to the players we are signing like the copious amounts of midfielders we have when we've been needing at least one other striker for over a year. I'm not disputing that some players don't work out. We saw it a lot under Butcher as well where players would arrive and leave within a year, mostly loan signings. But as has been mentioned already Hughes has significantly under performed in his dealings in the transfer market. Both in the quality of the players he has brought in but also the 'types' of players he has signed. The wrong areas of the team have been reinforced over the last few months. And yes, if a player flops then the manager is largely responsible for that. I'm not for one moment saying that Hughes is the only manager to have signed a duffer (look at some of the guff Ferguson signed at Man United like Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson and Bebe (without even seeing him play by all accounts) but, as far as his signings at ICT go, they have been poor and I find it surprising that some posters are so ready to just overlook this.

But none of us are football managers who are expected to at least have some nous in the transfer market. That is part of John Hughes's job and it is not something which he has excelled at since he came to the club. Hughes has been backed by the board better than any ICT manager in history and yet his dealings in the transfer market can be described as, at best, poor. It doesn't exactly inspire you to believe that he can replace someone like Raven if / when he leaves in the summer. It's puzzling that you seem so willing to overlook this without even a second thought.

Oh come on people, it's easy for posters on here to lay blame but at the end of the day I very much doubt if there is one of us with either the experience or ability to do a better job than JH. let's put all this to bed and back the manager who has taken us to levels we could only dream about.

Or perhaps he was given more than adequate allowance and he squandered it. As I said earlier in the discussion.

You've already got a quality player and one who has an affinity with the fans in David Raven and yet you're driven to freezing him out...

Worked wonders??? Hardly..... He made the playoffs which is what should be expected of a club of Raith's size. JH kept us in the league which is what is expected of him, you do realise that even with an increased budget it is still the smallest in the league. yes it's been a topsy turvy season but he has done what was expected.... of course we want more, but hey, we weren't far away from top 6.... at the time of the split we were only 4 points off 4th and a potential European place (While Celtic were still in the cup) I mean its hardly the apocalyptic season everyone is making out.

I thought I had already answered this in response to Kingsmills but never mind - here we go again. I am going to vote for what is best for the UK and especially for Scotland - where the importance of staying in the UK far exceeds any European consideration. Unfortunately it is not possible for these two issues to be considered separately because the SNP have conflated them by way of their stated intention to use any asymmetric European outcome as an excuse to call another Scottish referendum. This is despite having been decisively told where to place their single obsession little more than 18 months ago. It is hence far more important for Scots to vote for the good of their country - in a way which will help to thwart the SNP's wrecking agenda. Similarly, I voted NO in 1979 and 1997 not because I am desperately averse to some decisions being taken in Scotland but because (unlike George Robertson) I realised the dangers of offering the SNP a soapbox. If the SNP had respected the democratic will of the Scottish people as expressed in a referendum called at their request, at a time of their choosing and under their rules, then we would not be plagued with this constant tedium and could get on with our lives - whilst taking the Euro referendum at its face value. I do, however, suspect that Sturgeon has to some extent been making these bellicose noises just to appease the Mel Gibson wing of the party. Meanwhile we have another five years of them failing to give due attention to the people's real needs in order to concentrate on their "idee fixe". Presumably the next bit of excitement will be the impending latest clearout of ministerial incompetents where I would imagine that the likes of Richard Lochead and the unbelievably useless Angela Constance will join the ever lengthening list of failures such as Alex Neil, Fiona Hyslop, Stewart Stevenson, Kenny MacAskill, Michael Russell, Old Uncle Tom Cobley And All......

YES!!! Fantastic night for us. A draw on Saturday is enough to secure 7th place. Oh, and we're already guaranteed to have more points than County!

Mckinnon is a feckin thug anyway, best place for him.

Since the result has been declared null and void, we now have a situation where Inverness will finish the season having played one less fixture than everyone else. With potential swings of hundreds of thousands of pounds at stake for final positions, the SPFL thinks this disparity isn't a problem? Give me a break. There's no way such an anomaly would be so callously dismissed if it were affecting an Old Firm club challenging for the title. A case of, "It's that lot up there, f""" them."

Again? It's been posted on here many times before that the club operate at a financial loss, with prize money and transfer fees ensuring that the club breaks even or turns a profit. The board statement also reported that further money had been made available following the injury crisis - that's where yer money's gone! Also, their is a strong probility that our trip to Romania costs us more than we won in prize money for that too! In addition, the transfer budget for this year has been kept at the higher level, despite a lower league finish.

Actually, I have a hunch that with their striking options England might win it.

May I suggest you put aside you prejudices against those evil 'separatists' and vote on the merits of the question subject to referendum...

I obviously don't know the circumstances but doubt if the fact that you were 'visibly shaking with anger' helped matters.

JH quote in today's Inverness Courier. "I'm talking to players and they're asking what's happening, what have we got coming in," he said. "I'll be honest, I thought Greg Tansey would have been well down the line by now. I'm really surprised we've not spoke to him" Here we go again. JH having a snipe at KC and yesterday KC having a wee one at JH. This really is becoming playground stuff and the sooner JH and KC draw a line under their childish behaviour the better for this CLUB not their individual egos. We need stability within this club and without it shut the bloody door and go do something else!

Crooked decision. They've ruled that the result is void, but we get no recompense for being cheated? It's almost like our club don't exist. Enough is enough. If there was ever a time for legal action this is it.

Given that the number of points they get is now utterly irrelevant to Dundee United the points deduction is no penalty at all. Fudge and typical of the way Scottish football is administered.

Well there you go.... let's just sack him now then.... clearly the man that won us our first piece of major silverware and took us into Europe for the first time is uninspiring and really not fit for purpose..... or have you overlooked this without a second thought? Hughes has said himself that we as a club can only afford to sign rocks and try polish them into diamonds.... when you are doing things like that your success rate is going to be small.... not every signing is going to work out. Lopez for example..... What a first touch he had, and clearly the vision to pick a pass was there.... I can understand why Hughes signed him, he saw huge potential and if I'm honest so did I first couple games, but it just wasn't meant to be, he didn't quite fit the way you would of hoped. The best managers and clubs in the world don't get it right from time to time, Man Utd with Falcao and Di Maria, Chelsea and Torres, Liverpool and Carroll and the list goes on and on and on. Are these managers all to blame?

Apologies for earlier post, didnt think how it sounded, i've taken it down.

I think that's still the case! They still have use of their section of the Bught next season, but after that they'll have to find a new ground! As you say, there doesn't appear to be any specific reason for the lease not being renewed.

While you are right to an extent re' simply criminalising all football fans, in my experience campaigning against this Act there have been instances where guys have been arrested for shouting "**** Hamilton" yet little more happened as they paid a fine on the spot. However, on many occasions young fans who cannot afford to do that havery been kept in the cells over the whole weekend with a court case looming over them for some time. It's nothing to do with the OF. This is about football fans being criminalised for something which is completely legal outside the football ground. Fans from Motherwell, Hibs, Hamilton, Partick, Hearts to name a few have all suffered from this. But even if it was simply to keep the OF fans in their place, it's still outrageous. I will take you back to Boxing Day two years ago. A 17 year old Celtic fan had his door kicked down at 4:30 in the morning with his Mum and young siblings in the house. He was taken to the Police Station and kept in their for 4 days. Why? Because he shouted "We hate ******* Rangers" at a football match 5 months previously. That young lad had to worry for a long time about his life being ruined due to this. Fortunately when the court case finally did come up, it was thrown out by the judge. So no, it's not ok to simply keep OF fans in check.

Delighted to see this. Will be there as I'm working nearby and I had feared that I might be there myself (home stand included).

Good interpretation, well said. It also strikes me as if when J H went to the board to ask for money to buy cover he was given inadequate allowance to achieve his selection and had to settle with what he would get at the price. So much anti Hughes speculation on this thread, disgusting, after what he has achieved, no other manager has done this for us. I think it is time some people should think a bit deeper, analyse thoroughly why we haven't achieved their expectations and set realistic targets for the future. That includes the Board and some so called supporters. Must say I laughed at some comment about John not showing the fans enough respect !!!!!!

In 2014, SPFL chiefs fined Peterhead £10,000 and ordered the replay of a League One game with Ayr United after Reece Donaldson was fielded while he should have been serving a ban. However, in this case it is impractical to order a replay of Caley Thistle v United with four days left of the season. - From The Express article above

"There's an understanding from me that we're not flush with cash. We have to be stringent about the way we do it." Clearly Hughes and the board have had discussions on cash flow/budget and he is well aware... no issue here. "I want to keep driving the club forward and keep getting into cup finals, into the top six. For the first time in our history, we took the club into Europe. "Why do it once and sit back and rest on your laurels? No, we want to do it every year." That's good.... same ambitions as the board but in line with what cash is available given above statement. "That's the standard that we set, but to do that, we need to start bringing a better quality of player to the club." Why don't we look at this as JH admitting that some of the players he brought in weren't of the quality, he made mistakes, but why come out and individually say Lopez wasn't good enough or whomever..... you're just slandering people and where's the need for that.... I think this is well said by JH without individually saying players haven't performed or been up to standard. This to me states that he has done what he maybe didn't have time to before the season and been identifying and scouting potential targets and then leaving it to the board to see if a deal could be done for the players he feels would fit the mould. People are reading far too much into things.... the press will always twist stories to make them sound more fantastical or controversial. I think Hughes knows this season has been poor in comparison to last but I think, much like Mr Ranieri south of the border wants to cool down expectations of a club that has overachieved.... at the end of the day, what do you think the aim will be for Leicester next season? I would guarantee you it would be to stay in the league and anything else a bonus.

Interesting... http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/669042/Exclusive-Dundee-United-face-points-deduction-fine-fielding-ineligible-player-News-Gossip

Same old same old from him I think? i think he's building in some excuses too-tansy is vital-so if we lose him he has an excuse to pull out of the drawer... frustrating to hear him bemoan funds yet again, even after the board have told him he's getting the same as last year!

I see it as a smidge of disappoint due to money invested but mainly as a 'where next' message, we are a top six club with top six aspirations and that's the plan for next season. We had a smooth flowing team last season and you could see it was all coming undone from the first match with a new striker who couldn't run and a winger whos main aim was to dribble past every player until he lost the ball, the fuidity was lost. Plenty of injuries on top and even more new players who don't have that inbuilt knowledge of our players abilities. I'm investing in a season ticket again.

Boards in general tend to be reluctant to reveal player budgets. The operating costs are in the accounts but there's no indication of what % of this is player budget. However the bottom line is - you can't spend money you don't have and there's a limit to what you earn from crowds of around 3000. I would also suggest that for a long time now what has been achieved relative to budget has been remarkable. What I would really like to see are long term "cost per point" figures for all the clubs.

Oh don't split hairs. You are Yogi's biggest critic on this board and the sooner you give him a break the better - for us all!

Well done Yogi good luck next season. I don't think Scottish Football has tipped over the edge into a farce - maybe it's people like you who never miss a chance to give the big fella a kick whilst supporting the "blazers".

Only three seats left. £20 or £10 under 14s. Don't leave booking until last minute or you may be disappointed.

Congrats Yogi keep up the good work next season

I have a Davie Milroy badge

Epiphany Charles ? In correctly describing Scotland as 'no more than a region or subdivision' you appear to have finally grasped one of the principal arguments in favour of independence.

Ive worked with s few Poles on building sites and tbh even if boruc was in goals it's unlikely they would be at the ground watching. They are here to make money send some home and save the rest for building their own house when they go back they don't go out to socialise se spend money on anything but the basics. They have an objective and stick to it. I quite admire the discipline they show to be fair

Came across these in a recent clean out - if I recall they were from the late 70s or early 80s - I am sure there were a few more in the set....

Dear Friends So we think we have problems here in British Columbia, Canada ? Why, all we have to worry about is the undoubtedly inevitable”Big One”earthquake, now 25 years overdue, which will in all probability wipe out all our wooden–built houses, all high rise buildings and any other structure that has not been seismically strengthened by the attachment in their basements of huge spring- loaded absorbers of strain and vibration sunk into concrete....such as schools. But this article and footage shows clearly what is happening to the community of Fort McMurray, in the oil sands district of ALBERTA (the easterly province adjacent to B.C.)http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/the-fort-mcmurray-disaster-read-the-latest-on-the-fire-the-response-and-theevacuees/article29930041/ If you scroll down a couple of pages after you open the above link you will see an awesome photo of the size and intensity of this out-of-control wildfire, now spreading rapidly into the adjacent Province of Saskatchewan and now being attacked by over 500 firefighters from all over Canada and the U.S. and a few (15) water bombers plus helicopters dropping huge baskets of water on the fire. The town has now evacuated over 80,000 folks who had to escape by running the roads right through the massive fire on either side of them. The smoke and burning fragments , driven by high winds, showered the roads and the cars as they fled for their lives through the smoke which made viewing the road ahead extremely hazardous and difficult to navigate. One driver said that he could feel the heat through the sides of his car. One firefighter captain on the T.V.camera became very emotional stating that some of his buddies had worked for 40 hours without sleep....wow! This huge fire has now grown to some 200,000 hectares of tinder-dry forested land (approximately 1800 square kilometers) and it is estimated will not stop growing until it is well over 2,000 square Kilometers (Just imagine a huge fire some 500 kilometres long by 4 miles wide!!) AND until heavy rain comes out of the Pacific heading East. The chances of that happening are currently remote with last year being the hottest year on record in Canada. Appeals to the public for donations to the Red Cross to help with the clothing, baby supplies, accommodation, refurbishment, food, water, fuel and other necessities to the residents who have fled , and probably lost everything, have been successful and now have risen to $50,000,000 (fifty million dollars ), a figure which will be matched 100% by the Federal Government for a grand total right now of at least $100,000,000. The Insurance companies are supposed to re-build houses but it is suggested on T V that that might take years to settle so the money has to come from somewhere. So the daily news is consumed by this story and little else in the world matches it. Last year there were many additional wild fires in the Pacific North West here in B.C. and the adjacent United States all attributed to global warming and it is not expected to abate with British Columbia being unable to send any firefighters to help in Alberta because they are all tied up working on the many new fires that have started up again in this Province this year already . Bye for now Roderick

Took my wife to the Hamilton match last week, the steward on our turnstyle, said we couldn't take a small bottle of water in with us......but we could buy it inside! I couldn't understand the logic behind that, but had travelled too far to argue! Oh and I took at least one photograph of the match!

Does anyone know what happened to that security guy from our last home game? Was any action taken? As I heard from several sources(including other security staff) that it is not the first time he has kicked off for trivial reasons. I should note the other security staff tackled a tricky situation rather well. For anyone wondering why the security guard felt the need to give the young lad in the North Stand hassle, he took issue to the fan wearing a scarf and hood on his head whilst sitting quietly in the stand.(it was a cold day and the young team there where not causing any trouble) When he refused to remove the scarf the security guard threatened to throw the fan out, at which point I stood up and approached the security staff member pointing out it was cold and the fan was doing nothing wrong. He then threatened to throw me out of the stadium for defending the young lad, I told him to calm down and the security teams supervisor came over and calmly removed the security staff member from the location he was working and replaced him with another. I'm not one to call for people to lose jobs or anything, and I am not suggesting that, but I seriously hope he was at least given a proper talking to as I was visibly shaking with anger when he threatened throwing me out for defending a fan and asking him to use his head.

Also, go get them then.....?!?!!?!? Still no word of tying up th quality players we DO have. No word of Roberts getting an extension...nothing said about trying to keep Storey... is he expecting the board to source the new players as well as bank roll them?