Bridge_Ender

This will be the last away game for Rangers before the new Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 comes into force so I'd expect the full repertoire from them, especially after last weeks performance. What can the authorities do to the club anyway? No point in fining them, points deduction hardly matters now - even if they do finish 2nd they probably won't get a UEFA licence as they won't beat the date to come out of administration. Northern Constabularly will have their hands full next week methinks, early Sunday kick off or not!

We were incredibly lucky to be able to bounce back the first time - surely you aren't seriously saying that to be in the lower leagues and drawing 1,000 - 1,500 each week (if that) to watch Alloa, Airdrie, Morton et al is the way ahead (or back...)?? Economically the SPL is the only place to be in Scottish Football, relegation again would kill ICT stone dead. How to improve the matchday experience and save Scottish Football? Relatively simply I'd say. Switch to summer football with cheaper ticket prices and suddenly you'd see a lot more positivity around the game. It's hard to be enthused and positive when it's near freezing and you're perched on a cold plastic seat. It's even harder to motivate yourself to go back week after week when you're being skinned so much for the privilege. SKY TV would bite the SPL's hand off to have live football during the summer and if tickets were at a realistic level then there would be much more possibility 'floating fans' would be convinced to take a game in when it is still light and relatively warm. Ideas like Scottys would become feasible as people would want to be out and enjoying the better weather rather than scurrying to and from the stadium to avoid spending any longer than the absolute minimum time outside. It won't happen though and Scottish football will continue losing the next generation of fans and no amount of jovial announcers, Police free games, half time entertainment or whatever is going to stop the slide.

SkySports News Seems all done and dusted.... Good luck to him, how much will TB get from the fee to replace him though? Is there time to get anyone else in????

Don't rely on the boys in blue (or fluorescent yellow...) to exercise commonsense. This is a bill written in crayon by people who have no idea what goes on. A cracking way to alienate the football supporters votes when it comes to referendum time though, it's almost as if Salmond didn't want to win... However, if it should stand up in court (big IF) then I look forward to the silence during the anthems the next time England come to play at Hampden - although not at Murrayfield, obviously, as this only applies to football matches.

Do you really think these are unrealisitic goals to set for over the next 10 years CaleyD?! If European football, title challenges, big money signings or building training complexes was being targeted then yes I'd agree that was unrealistic. Achieving top 6 (which we nearly did this season), some good Cup runs, some growth in the fan base and developing more local players is what the club should be aiming for at the start of every season not as a pipedream! The only point I would agree is unrealistic is the possible need for additional seating as even if we do increase home gates they would have to almost double before that becomes necessary, which is unlikely. I'm not dismissing your points as they are valid and the consequences of a variety of actions over the last few years remain to be seen long term. However, while caution is an important part of business planning surely you need to have some high end targets to try and achieve more? Otherwise what's the point in turning up every Saturday? We didn't get to the SPL by showing a lack of ambition so why should that stop now? We know how bad it can be dropping into Division One, we should be doing as much as we can to avoid that rather than preparing to suffer it again. That's not to say there shouldn't be any contingencies in place, but that's what it should be, a Plan B.

Everyone is, or should be, well aware of the challenges and pressures facing ICT both in a footballing and economic sense. Indeed, that is probably why the majority of ICT fans are against the 10 team proposal because it almost certainly will have such a negative fact on an already difficult operating climate both on and off the field. My point was that there are still a lot of positives which the club has achieved and appears to be placed well to continue to achieve. The constant 'glass half empty approach' just frustrates the hell out of me. If the supporters are negative even about the positives then what chance is there? I'm not claiming a head in the sand approach, more just credit where credit is due.

A needlessly negative reply to a very positive opening post and thread about the clubs progress. There are a lot of good things happening at ICT, especially over the last 2 years, and it would be nice to see this recognised a bit more than it is. We complain the central belt media don't acknowledge our achievements but if even our own fans are continually negative about the club and it's future then it isn't hard to see why we're easily ignored...

Like him or loathe him he was part of our first ever squad, was the first ever professional ICT player (or was it still CT at the time?) and won 59 caps and an International trophy with his country. Sounds like a pretty successful career to me. Maybe not the greatest or most popular ICT player but he's a big part of our history and always contributed whenever I saw him play.

Speaking to someone who knows about these things, it appears the best person to complain to is Brian Caldwell at St Mirren FC, apparently he's the main decision maker as regards stadium operations. Complaining to the security company directly or even to a generic club email address will more than likely to be lost in the system or ignored. His email is: [email protected] Hope this helps anyone who was there on Saturday and wishes to raise their concerns.

Sounds like another ridiculous situation and after reading the St Mirren board and the reasons bigger supports are allowed to stand it simply proves that a two tier system is in place. Surely if the a club is incapable of controlling that number of fans as per the requirements of their safety certificate, i.e. the larger supports of the Old Firm, then they shouldn't be able to host these matches? The percentage of ejections at Caley, Killie, Hamilton, whoever matches must be astronomical in comparison. It is totally ridiculous and yet another reason fans choose to stay away from football grounds. What other business could you charge ?25 for a product of indeterminate quality, treat customers as an inconvenience, behave rudely and aggressively to them and still have the audacity to maintain it is in their interests? Hibs away... Yet to decide whether to go. Maybe I'll go and see what happens, if it's the same then I'll not bother again.

Seems Adam's miss has gone continental! It was on the front page of the 'Marca' website, the biggest sports paper in Spain! Rooney Miss goes Continental

Couldn't agree more!

If Rooney goes I'd be very surprised if it was even ?100k never mind ?250k. Got a feeing not much will change for us today and Rooney will be away for free in the summer.

Raymond Mearns is one of the funniest comedians I've ever heard. Looks like a pretty decent night!

Not because he has scored half as many goals but it does put it into perspective. We can't expect to get anymore than 200k for him with 6 months left on his contract. Miller has played and won league titles for the 2 biggest clubs in Scotland, played in the Premiership, played regularly and scored occasionally at International level and in the Champions League and Europa League over the last 10 years. Adam has had one excellent season in Division One and an encouraging start to his first real SPL season. If Miller is worth ?400k with 6 months remaining realistically we'd be doing pretty well to get the rumoured ?100k for him and anything less probably isn't worth selling him for when you consider what he brings to the team (when he gets the service that is).

Do AGM's not have a time for AOB anymore? Agree that they have their own business to attend to first but it wouldn't take much to have an open discussion with members about what would be the best way forward for the trust to act or at the very least agree to make contact with other Trusts and try and organise collective action among everyone. With possibly the most important decision facing Scottish Football being imminent and Supporters Direct, as the umbrella group, providing the evidence of supporter dissatisfaction the ICT Trust is in the strongest position to represent the opinions of ICT supporters. An AGM is exactly the right time to canvass members opinion and then take it to a wider meeting for all fans or announce what action may be considered. Not really, you said that the AGM was there to discuss business matters arising in the previous 12 months and changes/proposals for the following 12 months then said whilst there may be discussion the issue would be better served by a meeting all fans could attend, which the AGM is not. That's not the same thing as agreeing that the AGM is the place for discussion between members and a proposal for action put forward to fans who are not Trust members. L_G - I'm afraid I live in Glasgow and won't make the AGM, will be interested to hear what happens though.

Do AGM's not have a time for AOB anymore? Agree that they have their own business to attend to first but it wouldn't take much to have an open discussion with members about what would be the best way forward for the trust to act or at the very least agree to make contact with other Trusts and try and organise collective action among everyone. With possibly the most important decision facing Scottish Football being imminent and Supporters Direct, as the umbrella group, providing the evidence of supporter dissatisfaction the ICT Trust is in the strongest position to represent the opinions of ICT supporters. An AGM is exactly the right time to canvass members opinion and then take it to a wider meeting for all fans or announce what action may be considered.

I think it is the time for all the Trusts to co-ordinate and arrange a protest. If ever there was a time for them to prove their usefulness now is it. With an AGM at such an opportune time surely the SPL and Butchers comments should be pretty much the only topic on the discussion?!

Couldn't agree more that ICT have stood up and don't deserve to suffer, but how do you protest otherwise with bums on seats? Surveys and opinion polls blatantly aren't considered. Argurably the 'stay away protest' has been happening over the last few years with the decline in attendances but I think it's been too gradual for it to be considered as such. The reasons for people not attending en masse any more are more varied that simply protesting. I said in another thread I'd have to seriously think about whether I want to continue to spend my free time and disposable income on football and that decision includes my season ticket but I'll make a decision on that once the dust settles. Possibly a more effective protest would be for the supporters clubs/trusts across the country to organise 'NO TO 10 TEAM SPL' banners to be displayed in the stands or even something like a mass walk out or late turn up, perhaps after half time, which all clubs/trusts agree to as a day of action. Not everyone would walk out or turn up late but hopefully enough numbers to make the point would and send a message out.

You might recognize him from the Calvin Klein underwear adverts Thought he was advertising CK events when I saw the adverts, did wonder why he was in his underwear, thanks for clearing that up!

Just for the record re: the stewarding, that was the first ever SPL match which was 'Police Free', i.e. no Coppers were paid for by the club to be in or around the stadium. Given the varying standards we've experienced around the country I'm not sure if this is a good or bad development overall but as there were no issues and the stewards were pretty good on Saturday you have to say that on this occasion it was a success. Assuming Dewsbury Dude was the guy who kept taking the photos? He did seem to be on an unnecessary one man wind up mission when the stewards were being pretty chilled out with standing, singing, etc...

I'll wait and see what happens once the dust settles and the facts emerge but I'm pretty scunnered with football at the moment and if the 10 team SPL goes through then I can see my interest dwindling to the point I won't bother renewing my season ticket or attending many, if any, games. This isn't an argument about being a 'real fan' or all that nonsense as I've watched ICT home and away regularly since the 3rd Division days so I've nothing to prove to anyone on that front. There comes a time though when you realise the absolute p1sh is being ripped out of you and as a fan you are of little or no consequence to those who run the game. Financially I can't see how a set up which includes 22 teams makes more sense than one with 14 or how a more competitive league is bad for football and subsequently business. When you add it all up against the hassle you get from Police and stewards at so many grounds, the crazy ticket prizes, the repetitive nature of the games and the generally low quality on display I start to wonder why I should bother sacrificing my free time and disposable income? Self Preservation League indeed.

Is there going to be a collection point for those of us who don't live in Inverness?

Quite enjoyed the game, weather killed it as a footballing spectacle but it was competitive and both teams tried to have a go. We had the better chances and still can't believe Foran didn't score, the finish seemed a formality after running half the pitch alone... Shinnie and Ross were possibly our best players although if Shinnie is going to be taking set pieces he should perhaps learn how to get the ball past the first man... Innes had a good game too, a no nonsense centre half. Didn't think we had anyone who played below par at all and on another day would have won. Having said that, it was a point gained.