Scarlet Pimple

P.S. ....This guy is a brick!

Right! It sounds as if he has been more or less carrying the team this season. And wants to stay! We should count our good luck in all of this. Some younger fans must be morons because, even if in the distant past he possibly may have merited some criticism , please read my above comments again. Ian Vigurs is no different to anyone else. He' s human and needs support so must be praised when he is effective and dynamic. ESPECIALLY since he has stayed loyal to our team for so long.

Football is not a charity, JingsMonty. Why should the player not look out for his own interest when he is released, possibly against his will or possibly unfairly as well? Your opinion does suggest that he should live in a fairyland of unreality. For one thing, I have not seen conclusive proof that he is not suffering from his constantly painful injured bodypart. If he is, what chance does he have of getting another goalie position in the near future. Any club that sees him as a future prospect will be sure to give him a very intense medical examination and all evidence points to the fact that he can be out of football for a long time. So his family has to starve in the meantime, eh? In that event would the consciences of those on our current Board give them sleepless nights once OFW is out of sight and out of mind? Frankly, if OFW were to consider the course of action you seem to favour I think he would later simply rue the day. Who does he contact to fight his battles for him against a fairly large corporation, study his contract and come up with a reasoned defence of his position in order to ensure that the injuries he suffered are not used by the club to dump him on the scrapheap? Only a probably expensive Lawyer who, in turn, may well have his own interests to the fore and attempts to drag out the process to his (the lawyer's) benefit. Personally speaking, based on fairly recent performances whilst still injured, I feel that it could very well be that OFW's career is well-nigh finished. If he is entitled to compensation then that should be fairly negotiated and paid out swiftly. Then ICT's name remains untarnished and their reputation as fair dealers enhanced. Which will in itself help to attract the right kind of player in all future dealings. I agree on one point though and that is if he is , on the surface at least, fit to play then he should be in the team to share Ridger's responsibilities to the mutual benefit of himself , Ridgers and the club. Because we need a top class goalie to allow us to move ahead to the top of this league .

Steady the Buffs. Brechin has a great park but a team that seems very slow off the mark and almost totally afraid to tackle. It's great to win but a word of caution. Even at a slower pace than I expected them to play in this league our team appeared to saunter through the whole game. Caley were not outrun, outpaced, outtackled nor dispossessed once in this video which seems to feature the highlights. To have any chance of winning the league I feel they will have to up their tempo and inject more urgency in their play. Early days? Perhaps, but they can't let any team off the hook by being too relaxed which could be their downfall. If, and when, the opposition is inferior or just on the ropes they have to despatch them clinically and quickly. IMHO.

Nice to hear you are still alive and kicking, Laura. But still out of the taxi gig I suppose?

Good, and encouraging, post Finmack. I especially liked the bit about our Chairperson coming down from the Ivory tower to thank the players for a good show on the day. That alone is very important information to learn about for overseas fans and even more-so for the home fans who regularly support the team in person. It seems as if our new Management knows how to win friends and influence people. Things may be really looking up now. So let's not forget to give John Robertson a pat on the back as well. "Slow and steady wins the race " said the rueful hare to the tortoise as he woke up from his slumber in the ditch to just see the tortoise crawling over the winning line. "You've got to crawl before you run" quoth the wily tortoise as he relished his victory.

I would dearly liked to have been there. I'm one of these persons who starts a question and this leads to myriad others in my tormented mind. And the main one at the moment is whether or not the overseas fans will again be able to see our team in action on the match day. Based on what seems to have come out of that meeting oit may well be on the cards. Can anyone who was there please advise their opinion on this point? Thanks

C J--did you hedge your bets today or was confidence high I wonder. Smile

Phew! A very good start which should encourage the team and the fans of course.

Pretty Park-looks well maintained.

All told a pretty threadbare situation.

The real challenge is who is going to replace him? At 33 his legs are gone? You are kidding?! It's definitely different strokes for different folks but a professional footballer surely can't be that bad at such a low age? When I joined a hiking club which was at the age of about 45 the first hike of some 13 miles nearly killed me and I could hardly lift my legs to get into the car at the end. But perseverance forced me on and, by the age of fifty, one new girl in the club sat down beside me at the top of the hill to eat lunch and remarked.."Your problem is that you will need to find a girl who can keep up with you." I looked at her in surprise, thinking.."isn't this a normal physical situation if you keep at it regularly?" Not to mention the fact that I wasn't consciously doing all these sports activities to catch a girl but I sure did not want to be seen as the club laggard. And I was very lucky indeed to have been blessed with a good body too. So sitting around in an apartment every weekend as a single guy moping was not for me when I could be out amongst folks who enjoyed the outdoors as much as I did. and in a country where the choice of out door activities was endless. David Raven could surely be so influential in this team guiding the younger, inexperienced players. At least for a couple of more years? And you are right, this team needs a few mature, experienced heads in it especially when so many new faces have been drawn in. Who else are they going to turn to for encouragement and advice--their octogenarian brothers ? But money talks I am afraid and it does seem as if the club is still very desperate to get it. Are we looking at at least a couple or more years in the Championship?

woman

Charles - I think you are correct. The COO has overall responsibility for the operation ( key word) on a day to day basis but no doubt will liaise with the CEO on formal matters of policy or such. But ICT doesn't appear to have a CEO, simply a Chairman of the Board, like Kenny was. I suppose they are one and the same. Reading the information about the announcement and the meeting recently it's very encouraging isn't it? Very professional approach and meticulously assessed by the main figure who seems to really have a good brain together with a good grasp of what have been running sores with the fans for long enough.The importance of attending to renovation or renewal of dilapidated sheds, booking office(s) and toilets are VERY important because they are as representative of the Board's attitude to the club and the fans as anything else. Here in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, we have lady Mayor who wants to spend millions of dollars on swimming pools (which they have not yet been able to set-aside) but the City won't spend any money on trimming the verges where there are weeds 12 feet high and the sand spread on the roads to counter the terrible snow and ice problem we had last winter is then left on them long after the ice has melted without being cleaned up. And then they wonder why they can't attract new business to the city. Speaking to the city engineer and the guy in charge of the city's finances just appears to fall on deaf ears whilst our taxes continue to rocket many times the last year's rate of inflation which is infuriating. Meaning, if the Board make the effort to improve things the fans will notice and will come back because they sense positive change is in the wind and the Board will then seem to know what the heck they need to do to make the club more successful again. Not to mention the important aspect that any new players who come to the club to see what is going on here are far more likely to sign for us if they can see a cared-for stadium and clean and up[dated facilities on offer to the public.

DD, What does COO mean or stand for? Chief Operating Officer peutetre? In North America we normally have CEO. Chief Executive officer.

Absolutely, DD. they need experience and encouragement. I remember when, as a much younger man in the early stages of my career, and being thrust into an upper echelon type of job, I admit that I was somewhat apprehensive because I did not know what to expect and what the result of my work would be. e,g.could my intelligence and ability work out in this totally new rarefied atmosphere and could I continue to progress. Nobody likes to fail and go backwards. It does take time and encouragement and the odd friendly word in my ear helped a lot. Within a few years all was as easy as pie and I had been given further responsibility which I enjoyed. However, if one is lazy then failure can be knocking at your door pronto quick. I have a lot of time for a person who tries and tries even if it is clear that he/she maybe doesn't quite have that winning ability as much as some other players. But a lazy person will not reach the top unless he or she is very well connected. In footie this is highly unlikely because he can't hide on the pitch. So, if John R is a motivator and a helpmeet then we may be in for watching a few good 'uns in the future. Is there any other alternative.?

Fair enough. For me, though, since I can't attend games and can no longer see the videos for "Overseas viewers", all of which I was able to view last season, I am just asking a straightforward question as to why the fans often say on here that the referee's decisions against our team were ludicrous and unmerited which does seem a bit odd. With the new Chairman now in place, and seemingly setting a much more realistic and true course than his immediate predecessor, perhaps we can now win a few games despite "iffy" officiating. Thereby proving your point perhaps.

IHE--0smile! I feel that the defence must become rock solid if for no other reasons than:- (1). There is little money to spend on anything let alone the whole team, and (2) Once this happens then ICT can assess the rebuild of the forward line which will be easier on these forwards since they know that if they make a mistake then it will not necessarily be equal to the loss of a goal. And that at least will ensure no second relegation for our team which is now in a complete rebuild mode. And they can learn from mistakes without necessarily being emotionally quashed by them.

Referring to the refereeing, based on what I have read on here since the start of the season, ICT do not appear to have been given any breaks? Does the top brass of the SFA really feel that ICT are upstarts and should not be allowed to enter the ranks of the chosen ones in the Premiership? And so have been influencing their referees to take every opportunity to penalise them as much as possible? Just a thought?

Sleezy bar

Beef

Who is in charge of the players' fitness.?

Jagster Nope! Not them because "The Leith Police Dismisseth Us".

Cook (on steroids)

If, in the future, the bank did pull the plug then who would be expected to pay-off the large debt to the Bank? Banks don't usually want repetitive repayments over a few years when a loan is called in, but timeous repayment. If they are not happy with the offered repayment terms from the club they will cash-in their security taken for the coverage of the loan, which might mean they will ask for repayment from persons who have given their personal guarantees to the bank followed by a sale of the club's assets or both at the same time, Usually the assets will be expected to go first and any residual debt remaining after the sale will be called- in from the Guarantors. Without the Board members to chip-in would the club be left with no other option but to sell off all physical assets? And would this then mean the end of the club because the stands would be gone, bearing in mind that the money they would be likely to earn from a sale of players might be much, much less than may be thought to be their expected worth? Doesn't bear thinking about does it?