Scotty

I would like Marius to stay as I am sure most fans who have seen him would. As for a wage cut .... Considering that we were told that he lowered his wage demands when he first signed, I would not ask him to take a pay cut again, especially if he continues to be picked in the international squad for what is one of the top nations in Europe and makes it to the Euros !!! He may not have had the best start to the season for various reasons but last Saturday I saw a class player at work and one who appeared to be enjoying himself - especially when he scored and ran over to the Romanian flag in the north end. If we need a 500K cash injection as suggested then there is something else going on that is screwing up the finances at the TCS other than just Marius' wages. His reputed wage of 4K p/w for 2 years = 416K and it would appear that in a "creative" way Orion made 275K available to the club by buying un-issued shares. That payment is enough to pay 68.75 weeks of his contract and means the shortfall on the 2 year deal would seems to be around 141K. 141K is equivalent to 2700 p/w over the next year which might get us a couple of reasonable players in the transfer market, but we would not get superstars for that money. Personally, I would far rather we made 141K available in our budget to keep 1 player who could definitely make a difference if fully fit from the start of next season than spend it on a couple of journeymen. You also have to wonder what the other 359K of this magical 500K is for ?

Marius' wage might hinder us in getting new players but if he stays then maybe his presence might actually sell a few more season tickets !!!! In my opinion, season tickets have always been handled badly ... not by those that are issuing them, but the system in general !!!! Q: When is the best time to start marketing next season's tickets ? A: during the current season when people are still interested and/or have time to save for them not 4-6 weeks before the start of the next season after a summer of holidays, gardening and DIY. Q: If you assume we have a relatively consistent hard core of support that is somewhat higher than the number of season ticket holders then how do we attract more of them to buy? A: This is the biggie. People will buy season tickets if it offers them good value and they can afford them. The club should be vigorously pursuing numerous opportunities to offer that value and make it hard for people to refuse ... Here's just a handful of ideas - its not rocket science !!! [li]First of all - Offer a varied package. Not all our supporters are the same. Some go to all games, some go to just a few, some live in Inverness, some have to travel hundreds of miles to see the club, it is ludicrous to think that they will all find the current 'one size fits all' offer meaningful. There should be offers for full season tickets, half season tickets and also "multi-packs" where supporters can select say 4, 5 or 6 games during a season and apply for tickets (including 1 premium game)[/li] [li]Secondly - offer season tickets very early by having a sliding scale of discount based on when the ticket is purchased. If you give people a nice deep discount then many will take you up on it as its a value they can actually see. The cost of offering the extra discounts is offset by the fact that the club have the money in the bank for a longer time (like 3 months before the season even starts if offered at this time of year) [/li] [li]Thirdly - payment schemes for those who perhaps cant afford it in one hit. The club already do this so thats fair enough. Perhaps however, there are other ways or additional timescales to pay for them if the customer is buying multiple tickets.[/li] [li]Get the online ticketing working. Its been what 5? 6? years since this was first mooted and still its not being used. I ended up with a friend's ticket for last week's Killie game but had the opportunity to purchase a ticket online been available to me I may have actually bought a pair prior to my trip just to make sure !!! How many others might take advantage of the same thing.[/li] [li]Initiate a ticket exchange programme. Toronto FC do this. Season ticket holders can make their tickets available via the club's ticketing system so that other supporters can buy them. If the ticket is sold, the original ticket holder gets a discount applied to next year's season ticket (ticket value minus a small commission). If the ticket is not sold then there is no credit applied. This might encourage a few people who cant make every game to still buy a full season ticket as they will have a legitimate avenue for reselling them.[/li] I could go on (and on, and on, and on :004:) with more ideas but this is probably not the best thread to do it on as this is a bit off-topic but suffice to say there are loads of ways to market the product that dont appear to ever be considered. The other thing is the whole atmosphere/ambience and that is also a thread of its own. All i will say on this is that I was shocked last week at how flat the whole atmosphere in the stadium was. OK it was an end of season game, and I was in the main stand but it appears that all the rules and regulations about acceptable conduct are taking their toll. By all means have rules for safety and to protect the enjoyment of others but it seems that all the enjoyment is being squeezed out of supporters for fear of being ejected or warned for innocuous incidents and this does nothing to enhance the enjoyment or make customers think they are getting value for money. There is a balance somewhere that needs to be struck. Moderators - feel free to split this post and any others about season tickets off into another thread if you feel it is too off-topic for this thread.

Think one or two cared about the 'exclusive' statement Orion released to us today :004:

Yes I believe he is now the chaplain .... Gringo Jr can probably confirm :004:

:clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:

[attach=1]

Yes, good luck to him and agree that he looks like he will need it !!!

Orion contacted us. As LG has said it would seem that we have been misled or at least allowed to assume things that were not actually true. Is this Savage's fault or is it the board as a whole - who knows (other than those involved). I think we need the benefit of more information before we can actually decide to lay the blame at anyone's feet or absolve anyone. I am sure there will be comments and counter-comments from both sides in the coming days. Whatever the actual truth, and whether we ever find out that actual truth, the bottom line is that there seems to have been a fair bit of boardroom disharmony during this season and it has infected the whole club from top to bottom. A club that was once renowned by the football establishment for its team spirit and by its fans for its openness is currently an amateur looking shambles of petty arguments, power struggles, cliques, spin, secrecy and downright lies. I think we are all sick of it and those who have been involved in this disintegration of values should give themselves a **** good shake and ask themselves if their positions are tenable.

precisely !!! we were led to believe this but who can say who actually did the leading !!! common knowledge ... or assumption ??

Not sure why they sent it to us or why the official site didnt publish anything - although CaleyD may be right. However, the bottom line is that they did approach us and we have printed - in full and unedited - the complete statement. We are happy to print any rebuttal or statement from the club should they wish us to or to put a link to any such comment within this thread so that fans can make up their own minds about recent events ! I doubt it.

I know this was announced a few days ago but as I have just returned from my trip to Inverness and it may have been lost somewhere else in the forums I thought I would just add this in its own little thread for anyone who hasnt seen it yet. ?KIDS FOR A QUID? & SEASON TICKET HOLDERS ?BRING A FRIEND? OFFERS ICTFC announced ticket prices for their game against Gretna on Saturday 3rd May with a 3pm kick off at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Following the success of the offer made at the Gretna game in January the Club will again be admitting all children for a ?1. The Club encourages purchasing these tickets in advance although this price will be available on the gate. Season ticket holders will be able to ?Bring a Friend? to this game at a reduced price for the North Stand of ?8 (Main Stand ?13). Tickets can be purchased in advance or on the gate. Voucher number 1 from their season ticket book will need to be surrendered along with the relevant payment when purchasing a ticket for their friend. Match Ticket prices v Gretna Main Stand Adult - ?20 Main Stand ?Bring a Friend? - ?13 Main Stand Child - ?1 North Stand Adult - ?15 North Stand ?Bring a Friend? - ?8 North Stand Child - ?1 South Stand Adult - ?15 South Stand Child - ?1 Children are under 16 or still at school. The ICT Ticket Office is open Monday to Friday, from 10am till 4.30pm and from 10am on match days.

If Orion bought shares it will show in one part of the accounts as a purchase of shares which may or may not be commented on. The wages are in another part of the accounts but are only ever shown as staff costs and not broken down by individual players so it will indeed be as clear as mud. The only clue we will really have will be by comparing the accounts from last season with this season and noting what is likely to be a significant jump in the total wage expenditure without a significant jump in the playing personnel. However, if this is lumped in with the costs for backroom/office staff it will become even less clear as there has been a significant increase in the quantity of non playing staff over the last year. Indeed. ICT have never been any good at spin, and when you feel the need to spin the truth from your own fans then its a sad day for everyone.

The accounts are sent out to shareholders in advance of the AGM. I will receive a copy then. Not sure that I would be allowed to create a PDF of the whole thing and post it on the site as it is not public domain and probably subject to some law or regulation. However it will be entirely appropriate to discuss them on the board and make reference to any 'anomalies' we might note.

The suggestion (rumour) that has been circulating is that any 'sponsorship' may have taken the form of buying shares in ICT. In this respect this would have been a cash windfall for the club because un-issued shares were (allegedly) purchased and ICT would have received the money. ICT could then have used said money to help pay Marius' wages. However, it is not technically a direct payment to the player which is what some of the spin (from all sides) led us to believe. As a few people have mentioned in the last couple of months .... the AGM accounts will make for interesting reading this season.

Given the source of the statement, I would say that the information we have received is very accurate.

very good question. no idea.

Based on listening to games and on the single match I saw in person this season ( :007: ) Fraser :022: :022: :022: - When listening to games it quite often sounds like he simply does not like to catch a ball and I was a little nervous of him. However last weekend he looked confident and caught everything sent into the box. Tokely :022: :022: :022: :022: - quite simply a legend as opposed to a leg-end. I was impressed with him on Saturday despite his couple of "Gumpesque" moments as he approached the box and seemed to be in half a dozen minds about what to do. He is and has been a solid performer for years. This might not have been his best season as he has made his share of mistakes but overall he is still a favourite of mine. Munro :022: :022: :022: :022: - A hard season for the captain. Rumoured off-field problems that invariably draw the captain into the mix didnt help his early performances but lately he seems to have been playing well. Is Bambi (or the lack of McGuire) a factor ? McGuire :022: :020: :020: - some decent performances hence the thumbs up but overall not impressed. Unfortunately didnt get to see him perform in person so can only base my view on listening to other's descriptions. Proctor :022: :022: :022: - I was one of only a few who liked him first time round and what I saw on saturday was a versatile player with a lot of potential. Perhaps needs to get into the gym and beef up a little but no doubting that he has the ability to hold down a first team place. Hastings :022: :022: :022: - Richard gets an extra :022: from me for his performances for Canada. He might not have had a shining season for ICT but Canadian fans have welcomed him back into the international fold after complaining about his recall initially. Interesting that his good performances for Canada have been at centre half whereas ICT fans think he had a somewhat poor season at left back. Wilson :022: :022: :022: - Whereas some players lose it when they get older Barry is still an intelligent player. His pace has gone but his intelligence allows him to read the game and have an impact. Worthy of a rolling yearly contract. Cowie :022: :022: :022: :022: - An intelligent player who can turn a game in the right circumstance or when played in the right position. He will undoubtedly move on at some point but if we can keep him for another year or two we will hopefully see some great central midfield performances from him. Black :022: :022: :022: :022: :020: - 4 thumbs up for Blackie but also a thumbs down. He is a great talent but also seems to have an ego to match. If he can do his talking on the park then its a great thing for ICT but if his petulance cant be channeled then he might have to go for the good of the team as a whole. Agree with those who say "Jekyll and Hyde" Duncan :022: :022: :022: - One of the unsung heroes as people have often said. My opinion has been a little tainted by the contract saga and the fact that McBain has done a better job in that position in the last couple of games. McBain :022: :022: :022: - Royster seems to be playing in a different role than other times I have seen him in person. I enjoyed his performance on saturday and thought he played very well. He also did well at left back earlier in the season so is perhaps more versatile than I had once thought. Paatelainen :020: :020: - Not impressed. He plays better on the radio than in person. Imrie :021: :021: :022: - I have heard varying reports of Imrie but was quite impressed on Saturday. He took his goal beautifully and enjoyed every second of it. He is very raw but coming from the Juniors to SFL to SPL in a short time that is not entirely unexpected. I did notice that both Brewster and Malky spent a long time during the game keeping him right, encouraging him, and making sure he was where they wanted him. If they can develop him then he will indeed be some player. Wyness :022: :022: :020: - Sorry Dennis, the dream is over. Dennis is a good player, a really nice man and he is and always will be a legend for ICT fans who have been around for a long time but he either has no confidence (again) or simply cant handle the SPL any more. SPL defenders all know his stepover and he seems to have no other tricks in his arsenal Bayne :020: :020: :020: - He is a striker who doesnt score goals. We like him because he gives 110% but its his job to put the ball in the back of the net and he doesnt do it often enough. Niculae :021: :021: :021: :021: :021: - I was glad to get a glimpse of Niculae before the end of the season as who knows whether he will be there next season. I hope he is as he is quite simply a class player and a fit Niculae along with maybe Garry Wood and a skillful midfield might see us come flying out of the gates. He took his goal on saturday beautifully and it was one of those that you knew was going in as soon as he got the ball. Hart :022: :022: :022: - Good luck at County. I for one would have liked RH to have stayed. We all make mistakes and he could still do a good job for ICT. McAllister :020: :020: :020: - See Graham Bayne !!! Brewster :020: :020: :022: :022: :022: - This is a hard one. I am torn. 10 days ago I would have put 5 thumbs down but it is amazing how seeing a game in person and talking to a few people off the record will change an opinion. Brewster is making some massive changes in the background and we have only seen some of the results so far. I dont like all that has happened, or the manner in which it has been portrayed, but I do understand some of the background a lot better now than I did before and he may not be the devil that has been portrayed (more to come on this later). Brewster will either be a massive success next season or he will fall flat on his face but I now believe that he should be given the chance to continue down the path he has started to take us along.

At least they are trying. I have a little sympathy for the club on this one as its a bit of a balancing act !!! Reduce prices for some games and you will please non season ticket holders and kids but at the same time run the risk of annoying season ticket holders who think their ticket purchase is being devalued. As a former season ticket holder, I can see both sides. I enjoyed the security that having the season ticket allowed me ... When you worked out the cost, you knew you were getting it a little cheaper than the cost of paying in to every game but for me the biggest benefit was knowing that whatever game came along I was always going to get first refusal on my own seat. The downside is that come the end of the season you pretty much knew the club would do some sort of incentive to get bums on seats and that meant your saving was less. It irked me slightly sometimes but overall I was happy because the guaranteed seat was worth more to me than the so-called 'devaluation' of my ticket. However, as the club tend to do exactly the same thing towards the end of each season, perhaps it would be nice if they could come up with a long term plan to try and please everyone a little bit better throughout the complete season. There are all sorts of good ideas floating around that have been posted on here or talked about in the past ... the trick is to present them constructively to the club so that they might actually listen to ideas rather than be faced with what might be viewed as bitching and moaning.

The power of reason Johnboy ... you should try it some day !!! It allows you to change your opinion based on actual events and admit you were wrong !!! It wasnt a wonderful performance yesterday, and I agree that it was a "meaningless" game in the general scheme of things, but I spent much time watching what Brew/Malky were doing, and how certain players were (or were not) performing. Based on what I saw with my own eyes, and comments I have received first hand from a few sources this past week, I realise I may have been too hard on Brewster and too lenient on others and will expand on this when I return to normal internet availability during the week.

Watching a game in person gives you a different perspective to listening to it online or hearing about it third hand. After today, I just want to say that I think Brewster may well be turning the corner and be a decent manager ... if off-field stuff can be sorted. I enjoyed my first game in person for a while, saw some good performances (and some not so good ones) but I now believe (will expand on this later as I only have limited internet access right now)

yes I did. When interested he was OK, when not interested he was utter garbage. It was alleged he was told to lose a stone or two over the close season and he did but doesnt seem to fit into John Carver's plans now.

NO

Received this from Angela .... Exclusive Season Ticket Holder Hospitality Offer ICT v Gretna - Saturday 3rd May 2008 We would like to give Season Ticket Holders and their families an exclusive opportunity to sample hospitality for the game against Gretna on Saturday 3rd May. What a fabulous opportunity to enjoy a two course buffet meal with drinks, half-time tea, coffee & pies, complimentary programme & team-lines, post match analysis by a club coach and best of all to meet the players! The itinerary for the day is as follows; 1.00pm ? Guests arrive and are shown to table within Kingsmills Suite where drinks are served 1.10pm ? Welcome by ICTFC host 1.20pm ? Two course buffet lunch served with house wines, drinks from the bar will be available 2.50pm ? ICTFC hosts will show guests to Executive Seating area 3.00pm ? Kick off 3.45pm ? Half time tea, coffees & pies are served within Kingsmills Suite 4.45pm ? Full-time drinks are served in Kingsmills Suite 5.00pm ? Post match analysis by club coach and Man of the Match presentation 5.30pm ? Bar closes 5.45pm ? Executive coach departs for ICTFC Social Cub All this is offered at the very special price of just ?50 for adult season ticket holders and ?25 for child season ticket holders, which includes vat. Places are limited and demand is expected to be high so don?t delay in making your booking by calling the Commercial Department now on (01463) 227453 / 227454 / 227455 or email [email protected]

very true. I only ever had limited dealings with him for our Q&A session but he seemed decent enough at that time. I do also tend to agree with CaleyD comments too.

Its the 42 games where he came on as a sub that skew those stats Alex. A lot of them were appearances of just a few minutes, but not all !!!!