IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER

Well - at least you have kept me up to date and I have told the rest of them. Only Kidding !!! B) B) :) :) B) :022:

TWO WORDS - MARIUS NICULAE. Oh and wait for the new accounts. Read ma feckin post my friend - I said I had spent this much this season as Grasser was paid in expenses. And that is about ?8K Stick yer feckin head in the corporate sand bucket.

Poor Stevico cant tell ya the truth cos he will land himself in a legal mess. But here is a wee scenario - simplified - A contract is a contact - Each side make shure that it is to their liking and they ensure that it is legally binding. If the legality becomes questionable who is at fault If - lets say - it was ICT - why havent they gone fer compensation out of court instead of it going to FIFA and to the Courts - Just get a half way compensation agreement and finish it. As far as I am concerned there may be substantive legal costs to pay otherwise - who ever wins gets the other to cover all the expenses - and how much could that be. And who agreed the contract in the first place ?

Now this is what I alluded to - This is communication - This is a degree of honesty - This is a positive start: Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher continues to lead squad building plans whilst attending the European under-21 championships as part of his UEFA license course. Meanwhile, intense work continues behind the scenes to reflect a support structure for SFL status while providing resources for the first team aimed at a quick return to the SPL. Following consultation some roles have had to be reduced in hours, some staff agreed to salary reductions and a limited number of posts being made redundant. Two senior members of staff were quick to assist in reducing the cost curve. Director of Football Graeme Bennett is no longer receiving a salary and the position of Chief Executive has been abolished replacing it with the title General Manager in a flatter management structure with Mike Smith continuing in that role after agreeing a salary saving. Announcing these changes, club chairman George Fraser stresses that the departure of Danny Macdonald as Head of Youth and Community will not affect our continued commitment to the development of homegrown talent. "We appreciate the staff's understanding of our new financial constraints." "Danny has chosen to leave the club and we thank him for his contribution and wish him well in his future employment", said Mr Fraser. "He has left a very good structure in place which we intend to build upon as an integral part of the club. It is more important than ever that we try and maintain the Youth and Community section to develop our own players going forward." "We are committed to being an SFA performance club at under 17 to under 11 age levels. All of the full-time staff at this age group and in these programmes will be continuing with the club except for the one member who has taken up a new post with one of our clients - a post which he had applied for prior to our relegation." "More difficult is the under 19 structure which last year cost the club ?160k net of the UEFA Solidarity payment received via the SPL - that ?90k+ is no longer available to the club." "Obviously this sort of money is just not available this year but we are still trying to pursue other options at under 19 level for the coming season." Mr Fraser stresses that the confidentiality of all employment discussions must be respected. "We will have a fluid situation over the next few weeks until we have fully established a revised support structure for the next 12 months", he explained today. "We were all aware we would have to restructure following relegation and we're doing so against a challenging economic environment where unemployment is unfortunately rising and all businesses are facing tough decisions. Added to that, football has its own problems with the Setanta scenario causing most clubs to be in reflective mode in relation to their financial position." "But in setting our new structure, we are mindful that people's jobs are at stake and in fairness to them confidentiality is paramount -- supporters would expect that in their own employment." The chairman added: "Both Graeme Bennett and I have spoken to Terry Butcher on where we are in the re-signing of players and the pursuit of new ones. That dialogue continues." "The club has been forced to downsize after facing a reduction in income of nearly 60%, but we are stable because we have no debt and the support of the fans, through season ticket and commercial sales, has been very positive. Once the new operational structure is in place, we will be in an improved forward trading position to allow us to focus on success in the SFL." "That's the picture and I ask the fans to remain patient and thank them for their understanding as we complete the restructuring process." :022: B) B) POWER TO THE FECKIN PEEPLE - This IS down to this Forum :) :) But respect where respect is due - Lets just hope that the peeple we have retained can show the results. Butcher has ma total respect - Grasser will always have ma respect but most of ma venom - Smith doesnt deserve a penny cos he aint EVER done feck all.

KB - I would hope that you know that I am a true supporter - others are viewing my posts as being negative and that I am a doomsayer - IHE may wind peeple up - This thread is 100% Johndo Mackenzie - from the heart and critical with rationale. WOC - This all started off with Niculae and Brewster - the decision making in the last TWO seasons have been absolutely deplorable - Charlie Christie; Barry Wilson; Denis Wyness; Graham Bayne; John Rankin; Don Cowie; Ian Black; the selections; the formations; the tactics; the substitutions; the playing players clearly out of position; the constant chopping and changing; the arrogance; the ignorance of the support. Anger and frustration - Yer FECKIN spot on - cos all the above were supported - and the blame was projected on to Brewster, Niculae, the players aforementioned and the FANS. The Muppets have not once accepted responsibility. ALEX - We always had a 3000ish hard core home support - a lot of us paid megabucks to follow from afar - I probably spent as much as Bennett's expenses last season. :022: The financial problems have come from the peeple who have been running this club. I am Caley till I die and I will continue to post and I will continue to be a regular hindrance at games - and ma Smileymometer will be as honest as ever. But I am ENTITLED to my opinion.

Dont you feckin believe it B) This is a statement that should have been - and could have been - produced weeks ago - The muppets read this Forum and are trying to save face again. At least it shows that they are learning and communicating. :022: Why cant they just do it without pressure from this Forum.

Cellic tattoo on ma arm and an ICT on ma back and ma buttock. I used to stand in the Jungle and chant the secretarian abuse - Now I am ashamed of that and wish that I had given my whole allegiance to Caledonian - the greatest ever football team in the world. But drink, drugs and football violence headed me towards Glesga. The joke was that I was a founder member and erstwhile "leader" of the Caley Animals - renowned as a fiting crew but - although we had our fair degree of impromptu scraps - except the Jail End excursions and planned battles with the Staigo - we were just a bunch of friends / lads who went on the lash - the 70's/80's equivalent of the BENI / SESH Army. The "misses" from the old days is the atmosphere of the Howden End - the Away Day Footbal BR specials to Elgin and Dungwall - changing ends at half time and Pomagne and Scotsmac on the terraces. Oh and by the way - we HATED Elgin firstly and then County - the Jeggies was always more of the banter version but those middle class fools on the hills would never have had the guts to take us on.

If only we knew what was going on behind the scenes and what team / squad was going to start the season. Success or otherwise is highly dependent on who we keep.

Careful ymip - you are beginning to sound and think like me. :023: McBain and Duncan do not equal Kerr and Black - McBain and Duncan could well do a job fer us but who is going to be the playmaker - Imrie ? Proctor ?

Thank gawd fer posters like Empty Minded. :023: I said - " I said "feck this forum" because I feel that many stick their heads in the sand and go overboard with the loyalty nonsense." The ersehole said " The following is the area, for me, of real concern where our current management team get the negative treatment! " - perhaps if you werent so tunnel visioned you may think that it was an appeal to Butcher to intervene and my disillusionment is as much in regard to the fact that the management do not have a spokesperson without him. The defence rests.

One last thing to add - Scotty points out that we as fans have responsibilities too - I agree in respect of following the team and getting behind them during the matches BUT the one of the main reason that I am dissilusioned is the mere fact that the muppets will not or cannot accept that they have made mistakes / errors in judgement. They think that all they have to do is sweep things under the carpet, put up a wall of silence and hope that todays news will be quickly erased from the memory banks. If they had been more communicative many moons ago they would not have been getting the treatment that they are today.

From the P&J: Caley Thistle have a derby with Ross County in their fourth league game of the new season ? at Caledonian Stadium on Saturday, August 29. Inverness open their First Division campaign by travelling to play Dunfermline on Saturday, August 8. They take on promoted Ayr United at Caledonian Stadium on August 15 and travel to face Dundee at Dens on August 22 before the Highland derby. Ross County open against Livingston at Victoria Park, then travel to play Partick Thistle in Glasgow. The Staggies play host to promoted Raith Rovers before making the short journey to face Inverness. The two Highland clubs also meet on Saturday, November 7 (Victoria Park) , on Saturday, January 2 (Caledonian Stadium) and on Saturday, March 20 (Victoria Park). Caley Thistle director of football Graeme Bennett said: ?It is a difficult start and we are disappointed to get four away games out of six to start with. ?We are going to have to go to Dumbfarmlife and Dungdee at some point so we might as well feck the ingrates early in the season. ?It is great to have the Highland derby back ? albeit we would have preferred Tinkerville to be in a different league. My only hope is we stuff the Caravan Dwellers.? :D

Feck me - Another piece of secret information not to be divulged by the club. :D :D :008: :020:

Feck me - when did they get TV in Dungwall ?

As many as feckin possible: Ayr - Geordies Byre or The CampbellTown. Dundee - Centenary Bar, Guagers or the wee Social Club. Dunfermline - Just has to be the Elizebethan Livingston - Weatherspoons in the Shopping Centre or the top of the ground eaterie - used to be called the Hungry Horse. Morton - The Norseman or the Jommy Watt (Weatherspoons). Partick - Brechins in Govan or The Star and Garter. Queen of the South - Hole in the Wall, The Globe or the wee social club under the Main Stand. Raith Rovers - Starks Bar or the Abbey. Ross County - Innes or Fairways - The less time you spend in that polluted dump the better.

Hey - That is an idea to make funds fer the club - A pizza stand at the Stadium with a menu pertaining to offerings named after officials, players and fans - but what would they be made of ???

Wow - Found its picture on the menu.

First we name the stand after Jock McDonald. B) Then we give Sutherland a Honorary accolade. :D And now to top it all: The Colin Campbell Column: REGULARS ARE PIZZA THE MENU Regulars at a watering hole in the City have become minor celebrities after pizzas on the menu have been named after them. Revellers at the Corriegarth can now ask for "The Jimmy", "Willie and Ronnie", "The Grasser", "The Old George", and "Ali the Gardener" - all named after those who have drunk in the pub for decades. :D :008: :020: :(

1) This is not a wind up - This is truly from the heart - and I am actually not encouraged that many understand where I am coming from 2) I said "feck this forum" because I feel that many stick their heads in the sand and go overboard with the loyalty nonsense. I have always been a "wait and see" man but so much has happened over the last couple of seasons that loyalty and patience is wearing thin. I am not the doomsayer either - I am saying my peice in my usual forthright manner - I feel that I am showing supporters that this club has developed a boundaried "wall of silence" - some honest communication is required to mend the wounds - they are still open but they should be scar tissue. Yes - lots of things could be happening behind the scenes - both on and off the park - I wouldnt expect to be privy to them all - but I would appreciate, nay expect, a little club like ICT to be more sharing of information etc. with its fans. I would also think far higher of some of the peeple in higher positions if they a) just feckin admitted that they had got things wrong :D showed that they were learning their lessons c) even confronting, challenging or asking us for the answers OR d) actually doing something in the public eye that makes us sit up and realise what they are actually doing in the jobs they are being paid for. From a PR perspective that is dire. It feels to be that the DFS "rant" in January still rankles as THEY were pushed into a major turnaround. It feels a bit like they have decided to operate a closed shop in a form of self protection - in some ways an understandable defence mechanism but not in this instance. And I even do feel disillusioned by TB - When he came in January he was a breath of fresh air - a war cry - in mny ways he probably saved a lot of peeple from an axing - He is the PR guru - where is he ? Is he silent becos he is busy doing other things ? Is he disillusioned ?

So do I Scotty - from a lot of resources and contacts - I am usually reluctant to reveal but they are all fearful of the future - we are in a state of potential crisis. Niculae is bleeding us dry but the wages are being cut at the bottom of the tree and kept at the top !!!

WHAT - NO BUSES - Shouldnt the feckin management of this Club not be organising this ?

Sorry Scotty - but what erseholes agreed the feckin major pay structures fer six months in the first place - they went fer broke and got fecked - WE NEED A FULL TIME MANAGER.

Is that not all a real reflection that our club has become the old school protection society - FECKIN DISGRACE. :angry: This club is going down.

Birdog - Scotty et al. You can all gloss this but - I am losing all faith in the peeple that are running the club that I love - IMHO they should have been kicked out many moons ago. :angry: This all started with the Marius Niculae saga - The disgraceful manner :angry: :angry: in the treatment of CC - the ridiculous appointment of Brewster and Thompson - the unbelievable support of those two - the manner in which certain players will treated - feck it Etc, etc,etc Our management is protected old school and will kill this club. It is fair to name individuals as they are responsible but are avoiding the responsibility. Let me be totally personal - Mike Smith is an overpaid duffer and has no idea about ICT - he simply needs booting out - Grasser is a lovely lad but out of his depth, always has been - Sutherland is a control freak. Some supporters just continue to be jocular and have a laff - It is way beyond the laffing stage Birdog - what can we do about it - FECK ALL. Compaigning to get rid of Brew wasnt easy - it took 12 months and we had to take off our shoes and feckin wave them. Scotty - Consultation / Boardroom Banter - A "frank" statement from the club - Yer having a laff. feck this forum - This is so feckin defeatist and supportive it is unreal

Well I took a couple of weeks out in order to calm down from the debacle of last season and I truly had said to myself that I had to be positive and look forward to a brief voyage in the SFL and a quick return to the waters of the SPL. But I am suddenly fearing that little has changed - the communication from the club is appalling; we should be getting more positivity and updates in regard to the contracts and potential signings; we sign a youngster from Leicester and we give the Builder a feckin accolade; we keep faith in some muppets whose capabilities most have questioned in the last year; we appear to have maintained the backroom staffing and the wage bills; we have limited ourselves to wee trips around the North of Scotland for our pre season - I will stop there. I fully understand that there has to be financial savings and more savvy use of the finances (but we all know why we are in the position that we are in !!) and we are not going to attract or keep some of our bigger names. I am in dire need of some encouraging news - am I alone ? I am afraid that for the second time ever - the first being in Nov/Dec 08 - I AM STRUGGLING TO BELIEVE.