Sorted

Loved it absolutely loved it! Turned off the overhyped EPL and enjoyed good old fashioned tattie field Scottish fitba. Delighted for Broonie, top guy. Now that's entertainment.

I refer to my answer given on the "West Ham Leak" thread. Have a word ........

What these figures show is that we have to be realistic in our expectations when thinking we can compete financially for players dropping down the English leagues!! We struggle to compete with the English League Two (Division Four as most of us used to call it!) and should remember this when we all shout sign this one or that one! They also show just exactly why the EPL is on the verge of catastrophe.

Was thinking more of players the club released, not left through choice or transfered. I also saw that game !

I repeat: Name me a single product of the ICT Youth system that has been released and gone on to be successful at a level of significance? No one disagrees with your sentiments but most posters are realistic enough to recognise that we have to trawl considerable areas to find emerging young players. It is naive in the extreme to think that the entire population of the Highlands (circa 220,00) over a geopraphical area the size of Belgium will be able to produce enough to sustain a top flight football team. Equally it is sensible to consider recruiting youngsters who have been in the youth systems of other much bigger clubs and been released for whatever reason. The likelehood is that these clubs, with much bigger numbers to choose from, get it wrong sometimes and those released may have potential. Young Shinnie is a prime example and, if he makes it, will be in no small measure, due to the ICT Youth set up.

Don't count on it, the pies are still ***** :D !

The test for me will always be what someone who has failed to make the grade at ICT goes on to achieve. Using that as a benchmark it is pretty fair to say that any youth player that has been allowed to leave has, to date, not proven the decision to be anything other than correct. Rory is probably the most successful, scoring barrowloads of goals at his level. One or two are playing 3rd division football and plenty now play in the Highland League. I would absolutely love us to be able to produce from home but is really difficult at this level. Much bigger clubs have exactly the same problem. Basically, if anyone can give me an example of a success story from our ranks that has come back to haunt us I will stand corrected. Closest I can think of is Vigurs but that barely caused a dent despite my previous misgivings. Name anyone?

Well done to all concerned especially young Johnny for repaying the faith shown in him by the club. Great news.

Very difficult to split both keepers mentioned but Ryan probably suffered for the inclusion of half the ICT team! IMO I would probably swap Lilley for Keddie.

Sad really. He did us so much damage by bringing guys like Rooney and Esson to the club!!!!

Once the euphoria of this league championship wears off so might the urge to go against my deep rooted Anglophobia, who knows? Maybe it's the guilt of my comments on these boards earlier in the season making me want to give something back to God TB, but I think that I may have to seek IHE's professional opinion as I am still thinking about my allegiance during the forthcoming WC. Just repeat : They think it's all over.....it is now! That'll do the trick !

You've been on the sauce Birdie! Can't possible bring myself to contemplate such treachery. signed up member of ABE and happy to remain so. Apologies to TB but you have to draw the line somewhere!

Looked on their forum this morning. No problems at all. Complimented for the quality of the party!

Goram MacGrain Miller MacLeish Gemmell Johnstone MacKay Bremner Henderson Law Dalglish

Wheels came off some time ago :D !

To the best of my knowledge HL clubs are part of the senior set up and are included as such within all structures. That is why you have had chairmen of HL clubs sitting on SFA Committees. Guy from Cove Rangers had a very senior position I think and David Dowling was on one of them. In the past the term used to be "most northern league club".

Careful Harry. A equally poor Celtic once signed Wayne Biggins !!

I played football against Bobby Geddes at Kildary many, many years ago. Not as big as he is now but he was only 12!

I'm thinking more of a Peter Lawwell type character. He came to football with no background in the game and a huge business knowledge. Albeit not totally without failure but definitely a success.

Why could anyone possible want Dundee to do anything other than drop points :D ? Bird in the hand ....... and carry out on the train in certainty for me every time.

Bottom line is that the organisation Smith joined is exactly the same now as it was when he was appointed. It didn't suddenly become this dinosaur, he knew what it was and was confident in his ability to change it. He changed nothing. The point I am really trying to make (not very well I accept :D ) is that the job is not one for an ex pro who happens to have a bit of gumption, wear nice clothes, look quite smart and appear a tad more eloquent than Charlie Nicholas. A hard nosed individual with experience of institutional change and the corporate world is what is required. Someone who will take people with them or remove them. A real high calibre CE or CEO can achieve this without the support of the entire board/committee if they have the people skills and acumen to do so. It is highly unlikely that this individual will come from a football background. Take the points about Traynor as fair comment and hang my head in shame for even attempting to justify!! That said Chic is still a bigger fanny by far!!

You can't possibly lump Traynor in with Young? Craig Brown is a good guy and I would have expected nothing less than for him to stick up for the fellow football guy but if you read closely, at no time is he critical of the SFA. He talks about things taking time because of the committee structure but does not apportion blame. Bottom line is this is a job for a hard nosed commercial beast who knows how to play the corporate game not the ball game. Smith is not that guy and never will be. Said at the start I do not often agree with Traynor but comparison with daft Chic, that's just wrong and probably libelous :023: !!

Was in a waiting room at the dentist yesterday and picked up the Record, an unusual experience for me. For one of the view times in my life I found myself in total agreement with Jim Traynor who, for once, hit the nail on the head for me. If I could post the link I would! GS is and always was all mouth and no trousers. All back and no bone. All that mattered was his imagine. How he looked, how he came across and what people (only those he deemed of a certain standing mind) thought of him. at no point in his tenure did he have enough balls to challenge Peat and the old brigade in a public domain which, for me, proves that he did not have the courage of his convictions or the ability to back them up. GS was well remunerated for his task at circa ?250 kpa, considerably more than than Alex Salmond is paid to run our country. For that sum, I expect an individual of courage, conviction, energy, drive and most of all, ability. GS was sadly lacking in most. Perhaps the blame should lie with those who appointed such a poor corporate beast to a position way beyond his capabilities. If he wasn't such a pompous arse I may have some sympathy. He is, I don't. Goodbye Mr Chocolate. Go back to making money talking $hite on the TV and skimming off %s of young footballers' signing on fees. The real business world is too much for you.

"Got the vaseline now just to decide which one of these guys looks up for it"

Smith's departure is great news. His handling of the national team from Burley's appointment to Burley's departure and all in between was shambolic. My only fear is that having tried one media idiot, the SFA will now move to appoint Archie MacPherson to the role!! Goodbye Gordon. I have no doubt that punters the length and breadth of our nation will be waxing lyrically about your huge contribution to our game for many years to come. My arse!