CaleyD

They way our Young lads have been performing the last couple of seasons I'd have more confidence in the likes if the U19's getting a result at the moment

CLICK HERE for some photos from the game thanks to Gordon Gillespie (NorthSport.com)

We already employ our token short erse....Iain Black. Although I actually believe he has some kind of mental condition where he thinks he's really 7 feet tall.

Their is reasons why the club had to back down on certain arrangements. Unfortunately these were/are not properly communicated so everyone was left feeling like it was some kind of vendetta against the younger lads looking to create a bit of atmosphere.

Maybe we should get one of those wee men that they have at the entrance to all the rides at Butlins. If your not taller than, or wider than him then your not allowed in.

Apologies for the rant at you, it's just that I get fed up of the "lets find reasons not to do something" instead of the "lets find reasons to do something". This is something I've been trying to get the Trust to take on board for what seems like forever and all I get is "excuses" and empty promises that they will discuss it further. It was initially raised by me at a Trust AGM, the same AGM where I was heckled from the floor and someone told the Trust to give me a refund of my membership and send me away, and we were told it would be discussed and brought up at the next AGM.....and that never happened. The Trust may not be representative of all fans, but I do think there's a perception that they are. This is supported by the numerous "Should this not be something the Trust is doing" statements and the fact that my previous discussions with the club on things have always included the "Do you not think that's what the Trust is for" type line. That's why I get so angry when you see that it's people such as the guy I mentioned at the AGM above who are being represented by the Trust...and the perception is that they represent us all. We harp on about the club not doing enough to remove obstacles and excuses for people to attend games, but the people doing the shouting are creating the exact same obstacles when it comes down to joining the Trust. A Trust, by it's very definition, should be acting for the benefit of the person/person listed in their constitution. In our case that is the Supporters of ICT and the Community served by the Club. That's where it differs from a Members Club and the sooner we get beyond the "what's in it for me" attitude and start acting for EVERYONE and welcoming EVERYONE without the need for paying a "Membership Fee" the better. As soon as you ask people for something to join they expect something in return for themselves....let's break that mindset and move forward. When I talk about the Trust, I'm not talking specifically about the Committee, I'm talking about the Trust as an entity and all those who are members of that entity which are preventing it from realising it's full potential. So long as the Trust remains small it will remain weak...we can either accept that or we can do something about it. However, as with the club, you need a willingness from within in order to effect change, and that's all I ask for.

So we just don't try then Scotty? Kinda smacks of hypocrisy when your pedalling the "You have to give it a chance" line for the Boardroom Banter. A simple Opt-In/Out of Trust Membership box on the application form for all of the things I mentioned above and ditching the Membership fee (which I never, ever agreed with) is all it would take to find out. And whilst you might note get everyone to sign up, and it may take a couple of years for people to buy in to the benefits of having a say, you would end up with a Trust that is far more representative of the fans than it is at the moment.

Whilst I'll concede that getting people to participate on a regular basis might prove impossible, I don't agree that there's no way to bring all fans under one umbrella and only when all obstacles have been removed will it happen. Every Season Ticket Holder, Shareholder, Supporters Club Member, Centenary Club Member etc should, by default, become a Member of the Trust at NO additional cost to themselves, and the door should be open to those who don't fall within any of those categories to apply for free membership. It's been done at other football clubs and it could be done here if people are willing to think outside the box and step out of their comfort zone. Where there's the will, there's a way.

The idea is not that everyone agrees (what a boring world that would be), but that everyone has their say in an organised and structured setup. Where required votes are taken and the Trust then moves forward based on what the majority of people want to see. Are you happy to see a Supporters Trust which is being controlled by less than 10% of the fan base making decision on your behalf? Do you not think that, at present, the club look at the Trust on that basis and laugh at the thought of them being "the voice of the fans"? The "fault" doesn't lie solely on the shoulders of those running the trust, it lies on the shoulders of each and every person who sits back saying "shouldn't the Trust be doing this or that" and expects others to do the shouting and complaining on their behalf and then complains when it's not doing things the way they want. Some might find that a bit of a strange comment coming from me given the basis of statements I have made on the subject, but I tried to do my bit and was shouted down by the very same people who sit in the stand on match days and pull faces and moan when people try to create an atmosphere.....these are the people who are members of the trust and casting votes on what the Trust does or doesn't do....the people you think are "Your Voice" and who you expect to be standing up to the club.....all these people want are "members perks", club shop discounts and invites to social events. Are they really the kind of people you want making decisions for the fans?

CLICK HERE for a full list of the products available. Use the drop down box in the top left to change category and remember the front page you land on is only a sample from each section so be sure to go in to the section to see the full list. If you want to see a certain design on any of them, just let me know the item name and which category it's in and I'll see what I can do. Please bare in mind that "graphics" based designs are only available on white at the moment, but as I said above, I am working on ways around that and will let you know when it's possible to print which ones on coloured garments. All the "lettering" based designs can be printed in any colour on any item and/or offered with the choice for you to customise the lettering by adding your own name/initials or whatever.

It had actually crossed my mind as to why the Trust hadnt approached the club on behalf of the fans before regarding these issues. Maybe its time for a change at the top there then Not necessarily, but I do think that they (and the members) need to take a long hard look at where priorities lie. What they do, I think they do well, but their should be more to a Supporters Trust than fund raising. The Trust have been their own worst enemy since they were formed IMO, and my reasons for saying that are well documented on this forum so I'll not go in to them again. The potential for them to be a really effective "voice" is there. Can you imagine a Trust where every single ICT fan is a member, and how much weight that kind of voice would carry? I can, and there's no reason whatsoever that it shouldn't be the case. Until that happens then, for the most part the Trust will remain ineffective and toothless, which is a real shame as I had hoped for so much more.

If you view it as a ?147k loss then, on the face of it you could be forgiven for thinking it wasn't that bad. In reality though, it's a ?400k swing in comparison to last years profit of ?250k (ish). Without having the full accounts it's impossible to say what has caused that swing.....i.e. Was it a drop in income, an increase in costs, or a combination of both. Whatever way you try and spin it, a ?400k drop is a bad sign for a company who's turnover is only in the region of ?2.5 Million.

Funnily enough Richard, when I brought up the subject of "communication" with Mike Smith the last time I met him, that was the exact same answer as he gave....and I think that's part of the problem. Until the Trust grow a pair and start worrying more about the fans than upsetting the club then they are nothing but a glorified Supports Club IMO, and that's not what is needed.

Clothing in Kids Sizes as follows.... Solid Colour T-Shirts Light/Baby Blue White Red Black Yellow Contrasting Collar/Sleeve Cuff White/Black White/Navy White/Red White/Red & White Black/Red & White Polo Shirts White Red Black Hoodies Red Navy Long Sleeve Baseball T's with coloured sleeve & Collar White/Red White/Navy Long Sleeve T-Shirt Royal Red White Any designs made up just lettering can be printed on to any of these, items with picture based designs can only be printed on white at the moment, but I'm working on getting the images converted (where possible) to a format suitable for printing on to colour and a new print process is coming nearer the end of the year to widen that option even further. Sports Shirts like the Jako Striker Shirt are only available in adult sizes. Noticed that particular one is not available in small adults, but there's other brands/styles which I can go through to see if they have in small if that might suit an older kid. Distinct lack of pink option for young ladies in the clothing selection....but I can offer the compromise of letting her have the lettering in any colour of glitter she wishes...Pink, Red, Gold, Blue, Silver...and also Blue Sparkle, Red Sparkle, Green Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Silver Sparkle, Purple Sparkle, Champagne Pink Sparkle, Black Sparkle. For the missus, I have options for Ladies Hoodies...one of them is same as mens but shaped (available in Red or Navy). The other one is similar but has that "distressed" seam thing going on which seems to be popular (available in Washed Yellow, Turquiose, Kelly Green, Pink, Black & Navy)....obviously the colour of the design can be altered to suit the colour of the garment. At the moment I can't offer "Full Wrap" mugs where the print goes all the way round in one piece so any image of the stadium put on a mug by me wouldn't be that good. However, I think your idea is fantastic and would certainly be a seller and it may be worth dropping the suggestion to the official club shop.

Even allowing for the ?285k investment, we are still looking at a ?400k swing (in the wrong direction) in the accounts. That suggests that issues run a little deeper than simply not having had a cup run.

Feel free to suggest designs and ideas. You can either post them up on here, PM me or e.mail [email protected] Even if people aren't artistic, a verbal description should suffice, or a quick scribble can be turned into a more refined image. So long as it's an "original" idea and you don't want to include anything which may be copyright/trademarked then it shouldn't be a problem. If there's a group of you all attend games together and you've got a nickname for yourselves (like the lads in Section G) then I'll happily work on designs for/with you....and I won't charge you for my time It doesn't even have to be ICT related, as I said above, if you want something done, be it a one off for yourself or for a group outing/event, then I'll happily accommodate where I can.

Compare the Stewarding at the Liverpool match with that you get at a League Match....Chalk and Cheese. I stood for the entire 90 minutes+ of the Liverpool match, as did many of those around me and we didn't see hide nor hair of a Steward, and as far as I am aware their wasn't a single incident in the North Stand that required their intervention. There's a lesson in there for the club/stewards, and that is....any "trouble" at League fixtures is in large part down to the way in which they are policing the fans. Leave them alone, and your not going to get any bother. I understand that the SPL have certain rules that need adhering too, and it is them that say people cannot stand at league matches, but really....listen to the fans and instead of hammering them for doing something you will happily allow at any other time, stand up to the SPL and fight them on the matter and use matches such as cup games and the Liverpool game to show them that you have no problems when you lay off the fans.

Assume your looking at the "Striker" shirts? If you click on the item to go in to it, then on the that page, next to the size selection box is a link to a "Size Chart". This gives you the armpit to armpit measurement for that shirt...so double that for your full chest measurement....which comes out at just under 46" for those tops. Or....what Scotty said

I can do kids sizes in T-Shirts, Polo-Shirts and Hoodies. Which design are they liking? There's some restrictions on what combinations of item/design/colour and size I can do at present but I shouldbe able to find a way round the system for most of the simpler designs on there at present.....although in some cases it might prove price prohibitive. Doesn't stop me from giving it a bash though, so ask for what you like and I'll see what can be done.

As opposed to cluttering it up by needlessly quoting it again in it's entirety?

That's been the excuse for the last 10 years!!!

I've been asked a few times over the years whether or not I would be able to get some of my designs and things on to T-Shirts for people to be able to buy and I've finally got around to doing something about it. I've created an online T-Shirt Store where I will be uploading the various things I've done as I get them reworked to make them suitable for printing, but in the meantime I've thrown up some of the other ideas that have been floating around in my brain for a while. If you go to http://cto.spreadshirt.net then you can see what's already up there. If you have any ideas or want something specific let me know and I shall do what I can to accommodate. So if there's a design there, but it's not on a product you like, or in a colour you like, or you want to be able to add your own name to it then just holler and I'll see what I can do. If you want something "custom" like T-Shirts for a lads holiday, Stag Night, Hen Night or whatever then I can accommodate that also. I've done what I can to keep the costs down, so much so that on some items you will see a "sponsored" option....which basically means we've slapped our web address on the item and reduced the price. First chance I get I'll create a proper page of information on all the products that can be provided (there's hundreds), but hopefully what is up there just now is good starting point to give you an idea. SHOP LINK

Precisely, and if you look back through past discussions on swearing you'll find that I am in total agreement with your philosophy that it's best to educated kids on the rights and wrongs of instead of trying to "protect" them from it.....which is a near impossible task unless you lock them in their rooms and home school them. As I told one woman who took me to taks over swearing in the mainstand a few years back. "If your so offended by swearing then perhaps you should try Church instead of Football." Don't think she liked that as she stormed off to report me to the Stewards...who, back then just laughed at her. Oh for some of those same sensibilities among the Stewards of today. G4S were advertising for stewards recently, perhaps we should all apply

You don't have to go to a football ground to hear swearing, just walk past any primary school in the country whilst they're out for a break and you'll hear far worse than anything you might witness at TCS on a match day

Just for info purposes the window has been extended till midnight on the 1st.