CaleyD

I don't believe for a single moment that Dennis wanted to leave ICT, but there's only so much any person can put up with before they decide enough is enough and they have to make the decision to walk away. Brewsters "playing dumb" in the press (again) defies belief. If he had wanted Wyness to stay then he would have honoured the original deal that was offered and/or spoken to the guy long before now. The relationship between ICT and the fans has been slowly diminishing for the last 4 or 5 years, but you can almost understand that change as the club was adapting to the "bigger" league. However it seems they are stooping to a whole new low in their treatment of players. Do they somehow think that looking after a player who has never made any real contribution to the team for 6 months while he recovers offsets the fact that their pissing all over players who are well respected by the fans and among some of the most talented we've seen at the club? What's driving this insanity and when is it going to stop? What's the plan ICT....what's Brewster doing and what can we expect next season? Perhaps if we knew that then we would be better placed to understand, but once again the silence is deafening.

Still can't get used to seeing Inverness Caledonian Thistle listed up there along with the rest of those teams.

Would just like to say a very well done to everyone who took part in this years Highland March. Everyone who started on the Saturday after the Falkirk game made it the full distance (about 149 Miles). Also a big :022: to IHE who joined them for the last 3 days. It was probably a bitter-sweet experience for him given the state his feet were in by the end, and I don't know many people who would have had the strength to dig as deep as he did to make the last leg down from Tomatin to Inverness.....must have been something in the water eh Dad :004: Was delighted that Mr & Mrs Gringo were able to join us for the last couple of days. Not only do they make a great curry, but I see them as "Mum and Dad" to the troops during the week and it wouldn't be the same without them. Another it wouldn't be the same without is Yompa (aka Interthenet). He'll probably slap me for telling you all, but he's 56....and he still continues to kick the butts of all the younger participants. Not content with the 149 miles, he also added in a couple of mountains for an extra challenge :029: Gringo Jnr, the youngest Veteran of the HM was his usual solid and consistent self. Chumba (aka Beatonio), the marathon man of the HM who spends more time running than walking....which is just as well given his habit of getting lost. And not to forget the 3 new recruits.....Slater, Dunco and Lady Madonna who performed feckin brilliantly considering it was their first time out. Honourable mention for TM4TJ who appeared at Daviot to take a stroll in with the troops. Was good to see you and hope we can convince you to extend your participation next year :001: Also a big thanks to Falkirk FC and to those at ICT who welcomed the troops at each end and arranged the laps of honour. Being asked to clap the players on to the pitch at the start of the game on Saturday was something special. And for Barry Wilson, we weren't joking when we said that since you only had a 6 month deal we were expecting you to take part in the HM next year :015: Last, but by no means least, a huge thnaks to everyone who donated/sponsored towards the HM. The focus of the week may be on a group of slightly eccentric ICT fans walking stupid distances, but the fact they are able to do some good off the back of it means just as much. We've still got a load of items to auction off on Ebay, and as soon as I get sorted I'll get them all listed and let you know. (Hopefully I haven't missed anyone)

The way things are going Chris, you may only have to wait 12 months to find out :015:

I actually fail to see the problem with excluding OF games and I think the club would do well to extend the range of Season Tickets on offer across all sectors to include an option to purchase a ticket without them included as I know a few peopke who just can't be ersed with attending OF games and listening to the 90 mins of bile from the away end. It's a win/win situation. Parents get the chance to introduce their kids to the football for free and the club get the chance to recoup some of the cost of that if those kids are then taken to the OF games. My Nephew asked me the other day if I would take him to some games (he's 7). I'm not sure he'll take to going to the football or has the attention span to sit through 90 minutes, but this offer gives me the chance to find out. If he's keen on keeping on going then I have no problem whatsoever giving the club money for him to attend the OF games. Even if I take him to two OF games and pay ?15 per ticket, that's still only ?30 for a seasons football.

It's the parachute payments they would have received over the next two years which have been used to see them this far (plus some). What I am unsure about is if Gretna were ever made "full" members of the SFL, as far as I can remember they were still associate members at the close of the league last year....if that is still the case then it could be what is preventing anyone from making a firm offer as associate SFL members can be booted at any time for no real reason.

[img width=500 height=332] http://www.caleythistleonline.com/gallery/albums/upload/match_pics/2007_08/20080517_stmirren_pp/normal_20080517_stmirren_pp_003.jpg

A slight aside to the main topic, but when we were on the Highland March this year I was standing on Tummel Bridge admiring the view and waiting for the troops when a bloke comes wandering up and we get chatting. It was immediately obvious he was from Liverpool and he was on deliveries (next stop Inverness coincidentally). He asked what I was up to and I explained....to my surprise he comes out and tells me that he already knew all about the Highland March and Inverness CT, but it wasn't as a result of any recent connection/conversation about Wilsons Testimonial....it appears that we're already famous in Liverpool, and I hope they're looking forward to coming up here to play a big team :tic01:

"Bring back the Derby Matches....they were always great" can be added to the list of things people will seek solace in :015:

As I understand it Dennis has an offer on the table from St Mirren but no contract of any kind has been signed, so it is conceivable (although unlikely) that he could still be in an ICT shirt at the start of next season.

I thought sure I read you say something about the ?70,000 "extra" we got for finishing above St Mirren could mean an additional player which would make all the difference on another thread, if it wasn't you then I apologise. I can totally understand where people are coming from in terms of the "caring employer" thing, but I just feel that we can't afford to be caring and wasting a wage on someone who is very unlikely to kick a ball during the 6 month extension he's been given. Perhaps if he'd been a long standing member of the squad and a large contributor over the season/past seasons that I could justify it in my head, but he hasn't. I'd far rather see us spending that money on retaining the services of Wyness for another 6 months, at least he's (currently) fit and healthy and we know he is capable of making a positive contribution to the team. If we had money to burn then yes, go for it, but for me, I just don't think we can afford to be making these gestures given the size of the club and it's tight financial position.

The current DoF was given ?50,000 going by the last set of accounts I saw, so the difference between that and a higher calibre replacement isn't that big. I have the utmost respect for Grassa and the job he has done and the part he has played in getting us where we are, but just like many other areas of the club we need to step things up a bit and take the whole thing to the next level. One good set of signings, a youngster we get on the cheap or a decent player we grab on a free through a "better connected" DoF would easily cover the additional expense. On the subject of Brewster....I believe we are now in a position where we have to just "suck it and see" until we've at least got a few games under our belt next season. I've said a few times that I have little faith in his ability as a manager and I'm dreading next season. I know that it's not all down to him and there's certain obstacles which have been placed in his way but it's not all about the signings he's making/not making, it's about getting the best out of what you have and I feel that he has not done that since his return. What irks me more than anything else is his insatiable desire to play players out of place, this has done nothing but unsettle the team for the best part of the season. We've not had a consistent strike partnership up front, our midfield is forever changing, players playing on the wrong side of the pitch....not to mention his complete inability to recognise when we need to be changing things during the game itself. The decision to haul Niculae back to left midfield against Falkirk last week after we witnessed 20 minutes of sublime football and nice touches/knock ons for McAllister looked like it had been lifted from the book of tactical naivety. It actually looked like he was deliberately trying to make Niculae look bad!!!! He also appears to have a complete lack of motivational skills. I'm all for disciplining players who step out of line and hauling players who aren't playing well, but there's ways and means of going about these things and Brewster is clueless as to what they are IMO.

It's a great move in the right direction, but I too think it would be good for them to extend it to "walk-up" customers on a match by match basis.

Once again I'm flummoxed by representatives of the Supporters Trust jumping to the indefensible defense of the club when really there's no reason why they couldn't have obliged fans on Saturday after the game. They might be doing it as a courtesy, but when they advertise they are selling tickets until "close of business" then that's what they should have been doing. Seems to me that they were all far more interested in shutting up shop ASAP so they could all join the end of season p*ss-up in hospitality.

My personal opinion is that it was far from a good season. Much of that feeling/opinion comes from all the off the field sh**e which we have been subjected to in the last 12 months. Let's be honest, we've blundered our way through this season and any "success" has been despite and not because of the actions of the club in many regards. I'll take the end result and go on happy (enough) given the fact we've survived, but I am dreading what next season will bring and honestly believe we are shaping up to witness the worst season in the clubs history. I just hope and pray that 12 months from now we're not all sitting on here trying to seek some solace from the fact that "Division 1 is a far friendlier/better/more competitive league to be playing in anyway."

At a time when the club appear to be making many decisions based on finances it seems ludicrous in the extreme that they have decided to continue paying the wages of a crocked player who has done little to break into the first team squad during his time here. Some people may think that's harsh, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. As many are so fond of saying....no one person is bigger than the team, and for us to be pissing away a wage in this manner when we desperately need to be bringing in new players defies belief. Alex, you pointed out on another thread that the one difference in place we (surely) have maintained by drawing with St Mirren could secure that one extra player that could make all the difference, yet you seem to support the idea of wasting that wage on a player who is unlikely to bring anything to the table any time soon.....how does that work?

Wyness gone, Bayne looking to go and things very uncertain in regards to Niculae.....as it stands, the only striker with any SPL experience we have left in the squad is McAllister :crazy07: As I said in another thread, it was demonstrated to me on Saturday that ICT need to make 8 additions to the squad for next season, and that's assuming we don't lose anyone else. Not looking forward to next season at all.

This is a deal that seems to please everyone and, IMO, is one of the few correct decisions regarding players we have seen from Brewster since his return.

Where are you seeing this? Let's jut call it speculation :004:

John Robertson for me without any shadow of doubt. However, now is not the time to be changing Managers, the Board have decided that Brewster is doing an acceptable job and he remains the manager until next season is under way. As much as that fills me with dread and as much as I believe that 2008/09 is shaping up to be our worst season in the history of the club he has to be allowed the chance to see whatever plan he has in mind through till the first quarter of the season. I was shown something yesterday which suggested that ICT will need EIGHT new players for the forthcoming season. Be they new signings or younger guys stepping up to the plate is anyones guess, but it's a scarey thought, especially when you hear/see comments suggesting that we won't be all that active in the transfer market. The other thing is...whoever is the Manager, certain people involved with the club have to learn to butt out and let them do the job they are employed to do and stop hindering them with political/business nonsense which is having a huge detrimental effect on ICT on the pitch at the moment.

Got a feeling the Jeggies aren't going to like the new Home Shirt. Striped are gone and it's predominantly blue with minimal red/black/white in the under arm panel area.....and for all the larger supporters.....it appears it's Errea the club are using again.

I'm in again, and the offer stands that CaleyThistleOnline will cover any shortfall in the event of you not getting enough people and allowing you to keep it at ?10 per "share".

For those wishing to join the troops at Daviot the set off point can be found by going through Daviot, turn left when you reach the quarry and continue on that road till you see the green 'public footpath to Inverness' sign or indeed the rabble getting ready. Revised leaving time is 10.30

Dows about 11.30 prob leaving about 12.15/30 to allow time to nip in to Innes as they need to be at stadium for 2.30

Guys will be at Tomatin lunch time today, finishing Daviot this afternoon. Leaving Daviot in the morning about 10am and heading for Dows, then from there they head through the town to the Innes and on to the game.