Jason Brown is the latest player profiled in the SPFL Wonderkid series:

SPFL Wonderkid #17 - Jason Brown

Friday 12th February 2016

Brown, 19, is the latest of a conveyor belt of young Scottish talent coming from Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He currently plays for the development squad, primarily in the centre of midfield, and the club certainly have faith in Brown, who has captained the team on a number of occasions this season.

In addition to being given the role of skipper, he signed a one-year deal with Caley Thistle last June alongside fellow under-20 team-mates Cameron MacKay, Ali Sutherland and Calum Howarth.

After signing his new contract and ahead of Inverness’ Scottish Cup triumph, Jason Tweeted: “Delighted to extend my contract at @ICTFC - looking forward to next season already and of course the big one this weekend #ICTFC”

Brown is yet to play at the senior level for Inverness, but in May 2014, got his first call-up to the Caley Thistle senior squad for a home game against Dundee United which ended 1-1. He has since made 15 appearances on the bench.

As the end of the season approaches, it could be the perfect time for Brown to look to make his first senior appearance. It also fits with John Hughes’ plan at the beginning of the season when he said: “They’re in their first year as a professional and you’ll find it will take them two or three months to find their level in the first-team.”

Brown will certainly be hoping that’s the case and no doubt will be looking to emulate his friend and former team-mate Ryan Christie, who after making his debut at 18 went on to make 56 appearances and score nine goals.

There should be no doubt though that on his current trajectory Jason Brown's, name will be ringing around the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in no time.

One of Aberdeen's goals was scored by Sam Robertson - who I've just learned is the son of ICT's first ever goal scorer - Wilson Robertson!

22 minutes ago, RiG said:

How many ties would be televised? No doubt both games involving the OF teams would be candidates and I would have thought our match would probably be slightly more preferable to broadcast than Ro$$ County v Dundee United if the BBC or Sky can show a third match between them.

I genuinely feel our tie - (regardless whether it's Hibs or Hearts) is more 'worthy' of TV coverage than Celtic v Morton.
A Kilmarnock v Dundee tie wouldn't be favoured, but Rangers v Dundee - a cert!
It'll probably be two ties from the 4 games being televised and switched from the 'traditional' 3pm Saturday kick-off.
A lot of 'probably' and 'feel' from me there - I really haven't answered your question, RiG!!

Replay dates:
(Tuesday 16th Feb - 19:45)
Hibernian v Hearts
Kilmarnock v Rangers

(Tuesday 23rd Feb - 19:45)
Dundee v Dumbarton

The quarter-finals are still currently on 5th March at 3pm - but some of the ties will 'move' for TV...but no news yet!
I imagine the BBC/SKY are awaiting the outcome of the replays.

Quarter-finals (currently 5th March - 15:00):
Celtic v Morton
Hibernian or Hearts v Inverness Caley Thistle (holders!)
Kilmarnock or Rangers v Dundee or Dumbarton
Ross County v Dundee United

Peterhead's Shane Sutherland has landed the League One award for Player of the Month for January.

Next fixture is on Friday (12th Feb) away to Aberdeen.
2pm on the artificial pitch at Banks o' Dee's Spain Park.

25 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

That would be appropriate. The honours system and the cup draw are both farce.

DD's comment still makes me laugh - even after looking at it for the twentieth time!
Yet, Lenny Henry is a 'Sir' - and has yet to make me smile once!

Doofers Dad deserves a knighthood for that caption!!!
 

Here's a terrific 10 minute film of the 1949 Qualifying Cup final between Caledonian and Clach at Telford Street. I stumbled upon this on another forum - credit to the Elgin city fan who posted it.
http://movingimage.nls.uk/film/1552?search_term=football&search_join_type=AND&search_fuzzy=yes

Wonder what the outcome of the first draw would have been?!
But, we're left with this -
Quarter-finals (currently 5th March):
Celtic v Morton
Hibernian or Hearts v Inverness Caley Thistle (holders)
Kilmarnock or Rangers v Dundee or Dumbarton
Ross County v Dundee United

After the Dons visit next Monday, we'll then have 4 away games in-a-row...
Celtic (away)
Dundee (away)
Hearts (away)
Hibernian or Hearts (away) - Scottish Cup

Celtic don't get drawn at home very much!
If they are away AGAIN it'll be the most remarkable of statistical anomalies. But, as always, 50/50 !
However, it's already is bizarre...18 away ties in the last 20 - of ties that could be home/away in the Scottish Cup.
One would have to toss a series of 20 coins literally thousands of times to produce a 18/2 differential. Pascal's triangle!
I'm not for a moment saying it's rigged against Celtic, but, if it was anyone else, that suspicion would be widely cast.

Andre Mutombo will miss our quarter-final, I assume...as he's been booked twice now.
 

Tonight's draw could produce a series of local derbies - apart from Edinburgh - but they've still a replay to contend! Obviously, all this is a very long-shot!
Assuming Dundee and Rangers win their replays, which is quite conceivable, we could get:

Inverness CT v Ross County
Celtic v Rangers
Dundee v Dundee United
Hearts or Hibernian v Morton

Won't happen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see one derby match come out...
But this draw should have been done yesterday on BBC after the EK-Celtic game!

Heart of Midlothian 2-2 Hibernian
East Kilbride 0-2 Celtic

Quarter-final draw - Monday at 6.30pm Sky Sports News; Teams in the hat:

Premiership
Dundee United
Inverness Caley Thistle (holders)
Ross County
Celtic
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)
(Dundee or Dumbarton)
(Hibernian or Hearts)

Championship
Morton
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)
(Dundee or Dumbarton)
(Hibernian or Hearts)

Rangers 0-0 Kilmarnock
Annan Athletic 1-4 Greenock Morton
Dumbarton 0-0 Dundee
Dundee United 1-0 Partick Thistle
Motherwell 1-2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Ross County 4-2 Linlithgow Rose
Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian (Sunday 7th at 12.30pm)
East Kilbride v Celtic (Sunday 7th at 3pm - at Airdrie)

Quarter-final draw - Monday at 6.30pm Sky Sports News; Teams in the hat (so far):

Premiership
Dundee United
Inverness Caley Thistle (holders)
Ross County
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)
(Dundee or Dumbarton)

Championship
Morton
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)
(Dundee or Dumbarton)

Rangers 0-0 Kilmarnock
Annan Athletic v Greenock Morton
Dumbarton v Dundee
Dundee United v Partick Thistle
Motherwell v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Ross County v Linlithgow Rose
Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian (Sunday 7th at 12.30pm)
East Kilbride v Celtic (Sunday 7th at 3pm - at Airdrie)

Quarter-final draw - Monday at 6.30pm Sky Sports News; Teams in the hat:
Premiership
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)

Championship
(Kilmarnock or Rangers)

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

Well you should have! January transfer window thread a month ago:

Yngwie 1-0 Sneckboy  
 

16 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

Edward Ofere has signed for Dundee United

I didn't foresee that coming. An Ofere strike partnership with 'wee Billy' is intriguing - they didn't, obviously, play together at Inverness.
It could well be productive, but I feel that Dundee United have too much to do to survive the drop!   

Signed until the end of season (2018-19):
• Gary Warren
• Ross Draper

Signed until the end of season (2017-18):
• John Hughes - Manager
• Brian Rice - Assistant Manager

• Ryan Esson

Signed until the end of next season (2016-17):

• Richie Foran

• Greg Tansey

• Josh Meekings
• Carl Tremarco
 

 Signed until the end of this season (2015-16):

• Dean Brill

• Aaron Doran

• Danny Williams

• James Vincent

• David Raven

• Danny Devine

• Ali Sutherland (on loan at Brora Rangers)

• Liam Polworth

• Lewis Horner 

• Calum Ferguson

• Cammy Mackay

• Nat Wedderburn

• Jordan Roberts

• Owain Fon Williams

• Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo

• Iain Vigurs
• Alex Fisher
• Ryan Williams
• Liam Hughes
 

On loan until the end of this season (2015-16):
• Miles Storey (from Swindon Town)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Development Squad players available for this season (2015-16):

• Calum Howarth

• Jason Brown  

• Jaime Wilson  

• Kane Hull (on loan at Fort William)

• Struan McArthur 

• Blair MacLennan 

• Chris Brown

• Stephen Rennie (on loan at Fort William)

• Chris Blackett

• Daniel Hoban (goalkeeper) 

• Alasdair Stark  

• Andrew Macrae

• Cameron Gilchrist

But, he had to 'convince' Tansey to stay! 'Convince' suggests there were other choices. Not sure what they could have been!
...and a player who 'wants to stay with club' would need NOT NEED any 'convincing'!

Why do folk assume the ICT statement 'puts this to bed'? A case of believing what you want to read? Is the dialogue from Pittodrie less worthy?

The ICT statement is using 'woolly language' to deflect this - its intention being to close the matter. But, why should ICT's 'reaction' be more believable than that being stated from Aberdeen?
Derek McIness has been quoted as saying, "We wanted Greg and Greg was keen to come here but that's between the player and Inverness. I spoke to John Hughes this morning and we have acted professionally, honestly and with integrity throughout this and he agrees with that. So there's absolutely no problem from John's point of view."

Why aren't folk believing that?

Although it was blowing a gale that day,  I'm fairly sure the managers weren't in-touch to discuss the weather!

If Tansey had indicated at the first instance that he was 'happy' to stay at Inverness, this wouldn't have dragged-on until Monday night, nor required the clubs' managers to get-in-touch.

Tansey is 27 now, and football is a short career - if he wasn't attracted by doubling or trebling his wages, I'd be very surprised - crikey, he's turned us down with a contract offer before - he's got 'form' here! At this stage of his career, of course he's going to go for it!

Anyway:
Fictional Scenario: Tam Gregsie is a shelf-stacker with Tesco at Inshes.

He’s good at his job, and ambitious; To the extent that he has moved jobs before, but is now back for a second spell in Tesco - having split his spells with a stint at Sainsbury, whom he joined after rejecting a contract extension with Tesco a few years ago. Not that it matters - the shoppers are fickle and just love whoever works there without ever casting a critical eye!

In the modern competitive world of grocery retail, such workers are now considered to be past-their-sell-by-date (no pun intended) by their mid-thirties...so when ASDA came calling on a head-hunting mission, 27-year-old Gregsie was naturally interested - he'd be at least doubling his wages in a job in the exact same role.
ASDA wanted him to start immediately; and Tesco were all but resigned to losing one of their leading workers - so-much-so that they immediately took on two new employees in the role that Tam would be vacating. Coincidentally, on the same day, SDA sent out two employees on work experience!

However, a clause in Tam's contract stipulated that hw must work two-weeks notice....
This ‘hurdle’ proved problematic and the proposed job-transfer collapsed.

However, ASDA may still be interested in revisiting the Tam Gregsie option when the retail stores conduct their annual summer recruitment campaigns.

Meanwhile, Tesco’s store boss took Tam into the office and explained the situation before asking him what he was going to do now - would he quit Tesco and go on the dole?
No, of course not - Tam needs an income - and without having any other option, Tam stated he will, for now, be continuing to work for Tesco - and with a shrug of the shoulders stated, “yeah, boss, I’m happy to remain here (for now)”

Incidentally, Tam has since sacked his Union Rep.

The ICT statement (but parodied):

Tesco are pleased to announce that shelf-stacker, Tam Gregsie will be available for Saturday’s stock take and beyond.

ASDA made their official approach to us on Saturday evening in relation to obtaining references regarding a job offer for Tam Gregsie. This was followed by a period of activity, culminating in their final request on Monday afternoon.

This was an unwelcome and late approach for a very popular and influential worker within our store.

However, after meeting with Tam following the final approach, we are delighted to be assured by him that he is “happy” in Tesco and that he has elected to remain at Inshes Retail Park - and we thank Tam for his integrity, honesty and loyalty to the store.

The club then informed ASDA that their final request had not been successful.

In the period after ASDA making official contact with us, we were of course determined to act in the best interest of Tam and our store and we are confident that the outcome will be warmly received by our shoppers.

Conclusion:
The ICT wording is constructed to assume 'all is well' -  wording is key (agree with DD on this) -
For example, Camelot could present you with a large cheque for getting 5 numders in the National Lottery - then, interview you afterwards.
You could say, “yes I’m happy with getting 5 numbers in the lottery - but obviously I’d rather have got 6!” - This could easily be reported by Camelot as stating “Mr X didn’t hit the jackpot, but he’s just told us that he’s happy getting 5 numbers”
Which is totally true! But ignores the fact that he’d rather have had 6.
In this context, I’ve no doubt Greg Tansey IS happy at Inverness, but that doesn’t mean he’d not rather be at Aberdeen!

23 minutes ago, DoofersDad said:

SP  It's Doofer's Dad.  I don't know how many Doofers there are out there, but before Doofer's Mum gets the rolling pin out, I can assure you I have only fathered one of them!

This just gets more and more bizarre!
It appears that Tansey has parted company with his agent, Rob Shield from Evolve Sports Management.
Certainly, he's removed his contact details from his Twitter. Below are screenshots from today and an 'archive' from Sunday 31st.

I wondered if he represented any other ICT players and a spot of Googling revealed he does indeed - James Vincent and Danny Williams!!
There's something going on here...