Kingsmills

Factor in lower crowds, loss of commercial revenue and lower ticket prices and the cost of relegation in the first season is in the region of a million pounds. Considering that without windfalls in the form of cup runs or transfer fees we tend to run at an annual loss of circa £300,000 from a typical mid table season in the Premiership that is a painful hit for a club with our resources.

That stable door is hanging loose but the horse has not quite bolted yet.

Time to move on from that. MM is never likely to win a popularity contest with ICT fans but if this move helps us escape relegation then I, for one, am prepared to consign both his words and his actions to the past. What happened years ago is history it's what happens in the next month that's vitally important now.

Better late than never and, for those devoting such time and effort into organising torch lit protests and the like to force the board to take action, now that the board has taken positive action, perhaps they can now devote all that time and effort into fully and enthusiastically supporting the club for these vital few games that lie ahead. Depending on what happens, there may be an argument for protest at the end of the season but, to quote the mantra of the Prime Minister 'now is not the time'.

I was not at all impressed by the manner in which he disparaged the club and the fans when he turned down the privilege of managing us and Followed Butcher to Hibs. However, he is a decent, experienced coach who knows the league and many of our players and, as I said in the OP' in my opinion, a shrewd and welcome move. We can only hope that he makes a better job of assisting the manager avoid relegation than he did at Easter Road !

A shrewd and welcome move.

It seems to be about as visible as a pointless torch light demonstration would have been in broad daylight !

At least they have been up until now.

Well, it won't be too many weeks until we find out which decision was the prudent one.

Although Hartley does have experience, a decent track record up until recently and has demonstrated the ability to get a team promoted from the Championship.

Clearly not. If chedan1 looks at the context then the point will be clear and does not reflect, in any way, badly on Brad MacKay or his loyalty to the club.

The fact that it is a derby, that they have emerged from our shadow and that we are fighting for our Premiership life should be inspiration enough whatever County players are available.

For whatever reason, Fisher doesn't seem to have been given a fair crack of the whip this season. From what I've seen, he looks like the type of striker who would thrive and score a fair few in the championship. If, as now appears likely, that's where we find ourselves, we should make every reasonable effort to have him stay for at least another season.

We have had a terrible season, we will almost certainly be relegated, we currently have a manager who looks even less capable than he did when he started and looks to lack the ability to guide us back to the Premiership. Not good, to say the least but even I as a general pessimist, don't think we will be turning part time anytime soon or plummeting further down the leagues. Cheer up, it's definitely not the finest time to be an ICT fan but it's not quite as bad as all that.

Must be an age thing. Both of the above posters are in general agreement about how far that ball was over the line but one goes metric and the other goes imperial.

If the board are going to back Foran and he will be manager next season then they should say so unequivocally so that he can get on with planning for next season. If they are not then they should terminate his contract and put him on gardening leave as from tomorrow. The idle weekend next weekend would then mean that the new manager would have the best part of a fortnight to work with the players and, if he is a permanent rather than an interim appointment he too can begin to prepare and plan for next season. Either of these courses would be legitimate what is no longer tenable is the current dithering and prevarication. The current uncertainty helps nobody and reflects badly on the board. They are there to take decisions, for god sake take this important one and take it now.

Graeme Bennett may not have been everyone's cup of tea but he did seem to have an eye both for players and managers. Hard to identify anyone at board level with that ability and footballing knowledge now.

Even a single year out of the top division will cost us over twice as much as we made from the cup win so logically you would swap that for Premiership survival. However, football has very little to do with logic and personally I wouldn't swap that wonderful euphoric afternoon in Glasgow for anything.

About the manager's position that is. Certainly not about pulling together which is more vital than ever.

I know it may seem perverse and I appreciate that I posted this only a week ago but I have to say, with the benefit of just a little hindsight and great sympathy for Richie, I was wrong.

Largely because he is such a great guy and because of his love for and loyalty to the club and the city, I have been very reluctant to agree with that view even very recently. However, with immense sadness and a very heavy heart, I have to say that you are right. Thanks for all the wonderful memories as a player Richie, not least that wonderful last second equaliser in the cup in Dingwall a few seasons ago. Thanks for your loyalty in not following Butcher to Hibs when you had the opportunity and thanks even for trying your very best to manage our club in very difficult circumstances. I have no doubt that you gave it 100% and were fully committed but, whilst a very fine player, you are clearly not a manager, coach tactician or even possess the ability to motivate others as you were so obviously were motivated yourself. Go now and leave with your pride and dignity intact and give the club you care for as much as we do one final chance to retrieve the season. What ever happens to us in the last five games you will always be fondly remembered for your effort and commitment. Don't now tarnish those memories further.

For what it's worth, I'm not suggesting that the relatively small sum that would be involved comes out of club funds but out of the board members own pockets.

Agreed, the board have not covered themselves in glory this season but one thing they could surely do is pay for free buses and possibly free tickets so that we have as much backing as possible. A thousand or more ICT fans at Dens could make a difference.

I see that Goodwillie scored a hat trick for Clyde today which may go a long way to save them from the prospect of being relegated out of the SPFL. Personally, I would rather see our family oriented club relegated, as it's looking increasingly likely we will be, than sign a man who has been judicially determined to be a vile rapist even if that was guaranteed to save us. There are more important things in life and more important moral values than football.

Realistically, the only issue now to be determined is whether we can overhaul free falling Dundee to sneak into the play off spot. I can well see Dundee not winning a single game or perhaps even not gaining a point after the split. The problem is I have the very same view about ourselves. We need to heap pressure on the Dark Blues but we will not do that unless we win in Dingwall a week Friday. Without doubt, the most important Highland derby in history from our point of view and we can't possibly afford to start as sloppily as we did today.