Kingsmills

One way to substantially increase our budget is to be promoted. Automatic promotion may be close to being beyond us now but the route through the play offs is still very much open. We should be concentrating on promotion and I am sure there is a plan A and a plan B depending on which division we find ourselves in.

Believe me, the fact that an incompetent and disruptive employee has parted company with the club has done nothing to reduce my Scottish Cup high. Yvonne Crook is no more now than an unfortunate footnote in the club's history. The cup semi final may well be a step on the road to a brighter future.

HT; QOS 1, ICT 2 FT; QOS 2, ICT 3 ICT; Polworth QOS; Dobbie Crowd; 1,391

Seriously concerning. Any business the size of ICT needs to be run on the basis of consensus and cooperation. It sounds as though we are well rid but presumably those responsible for making the appointment are still in place and there must, as a result, be serious questions about their judgement and ability. If it was thought necessary to appoint a CEO last year why on earth was the post not advertised to try to attract the best and most suitably qualified candidates ? It appears that this person's lack of basic courtesy did not just apply to those out with the club who had backed it since inception but to loyal employees within who were working hard to turn things around while she spent ten months drawing what was presumably a substantial salary and achieving nothing obvious or tangible. As Scotty says, it's difficult to conceive of anyone with more disdain for fans and loyal employees of the club than Mike Smith but he does indeed seem to have a rival.

We managed our most successful and most financially stable years in the top six of the top tier without a CEO. I failed to see why we needed one when YC was appointed and I fail to see why, with our hugely limited finances, we need such an appointment now.

Not such a failure and PR disaster as the lamentable Mike Smith but the fact that nobody seems to be bemoaning this departure speaks volumes.

I agree. Unless the person involved is guaranteed to generate substantially more additional income than their salary then, given how tight our finances are, the cost of a CEO would be better either saved or invested in the salary of a decent player.

They didn't take anything like that number to their last Scottish Cup semi final.

Never mind. We can beat them there in a semi final with nine men.

I hope so. 10,000 fans crammed into Mcdermid Park would be far better than the same 10,000 fans rattling around an empty feeling Hampden.

In that case, he is almost certainly eligible to play.

Sadly, they will wait to see whether one final will be an Old Firm affair and then the Great God of TV will dictate the dates and times with the usual lack of any concern for travelling fans.

Pity we couldn't bring back Josh Meekings to play in goal for the semi final. His save was brilliant in the last one.

I am surmising that much increased media scrutiny in recent years is making it now impossible for the SFA to rig these draws in the manner they routinely did in years gone by.

Not often that I hope for a Rangers victory but an Old Firm clash would guarantee the other semi final selling out which would mean us netting the best part of quarter of a million pounds from the semis which will go some way to plugging our financial black hole.

ICT v Hearts or Partick A real chance to reach our second Scottish Cup final.

JR has done a fine job given the pressures, financial and other, he has faced. However, it is wrong to take the view that the play off spot is 'almost secured'. I am sure we are capable but the job is far from finished especially with the Pars running too such timely form. Cause for optimism but absolutely no room for complacency.

I will be there but I do think that there might be some merit in having two leg semi finals, home and away, like they do in the English League Cup so that fans who can't, for whatever reason, travel can attend. I would still pool the income so that teams with smaller grounds don't lose out. Hampden could be kept for the final which would make the final even more special.

To be fair, with more than twice our player budget, they shouldn't which makes our victory all the more creditable. Looking forward to him repeating his comments after we beat them home and away in the promotion play offs.

Robbie Neilson.

A great all round performance from a small squad who ran all day for the cause despite playing two games a week for consecutive weeks. We were the better team by far and Doran's extra time winner was the best it felt to be an ICT fan in two years. I don't want to dwell for too long on anything other than our superb whole hearted performance but it would be neglectful to gloss over the fact that we were nearly robbed of our rightful place in the semi finals by one very poor and one utterly abysmal decision by the officials. After unchecked sectarian conduct, the performance of our officials comes a very close second to being Scottish football's greatest shame. It's great to be in the semi finals and the cash will be a lifeline. If I am being honest, I thought that our most realistic chance of a Hampden visit would be drawing Queens Park in the Challenge Cup. While it's great to have a Hampden semi to look forward to but we can't let it distract from the primary task of fending off resurgent Dunfermline Athletic for the final play off place. Continue to play like we did today and that route back to the Premiership is still very much open to us. Especially with the magnificent Mr Doran back to something very close to his pre injury best. Happy days !

HT; Dundee United 1, ICT 1 FT; Dundee United 2, ICT 2 ICT; Polworth Dundee United; Clark First yelkow; Rooney Crowd; 4,692

The £20,000 plus VAT that Aberdeen charged us for every game at Pittodrie would seem reasonable.

I disagree. The top league would be hugely competitive with at least half a dozen teams starting the season with realistic hopes of winning it. Smaller clubs, including our own, would get healthier crowds without the hoards leaving every Saturday to support one or other of the Ugly Sisters.

Speak for yourself. I doubt that many people on this site have behaved in such a dishonest way.