Robert

This is the wording of the Chairman’s letter to sponsors, with contact details removed: I am writing to you today, firstly to thank you for your backing of our football club, and secondly to appeal to you to kindly continue that support. As I am sure you are aware, we have recently and very disappointingly, had planning refused by Highland Council for the installation of a 4 acre battery energy storage farm on the site of the former Fairways Golf Course, the reason given was due to loss of green space in a private green space area of 200 acres. This is despite the fact that one of our many important and impactful Caley Thistle community projects involves the complete resurrection of a significantly larger green space adjacent to Inverness Royal Academy, which is a ten acre site that will be used as a community hub for the city and beyond, promoting physical and mental health wellbeing for thousands of people both young and old in the Highlands. Our quest to seek planning permission for the battery farm has now been escalated to Scottish Government level and it is our strong expectation that the Highland Council’s decision will be overturned on appeal but this will take a number of months. What this means is that we face significant pressure on our cash flow. To that end, I am writing to all our sponsors to ask if you would be able to help us through this situation by renewing your advertising with us slightly earlier than normal. If you are able to renew by return, it would be hugely appreciated by everyone at ICTFC and will not only help the club continue in our current form, but it will also allow us to continue the great work we do in the city and beyond, especially as we enter our 30th anniversary. If you can help us, we would be able to thank you for that support by offering a 15% discount on last season’s price for an early renewal. If you can help, please contact our Commercial Director Keith Haggart, either on his email address of ——- or by mobile ——-. Finally, as ever, on behalf of myself, the Board of Directors and Executive team, it is a privilege to serve our football club and we thank you for being a part of the club which has represented the city so well in the last 30 years.

The cup final was on 3 June so would revenue for that not be reported in the year to May 2024 rather than last year? I read on here some time back that the cup windfall was used to repay Directors’ loans. I don’t know if that was an informed comment or speculation.

And those accounts are for the year that ended in 30 May 2023 so nearly another year has passed, which presumably has caused things to worsen further.

Noted on Saturday we’re George Oakley for Morton and Ross Draper for Elgin. Coll Donaldson, Keith Bray and Josh Meekings were sent off for Falkirk, Elgin and Brora.

At full time last night, we had 8 loan players on the pitch and the only players actually ours were Ridgers, Harper and Mckay.

Aidan Wilson for Inverurie on Wednesday.

I’ve only missed one home game all season, league, cup and friendlies, so I’ve suffered a lot! Tonight was one of our best home performances and I am gutted we got nothing from it. The woodwork saved Raith on four occasions and their goalie had several tremendous saves. Raith caught us out with one of their few chances. McAllister, Samuel and Harper were the picks for me, but no one can fault the effort of any of our players. We need to pick ourselves up and ensure we beat Dunfermline next week (and hope they win against Queens Park tomorrow).

That’s encouraging that McAllister, Carragher and Savage are all fit as it gives us options. Will Kerr be back in midfield with Duffy at right wing back, or will McAllister start with Kerr reverting to wing back?

I normally enjoy Friday night games, and I really hope tomorrow’s will be no different. A win will help us greatly, and add to the pressure on Queens Park, who have a difficult game at Dunfermline on Saturday. However, Queens Park travel to play Arbroath next weekend, so we have to assume they will pick up points there. We blew our good run against Raith earlier in the season, but had a great win in Kirkcaldy when we last played them. Now is the time to continue our winning run and get ourselves looking up rather than down. I’m nervous though, given our poor home form.

Dunfermline @ 2.10 please.

I got this message again today for the first time in a long time. The second link Scotty supplied back in August worked fine though.

HT 1-0 FT 2-1 ICT Billy Mckay Raith Vaughan Crowd 2075

Kevin McHattie for Brechin tonight.

That’s a strange one given we’ve picked up most of our points away from home and our own pitch has been perfect all season. A younger Aaron Doran was pretty useful at free kicks and Sean Welsh had a few too (when fit).

Noted today were Marley Watkins for Kilmarnock, Logan Chalmers for Ayr, Jack Brown for Peterhead, both Sam Pearson and Alex Fisher for Yeovil, both Garry Wood and Ethan Cairns for Banks O’Dee, whilst Sam Nixon scored an own goal as Forres lost to Brechin. Graeme Shinnie was sent off for Aberdeen. It must have been a bad one as this is how the BBC described it: “Graeme Shinnie - that is very, very naughty. Already on a yellow, he goes studs up on Malachi Boateng, nowhere near the ball. It's poor from the Dons skipper.”

Great goal.

This is the first time we’ve won two league games in a row this season. Hopefully it’s the start of a run at the right point in the season.

Full time and a crucial three points as a result of Harper’s free kick, and we are up to 8th. Well done to all involved. Of our former players, Sheridan conceded the free kick we scored from and Welsh got booked.

A nervy last 10 looming. MacGregor and Pepple just on for Doran and Mckay. Lawal replaced Longstaff earlier in the half.

Boom!! Cammy Harper free kick. We are 1 up. Do we give Sheridan the assist? He handled the ball to concede the free kick.

If we can believe the BBC, Longstaff is at right wing back, Duffy is one of the back three, and Kerr is in central midfield.

The above comment may have been missed. That certainly does not indicate to me that the Trust has any intention of passing any funds raised to the club for “more of the same”.

East Fife @1.90 please.

HT 0-1 FT 1-2 ICT Billy Mckay QP Paton Crowd 1806

I took Stronger Together to be a clever play on ICTST: the ST stands for both Supporters Trust and Stronger Together.