Robert

2 for Nathan Austin and 1 for Rory McAllister this weekend. The only Highland League goalie can see is another for Jack Brown for Rothes.

The season starts tomorrow for our women’s team: https://ictfc.com/ictwfc-season-preview-karen-mason

Thanks. I’ve edited my prediction above.

Duku’s record is interesting as he seems to move club each season. A Raith fan I know said he fell out of favour after a fall out with the Manager. It will be interesting to see what his attitude is like if Mckay starts and he is only on the bench. I agree he has potential but for me the jury is out.

Elgin draw @ 3.40 please.

We will be playing Buckie at home on the first weekend in September after they beat Brechin tonight. Cup game against a team in green and white……

Graeme Shinnie came off the bench late and scored the first Derby penalty in a shoot out as they squeezed past Salford City in the same cup.

We could also do with a young goalie who can learn from Ridgers and be able to be on the bench should he or MacKay be injured or suspended. Ridgers was lucky not to be sent off on Saturday so we would have had a problem for the Ayr game had that happened.

By my reckoning, that leaves us with a squad of 21: Goalies: Ridgers, MacKay Defenders: Carson, Duffy, Broadfoot, Devine, Deas, Harper Midfield: Welsh, Allardice, McAlear, MacGregor, Hyde Wide: Doran, Walsh, Gardyne, McDonald Forwards: Duku, Mckay, Sutherland, Jamieson

Five more youngsters have gone on loan: Ethan Cairns to Strathspey: https://ictfc.com/ethan-cairns-joins-strathspey-thistle-on-loan Aly Riddle and Harry Hennem to Brora: https://ictfc.com/aly-riddle-and-harry-hennem-join-brora-rangers-on-loan Robbie Thompson and Lewis Nicolson to Clach: https://ictfc.com/robbie-thompson-and-lewis-nicolson-join-clach-on-loan

Only a few weeks into the Highland League season and the Managers of Brora and Keith have both resigned: http://www.hflhub.co.uk/index.php/2762-brora-boss-steven-mackay-resigns http://www.hflhub.co.uk/index.php/2761-keith-co-managers-roddie-and-wilson-resign It must have been tough for the Brora Manager working away all week so understandable.

The club’s report is here: https://ictfc.com/ictfc-1-0-raith-rovers-07-08-2021

I’m on Vodafone and have not had an issue until yesterday when I couldn’t get a couple of apps to load when trying to check the Raith team so I could update my scorer prediction. I put it down to an issue with Vodafone as it’s never been a. Issue for me before, and I was only one row behind my normal seat.

Also in the Highland League yesterday, Jack Brown for Rothes and Kieran Chalmers for Strathspey. Josh Meekings also scored, but an own goal in Brora’s thrashing at Fraserburgh.

Enjoying doing this Gringo. Looking at the updates for today, it looks like the Ayr - Arbroath game has had the half time score used rather than the full time one.

Zanatta. He knew he had the beating of Carson, particularly during Raith’s strong spell early in the second half. We seemed to be pushing Walsh further forward so Carson had less protection than earlier in the game. I was surprised when Raith hooked him, but it gave some of our fans the chance to boo his replacement, Keatings.

I agree. We only had one defender on the bench today, Harper, with no sign of Duffy.

I enjoyed the game and great to get the result, with a goal fitting of winning any match. A bullet finish by MacGregor after Duku laid it off to him. Good to get a clean sheet but we had some troubling moments, often self inflicted, which was how Devine and Ridgers got their bookings. Ridgers could have got a red with a different ref. A lot to be positive about but we were not dominant and Raith’s pacy players caused some problems, particularly early in the second half. Duku clearly enjoyed noising up his former employer and incurring the wrath of the noisy away support, and was probably our top player. With no cup game next week, hopefully they can use the time to tighten things up so we keep the ball better, and then we have Ayr at home which should be winnable. After the cup games, it is great to be off and flying in the league.

Presumably we can recall Fyffe if needed. The game time should do him good, but we are short of cover if one of Broadfoot, Devine or Deas gets injured.

Don’t know, but you can buy tickets at the ground before kick off so that may be an option for you. Given they are advertising them, they ought to be available.

The biggest frustration for me is the poor communication that we get. If there are six e-mail addresses that cannot help. Most businesses have one primary address for customers (eg [email protected]) which they prioritise monitoring and responding to. Live chat functions on websites, between published hours, is becoming common and could be a good option as it can be less labour intensive. It needs to be someone’s responsibility to monitor and reply to social channels and e-mails in a timely manner and they should publish service levels that they are seeking to achieve (eg reply within one working day), and send an acknowledgement if they will be unable to achieve that (they could even automate it so customers get an automatic acknowledgement so know the e-mail is being actioned). Regular, proactive updates from the Chairman or CEO would be welcome. This could take the form of a monthly bulletin circulated on social channels and on the website. This should be augmented by updates when anything of note happens (signings etc). Too often we get a burst of activity at season ticket renewal time then little for months. Each time we have had a new Chairman we get promises that communication will be improved. Now is an opportunity to actually achieve that. The club knows it is an issue, and that it is important to fans, so they should sort it. I welcome the Focus Group and hope it helps to deliver improvements, but visibility of the issues discussed and how they are followed through will be vital.

There’s an updated post about tomorrow’s match, with the catering arrangements but no mention of face coverings: https://ictfc.com/matchday-info-raith-rovers-h

Jack Brown for Rothes in the North of Scotland cup yesterday, and substitute Ryan Christie for Celtic in the Europa League today.

Montrose @ 1.57 please.

HT 1-0 FT 2-1 ICT Duku Raith Poplatnik