Robert

As an aside, driving home from the game, I heard John Robertson’s report on Sportsound. He gave the assist to Duffy. What a ball that was by Wotherspoon to set Mckay up. As mentioned in the thread, we need to improve at throw ins and leave someone upfield when defending set pieces, but my other bugbear is when we always seem to make a pass when a shot is on. It happened several times yesterday particularly in the first half. The way the ground was, any shot could have bobbled and caught the goalie out.

That’s a sore one to take but in reality we were outplayed until we took the lead against the run of play. If Raith had had their shooting boots on, they’d have been out of sight by half time. We were much better in the second half, but the goal was a surprise when it came. We then had our best spell and created several chances, coming very close when Anderson (by then playing in a more advanced role) cannoned one off the post. Then the late equaliser meant we looked like getting a point (which we’d all have taken at half time) but the stoppage time penalty was a sickener. Losing Devine meant a change of shape to 4 at the back, but I felt we played better with two wide players than we had with Duffy and Harper being wing backs. I’m not blaming the changes as Mckay and Wotherspoon had worked their socks off, and it seems to be the norm that they give us 100% for 70 minutes before being taken off. It is maybe the reality check we need, as our results have been better than our performances. If we had to lose our unbeaten run, I’d rather it was today than in any of the next three against the teams below us, Queens Park, Morton and Arbroath.

I’ve even dug a vest out for the game and my ICT hat will get its first outing of the season.

Must admit I’m nervous about this one. We’re on a decent run but there are still frailties in our performances and Raith are doing well. I’m hoping for three points but tomorrow will tell us a lot as to how we’ve improved and our prospects for the rest of the season.

Any word on a pitch inspection given the heavy frosts we’ve been having? Hopefully there being no word of one means there is no risk. We will be missing Carson tomorrow (I hope all goes well for his partner and their new arrival arrives safely) with Harper and Boyes doubts. We are a bit light at the back potentially so may have to go with 4 at the back again as last week rather than the 3 which seemed to be suiting us. The club’s preview is here: https://ictfc.com/match-preview-raith-rovers-h-02-12-2023/

Dunfermline won 3-0 so we remain 7th, 5 points behind Dunfermline in fourth although we have a game in hand (away to Morton two weeks tonight) against the three teams immediately above us.

Jordan White for County tonight.

0-0 at half time between Dunfermline and Arbroath. A draw would suit us as it leaves us 7th and doesn’t increase the gap between us and fourth.

Broadfoot left at the end of last season and is now at Morton.

Noted yesterday we’re George Oakley for Morton, Calum Ferguson for Clach, Aaron Nicolson and Jamie Carnihan for Nairn, and Aiden Wilson for Rothes.

I agree, but it did seem a strange one. I think Mckay has handled being captain well but Devine had one of his poorer games today, particularly a 10 minute spell in the first half when he kept giving away possession. Anyway, job done (albeit in a very unconvincing manner) and we are in the last 32, unlike Dundee United, Dunfermline, Queens Park and manager-less Arbroath. At least we will be saved Dick and Ian Campbell’s antics when we play Arbroath next month.

Devine was the captain today despite Welsh starting. Is Welsh no longer the club captain? In his absence, Mckay has normally been the captain.

That was a hard watch. Cowdenbeath more than matched us until the triple change. Ferguson will have learn’t a lot about some players. Two great goals put an artificial gloss on a poor performance. I’ll cut Welsh some slack as he is still building up fitness after so little game time, and he made one magnificent cross field pass to Shaw. Delaney and Sheridan were the worst of the bunch, with most players guilty of slack passing and poor control in general. It could have been different if our two early chances had gone in, one cleared off the line and one resulting in a good save. However, we didn’t kick on at all, reverting to square and backwards passing with little movement or threat. When we got scoring chances, we tended to pass rather than shoot when a shooting opportunity was on. After the break, Brooks had a tame effort and Sheridan should have had two easy goals but messed up the opportunities. Thank goodness we stepped up several gears when Mckay and Wotherspoon came on. We need to get Wotherspoon tied up for longer. Of the starting eleven, I’m struggling as to who get pass marks. Maybe Shaw and Ujdur but that would be about it. Brooks and Longstaff worked very hard but without damaging Cowdenbeath. Raith next week now worries me.

The Chairman was clear at the Supporters Trust Meeting that there is no way the club can benefit from the Freeport. It’s not a timing issue or anything like that, it is simply that a business like the club is not the sort of business that can benefit from the Freeport scheme and the tax breaks that gives. That one is a total dead end for us.

The club has issued a statement on today’s planning deferral. Perhaps trying to build bridges after the recent lobbying: https://ictfc.com/club-statement-18/

It sounds like this was the best possible outcome today. The club and ILI now have the opportunity to thoroughly address the concerns and put the necessary mitigations in place so that the Committee feels minded to approve it. The next meeting is on 12 December but the next one after that is not until February.

I know he only played in our youth set up but Stuart Armstrong for Scotland on Tuesday.

The club’s argument is that the noise can be mitigated. This is an extract from the e-mail they sent to Councillors which was attached to the e-mail to season ticket holders: Paragraph 8.38 confirms that our revised noise assessment demonstrated that mitigation measures would reduce noise impacts “to within acceptable levels” and additional mitigation was suggested that could reduce these levels further. While Environmental Health has some questions about the report, any noise impacts can be controlled, through conditions on operating procedures, restrictions, and acoustic barriers. The project can be held to strict noise levels via these conditions ensuring that it does not create a noise nuisance for nearby office buildings in the Business Park, or the wider area. You can vote on Wednesday to approve this application subject to these conditions on noise and the Council will retain control through these conditions.

We seem to be doing that when ahead, as we did that against both Airdrie and Ayr in our recent home wins, and our later substitutions have generally been to strengthen us defensively. I assume it is deliberate as we try to build our points total, but we are good enough to continue to play in the manner that has got us in from in games rather than making us all very nervous as we get to the end of games.

Text of e-mail received from the Chairman. The link in red takes you to the text of an e-mail he has sent to Councillors: Dear Caley Thistle supporter, As you may have read or heard ICTFC has lodged a planning application for a BESS Development (Battery Electrical Storage system) at the back of Fairways Business Park in Inverness. The development has been helped massively by our main sponsor ILI with two huge goals in mind Firstly to take a huge step forward in helping Scotland, and the Highlands in particular, to getting to NET Zero CO2 emissions Secondly this development can be hugely beneficial to our club with the funds allowing us a firm, stable financial foundation for years to come. It is imperative that Scotland gets to a net zero CO2 footing. Highland Council along with the Scottish Gov declared a climate Emergency in 2019 ! It is also imperative that ICTFC derive funding from outwith football as we simply don’t make enough in the Championship to keep a full time squad and everything that goes with it. We don’t have a rich owner, there is only all of us together, so we need help. This development can most certainly help, but last week the planning department of Highland Council recommended that our application should be refused when it comes before the Council Planning Committee this Wednesday. This was devastating news. WE need to persuade, by lobbying the local councillors, that this recommendation should be overturned and the application should be approved at the meeting which is taking place this Wednesday and to that end I am asking all of you, if you agree with what I have said, to contact your local councillor with your support for the application and the club and also with the knowledge that it contributes massively to get to the Net Zero goal. I have attached a copy of an email I've sent out to all Highland Councillors which will give you a fuller picture. I hope this helps explain matters more fully, but in summary our BESS development on 1.7 hectares of Fairways………. WILL SAVE , ANNUALLY, 20,000 TONNES OF CO2. THE EQUIVALENT OF PLANTING 1,000,000 TREES (YOU CANT FIT 1,000,000 TREES ONTO 1.7 HECTARES) ! TAKES POWER FROM TURBINES WHEN THERE IS EXCESS IN THE SYSTEM ALLOWING THEM TO CARRY ON TURNING WHEN BEFORE THEY WERE TURNED OFF WHEN THE TURBINES STOP THE BATTERIES RELEASE POWER ENOUGH TO POWER EVERY HOUSE IN THE HIGHLANDS FOR TWO HOURS ! NEGATES THE NEED TO TURN ON GAS POWERED GENERATORS . REDUCES FOSSIL FUEL RELIANCE AND USAGE CAN AND WILL SECURE THE FUTURE OF ICTFC AND ICTFC COMMUNITY TRUST AND ALLOW US TO FLOURISH AND PROSPER Admittedly , the site will use 1.7 hectares of green space but this is only 2% of the 85 hectares which are left untouched and as I say, is the equivalent of 1m trees being planted by ICTFC. The Highlands needs this. Scotland needs this and everyone associated with ICTFC needs this. If you can do anything to help us then please do. Now is the time when we need you the most. Kind regards, Ross J.Ross Morrison Chairman ICTFC

David Cameron owns Fairways so presumably the land this is planned to be on. He’s also reported to be assisting the club financially in his role as Director of the club. Is he effectively passing the benefit of the project to the club through the SPV? Still more questions than answers for me but, as I’ve said above, it could be the salvation of the club.

Noted today were George Oakley for Morton, Nathan Austin for East Fife, Harry Nicolson for Clach and Tobi Sho-Silva for Maidenhead.

Full time 1-1. Do we see that as two points dropped after leading, or a point gained given how many times Dunfermline hit the woodwork? We are up to 7th, but it could have been 5th. Big Dunc’s unbeaten run now 6 games.

Dunfermline equalise in the 87th minute. A few minutes earlier they had hit the post again, whilst Welsh had replaced Wotherspoon. Presumably we were looking to “park the bus” and hold our lead?

Duffy and Longstaff on for Ujdur and Mckay. Duffy booked shortly after coming on.