Alex MacLeod

To be fair there are some HL teams that would easily hold there own in div 3.

Don't think you will get a reply stevico1 cause he doesn't have a clue! First off I dont think there's any need for sarcasm. Second, If you don't know me then don't assume I dont have knowledge. Lets look first at wages. Average U-19 wage ?150 a week (guess) = ?7800 a year x average squad of 18 = ?140k + costs of staging home games + costs of travel + insurance + kit + coaching staff. So we could be talking in excess of ?250k a year to run one team. Players could, of course, be part time in which case they'd need to be holding down other jobs so wouldn't be in a position to train alongside first team squads. Oh Alex - you always rise to the bait. I think you have been listening to the spin doctors at TCS - they always talk the costs up. When we were in the SPL we received massive financial support for the young pro squad from grants and sponsorship deals but most of the kids got ?90 per week. Danny Macdonald did bring in a lot of money on the youth side but he also spent a lot on salaries for himself and others. I'm sure that a great deal of this money is no longer available now that we are out of the top league. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise Alex - this club has NEVER spent a lot of money on its youth development - FACT. For all the cost, we could have a team in the SFL U19 league and the squad could easily be made up of full-time and part-time players. I think the truth of it all is that we just couldn't be bothered trying to get this together! I think you may find the truth is we kept a squad of players on SPL wages with a first division budget so some things had to go. I would hope that was a temporary decision.

Partly to do with the supplier contract kid.

Don't think you will get a reply stevico1 cause he doesn't have a clue! First off I dont think there's any need for sarcasm. Second, If you don't know me then don't assume I dont have knowledge. Lets look first at wages. Average U-19 wage ?150 a week (guess) = ?7800 a year x average squad of 18 = ?140k + costs of staging home games + costs of travel + insurance + kit + coaching staff. So we could be talking in excess of ?250k a year to run one team. Players could, of course, be part time in which case they'd need to be holding down other jobs so wouldn't be in a position to train alongside first team squads.

Many on here have idea's for the development of our youths and we do have a youth policy up to 17's. If one or two who reach that age show the sort of promise required to push into a first team then I'm sure Charlie and co will be quick to highlight the fact. Our problem is that we haven't the money to give those lads a full time position, nor the money to have them compete in a U-19 or Highland league. Many dont realise the actual cost for teams of competing at that level.

How do you know that hasn't already been discussed between all parties.

Im not saying it's not possible for guys that age to break through now. But it's generally the exceptions who break through at 16/17 with the majority being about 19/20 if they're gonna cut it. Fyvie and Pawlett have been described as two of the best Aberdeen youngsters in years so are bucking the trend with their talent. Most guys still need a couple more years to fill out, and stop growing. So that they can cope with the demands of 1st team footie. And add to that that very many of those youngsters who break through tend to break down mid way through their career's.

Not many managers stay around for the long haul nowadays so its a good bet he will leave at some point. I think he's starting to see the results of his expectations now and I think he will take us into a real fight for promotion. He now has the nucleus of a very good team and a few on the fringes fighting for places. We are getting more consistant. We will, maybe, lose a game or two along the way but so will the others. I dont think either of the managers will take much persuading to stay. They love the area. Have moved home. Are enjoying the job and are seeing the fruition of their team. Terry made a commitment to get us back up in a season and I doubt he would be interested in contract talks until he has either succeeded or failed. I also believe the same of a number of the players. They want to get the job done then negotiate the future.

Not sure how you can say it looks likely O learned one. We're starting to get things together. Dundee are floundering. Its anyones league at the minute.

who are the 3 players.does anybody know I think they are Grant, Russel and Adam R

This thread is meant to allow people to express their opinion on who they think is the most improved player. Its not for anyone else to slag off anothers viewpoint so either the thread stays on topic and the personal attacks stop or the thread gets closed. Up to you guys and girls.

Smatterings of 03/04 season coming to the fore. :024:

It always has been in our own hands. We have now played one less than Dundee. We're seven behind and have to play Dundee twice. Of those two games we must win one and hope someone else takes three points of them. County have an extra game over us but I think they've had their good spell and will continue to drop points from now on in. Remember before the season started Dundee were going to anhialate everyone the after the first few games of the season when QoS were on top nobody could see past them. The league is wide open and any of the top six still have a chance but its the team who can cope with two or three weeks of midweek fixtures that should come out on top and I believe that can be ICT we still have a game in hand over dundee do we not? You were too quick for me. I edited my post, obviously when you were looking at it.

Scoring one near the end of a rout doesn't make you most improved. I would go for Rooney. After a shaky start he's now scoring on a regular basis.

It always has been in our own hands. We have now played one less than Dundee. We're seven behind and have to play Dundee twice. Of those two games we must win one and hope someone else takes three points of them. County have an extra game over us but I think they've had their good spell and will continue to drop points from now on in. Remember before the season started Dundee were going to anhialate everyone the after the first few games of the season when QoS were on top nobody could see past them. The league is wide open and any of the top six still have a chance but its the team who can cope with two or three weeks of midweek fixtures that should come out on top and I believe that can be ICT

I would agree with all that K but............we have a young off duty police trainee in the stand watching the game. He has heard a song he thinks may be construed as being illegal. He actually knows some of the lads in the singing group. In fact he knows at least one of the accused well enough to have his mobile number............. .................somebody reports the incident to the police. Somebody points out the three lads as being the culprits even though there were at least twenty in the singing group. Yes the older, experienced people should have chucked this one out but somebody made the initial complaint. We, the taxpayers of this land, are entitled to request justification for the actions of those we pay. We are also entitled to be able to trust the people who uphold the laws of the land to do so in a sensible, professional manner and with credibility. Finally, we are entitled to expect that the Chief Constable of Northern Constabulary hold an enquiry into why members of his force, and the Prosecution service, have been able to bring court action against three young football fans without credible evidence.

Someone pulling your leg methinks. Stuart came on for Aberdeen against Hibs on wednesday night

Shirt sponsors come and go at every club which got me thinking. Since coming into the football league how many sponsors have we had and who was the longest. I can come up with Scotrail, Citilink, Inverness Medical/One Touch and Flybe with Medical being the longest sponsor. Indeed they still put money into the youths.

Now that we're a Private Limited Company is a hostile takeover still possible?

Quote from courier: Sheriff Abercrombie believed the evidence of 19-year-old police officer Ross MacDonald - who was off duty at the match and claimed to have heard Skelton sing the Famine Song - to be credible but there was no corroboration.PC MacDonald told the court he had been sitting in the stand near the singing section. He knew Skelton from Caley Thistle matches and played football with him so recognised his voice, although did not see him singing.At the time the officer had just started his training at the Scottish Police College in Fife and depute fiscal Sandy Collie asked him why the Famine Song should not have been sung."I assumed the Famine Song was offensive to Irish people," he replied. "I felt it was pretty offensive, obviously not to myself but there was a big deal about it in the press that week."When pressed to explain why he felt it was offensive PC MacDonald said he did not know and had never heard of the Irish Potato Famine.Skelton's defence solicitor Martin Smith asked the officer if he had exchanged text messages with his client while he was at the college and if a phone call was made.He remembered a call in which Skelton wanted to quiz him about the terms of the breach of the peace but could not recall texting each other, although admitted messages could have been sent.The officer said he estimated up to 20 people had been singing the Famine Song in the stand that day. Is this sort of evidence supposed to instill confidence in our protectors of law?

Good on the P&J for their photo in an ICT shirt

Yep. Rory scored 3 and Rooney the other against Herfolge Boldklub who were then in the Danish div 1. Since then they merged with Kobe BK to form HB Kobe. They won div 1 last season and now sit mid table of the Danish Superliga.

OK, now all thats sorted and the speaker has been announced, who's going and who'd like me and other half at their table?

Thats football and can you really blame him after all the stick he's had from this side of the bridge.

The guardian says of Ewan: Ewan Murray covers Scottish football for the Guardian and is occasionally also let loose on golf tournaments. He spends the remainder of his time seeking new shades of pink shirt and pursuing an unhealthy interest in all matters Vladimir Romanov. Ewan lives in Glasgow I believe Ewan to be a very nice person and it was a laugh in the days when he came on here for a bit of banter. Unfortunately he was eventually driven away by some very unsavioury comments fired in his direction. He probably still looks in under a different pseudonym.