Alex MacLeod

showing the

explosion

Thats absolutely correct Clacher.......Jason in Perth :003:

They played very well and were unlucky not to get a replay out of it.

Jason Scotland.........would love to see him here but would the SPL do a U-turn and grant him an extension work permit? Simon Mensing.........think he'll be staying where he is. I wouldn't say the Motherwell players were 'cast offs'. Are they not reducing their squad size (again) for financial reasons.

walk roundabout

virgin~vie

Well the last time Motherwell axed players we got Brown so who knows.

John Sutton and James McPake....two names being bandied in the courier. Constructive views please.

Maryhill

the sun

of the

flu

Ok CD, get of your high horse. I haven't read anywhere that anyone is having a pop at Mileson or his team. Nor is anyone questioning how he spends his money. As for Gretna being allowed to live the dream......what is the dream? Brookes Mileson, when he baled Gretna out of debt then bought over the team made no secret of his ambition to 'take a team from nothing into the SPL within five years'. The questions are: when his dream has been fulfilled will he still be interested? If his poor health takes him away will his son continue the investment? Is it right that a club with such a poor fanbase be allowed to compete in this league? All very well saying that Gretna can be sustained by Milesons money but to say that nobody other than Gretna will suffer financially is wrong. Every other team in the league will lose out on vital revenue when Gretna take little or no fans to away games? Dont be fooled by the 7000 at hampden. A very large number of them were fans of other clubs, including ours, out for the day in the hope of seeing history being made. Example recently Gretna v St Johnston...vital league championship clash......St J fans outnumber the home support by approx 2-1.

What you fail to realise is that they are backed by a millionaire. I imagine there players earn more than ours do. Why else would David Bingham leave a club promoted to the SPL to join a 2nd Division side? I think himself will deep one more time into his pockets should they get promoted :006: Yes they are backed by a millionaire but his funds cannot hold out at the rate he needs to spend to sustain an SPL team (between 2 and 3 million a year). Yes his players were paid more money, whilst they were coming through the divisions, than ours were. They will not be paid any more now they have almost achieved his ambition. Indeed come the end of season a number of them will no longer be at the club. Nobody can produce fans that dont exist so I dont see their gate going up. So a cold wed night in winter Gretna v ICT, for example. We take 100, they take 200. Motherwells stadium is going to look pretty bleak. Come midway through the season will there fans even bother to travel. Maybe a bus load to Inverness. 30 folks in a 2500 seat stand. Thats the reality.

There may be someone who can come on and either shoot me down in flames or corroberate my understanding of the situation at at most clubs. Squad players train Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday. Wednesday and Sunday (unless there are matches) are days off. In Brewsters era ICT trained 90 mins in morning and same in afternoon. There are also a number of +16 year olds on the books who are able to put in similar training regimes. For all others training is two or three nights a week but does not interfere with education. Younger children usually train sat morning and play sundays, though they may also have a couple of forty five min stints during the week I would imagine ICT are similar. That is how its done at a lower division club where friends of mine are coaches and I understand that there are rules / guidelines, partaining to this, for all clubs to follow . I've never heard of any club preventing children from participating in other sports though I do know that coaches who see potential in 14+ age group may try and discourage this as the training required for some sports can conflict with that required for football. For example sports that develop and require strength can conflict with those that require agility. To be successful in any sport requires committment and dedication, both from the participants and the coaches, and if the lads dont want to heed the advice then they shouldnt be there. My coaching friends do there stuff on behalf of a div 3 club with ambition to progress. They do it voluntarily and unpaid and they often feel frustrated by the ones who cant be-ersed, especially if they have chosen the team on sat morning and come sun match one or two dont turn up.

IMO Gretna will go straight back down. Brookes M bought the club and pledged he would finance the five years it would take to go from div 3 to SPL. He's done it (almost), achieved his ambition and will now likely pull out. No way can he keep spending.

If picked Graham Bayne will play his hundredth game for us on 21st. And for the exiles READ IT HERE

Is Clacher saying that if Shearer comes back the club will plummet.

Why?? Celtic Rangers Motherwell Kilmarnock St Mirren and likely Gretna makes six west as it is. Or is your tongue in your cheek

They did have a senior team. It was called..................................................Clydebank FC. Kilbowie Park was one of the first all-seater stadiums in the country. Unfortunately they couldn,t sustain the finances and in 2003 they relinquised their senior status and joined the junior ranks.

I wouldn't promote JF's to the natives, let alone non-natives.

Teletext has had Juanjo listed for quite a few weeks now.

Shearer as a coach. Every chance it was suggested that Shearer come in as a coach. It has not been said he's coming as head coach. I could easily see why there would be a bust up. CC is a fan of this club and like the majority of fans, probably, will not forgive the Fort William skank for the very reasons outlined above.

Could the admin who feels the need to move this to Rumours please indicate where in the text there is any hint of a rumour. I read about the guy in P&J and asked a straight forward question. At no time did I even suggest that he could, would or should come to ICT.