Douglas Mackenzie

When we boil it all down to basics,most of us want a team based in Inverness, who train here,even live here and who play here. A team that can inspire young Highlanders, A team we can support through thick and thin,through success and failure,because it is our team. Where the players come from to play in our team does not matter. We don't care as long as the young boys are given an opprtunity to shine with the big boys and we have a strong successful Academy.

If the big boys don't want to come,fine, we don't want them.

What we want is a team with it's roots well embedded in Inverness and the surrounding area.

What we don't want is a team from Fife, who call themselves ICT and pop up and grace us with their presence for a few hours every other Saturday.

ICT must be a local team, engaging with the community,supporting the community,being part of the community,yes, what we want is a well run local team, deserving of our support.

Locally,nationally,yes even internationally,most are totally bemused and at a loss to understand the rationale behind this decision. How much clout does Gardiner have if he can sell this idea to the board. sad to say,but it really does look like they are buttoned up the back.

Just thinking,the current Chair, CEO and board are destroying our club and identity.If all of them are happy with this move then we need to know, or is there any of them unhappy enough to call an EGM.

Now aware of the extent of discontent,cognisance has to be taken of this body of strong opinion.

Failing that,we as supporters need to act and all we can do is not renew our season tickets.This is the only way we can stop the demise of ICT.Surely if the board see that season tickets are dramatically down, they will rethink and U turn.

Whatever the outcome of this latest debacle, the Chair and CEO need to go.We cannot just stand by and watch. 

Let's just take stock.ICT is more that a 90 minutes every second weekclub.The club and its history are rooted in Inverness.The players,Manager and coaches are involved around the city even if it just is being visible in the area, visiting schools,clubs and other organisations.They are in and about Inverness all week.Now that they are changing their identity to Kelty Thistle,all this will be lost.

For the last 20 years we managed to produce a promotion winning team.How now are we not able to do that,yes it's a bigger challenge in Div 1,but let's rise to the challenge and keep our identity with players who want to wear the Jersey,who want to reside in the area,who want to be in our community. 

If this was such a brilliant idea why keep it hushed up why not get a feel for what the fans think.The answer:They don't actually care what we think as we are deemed not important.We provide our cash,keep quiet,turn up and let those apparently with best knowledge ruin our club

Finally from me,what will Gardiner &co come up with next.Do you think they might change the name of the team to Kelty Thistle.

We support Inverness because it's our local team,otherwise I would and could support any team.I thought we were proud to be one of two Highland teams to play in the top Scottish leagues,accepting  that our mantle has now slipped a fair bit as we enter division 1

This hairbrained scheme reeks of Gardiner all over it. It stinks and with such a momentus decision, would you not think a consultation period would have taken place to allow them to guage the fans views. That fact that there was no consultation, evidences what they really think of us and our opinions,even though we are paying to watch the team all season and most have invested even emotionally in the club. Shocking,bujt not unexpected. 

Well that is the final straw I am off after 14 years. I could say so much about the club being in the Highlands to attract all the young up and coming generations to play football locally and inspire them. That ICT is supposed to be a truly local community club, that it was the focal point for local (and not so local) fans to come together and feel it was their home. Now we will see the entire playing operation move to Fife,any young person from up here wanting a chance with ICT will have to travel just for training, never mind every second week. Does this mean all the academy boys are also going?

How is ICT now going to be a local club if we only see the first team every other week,because the rest of the time they are training and working down in Fife.

Imagine for example if Glasgow Rangers or Glasgow Celtic said we are moving all our training to Newcastle,but we will be at Ibrox and Celtic Park every second week for games- Unthinkable.

if players don't want to move to Inverness, we don't want them. We want players who are proud to train,play and live in the Highlands.

How do Ross County (albeit they are in Premier League) manage to run a decent football operation taking young players in from the Highland league and other leagues including the Western isles. Okay the jury is currently out on their Premier status until Sunday, but either way there can be no disputing that the club is ran like a club shoud be. We are a total embarrassment virtually in all we as a club do off the field and frankly,I think it is a long shot to expect us to get promotion back to the championship in one year,especially if all the incumbants that are currently in post remain.

Hasta la Vista

Well reality is setting in now I'm afraid Div 1 if the club actually survives.These last few games have been dire.Hamilton looked dangerous everytime they came near our goal.On the other hand we rarely looked dangerous and we could be playing now and still not have scored any more.To many  negatives about tonight's performance to list.The best team won and we got what we deserved for a horrendous season.We just never looked like a team with a plan.In fact we never looked like a team.So sorry for all staff impacted.At least we only saw our team demoted.Many will have lost more, most likely their jobs.What an absolute mess.What a shambles the board have overseen.

The day after and reflecting, I thought we relied too much on Billy and Alex Samuel this season,both workhorses who give everything, but the end result is not there. I have no idea why Lawal was not on from the start, unless Dunc was keeping some players back for Saturday, thinking we would have walked it last night. Longstaff and Gilmour didn't have a good game, nor did Anderson.On Saturday there is no room for passengers and I would go 3-5-2, start with Kepple,Lawal,Roddy and drop Billy to the bench to come on in last 1/4 if need be.

We have no choice but to be hopeful and positive and in my humble opinion we have to go all out and attack and not relyon defending the whole game and trying to sneak a goal. We need as many goals as we can get to be sure,which means high tempo,swift passing and accuracy.

Much better second half and players that finished the game should be our starting 11 on Saturday,ie without Duffy Longstaff and Co.Billy needs to play in a normal number 9 position.

Well done for fightback.What a difference Lawal and Pebble made.

We need to know what we have to do on Saturday and that is play better than first half and more like second half.

We are second to every ball.We don't seem to know what the plan is.Playing Billy so deep has not worked in any games.

We look rattled and shell shocked.We need a goal and keep them at no more than two to have any chance on Saturday of pulling off a miracle.

Hamiltons tactics are spot on.Give us no space,high tempo,show drive and desire to win and control midfield. 

They need to get a grip,switch on and start playing our own game and bring on Lawal

Hamilton have settled well,we are nervous and it shows.trying to walk it into the net.I would go 442 and push Billy up alongside Samuel.

At the moment we look like Div 1 team.

Was driving home and was thinking how on earth have we fallen so low in standards.We are struggling to stay in the championship and we play and look like a first division team.

Today should have been high tempo,slick passing and exciting football.When you rely on  a 1-0 score and hope you can keep the other team out,it is a very risky strategy.IF  we survive in this league,serious questions need asked about how we have become so poor.

Well that was a hard watch and not impressive.Second last in championship plays 4th in 1st Division and we struggle in both games. 

The first half was dire.No tempo,no drive,no do or die.I thought everyone would be fighting for everyone at ICT as a club whose jobs rely on us staying up.Thank goodness for Ridgers, Lawal and Gilmour.

At least Billy got us the all important goal,but we have to be honest ICT we're poor and really need to give themselves a good talking to.

Maybe we were nervous today because so much relied on a win,but st this level we need to be better.

I think we have to focus on the fact we have to win on Friday,anything less is no use.The fly in the ointment is our home form.We do that and we can hope Airdrie pull out all the stops against Queens.

Maybe we should pair McGregor up front with Samuel at least that way we might get some action on the Morton goal.

Well the boys know what they have to do,so we can expect a nail biter.

Can hardly believe we lost that.We could have won by four.MOM Raith Keeper assisted by his goals.

If we played like that all season we would be the other end of the table.

Good team effort,although question marks over Pepple and Billy needs to be subbed after 60 mins as he no longer has the oomph needed.

Where would we be without Samuel.

Delighted on a Sunday  morning with two wins on the trot for the first time this season I think.

Some on here spent the season being continually critical and there were many negative comments about Big Dunc recruiting defenders,but frankly we needed to get a strong back line and my how we now seem to have got there.This takes care of keeping the back door shut as evidenced by our record,but what is  glaringly obvious now is that we are and have been desperate for a proven striker.Billy in his day was that person, but now, despite his ongoing efforts and tireless running,he  no longer has that striker skill set and it is clear that a good part of our problem this season was and is lack of  goals.

Of course it is a team game and the boys have to defend and attack as a unit,but now we need to look at our attacking players and options and recruit well in the summer.We need to start by trying as hard as we can to keep Samuel and some of the other loanees.We need to try and keep our defence intact,enhance the midfield and go out a find a ' nugget'who is a proven goal scorer.

Well done to the boys today.At last we got away from the dreaded 9th at last.We had been there for a long time. Now a big game on Friday.We can dream,look for a win,then hope Morton slip up and you never know we could avoid the playoffs.No doubt big games to come,but they are all big at this time of the season,especially if you are ar the wrong end of the table.

I was worried we didn't manage to make the most of the wind on our side first half. Thought we might collapse when they equalised,but credit to boys for holding on.

The first period of second half we lost our way and I think the sending off changed things.

What a cracker by Samuel who was easy the best player on the park.

I thought we could have got fresh legs on sooner.

I think that is our 3rd home win this season which is not good enough to be honest but let's be delighted that for once other results went our way.

What a big game next week is going to be.

10 minutes ago, CaleyCiuin said:

Happy Clappers Unite !!!!! 
 

Meanwhile we remain in 9th and a relegation playoff place,  no obvious robust income stream to sustain is going forward and an unproven management team developing their career at ICT expense. 
 

Well done the board, backers and management team !!!! 6 games left in the season, I’m sure there is nothing to worry about !!!

Good,I knew you would come on side.Lets see where we are in  six games

Six games to go and some shouting for sack this one and that one and the board. A)who is out there willing to splash their cash?I don't see or hear of anyone.Then what do we do?

B)We maybe are in a precarious position financially and in the league but if the Chairman,CEO and board walked away where would we be?Certainly not better off.

C)Do you not think this is the time to all pull in the same direction and make sure we are not in the playoffs for going down.The boys could do with knowing we are rooting for them.Lets be positive,hope Ayr lose on Friday and we win on Saturday and then we try and beat Abroath at home.

D)Let's get safe in the league and  then look at all options and maybe we will know outcome of battery appeal during summer.If SG overturn HC decision we are much better off.We then rebuild in summer.

E)Don't you think the constant negativity has an effect on the boys.They need us on side,not talking of mutiny and throwing the ships command overboard and certainly not at the end of March.

Phew, my nails have taken a battering today.Well done lads a good result,could have been 3 points,but no complaints about Ridgers as he has kept us in so many games.A draw at least next week and then a big game at home to Arbroath although our home form worries me.

I would take a draw right now and same next week and then a win at home to Abroath.

Real pity about the goal,but Ridgers has been very good for us and unfortunately if he makes a mistake it is usually a goal,whereas outfield you can get away with making mistakes.

I'm nervous too Robert. We need to score goals so a change up front might do it. That said, we need the midfield to send decent balls into the strikers and use wingers.

7 minutes ago, Duke of Inverness said:

Eh, what are the police involved in? 

The only real action in the ground and you missed it