Douglas Mackenzie

The start to this season is not the start any of us wanted. none of us know what really is going on behind closed doors at ICT,we can speculate etc,but whatever is going on the Chairman and board have to just get a grip of the situation and review why the Sporting Director spends as much time commenting on County rather than focussing all attention on getting ICT out of the mire by assisting Dodds and finding good standard championship players,because those with high aspirations of playing at the top level are not going to come to ICT. Dodds has a two year contract now and is going nowhere,we have to just accept that. The decision was not ours to make, although It beggars belief that after the last two seasons he was not offered a rolling contract. The CEO needs to get out from his office, speak with supporters and fans,(the real supporters and fans) listen to them and show some leadership off the park, then communicate his plans and actions to us all,including accepting that the club is in a difficult place. However, he must have a plan for revcovery. The assistant and coaches are going nowhere if Dodds is not going,so frankly it looks like we have to deal with the hand we have. As supporters, we should fully back the boys on the park as on paper we are a pretty good team and should not be languishing bottom with the players we have. We are,so something is clearly not right and perhaps that is down in part to confidence within the team. The Chair and Board don't read this forum they say,but the players maybe do, so how about this Saturday coming we go out there and support the boys on the pitch,give them encouragement and see if we cannot scrape a win and then with a win under our belt we can cool off,think rationally and come up with a startegy,plan of action that we can put to those running the club. Yes, I mean we have a voice,let's use it,but when we do, use it wisely in a well balanced and constructive debate/arguement.

When all said and done perhaps we need a reality check.We remain in the second tier of Scottish football because we are a mediocre team not ready for the top flight.The club has no money and no sugar daddy so we rely on our young up and coming players, which in many ways is good.However,we have to look for buys from the lower English leagues ,or from clubs who are moving on players in their twilight years.Yesterday was a perfect day for the opening game of a new season.2000 turned up.The product on display was much the same as the last few seasons.Some promising,some hard working with a bit of skill and others.The guys on the field do their best I am sure but when confidence is low they need reassurance,encouragement,support and understanding. We need to back the team we have, like it or not.BD has just signed a new deal,he is going nowhere and those around him are happy to be in a job so they are not going anywhere,that means we have to try and influence their(Chair,CEO,Manager and coaches) thinking in other ways by speaking with them,writing to them and by doing what we are doing on this forum and not by sitting around and just putting up with the same old year in year out We need stronger voices within the fan base demanding improvement. The reality is that we are aiming for top half of top half of table.We are not going to get promoted this season,so let's do the best we can with what we have got until a sugar daddy arrives or the club can get itself turned around.

Same old I'm afraid, although we had nice touches in first half and were unlucky twice to Billy Mackay shots.Defensive error cost us a goal yet again and thank goodness for Billy Mackay,Shaw and Davidson and young Bray in second half.We will have to sharpen up if we are going to make anything of this season with Dundee U,Queens, Partick and Dunfermiline all pushing for for top.Not a lot else you can say other that Queens were running rings round us for most of second half.Standside linesman had a poor game missing too many incidents.

If we are going to persist with this long high ball stuff we need some height up front or in the area midfield to front. At a guess I would estimate that BIlly never got any of those high balls up to him as every defender he was up against was much bigger than him. That is not taking anyothing away from Billy as a player.It just makes sense when you have small strikers and attacking front men to keep the ball down and pass to them. Hoof ball as we call it on here has rarely worked so why persist with it unless we get some tall target man.

I agree with you OCG. How can a board member and Director be the fans liaison or to give the role it's proper name the SLO. The SLO should be someone who represents the views and opinions of the supporters whilst airing them with the CEO or board. That way he/she will be like the meat in the sandwich - neither totally on one side or the other,but able to put across the general consensus of opinions and views on behalf of a collective. I am not talking about running to the board because Bloggs was moaning about this or that. I mean the SLO should be able to garner a good grasp of the fans opinions and views from speaking to them and then be able to raise these at Board level in an open and constructive manner, seeking an appropriate response to give back to the fans. In other words the link, the bridge,or the go between. Same when the board want to discuss an issue and seek a view from fans,they should go through the SLO.

Just to let you know the SLO sent me an Email over the weekend which I found today in my spam. He left me his contact number, so I phoned him today. Short version.He is SLO for ICTFC but he doesn't monitor the Email box a part time member of staff does, so if he doesn't get Emails it's because no one has forwarded them. He suggested I thought communication was poor from his chat with the Chairman. I said it wasn't poor, it was shocking. I am trying to keep this short,so suffice to say he apologised for my experience with the club and blamed lack of staff. He advised he had received no mail from me even when I advised that a member of staff told me Gordon had asked her to Email me.I believe him and now understand that the member of staff was only using her initiative as she monitored the SLO box.However from experience,when doing this sort of thing you have to be sure you and the role holder have a water tight system.Clearly ICT don't. The board don't look at social media relating to any fans pages or forums which begs the question how do they know what the fans are thinking wanting or needing ,hence the reason we get told little. The SLO was open and frank and promised to raise all concerns at the board meeting next week. For me I raised an issue and flogged it because of the principals involved.I have now shared the outcomes and at two minutes to four, I am too late for the early bird season tickets, so I will drift for a while before deciding where to watch football next season. Whatever,thanks for engaging with me,thanks for letting me be part of this forum and I wish you all the best.

For clarity,I hate sounding so negative about the club and the way it is run,but all I and most of you are trying to do is sort out the issues off the park.I don't believe in moaning and not proposing or producing solutions so I sent 6 or 7 to the Chairman and we talked them through. I am not sure that any of them look at our social media posts,so they are missing a trick on picking up quick wins.Mind you I thought the SLO would be across all such media to get a feel of things from the engine room. Then he and the management team could act on it.

Thanks for all contributions to this thread.We as fans think communication is key.Whilst I don't think it would be right to lay down here what the conversation with the Chairman was yesterday,I can say I suggested they were in a bubble and disconnected,which he disagreed with.I worked out that SLO was Supporters Liaison Officer myself and he is listed as this on the Web site with his own Email.I had to look up the role of SLO to see whst it was about and to let one aspect of my chat with the Chair slip,he was up front and said he wasn't aware Gordon's role was listed as SLO.and he asked what a SLO was. He told me that Gordon had never heard from me or received an Email from me,yet after I sent the first one outlining I had sorted my online problem, but felt compelled to highlight the poor communication,a named lady from the club Emailed and said Gordon had asked her to get in touch. It is my personal opinion only,however I am convinced after these few weeks and conversations had,that the board are further disconnected than I thought. On hindsight my mistake was actually going to the Chair when I should have contacted the CEO as he has day to day governance but again I tried a few Emails using @itfc and I never got a response. Maybe the SLO will phone before 4pm on Monday when the early bird season tickets stop. If not I'm off.

The role of SLO is one which all clubs competing in UEFA competitions must have under article 35 of the UEFA Club Licensing&Fair Play regs. Interestingly,I had a call from the Chairman today and I advised of my own concerns re communication and that of other fans.I didn't say I would print what was said,so to be proper I will not go into detail here.We had a robust honest exchange of views and he listened to what I had to say.He said he would take on boards my points and he directed me to Gordon Fyfe, SLO. I covered my issues with the person covering this role also and I am now waiting a response from the SLO. Suffice to say I haven't renewed my season ticket yet until I hear what the SLO says. As it stands I am not convinced there will be change soon.

Thanks for all the thought out logical and constructive posts on this topic which we all agree is important. In relation to my own situation I resent my letter to the Chairman having not had an acknowledgement or response for 29 days.I posted it first class and this time also Emailed it with a time received and read receipt.I got an Email today telling me the letter has been handed to the Chairman. Now let's see what if anything will happen. Gordon Fyfe is the fans representative and so far he has failed to answer any of the Emails I sent him on this topic. I agree with other posters. It should not matter whether you are an individual or part of a group if you write to the club with a genuine query they should acknowledge and respond. In this day and age it is highly unprofessional just to ignore incoming contacts and basically keep those with a vested interest in the dark. If we cannot get these basics right what chance have we.

Could not agree more.Its one thing asking straight forward multiple questions and getting bland answers,but another to ask and demand responses to evidenced and detailed questions which are set up to elicit honest and valid answers. We can have all the Trusts and Forums we want,but if the board don't acknowledge their important role and show the fans the respect they deserve, the club is not going to progress, grow the fan base and be a truely local community asset.We need to become a club that exists to support each other,learn, inspire, develop and create a sense of belonging and fellowship. The disconnect that currently exists prevents all that.

No I'm not and to be honest I don't know much about them.I am happy with all the chat on this forum but will update members if the Chairman ever gets back to me.

Excuse my ignorance,but I have never really heard from the Supporters Trust who surely are asking all the right questions,so why are they not updating all the fans whether they be in the Trust or other forums. I thought the business of a Supporters Trust was to give fans a collective voice in influencing the activities of the club they support ? If that's the case what has happened,or do the club not communicate with them either. As previously stated, I wrote to the Chairman asking questions about the clubs communication or lack thereof and 27 days later and still no acknowledgement or reply.

Could not agree more big Cherly.Why is there not a cross section of people with direct access to the board.What about our young fans and their views, what about input from the disabled.Are there any females on the board,or is it made up of middle aged and old men in suits. A better cross section of people with their varied views would allow the club to reap the benefits and more than likely increase the fan base because people would want to come and enjoy the matchday experience which this cross section of fans would likely instigate. As it is,those in charge are happy to continue to offer mediocre in everything. There are probably plenty out there with the initiative and skill set but the vlub don't tap into them.

You may be right Yngwie,but I kept the post short rather than bore people with all the details.In my letter to the Chairman I highlighted the poor communication issue and the disconnect between the captain of the ship as it were, his bridge and those of us in the engine room. In all my different employment and management roles I learned the key to a good team and working relationship was communication.Those at board level know this so why not try and improve it. Have a section on Web site called ICT news in brief and have a printed version for those without computers. Have quarterly 'meet the board'meetings. Have fans representation at key meetings. Have suggestion boxes at the stadium.All these kind of measures would make a difference. The Director for fans representation and I believe comms, has not answered any of the Emails I sent him on this very topic.A Journalist and PR Specialist. So bottom line,poor comms,poor customer service and no respect shown for genuine fans.

Why are ICT board and club so poor at the very basics.A club will not exist without a fan base.They are the very assets every Club needs, so you have to ensure you protect your assets and build on them. Those at ICT rarely answer the phones as Highlighted by many of us.They have seven extentions and the seventh one has not existed for some time. Prior to cup final it took me six days to get a response from anyone about an online problem I had and then I got a response because I tried every extension and got someone at the Academy who was most apologetic about the clubs comms. It took me 10 days of trying to make contact about ICT posting my tickets to me. I rarely complain,but I wrote to the Chairman and the fans rep on the board highlighting the poor club communication and to date I have not had a response from either.

I phoned every day before cup final as there was a problem with my on line account.Six days before I got a response.Then 10 days following that I phoned four times a day and sent Emails asking if they could post tickets to Forres for me.On 10th day I took time off work and drove to stadium to be told we posted them .I asked why no one told me and was told we didn't think you needed a response.After final and once things calmed,I wrote to Chairman and emailed Gorfon Fyfe fans rep but alas no response from either, so I am debating not renewing my season ticket after 14 years sitting in the baltic winter weather watching what at times was very average football.Annoyingly the board know communication is do bad,but it is only the fans that raise this issue ,so what

Well no shame in result and didn't get battered.However don't think we had a shot on goal in the first half as we defended and tried to just keep Celtic out and nearly made half time at 0-0,but it was not to be.We showed Celtic too much respect and were not brave enough.Second half much better and brilliant headed goal for Mackay. You just knew we would revert to hoof ball and sure enough we did. All in all some decent play,but I feel we were just not brave enough from middle to front.

Agree with you,but getting serious engagement wi ICT is not as easy as it should be.

Agree again wi you Jaggernaut.I have never seen a business run like ICT. It's like board discuss best option and what fans want and then do the opposite.Communication is at a new low for me. Why can't the club just concentrate on getting basics right.For example first class communication,better interaction with the people who keep the club afloat each season,better use of marketing,better infrastructure and fans facilities on match day,seize every opportunity to sell the club as a community asset,welcoming young and old to come along and watch ICT. I'm thinking a group of middle aged men in grey suits Are trying to keep club in 21st century and not doing very well.They know this,but still will not change status quo

Agree totally about communication as Highlighted in my previous post, it's as if they couldn't care about loyal fans until its time for season tickets and then they'll be over us like a rash.Waiting 5 days already for a return call advising me if they will post my tickets as struggling to get off work

Nothing to lose at Hampden as long as we don't get battered,so I hope the boys enjoy the occasion and give it their best shot. Had an issue getting tickets on line and as I don't stay in Inverness, I contacted the club every day with no answer,so I left messages on answering machine at ticket office and reception and I emailed.Credit where it is due, they responded after six days and said they were busy. Communication with season ticket holders clearly a priority. Now waiting to see if they will post them to me otherwise ill take time of work and drive through to collect. Asked the question every day this week.

First half instantly forgettable. Lacked confidence, drive ,desire.Good subs for second half and with them came the fight and desire led by Carson. Much improved half and unlucky with some shots.Standside linesman had a shocker with their first goal off side and denying us a clear corner five mins from end. Not sure about offside for our second. Shaw and Henderson are in a league of their own followed by Carson and Deas.Harper had a decent game. I just cannot comment on highballs forward to their number5.We have been doing it all season. When all said and done we have a final to look forward to and debt written off.

Further to my earlier comment and I don't like being overly critical, but I wish we would stop sending high balls to Billy Mackay.They haven't worked all season and didn't work today.The Dundee number 5 won every one of them.When we sent long balls to the wingers we did better.Missed Welsh today as he can control things from the centre of the park.All said and done though a good point fought hard for.

I'll take a draw.Dundee threw everything at us first 20 mins and could have been one up but the striker missed a sitter.As the half went on we came more into it.Second half similar start for Dundee and they had all the pressure.Don't know what happened for their goal, was Ridgers unsightly by defender.Good subs by Dodds today at the right time and as the game went on I thought we could have pick pocketed them and stolen a result.At the end of the day the boys did well to get a draw and with other results going our way we have play offs in our hands.