STFU

I was questioned elsewhere on whether the club should scrap our academy programme in order to save money. Given that we don't seem to want to give them proper opportunity for first team football, even ones who have shown they can contribute at that level, then not only are we letting these lads down, but there's little/no return for the investment, so maybe best all round to get rid. Anyone know if there's any limit on the number of loan players you can have at a club? If there's none, then we could end up with a full squad of them next season.

Of course the club should be expected to live within it's means. There's also nothing to say that those willing and able to do so shouldn't be allowed to make substantial contributions (within financial fair play rules) which can be included within that. It's happened since day 1 with ICTFC, and at many other clubs. The problem here is that we have clearly gone way beyond that and are generating losses beyond that which they are willing/able to cover, and which the club cannot afford to repay. Should we have cut the wage bill? Definitely, and started with the CEOs. Youth setup? It's unclear how much the club actually pay towards this, but if we can't afford it, it should go...sadly. But congratulations on feeding into the "won't someone think of the children rhetoric" Financial loans? Should not be made if they are putting the club.in a financially precarious position, certainly not secured loans on club assets. Non-football income sources? Of course they should pursue these, but the current CEO/Chair have shown themselves to be incapable of coming up with anything that's actually doing this and have damaged the clubs reputation, and are threatening it's existence, in their many failed ventures. Recent tactics to delay the release of the y/e 2023 accounts would indicate that the club is no longer considered a going concern by the auditors, and it blows my mind that you are trying to defend the people, and their actions, which are responsible for that. Would you rather no club, than a club that operates within it's means at a lower level?

The smart move would have been not putting the club in this position to begin with, no?

Not a comfortable position to be in! Personally, I think the locating of the battery storage is wrong and I'm angry that we're in a position where my thoughts on that will be seen (by some) as my somehow wishing bad on the club. All I want is the charlatans gone and for us to get back to being a club with at least some moral fibre. It's not right that a wrong (in my view) has to be done to secure any kind of future for ICTFC. It's not right that Councillors have to make a decision knowing it could be catastrophic for ICTFC. It's not right that this whole sorry affair is driving division among fans.

It is not the council who have put the club in this situation, it is one entirely of their own making. The club should never have put itself in a position where they are relying on some grand scheme to pay the bills and spending money they don't have to feed their egos. The worst thing is that Scot Gardiner has history on this front, and we were well warned.

A true credit to your regiment 🙄

Big red flag.... https://equitablelaw.com/the-red-flag-of-companies-shortening-their-accounting-period-by-one-day/

His business in the January transfer was bizarre and I wish one if the reporters would question him on that so we can understand why. He has improved our points per game, but that bar wasn't very high and it may prove insufficient to keep us in the Championship. The club feels like it's at an all time low (on and off the park), but I see no value in punting him just now. We have been dealt our cards for the remainder of the season and we now have to hope that good fortune serves us up a few winning hands. Aside from that, if our finances are as bad as feared, then it could all be academic.

Ferguson really is awful in front of the camera. Making light of the situation while laughing and smiling away without a care in the world. His apparent disconnect from how poor we are is worse than Dodds. Are we adding something to the water at the stadium?

The old 6 at the back formation... interesting.

The land the stadium sits on belongs to the common good fund. That means the road monetised the use of the land and I'm sure they'll have received that back, and maybe more, for the rent we've paid over the last 30 years.

Gut feeling we're going to win this one.

Was it not mentioned previously that the plan was now for a disabled platform or something? Surely that would also need a roof?

Someone's getting their panties in a bit of a twist 😂

Lizi's line at the end of her post saying that we had "once again" been let down by poor officiating did prompt my question, but I'd also just listened to Ferguson's post match interview and seen the twitter posts by the club yesterday which come across as an attempt to distract attention from the long term issues. Terry Butcher was very good at getting everyone fired up on the back of any injustice, but never blamed it for our league position or cup performances etc. He was also one to call out our own poor performances. Under Dodds, and now Ferguson, it's all about how great the team were and lack of luck or poor decisions being what's cost us. Deflection from the real issues.

I didn't accuse anybody of anything. I asked a question in order to open it up for discussion. Given the club's social media posts from yesterday it seems to be a mindset they're trying to encourage. As you are someone who tends towards defending/supporting all the club do are you in agreement with them? I'm all for calling out poor refereeing, but I don't buy into the intimated (by some) conspiracy that they're out to get us. These things tend to even out and the biggest factor in us being where we are in the league is that our football just isn't very good.

Do some people really think that we are the only team on the receiving end of inept officiating and that we find ourselves where we are as a result?

WTF you smoking?

I agree with many things you've posted, dougal, but your comments on this thread are nothing but bigoted nonsense, and have no place on here or anywhere.

So having risen as far as you believe the club is capable, you find it acceptable that we now slide back to....where? It's the desire of those running the club who seem to have delusions of grandeur, not the majority of fans. It is they who openly admit that they are running the club in a manner that requires Premier League income. It is those egos that are chasing ill thought out money making schemes to support that (all the while alienating fans and local businesses) while we play in the Championship, and in doing so are threatening the club's very existence.

We're bleeding like a stuck pig, but we're not dead yet and Scot Gardiner is hatching a plan to save us. What's not to be upbeat about?

On the plus side, Ferguson can't being on 3 extra defenders to sit in after we go a goal up.

...and there's more creativity and ability in Mckay and Doran than the rest of the squad combined.

I'd like to see us come out flying, run Arbroath ragged and then bring in Mckay, Doran and Samuels to exploit tired opposition. We're almost at the nothing to lose stage, and I'd rather see us going down fighting than whimpering.