big cherly

Can’t help feel a direct relationship between SG and future investments is a factor. (Investors unwilling to put money in with SG likely to be a recipient of part or all of it). It’s another card SG is playing well, (I would suggest and to my angst), to draw out an exit date until he gets what he can from any fund pot within the coffers. I’m sure the remaining board have been given the figure for his departure, but are unwilling to stump-up after what has come before under SG’s stewardship. It’s a waiting game I’m afraid to see who blinks first on a acceptable fee. Just my tuppence worth !!

Another milestone round our club till he’s gone. Put aside the disaster of the pitch, this person as manager got us relegated. He was quickly found out at Forest Green (and got heaved). Our Board (SG ) couldn’t resist media hype and short term deflection over hard facts and gambled the lot on DF keeping us in the 2nd division. He was found out quickly and we were relegated to division 3. His subsequent inaction and attitude in dealing with the players leaving (dumped), is nothing short of ignorance, disrespect and incompetence. I know we’re stuck with DF thanks again to SG, as we can’t afford to offload him. DF hasn’t the humility, embarrassment or respect (care) to see he failed or can go anywhere else because of his track record, so F&#k the fans, it’s all about saving his own skin (sound familiar)? I for one have lost faith in DF as a manager. I know we have greater battles to immediately overcome and it’s one step at a time. It’s all down to result as we know, so let’s see where the team are in the league in dec this year.

Agree on just about everything you say DD. Communications with the fans in the next three weeks is key and I understand the few people brought in the assist the board know this. Let’s hope something more informative appears this coming weekend. It’s a hard one to call for the fans given the uncertainty at the club. A lot will be reluctant to buy ST not knowing whether there will be a club in a month’s time. A statement providing sufficient evidence that investment or funding (from whatever individuals, organisations or groups) could go a long way to swing fans towards buying ST. The other elephant in the room is SG. I believe the board would like to expedite SG’s departure, however it may be his contract is something in his favour and he holds all the cards. So we (the fans) may have to accept his presence around the club until the board can uncouple him. Really this will come down to a financial settlement in my opinion. Ultimately for me I will buy a ST when an announcement on administration is off the table and SG is gone. Until then I will attend each match to help show support for the club in my own little way.

Gardener is already in the departure lounge. He knows his time is up, it’s just a matter of when!! He will have (some weeks now I expect), contacted his lawyers to see his contract is watertight to squeeze every penny he can from what is left from the club. It’s his common base self-interest line and always will be. So I expect what is left of the Board have told him his time is up and to look for a safe exit route without damaging what’s left of the club and their reputation. I expect unless he gets his considered pay off fee he’ll get the lawyers involved to drag it out! I hope the remaining board members have started knocking on doors for both chairman and CEO replacements, (take the time and get it right for once in a decade), as the next step will dictate what we do for the next five or so years imho. Administration may or may not be the route we’re on, but it shouldn’t prevent those key players with the clubs interest and future at heart to look at each scenario. A reset with the fans would be a simple and welcome first step.

Ach, this day was on the cards for some 18-24 months. The years were catching up on me but I still took pleasure in going to watch ICT! The enjoyment was getting less and less as the off field antics dominated the agenda and direction the club was going. Didn’t mind loosing as long as the team tried and represented the city and area. I didn’t get a season ticket this season as the football over the past few seasons was brain numbing at times. I also didn’t trust or believe any more what was coming from the Chairman or the CEO. A consequence of the above was I picked only the games I wished to attend. I somewhat expected us to loose to Hamilton and personally accepted being relegated hoping a watershed would be reached and we could look to maybe a simpler (straight and engaging) relationship with the fans and club going forward. The statement issued by the club simply looks like more of the same smoke and mirrors and leads me to reluctantly question their true motives and direction for the club. So by best wishes to the Supporters Trust and all ICT fans going forward.

Simply Neds or gullible kids with more than a few ready to cause whatever trouble they could because they could see their was not any authority or controls / policing in place to prevent them. One incident away from front page news and a serious causality. So no, you had no right to be on the pitch after the game. Simple - black & white, right or wrong! If you don’t comprehend that then there is little more to say.

Yes, mental barrier!! Deficiency of gray matter or moral guidance for mostly young gullible schoolboys. The others are a lost cause!

Sad and deluded mindset. A home awaits at parkhead or ibrox for you.

No police were in attendance in the north stand for sure!

Well, fully coherent and cogent posting.

Agreed, I refer to my original note.

Well, what is their contract and legal responsibility. (Pitch only, or marshalling the stands)? Pay peanuts ………… And the for the trouble in the north home-end stand?

You’re missing the point completely regarding the problem of fan behaviour and the pitch invasion at the end of the game. The security of the players and those attending the match is the responsibility of the club (ICTFC) - It start and stops there. With respect, anyone with half a mind on past high pressure, edgy and potentially volatile play-off football matches would fully know there was the chance a negative result could spark trouble. Throw in a toxic CEO and Chairman, it’s fairly clear the warning signs were there. Now, in my option, the aforementioned CEO and those in the Board and club responsible for this security were fully aware of the risks. - The fact no police were in attendance during the match was a calculated decision by these people. It costs money and for those ‘like minded people’, the SMART decision was to leave the fans to themselves. Any cost of any potential trouble could be sorted out and picked up by calling the bobbies and the public purse. SMART!! I can’t and will not blame the match stewards (below minimal wage on zero hour contracts, shipped in on a mini bus from god knows where). We had in the north stand the young team led by drunk fat 16 year adolescents or drunk fat 20+losers (take your pick). As soon as the first Hamilton goal went it the inevitable unrest fermented. Led by these sad clowns dads with kids were targets for abuse and intimidation. Items were thrown on the pitch (ref picked up one). At the end of the match the Hamilton fans ran on (wrongly) to celebrate a wonderful (unexpected I would say) result with their players. Who was responsible for this - ICT football club. The then response by ‘our’ young patrons was to respond and led by the aforementioned halfwits was the flood onto the park. All so predictable and all so sad. The responsibility to protect the players and ground staff lies solely with the Club and here they were again found negligent (by design or incompetence) and I fully expect them to by fined by the footballing authorities for this gross dis-ownership of responsibility to secure the ground for the match. Maybe it’s a parting ‘gift’ from some on the board for the club. If you have a complaint regards the security at the match I think it came down to cold calculated costs and opinion / attitude of those in control of the club.

You sad, deluded, ignorant small minded fool. There’s a place for you and your poison at parkhead or ibrox. You’ll be welcome there with open arms.

Hopefully they plump for robbo’s cv and management track record! He managed Derry for a ‘dod’ so thats a plus in his favour!! bc

Yes to both out! JR is yesterday’s man and now dead rubber to most of the fans (roof cover consultant)! Just hope some other club finally takes up his well travelled and punted CV soon. Our own dark prince SG is a different beast altogether. Skilled with the sleight of hand and beguiling, he has skilfully (for now), swung things round with the recruitment of big Dunc. Now considered in some places as our Elon Musk, let’s wait and see how things pan out. As long as big Dunc is around then I expect our dark prince to be somewhere lurking in the background shadows. bc

Irrespective whether Dodds or his radio chums felt he was harshly treated (they’re all living in an ivory tower), the simple fact is Dunc managed to get a victory with the same group of players, where he couldn’t. Suck it up Dodds, you put us through some of the most awful matches I ever witnessed in ICT colours. Enjoy your half time cuppa with Chic, Willie M and other ‘media stars’ for years to come! bc

True and ever so depressing! Part of the wider problem with Scottish football as a whole. Give me an Alan Hansen or Roy Keane punditry any day over the Willie Miller’s and Ally McCoist’s of the world any day!!! Nothing against DD personally, he’s found his right level and place in football. bc

I find it impossible to give a sensible opinion just now as I have nothing but hype to make a judgement on how the team will change and perform under the guidance of big dunc. I have no idea of the standard of football in the league Forest Green played in, so can’t translate that onto the championship. From what I’ve seen from the teams in the championship this season I don’t see many weak teams. Looking at who I would realistically look to get above, Morton, Ayr, Arbroath and Airdrie (for different reasons), are my targets. There’s two stages as I see it to gauge results and predictions for the season. So for a bit of who-knows fun here’s my guesses: Remainder of 2023 Good - 8th Poor - 10th 2024 : after transfer window Good - 4th Poor - 10th

Really a smart move by SG to again further embed him in the undergrowth and roots of the club. Big Dunc is up there as was poor old DD (who’se that?), as the face of the club and the results. As long as big dunc exists then SG is secure in his tower!! My hats off for another deft piece of manoeuvring by the dark prince!! Bc

The decision of the people (SG, RM & GB I understand) has been made, and having sifted through the names applied via emailed, agents or via pals picked Duncan Ferguson to manager the team. I don’t know what the criteria and expectations these 3 people had to come up with DF, however I have to put aside my own thoughts and reservations for now and give the new manager a clean slate to see what he can do in what happens on the park, ie results, style and performances. He is stepping into a team that is in a difficult, (but not yet perilous) position. He has to hit the ground running and get results quickly as the fans are no mood to see us detached and anchored at the bottom of the league too long. So, I will wish the new manager does well and is a success. I believe however whoever he brings in (I assume he will), as his No 1, needs to know his stuff. DF is and will be the showface on the telly, but it’s the footballing side that needs to work. I see nothing from DF post playing days to convince me we’ve got a new ‘Pep’. I think being away from family and home is difficult for anyone and Jan and Feb will be long nights to mull over things, so fingers crossed here. So in closing, Good luck ‘big Duncan’ , we need a sprinkle of magic dust! I look for the 3 people that made this decision to be fully accountable to take the plaudits or criticism in May next year. bc

Don’t know enough about his coaching credentials or results to say if he would have been any good. The fact he wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole after he did some simple research or speaking to some ‘people’, raises my respect for him and thinking he might have been a promising young manager to take us forward! # Maybe, just maybe, the jungle drums of the ICT online forum reaches places SG, RM and others in the board don’t want to ‘get-out’. Maybe we can after all put some pressure on this crock of underperforming jerks! # wouldn’t surprise me if Sir Roy sniffed about ODea if MM moves on. bc

Thank you for saying what was needed. We can play with words round the edges of the main problem which is simply SG isn’t trusted (I hope), by the bulk of the fans that look beyond the next match. The press will fall in line with the SG mantra and belittle and dilute the ST message and angst as a noisy minority and to be ignored. I’ve spouted my drivel reasons for not joining the ST, but that’s not to say I don’t respect them as the main voice of the fans! - I just believe with their voting allocation, they should be more vigorous in challenging the direction the club is taken. That now said, the fans that care more than just turning up faithfully and enjoying the fare, need to decide (to use STFU’s poster), “What are you going to do” Question for me is what type of contract is SG on (fixed or rolling). What is considered success or failure, and who measures / decides this measure and when. For me SG is only interested in himself, ICT is just a tool to, 1) Continue to provide a secure contract and handsome salary, (probably a clause where he gets a sack of gold if paid off early)? 2) Provide him the platform to (in his mind) move on to greater things. Now SG may get lucky and secure some manager that, magic wand like, turns us into something we’re not, and we win promotion in a year or two. More likely we arrest the decline on the park and we avoid relegation, (can we dump if we are relegated ?). Not sure what will happen of the park, but look for a new SLO that promises a new dawn in comms and jam tomorrow! If really comes down to the fans. Plod on and hope for the best (with SG’s vision and control), or secure enough support to come up with a way to get the bulk of the fans behind them to force the Board or other board members to publicly question SG’s performance and expected targets for this and next season! We can’t leave it or expect the press to publish anything that would upset their cosy access arrangements with the current Club hierarchy! bc

That’ll be a round of four then? bc

Here’s one for the open meeting. As it was a nice day for football, I thought I would buy a ticket for todays match. So at 11 o’clock this morning looked up to see if I could buy a ticket online! No link open. So I called the ticket office at the stadium. Got forwarded via a recorded message to another message saying the office was unable to take my call but leave details and phone contact number and ‘they’ll call back’, Now 1:30 and Zip! what ever happened to our club when they don’t even seem interested in selling tickets. No wonder the club is in turmoil! Oh how I miss the old turnstiles! Last straw for me. bc