big cherly

As a genuine question to the rational, let me ask a straight question, how many ICT fans do you think we have in the following groups 1) ICT ave season ticket holders for the last 5 seasons - I’m sure ICT know but I do not have these figures. 2) Thea ave home attendance for the same period? Where I a. going with this is ICT do not in my opinion have a fan base beyond a couple of thousand. We may have a couple of hundred of fans that will come along for an important game, or where the Celtic, rangers,Hearts or maybe Hibs come to town but that’s about it. The romantic and blinkered may believe there is 5 or 6 thousand dormant ICT supporters just waiting for the return to the hallowed top league. But in the cold light of day we (ICT) have never shown any core support above 3000. Even when we were ‘flying’ in the top league. We may have fans from each of the previous mentioned (and a handful of the rest) that show up for the odd ICT game, but that’s as good as it gets. For me if we want to increase the fans base it’s long term (20 yr) and incremental. That means free tickets for local and remote primary schools each home game. The board will boak at the idea of providing such an offer free but that’s where our long term survival (not these jokers) will be found. Going to the cup final is really just a day out in the national stadium in Glasgow. Any idea we may catch Celtic out for on the day is I am afraid for the fanciful, I can only suggest those that fall into this category do not place any of their hard earned money on ICT winning. It’s throwing your money away! You have a better chance of putting money on how few ICT will let in!!!

I too harbour concern about what the score will be having attended Friday night’s performance and the fallout. My reasons The team let everyone involved and supporting the team not to mention themselves down. Leadership - There was something more deeper than just a bad day at the office for most of the team. It was clear we didn’t have a player / figurehead that could stand up and bring the team together and lead them when needed. From the goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack they all stayed within their own ‘zone’. Thinking back it became clear to me that had been the pattern for pretty much every home game this season. This leads me to wonder who is going to marshal the team when things get tough on the day of the final? Tactics/Style of play - I have seen two styles of play this season from our team. 1) The stock or standard pattern of play-safe, pedestrian square-passing from the goalkeeper-defenders-midfield where playing backward is the plan A. Boring to watch and a disaster waiting to happen. Hump high balls continuously at a bantamweight tiny striker!! 2) Fast slick passing down the wings inter-passing between the midfield and striker, inevitably creating a chance on goal. Unfortunately (2) was the exception and a bit part of our season. Style (1) will just bring wave upon wave of attack from the opposition. Substitutes - I have to raise the manager and his ability to interpret the match and his team’s performance and make timely changes that can influence (positively) the match. There has been a lot of words written on this forum about injuries to players and whether B Dodds is good or bad as a manager. I can only make my opinion on what I see at the home games as a season ticket holder. Over the piece I have to come down on the side that their has been games where the manager’s uncertainty or lack of vision has cost us points due to either poor timing or players selected when changing them. Rightly or wrongly I am of the opinion B Dodds expects his players to hack out results without any serious thought on how to counter the oppositions match play. It doesn’t inspire me and I can’t imagine the players get much from the dugout when they are looking for guidance. So, when we walk out at the cup final we are up against a team that most certainly will have more skilful players, with 4 or 5 patterns of play that they can change at any time of the game. A manager that insists on his players move with speed in a controlled way and strikers that would not be out of place in the English premiership. Throw in a giant loud support, and a month of no games now for ICT it will call on everyone of ICT players and Management to be on top of their game. Friday night’s performance and attitude against Ayr on one of the biggest games of the season makes it more difficult for me to think this was a one-off. Hope I’m wrong!!!

Tell Scotty he can pick a seat next season in the North Stand. They will be plenty of freed up spaces!!! He’ll have some stiff competition thou in the Pi55ed and vitriol contest!!

Let’s be open and honest here. Big backing crowd, lovely night for football, big game and we didn’t turn up. The better team won hands down. You can’t play the way we did in the first half and expect anything more than what we got for our 45 minutes. From goalkeeper to front line we could not do the simplest of thing (like control the ball). Ayr were simply competent, but that was more than enough to overcome our efforts and comfortably see them through the game. Samuels was the difference that changed our fortunes. Still don’t understand why Shaw wasn’t on the left wing from the start, but it’s a moot point now. ‘Fortune favours the brave’. A quote you couldn’t find in the home dressing room tonight! Good luck to Ayr in there playoffs

No place or excuses for not turning up tonight if you can. It’s time to put all reservations and concerns from this seasons poor performances or whether you believe B Dodds is not the person to manage the team next year aside. Tonight falls onto a one-off and personably these are the games is why I love the game! Tough match for sure! So it’s simple, if you support ICT tonight’s game is the one to turn up and back the team fully.

I understand the frustration here, but why does anyone think that the fans opinions matter any more regarding the timing of the cup final kick off? The game, (born and developed from is working class origins) has completely changed in just about every aspect and is now a ruthless hard nosed business industry. Money drives the full agenda and if the fans views of biggest and best club in Scotland are ignored regarding the kick off time, well do I need to go further……. It’s just the reality of the sport we, (I mean the season ticket holders - not the cup final attendees) choose to continue to watch. Old habits are hard too ……. Just try and enjoy the final on the day!

And using your proposal we sell 1500 tickets to highland tic fans!

Why would Celtic care or want to help Caley on the day! If they have a few thousand tic fans in the ICT end that helps their cause on the day (god knows they have enough of an advantage)! Wallpaper talk of Celtic telling their fans to not buy ICT tickets is for the gullible. The Green Brigade heed their every word!! The reality is highland ‘tic’ fans will be buying up our tickets. On one of the last Celtic matches in Inverness it was when we scored I found out I had to look round for another ICT fan to celebrate with (another row up). The rest around me in the north stand were stone silent. I’ll throw in another direct link - Charlie bhoy Christie makes no apology in declaring where his loyalist are! You could call him Celtic's (free) highland youth coach and eyes. Wonder how many ICT tickets he gets for his group of mates. At the end of the day it simply comes down to money. The board simply will flog as many tickets they can get their hands on to any one that will pay for them! Our average attendance for the past few seasons is kicking around 2250. Any allocation over 5000 is the SFA being benevolent to our board!

I hesitate as a long standing footie fan to say anything that would counter a place in the final and playoffs, however what goes on at the chairman and board level ultimately positions the club identity, relationship with the area, local community and business. The Trump -Johnson approach don’t fit well with me and sometimes you need to experience a Liz Trust moment to get change! Time will tell……….

Can’t and wouldn’t like to stop the dreamers! That’s all it is - dreams. Patrick was our last real test. Bitter experience won’t let me see past tomorrows match with Hamilton. Artificial pitch, Team fighting to stay in the league, unlike Cove Hamilton has a core support and will fancy their chances based on the past results this season. So let’s hope we’re up for the fight, carry a bit of luck when we need it and score one more goal than Hamilton.

Yes, tend to agree with this. To be honest couldn’t recall any real contribution Samuals made through the night, couple or runs but never in control or serious about winning the ball. He ‘hid’ in my opinion during a lot of the match and if the bloke wanted subbed he made a good case ahead of Mackay of me. We’ll need all our players mentally and physically ready for the next two matches to take 6 points and keep the playoffs a possibility. Hope Samuals improves to get to where he can. Last comment - observation on last night. Delighted about the win; the first half was dreadful. The continued play safe square passing at the back will come unstuck sooner or later and cost us a goal. It’s a risk we continue to play and we need more emphasis on getting the midfield involved going forward. Good luck on sat against the Cove.

Sorry Billy Dodds, if that needed to be explained! To some it clearly does…

You have to consider what would DD offer and be able to provide to the club and team to warrant offering a new (extension) contract. I agree you should use facts in any assessment, but it’s not the sole category as facts like statistics (or results if you like), tend to hide key facets like performance, capability to change the team during a game, competence and ability to communicate/ inspire the fans. On all of the above categories, in my opinion by attending all the home matches DD fails to get close to ‘maybe OK at this’, and should not be considered for retaining. SG and the board may wish to retain a scapegoat and cover for another season or two to deflect the criticism away from their inept own performance, but that’s not vision, it’s incompetence! I would argue the point that if the ICT powers have the desire and (importantly) the Will to move forward, (irrespective of any luck that stays with the team), it is important that a new manager and direction for the team is selected. If not for that luck (cup twist and results), part time could have been a distinct possibility going forward. You could make an equally good argument to ditch SG and most of the board, but turkeys and Xmas …….. I might as well throw it in, if it’s not already apparent, I will not be renewing and season ticket with DD in the dugout! Couldn’t sit through another season like the one we have just been through to date!

Well, well, Here we are again, we have the arrogance and pretence to think we (ICT), are a team of stature, reputation and ability to poo-poo and belittle Falkirk as a Micky Mouse outfit that will be washed aside on to our rightful position against the mighty Celtic in the final. Our only concern is will it by 8, 10 or more goals against us in the final. No matter we will cheer our boys on irrespective of potential Darvel like records being made and all have a great day out! It’s a Scottish fault fine characteristic failure which is often sorely exposed in sport with football being the biggest exponent of this “wha’s like us” behaviour. I don’t open or question whether this miss led bravado is right or wrong, or what other nations really think of us, because I truly believe it is beyond us to change, but forgive me if I don’t join in this way of thinking. Falkirk, in just about every facet or aspect of their club, be it tradition, fan base, stadium, financial stability and potential are years ahead of ICT. The fact they are currently in a league below us is neither here or there, having watched ICT this season, only the happy clappy would say our manager and players are better than Falkirk’s. I’ll go further to say our lot would struggle to be in Falkirk's league position if we were in that league. Anyway, before we start worrying about getting hammered by Celtic in the final let’s give some respect to Falkirk. This will on the day be tough match in my opinion and low behold the consequences to the loosing team!

Sir Roy you mean!!

I don’t understand the premise of your point here. Most comments, I believe, of the people that contribute to the forum are ICT fans, turn up and pay their money. From the comments I have read, the bulk appear sincere in the support for the team, but want to be able to comment (for good or bad) on what they see, hear or read regarding the club/match performance and experience. That’s a healthy position I would suggest!! Maybe you don’t and you’re entitled to your view! Just to cemented my point, I have attended all the home matches this season and with few exceptions the team performance has been a hard watch to say the least! I wrote previously in this forum prior to the Killie match, that to date, I saw no evidence on past performances to see how we could prevail, however we knew on football there was always a chance. (Which we took on the night). So unlike a few on this topic, I attending on what was a bitterly cold night to support my team. I was delighted and cheering with the rest of the die-hard fans as we matched Killie in energy, effort and no small bit of guile. We should have secured a 3-1 victory but I don’t loose sight of a fantastic result! - Just wish we had applied some of the same attitude in the past games. Spare me trotting out the tired old injuries excuse!! Just to pare back a little of the good feel of last nights result, this was at best an average Killie team. The good thing for me was our boys didn’t shrink back to believe they were inferior to a top league team and went on the attack. Dare I suggest the reduction in our usual habit of playing the ball backward from an attacking position helped!! Anyway - out with the team and manager on the night, credit from me goes to :- # the young team - awakened and stirred the corpses in the north stand. More flares, tapes upsetting the gentry and general mischief (great), - crucial on the night I suspect. # Killie fans - announcer says 2950ish attendance for the match. They brought up over 600 fans in my opinion. (Where were our faithful)? On one of Scotland’s coldest days they travelled in numbers at a rotten time, watched and noisily supported their team in defeat to then travel another 3 hours to arrive in Ayrshire around 01:00 Here’s to you Killie fans. So in conclusion - I turned up and supported and cheered my team onto a fine result! Well done. I will continue however to express my views on where and when I consider the team, manager, CEO, board or facilities fall short! Unless of course that type of criticism is not allowed here??

The biggest night of the season for ICT. In the sports bar 60 min before kickoff. Queue wait 20 min to find no draught drink on tap. Cans or bottles only. Staff behind counter looks like they have never worked In a bar before. Timing for serve and charging snail pace! Does anyone in the broad even know or care just how amateurish it is and it’s lost revenue???

The low expectations is more of a reflection of how this season (both on and off the field) has unraveled, for a large (most) section of the fans. No need to expand on the team and coach (manager is not a term I use) performances! Of the field, the anxiety of whether the fans can trust what comes out of SG and the board, with absence of communication, smoke and mirrors and hand picked auditors raising concerns on future viability of the club. For me the question is do we believe things will be any better or worse if this lot remain (ie get lucky tonight)!

Soulless, lonely with no atmosphere!!

Or outwith ‘trust us’ words, any details or timescale on these enterprise zone, battery farm, exciting opportunities etc on how to deliver them is missing. I understand the frustration of the fans here, (I have to mention how pleased I am at the level of intelligent comment presented on the forum ), however we will get through it (albeit we may have to restart after administration). The simple solution and answer of course lays on the football pitch. Get a winning team and the agony we are experiencing dissipates. SG becomes a background figure again! Trouble is the team lack the leadership, and dare I say it now, the long term player commitment, to play to their real potential. SG and the board stuck with BD and we are now down to hoping luck carries us through the cup and remaining league games. Problem is you can’t run a company’s finances simply on that alone!!

If it is ever completed, or even part completed, can we have a competition to name whatever is built. Starter for 10, I propose ‘ robbo’s heid’ (ie the head on a submarine) or the ‘hearts north hillbilly riff raff! over to the riff raff!

Friday 10th March is now a watershed date for the fans/club. The cup match with Killie will set in place a series of events that will be pivotal to ICT immediate future : Win - Money spinner and media attention heading into the semis. Much needed injection of funds to reduce account loss projections. Fans interest and enthusiasm reignited. Change of fortune and results for the team resulting in achieving the playoffs. BD hangs on till end of season. Loose - More austere operating challenges for the club. Economy cuts across the playing and stadium staff. Billy Dodds and coaches depart as fans boycott any further involvement from him! Part-time team during realignment phase. Youth teams cut back. Fan base -season tickets reduced. JR takes up full time radio punditry at Dingwall. I expect their will be a change in the directors irrespective, so I’m parking that for now. It’s been a hell of a season so far and I find it hard to put drum up much evidence to see a victory for ICT on the day. That said we all know there is a small chance of a surprise on the day! I just wonder however does the current lot (on and off the park) deserve the fall from grace and another chance.??

Hi, I don’t follow the trust stuff much, but this topic/survey caught my attention. I completed and submitted the questionnaire. Would like to know when its findings and number of returns will be published. (Any chance this forum)? For me the common denominator is always money. And if anything cost more that a token few quid the ICT board will stick it in the ‘for filing’ tray. It’s understandable as they have no money anyway, ref concerts and fans to stump up for Robertson’s shed cover. I wish the trust well in the efforts to improve the match experience and facilities. A wide range of issues for sure - Need young members here!! Hope the board treat it more that a foot stool and give a yes or no and set timetable for top recommendations made by the independent trust.

My apologies gringo, I did not intend to offend. I regret my choice of words!

Can all fans who think this way ‘get real’ and wake up. Irrespective of whether Ian McCall would be any good, ICT is not an attractive post for a manager - we have no money, can’t attract good players, terrible reputation with ‘burnt’ local businesses (investment), minute, dwindling and disgruntled support, fall guy to a toxic Board! Players speak to each other and reputations are made! - ICT and Inverness (the highlands) is not an attractive proposition for any ‘outside’ aspiring or established player of reasonable ability. - It’s too far away from the large urban areas. Away from your family and friends the novelty of the A9 and A96 quickly wear off. If you have made the move, once you fall out of favour, your playing career is in stuck in limbo if you have a family, - their is no other team to go to (County - only if you bow to Sir Ian). Ask Kettlewell! Players know ICT ground is a soleless and lonely place with no atmosphere. Throw in no money, ICT is just not a good image or option right now! Sorry to be blunt, but until we start addressing some of these issues we’re just treading water. bc