Daily Record article

[Joe DiMaggio]

It may have been mentioned before but there was an article in the paper about the Caley Thistle team on Saturday and how the none of the starting 11 were Scottish. Pretty embarrassing really. All the way through the divisions and up until not long ago we had a team that was almost exclusively Scottish with the odd foreigner here and there. Is this a reason why there is no fight in the team, with some players only on loan as well. People will say that all footballers are mercenaries but if you look at Tokely after a defeat he walks straight off the park raging, it actually really matters to him. We need more players like that who actually care whether we win or lose.

Yes if we were winning it wouldn't be a problem but we aren't. I would rather support a Caley Thistle team with local or Scottish players who care a little than a team full of half bit foreigners.

[AJS]

You know some could interpret your post as racism...just saying.

[+Fraz]

You know some could interpret your post as racism...just saying.

In that case, 'some' people would need to get a grip.

[AJS]

You know some could interpret your post as racism...just saying.

In that case, 'some' people would need to get a grip.

Hardy har.

[Sorted]

Why would it be in any way racist to ask for some Highland or Scottish players in our team? It shows a startling level of ignorance to even suggest this.

For the record people of all creeds, colours and ethnic origins have lived in our wee nation for many a year now. We are a multi cultural society.

Nationality or locality has nothing to do with colour. Get a grip!

[AJS]

I didnt say that. I would love us to have some more local players back in the side, but calling players half bit foreigners could be construed as such a remark. Not saying it is but people can get the wrong idea. We have foreign players because times have changed and its cause of the way we have to do buisness. Glad to see my catch phrase is catching, always nice to get ganged up so no you go get a grip, wind up merchant.

Sayonara.

Edited April 25, 2012 by ajsict92

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Joking aside - surely this statistic must sadden most supporters. One of the main things that i was looking for this season was experimentation which was to blood the yoof and give the more locally produced players. TB appears to have tried to go fer "experience", mercenaries, loanees and club hoppers - and that has clearly not worked. I would rather have got beat, trying to play football, watching the likes of the Shinnies, Morrison, Ross, Sutherland plus - to me the biggest boo boo of the lot - McKay-Steven.

[CaleyD]

Already has a thread of it's own, so topics merged.

[Joe DiMaggio]

You know some could interpret your post as racism...just saying.

Some people could interpret your post as pathetic....they would be right.

[AJS]

You know some could interpret your post as racism...just saying.

Some people could interpret your post as pathetic....they would be right.

I apologise if i caused offence.

[DJS]

It crossed my mind early in the second half on Saturday that there were no Scottish players in the starting 11 and I opened up my piece in the P&J with this nugget of information. It is quite remarkable and would have been hard to imagine not that long ago.

Doing what I do with the P&J, occasionally people will come up to me with suggestions regarding what I should write about. One recent matter that was raised with me is that ICT have been spending less at the U19 level on players from outwith the Inverness area who need accommodation in Inverness paid for during the season. If this is true then we can expect less and less young players (who are more than likely to be Scottish) coming through to the first team squad. That's a worry.

Yes, we would like to see more Scottish players and local ones would be better still. It's got to be more meaningful watching a team where some of the players went to school with you or lived around the corner from you. At the SPL level I think you will need some imported players but wherever the team comes from we need players the fans can connect with. Lots of short term loans ar eunlikely to achieve that.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Mmm - can you not just feel the internalised anger and tension in the air at the moment ? And who says that football doesn effect people's lives !! Cant wait till the weekend when TB puts out an unchanged team and we get mullered. :lol:

[RiG]

A Butcher clearning the Highlands of ravaging Scots. Well I never!

[Scotty]

One recent matter that was raised with me is that ICT have been spending less at the U19 level on players from outwith the Inverness area who need accommodation in Inverness paid for during the season. If this is true then we can expect less and less young players (who are more than likely to be Scottish) coming through to the first team squad. That's a worry.

Of course, the other side to this coin is that less U19 players from outside the area, who may or may not be Scottish (accomodation costs are the same whether they are from Glasgow or Gloucester surely?) might actually mean more opportunity for local youths ........?

[Joonya]

Not too sure what to make of the whole issue with there being not a single Scot in our starting 11 on Saturday.

I say that because when you consider Tade, Gillet and Golobart were our only foreign tongue players on Staurday (IE their first language isn't English), it all seems a little OTT to suggest it's an embarrassing situation to find ourselves in.

[PaderbornCaley]

A Butcher clearning the Highlands of ravaging Scots. Well I never!

Is Terry footballs answer to the Duke of Sutherland?

[CaleyD]

And had we a team of Scottish players and churned out the season we just have then we'd have folks on ranting that we were insular and should be looking beyond Scotland to sign players...in fact, I'm pretty sure the later is a point that came up for discussion on here a few years back.

[lukemackay]

the way i see it is that we would have at least 2 scots playing if it wasnt for suspensions, and injuries last week.

our squad has 8 scots, 6 of the auld enemy, 3 irish, 2 frenchmen,1 northern irish, 1 welshman, 1 austrian, and 1 spaniard.

5 of the 8 scots are young players with big futures ahead whereas almost all the other players are in their pomp or are loan players who could have futures elsewhere in england. so once they move on the future of ict is scottish imo. from our squad the only players i see that have the best to come from them are doran, meekings, and tansey

these 5 scots and the other 3 non scots are the back bone of our team for years to come. there are some realy talented players in our ranks.

there are a few players in the squad who will look to use ict as a stepping stone. but theres a back bone of young scots who will look to give their all in the next few years at ict.

Edited April 26, 2012 by lukemackay

[Sorted]

So correct me if I'm wrong......

Are those who are saying it is okay to have a team full of foreign players suggesting that this is the future they see for our club?

[BornCaley]

As long as they score goals, win games and keep us in the SPL; i care not a jot about their nationality!

[CaleyD]

So correct me if I'm wrong......

Are those who are saying it is okay to have a team full of foreign players suggesting that this is the future they see for our club?

I wasn't saying it was ok (or otherwise). I would love for us to have a competitive team made up entirely of Scottish players...I would love even more if we could have a competitive team made up entirely of Highland players...and even better still if they had all come through our youth setup....but it ain't ever going to happen and regardless of how many Scots we have, if someone is of a mind to find fault with the team then they will, regardless.

[+DoofersDad]

So correct me if I'm wrong......

Are those who are saying it is okay to have a team full of foreign players suggesting that this is the future they see for our club?

Si, oui, ja, ndiyo.

I don't care where the players come from. I care about how good they are. I agree that it would be great to have more local youngsters in the team and I have posted on other threads about how important it is to have a good youth system, but they should only be in the team if they are good enough.

If you want ICT to succeed at a high level you have to accept that we need to get the best players we can. If you feel you only want to watch a club that has local or perhaps scottish players then I suggest you go watch Clach instead.

Some would argue that with free movemment within the EU these days, none of the squad are foreign. It is just that some are more local than others.

[gingerjaggy]

i dont think many people would be saying anything about th nationality of the players if they were top spanish players playing quality football and winning honours. But because they aint some people think because they aint scottish the team isnt doing well. It aint because they aint scottish it is because as footballers some of the players quality isnt that high and so the team has suffered. i dont care where they come from as long as they perform and excite us as caley thistle fans while keeping us in the league and maybe a cheeky trip to hampden now and then

[Renegade]

My worry would be that some potentially good local/Scottish players are not getting the chance with instead, mediocre foreigners are taking their places.

[buckett]

Does anyone remember Steve Archibald's Airdrie team of not long ago (or was it Clydebank?) when he brought in a mob of Spanish players to put in the shop window? Some of them were very good and went on to better things, but as a team they didn't perform all that well. They weren't playing for Airdrie, they were playing for themselves.

And perhaps that's the problem we have with journeymen - other than a temporary job, they have no connection with, or desire to be in Inverness. Mention you come from Inverness to anyone dahn saff and they'll do a mock shiver and make a wee joke about the snow and the rain - nobody wants to come here! And, watching recent games, I do get the feeling that some of the players just don't want to be here.

So for a small, provincial team like ours, I think it's quite important to have local lads turning out for the first team - only they can provide the passion and patriotism for their home-town team.

And as a supporter, I find it much easier to support a team made up largely of local players. Football is, after all, a tribal game!