Tokely Offski - to Countski

[Kingsmills]

Ross has beem a tremendous servant to ICT for more than a decade and a half but, when all said and done, football is his career and his source of income. Whatsmore, it's a career that is coming to it's end.

In these circumstances, if he can squeeze a wee bit of additional income out of his final couple of seasons by making the only move that doesn't upset his domestic arrangements then who can blame him. Good luck to Mr ICT overthebridge....

[CaleyD]

Actually, due to his current domestic arrangements I was very surprised that he signed for C*unty. Thought he would have been more likely to head East.

[PullMyFinger]

Disappointed with the lack of respect being shown by some here for an ICT legend.

Good luck Ross.

[ictfan]

With Ross leaving, the club have also lost a very good coach. He had been taking the ICT U 13's for the last year and the kids seemed to be developing well under his leadership. Im guessing there will be a lot of sad 13 year olds at training tomorrow evening!! Just a part of football I guess. All the best Ross and keep up the coaching, you seem to have a talent for it.

[ICTPaisley]

Don't understand why everyone is slagging county's defence, they've already got a better pairing than us. We're signing 28 yr old part timer Gary warren to pair up with a centre back who might not even be back to his average self after that injury.

I'm glad he's still playing in the spl though and it will make the derbies even better.

Yet again county have gained from our stupidity. Tokely had one more good season in him.

[gordieict]

Question now is...........Is Adams building a team to challenge in the SPL or is he building a team for going back to Div 1?

I think to stay in the SPL but is looking for players with a bit of experience there

[mikeyrob73]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

[ICTPaisley]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

I've always thought County manage to offer better contracts than us when we are competing in the same division. Either that or the player just normally decides to go OTB.

[CaleyD]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

C*unty probably valued the "P*ssing off ICT" aspect at a couple of hundred a week in itself.

[Oddquine]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

Maybe County have more fans going to games regularly? That does help with finances.

Also they have never been in the SPL, so haven't had the same level of costs as ICT has, including a year's groundshare, never lost money being relegated and had to retrench, and then return and face gradually reducing gates.

We'll see how County are doing after a few years.

[ICTPaisley]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

Maybe County have more fans going to games regularly? That does help with finances.

Also they have never been in the SPL, so haven't had the same level of costs as ICT has, including a year's groundshare, never lost money being relegated and had to retrench, and then return and face gradually reducing gates.

We'll see how County are doing after a few years.

Nope thats nonsense. Ross county's average attendance for last season didn't even meet 3,000. Ours was over 4,000.

[caleyboy]

Let's not make excuses for Tokes moving OTB. He is a good journeyman pro who will give County 100% - something we have very little of. They are also in a far better financial position than we are because their "main man" is prepared to invest in something he believes in - FOOTBALL!

[caleyboy]

I suspect he will be very much a squad player and bench warmer for them, as he would probably have been for us. Still sad to see him go with a bad taste in the mouth.

Adams on radio today saying Tokes is a major signing so doesn't sound like he is being signed to sit on the bench. Hopefully he will be on bench when we play them.

[Renegade]

Our loss is County's gain.......again. Thanks Terry, you really are proving yourself to be something else!

[gordieict]

Whatever our feelings on Tokleys departure we have to get over it and move on, he's a County player now.

Onwards and upwards (hopefully)

[Alex MacLeod]

You know, I've gone over and over pages of comments on Rossco today, just as I did after Grant and Russell were released. I couple what I'm reading with the weekly comments throughout this season past and the one before. I then balance all that with the good luck comments afforded to Cowie Blackie and Rankin when they left. Those last three were three of the best players ever to wear an ICT shirt. They chose to move on to teams south of Inverness. They were thanked for their services and wished every success. No problem there. Its what I'd expect.

Going back to the first three players mentioned I could search through this site and find hundreds of comments, from many of the same people who are crying foul now, about how crap they were in the last couple of seasons. Russell was one of my favourite players yet no matter how he played, week in week out he was slated as someone with no skill. Someone who couldn;t pass a ball. Grant to me was a very good defender but I can find many comments that say he is crap. He panics. He hoofs and hopes. Rossco was an excellent right back but I didn't think he was as happy one place in. He would go on runs down the right. He could work the overlap and many times he could bring about a goal. More recently he wasn't able to get back so quick and he was chastised and slated because he was out of position. It was said he was too slow.

If I was to put all the negative comments made throughout the last couple of seasons in one post it would look like the whole world were unhappy with the contribution those three made in many games.

Now, I know from a good friend of Grants that he was let go due to clash of personalities and refusal to take on some additional work for the club. Russell, in my opinion, was deemed to be not up to what was required this last season. Ross was offered a contract that this club felt was all they could offer. He chose to turn it down. Without knowing what his contract entailed I cannot comment on what was right or wrong. Player contracts can be very complicated. Low basic but additional bonuses for games played etc.

Now it seem to me that, what riles people most is that these three were players who were long service. But wait a minute, Barry Wilson was long service. Did he get the same accolades when he was let go? Nope. He done the dirty by breaking his service for a spell at Livi.

I think what riles people most in this situation is the fact that those three have crossed the bridge.

Personally I wish them all well for the few years they have left and if playing for County keeps them in a wage a bit longer then so be it.

[Huisdean]

Our loss is County's gain.......again. Thanks Terry, you really are proving yourself to be something else!

Give it a rest Renegade about everything being TBs fault. Tokely was offered a contract, we/I don't know what it was and neither do we know what County offered him. If they want to make him their first choice defender so be it but if they do it will be big risk in my opinion.

[Donview]

I'm going to open a can of worms here and state that after the game against Hibs I was told Roscoe was going to County. I hinted at this in my post on page one of this thread, however wished for a resolution from within to keep him at the club.

I'm not so naive as to apportion blame for the whole sorry fiasco, there are obviously underlying issues and Ross was covering his options before it hit the press. Say or think what you like about honesty and injured parties, but hey let's face it...........when and where were honesty and integrity last associated with football.

I'm truly sorry to see the guy go, no one will ever equal his achievement of one club at all senior levels in Scotland, now all I wish for is Butcher to follow him out the door.

[WYNESS101]

how can county offer him a better contract than us though? this is the question

There chairman has money to spend and says he still has money in the bank to spend on more players

[WYNESS101]

So how many players do County have that have points to prove against us?

Munro, Vigurs, Duncan, and now Tokely

Fraser

[Alex MacLeod]

None of those players have a point to prove against us. They are professionals doing a job for the people who pay their wages. Its up to us to show we are still better than them.

[WYNESS101]

Just like to wish tokely all the best. He will always be a ICT legend. Theres good memories and bad ones but at the end of the day.......HE'S ONE OF OUR OWN!!!

[+DoofersDad]

Sad day, but if he has been offerred a better deal across the bridge or feels more appreciated by the club there, then good luck to him. He's got a living to make I for one don't blame him. I feel strongly that Butcher made a big mistake to let Munro go and another one now to let Tokely go, but I'll not rant on any more about it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say and it will be fascinating to see what next season brings.

I think they are both good enough for the SPL, Terry doesn't. He's the manager and I'm not so I sincerely hope I am wrong and he's right. As I've said before, next season will be the one on which Butcher can really be properly judged. Obviously he will be judged by how well ICT do but he will also be judged by how well those players he judged to be not good enough do.

One little word of advice for Terry though. If you're going to play wee Billy up front against Grant and Ross, can we please keep the ball on the deck?

[ICTPaisley]

Tokely and Duncan are two of my favourite ICT players of all time. I don't even mind that they went to Ross County, its just another club and i've never had a bitter hatred towards County but feel its more of a friendly rivalry.

[+DoofersDad]

So how many players do County have that have points to prove against us?

Munro, Vigurs, Duncan, and now Tokely

Fraser

Dougal, will you let us know how they get on, please?