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Missing out a "blessing".


Guest Mahonio

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Can't find the blessing quote anywhere. Think it's the been making mischief. Also highland marchers spoke to the chairman before game and said he was excited about getting to Europe. Ok it would have stretched us financially but Kenny would have found a way to finance it.

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Can't find the blessing quote anywhere. Think it's the been making mischief. Also highland marchers spoke to the chairman before game and said he was excited about getting to Europe. Ok it would have stretched us financially but Kenny would have found a way to finance it.

 

I haven't seen the blessing bit myself but in the P&J today in "In my view" Terry Butcher he said "My Chairman will be pleased because there is a lot of expense going into Europe and I would ask for a bigger squad" with Butcher also saying "I don't think our club could possible cope with Europe" 

 

Perhaps just realistic but probably better not said as definitely not what fans want to hear 

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And to echo the arguments surrounding that Diddy Cup whose name escapes me for the moment but which was given consideration in Charlie's time, what are the implications regarding being fit and ready to play by mid July - and the possible consequences for the next season?

Got it now. Intertoto Cup!

I have to say that the arguments about Europe also tend to mirror discussions about a possible fourth stand at the Caledonian Stadium.

How do the possible benefits stand up against the likely costs?

I think you have to look at this in the context of a club whose finances generally tend to hover on or just short of the break even point. I suspect that the year to May 2013 will turn out a bit better than average for various reasons, but 2012-13 has been an exceptional season.

I would suggest that priority number one has to be affording and sustaining a squad which can first and foremost continue to secure SPL football (remember how "squeaky bum" last season was in danger of becoming) and finish as far up the league as possible.

I don't think ICT is in the position to put essentials at risk for the sake of high profile luxuries which - in the grander scheme of things - don't really mean that much in real terms.

I also wonder how many of the people who are making a noise about Europe or about a fourth stand would also be among the first to complain if the team started to struggle for lack of affordable squad depth.

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And to echo the arguments surrounding that Diddy Cup whose name escapes me for the moment but which was given consideration in Charlie's time, what are the implications regarding being fit and ready to play by mid July - and the possible consequences for the next season?

Got it now. Intertoto Cup!

I have to say that the arguments about Europe also tend to mirror discussions about a possible fourth stand at the Caledonian Stadium.

How do the possible benefits stand up against the likely costs?

I think you have to look at this in the context of a club whose finances generally tend to hover on or just short of the break even point. I suspect that the year to May 2013 will turn out a bit better than average for various reasons, but 2012-13 has been an exceptional season.

I would suggest that priority number one has to be affording and sustaining a squad which can first and foremost continue to secure SPL football (remember how "squeaky bum" last season was in danger of becoming) and finish as far up the league as possible.

I don't think ICT is in the position to put essentials at risk for the sake of high profile luxuries which - in the grander scheme of things - don't really mean that much in real terms.

I also wonder how many of the people who are making a noise about Europe or about a fourth stand would also be among the first to complain if the team started to struggle for lack of affordable squad depth.

 

 

The likelyhood is that a Europe League place would result in us breaking even or suffering a modest five figure loss which would have been more than offset by the difference in place money between fourth and third of about £80,000 and the commercial benefit of the additional media exposure and higher profile. There would have been a knock on beneficial effect for the city of Inverness albeit modest.

 

Yes our resources would have been stretched and we would have been unlikely to progress but the comments that have been made betray a worrying lack of ambition. Just how any part time Welsh, Irish or Scandanavian clubs do you hear expressing relief that they have failed to qualify for Europe ?

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I have to say that the arguments about Europe also tend to mirror discussions about a possible fourth stand at the Caledonian Stadium.

How do the possible benefits stand up against the likely costs?

The cost of not aspiring to qualify for Europe is enormous. It sucks out one of the few aspects of this league that retains serious competition. It tells fans that they shouldn't hope or dream of anything beyond survival in the SPL.

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Putting a brave face on, that's all IMO.

TB's as gutted about it as anyone else.

 

 

Exactly, it's baffling that some people seem so keen to perpetuate the myth that he said it was a blessing, or that he is somehow relieved that we didn't qualify and doesn't was us in Europe. All he said in a "brave face" context is that we aren't really geared up for European football yet.  But anyone who thinks he or the club don't share the fans' desire to finish 3rd and qualify for European football needs to think again.

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Putting a brave face on, that's all IMO.

TB's as gutted about it as anyone else.

 

Exactly, it's baffling that some people seem so keen to perpetuate the myth that he said it was a blessing, or that he is somehow relieved that we didn't qualify and doesn't was us in Europe. All he said in a "brave face" context is that we aren't really geared up for European football yet.  But anyone who thinks he or the club don't share the fans' desire to finish 3rd and qualify for European football needs to think again.

Michael Gannon just tweeted that TB put a brave face on it after the game but was close to tears.

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Putting a brave face on, that's all IMO.

TB's as gutted about it as anyone else.

 

 

Exactly, it's baffling that some people seem so keen to perpetuate the myth that he said it was a blessing, or that he is somehow relieved that we didn't qualify and doesn't was us in Europe. All he said in a "brave face" context is that we aren't really geared up for European football yet.  But anyone who thinks he or the club don't share the fans' desire to finish 3rd and qualify for European football needs to think again.

 

 

Then that is what he should have said.

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And finish on a downer? These players and the management team have just finished the best season in the club's history. I'm sure the easiest, most obvious, and most honest answer for TB was to criticise the performance, but was that how he or the club wanted to round off their best ever season? No. All he did was put on a brave face, and save face for the players, who, for 90% of the season, have exceeded expectations.

It was one game, maybe two, where they fell short. That doesn't mean you discredit a year's work and leave your staff with a negative. you applaud the positives. As for the chairman being relieved etc. it's all a bit tongue in cheek. Don't do a disservice to the main body of work, however disappointing it was to every single person.

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Despite having criticised the team selection and performance on Sunday, I don't believe for a minute that Terry wasn't upset at losing that game and he would I'm sure have been right up for a 'taste of Europe' - however short. Now if he can just sort out corners, free kicks, throw-ins, crosses, set pieces, midfield, substitutions and tactics we'll be fine.... :tongueincheek:

 

I was bit worried though about picketing at the airport from UKIP's five Scottish supporters if we had qualified...... :furtive:  

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If you take away a mans hope, he has nothing.

Europe was our best hope.

Due to the present economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has been switched off.

This is not true. I've talked about Europe with Kenny Cameron (and other members of the Board) and at no time did anyone hint that that they didn't want Europe, never mind say it. They were making tentative plans to sort out the logistics of fulfilling any fixture we might have qualified for, including transport arrangements and how to fund them.

 

There was no point that I witnessed Terry say it was "a blessing" that we did not qualify in any of the media interviews that I lugged into after the game on Saturday. He did say that the Club wasn't really geared up for Europe but if you asked St Johnstone, they would say exactly the same thing. They still wouldn't swop it for anything and neither would we if we qualified. The stuff about "the chairman only cares about the money" is the kind of quote that you can get from any manager across the Leagues at any time.

 

Its a bit sad that one day one from the best display from our fans that I or most others can remember, this unfounded conspiracy theory stuff comes out.

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I've just had a look at St Johnstones Europa League games this season...a trip to Eskisehirspor in Turkey for the 1st leg. There was a crowd of 13000 for that match. How much of the gate many goes to the away team? I doubt it would have covered the flight and accommodation et al. The home tie attracted a gate of 6023. I'd assess from that that they'd struggle to break even. These Europa league qualifiers are not big gate attractions and I'd say our club would lose many on the venture unless we progressed to the group stages. I can see where Terry is coming from to be honest.

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Some folk are reading too much into Terrys comments.  As others have stated, it was a tongue in cheek comment,  I hear football managers all the time making sarcastic comments about the board.  Terry and all the guys at Caley Thistle were desperate to finish 3rd.  Ok, it didn't work out, but I doubt any person at Caley Thistle (Chairman / board included) are happy about losing the game. 

 

It was a tongue in cheek comment and we shouldn't be worrying about it at all.  I am disappointed we lost the game, and disappointed we missed out on Europe on the last day.  However, I am delighted with the season in general and the 4th placed finish is still an incredible achievement. 

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Its about more than money of course, but did I see a quote from St J Chairman that the plane alone cost as much as they received? He was reckoning he would have to find an extra £100k was it?

 

Would still rather have finished strongly and had the chance, but history now so moving on....

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