Accies Away Play-off 1st leg

[tm4tj]

Play-Off Final 1st Leg

 

Having scraped into the play-off final, we find our route to Championship survival blocked by a two leg play-off encounter against a team we often struggled against, Hamilton Accies, one of lifes great relegation dodgers. They did eventually make the drop into League 1 a season ago but will fancy their chances against a struggling Caley Jags. They seemed to hold the Indian sign over us in season 2022/2023 with four wins out of five encounters, albeit one was a Challenge Cup game at NDP when we fielded a team of youths and Mark Ridgers during one of our worst peroids for injuries. We did win at NDP towards the end of that season with Billy Mckay scoring three minutes from the end. Overall, the stats are even, Accies one game to the good out of 31 meetings.

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Match/Ticket Info

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Accies Access: Admission: Adults £20, -18 & +65 £10. Accies season ticket holders 1/2 price on production of their cards at the gate. Cash only at turnstiles. Card payments at shop

Venue

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	17	5	4	8	25	23	+2
Away	14	7	2	5	20	18	+2
Neutral	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	31	12	6	13	45	41	+4

He Scores When He Wants:  2 - 1 A long trip on a Tuesday night to face your bogey team is not ideal, especially when it gets to the business end of the season. That's what faced the Caley Jags as we looked to win our sixth game on the bounce against struggling Hamilton Accies who have already beaten us four times this season. Inverness could go third, but Accies would be hoping to put some distance between themselves and bottom side Cove Rangers. As it turned out it remained goalless at the interval with Deas seeing a header saved by Fulton just before the break. Connor Smith scored direct from a free kick after the interval but Nathan Shaw equalised three minutes later. Billy Mckay won all three points with a poachers goal in off the post with three minutes left and that's how it ended. Phew!

Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Accies

2 - 1 (A)

1 - 2 (A)

0 - 3 (H)

0 - 2 (A)

0 - 1 (H)

4 - 0 (H)

1 - 1 (A)

1 - 2 (H)

1 - 2 (A)

2 - 1 (H)

How did we get into this mess

Our demise has been well documented this season in the Championship where we got off to a poor start before relieving Billy Dodds of his duties after winning 1 point in our first six games. In comes our saviour, Big Dunc. However all is not well and we just kept our heads above water thanks to Arbroath being rubbish. Onto the play offs and an insipid performance at Links Park left us all wondering if our time has come to drop into oblivion. Our performance certainly would not look out of place in the lower leagues. We clung on for a 0-0 draw away from home and scraped a 1-0 win at Inverness with Billy Mckay saving our blushes. Everything about the club has negative undertones at the moment.

Well travelled and long suffering Caley Jags fan Gringo said:  That was my first game of the season and my first chance to see with my own eyes how gash ICT have become. That was one awful unentertaining game and by far the worst I've seen from the team I support. No passion, no urgency, no desire, no creativity...nothing. Square balls across the back line time after time. Can't keep possession. Can't shoot. Two game against a part time outfit and we can only bag one goal. There needs to be drastic improvement against Hamilton and I fully believe Dunc is incapable of doing that with this bunch of players. Hamilton will be a tough hurdle to overcome and I fear the worse. 

John Rankin's Hamilton Accies on the other hand are rightly in a positive mood after an excellent season in League 1 finishing second to all conquering Falkirk and conceding the same amount goals as the Champions. Hamilton's stats for their League campaign with (ict in brackets). Won 22 (10) Drawn 8 (12) Lost 6 (14) Goals for 73 (41), Goals against 28 (40) 

Top Scorers

1. Kevin O'Hara 16
2. Euan Henderson 10
3. Ahkeem Rose 7
4. Lewis Smith 5 (Lewis also tops the assist chart with 11)
5. Kyle MacDonald 5
6. Reghan Tumilty 5

ICT loan player Jake Davidson has also bagged a couple of goals for Accies but will be ineligible to play.

Hamilton did face Championship opposition in the Challenge Cup, losing 4-1 to Raith Rovers. That game was nicely poised at 0-1 until Lee Kilday was red carded after 54 minutes. Raith capitalised and scored a further three goals with Zanatta netting for Accies. Let's not forget, Accies also have an artificial surface which is something Ferguson bleated about after the Montrose game at Links Park.

Accies team v Alloa: Lyness; Longridge, Kilday (Owens 68 ), Barjonas (Rose 68 ), Henderson (Hastie 78 ), Martin (Murray 84), O’Hara, L. Smith, McGowan, Tumilty, Williamson (Davidson 45).

Subs Not Used: J. Smith; Redfern, Winter, Hendrie.

 

Inverness latest Team News

Here's Dunc's briefing: Sean McAllister out with recurring injury. Sounds as though the rest will be as you were and Charlie Gilmour is hopefully fit to play some part. Don't look for any drastic changes.

 

 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

[+MrCaleyjag]

[STFU]

We've had some of our better games/results against teams who've come at us and Hamilton seem like the kind of team who'll do that.

Bring it on!

[robbo1985]

Hamilton giving their season ticket holders half price entry tomorrow night.  Really disappointed our club not offering something similar on Saturday.  Win or lose this playoff tie, huge changes are required on and off the park in my opinion to prevent more fans becoming increasingly disillusioned to the point they stop going altogether.  I understand the focus right now has to be on Championship survival but here’s hoping there are major changes coming in the summer regardless of what league we are in next year.

[tm4tj]

 

[caley1]

15 minutes ago, robbo1985 said:

Hamilton giving their season ticket holders half price entry tomorrow night.  Really disappointed our club not offering something similar on Saturday.  Win or lose this playoff tie, huge changes are required on and off the park in my opinion to prevent more fans becoming increasingly disillusioned to the point they stop going altogether.  I understand the focus right now has to be on Championship survival but here’s hoping there are major changes coming in the summer regardless of what league we are in next year.

Huge few days for our club but think as we  are a championship club then ticket pricing is not up to us ?. Being on Tv will have a massive effect on the gate but not the same as being there ( especially Saturday)

Big changes are needed and Gardiner should only have 2 games left as he is doing nothing for  the wage he is taking out out of the club . Anything more than those 2 games and he is still in employment then serious questions need to be answered . This should be the very first cost cutting measure implemented way before any youth cutting measure . 

[STFU]

If even a fraction of the chat about the state of our finances is true then we'll be needing every penny to pay wages at the end of the month.

[alwaysblue]

 

Agreed -I don't think they can afford to do any cut price offers.

Any info/help re parking /pub around New Douglas park tonight 

 

[bdu98196]

14 hours ago, caley1 said:

Big changes are needed and Gardiner should only have 2 games left as he is doing nothing for  the wage he is taking out out of the club . 

While I get peoples dislike for SG being at the club (and I am no fanboy either), statements like this keep being made. However, nobody ever substantiates it with the costs involved or define the club performance metrics set out by the board and whether he has delivered or otherwise (and if this is considered to represent value).

It would also be interesting for fans to state what their expectations for SG performance would be?

[bdu98196]

Hamilton are an awful club who really bring nothing to the landscape of Scottish football - its bad enough irrelevances like Airdrie & Morton are in the Championship.

[RiG]

1 hour ago, alwaysblue said:

 

Any info/help re parking /pub around New Douglas park tonight 

I've often parked in the Sainsburys car park behind the ground. It's about a 5 - 10 minute walk from there to the ground. There's a three hour limit IIRC so you should be fine. Also a Morrisons nearby too which I am sure people park in.

[old caley girl]

4 hours ago, alwaysblue said:

 

Agreed -I don't think they can afford to do any cut price offers.

Any info/help re parking /pub around New Douglas park tonight 

 

There's a big car park just over road from the retail park with Sainburys in it normally use 

[old caley girl]

3 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

While I get peoples dislike for SG being at the club (and I am no fanboy either), statements like this keep being made. However, nobody ever substantiates it with the costs involved or define the club performance metrics set out by the board and whether he has delivered or otherwise (and if this is considered to represent value).

It would also be interesting for fans to state what their expectations for SG performance would be?

OK I'm happy to start replies with a question. Does a club of our size need a full time CEO ? 

Personally would like someone who has better communication skills and local contacts and someone who recognises the value of fans 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

16 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Does a club of our size need a full time CEO ?

If they were in the Premiership - yes.

If they had ambitions to reach the Premiership - quite possibly.

In our current situation - that's a difficult question!  I might still say yes, with an appropriate salary, a review of other staff positions, and provided they and the others were happy to do things like pick up a paintbrush when necessary.

[caley1]

3 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

While I get peoples dislike for SG being at the club (and I am no fanboy either), statements like this keep being made. However, nobody ever substantiates it with the costs involved or define the club performance metrics set out by the board and whether he has delivered or otherwise (and if this is considered to represent value).

It would also be interesting for fans to state what their expectations for SG performance would be?

Well firstly it’s usually to generate more money than you’re taking out of the club on wages . It’s clearly been disaster after disaster and looking like much more on the horizon . 

[Satan]

57 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

OK I'm happy to start replies with a question. Does a club of our size need a full time CEO ? 

Personally would like someone who has better communication skills and local contacts and someone who recognises the value of fans 

Needs someone to run it, usually a chairman looks after most of the day to day - when he's locally based and has the knowledge of running a club to go with that.

Unfortunately Morrison isn't and doesn't - which is why we have the CEO position. 

[old caley girl]

18 minutes ago, Satan said:

Needs someone to run it, usually a chairman looks after most of the day to day - when he's locally based and has the knowledge of running a club to go with that.

Unfortunately Morrison isn't and doesn't - which is why we have the CEO position. 

Yes that's part of the issue tbf. However I think a PT CEO would be adequate for us given where we are 

[RiG]

39 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Yes that's part of the issue tbf. However I think a PT CEO would be adequate for us given where we are 

I nominate @RedCard...

[caley1]

48 minutes ago, RiG said:

I nominate @RedCard...

A CEO that could actually do the job would help . Too much self interest in the present one . And he wonders why he is so unpopular  

[Scotty]

1 hour ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

If they were in the Premiership - yes.

If they had ambitions to reach the Premiership - quite possibly.

In our current situation - that's a difficult question!  I might still say yes, with an appropriate salary, a review of other staff positions, and provided they and the others were happy to do things like pick up a paintbrush when necessary.

Would not argue with the first bit.  Definitely needed in the Premiership but once elsewhere in the league structure then it's debatable IMHO.

For me it's all about added value. I have no idea what the current wage is, but if we have a CEO who for sake of argument is costing £100K in wages and generating additional extra costs in hotel bills or car hire or anything else because he/she is not locally based, then a cost/benefit analysis is warranted. If that person brings in more than their cost and can help others to work more efficiently, and therefore more cost effectively, promote the club in a positive light and engage with fans, then that to me justifies the position regardless of what we might think of the person. If, however, the plans to generate sustainable revenue never materialise, or they alienate others in the organisation due to autocratic methods, cause lower efficiency because of this, ignore local and fan relationships that took nigh on 30 years to develop and establish, and make no overt contribution to the bottom line then its a no-brainer! We don't need the latter.  

I have my own opinion on this regarding our current CEO, but I can't back that up with hard data showing which camp he falls in. I want him to be in the first one because that would be a revenue generating situation and god knows we need that right now, but with high profile failures like the concert and the ongoing saga of the battery farm, and numerous examples of lack of engagement with individual fans or groups, my fear is that is not the case.   

 

58 minutes ago, Satan said:

Needs someone to run it, usually a chairman looks after most of the day to day - when he's locally based and has the knowledge of running a club to go with that.

Unfortunately Morrison isn't and doesn't - which is why we have the CEO position. 

We have had only 3 official CEOs I believe. MS, YC, and SG. That speaks volumes if we look at their records and fan opinion on each of their tenures. 

Prior to that we had a team manager and a stadium manager reporting to the board. John Sutherland may not have had the title but was a defacto CEO in my opinion, and was the epitome of what was needed at the time. I have no idea about his leadership style, but he ran the stadium, managed the staff, also did security and other matchday duties so wore many hats over the course of a typical week. Hospitality was left to those who could sell it, similarly with marketing, and other areas. There are also plenty of other people around the club who do, or have, worn many hats over the years - mostly successfully, with only the odd exception.  Even though some of the faces change from time to time, we have always had a core of good people.

 

58 minutes ago, Satan said:

Needs someone to run it, usually a chairman looks after most of the day to day - when he's locally based and has the knowledge of running a club to go with that.

Unfortunately Morrison isn't and doesn't - which is why we have the CEO position. 

 

We have been lucky in the past with directors or chairmen being local and putting in - in some cases - more hours at ICT than they did in their own companies. If we have competent businesspeople on our board, then should the unthinkable happen and we drop to the 3rd tier, I personally would be hoping some of them would step up to get us back on track organisationally, thus reducing the need for some senior personnel who may be drawing a wage we simply can't afford now and definitely not in the lower tier. We will still need the day-to-day staff that make the place tick over and do so much of the heavy lifting, but we may not need a CEO or any other 'executive' roles.

If the existing staff don't have capacity to take on additional duties if we were to drop down, then supplement (not replace - that would be foolish) the existing day-to-day staff with volunteers as we did in past. However, for that, you do have to communicate, engage, build trust, and not look down your nose at them as if you stepped in horse***t or are suspicious as to why they volunteered. 

 

 

 

[The Mantis]

8 hours ago, alwaysblue said:

 

Agreed -I don't think they can afford to do any cut price offers.

Any info/help re parking /pub around New Douglas park tonight 

 

I’ve parked at Hamilton West station a few times. No restrictions there and usually a few spaces outside commuting hours. Been in at least 2 pubs but they weren’t remotely memorable

Edited May 15 by The Mantis

[jed5697]

Let’s hope for a good performance and result tonight to keep the tie alive for Saturday.  May the force be with you

[FrontRow]

1 hour ago, Scotty said:

Would not argue with the first bit.  Definitely needed in the Premiership but once elsewhere in the league structure then it's debatable IMHO.

For me it's all about added value. I have no idea what the current wage is, but if we have a CEO who for sake of argument is costing £100K in wages and generating additional extra costs in hotel bills or car hire or anything else because he/she is not locally based, then a cost/benefit analysis is warranted. If that person brings in more than their cost and can help others to work more efficiently, and therefore more cost effectively, promote the club in a positive light and engage with fans, then that to me justifies the position regardless of what we might think of the person. If, however, the plans to generate sustainable revenue never materialise, or they alienate others in the organisation due to autocratic methods, cause lower efficiency because of this, ignore local and fan relationships that took nigh on 30 years to develop and establish, and make no overt contribution to the bottom line then its a no-brainer! We don't need the latter.  

I have my own opinion on this regarding our current CEO, but I can't back that up with hard data showing which camp he falls in. I want him to be in the first one because that would be a revenue generating situation and god knows we need that right now, but with high profile failures like the concert and the ongoing saga of the battery farm, and numerous examples of lack of engagement with individual fans or groups, my fear is that is not the case.   

 

We have had only 3 official CEOs I believe. MS, YC, and SG. That speaks volumes if we look at their records and fan opinion on each of their tenures. 

Prior to that we had a team manager and a stadium manager reporting to the board. John Sutherland may not have had the title but was a defacto CEO in my opinion, and was the epitome of what was needed at the time. I have no idea about his leadership style, but he ran the stadium, managed the staff, also did security and other matchday duties so wore many hats over the course of a typical week. Hospitality was left to those who could sell it, similarly with marketing, and other areas. There are also plenty of other people around the club who do, or have, worn many hats over the years - mostly successfully, with only the odd exception.  Even though some of the faces change from time to time, we have always had a core of good people.

 

 

We have been lucky in the past with directors or chairmen being local and putting in - in some cases - more hours at ICT than they did in their own companies. If we have competent businesspeople on our board, then should the unthinkable happen and we drop to the 3rd tier, I personally would be hoping some of them would step up to get us back on track organisationally, thus reducing the need for some senior personnel who may be drawing a wage we simply can't afford now and definitely not in the lower tier. We will still need the day-to-day staff that make the place tick over and do so much of the heavy lifting, but we may not need a CEO or any other 'executive' roles.

If the existing staff don't have capacity to take on additional duties if we were to drop down, then supplement (not replace - that would be foolish) the existing day-to-day staff with volunteers as we did in past. However, for that, you do have to communicate, engage, build trust, and not look down your nose at them as if you stepped in horse***t or are suspicious as to why they volunteered. 

 

 

 

Excellent post. Couldn’t agree more. We need a club that truly understands who we are, where we are and where we want to be - maybe that doesn’t mean playing in the Top Tier. It might mean developing a set up that harnesses the youth in the area and gives them a platform. Suppose it depends on what you believe the clubs identity is. 

[hislopsoffsideagain]

Feels like this tie is a Sliding Doors moment for the club. Win it and there is hope that, with a decent summer's recruitment and resolution of the club's financial crisis, we might start heading in the right direction again.

 

The potential consequences of losing don't bear thinking about. I don't see us bouncing back quickly like Dunfermline or Partick did after recent relegations, and I can't see us surviving several years in League One like Falkirk have.