Aaron Doran

[hislopsoffsideagain]

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/it-is-only-right-that-people-know-the-truth-caley-thistl-316520/

 

Flashback to a year ago, when Shane Sutherland complained about the manner of his release and the club made a big song and dance about how they not only offered players formal meetings to discuss their release (if they had been at the club for 2 or more years) but also that they required to by employment law; there was even a SPFL template letter to use.

 

So, how are they doing with fulfilling this requirement this time around?

[RiG]

Who would honestly believe a word that comes from the club at the minute? I certainly don't and the only time they pipe up is to demand cash. 

If folk are happy with the statement the other day and are now content to part with their cash good on them but I won't be giving them anything. I am appalled at the way they have treated players and fans for a significant period of time. They deserve nothing but contempt in my view.

[CaleyCiuin]

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

I’m not sure I would go as far as to say they should ALL be replaced because I’m sure there must be some good directors amongst them, but it’s hard to tell from the outside. Otherwise I agree with your point and have alluded to this many times.
 

There is plenty of criticism that is deservedly thrown at Gardiner and for various reasons he needs to go, but I thought it all turned into a rather distasteful witch-hunt at times, with him being the scapegoat for all the club’s woes when in reality he is just an employee and responsibility for all the clubs failures and bad decisions resides with the board of directors. Fans are much keener to blame it all on the ‘outsider’ than on a board full of ICT fans.

The entire board voted for Kelty, all are culpable for the poor decisions over the season. They were only shocked into overturning their poor decision when fans voiced their anger. All need to be replaced by those who will make decisions within the reality of the type of club we are. I hope those types are out there biding their time!!!

[EvilWhiteStripe]

It's great that Aaron has had his surgery, but looking at the comments from other professional football players on his post tells you all you need to know. The reputational damage that has been done is going to take years to overcome.

[Scotty]

1 hour ago, EvilWhiteStripe said:

It's great that Aaron has had his surgery, but looking at the comments from other professional football players on his post tells you all you need to know. The reputational damage that has been done is going to take years to overcome.

Yes. players talk and word gets around. We are now a cancer amongst players until we get our house in order. 

[Charles Bannerman]

4 hours ago, Scotty said:

Yes. players talk and word gets around. We are now a cancer amongst players until we get our house in order. 

That and a lot more, I fear. Firstly, as regards the dreadful way Aaron has been treated, receiving the P45 by email is probably the least of the issues if this is now the normal way of delivering that document. Of far more concern is the completely disrespectful treatment of a player who, as far as I can recollect, is the club’s second longest serving ever after Ross Tokely. Surely anyone with the tiniest sense of decency would have had a face to face meeting with Aaron and if no contract extension was likely, he should have been sincerely and very publicly thanked for his considerable services. The complete set of circumstances there beggar belief and indeed there must be a big concern that this will be a further disincentive to potential future signings.

But what about other areas that this - and indeed the multiplicity of other PR own goals afflicting the club - are bound to affect adversely? For instance, given what the club’s reputation has now descended to, how many businesses are likely, as sponsors and advertisers, to want to have their names associated with what the ICT brand has now become…. especially when there are three other senior clubs within 15 miles of Inverness? Similarly, how many parents might feel deterred from sending their kids to ICT when there are these other, more wholesome looking clubs also in the market for young players?
Supporters? For people new to the area looking for a club to go and watch, how attractive is a club that tried to abandon Inverness, is on the point of bankruptcy treats its employees with disdain and says nothing? And even existing ICT supporters - how many of them now feel inclined to go elsewhere?

The club’s financial crisis has been existential enough, but to what extent has its future also been mortally wounded by extreme public relations gaffes and a seriously self-tarnished image?

[CaleyHedgehog]

Although the situation has arisen from a very dark place, being able to contribute in a small way towards providing Aaron with the operation that he needed, has helped me, and hopefully others too, to believe that we are just as good (if not better) than many fans of other clubs around Scotland. Thanks to Shane for giving us a chance to feel good about ourselves.

Never for a minute be fooled into thinking that we, the fans, are in any way responsible for the state our club is now in.

We all know where the blame lies.

[Yngwie]

The BBC page is now running a story based on Doran’s comments. Yet more bad publicity for us.

The only hope is that this, along with all the other bad stuff recently, was a failure of the discredited, outgoing regime and that when the rescue deal completes we will see a transformation in the way the club communicates with players and fans.

[ClickbaitProponent]

Aaron getting his P45 by email all leads back to Gardiner. I said it when he resigned and I will reiterate it now - every moment he remains in the club further damage is being done. I was going to buy a new shirt, I'm still waiting to decide if I can be arsed with a season ticket, but I am not going to now. Until Gardiner is completely out of the club I will not support the club. I am actually embarrassed, and I don't use that word lightly, embarrassed to call myself an ICT supporter. I wonder how many more feel this way? If anyone is reading this from the Board, GET RID OF GARDINER NOW!

[ClickbaitProponent]

On 6/12/2024 at 1:05 PM, Scotty said:

Lots of talk of being embarrassed at being an #ICTFC fan on other threads but it is things like this that still make me proud to be one.

We rose as a COMMUNITY of fans, current and former team-mates, club staff (past and present), families of all of the above, and, it has to be said, also several football journalists to donate to this cause initiated by a former team-mate who himself went through injury hell and didn't get the support he needed and should have received from the club. £7K in less than 24 hours is great. Aaron will get his op and whether or not he plays football again, he should at least be able to play with his kids, which the article said he couldn't even do right now. That's the least he should expect after almost a decade and a half of loyal service. Look at the list of names in there and you will see many folks whose names you recognise but you may also notice - unless donating anonymously - the glaring lack of any names you might hope had developed a conscience and personally donated to the cause even if the club couldn't or wouldn't. 

I AM proud to be an ICT supporter because it means i can stand with and mingle with people like our supporters and others in our team's COMMUNITY. The ineptitude, inefficiency and seemingly utter disregard for our club from those who should be speaking now will not deter me from that. THEY are not the club. WE are the club, whether we have been here for 30 minutes or 30 years. 

 

 

Given Aaron getting his P45 by email - this hasn't aged well. All of us should be EMBARRASSED - We all need to get vocal and let it be known that the club will not get any support at games until Gardiner is banned from entering the stadium and he MUST be gone all together. Why keep him around when he keeps damaging what little credibility the club has left? I for one, will not support this club again until he has gone completely. 

[ClickbaitProponent]

On 6/21/2024 at 8:24 AM, lizi said:

I never thought the day would come when I would be ashamed of ICT, but I AM so ashamed.    And, we all know who looks at fans, and now players, like they are dirt under his shoes.  The man is an evil blot on our Club history and I, for one, will never forgive him.  If I could I would spit in his eye, I am so furious with him. 

I feel the same Lizi. I am so embarrassed. I will not don a shirt or even look out for a result until he is gone. I, at this moment in time, no longer support this club. I would rather lend my support to Clach. Once Gardiner is gone things may change but I will need to see it happening before they get a single penny from me. I used to do a 1000 mile round trip for home games, I wouldn't cross the street for the club at the moment. Question is: How much more do we have to endure?

[Duke of Inverness]

I'm feeling done with ICT also at present. Terribly sad that, but it's the truth.

The 'Board' sending the fans to Coventry is how it feels, on top of RM and SG having previously done this. 

As such, this isn't the first time 'our club' has mistreated fans. 30 years ago the 'merger' was handled poorly and was really just a steam rollering of Thistle by Caley 'blazers', in my and many others opinion. 

Seems like ICT will always leave a bad taste in the mouth of fans and locals to some extent. 

Edited Saturday at 11:05 AM by Duke of Inverness

[STFU]

It's beyond embarrassing and is now at the stage of being humiliating and degrading.

Even the hope and faith of the most blindly loyal fans seems to be disappearing.

[Scotty]

3 hours ago, ClickbaitProponent said:

Given Aaron getting his P45 by email - this hasn't aged well. All of us should be EMBARRASSED - We all need to get vocal and let it be known that the club will not get any support at games until Gardiner is banned from entering the stadium and he MUST be gone all together. Why keep him around when he keeps damaging what little credibility the club has left? I for one, will not support this club again until he has gone completely. 

Just when you think those running the club can't sink any lower, they do manage to find new depths to go. Regardless of that, I am still an ICT supporter, proud or otherwise.

On the one hand I am beyond Derek Adams level seething with our current board and the CEO who are NOT ICT, or certainly not the ICT I want to be associated with. These people will be held accountable for their actions (or inactions) and history will quite correctly not be kind to them. BUT ... WE are ICT. The players, the fans, the city and I still say I am proud to be ICT when I stand next to all of those people who DO make me proud. These are the people who contributed to Aaron's fund, just like most here, or who have been outraged at the treatment meted out to him and others, who have raised questions about our missing manager or who have shown passion and eloquence on the podcast. Every one of us is ICT and that's the ICT community I am proud of still. 

I am extremely transparent in my thoughts on our current board, elected to, but doing a piss poor job of stewarding our club. I would not and will not raise my hand, in person or via proxy, at any future shareholders meeting to re-elect any of them. With each passing day, and each new comment, it becomes harder in my own mind to accept even those who I thought I would be comfortable with remaining... Also, in another thread where I said we would restart sponsorship, I said it would not happen until the CEO has departed. Rumours online that this could be up to another 6 months... so that would mean we don't do it for 6 months. Its not rocket science, its simple. No effort to commit to any financial obligation, be that sponsorship, merchandise, or anything else until the keys are handed back and the door has closed on him for the last time. In my opinion, he is not to blame for every single thing that ails the club but is one of several lightning rods that need addressed. I would also - as a shareholder - like to know what the notice period for our CEO is as it is clearly a factor in people holding back personal or group investment in the club.  I also have fears about the lack of accounts being posted which in some ways worry me more ... is this the sting in the tail just before the season begins? 

So to reiterate and confirm my last post: I AM proud to be an ICT supporter because it means i can stand with and mingle with people like our supporters and others in our team's COMMUNITY. The ineptitude, inefficiency and seemingly utter disregard for our club from those who should be speaking now will not deter me from that. THEY are not the club. WE are the club, whether we have been here for 30 minutes or 30 years. 

[Polo Chick]

7 hours ago, ClickbaitProponent said:

I feel the same Lizi. I am so embarrassed. I will not don a shirt or even look out for a result until he is gone. I, at this moment in time, no longer support this club. I would rather lend my support to Clach. Once Gardiner is gone things may change but I will need to see it happening before they get a single penny from me. I used to do a 1000 mile round trip for home games, I wouldn't cross the street for the club at the moment. Question is: How much more do we have to endure?

Agree with everything you say there but where is the Manager in all this ? No loyalty to his player there i am still hoping he walks as the thought of another season of that football fills me with dread 

[CaleyCiuin]

37 minutes ago, Polo Chick said:

Agree with everything you say there but where is the Manager in all this ? No loyalty to his player there i am still hoping he walks as the thought of another season of that football fills me with dread 

Totally agree with your post. Isn’t the Manager supposed to manage ????? Given the money he was and is on, the absolute minimum you would expect. He is NOT the right manager for this Club.!!!!

[Robert]

Great to see the STV News interviewing Aaron and covering the situation he has found himself in.

A true professional who spoke very well about the circumstances and how badly he’s been let down. He also highlighted the lack of communication with fans and why would anyone buy anything given the silence from the club.