Unarguably the best achievement in football?

[CaleyTennis85]

As the title suggests, ICT surviving after a 15pt deduction is unarguably the greatest of great escapes ever seen in the history of football .  I'm going to argue with anyone (mostly of other clubs fans) that disputes that .

I can't even think of any other great escapes that could rival this one!!

In fact I can't even think of many achievements that can rival this greatest escape, perhaps winning the Scottish Cup, Greece winning 2004 Euros or Leicester winning PL.

I was out yesterday and certainly enjoyed my night, I even won at pool against a pal (2 matches to 1) and afterwards he suggested going to one or 2 of the Derbies against Peterhead as he knows how big a fan I am , we are talking of going hospitality then perhaps spending a night out in the city for a few drinks .

I'm really looking forward to going back because it's been ages since I was last at a game due to circumstances such as work commitments.

 

[IBM]

I don't think it's our best achievement in our history but great none the less, a great day yesterday!

[Charles Bannerman]

A great day, but in terms of Great Escapes I think we need to look across the bridge to County coming back from the dead v Partick a couple of years ago.

[Scotty]

21 hours ago, CaleyTennis85 said:

ICT surviving after a 15pt deduction is unarguably the greatest of great escapes ever seen in the history of football

It is a tremendous achievement but not sure about it being one of the greatest escapes. Its certainly significant for us so we will perhaps view it that way .... Credit absolutely has to go to Kells and the lads though. He has done a sterling job, with a depleted squad and would have finished 2nd had it not been for the 15 point penalty, and the handicap of the efforts of the previous manager to take us down without the need for a points deduction. 

 

A quick google search reveals ...

• -15: Leeds United: Leeds started their 2007-08 League One campaign with -15 points after failing to comply with rules on insolvency but they still finished in the play-off places.
   
• -17: Bournemouth: A year on and the Cherries were hit with a similarly huge points deduction for the second consecutive season. This time it was to the tune of 17 because they were still in administration, but, miraculously, Eddie Howe kept them in League Two after taking the job in the middle of the season.
   
• -17: Rotherham: The Yorkshire outfit were handed the same punishment as Bournemouth in League Two but they too stayed up, with Mark Robins leading them to 14th.

and then there is also Stevenage in 2019/2020 who stayed up due to COVID and other insolvency events with other clubs. Not strictly the same as recovering from points penalties, but similar. https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/stevenage-fc-relegation-escape-english-football-3361957

 

Important part is to (re-)build a solid foundation of fiscal responsibility and sustainability on the back of this. As Bryan Jackson noted on the podcast recently, we need to manage/modify our aspirations so that we can live within our means. pound in / pound out I think was the phrase used. 

 

 

[Yngwie]

Leicester City were bottom of the EPL and 7 points from safety with 9 games to go. They got 7 wins and a draw! So they stayed up, and then won the league the next season. Fairy tale stuff.

[ICTPaisley]

I much prefer clawing back 14 (ish) points from December against Dundee to eventually win the league by 12 points. 

[+old caley girl]

15 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

A great day, but in terms of Great Escapes I think we need to look across the bridge to County coming back from the dead v Partick a couple of years ago.

Oranges v apples though? That was one off. This great escape started in October 

[+old caley girl]

11 hours ago, ICTPaisley said:

I much prefer clawing back 14 (ish) points from December against Dundee to eventually win the league by 12 points. 

That was definitely much more fun lol 

[Charles Bannerman]

3 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Oranges v apples though? That was one off. This great escape started in October 

It depends on what kind of Great Escape you want to include - the entire Tom, Dick and Harry project or Steve MacQueen trying to get the motorbike over the barbed wire.

County 3-0 down with 20 minutes to go is a desperate situation to be in, but I might actually give the crown to ICT existing at all. Interviewing Jock McDonald on the lawn at the Glenmoriston 24 hours before the first friendly v St Mirren is just one of several “we’re doomed!” moments in that saga!

[ictchris]

When Dundee went into admin in 2010 they were deducted 25 points and were bottom of the then First Division by twenty points.  They managed to finish sixth after going on a 23 game unbeaten run, including winning eleven of their twelve games after the deduction.

[Scotty]

17 hours ago, ictchris said:

When Dundee went into admin in 2010 they were deducted 25 points and were bottom of the then First Division by twenty points.  They managed to finish sixth after going on a 23 game unbeaten run, including winning eleven of their twelve games after the deduction.

Yup - that one will do it for me. That was incredible.  Administrator in that case of course was one Bryan Jackson, who was on the recent podcast talking about, well, Administration!