Bainsfordbairn

Yep, because excluding apprentices we'll have four players who'll be under contract after the end of next season. Ross MacIver, Aidan Nesbit, Alfie Agyeman and Jordan Allan. Four players out of a squad which will probably be around 20. A fifth of the squad is indeed a good number of players.

Always surprised me that Nisbet took so long to make a breakthrough. Connor Park and I used to cover all the U20 games and every year we'd watch him play against our kids, run them ragged and yet he couldn't get near the Partick first team. His talent was obvious in every game I saw him play against us.

I honestly have no idea what's happening with him or the other two who were announced as having options for a second year. If I had I wouldn't be able to comment. I don't think he's gone - if he were the club would have said so - but my guess is that they're all weighing up their options before deciding what to do next. A example of that was John Baird. He was entitled to another year at Falkirk, because he'd met the number of appearances that triggered an extension offer. On 22nd June 2017 Inverness announced that he'd chosen to sign for them. So depending on whether an offer has an expiry date, you could be waiting a while yet before you get your answer.

I liked Todorov last time he was here and thought he should have had far more gametime than he was given. However, with a reduced squad size next year I suspect we'll run with three strikers and now have them all in place. Wright and Burrell out, Agyeman and McIver in to replace them. Unless AA is seen as a winger to replace Kennedy in which case we might get one more.

Zak Rudden? Jordan McGhee, Tommy Robson, Reghan Tumilty, Andrew Nelson, Davis Keilor-Dunne, Aidan Connolly, Alex Jakubiak, Louis Longridge, Declan McManus, Anton Dowds, & Aidan Keena . We've had good players, many of whom have done well at a higher level after leaving us. The problem is that we've surrounded them with too many failures who dragged them down.

We ended the season with 30 players, albeit 3 of them were on amateur contracts and 1 was an apprentice.

I have an awards ceremony coming up shortly for the senior women and their development team. I'm always sober at the main club Inchyra ones, but the venue for this is a little closer to home so I might just get pished with the girls. Me, a few coaches and forty young women. What could possibly go wrong? That's kind of my focus just now, hence why I shan't comment on anything else.

Last year we finished the season with thirty signed players, albeit the three young lads were on amateur contracts and we had one apprentice. Six were out on loan and unwanted as five were released at the end of the year. I think it's a given that the squad size will be smaller next year. Probably around 20 not including the apprentices.

I spoke to the BOD member who normally writes the statements at the youth signings last night. He's as deflated as the rest of us. Other than confirming the obvious - John McGlynn is staying - I'm not sure what difference a statement would make. I'm sure we'll get one in the coming weeks as a rallying call, but nothing the club could say will change how we all feel right now. We need the team to do the talking. On the park. Nothing else matters.

From what I can see, that appears to be the case. The website article infers that most of the money to sign those four came from two commercial activities so presumably it has no impact on the first team budget. I spoke to Tony Begg last night and he said he'll be taking the team, so there's no additional coaching costs involved. I'm guessing if he needs support staff for Tuesday matchdays like a physio or assistant then existing academy people will help out. One other benefit that hasn't been mentioned is first team fringe players. Paul Watson did an interview at the end of the season on FFCTV in which he expressed his frustration at not being able to recover match sharpness because there were no games for him to play in. I think there were about five closed-door friendlies over the course of the season and none in the last couple of months. The reserve team will play around 20 games next season, so there will be more opportunities for first teamers not involved on a Saturday to get gametime. Everything appears to be positive. Oh, and I've watched a lot of youth games involving the four players. They're all decent and have a chance of making it.

No, it won't be launched until the first team return so probably the second last week in June. I think the training wear goes live on 1st June as the Puma deal expires 31st May.

They're on modern apprenticeships and while I don't know what that pays I don't imagine it's far away from the minimum wage. What we're spending compared to what we might get back in terms of first team appearances or transfer fees makes the whole thing a no-brainer IMO.

Oliver was announced as a year with a years option. It depends on the specifics of what that option was. In the past the club or player had to achieve a certain threshold to trigger a second year, such as winning promotion, staying up or playing in a certain number of games. That threshold may have already been passed leaving the club with no choice. On the other hand, while the player may be entitled to a second year that doesn't mean they'll want to stay. I'm sure John Baird was one such example when he was entitled to another year but chose to move to Inverness instead.

We have three centre-halfs under contract for next season in McKay, Donaldson & Henderson plus Mackie who can play there too. And we'll have a development team with centre-halfs who can provide cover. For those reasons I'd be astonished if PW was offered a new deal.

None. Re the timings issue, I have no idea why he came in today. However, clubs normally want things done ASAP after a target agrees to join as it reduces the chances of them being gazumped. In that regard, the first week after he's played his final game for Kelty seems logical.

Technically he's not signed yet - that can't happen until the transfer window officially opens in June. That's the reason there is no quote from the manager, or other pics, or the usual graphic with "our new signing" at the bottom. I was in the office when they were discussing how to do the announcement.

I had a look through my stock of old pics. According to the "File Info" tab on photoshop, I took this image on 1st August 2009. The top is at the same location it occupies today, which is on the back wall of the corridor between the two changing rooms which lead to the tunnel. I couldn't say where it was between 2005 and 2009 so it's possible it was indeed moved. The club still hold a remembrance service every year on the anniversary of his passing so he hasn't been forgotten. Normally these are conducted by Mike Pirie in the tunnel area, though I remember at least one preseason tour in which Peter Houston spoke to the squad and made sure they had a minutes silence for Craig Gowans. I think we were in Ireland that year.

It wasn't flippant; it was just an attempt to illustrate a process that used to exist when I was working. (The departing employee left a "how to / guidance notes / bible" on his job for the next incumbent.) I apologise if it came across otherwise. My guess is that with the high turnover of football staff in recent years, some important aspects of the clubs background haven't been passed on.

Sorry, but that's not true. He's in charge of the groundstaff and stadium operations. His role covers things like maintenance, security, match safety, liaison with FCSL etc, etc. He has no input whatsoever into football matters. Now that it's been highlighted on here I'm sure it will be fixed and added to the "important things to know about the job" manual for the next football ops guy and / or kitman.

Got you. I suspect the answer is that although the intention was that the number would be retired, there is no-one left at the club who was there 18 years ago. Although the directors would all have been fans back in those days, I doubt many of them would have realised the significance of the number, or been consulted when it was issued. And yes Logan Sinclair plays centre half.

Probably just sequential numbering. When the the U18s play at their own level they don't have squad numbers but I'd assume that if they're included as part of a senior squad they have to to be to be allocated a unique number for the season. 27 is Kyle Connolly. 28 is Pearse Carroll. 29 is Finlay Malcolm. Shay Burke wore 30 when he was included in the squad against Alloa. 31 was Nicky Hogarth. Liam Hall (U18s) wore 32 when he was included in the squad against Alloa. Leon McMurray (U18s) wore 33 when he was included in the squad against Alloa. Not sure who has 34 and 35 but I assume one will be U18 goalie Owen Hayward who you see most weeks warming up with Bobby Geddes / PJ / Kinnear before first team games. Yesterday 36 was Logan Sinclair and 37 Max McGinley.

I know. Long overdue too. There are twelve bulbs in each pylon on the East side of the stadium. Six currently work in one pylon and seven in another.

IMO Maybs should not have been sacked along with Houston and McDonaugh. He was in charge of the youth teams only and was doing a good job with them.

Both teams have to give the same access to the media; we had them in on Tuesday. Not sure when ICT were done. I haven't read any of the press stuff but I'm guessing they've decided to focus on us because "plucky underdogs" makes for a better story. Hopefully we can give them a different story by Saturday night.

It was restarted in August 2021 and one of the then U16 players, Pearse Carroll, signed a modern apprenticeship as a professional player in the summer. A couple of the others in Scott Honeyman and Kyle Connolly are also at the club and are currently on loan to a Lowland League team. We have three teams at U16, U17 and U18 level. There is currently nothing for the players after they get too old for the 18s but the aim is to offer more apprenticeships in the summer. Those players will then play in a new development squad, which will be made up of former U18 players bolstered by first teamers who're not getting gametime on a Saturday. I think they'll play midweek in some sort of development / reserve league, just as the old U20s did before we closed that team after relegation. Eventually the plan is to return to something similar to what we had before the closure of Forth Valley Football Academy, with teams down to younger age levels. I watch the academy kids if they play either midweek nights or at home on Sundays immediately before or after the womens team. There are a number of prospects but none are close to first team level. Yet. The new development squad will presumably help with that.