ICT PHYGITAL: A 2024-25 SEASON PREVIEW

The league season we feared ICT might never see is nearly upon us, we still have a club, and things are still… interesting. Moff, Stevie, Sandy, AY, Lee and the P&J’s Paul ‘Chalky’ Chalk convene to discuss what the season might hold for the club on and off the pitch, and whether the future really is phygital. Let’s shuffle!

00:00:59 – Welcome. Moff introduces the panellists, hears about their incredibly boring lives, then gives a brief summary of the incredibly bizarre life of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC since May, which leads neatly into a discussion of…

00:05:14 – New Investment. The panellists go over what we know so far (not much!) about the club’s potential new owner, Ketan Makwana of Seventy7 Ventures, and consider some of the many, many questions his proposed investment raises.

00:31:24 – League Cup Group Games / Current Squad. After a brief overview of the recent games against Annan, Bonnyrigg Rose, Arbroath and Dundee, we discuss the players who look like being key to our season, with particular focus on some of the academy players who have graduated to the first team.

00:43:48 – Talk to Me: Ryan Esson. In an extract from a longer interview, the recently-departed under-18 coach and Scottish Cup-winning goalkeeper talks to Stevie about the club’s crop of young players.

00:52:54 – Areas for improvement. Concluding the discussion of the current squad, the panellists identify the areas in most need of strengthening.

00:55:28 – The Big Goodbye. We remember those players we have lost. And there’s a lot of them.

01:03:31 – Talk to Me: Aaron Doran. Stevie’s lengthy interview with Aaron will be released as a stand-alone podcast some time in the future, but in this extract he describes his final days at the club, his disappointment at the shoddy way he was treated by those in charge, and his debt of gratitude to the fans and his ex-colleagues.

01:18:20 – The Manager. A very brief discussion of Duncan Ferguson and whether there have been any signs of improvement in his tactics and his management in the first weeks of this season.

01:23:17 – The Opposition: Who’s Who in League One. We run the rule over Alloa, Annan, Arbroath, Cove Rangers, Dumbarton, Kelty, Montrose, Queen of the South and Stenhousemuir, then give some predictions for final placings. This segues into…

01:43:51 – Opening Fixtures. A quick chat about our first four league games, against Dumbarton at home, Annan away, Montrose at home and Kelty away.

01:45:47 – The Immortal Howden Ender: Johndo Mackenzie. We remember one of the most devoted, most recognisable and most beloved characters in the ICT support. RIP, Johndo.