Forfinn

It's been an interesting close-season so far. Very much a mixed bag. A few key points stand out: 19/20 season ticket refunds: I don't imagine many people would have taken them up on the offer, but no consideration for those who have paid for a product they didn't get seems like a mis-step. Furlough: The decision not to temporarily extend the contracts of out-of-contract players is one I personally disagree with. Roy appears to have had advice stating it would be dishonest, but according to PFA Scotland, two thirds of clubs evidently disagreed. Worth remembering the next time we claim to be "more than a football club". COVID-19 response: It was really good to see the club stealing a march on this along with Celtic by getting in the testing kit early. Being organised on that side of things makes us look good, but more importantly, helps give the team the best opportunity to start the new season prepared. New signings: I have mixed feelings on the signings so far, but given the likely fixture congestion we'll face next season and risk of losing players to self-isolation, depth (if not necessarily strength in depth) will be hugely important. Staggies Army: I was happy to contribute my £10 a month when it launched, recognising it as nothing more than an opportunity to inject funds in to the club while other avenues have dried up. It's not compulsory, and if you're worried about spending too much money on the club, simply cancel your direct debit. 20/21 season tickets: Oh, boy. Where to start with this? Releasing season tickets at the same price as last season is a legitimate position, but that initial statement was all wrong. It's all about how you pitch these things, and the failure to anticipate the raft of unanswered follow-up questions was extremely poor. Since then they have released not just one, but two letters clearly stating that streaming for both home and away matches will be included as part of the season ticket package. They've confirmed that's not the case via email to people who have queried it in between the two letters, but there's been no proactive communication to people who might just have taken the letters at face value. Streaming: More generally, there's a lot of conflicting information about how streaming will work next season. Iain Blair from the SPFL was on the radio at the weekend saying it'll be available as long as restrictions on attendance continue, and that home games selected by Sky will not be streamed by clubs. Some clubs have talked about all home games being available, as long as restrictions continue. County have confirmed via email to me it is all home games, for all the season regardless of restrictions on attendance. My big fear would be shelling out for a season ticket on the expectation I'll be able to stream every home game, but then - as unlikely as this may be - we get back to normal attendances in the new year and the streaming service stops. I live in Edinburgh, and in the circumstances, I'm unlikely to make any home games even if fans are allowed back in. We also don't have any information on how much PPV games will cost. There's too much uncertainty for me, so I'll be holding off making any commitments until things are clearer.

The McEwan Fraser deal was announced as a 2 year deal 2 years ago. In the circumstances, I can see why they might be re-prioritising their resources. RSE have historic Global links, and their deal is pointedly in relation to Ross County's charitable work, so clearly more to it than an attempt to sell more Ross-shire engineers, or whatever it is they do.

We used to go the Brass & Granite but it was average at best. We tried Macks by chance a few years ago. It's cheap, friendly, has a decent jukebox and free pool. They even put on soup and sandwiches for us. Much better than the B&G ever was. As for the game, I'd have been happy with a 0-0 before the game, and I was happy with it after.

I'm sure everyone who uses Pie and Bovril is perfectly normal 👀

In case there’s any exiled Staggies out there interested in getting involved.

I've played on both Accies and Livi's pitches. They're fine.

It was top trolling. Disappointing it's resulted in an apology after all the tears and snotters. You've got to have a sense of humour about these things. That said, forcing the perpetrator to wear an ICT shirt is quite funny.

I imagine Ridgers would jump at the chance to play for a team who will give him a pair of socks that are the same colour as the rest of his kit.

The issue with loaning, in particular, a goalkeeper from Celtic is you go in to at least 3 games against them playing your rusty back-up instead. I'd have been perfectly happy going in to next season with Fox between the sticks, but as others have suggested, I'm disappointed rather than devastated. It should be possible to find someone on a similar level, if not better, to replace him.

They don't go on general sale until next month? You can buy new tickets at the moment, I think. However, it's not correct to say the Jailend has sold out because not every existing season ticket holder will have renewed yet. They've got until 7 June to do that.

As SH has pointed out, not sure about "foray" in this context. The last season was obviously a disaster, of course. Beyond the rumours about Chalmers, and Donaldson in particular, there hasn't really been any word on signings for next season. There's a good core group there, but we undoubtedly need upgrades in some positions. Experienced top six players will come at a premium, so looking at cheaper, proven Championship players with the ability to step up is a good way to go. And getting guys who are already happy in the area is a no brainer - especially if, as rumoured, ICT are in no position to turn down relatively modest bids. I certainly don't think we'll see the multitude of signings we used to in the Adams era, but knowing Roy, the budget will be there for the right players.

Did any of your last lot of random diddies come from the eighth tier of English football though? You need three promotions from there to even make it to the National League.

Starting a game with Sean Kelly and Declan McManus in the line-up would suggest otherwise.

Thank you for the recommendation. It's quite the car crash. It's also quite odd that a club who issued a statement and promised an investigation in to someone accidentally liking some adult content on Twitter have been so silent about one of their players being caught on camera using sectarian language.

Heavy snow being forecasted elsewhere for those travelling south. Could do with an early decision being made on this one. Will be frustrating if the decision to call it off is left until 45 mins before kick-off again.