highlandexile

From memory, these shares are classed as category A shares which do not have the right to vote like ordinary shares do. However, instead these shares came with a fixed 10% voting right which is currently held by the supporters trust.

What a sad day this is for ICT supporters. Reading all the responses here and on other social media platforms, it feels like this has really divided our support. Everyone has the right to their own opinions but its really sad to see that anyone who thinks the council has come to the correct decision is somehow not a real supporter of the club. Just remember it was not the council who got the club into this financial situation resulting in an all or nothing planning application. At a time when supporters should be coming together to find a way to salvage the club, we seem to be fighting with each other.

I've sent an email to the SLO asking about the possibility of a live stream. Will see what the response is.

following the bewildering behaviour of certain Highland Councillors in seeking to overturn a democratically lawful decision to award the club with planning permission for the ICT Battery Farm, I feel we must enlighten our fans re just what has been going on in relation to this most crucial matter and I will answer all and any questions relating to the Battery Farm I’m finding the above statement from the club very uncomfortable as a supporter of the club. Its seems that anyone who does not support the battery farm somehow does not support the future of the club. Its also a bit of a contradiction that, the club are objecting to the overturn of a democratically lawful decision, even though the council are more than lawfully entitled to call this decision in to the full council. But the chairman made it clear that if the planning decision went against them they could raise a challenge with the Scottish Government! This all feels like a publicity stunt to bully the councillors to vote in favour of a planning application that many do not feel comfortable with. It’s also disappointing that the club are finally engaging with supporters but only taking questions relating to the battery farm. When really most of us are wanting answers as to how we got to this situation and would question the running of the club in general. The current board really do not seem to have any other plans if the battery farm fails. Without the accounts being made public, its hard to see how bad things really are financially but rumours are the club could have made up to a million pounds in losses. When you compare this to other clubs like Ayr and Morton who have both managed to make small profits despite having a similar support to us, what is going so badly wrong with us? So many questions, but I feel this meeting will be nothing but Highland Council bad and its all their fault if the club fails!

This is all to try and prove that the profits from the battery farm sale will have a socio-economic benefit for the city. The document submitted by he new planning consultant is very reliant on claiming the funds will go towards a lot of projects particularity things run by the community trust. There is also a lot about the funding of the new pitches which basically claims that none of these things can continue without this money. All very odd as its always been claimed in the past that all these projects as self funded! These extracts are directly from the document submitted to HC: A significant proportion of the financial benefits accrued from the development will be managed through the ICTFC Community Development Trust. This is an established charitable Trust organisation that already provides significant benefits to the local community including funding community related initiatives; incorporating school visits to develop the importance of health and exercise, walking football, facilities to enable participation by disabled persons and school breakfast clubs. The community/charitable work is delivered by a combination of paid ATC staff, volunteers, supporters and members of the local community. The investment of time spent on community and charitable work is some 14,000 hours equivalent to 1,758 days or 352 person weeks. The Trust access funding through multiple sources which is challenging in the current financial climate and the stability of income over several years can help provide a stable platform to flourish and grow. For 2022-23 the Trust had an income of some £181,718 of which £165,000 was spent on community initiatives. The Trust delivered projects to the local community and in an educational setting equivalent to some 12, 000 hours or 80% of its annual activity. This is a considerable contribution to the area and will continue to expand and progress with the funding the BESS provides. The proposed new Hub at the IRA will enable these initiatives to be expanded and developed and increases the community benefits to the local area. The new Hub will only be capable of delivery with the funding this proposal will deliver.

I did make the meeting and while I do appreciate the chairman and a director turning up, I came away from the meeting feeling very disheartened. While there may be some small sound bites being said to try and make out they are listening, most suggestions were being dismissed. To see no progress with the disability group is also very disappointing and for the club to now say they are waiting for potential names to allow for due diligence before the meeting feels like they are just stalling on a very important issue. They were also very dismissive of the issues that happened in the North stand at the Dundee United game. They did not seem prepared to listen to season ticket holders that were affected. Homophobic abuse and unacceptable behaviour by a small majority of supporters were brushed under the carpet. I know a lot of the focus is currently on the battery farm but does that have to be to the detriment of the day to day running of the club.

I received a response to an e-mail I sent to the SLO e mail address. Turns out Scott Young is now officially the clubs SLO, so the answer to your question is yes!

Still being recomended for refusal.

I was one of many fans boycotting due to the Rangers issues. Luckily, the person involved has now left and I went back to the club for the first time in a long time on Saturday. The club is now being run by the committee and there is a big improvement already.

Yes, I agree, but not to the detriment of everything else. A football club is nothing withhlout fans. I would also be happier if the big money projects SG was in the press shouting about actually made the club money. We all know the disaster the concerts were despite SG telling us all that concerts were the future for the club. Was that his fault with insisting on doing everything in house to make more money instead of handing it over to a company that knew what it was doing and making less money but still a profit. Yes it was. We were then told by him that the free port was an amazing opportunity for the football club. Only to be told by the chairman recently that was not true. Now all hope is being placed on a battery farm, is that going to go totally pear-shaped too....... Like I said, he talks a good game but never seems to deliver. And thats not only at our club.

I agree that SG can be good company etc. But, my problem with him is he talks a good game but nothing happens. The club may not have a large budget, but he seems to not want the fans money and only interested in the big, high risk projects which so far have not been successful. Too focused on concerts, free ports and battery farms and not interested in the bread and butter business of football and the fans. Season tickets not being renewed, hospitality non existant, player sponsorship nothing like it used to be, businesses not supporting club any more due to the concert fiasco, lack of communication and lack of fan engagement. The list goes on and that is nothing to do with him being a Rangers supporter!

According to he chairman at the fans meeting, they have agreed for the car parks at the stadium to be used by ILI for the red john project. But instead of the club getting the money for the rental of the car parks ILI are doing the planning application for the club for this battery farm. well that was my understanding. At the meeting he said that the club owned the land, but when challenged that it was in fact David Cameron and David Sutherland that owned the land, he then sad that there was a lease in place. Not quite sure how that then equates to the club getting a seven figure sum should planning go through. Do they then get a rental figure from the company who would run the battery farm, who knows!!!!! Then there is the planning itself, which was always going to be difficult to get through as its on land that was designated as an area where no development could take place. The battery storage facility is also very close to a built up area. The chairman had said that was not an issue as ILI had got lots of these planning permissions through but, these permissions were a lot further away. In one objection it was quoted that the battery farm would only be 30m away where battery farms that had got planning granted were over 250m away! I really hope this is not yet another pipe dream by the club of making big money away from the football. But after the concert fiasco followed by the freeport lie, my trust in the board of directors and the CEO is not very high.

I usually have a season ticket even though I cant always get to games. I did it to show support for the cub. This season I didn't renew and will end up saving money by just paying for the games I can attend. The one thing that is a bit disappointing is that the club never bothered to contact me or any of the others I know that did not renew. Its like they just don't care. In previous years, season ticket holders who did not renew would always at least be contacted to find out why. I even remember one year players were drafted in to call people before the season started. So, this season I will still be going to the games when I can, but I'm so disillusioned that I'm not buying the usual new top/merch or be spending silly money in hospitality. Something I did around 4 times a season in days gone by.

I think this sums up exactly what the club thinks about the fans and their issues. If Gordy is only a name on a bit of paper for a tick box exercise and not an actual active SLO we really are never going to get any sort of fan engagement.

I am a long time season ticket holder who also goes to a lot of away games but have decided that this season im just not renewing my season ticket. Ive renewed year after year, even though with not living in Inverness I tend to only be able to make games on a Saturday. So, with with missing Friday/Midweek games, it usually costs me more for my season ticket than if I just did pay as I go. With the season tickets going up by 10% and the feeling of being totally unappreciated by the club as a fan, I'm going to save a few pounds and just pay for the games I can get to. So I will carry on supporting the players on the pitch but refuse to be taken for granted by the powers that be who only communicate when they want us to renew season tickets. If this makes me any less of a supporter then so be it! .