MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 7 - April 2003

Firstly we would like to thank all the fans who turned up for the historic match against Celtic. The result was way beyond our wildest dreams and the revenue from this game and the Semi Final goes a long way to ensuring that the ship has been well and truly steadied in terms of the Clubs financial stability.

It was noted from the website that there were some complaints re the abuse, encountered by some of our fans by a mindless minority whilst crossing the away car parking area. We as a Club do not condone this despicable behaviour and can only apologise to those concerned and hope that it did not detract too much from what was a wonderful occasion for both the fans and the Club.

With regards to the stewarding which was also the subject of some complaints on the website, your comments have been noted and will be brought to the attention of our Security Officer prior to next months Board Meeting and we will update you at that time on our conclusions.

Can we ask that in future you address your complaints in writing to the Chairman and or the Board as it is not always guaranteed that we will pick them up of the website.

One further point on the website it is hoped that we can arrange to get Scott to hold a discussion with John Robertson/Donald Park prior to the Semi Final at Hampden to give you an insight to what they are about and their visions for the future of the Club.

As mentioned previously we are extremely grateful for the income received for both the Quarter Final and Semi Final of the Scottish Cup and this added to what is looking like our most successful ever year commercially has put us in a reasonable position financially for this season.

We will be endeavouring to hold onto our key Players where possible at the end of the season but as we have stated on many occasions we have been entrusted to look after the long-term future of the club and as such must ensure that any deals that are done do not adversely effect this position.

We do not foresee any movement on this front until the transfer window opens again but can confirm that John and Donald have been in talks with our Players and are continually assessing the situation for both this season and next season.

Unfortunately our attendance numbers dropped again last Saturday against Q.O.S. but hope that they pick up again for our last two home games of the season against Clyde and St. Johnstone both very important games for us as we strive to achieve our highest ever league position since the clubs formation.

We can confirm that the shirt sponsor for next season has still not been decided. Sharp have yet to come back to us following a meeting some weeks ago to confirm their continuation of the existing deal. But in the interim we have been holding discussions with other prospective sponsors.

We as a Board would like to publicly thank all the volunteers who assisted in the organisation of the Celtic game both in the run up to, during and after the match. Without their help it would have made our task even more difficult. One off events of the size and complexity of the Celtic game are never easy to organise or police and we are grateful for the patience shown by our regular fan base whilst we catered for what was our largest crowd ever at the Stadium. Apart from the one or two incidents touched on earlier and the fact that there were only 4 arrests, all drink related offences, we feel that the evening can be viewed as a great success both on and off the park and we look forward to seeing you all at Hampden on the evening of the 20th when we hope to witness an even more historic event.

Details of ticket sales for the Semi Final are as follows:-

Fri 11th April : Season ticket holders, shareholders, centenary club members and supporters clubs 10am – 8pm.

Sat 12th April onwards : Sales to General Public during office hours.

There is a possibility that the Stadium will be open on Sunday, 13th April but this will be confirmed in the local press on Friday.

The Board.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 6 - March 2003

Firstly let us apologise for what will be a rather brief report this month as the majority of Fridays meeting was taken up with the preparation for and organisation for the impending visit from Celtic.

We thank Scott MacKenzie for attending our meeting on Friday which we hope was very informative for both parties.

It was very interesting for those on the Board who are not regular Internet users to get the chance to hear first hand how the Caley Thistle site operates and to hear how popular a forum it is with our fans.

We trust, having read some of the comments on the website following Scott’s posting that you also found the input from the Board to his question and answer session worthwhile and we are sure you will be looking forward to the sessions to be set up with our Management Team which will give you the opportunity to put forward your own questions direct to them.

On the football front we are pleased that after the blip against our neighbours Ross County, a result that was seriously disappointing to all concerned and hurt both the Players and Management Team as much as the Fans, we are at present back on track.

Being realistic, we did expect a dip in form at sometime as we all know you cannot have a change of Management at any football club and not at some time experience some form of backlash and loss of form.

We as a Board, and we know the playing staff echo our sentiments think that both John and Donald had a difficult task from day one and they have equipped themselves well with changes to the training regimes, team formations, youth development and community involvement.

Obviously youth development for any club is a must in the present financial climate and they have come up with some very interesting ideas to protect the future career prospects of our younger fringe players should they fail to make the grade as full time football players. We will expand on these ideas at a later date as they are put into practice.

Moving on to the stadium criteria situation, various approaches have been made to the SPL both by the club and shareholders alike but to date we see no evidence of change in the short term.

We will be writing to the SPL prior to 31st March deadline outlining our proposals re temporary seating in the event we were to win the 1st Division, a situation we have certainly not given up hope of achieving and will not until it is mathematically impossible to do so.

Without wishing to pre-empt the outcome, we are taking a realistic view on the situation and await their reply with slight trepidation. Our main priority as a Board is to ensure the continued financial stability of the Club whilst maintaining a high level of entertainment on the park for you the fans. To this end we cannot be drawn into a situation that could possibly see us spending upwards of £200K to achieve SPL acceptance via the temporary seating route only to find that we failed to end the season in No 1 position in the League. There is also the added confusion over whether or not the criteria may change regarding under soil heating a situation we trust will be clarified post the SPLs receipt of our application.

We will keep you a breast of the above developments as they unfold.

As stated last month the Stadium re development/relocation continues to tick along in the background.

On the subject of our financial stability we know that we have been extremely lucky this season to have drawn Celtic in two cup competitions, a situation we are sure is the envy of many clubs in our Division.

In conclusion we wish the team continuing success in the League and look forward with great expectation to the 23rd, which we are sure will be a historic day for the club, players and fans alike and know the team will receive tremendous support from all quarters.

The Board.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 5 - February 2003

Following some questions asked on the website regarding the proposed new stadium we confirm the following, but it must be noted that our discussions with both the Trust and Council Officials are at a very early stage.

With regard to the location of the stadium most of the website contributors will be pleased to hear that the proposed area is situated at the back of the ice rink in the footprint of the existing all weather pitch thus allaying any fears that the green field areas of the Bught would be lost if our proposed move were to transpire.

We as a Board were delighted to get through the transfer window without losing any of our existing pool though as you are all no doubt aware we did get some very serious enquiries about Barry Robson at the 12th hour but decided that his worth to us was greater than the cash offered at this crucial stage of the season. In previous years we may well have had to take the cash due to our precarious financial position but thanks to the Tulloch cash injection this decision was made a lot easier for us and no doubt pleased our new management team and fans alike. It was also extremely good news for us that Dennis Wyness repelled all overtures by our ex managerial team to tempt him away down the A96 to Pittodrie and we are sure that John Robertson and Graham Bennett will do everything possible to retain his services for next season and beyond. As you also know we signed Steven Hislop from Ross County for a nominal fee and John Robertson sees him as a valuable addition to our strike force providing a varied dimension to our attack and with all our first team squad almost back to full fitness and challenging for places things look bright on the playing front.

We are now looking forward to our game in the 4th round of the Scottish Cup and without being over optimistic, if we play to our usual high standard we would hope to be in the draw for round 5, but are not losing site of the fact we have some very important league fixtures ahead of us over the next few weeks.

Whilst we are all extremely disappointed in Saturdays result against Falkirk we take heart from the commitment and attitude of the players and also the support shown to them from you all and we look forward to a good turn out for our next crucial fixture this weekend versus St Johnstone.

On the commercial front our reduced package hospitality option for the Raith Rovers game was very well attended and appeared to be well received. It is proposed to hold a similar function on Saturday 22nd February where you can get the following package for £49 + VAT

• Pre Match Drinks
• 2 Course Buffet including wine
• Half Time Refreshments
• Post Match Drinks

Anybody interested can contact Debbie Ross at the Stadium.

Our Youth Development and Community Programmes are gathering pace and it is hoped that we may be able to make a full time appointment to look after this side of the business in the near future subject to funding. This person would work in conjunction with our existing management team in promoting the club in the community whilst assisting with the management and implementation of our youth policies.

On the temporary seating arrangements we are making steady progress and intend to sit down with the local officials shortly to discuss our proposals prior to submitting a Planning Application.

Some months ago we had a very constructive discussion, prior to our monthly board meeting, with representatives of our supporters associations and it is our intention to broaden this discussion forum and invite Scott MacKenzie along to our March Board Meeting to discuss your views on how things are going at present from the fans perspective and changes, if any you may wish to see implemented as we move forward. Hopefully Scott will be canvassing your opinions shortly.

Thank you all for your support on Saturday and we look forward to more of the same at our up and coming games as we enter the most exciting period of football in our short history.

The Board.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 4 - January 2003

Firstly, we apologise for the delay in this edition of our Board Report but due to circumstances outwith our control, holiday commitments etc it has been impossible to compile a meaningful report for you.

As you are all aware it has been all change at the top with regards to our management team with Steve and Duncan moving on to pastures new at Aberdeen FC where we wish them well but early indications are that they have taken on a mammoth challenge but in John Robertson and Donald Park we feel we have two very able and vibrant replacements, a mix of youthful exuberance and experience and they have certainly lifted the morale of the players and brought a buzz back to the stadium.

The Board would publicly like to thank Graham Bennett and John Docherty,( and the team of course) for their efforts during their temporary period in charge. We can all be great managers and leaders sitting in the stand or standing on the terracing but it is not so easy when you are actually in the firing line so thanks again to the boys for filling the gap.

The enforced lay off we have experienced, along with the majority of teams in our division, due to exceptionally bad weather has given John and Donald a chance to view our playing staff a lot closer and in more depth than perhaps they would have if we had been in action over the past couple of weeks. As John stated when he joined us “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” but we are sure we will see some subtle changes in the coming week and it is already pleasing to see some of our younger squad players getting a chance to stake a place in the first team.

There has been some speculation on the website over the last few weeks regarding the new stadium/Asda etc., on this front we can confirm that proposals were tabled with the Council in December at a joint meeting with them, the Board and the Trust but discussions are at a very early stage and a move cannot be taken for granted at this stage. No doubt there will be numerous further meetings/discussions and, as we have always stated, you the supporters will be consulted prior to any decision to move from our existing location is taken, if indeed this is to be the case.

The has also been speculation as to what we as a Board are doing with regard to the possibility of winning the 1st Division this season and being unable to accept promotion due to the current situation regarding stadium criteria.

Whilst we are still of the opinion that there could be a radical change in the SPLs present stance, we must go on the premise that there will be a vote for no change as anything different would be a big sea change. At this stage we are investigating the possibility of erecting temporary seating which though costly, would, we think, meet our budgets, the most important criteria for us, but there are still many hoops to go through not least the planning procedures and of course the SPL, two hurdles we would hope that were not insurmountable.

On the commercial front the loss of the Ross County and Arbroath games were a blow but we are basically still on budget for the year end. There is a proposal that for hospitality packages when playing the less attractive teams in the Division, when we do have a problem filling the dining suite, that a reduced package of a “pie and a pint” type event would be easier to fill at a much reduced rate from our normal full blown dinning package, your views on this would be appreciated.

In conclusion the Board would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year and we look forward to all the challenges in front of us in the coming months as we aim to maintain our push at the top of the 1st Division, a position we look forward to maintaining.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 3 - December 2002

Following on from certain comments on the website/media etc. re Steve Paterson's contract - signed or not - we would like to clear up a few points.

1. If Steve opts for the Aberdeen post, being realistic, the compensation for Steve, no matter the figure, will be the same had he signed/ agreed to sign his deal with us or not as we had an agreed compensation figure with Steve no matter who approached, a figure we believe to be fair and reasonable in today's climate. If Steve chose to walk from his current contract which, as you know, runs until the end of this season a figure would have then to be set by a tribunal who are notorious for low figures of compensation.
2. Graham Bennet has received unwarranted abuse regarding the contract situation. He is dedicated to the club and works tirelessly on its behalf and gives his time and commitment to the club freely, as do all the Directors, a point that is sometimes overlooked.
3. There were no clauses in Steve's contract regarding the Aberdeen Manager's job despite speculation to the contrary and we confirm that he has had his contract for almost two weeks now but as you know has chosen not to sign it. The timing of the Skovdahl resignation could not have been worse for the club. Did we see it coming, no, and nor did anybody else.
4. This Board, as did previous Boards, had an unwritten agreement with Steve that at any time, if a Premier club were to seek his services or the chance to discuss this possibility with him we would not stand in his way. After what Steve and his backroom staff have achieved at the club we felt we had to honour this agreement.

Obviously we cannot pre-empt the situation with Steve but we feel we have offered him a contract that is commensurate with our league and financial position and offered to him, Duncan and the club stability over the next 5 years as we move forward with our ambitions to be a Premier club.

We did take on board what was said at the E.G.M earlier this year and have tried to be more open with you than the previous Boards but while on this occasion it may have slightly backfired on us, we intend to continue this open forum as long as you find it beneficial. This is not boardroom spin as this was not and is not our intention.

We have still not given up on the possibility that Steve may remain at the club but obviously this is in Steve's hands and he and only he can make this decision.

Whether or not Steve should choose to remain at the club we must get back to the important task in hand, winning the First Division, and we hope that this unfortunate situation does not distract from our push for the title.

The circumstances surrounding the offers and discussions with Aberdeen have been at best uncertain and it has been impossible to make clear statements in public, as we would have liked. Only now are matters clarifying and we will endeavour to keep you informed as to developments regarding the management of the team.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS Issue 2 - November 2002

It is with an enormous amount of satisfaction, following a weekend of immense speculation, not all of which was media driven, that we can announce that both Steve Paterson and Duncan Shearer have today signed up to new four and a half year contracts to run in tandem with the Tulloch tenure at the club.

Having secured the management team, it is now our intention to get the key players who are out of contract soon signed up as soon as possible.

As stated above, the media frenzy at the weekend was NOT, and we confirm NOT, mere speculation on the part of the media, but we can confirm that an "official approach" for Steve was made, albeit through a third party.

We, as a board, think we have potentially one of the best young management teams around at the moment and look forward to further success both on and off the park in what are very exciting times for ICTFC.

Following last month's update and the positive responses received on the website, the board feel the format for cross fertilisation of ideas etc is excellent whilst endeavouring to keep you up to date.

Prior to this month's Board Meeting a very informative round table discussion took place with (Supporters club Chairperson) Mairi McLean and Anne Nicol from the Supporters Association.

A list of proposals from the supporters was tabled covering a range of many diverse issues, all of which will be given due consideration.

Following the above discussion and consultation with Debbie Ross, it has been decided that from Saturday 16th November (QOS Home game), any child aged 12 or under will be admitted free of charge to the terracing area if accompanied by an adult who obviously must pay full price. This change will be advertised in the local press well in advance of the 16th and also how we intend to compensate the 16 or so season ticket holders (children) who now fall into this FOC bracket.

Moving on, we as a board would like to thank the near 3000 supporters that made the long trip to Glasgow to the CIS Cup match against Celtic.

All the talk in the Celtic Board Room, Hospitality Suites, and ground was about how positive our team played. Quotes "the only team apart from Rangers who come to Parkhead and want to play - not sit back", "the biggest travelling support seen at parkhead this season - apart from Rangers". All very positive things for our club. So again, we thank you for your loyal and vociferous support.

It has been noted that large queues have been developing on busy match days and it is proposed that for certain games, extra catering facilities will be taken in to assist the existing servery outlets to cope, especially in and around the Kevin Bisset enclosure. Your thoughts or comments on this would be appreciated.

We can confirm that as well as the service provided on the Internet by the Inverness Courier, Debbie has struck a deal with Pat J MacKenzie's in town to stock our merchandise and we can also confirm that the shop at the stadium will soon be re-opening for business on match days.

Our proposed budget for the year is on track on most fronts, and any dips to date, which are few, will be taken up with the slack from the Celtic game, which was much appreciated as any club would envy a trip to Parkhead and the benefits it brings.

On the football front, we have all our 1st team players, except David Bagan, (who is progressing well), back to full fitness and challenging for places in what is a team performing at the highest level at present. Steve, Duncan, and the team have to be congratulated on the level of performance and committment they have shown to date as we sit at the dizzy height of 2nd in the table, a situation we could only dream of a few years ago.

Graham Bennett is deep in negotiations at this present time in an effort to secure the playing staff that are out of contract in the near future, and we will keep you up to date as things progress.

With regard to the previous and ongoing debate in the local press regarding the ASDA deal etc. We can confirm that meetings with the council and various other parties will be convened in the near future but we assure you that discussions are at a very early stage and when we have something concrete to put on the table, you, the supporters, will be fully consulted.

Again, we thank you for your support at Celtic, and it was also pleasing to note a substantial increase in the home support for both the St Johnstone, and St Mirren games - long may it continue.

MONTHLY OPEN LETTER TO FANS

Following recent reports in the local press and some points raised on the website, we, as a board, felt it pertinent to inform the fans of what we are undertaking at the moment.

We have taken on board comments made at the recent EGM ref Ivory Towers etc. and confirm that we will issue a short monthly bulletin through this website to keep you up to date with how things are progressing at the club.

The football staff under Graham Bennett's stewardship will be given full remit to secure the futures of our existing player pool rather than embarking on the spend-spend scenario expected after the Tulloch cash injection.

We feel that our existing player pool is as strong, if not stronger, than virtually all our 1st Division competition, and it is imperative that we secure the services of the staff and players who are out of contract in the near future rather than moving forward with this "splash the cash" attitude of some.

We have revamped the youth policy within the club and separate funding initiatives are well underway which will hopefully stop the drain of the cream of our youngsters across the Kessock Bridge. These youngsters are the future life blood of this football club and as such will be given the priority and encouragement that they deserve.

It is, and has been our intention to continue "The Road To The Premiership" which was introduced and progressed by our ex-Chairman David Sutherland.

Obviously, our stadium as it is at present does not meet with the current SPL criteria, but hopefully common sense will prevail within the next 12 months and changes can be made to the 10,000 all-seater rule.

If this is not the case, then we as a club must pursue other alternatives with regard to the present stadium. Any avenue to secure an alternative location will be pursued to ensure that we as a club off the field are ready to cope with success on the field, but we do ask for some patience on this front as we all know that these things take time, but you can rest assured that you, the fans, will be kept fully aware of what is going on and your thoughts will be canvassed at all stages.

Further to the enquiry on the website re:purchasing shares. We can confirm that shares ARE still available and we would be only too delighted to take up the offers of your readers, be it £250 or £2500, every £1 helps and would be most appreciated. If you wish to purchase shares, please do not hesitate to contact us by post at the stadium.

With regard to increasing our fan base and getting new "punters" through the gate, we as a board would be delighted with any new initiatives brought to us and will investigate all avenues put forward.

At present we are providing a level of entertainment and quality football on the park rarely seen in the Premier League, let alone the 1st Division, yet we still fail to get people to turn out to give the team the support they so richly deserve.

We provide free tickets for primary schools on a rota basis to try and capture the young fans, but are looking at other possibilities as well, such as perhaps allowing all children under 12, free entry to all games when accompanied by an adult.

We are also considering introducing children's penalty shoot-outs, five-a-side tournaments etc to be held at half time during the home games to encourage the youngsters to get their parents to also come along and watch.

Any constructive comments on the above would be greatly appreciated, whether posted on the website messageboard, or sent by post or email to the stadium.

You can rest assured we WILL LISTEN and will reply to all comments as and when received.

Following the recent excellent draw away to Celtic in the CIS Cup, we look forward to another glory night in Glasgow and confirm that our 3000 ticket allocation for the game is all but sold out with only a few tickets remaining - so hurry, if you have still not got your tickets. Enjoy your night at Parkhead !!