Reading the attached article it looks like,if funds could be made available, we could have a synthetic pitch in the future. Also interesting to note the club are in negotiations with back of shirt sponsor.

 

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/Sport/Football/ICT-giving-serious-thought-to-artificial-surface-05062014.htm

 

It will be a very sad day for Inverness football should a plastic pitch be laid and in my opinion makes a mockery of top flight football in Scotland

The likes of Hamilton and Kilmarnock are an absolute disgrace and what they are doing is cheating by gaining an advantage on all the other teams

Football started on grass over 100years ago and that's the way it should remain, what will happen next vendors going up and down the aisles selling hot dogs and pop corn, disney characters making guest appearances at half time?

It might have escaped some but Scottish football is in the worst state it's ever been I don't see how creating a mini MLS is the way forward

Dougal

 

This popped into my head when I took my 3 year old daughter to the circus last night, which was at the stadium. The amount of things that they sell before the show and at the interval was incredible. Granted the circus is more slanted towards children than a football game is but food wise there's the usual hot dog & burger type fayre plus popcorn, candy floss, slush puppies and all manner of sweets and treats. There was also a huge range of those flashy/spinny led toys for between £4 and £8. All but the hot food were sold by folk walking up and down the aisles before the performance and at interval.

 

At the interval there was raffle tickets sold for £2 a strip for a big teddy that probably cost about £20, pony rides, face painting plus the sweets and toys. The amount of people lining up for face painting, pony rides, buying raffle tickets, toys and sweets was very high. There was probably 5-600 people there they must have made a fortune! I'd hazard a guess they made as much if not more from merchandise than tickets. Much of this probably from pester power!

 

As I mentioned the circus isn't the football, but for example if ICT could make a grand or two each game doing things similar to this e.g. selling food and merch by going up and down the aisles before the game and at half time, doing face painting for a a few quid near the family section and so on, what would be the problem? I don't think it will ever happen nor do I have any clue if it would be successful or not financially however if it was shown to make a decent revenue for the club I don't see why it should be an issue. 

 

Edit- isles are quire different from aisles! 

 

 

There has to be a happy medium between those two extremes.

It will be a very sad day for Inverness football should a plastic pitch be laid and in my opinion makes a mockery of top flight football in Scotland

The likes of Hamilton and Kilmarnock are an absolute disgrace and what they are doing is cheating by gaining an advantage on all the other teams

Football started on grass over 100years ago and that's the way it should remain, what will happen next vendors going up and down the aisles selling hot dogs and pop corn, disney characters making guest appearances at half time?

It might have escaped some but Scottish football is in the worst state it's ever been I don't see how creating a mini MLS is the way forward

Dougal

This popped into my head when I took my 3 year old daughter to the circus last night, which was at the stadium. The amount of things that they sell before the show and at the interval was incredible. Granted the circus is more slanted towards children than a football game is but food wise there's the usual hot dog & burger type fayre plus popcorn, candy floss, slush puppies and all manner of sweets and treats. There was also a huge range of those flashy/spinny led toys for between £4 and £8. All but the hot food were sold by folk walking up and down the aisles before the performance and at interval.

At the interval there was raffle tickets sold for £2 a strip for a big teddy that probably cost about £20, pony rides, face painting plus the sweets and toys. The amount of people lining up for face painting, pony rides, buying raffle tickets, toys and sweets was very high. There was probably 5-600 people there they must have made a fortune! I'd hazard a guess they made as much if not more from merchandise than tickets. Much of this probably from pester power!

As I mentioned the circus isn't the football, but for example if ICT could make a grand or two each game doing things similar to this e.g. selling food and merch by going up and down the aisles before the game and at half time, doing face painting for a a few quid near the family section and so on, what would be the problem? I don't think it will ever happen nor do I have any clue if it would be successful or not financially however if it was shown to make a decent revenue for the club I don't see why it should be an issue.

Edit- isles are quire different from aisles!

There has to be a happy medium between those two extremes.

I'd imagine there must be but what is it? Also something like the circus is a once a year type thing where people will be more inclined to splash their cash.

There haven't been so many performing clowns at the stadiums since County's last visit!

There already is a hot dog vendor thing in the ground....isn't there?

if anyone has been to baseball games in the States, it is common to see vendors walking up and down the aisles selling food and beer, without any issues. Something could/should be trialled to see if it works and cuts out the half time stampede for food/drinks. The circus is a one off so probably an extreme but we sure could learn about marketing from the Americans.

Dougal - if you want things to still be as they were 100 years ago, I politely suggest you stop using the internet.

I can see both sides of the argument. We could sell more, but we have a place to sell food already.

The club probably won't have the staff or time to do it. Even to volunteer to do it you miss the football.

However we have a club shop and everyone knows where it is yet a market trader can turn up outside the the stadium, sell plenty and not a single penny goes to the club.

Maybe the balance would be for the food sellers to come out during the game and sell sweets etc but do the club take a cut or a single payment for the day.

I would imagine a vendor could sell caps easy on a sunny day in the

Main stand or hats and scarfs in the winter but yet again who does it.

I helped out with another fan before a game last season at a wee stall doing hats scarfs etc just inside the north stand and if I recall it made around £200-300 in about half an hour, which obviously went to the club.

I would be willing to walk up and down the aisles, dressed as a clown, handing out cold beers.

The only trouble is you would be handing out empty beer bottles

I believe the club sell the "rights" to the caterers and don't make any additional/direct income (percentage or otherwise) from the food sales....nor are they (club) responsible for staffing etc.

Dougal - if you want things to still be as they were 100 years ago, I politely suggest you stop using the internet.

This

I would be willing to walk up and down the aisles, dressed as a clown, handing out cold beers.

I thought you already did...

Not the beers unfortunately