Players approaching the end of their career, regardless of how the playing career panned out must get worried about how to bring in a wage as they approach their 30s.  We have a recruitment problem because of our geographical location.

Imagine ICT having a framework agreement with local businesses that looks to offer a re-training option at the end of their career with a 3 year temporary contract in the 'non-football' career.  The risk of injury prone players could be mitigated by stipulating conditions in contracts that enable 'early retirement' from football.

Benefits for ICT; Higher caliber players with proven football capability are brought in.  No obligation to honor long contracts while players are injured.  Better on the park performance.  Good PR.  Enhanced ticket sales.

Benefits for employers; Cheaper labor than in the market currently signed up for longer terms (i.e. lower long term salary than recruited in the market, by capping salary for example).  PR boost from the name association.  Loyalty of ex playing-staff brought on from a 'second chance' after football.

Benefits for the community; High caliber individuals moving to Inverness, probably family orientated with stability in mind.

Benefits for players; 3 year rolling playing contract with security and re-training, followed by a 3 year deal with a business.  That is 6 years of family stability.  

 

Surely our board and high-profile associates could set up this initiative?  It takes a leading Commercial Manager to establish and enable such means.  Try it with one player, why not?  

 

This is not a novel idea as it has been proven to work elsewhere...over the bridge for example.  Jobs for the boys....

paramedic wont be fully degree in Scotland until 2027 you can still become an ambulance technician on a diploma then do your paramedic diploma until 2027. 

11 hours ago, MorayJaggie said:

paramedic wont be fully degree in Scotland until 2027 you can still become an ambulance technician on a diploma then do your paramedic diploma until 2027. 

Techs are diploma but no point in doing a paramedic qualification thats about to become obselete.Some paramedics I know now carrying onto masters for advanced level practice jobs. 

Anyway back on topic its not the kinda job you can waltz into without qualifications. 

Football is a full-time job. Players sre well paid for what they do and have plenty free time to study or train for their future. It is not the clubs job to provide them with work when they retire. They get enough done for them as it is.

Good suggestions from the OP. I would also look at the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps forging some links with the UHI to offer promising young players a professional contract packaged with University education. Rather like an American style 'sports scholarship'. Can see such an opportunity appealing especially to the parents of said talented young players, potentially enabling the club to compete for prospects who'd otherwise be out of our range.

5 hours ago, caleyboy said:

Football is a full-time job. Players sre well paid for what they do and have plenty free time to study or train for their future. It is not the clubs job to provide them with work when they retire. They get enough done for them as it is.

Very fair comment, caleyboy. I would imagine, for instance, that any "full time" footballer who was so inclined would have plenty of time to study at the Open University. Similarly, there are plenty of footballers who, if they haven't gone into football related employment post-retiral, have "got on their bikes" and found themselves other careers. Employment patters these days in any case are such that people migrate from job to job more frequently than they used to.

To some extent, this is another instance of footballers being pandered to and the root cause of that is the game's institutionalised practice of looking after them in one way or another to an extent which far exceeds their market value. For instance, in the Scottish Premiership (very large ballpark) there are guys getting paid £50,000 a year and fairly well above that for an absolute maximum of around 45 appearances of 90 minutes in front of crowds in the region of 3-5000. That's the economics of the madhouse.

I do appreciate that the intention of this thread was probably to look at ways of incentivising players to come to a remote region which puts many of them off, but I do think there's a limit to the extent to which they can be indulged.

21 minutes ago, AlexJones said:

Good suggestions from the OP. I would also look at the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps forging some links with the UHI to offer promising young players a professional contract packaged with University education. Rather like an American style 'sports scholarship'. Can see such an opportunity appealing especially to the parents of said talented young players, potentially enabling the club to compete for prospects who'd otherwise be out of our range.

Now that is probably a more realistic, viable potential option and more beneficial to ICT. I don't think that "contracts" would ever be included in any deal but - if there is any football orientated courses (even Sports Psychology) then links with the club would be a very good idea. But a "Football Academy" UHI is not.

1 hour ago, AlexJones said:

 links with the UHI to offer promising young players a professional contract packaged with University education. 

Remember also, Alex, that Universities have academic entrance standards.

whatever our recruitment policy is jr and his team seem to be doing a good job behind the scenes. i also applaud our youth dept in bring 10 potential players into the full-time environment and giving them the opportunity to mature in the hfl. it is however vital they get the appropriate level of coaching so i hope charlie christie is involved on a daily basis.

Agree with what you say on Charlie Christie as it's about time he started to justify at least one of the salaries he gets from being at Caley Thistle.

It should also be noted that credit for the development of these young players should go to Fiona and Ronnie who do all the work.

51 minutes ago, Shorty said:

Agree with what you say on Charlie Christie as it's about time he started to justify at least one of the salaries he gets from being at Caley Thistle.

It should also be noted that credit for the development of these young players should go to Fiona and Ronnie who do all the work.

Baffled by the expectation that Charlie will be the solution? There are many such as Ronnie, as you note, who deserve any of the credit.

1 hour ago, caleyboy said:

whatever our recruitment policy is jr and his team seem to be doing a good job behind the scenes. i also applaud our youth dept in bring 10 potential players into the full-time environment and giving them the opportunity to mature in the hfl. it is however vital they get the appropriate level of coaching so i hope charlie christie is involved on a daily basis.

Are all 10 full-time?

2 hours ago, Shorty said:

Agree with what you say on Charlie Christie as it's about time he started to justify at least one of the salaries he gets from being at Caley Thistle.

It should also be noted that credit for the development of these young players should go to Fiona and Ronnie who do all the work.

if you read my post you will see i am giving credit to the youth dept not a specific individual.

1 hour ago, Tree said:

Are all 10 full-time?

as far as i am aware - Yes

15 minutes ago, caleyboy said:

as far as i am aware - Yes

The reason I ask is that some have been offered P/T contracts. These may be in addition to the above.

Whilst looking to take the positives I know that some in the club have some reservations that a significant number of players have had to leave school to take up the contracts with limited football available after this year. Fine for those good enough to make a career but not so great as a fall back.

There is always a balance of risk for players making a career and not but I know a few players have left the club due to having limited choice between contract or school

9 minutes ago, Tree said:

The reason I ask is that some have been offered P/T contracts. These may be in addition to the above.

Whilst looking to take the positives I know that some in the club have some reservations that a significant number of players have had to leave school to take up the contracts with limited football available after this year. Fine for those good enough to make a career but not so great as a fall back.

There is always a balance of risk for players making a career and not but I know a few players have left the club due to having limited choice between contract or school

i have always believed that the club should have an educational connection so these kids continue education to the level they are capable of. too many are left on the scrap heap at an early age. cleaning boots etc does not stimulate any mind and they need spmething else in addition to training. 

There is an SFA programme that gets kids an SVQ - type qualification, although I don’t know how much value it has. 

The University idea is interesting - Stirling do a football scholarship. Not the same thing, as you play for the University, but it does show you can have links between football and education.

Some Highland League teams still help to arrange jobs, but I think these are to produce a living wage - don’t know what happens to the job when you leave the club. 

The problem with the uni idea is what do they do if they leave the club? 

The club always encouraged young players to continue with their education....it may even have been a requirement in some cases....and there was a tutor who used to visit regularly to work with some of them to ensure they kept on top of it.

Hopefully that's not changed.

Not many will be offered the opportunity these boys have been given. Perhaps only a couple will make it as professional footballers, others may end up in the Highland league. But they must give everything they have to achieve their goal. If it doesn't work out, there are many different routes now to access education rather than the traditional method. No regrets.