https://www.facebook.com/ICTFC

 

Club Statement

As one major part of our planned strategic restructure of the club, ICTFC are delighted to announce an innovative agreement with League 1 side Kelty Hearts which will see the club move our training base to the Fife club’s New Central Park Stadium.

This creative partnership will mean that we will hire their excellent facilities which include a 3g pitch, onsite grass pitches and offices for our coaching staff, as our training base during the week starting from this coming pre-season in June.

The last few years have seen the geographic challenges in getting players to move to the Highlands become ever harder for a number of reasons.

Caledonian Stadium will always be our home, but other factors in Scottish football have changed and where we train should not be an impediment to the quality of the players we can attract to Caley Thistle, or to our potential to progress.

The commercial success of the city of Inverness – which will always be our home - both as a tourist destination and a place to live, has led to very high prices for the accommodation we require to house players. In addition to these high costs which our competitors do not carry, the extremely limited housing stock in Inverness continues to be both a challenge and a huge factor working against us.

Increased playing budgets in and around the central belt has meant that on many occasions, even when we have offered players more favourable terms than our competitors, sometimes even agreed deals, we have then been told that the player has changed his mind due to challenges relocating their families. Support structures in and around the families of players may all be in and around the central belt, partners will have jobs where they live and moving kids schools to the Highlands and moving home itself can just be seen as impractical for a one or two year contract.

It makes it particularly challenging for us to sign senior players, a category which through no fault of our budget, or of previous ICT Managers, we have struggled to attract in the last few seasons.

Similarly, our location means that we miss out on the opportunity of signing promising players from the larger clubs in Scotland, on loan or otherwise.

For the avoidance of any doubt we absolutely intend to continue to develop our own homegrown Highland boys and we will take the appropriate steps to make sure that by being creative, innovative and practical, they do not miss out on the chance to have a pathway to first team football with their team. We have a proud tradition of introducing local players in to our first team and this will absolutely continue.

We obviously never intended to be in the same division as Kelty when originally exploring this concept, but football throws strange things at you sometimes and having reassessed the proposition and judged that the pros still far outweigh the cons, we would like to thank the Board of Kelty Hearts and MD Stefan Winiarski and his management team for considering this unique to the SPFL partnership, and then seeing and agreeing on the possibilities and benefits for both clubs.

To reiterate, by moving our footballing department's training base to central Scotland, both the club's Board of Directors and the club's First Team Management feel we give ourselves the best possible chance to attract the highest quality players to the club, allowing some of the players we sign to also live in and around the central belt while playing for ICTFC.

We now look forward to taking further positive strides on and off the pitch to address the football and financial challenges we face we believe this exciting opportunity to help us attract players previously not available to us and build a better squad, is one of the first steps we can make and we hope to develop further innovative partnerships.

Inverness is and will always be our home.

The Caledonian Stadium will always be where we play our football. We hope this venture will help us achieve our goal in giving our supporters a team to be proud of.

Edited May 24, 20241 yr by The Mantis

7 minutes ago, CaleyCanary said:

I remember sitting in a Glasgow bar that night feeling quite depressed 

Sounds like a Scot Gardiner quote circa 2012 

6 minutes ago, CaleyCanary said:

I remember sitting in a Glasgow bar that night feeling quite depressed despite what we’d just achieved - I thought this was it, the pinnacle of our achievements, the best we could probably ever be and it would never be quite as good again.

It would have been no surprise to anyone if we didn’t win a major trophy for another decade, or flirt with relegation to the Championship a few times like County, however, I could never have dreamed that we could fall from grace so far, so quickly and so easily. In essence eventually ruined by one selfish, inept and incompetent idiot while others we trusted with the safe running of our club turned their heads the other way.

Ross Morrison has to accept responsibility for his part in allowing Gardiner the freedom to cause so much pain and damage. The evidence is overwhelming, you have an opportunity Ross to take the first steps in putting things right, sack Gardiner now!

No further delays or excuses, just get on with it and maybe you’ll find you come out of this in a far better place than where you find yourself today.

I think I was in the same pub lol. I too thought that was as far as we could go. And so it proved. That great team went it's separate ways in search of a better wage and who wouldn't to be fair. We lost the momentum of the Cup win and entered the downward spiral with no brakes. 

I listened to the latest pod. Those guys do a fantastic job and I'm sorry I haven't listened to them more during the season. I congratulate them on the RM interview. I think you have to feel for the guy [RM]. A true Invernesian who's pride must be in tatters. However, surely he has the power to get rid of those that are dragging this club down..no?

As for DF - I am 100% certain we will not get out of League 1 with him in charge. No chance. He hasn't got a clue. So, DF, prove me wrong.

The podcast was very good. The Chairman is in many respects sincere in supporting ICT FC as you would expect. However, he is absolutely bogged down with fingers in many pies. On the Club website they write '

ROSS MORRISON

CHAIRMAN

Ross has a background working in the financial sector prior to setting up a property development company.  He has interests in the whisky industry as well as owning several public houses, offices, shops and residential properties. Ross has  a very deep and longstanding devotion to Inverness Caley Thistle, through thick and thin, having supporting  Inverness Thistle from 1974 with his allegiance shifting to ICTFC in 1994.  Ross is passionate about his cars, plays five a side football and has a gym membership which he uses sometimes!'

If you Google him you discover that he has multiple active Directorships. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/IzQsY6lLw0n4CPAvlJPtNe0iR80/appointments

To me that explains why he has become dependent on a day to day Chief Executive. Am not sure he could operate without his right hand man.

13 minutes ago, Gringo said:

 

As for DF - I am 100% certain we will not get out of League 1 with him in charge. No chance. He hasn't got a clue. So, DF, prove me wrong.

I agree it's sickening that Gardiner & Morrison, in progressing the move south are effectively enabling a vanity project for Ferguson next season with promises of a group of as yet unknown footballing mercenaries who can lead Caledonian Thistle Wanderers to the promised land. The alternative, the prioritising of home grown talent alongside league one status for a number of seasons if necessary until a winning team is formulated on a budget will not satisfy Ferguson, Morrison or Gardiner the short term outcomes they individually crave. 

After listening to Morrison it'a clear he has been sold a pup & has allowed stronger personalities to bulldoze their ideas through. Personalities who care nothing about the area, the people or lets be honest the club which is just a convenient vehicle to underpin their career ambitions.

I see that a vacancy arose today at Rangers for a CEO. Just imagine if they want our very own Scot Gardiner. What should the transfer fee be?!

I,ll respond in a minute.....once Ive sharpened my quill

3 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

I see that a vacancy arose today at Rangers for a CEO. Just imagine if they want our very own Scot Gardiner. What should the transfer fee be?!

Some how I think we’d have to pay them to take him off our hands 

7 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

I see that a vacancy arose today at Rangers for a CEO. Just imagine if they want our very own Scot Gardiner. What should the transfer fee be?!

I'd ask for the bicycle from their trophy room ... after all success comes in cycles ..  and they can have all our unsold orange strips from the club shop + Gardiner

22 minutes ago, Leaky Blinder said:

...

After listening to Morrison it'a clear he has been sold a pup & has allowed stronger personalities to bulldoze their ideas through. Personalities who care nothing about the area, the people or lets be honest the club which is just a convenient vehicle to underpin their career ambitions.

I'm intrigued as to what input the board have had in the decision making process over the last few years - have they gone along willingly, were they sold 'a pup' too or are they part of the problem?

Chairman & CEO are after all acting on behalf of the board.

9 minutes ago, Satan said:

I'm intrigued as to what input the board have had in the decision making process over the last few years - have they gone along willingly, were they sold 'a pup' too or are they part of the problem?

Chairman & CEO are after all acting on behalf of the board.

They have to take responsibility for our club as custodians surely. 

1 hour ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

To me that explains why he has become dependent on a day to day Chief Executive. Am not sure he could operate without his right hand man.

But it has to be the correct right-hand man. I don't know if he was pals with SG before he appointed him, or if SG just talked a really good game at the interview process, but a quick google search, even back then would have provided a ton of info from his time in Dundee and at Hearts. That should have given pause for thought and/or a sense that he would give the guy a chance but there had to be oversight ....

Clearly we do not need a CEO in the current league, and certainly not this CEO. We need someone who will go in, get their hands dirty, listen to opinions and ideas from all sides, be able to evaluate and implement them where they prove to be good, be open to fan engagement and ideas, and capable of working with a team of excellent ICT staff and hopefully volunteers who I believe will be chapping at the door if we reverse the Kelty cock-up and divest ourselves of the CEO. This is in my opinion the only (and the cheapest) way to get us back on the right track. We have great supporters, many of whom have a diverse and under-utilised skill set because they have been regarded with suspicion and derision for so long. Recognise the talent, pull together and get us back up where we can be.    

 

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

I see that a vacancy arose today at Rangers for a CEO. Just imagine if they want our very own Scot Gardiner. What should the transfer fee be?!

A bag of balls and a sack of half-time oranges? 

5 hours ago, tm4tj said:

And the video is available on betamax from blockbuster

You mean Azad Video. 

11 hours ago, Starscape said:

Not fair enough. He's trying to prove he's not a complete failure so he can get another job. So far, he's unemployable after two relegations. A promotion might make him saleable again. We've seen enough. Any decent manager would have got us well out of relegation by not playing 5 at the back and a midfield made up of another defender and our leading striker, whilst sidelining Samuels and Rory.

Ferguson was our biggest problem. 

In my opinion, the guy instrumental on ferguson coming here is the biggest problem.  If you get rid of Ferguson,  why would you let  Gardner anywhere near the decision on his replacement?

On Wyness Shuffle, 136 miles down (very well handled and a great production)

List of people and things blamed by Chairman 

• the fans (for not coming up with alternatives to a plan a plan they knew nothing about)
• David Wotherspoon's wife (!) 
• Kelty (for not asking Fife Council) 
• the fans again (for not making an outcry about rumours on the academy) 
• the Inverness Courier reporter
• the creditors/debtors
• due diligence
• 'that boy' (a sports club owner from North America?)
• the past six years
• Duncan Ferguson's contract
• Duncan Ferguson's sales pitch to Everton's owners
• The stadium/fan's bar
• Inverness being situated too far from South Queensferry (?)
• Wives (again) and offspring of players in the central belt
• Accommodation prices in Inverness
• White Knights who only 'sniffed'

Not blamed:

• Scot Gardiner

He has come out in P&J and defended not asking the owners of the facilities they announced: 

"When we spoke to (Kelty), we said we knew (the pitch) was the (Fife) Council's and we said they'd go and tell them (about the agreement between ICT and Kelty Hearts).

How could they go ahead and announce it as a partnership, and sign an agreement (as he said on TWS) knowing the owners hadn't been told yet? 

If the farcical situation on Kelty isn't enough to act, then...

It does seem as there is only one aim in his mind, contrary to his appeals for other ideas, "I want to keep us full time and I want to get us up".  The latter, can be inferred, is promotion from the Championship, not League One, and that seems to be the crux of the. mindset - Premiership or bust.  

The former is an aspiration shared, but he seems desperately averse to the careful and steady plan (Director loan accounts were mentioned. More than once...).

Edited May 31, 20241 yr by Achfary
possessive apostrophe removal

Quote

Inverness being situated too far from South Queensferry

That was a WTAF moment.

Although as a SQ resident I can only agree 🤣

14 hours ago, Naelifts said:

Sorry but I am a bit of a luddite. Can i only get the latest pod on Twitter? The work you lads have put in to get these published is phenomenal and I for one think they are essential listening. So, is there another way?

If the links below work you can just click the play button and listen to them that way:

 

Here's a solution to the housing issue...

https://www.hspc.co.uk/Terraced-House-For-Sale-28-Telford-Street-Inverness-IV3-5LB

Cheers RIG. Really excellent stuff. For my money the Chairman is out of his depth dealing with this CEO. Frustrated, tired, heart-in-the-right-place, head-all-over-the-place,verging on exasperated and having had more than enough.

A modicum of sense, awareness and respect for the fans amongst the board would have seen an idea of this magnitude floated to the fans in a consultation process. Im afraid that not doing this is unforgiveable and new blood is required.

9 hours ago, Scotty said:

But it has to be the correct right-hand man. I don't know if he was pals with SG before he appointed him

Not according to an earlier TWS interview when SG appeared dating back to 2020 Scott.  Gardiner had been "advising" Robbo ( presumably on how to get paid for the sum total of no effort) prior to being appointed. I'll wager he prioritised building up the friendship once he met SM as he knows an opportunity when he sees one. On that basis Robbo is as culpable for exposing the club to the chancer. 

Great post above from Achfary.  It seems to me that Ross is suffering from a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome in relation to our "abrasive"* CEO (*talk about understatement of the century). His biggest problem is staring him in the face and yet he steadfastly deflects, excuses and point-blank refuses to recognise that Gardiner is the root of the vast majority of the problems we're facing.  

I also have to take issue with the Chairman's statements regarding the Academy. Unless I missed it he never explicitly said it was closing, only that it would be in jeopardy.  Then he blames us for not getting the pitchforks out in relation to a general remark which was quickly overtaken by more dramatic revelations. I don't think anyone was happy with the thought of axing the Academy and to suggest that we were is entirely disingenuous on his part.

The other point that enrages me is his assertion that 90% of the people that he's spoken to outwith Inverness thinks this is a great idea. I don't know about anyone  else but I live outwith Inverness and have colleagues/mates at home and abroad who have all voiced an opinion on Gardiner's hare-brained scheme and not one person has suggested it's a good idea. Probably because they're generally football fans who understand that football is not simply a business venture and fans are inextricably connected to their club/city. A frankly delusional statement which  undermines his credibility.

Prior to the Kelty statement I had a fair degree of sympathy towards Gardiner who's clearly a  fan and has put his hand in his pocket to keep things going.  However, his blind faith in Gardiner, in the face of overwhelming evidence of his ineptitude and unbridled hostility from all and sundry simply defies logic and suggest that it's time for a change.  

Finally, a very interesting update from the Supporters Trust this morning advising that trust members have confirmed their intention to withhold ca. £200k of revenues for the season ahead.  Surely this has to force a serious rethink? 

 

The news from the Supporters Trust this morning must surely lead to action today. 
 

I think just about every supporter is desperate for Gardiner to go. Whether he jumps or is pushed he needs go and go now. 
 

I think most have some sympathy for Morrison. But whilst his heart may be in the right place, he has made far too many mistakes and has alienated too many people in the local business community to remain as Chairman for the rebuilding process. 

16 minutes ago, ymip said:

 

Finally, a very interesting update from the Supporters Trust this morning advising that trust members have confirmed their intention to withhold ca. £200k of revenues for the season ahead.  Surely this has to force a serious rethink? 

 

If the club are really saving £300k plus a year moving training to Kelty plus other cuts and savings to be considered, even loosing out on a hypothetical £200k from some fans (which the club will consider likely to have a change of heart during the season) then technically they are still better off. This is about business, money and profit & loss accounts - think SG made that pretty clear in this interview - just thats not what fans want to hear or is the popular driver.

Its also very clear this is a gamble and big roll of the dice to get back to the Championship at first time of asking, otherwise people will be getting their wish of admin. Anything other than a quick return we cannot afford - which for a support that was critical of recruitment and investment over previous seasons to get into the Premiership many now seem happy to cut to P/T and youth players when clearly we will end up jobbing about in League 1 for many years.

Chairman and CEO gone??

2 minutes ago, EvilWhiteStripe said:

Chairman and CEO gone??

Rumours are certainly doing the rounds 

13 hours ago, CaleyCanary said:

I remember sitting in a Glasgow bar that night feeling quite depressed despite what we’d just achieved - I thought this was it, the pinnacle of our achievements, the best we could probably ever be and it would never be quite as good again.

It would have been no surprise to anyone if we didn’t win a major trophy for another decade, or flirt with relegation to the Championship a few times like County, however, I could never have dreamed that we could fall from grace so far, so quickly and so easily. In essence eventually ruined by one selfish, inept and incompetent idiot while others we trusted with the safe running of our club turned their heads the other way.

Ross Morrison has to accept responsibility for his part in allowing Gardiner the freedom to cause so much pain and damage. The evidence is overwhelming, you have an opportunity Ross to take the first steps in putting things right, sack Gardiner now!

No further delays or excuses, just get on with it and maybe you’ll find you come out of this in a far better place than where you find yourself today.

Drastic action is needed: getting rid of Gardiner is not enough.  We need people in there and throughout the club who seek the best interests of ICT and nothing else 

We are miles away from that just now.