I’m sure it’s being thought about by the club, however I want to raise or put-it-out-there regarding promoting and maximising the marketing of the remaining home games in the run down to this season campaign.

Baring a complete collapse or multiple injuries, the likelihood is ICT will either win promotion as champions (my view), or enter into the playoffs.

The weather will improve as Spring approaches. Add in the team is playing well and scoring goals in most games the opportunity to attract more fans and ‘sell’ the club for corporate and sponsorship should be exploited to its full.

I know we did it in the past however I haven’t see it recently, and that is Primary School kids. Weather and organising teacher / parent control will be a factor, however if we are going to attract more fans then this is the best place to start IMO. Let them in for nothing. I’m happy to offer a drink for a class attending to help.

Be nice to get ahead of our cousins across the bridge for once and can’t think of a better opportunity to promote the club.

Tuppence worth!!

bc

Edited February 17Feb 17 by big cherly

3 hours ago, big cherly said:

I’m sure it’s being thought about by the club, however I want to raise or put-it-out-there regarding promoting and maximising the marketing of the remaining home games in the run down to this season campaign.

Baring a complete collapse or multiple injuries, the likelihood is ICT will either win promotion as champions (my view), or enter into the playoffs.

The weather will improve as Spring approaches. Add in the team is playing well and scoring goals in most games the opportunity to attract more fans and ‘sell’ the club for corporate and sponsorship should be exploited to its full.

I know we did it in the past however I haven’t see it recently, and that is Primary School kids. Weather and organising teacher / parent control will be a factor, however if we are going to attract more fans then this is the best place to start IMO. Let them in for nothing. I’m happy to offer a drink for a class attending to help.

Be nice to get ahead of our cousins across the bridge for once and can’t think of a better opportunity to promote the club.

Tuppence worth!!

bc

Unpopular opinion of mine is that this is wrong age group! Its been shown they have too many competing interests and dont keep coming. Personally think should be aimed at secondary kids who are more likely to keep coming provided they dont move away for uni etc.

1 hour ago, old caley girl said:

Unpopular opinion of mine is that this is wrong age group!

No wrong opinion here OCG, the motive is the same. The more comments, views and opinions on this matter are IMO at the heart of one of the most important issues concerning the club, and that is the need to increase fan and business engagement and bums on seats (or steel barrier (painful)) at our home games. Any fan increase can only help generate a better atmosphere.

Not taking the initiative at this juncture when the on field prospect of the getting promotion will be (as I said above) an opportunity missed.

The bar upgrade and bus run is great, but it serves the already diehards. We need to go outwith this group spectrum. How we do it, I don’t really know. I just believe if we realise and maintain no more than a 2000 home fan base then sooner or later it will count (excuse the pun). The start -finish of the N500 is a good sideline initiative but it’s flying a kite. AS has done his bit, but ultimately we have to think beyond Mr Savage’s guidance and benevolence.

Just adding I would give / make the ICT kids 5min HT kick about a common feature. Get them on the ICT telly. More engagement and exposure with the club.

bc

Edited February 17Feb 17 by big cherly

Mrs Kellacher had the first team players visiting Lochardil school last week, my grandson 8 who has a season ticket and his pals were delighted. There are a few from that age going already and have all the gear! Get them in at any age.

I was just about to ask if players still go to schools etc but you have actually answered that above @IBM 👍. I know they regularly attend breakfast clubs and the community development sessions because that group are really good at uploading pics on their Facebook page quite regularly 🙂.

Fwiw @big cherly I think that is a fantastic idea, I'm sure there are plenty ICT fans at each of the schools in the area that would love to attend more matches if at all possible.

I also totally understand where @old caley girl is coming from too so I suppose there is all opinions to consider here. Most of us would like to see better atmospheres during games other than the singing section (if that's still available).

Me and my friend are thinking of going down at some point when he gets his plus 1 bus card seeing as we missed the Peterhead game so I will be back sometime soon. I am trying to convince him to make it at least an annual event, he works weekends so I can't make it a weekly occurrence unfortunately.

this came up on my facebook feed today ....

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HvYTN15RK/

Big Shirley has the power⚡

Great initiative

I suppose any initiative like this will have pros and cons and won't work for everyone.

Getting young kids in is a good idea (before they give their alliegence to a "bigger" team at the other end of the country) but they take a lot of supervision in big groups and can get easily bored and distracted from the match. Perhaps it's worth using a couple of remaining home games to discount the U16 price from £8 to a nominal £1 ("kids for a quid") with a paying adult to boost the youngster numbers.

Getting teens is good in that they can get to games with their mates and not need such supervision. But by that age have they already decided to support another team and are just going for a freebie with their pals? Again maybe offer a couple matches of £5 per 16-20 year olds tickets.

I do think there is a need to attract younger fans as we all drop off the top end of the scale for various reasons along the way. Attracting them while in a successful period is much easier then when struggling so now really is the best time to get them hooked and wanting to come back.

Important to catch them when they're young, before they slot into the Rangers/Celtic thing.
Support your home-town club!

bc or is it Herman now, keep up the good work, this is just my tuppence worth.

I have 15 grandkids.

Since 94 I attended ict games with my father and stopped going when he passed away 20 years ago. To get me back to the football my wife persuaded me to take the oldest grandchild when she 7-8, as SHE wanted to go. It was a porky pie but it got me back to the game.

Through the years all the kids came to the games with me but fell by the wayside over the years when they started activities of their own on Saturdays, mostly by the age of 10. The oldest grandson saw the glory days before he stopped going after the cup win.

I am now down to the last 2 grandkids.

I also have a 16 month great grandchild so maybe taking him in future is a plan if I am still on the right side of the grass.😀 or I need help finding the stadium.

They all play sports, tennis, rugby, basket ball, golf, football, darts, hockey even fishing, mainly on a Saturday with home/ away, matches/ tournaments all over Scotland.

There are lot of kids doing the same.

Last home game I was Johnny no mates as one was playing for clach u 14 away to Elgin with a 1pm KO, the other had a party to go to. Even IBM felt sorry for me and came over to chat to me.

Ps………. I have several season tickets for both ICT and RC. The last 4-5 years ( championship and premier league) when I was away on a Saturday or both teams at home, I couldn’t off load any to anyone. People are too busy or just don’t fancy it. I don’t bother offering them anymore.

You either want to watch football or you don’t. You know, you can lead a horse to water etc.

Sorry for the negativity but the way it has been for me.

Edited February 18Feb 18 by bishbashbosh

11 hours ago, bishbashbosh said:

You either want to watch football or you don’t. You know, you can lead a horse to water etc.

This is very true, but there will be some in the middle ground who are curious or have no strong feelings either way. If you offer a discounted ticket it might tip those ones into giving it a try. It also makes it more likely that an adult who attends will take their kids - if two kids are £16 but you don't know if they will like it then allowing them to try for £2, say, is more appealing if they hate it and you have to leave at half time.

14 hours ago, bishbashbosh said:

bc or is it Herman now,

What are you talking about bbb? - That’s my actual selfie I added a couple of weeks ago 🔩.

I was thinking what OCG said re secondary school teenagers. It’s a valid point that this group is more likely to turn up than primary school kids. A few thoughts:

SC/ teenagers - most of this group will have attended matches in the past with parents or mates. Attracting them back needs to provide an attraction that draws them to come along on match day. - Winning team, exciting atmosphere, same age group behaviour, enjoyment are the main ones that come to mind.

Winning team - No 1 : If we can’t make a case for a winning team favourites for promotion this season then there is no hope. Best chance in a decade?

Exciting atmosphere - Hard sell here as it is the 20 odd teens that create any atmosphere in the (wide open) ground. Double edge sword (see below).

Group behaviour - teens want to test every / all limits. Before the flare throwing a couple of months back the teen group was 40-50 IMO. Since the warning by the club / police of chasing the individual responsible, the numbers here has halved. Would better ‘policing’ by wardens be a better approach than just repeatably hammering the precise group we want / need to attract to generate an atmosphere??

Be great if we can come up with a few ideas like OCG says to target this group. Do the club send flyers / players round Secondary Schools?

Re Primary School kids. - it’s simply I believe ‘catch them young’. If two kids out of a class of 12-18 want to come back then it’s a success.

Final one from me - The ICTFC Girl teams seem to be developed into a main part of the club. If it is considered not suitable to have a few of the under 10 teams play during HT (at same time as the boys games), any girl team successes should be better publicised at the main stadium.

Done 😁

Shirley

Edited February 19Feb 19 by big cherly

Good discussion. I totally agree that the club needs to find new avenues to attract future fans.

I will be eternally grateful to AS for saving our club but I do agree we need to find new ideas to bring money in and new ways to attract folk to games. I am a bit disappointed in the lack o progress so far on both these. Seems like business as usual? No half time entertainment, not a lot of stock in shop and certainly nothing different from past stock and same old hospitality. I hate to showcase our neighbours but they seem to be running several events including a gin cocktail hospitality with a one course meal. Theyve also done a whisky one. At least trying different things. I do think they need a marketing consultant but with a football background.

NB Re Bishbashbosh post above, is the Highlands unique that a fair few fans go to watch both senior clubs? Not something I hear folk doing elsewhere in Scotland.

4 hours ago, big cherly said:

Final one from me - The ICTFC Girl teams seem to be developed into a main part of the club. If it is considered not suitable to have a few of the under 10 teams play during HT (at same time as the boys games), any girl team successes should be better publicised at the main stadium.

Done 😁

Shirley

“any girl team successes should be better publicised at the main stadium”

On this point, I was at Dingwall last week watching county get beat again, QP this time. Can’t see them staying up.

At h/t it was announced that a RC centre forward has signed for Aberdeen city and is making the permanent move through there with her family. Turned out she was a young girl and her last act at Dingwall was to walk round the pitch at H/T with her dad as a farewell. Well supported on the journey by both sets of fans. Must have been a marvellous day for her. Well done to RC for allowing her to leave in style.

My daughter plays for the Orkney U9s and the team are due a visit from the SFA on 10th of March. She’s ICT daft and wears the pink and also the orange strips at every training session. I admire the girls/ladies setup, having got closer to it with my daughter playing here and supporting ICT.

That’s a real touch of class there you mention from RC BBB. The whole setup hangs together IMO.

Being geographically isolated up here, we need to plan our home visits to make maximum impact for my daughter and her 5 girl cousins under 12. The dads are thinking of taking hospitality with them all there for one or two games during the run in to the men’s final few games.

History looks to be repeating itself somewhat as it wasn’t dissimilar for me growing up in this situation!

Edited February 27Feb 27 by Northern_jaggie