The Orion Group provided the following statement to CaleyThistleOnline this afternoon.......

?In light of various reports in the press, on TV and Saturday?s programme against Kilmarnock Orion would like to confirm that Alan Savage?s resignation from ICTFC on the 9th of April was with immediate effect.

We would also like to point out that the signing of Marius Niculae was a unanimous decision of the ICTFC board on the recommendation of the then Manager Charlie Christie.

Further it should be noted that at no time has the Orion Group or Alan Savage made any payments to Marius Niculae in respect of a signing on fee, wages or anything else whatsoever. ?

I didn't see the interview with Savage on STV... Can someone post a transcript...?

Wondering if he (Savage) maybe felt bitter about the interview David Sutherland gave to STV last week in which he was very critical of all the circumstances surrounding the signing of Niculae...

Aye aye, the conspiracy theorists are flocking now, seems to me that we are getting up tight about not much here.

CC looks to have wanted Marius, Orion and the board agree he could be signed, Orion buy shares to the value of his wages, If Marius is sold this will money back into the coffers.

Fair point...however it has one huge flaw.  If it was that straight forward then why not simply be clear about it from the outset?

I'll tell you why...because it would have caused an absolute uproar that the Board were giving away 12% of the club in order to secure the services of one player for 2 years....and the Board knew it, which is why they were happy to let people continue believing that Orion were paying (at least) part of his wages.

No lies were told, but the club made sure it helped the assumption along and did nothing to set the story straight.

What a farcical and embarrasing situation  :029:

we'll probably end up being investigated for tax fraud next on unseen hidden wages  :014:

Is that guy who wants to buy a club and rename it Harchester United still around, Heres a football club for ya  :sillywave:

Aye aye, the conspiracy theorists are flocking now, seems to me that we are getting up tight about not much here.

CC looks to have wanted Marius, Orion and the board agree he could be signed, Orion buy shares to the value of his wages, If Marius is sold this will money back into the coffers.

Fair point...however it has one huge flaw.  If it was that straight forward then why not simply be clear about it from the outset?

I'll tell you why...because it would have caused an absolute uproar that the Board were giving away 12% of the club in order to secure the services of one player for 2 years....and the Board knew it, which is why they were happy to let people continue believing that Orion were paying (at least) part of his wages.

No lies were told, but the club made sure it helped the assumption along and did nothing to set the story straight.

Very plausible mun, waiting for the appearance of Mr Fraser now to see what he has to say, although DS will probably have primed him.

I hope Mr Savage might make further contact with this site, and explain how and from where, the BBC got this statement.

Quote from BBC report Saturday 19th April :

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Alan Savage has revealed he will pay striker Marius Niculae's salary for another season.

But the club may offload Niculae in the summer if they receive a suitable offer, in order to pursue other transfer targets.

The BBC aren't generally guilty of making up stuff like that...

The BBC aren't generally guilty of making up stuff like that...

Chick Young "Exclusives" anybody ?  :029:

The BBC aren't generally guilty of making up stuff like that...

Chick Young "Exclusives" anybody ?  :029:

Yeah.. ok.. Apart from that erse...  :015:

The BBC perhaps jumped to the same conclusions as many people on this site.

All Orion are saying is that neither they nor Savage have made any payments directly to Niculae. They are remaining silent on the arrangement by which they may have have provided funds to the club for that purpose.

The BBC perhaps jumped to the same conclusions as many people on this site.

All Orion are saying is that neither they nor Savage have made any payments directly to Niculae. They are remaining silent on the arrangement by which they may have have provided funds to the club for that purpose.

Maybe he should be considering raising an action against the BBC in that case...

Somehow... I don't think he will.

FECK ME - DOES THIS MEAN I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG ??  :023:

I hope Mr Savage might make further contact with this site, and explain how and from where, the BBC got this statement.

Quote from BBC report Saturday 19th April :

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Alan Savage has revealed he will pay striker Marius Niculae's salary for another season.

But the club may offload Niculae in the summer if they receive a suitable offer, in order to pursue other transfer targets.

The BBC aren't generally guilty of making up stuff like that...

Again it's all down to interpretation.  If AS/Orion purchased shares in the club with the intention of making funds available to fund Niculaes wage....then it's conceivable that the club have already got enough from the deal to cover 2 years wages.

Is that what we the fans have been led to believe ?

I hope Mr Savage might make further contact with this site, and explain how and from where, the BBC got this statement.

Quote from BBC report Saturday 19th April :

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Alan Savage has revealed he will pay striker Marius Niculae's salary for another season.

But the club may offload Niculae in the summer if they receive a suitable offer, in order to pursue other transfer targets.

The BBC aren't generally guilty of making up stuff like that...

Again it's all down to interpretation.  If AS/Orion purchased shares in the club with the intention of making funds available to fund Niculaes wage....then it's conceivable that the club have already got enough from the deal to cover 2 years wages.

It's all very murky is it not...?

Is it not fair to say then, that thanks to Alan Savage's Orion Group, Niculae can remain with us for the remainder of his contract..?

That doesn't appear to be Mr Savage's interpretation now...

Just offering up an alternative interpretation, the same as I did months ago when I suggested that Orion weren't paying Niculae directly.

Sutherland interview on Sportsound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

500-600 thousand pound required?  Where the **** has that come from?

500-600 thousand pound required?  Where the **** has that come from?

Wages of allegedly ?5000 a week over a 52 week year for a 2 year contract, you do the maths  :004:

If it is as much as ?5k a week then it equates to ?260,000.  Not ?500,000.

Is Sutherland saying that even if Nicolae wasnt in our squad, that we would need to raise quarter of a million pound?

Sorry that should be ?260,000 for his final year, I presume hes already been paid for this season!

he will have been paid for this season, but after todays revelations its unknown whether the club has paid it, i was like many under the impression this years wages came from Savage and Orion.

over his 2 year contract if we were to keep him next season (as i think we may end up doing) then that will be if the ?5000 is correct = to ?520,000 which would fit in with what Sutherland is saying about ?500-600,000

I don't think Sutherland does himself any favours playing the "I'm only a naive shareholder" card.  We know you better than that Mr Sutherland, you've always been straight with the fans in the past, don't start treating us like idiots now, especially when you need our support more than ever.

Further to that, the interview with him only serves to raise more questions than it answers.

Firstly, you can't pin the blame on one man, these decisions are voted on by the Board of Directors and if the Board have jeopardised the financial stability of the club then I'd expect more heads to roll....will that be the case?

Even if you believe that Niculae was  on the reported ?4000/?5000 per week.  Over 12 months that's only ?250,000...with us having received investment of ?270,000 from Orion share purchase, then they cancel out.  Even if you assume the liability for a further 12 months to cover the contract, that still doesn't equate to ?500k to ?600k of a hole needing filled.

Why has Sutherland been so quick to bring up the "Share Issue" thing....could it be that I was right on the thread about the incoming Chairman and that he is paving the way for further investment, or indeed, is he about to make another move to take full control of the club himself?

I had hoped the response to today's Orion Statement would be a little more savy, but I think it's more likely that we should baton down the hatches and get ready for the fall out as it looks like it's going to be a few days of "he did this, and he did that" from either side.

I think its unreasonable to ask shareholders to raise those sums of money, though as a one off it may well be a necessity if Nicolae doesnt move on and the club are to continue to improve the squad.

In that interview he talks about sustainability, thats fine but at what level does he want to sustain the club at?  Rather than cutting off the wage bill and accepting long term mediocrity, the club itself should be looking at ways of improving our income through means other than handouts, in every department.. be it as basic as improving customer relations to asking the right amount of money for players or investing in large capital projects such as gyms/supporters bars, increasing the stadium capacity or even looking at selling the lease for the stadium itself and moving to a more suitable location.

We all have to be grateful to David Sutherland as these kind of things are really outwith his remit as a shareholder, but in the grander scheme of things, the club being put at risk by one players wages is unacceptable.  Not because we're paying them too Nmuch (it'd be different if he was on ?20,000 a week and costing us a million quid a year) but because the club doesnt have the capability to raise these sums of money every year on its own, or isnt appealing enough to the Highland community to sell enough season tickets to cover costs.

I don't think Sutherland does himself any favours playing the "I'm only a naive shareholder" card.  We know you better than that Mr Sutherland, you've always been straight with the fans in the past, don't start treating us like idiots now, especially when you need our support more than ever.

Further to that, the interview with him only serves to raise more questions than it answers.

Agree with all of that...

He was certainly choosing his words very carefully throughout that interview, and you can't blame him for that... 

I suspect (and hope) he is re-considering his decision not to be involved again as chairman...

Looks like another club is gonna get a bargain buy with Niculae over the close season !!! It's not as if ICT are in a position to hold out for high offers. Everyone now knows that we're looking to offload Marius cos we can't afford him!

Where are we gonna get another striker from? ...... especially if the club's searching for ?500k investment?

Can we afford to release Dennis Wyness?......but after the way he's been treated will he want to stay ?

Things are looking pretty bleak for next season !!! :008:

It's Marius Niculae I really feel for right now.  The guys come here to play football, he's kept his head down, got on with the job and given 100%...yet here he is stuck in the middle of all the chit through no fault of his.

And please, don't give me the "he's being well paid for it line".  I've been in well paid jobs where the stress and hassle was unbelievable and all the money in the world don't make up for it.