Many of us may know or not know that the Inverness Area is in economical terms the largest catchment area in the UK. So my question/point is this. Do ICT target any parts of the Highlands outwith Inverness in terms of attracting supporters/Finances to the club.

Certainly our noisy neighours across the bridge will probably have Easter Ross sown up, but are we targeting the likes of the West Coast/Skye/Stornaway etc etc.

Yes there are distances involved, but surely people living in these regions who support one of the OF travel to Glasgow for their games, so surely there will be those who would happily travel to support ICT if they had an incentive.

Are we looking at offering incentives etc etc. Also the school kids deal, is this promoted outwith the City?

I know a lot of people do travel down from say Skye for shopping at weekends, so it makes sense to attract them to the stadium for home games at least.

With a population of approx 200,000, even 1% of this is enough to fill up our ground and give us vital revenue/supporters

any thoughts?

EXACTLY Alex! ICT does not generate anywhere near the level of intrest as many other teams. I do firmly believe that regular crowds at ICT home matches of 8000 should be acheivable. And i really think those in power at ICT should hold an in depth review of why their product is so unappealing. They wont tho...as they are clueless!

Young Smee & i are on the same page...filling our stadium is totally achievable and if peeps from Inverness cant be bothered ( for whatever reason) then look elsewhere.

someone mentioned ICT holding training days in shool holidays, great idea as this has 3 benefits.

1. The ICT brand is displayed

2. The PR generated by these days will gain more supporters

3. Potential scouting for kids with some talent.

everybody wins, the schools, the kids & their parents and ICT. Yes it would cost money, but to quote that old saying, you need to spend money to make money!

I work with a lot of Jambos and they told me that Hearts; years ago, used to send a team out pre-season across the Highlands & Islands. I cant remember which towns, but there are now a couple of Hearts supporters clubs in the Highlands because of this tie...Believe me It works

When ICT merged in 1994 they didnt become a Football club, they became a business with a Brand. Football is more about money than in is sport. We are customers of that brand

Edited November 8, 200817 yr by BornCaley

EXACTLY Alex! ICT does not generate anywhere near the level of intrest as many other teams. I do firmly believe that regular crowds at ICT home matches of 8000 should be acheivable. And i really think those in power at ICT should hold an in depth review of why their product is so unappealing. They wont tho...as they are clueless!

I work with a lot of Jambos and they told me that Hearts; years ago, used to send a team out pre-season across the Highlands & Islands.

Thats exactly what County used to do in Skye, now they have a very decent sized following here that pisses over Caley's to tell the truth.

EXACTLY Alex! ICT does not generate anywhere near the level of intrest as many other teams. I do firmly believe that regular crowds at ICT home matches of 8000 should be acheivable. And i really think those in power at ICT should hold an in depth review of why their product is so unappealing. They wont tho...as they are clueless!

I work with a lot of Jambos and they told me that Hearts; years ago, used to send a team out pre-season across the Highlands & Islands.

Thats exactly what County used to do in Skye, now they have a very decent sized following here that pisses over Caley's to tell the truth.

M'Lud - The Defence rests

Edited November 8, 200817 yr by BornCaley

Catchment is only limited by opportunity, and ICT should be taking every opportunity to promote the club wherever they go or are invited. Just the same as we fans take every opportunity to tell people about the team support, whether it's in a pub in Inverness or one on the other side of the globe.

But putting up a 1000 posters in Skye would do nothing, its too expensive to travel and takes too long!

If that was true, why then is it that there are bus loads of Old Firm Fans traveling further every week form the highlands to watch their teams?

Because those supporters clubs have been established for many, many years and they can offer subsidised buses because they can fill them. I cant see a Wick ICT supporters club forming and being able to provide 48 passengers on a bus no matter how much publicity ICT display around that area. We'd be lucky to be able to fill a bus from the Innes let alone further afield.

If i remember rightly when we won the first division against st johnstone was there no a caption on North Tonight about Caledonian Macbrayne taking over 100 supporters over from Stornoway for that Game.

For the record ICT do run soccer schools during the school holidays. The only teams I know of who run travelling schools are Man U. Celtic and Rangers. The majority of other clubs invite kids from around their own area.

The highlands, although all probably agree, are a big catchment are, are a big area with very poor transport links so it will always be difficult to attract fans from outside. The easiest way always is to be successful on the park. Get our home record, especially, improved and gate will slowly increase. People want entertainment not heartache.

Dont Celtic have some form of community coach in Inverness? I am postive it is a guy who was a year or two ahead of me in school who runs the show.

For the record ICT do run soccer schools during the school holidays. The only teams I know of who run travelling schools are Man U. Celtic and Rangers. The majority of other clubs invite kids from around their own area.

If we are talking discrete catchments, then County take a travelling kids school, all over ICTs area. They go as far south as Badenoch, out to Nairn Forres, Fort Augustus and all points North. It is well run and attended. Only in the last year or two has ICT offered and alternative. Country were waaay ahead of the game in the Heelans.

Pains me to say, but County are light years ahead of us in many areas, and apparently they have an excellent youth set up, and they treat their youngsters with respect.

my uncle is from inverness, but is living in london.he flys up for a couple of games each season. he goes to away games more than home ones tho.

wel the fact is football is too expensive when u consider sky high tiket prices when you jump from the SFL to SPL so that is an advantage county have also travelling costs a lot as wel so i think we should concentrate more on the inverness area.

i hav also heard that caley would consider moving to the bught if the council would help substancialy with the costs involved. i think this would be fantastic as it is within walking distance of places such as dalniegh and crown and a few others so that would boost attendances but there is also the problem of those who still have to drive as it is accesed via the heart of the city.

if it considerably boosted our attendances i think caley should push on and find out the costs involved and if it is in the best interests of most fans.

Pains me to say, but County are light years ahead of us in many areas, and apparently they have an excellent youth set up, and they treat their youngsters with respect.

DOH - Fraser, Munro, Wood, Duff, Sutherland - SPL not feckin ***** SFL.

Feckin asterisks - qypsy

Then the club should consider hiring a float plane--(are there any left in the highlands these days)-to land in Skye and then straight on to the waters right outside the stadium,. I have had a float plane journey once with some other hikers-we flew over a moun tain top and then landed on a mountain lake. Had a ball in a hut overnight and hiked down to the water in the morning.

Anyway, if the club even showed willing to offer a reasonable fare in conjunction with the float plane (formerly known as sea-planes ) Sea Otters mostly, plus a bus into town and back they could even maybe develop a jetty outside the club door. What a P.R. coup that would be.

Then think, they could develop an exchange programme to Norway for visiting fans -- Great P/R. for all concerned and helps the finances of the town from the incoming tourist dollars.

Oh Sorry --that's jusy so stupid a thought I suppose. Too enterprising by far , Hmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

Then the club should consider hiring a float plane--(are there any left in the highlands these days)-to land in Skye and then straight on to the waters right outside the stadium,. I have had a float plane journey once with some other hikers-we flew over a moun tain top and then landed on a mountain lake. Had a ball in a hut overnight and hiked down to the water in the morning.

Anyway, if the club even showed willing to offer a reasonable fare in conjunction with the float plane (formerly known as sea-planes ) Sea Otters mostly, plus a bus into town and back they could even maybe develop a jetty outside the club door. What a P.R. coup that would be.

Then think, they could develop an exchange programme to Norway for visiting fans -- Great P/R. for all concerned and helps the finances of the town from the incoming tourist dollars.

Oh Sorry --that's jusy so stupid a thought I suppose. Too enterprising by far , Hmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

I don't think the Float Planes are allowed to land on the water if there's a tarmac alternative nearby, I could be wrong and if so that would be a brilliant addition to the Marina Development at the Harbour. I could envisage a large fleet based in the Beauly Firth.

Point is that there has to be subsidised travel put on.

Look at Stoke they put on a free bus to Hull for their supporters.

For a father and son from Portree it costs 65 odd quid all in (bus, tickets, snacks) and takes 13 hours. A bit unreasonable for the average family.

People arent made of money, for a teenager its gonna cost 30 pound minimum to do it, and thats just bus and ticket. For an adult 45-55 pound.

No matter how many bounce games ICT play or training sessions they do, we dont live in the central belt where an hour can take you to 10 different stadiums. Its a 13 hour day for people in Portree by bus.

Free bus and then you are talking!

I don't think the Float Planes are allowed to land on the water if there's a tarmac alternative nearby, I could be wrong and if so that would be a brilliant addition to the Marina Development at the Harbour. I could envisage a large fleet based in the Beauly Firth.

I dont think that your correct about the landing. Few years back, there was a company that started up a float plane business to take passangers right into the centre of glasgow, using the Clyde river as their base. Dont know if it lasted long mind.

I think another angle to look at the situation from is, we are living in one of the most sparcely populated regions in Europe. When it copmes to living/working/operating in the Highlands, the rule book goes out the window

Edited November 10, 200817 yr by SMEE