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County second half of the season will crumble, im pretty sure of it. Personally....i dont want to see them anywhere near the SPL as ICT are currently the biggest draw in the region...last thing we need is to be fighting for scraps with another team! Yes, we would get two good gate reciepts twice a season, but i fear the overall drop in revenue should county also make it to the spl would be greater!

I do agree that County will take some of our sponsorship etc, and it will be more evened out that way. But what about new sponsors attracted to the idea of 2 SPL teams in the Highlands? Two extra games where we will sell out with 7,000 fans instead of 3,800. County would add more interest for Caley Thistle fans. Not only would the goal be to avoid relegation / get to top six, but also to be above County. There will be more nationwide publicity with the 2 teams in the area. It will help with local economy. To add on to what a previous poster said, if a Hearts fan comes up and stays the weekend for an ICT game, he then does the same for a County game and possibly stays in an Inverness hotel buying Inverness beer in an Inverness pub etc. I don't believe for one second that we will lose fans to County. Not one Caley Thistle fan is going to tear up their ICT ticket and drive across the bridge. County will gain fans, but possibly fans who don't have an allegiance to a Highland team, possibly one of these ghastly Invernessian old filth fans. If they don't support Caley Thistle by now, well they never will. Smee - I personallly have no problem wishing County well. I am a Caley Thistle fan. It is the only team I support and the only team I will ever support. It doesn't make me any less of a "fan" for wishing them well. I still love to hate them, love to hate their fans - some of them very good friends actually and I sincerely hope I will continue to love to hate them whilst taking 12 points (or 9 if we make top 6) off them next season in the SPL!!! p.s. f*ck the County!

Cant see how County getting into the SPL will have an impact on our income. Can only see it rise for the season they would be up. Increased interest in North football, icreased compitition between team, more income for inverness businesses, especially the garages ( fuel in inverness is cheaper, and it take more fuel to tow yer house behind you ). Bigger gates than against Dunfermline if its they who go down. Cant see a negative. ICT fans wandering over the bridge to support county in big games, probably wouldnt go to our away games anyway. SPL would also try to avoid ICT and County playing home games the same weekend anyway, same as they do with the ugly sisters, The ednbru two and if Dundee had two spl teams. Can you imagine the train from Perth to inverness with Hearts and Celtic fans, or Gers and Hibees fans onboards, Train station would be interesting place to be. Stadium roundabout before and after games, police up here would advice against stretching their manpower. come on county, dont f up the second half of the season, would love the north derbies to be on SKY / ESPN live, even if it is just for the one season.

So basically what folk are saying is that ICT's support is a false one and that we will lose numbers to County. Personally I believe another highland team in the top league will be good for scottish football. I also believe that the competition for revenue between the two clubs will be no different to what it is now.

I would look forward to it just the same way that Steven Thompson would like Dundee back in the SPL.It willl reignite the interest in football in the highlands and it may even convert some Old Firm pretenders to go and watch a real club where they actually live,I would also expect it to lure sleeping fans back to ICT and County. It also puts a bit more cash into the Inverness economy, I cant see for example a Hearts fan bringing the wife up to Dingwall and saying goodbye to her on the High street, going to the match whilst she does a bit of retail therapy, I cant see fans wanting to have a weekend in Dingwall either so Inverness still makes money off the back of County even on away days. Just to add a bit more, I think hospitality will be worth far more v County than any other previous SPL newcomer. Regarding sponsoring can anyone give an example of a long term County sponsor who has abandoned them and advertised with us as soon as ICT reached the SPL.

I'm really quite surprised at how many people on this forum view County's elevation to the SPL positively. Make no mistake - such a scenario would be to our detriment and could quite feasibly lead to part-time football in Inverness. Don't underestimate the dangers (to ICT) of County entering the SPL, which fortunately, as Smee points out, is actually quite unlikely.

What's a penalty?

Santa tells me you have all been very good helping pack bags in a local supermarket, hes pleased with your good behavior, your fund raising, being good ambassadors for the club and promoting ICT in a prominent place prior to a home match. Hes a bit busy at the minute so he asked me to say well done on his behalf, he should be round to see you all by the morning and to have a lovely Christmas.