You're right, we don't have 3 to 5 years to sort things out and I wasn't suggesting we do. Things have to start changing (for the better) now....but it will take that length of time, IMO, to get back to where we were in terms of the relationship between the club and fans that existed prior to our entry to the SPL and started going down hill from then on.
How long it will take to reverse the trend in terms of falling numbers...I have no clue. It needs to happen quick, and it needs to happen in conjunction with the above.
I know I keep on about the lack of money, and part of the turnaround needs to be looking at ways to fund certain things. I don't buy into the theory that Directors should exist to keep dipping in to their own pockets to finance things and in fairness to some of our Directors/Ex Directors, they have done more than their share in that regard. Yes, you could argue that they are merely funding their own mismanagement, but like it or not, football clubs in their current form are not sustainable businesses....and whilst doing everything else that needs done, a sustainable model which doesn't rely on handouts also needs to be put in place. (I'll save you the lecture on my thoughts about the need for community business models as I'm not sure a single post can be that long)
There comes a point when you have to stop playing the blame game and accept that if you want change then you have to play your part in bringing it about. Have the club made poor decisions in the past?...sure. Have the fans been less than supportive at times?...sure. Does that change where we are at now and what needs to be done?...not in the slightest.
I would, personally, whittle that list down to just 2 points....the last two.
Ultimately the Board have very little control over the team, how they play and what they do. They can only provide a pot of money which is used to employ management and players, and beyond that it falls to the manager to make it as successful as possible within the budget he has. Levels of success and entertainment are subjective, and the board would be chasing their tail and getting involved in things they are not expert at (or expected to be expert at) if they were to try and interfere with that to any great extent.
The second point...get points three and four right and point two takes care of itself, so let's not get hung up on it as a separate issue.
Beyond your list, the club need to be looking at the non fan/match/football related activities which are needed to help support everything else. I don't know what goes on in terms of functions/conferencing etc on a day to day basis, so I'm in position to comment on where that is at, but it's not an area which should be ignored....far from it.
I can't/wouldn't try to speak on behalf of the Directors of the club...but I think the fact that they have realised and accepted that things are broken is an important first step. The increased communication and working relationship with Caley Jags Together also indicates a willingness to go looking for reasons to why we are where we are and ideas on how to change it.
That's only the very start of the process, and yes I do know for a fact that there's more to come. I'm not in a position to give any detail on what that it is, and that's partly down to not having full facts/details on the next step...but one is definitely in the pipeline and I fully agree with and support what I know of it so far.
As much as some people might like to accuse me of having "crossed over" or being a "poacher turned gamekeeper"....I can assure you that I absolutely share all the same frustrations and disappointments as every other fan. The difference for me now, as I have said, is that things are changing and instead of wasting time and energy on being angry and upset about it, I can now spend that time and energy doing things to try and change it....either through my involvement with Caley Jags Together, or directly with the club.
Yes, I do work (and need to), but I'm fortunate, I think, to work for myself and that allows me a lot of flexibility with my time. Wish I could do more, and if some rich person out there wanted to pay me to work full time for ICT then I would happily give up my other work...maybe I'll win the lottery instead!!!
In saying that, it's not about how much a person does, I would be happier seeing 1000 fans give 1 hour a month than I would seeing 10 fans giving 100 hours a month....because that would be the surest indication of all that the ICT Community (Club, Fans, City, Businesses) were getting things right and everyone was supporting the club/team.
All that aside....I think you, me and many others are saying we want to see much and such the same thing. I also accept that I am in a position where I'm seeing more day to day to convince me that the club board have turned a corner in terms of their approach/attitude to things and that news/message needs to be getting out there more in order to show others the same thing....point very much taken on board and will be fed back.
I guess what I really want to see from fans is a bit less of "the club should be doing...." and a bit more of "how can I be doing". Again, I accept that the club/Caley Jags Together need to facilitate that and that point has been taken on board also and will be fed back.
Anyway....off to hide as the "not at the game, but know everything must have been bad because we got beat brigade" will be out in full force and I find that more demoralising than anything else that's going on with the club just now.....!!!