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I think the posts above mask a potentially serious issue regarding the home support that becomes more urgent as time passes. There are (honest!) people around who think about this issue for periods of time large enough to be harmful to them. We come up with idea after idea but it doesn't seem to get organised or get through. The team delivers results - you simply can't argue against them being top of the League. They have arguably delivered on style as well. The concerns that were had in the days of high-octane Butcher football, when we pressed all over the field and sometimes ran out of steam and then didn't have a plan B have been addressed by possession based football. It's certainly different.What you can't argue with is that it's delivering by the only criteria that a football club works to and that the fans demand - results. We are not a club of a size who can afford to prioritise anything over results, because that's where our income is generated from SPFL and television. We don't have an investor of the magnitude of a Roy MacGregor and I'd venture to suggest that the support might not want one - and not just because County are currently illustrating the limitations of that kind of strategy. We'll never get the income required to run the team from gate receipts alone unless and until the size of the home gate reflects our League position. That means getting more people to home games and that's never going to happen when people can't get behind the club and team for whatever reason. If I have a fear about this (and it's a serious one), it's that we will lose the majority of what could well be our most successful team because it feels like they are playing in front of "two men and their dog". Let's face it, the majority of our first team are not here for the money and they are increasingly not getting much else out of it. What's to be done? The club always has and always will continue to work with fans, cjt etc. to improve things on and off the pitch. CTO has a role to play in that as well. If you have concerns, let the club or cjt know. If you have energies, please expend them for the good of the club. For instance, Rodger the handyman could really do with a hand to paint the perimeter railings and gates at the ground but doesn't have the manpower or the budget to do it. If you can help, pm me and we'll get it done. If you have a commitment to ICTFC, there are initiatives currently being discussed for upcoming home games that are designed to energise the support but they will only do that if you support, attend and feed back. If you have friends, persuade them to come to at least one game. We've recently seen how effective grass roots movements can be and if 500 existing fans can persuade one of their mates to come along for County, Hamilton, you will be much more effective than any committee. Please support as much as you can.

How about we turn this into a 'suggestions to increase matchday attendances' thread. Here are my 2 cents. First of all the marketing is virtually non existent. If you've just recently moved to Inverness you could be forgiven for not even realizing the city has a Premier League football club. Marketing should also include making the public aware of the various buses to and from the ground that are available. Most Invernessians probably have no idea they can get a free bus to the games. The Sports bar also never gets advertised. It isn't even mentioned on the club website. Secondly, match day experience. Other than corporate entertainment (£60 per person, way out of the budget of any normal working class family) you could hardly call a trip to TCS a 'family day out'. You have the match, and nothing else. Third, cross promotion. The club could cross promote with other local businesses for mutual benefit. E.g. A season ticket comes with a 1 day trial at Inverness Leisure, in return a 12 month membership at Inverness Leisure entitles you to attend one home league game. This is just one hypothetical example. All kinds of 'bonus' deals with local businesses could be incorporated into a season ticket, and the 'one free match' tokens that go out in return would bring in new fans who might become regulars. It's a no brainer really.

Davie makes a very good point. The team simply do not get the support they deserve and have earned! It's clear that team success is not having the impact we hoped for, so I'd like to see the club try some radical initiatives - e.g. £10 tickets in December, kids for a quid etc. - to try and get numbers up. I appreciate there may a short-term financial hit, but it would get a lot more people through the gates. It would be much better for the team to get 5,000 attendance on £10 tickets, than 2,700 on £20 (I know a lot of people are season holders, but more for less is more - if you get my point - though less financially perhaps - but maybe not if it takes off ) This is a golden age for ICT, with the best team we've ever had. We've got to make the most of it. Let's try some different approaches and see what works.

Rene, I believe that goal tally has now doubled

^^^^^^^^ Fun at parties. Remind me again, what's the link between ICT and Crystal Palace?

How about fitting reclining seats in the North stand. You could have a little sleep during the quieter moments.

I was holding back but bud did state that nobody appears to have come up with the answers and Big G raises the lack of " a latent support". There are obviously economic restraints but whether some despair or not the "loss" of two institutions, the resulting merger, the lasting derision between some fans and their families, plus the fact that many Caley and Thistle fans had their own "big" first team has and will still have an influence for years to come. It is encouraging to see more kids bearing ICT shirts in the streets and coming more to games. But when they hit 18ish it is often a case that they have to up sticks to go to University or find jobs. To me MK Dons are the true version of a "plastic club". Many refer to us in similar vein but at least we have not moved away from our beginnings. That would have been akin to a MK Elgin !!

Our last 2 home games have seen total crowds of approx. 2,800...so even the seemingly established "3,000 hard core" is beginning to become questionably high!!