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Think some folk are revelling in these damp squib times.

It better come together soon! We are in a fecking mess on and off the park. Looking forward to that ‘buzz’ but it’s not been around much this season and the recent home performances have been turgid and horrible to watch.

As long as they lay on plenty of calamari it’ll be fine.

Thank you for these responses and any others would be welcome in an attempt to clarify exactly what is going on here. I am more than prepared to be corrected on this, but it is, however, beginning to look likely that this is far from “Caley Thistle’s battery farm” and more like the club being used as a vehicle for ILI to gain access to suburban site for an industrial installation. Whether there is also an element of using the club’s position as a prominent local sporting entity as a lever to realise this objective is perhaps also worth considering. As an ITandC shareholder (very minor!), I’m a bit disappointed that more clarity has not been provided to those who actually own the club. When the BF was mentioned at the last AGM, it didn’t appear to be at an advanced enough stage for detail to be sought, and in any case everyone was still smarting from the demise of the Concert Company. The BF issue will certainly need to be pursued at the next AGM although, remembering that the date of the last one breached the requirements of the company’s Articles of Association by several months, it’s not clear when that might take place. One further observation - for how long would the “seven figure sum” or whatever other benefit is expected here keep the ever present financial wolf from the door, given that there may be loans to pay off (?) and also the fundamentally large loss making football operation?

Who was on the Panel, the chairman of our planning applications committee?

our 30th year also

Nailed it. As Robert says above: the chairman was quite clear at the meeting - the club get a one off windfall from this project and ZERO on-going revenues. This is a tacit admission that they intend to flog it ASAP on to another party. How this benefits the community beyond the (alleged) immediate survival of the club is a mystery. As Mr Bannerman highlights, this has all been horribly opaque and does not sit well.

The club are acting as rent-a-stooge. ILI knew they'd need an angle to get around the use of protected green space and the club is being used to play the "won't someone think of the children" card to add pressure for approval. Messrs Cameron and Sutherland would have known the same. Donating a worthless bit of land (without planning consent) to the club that could potentially be turned into a 7 figure windfall makes some sense if they want any chance of getting back money they've loaned. If successful, it also sets a precedent for development on the rest of the old golf course.

I’m beginning to lose the thread of this Battery Farm issue and there are one or two fundamentals I would like to be able to establish - fundamentals with which, as a club shareholder, I should probably have been made more familiar. In particular, what exactly is the football club’s role in this BF project? Council minutes state that the planning application is in the name of ILI, but yet this is frequently referred to as “Caley Thistle’s battery farm”. Why should ILI want or need the football club to be involved? If they want to be benefactors or sponsors, why don’t they just give the club some cash? Or is there some fundamental benefit for ILI to have a completely unrelated football club associated with an industrial project that’s a million miles away from football? I’m also curious to know what direct involvement the club would have with the running of the farm if it gets the go ahead? If the answer is “none” then that simply revives the question above - “then why be involved at all ?” If the answer is otherwise then, especially remembering the reputationally damaging demise of the Concert Company, we need to know whether there are any other companies, directly involved or arm’s length, that are being formed here and what are the possible implications for the club? In particular, if the BF were to fail, or to blow up or something, would the club, of which many of us are shareholders, be liable in any way? The way it currently looks to me is - “ILI, which has commercial relationship with club, want to build battery farm on land owned by individuals with club connections and, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, club stands to benefit big time. However club immediately appears to be up to its neck in the planning process for a scheme that seems to be the only financial messiah in town - to the extent that ICT seem to be fronting this industrial project that’s a million miles away from its core business and for reasons that are far from clear.” What am I missing?

That’s not what the Chairman said at the Fans’ Meeting. He said we get a one off seven figure sum but no ongoing revenue stream.

Wonder what will come of this? Not expecting much tbh given the damp squid the 25th anniversary was.

Did Danny Calamari not play for Everton>>>

A decent football match would be a good start. One v some kind of Everton team possibly.

If we signed a calamari we'd get ten tackles in every game....

Again, all I can do is to refer to what the Chairman said at the Fans’ Meeting. He said the funding would allow investment in facilities at the ground which would secure future income streams. One is the Home Car Park, allowing it to be used as a car park for staff involved in the Red John construction project. I think he also mentioned the Sports Bar, but I can’t be certain on that. He also made it clear that, without this sum (and we don’t know how much the “seven figure sum” is) the club will be unable to continue with all its current activities, indicating that it would affect the Trust, Academy, Women’s Team etc. That’s my recollection of what he said, but others in attendance may be able to add more detail or things I have missed.

Probably even damper knowing the current air of doom and gloom around the club

Lucky we released a few high earners then signed all these loans everyones been complaining about and wont be saddled with longterm salaries in 12 weeks time then

As Robert has already said above we need significant income to clear debt and prove we are a viable business to get accounts passed. Yes can pay FCA fine if late but I'm not sure what the SFA policy is? Worrying times.

Big Issue ?

Fair do's, it is soul destroying sometimes, but what a buzz when it all comes together!

Citing poor performances and loosing games as a reason for not returning is (in my opinion) what we hear from OF fans. However I do agree that the entertainment is dropping due to our playing style this is directly linked to the quality of players we have which is all finance driven - through through dropping numbers of fans and therefore lower revenues this will continue in a decreasing spiral unfortunately. The biggest issue is that given other forms of similar entertainment for the price point of football, the experience as a fan is poor. This isnt unique to ICTFC but nothing is or has changed for decades - yet unlike history where there wasnt the vast spread of leisure activities on offer clubs could be complacent , relying on loyalty - this is no longer the case. Its a whole new off topic thread and discussion but attending football is a habit not pleasure.

The club can confirm that we have lost our appeal against the red card we believe was incorrectly given against Max Anderson on Saturday. Having repeatedly reviewed the footage and clearly seeing that there was no contact with the Partick Thistle player who needed no treatment at all for the reported “studs to the face”, we are disappointed by this Fast Track Panel decision but not surprised. The two-game ban we were appealing against will now be served by Max. While Max won’t be on the pitch on Saturday, we hope as many Caley Jags as can make it, will be there to support Duncan and the team.

If these rumours are true then the club truly is in dire straits. Hopefully that's all it is, Rumors.

I’m not going to manage to clarify all of that, but I think (and apologies if I have got this wrong) the club owns (or will if the scheme is given the go ahead) the land that the development is on. If it is approved, the club then sells the land for the seven figure windfall and has no further role. Effectively Messrs Cameron and Sutherland have gifted ground to the club (or it’s subsidiary) to make this possible.

It is different insomuch as: they will target building on land already outlined for development, and, there are guidelines for all developers of houses to contribute towards the local infrastructure, including schools and designated green space/play areas etc for the benefit of all its residents. There are no guidelines that say the council should approve an application for land that is protected open space because it will save a mismanaged football club from (allegedly) going into administration and which might have some unquantified "benefit" to a football specific section of the community...... but here we are and that is the levers they are pulling.