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On the dark A9 highway, cool wind in my hair Warm smell of burnt pies rising up through the air Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night There Scot stood in the doorway, with some snake oil to sell And I was thinkin' to myself, "This could be heaven or this could be hell" Then he gave me a handshake and he showed me the way There were voices from the North Stand I thought I heard them say Welcome to the Hotel Caledonian Such an empty place What a big disgrace Plenty of seats at the Hotel Caledonian Any time of year There’s no players here

I'm cross posting with P&B at this point, apologies if this doesn't make sense. I think administration is where this is going to be honest. What has been hinted at is that quite a few of the other major shareholders (Dougie MacGilvary and family and Alan Savage) want to take over but don't want to have to pay off the money that Morrison and others have put in and are owed. So if the club went into administration the money owed to him and others could be CVA'd down to a lower ammount. That's very dangerous of course and would definitely put the club's future at risk. But I can't really see any other outcome if the current incumbents don't walk away. Another point about it is that I don't think Morrison, who is a wealthy man by all accounts but not so wealthy that he can cross out £1m a season, can afford to walk away and the only way he'll get his money back is for us to get back into top flight. Hence we've got the Operation Moonshot sensibility - stage concerts to make loads of money! Get involved in a strange battery farm property deal to make £3m! Appoint coach from English Premiership on a huge wage and move traiing to accomodate him! It's moonshot after moonshot and none of them have worked. The only way we can go is to build the club up again, the way it was done before, and that isn't going to be a quick and easy job. It's certainly not a job for Ross Morrison and Scott Gardiner, or any of the current board.

And the elephant in the room said... Amongst all this talk of cutting to the bone, we are persevering with an overpaid out of his depth 'manager' , an inept CEO and filling Keltys pockets into the bargain.

If that has indeed happened with both Grassa and Charlie then I am sorry, that speaks huge volumes. I know neither are everyone's cup of tea, and everyone is entitled to their opinions, but both played for the club, both have been involved with the club for decades, both are LOCAL boys, and both should still be associated with the club. In fact both might be the figureheads in the boardroom and backroom we (initially) need to get behind to get us back on track and start getting the city, and local businesses and people behind the club again. It will be a long and arduous task after the mayhem and destruction caused by the current incumbents. We will see. thats a lot of ego deflation to endure and humble pie for one man to eat. Bullshit. I agree they will likely try to spin it that way, but this was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Too many hair-brained cunning plans that Blackadder would have been proud of. The chairman did achieve unity however, so I will give him that. We are pretty much all united against this absolute folly of a decision and our ineffective CEO.

The Club is delighted to announce that our esteemed CEO is in the process of implementing his latest innovative business proposal for ICT. ICTFC considers itself very fortunate to have an individual of Scot's talent at the helm and is, again, in awe of his imagination at dreaming up these excellent business ventures. We simply have no clue where he gets these ideas from! With our imminent moving of football operations to Kelty, this leaves the stadium of little use to the club except on 'home' match days. Therefore, and without delay, the bulldozers will be moving in to clear the site in readiness for constructing the brand new CLUB HOTEL. It will be called the Gardiner Scot Hotel (very) Ltd. and be the latest addition to this exciting new hotel brand, consisting of . . . . ehm just this one. Not only will the hotel be open for business to the tourist trade, it will also accommodate our own players on 'home' matchdays! The good news is that this could save the club up to £90 per player per night!!!! Strict security measures will be in place to guard the players privacy and ensure they do not come into any contact with the general public of Inverness. We can also exclusively reveal that our CEO has been in lengthy dialogue with Rangers FC and struck a deal that will see them having full use of the hotel on their visits north to play our (formerly local) rivals Ross County. Scot is staunchly proud of striking this deal, and when it concluded he loudly proclaimed "I Am The Person!!" and punched the air! Of course we remain slightly committed to playing some of our matches in Inverness, and these will now take place at the Bught Stadium - depending on its availability! We trust our valued supporters will be overjoyed with this news. Assuring you of our full attention at all times, ICTFC.

I'm guessing that our losses are pretty colossal by now, and like any gambler who maybe should've walked away from the table at 10pm slightly down , Morrison has been handing over his car keys and his house keys, pension fund, his in-laws house keys etc. Its 3am and still his mate Scot is willing him on from the back of the room even though he's not got a dime on the table. Just one more spin, your luck is about to turn, come on , stay in the game! He needs to get up and walk now. Then Gardiner will be on his own, and he will follow.

I have supported ICT since the first match at Firs Park on 9/8/94, and Caley for several years before that, and I have been finding the whole affair pretty distressing. Haven't commented much on the whole thing other than to call out the CEO several times from the off (and latterly, the manager) and can only echo what Scotty says. Once more I would say that we were well warned about Gardiner by fans of other clubs, notably Dundee, and I have repeatedly said that he has been a toxic presence at those clubs, and that the concert fiasco would be a sacking offence anywhere else. So I would support any formal moves to remove him. Won’t be there in person - I suppose it’s too late to request that the meeting be on Zoom as the Trust meetings at the stadium were? I realise that the logistics will be different at the Caley Club for what is expected to be a far more lively meeting. Although it belongs on another thread, here’s another who, as things stand, won't be renewing. I regard my season ticket as a donation to the club as I rarely come up for home games these days (only 3 times this season). I’m sitting on the fence about the away matches as I would miss the days out, the travel, the pubs, but especially, the loyal people who make #caleyaway such a great experience.

I think Morrison can't see the wood for the trees. He says if the fans don't buy season tickets the club goes bust but then he does things that pretty much every single season ticket holder opposes. It's the way that the current board have treated fans for years - we don't give a f**k about anything you say, think or want, just cough up money again. Eventually that road runs out. He even seems to criticse the fans by effectively saying "oh well no-one cared when we announced we'd shut down the youth academy!". I think I'm right in saying that was never announced, they said "oh we might have to shut down the youth academy depending on what happens". The idea of all these unnamed people in football phoning him up and telilng him what a great idea this is is a complete fantasy as well. The whole tone of the discussion and interview is the usual for Morrison - "we have to do this, we have to, there's no alternative". You get the feeling that in just about every case with the board they decide something and then just cover their ears and fail to look at the problem in a different way.

Fingers crossed tonights meeting goes well. Morrison and Gardiner have to go especially Gardiner. I think whatever pressure it takes to get rid of Gardiner needs to be placed on the club so they have no choice but to show him the door. How he can pull the wool over the boards eyes for so long is beyond me.

Well for almost 30 years we managed? We even won a Scottish Cup with them

and-down-t-351844/ So Morrison thinks Gardiner has been loyal. What about fans who have been loyal since the club was formed? Fans who have bought season tickets year in, year out are now saying they will not buy one this year due to this absurd decision. Does the loyalty of these people not matter?

If the club do a u-turn, the person / people who came up with the daft idea in the first place simply have to go too. Fingers crossed.

Read the Morrison Q&A on P&B (thanks Chris) and as ymip Jr pointed out he came across as defensive and more aggressive than he needed to be. Absolutely no attempt to strike a conciliatory tone or concede in any way to the tidal wave of rage and bad press ge's brought upon hmself. His defence of Gardiner is as infuriating as it is baffling. He clearly wants out but he wants to recoup his money. I woukd suggest that ship sailed some time ago. A good start in terms of filling the financial void would surely be to jettison Messrs Gardiner and Ferguson. It's hardly rocket science.

A few simple graphics I did over the last couple of days. Feel free to post and share. @CaleyD was our graphics Wizz kid so these are very simple

That would be a first and totally out of character. They're also not allowed to make any change to the submission that went to council so the only thing they have to do is write a letter saying why they think the decision was wrong.

These are really worrying times. There seems to be so many important issues which need clarification and for which the more you look into them, the more murky and bizarre they seem to be. I'll just pick up here on one the bizarre ones. Folk on here are saying the the appeal for the BESS application has not yet been submitted and that there are now just 3 weeks to lodge the appeal. The club told us this was vital for the future of the club and any delay would have serious ramifications. Presumably, the sooner the appeal is in, the sooner it can be heard and, assuming the club wins its appeal, the sooner they will be able to get some income from the project. The reasons for refusing the application seemed to come down to the fact that the club had annoyed some councillors rather than for any meaningful problem with the application. It should have been possible to get the appeal paperwork sorted in a few days, so why is it not in after several weeks and with time running out? Morrison told us that we stood to make £3.4 million from this. I understand that due them making a mess of the application, the company which was going to develop the site has pulled out, but Morrison also told us that there would be no difficulty getting another energy company to build and operate the BESS. Maybe a 2nd company would not pay as much for the site, but based on what Morrison has said, one would expect a sum equivalent to at least one years turnover for the club. In these circumstances, you would expect getting the appeal in would top priority for the club. The lack of progress is bizarre. Link this with the Kelty connection and it start to look sinister rather than bizarre. The Kelty project is justified partly on the current costs of accommodating players moving to the inverness area to play for us. Yet the decision to make this highly controversial move which in itself has significant financial commitment has been taken without knowing whether the club will have this huge capital injection or not. It just does not make sense.

It seems the fans are as slow as the board on releasing information. Someone spill the beans please!

Apologies but I have come down with a nasty bug since Friday and won't be able to attend in person. Unfortunately I cant attribute that to the CEO or Chairman, but if they were both to leave I'm sure I would feel much better. Register my disgust at how they are treating loyal fans, local businesses, sponsors, youth players, the City of Inverness and the Highlands. We are now a complete and utter laughing stock.

The article just highlights the delusion of those involved. My love of ICTFC comes from when I stayed in Balloch in the 1970s as a child until I was 8 years old. At that point we could only dream of our local team being in the Scottish League, never mind winning the Scottish Cup, and playing in Europe. Couldn’t believe I have seen an Inverness team achieve that in my lifetime. Fast forward now, and the decision to leave our home (whether it’s ‘just’ training or not)erode the reason I kept supporting MY Inverness team, and no reason remains. All affinity ripped and the link to my happy childhood in Balloch gone. I do feel betrayed. Thank you Mr Morrison and Mr Gardiner.

Of course there are sports physios up here

Possibly, but I guess any football really wants a physio who has experience of working on a team of full time sportsmen. Perhaps not many of those in the Highlands.

Figures plucked out of the ground by Gardiner . He’s just desperately hanging on as he knows he is finished in football . He thought a minority would be against his plans and wasn’t expecting the vast amount of a backlash that he is now getting and its only building and building . He is a guy that is only interested in himself and not the club. It’s about time someone from the board stood up against him . Some must really have the club at heart and a mind of their own ???

No chance 300k can be right, given the amount of settled players like Doran, Devine, Ridgers, Mckay and presumably others that have their own places and won't be in club digs, then a fair amount of players who'll be sharing gaffs with each other that are unlikely to be on club books. Younger players are probably still at their parents or have managed to rent a flat. Its really just SG making a big hoohaa over getting digs for maybe 4 or 5 players, and moving us for Dunc's and Balloon's convenience.

I have not had my say in this since the news broke so here is my take on it and fwiw I'm certainly NOT in favour of this so bear that in mind when I post my below take on the goings on . I can actually see where the dud Gardiner is coming from with this but only in a business sense, he wants our club to be successful and hopefully come up at the first time of asking so the only way that can happen, in his mind is by trying to build as strong a squad as possible and that, again in his mind, is only possible by moving training to Kelty as that MAY entice top players to the club in that they can stay in the central belt. Now I 100% agree with most on here who say that we should build our team around our youngsters as I'm sure they are capable, plus tap into the Highland League or even league 2 market as again I'm sure there are players capable of making the step up. I would rather we have a successful team especially this season as I want us promoted back to the Championship so maybe this is the only way we can do that but I would also like to see local players such as Lewis Nicholson and Keith Bray get opportunities too so I'm kinda torn because I do want success but preferably with a team of local youngsters but maybe the only way we'll be successful (especially this season) is by going down this road . As I said, do I hell support the move but I do understand it from a business point of view but what Mr Gardiner didn't realise was how much this would insense our support!

Just finished the podcast. Man that was emotional I’d imagine a lot of tears by listeners when Lee was talking. Saying what so many of us are feeling. How do you top this one lads. Hopefully with the news of Gardiner and co getting the heave ho.

If we were really paying that sort of sums in rent for players accomodation, why did the club not buy some properties for players. That's what other clubs do. That way they are not paying silly money to line the pockets of others and the club retains the assets. You wouldn't think that several board members make a living in the construction/property rental businesses.

Surely it can't be more than £150k we're spending on accommodation. Given the fact we've inked a six figure deal with Kelty the numbers don't seem to add up, particularly when you factor in the loss of season ticket income.

You just don't get it! Last season we had a squad which was good enough to gain promotion back to the championship. We were very unlucky to be relegated in such a tight division. Despite a lot of injury problems we were a penalty miss away from 5th and in reality, had a squad that was good enough to challenge for promotion. We might have done so with a better manager. The powers that be on the Board were negotiating this absurd scheme whilst we were in the Championship and not expecting to be relegated. They, presumably, expect this scheme to produce a squad which will put us back in the Premiership. Anything except promotion straight back to the Championship will therefore represent an absolute failure for the scheme. But do you really think the scheme will allow for recruitment of players that will take us back to the Championship, let alone to the Premiership? As previously explained, the scheme makes it far more difficult for any player who actually lives in Inverness or would be happy to come and live in this wonderful part of the country for a year or two. The only players for whom this scheme will be attractive are players living within easy commuting distance of Kelty. These players will also be within easy communing distance of numerous other clubs looking to recruit. So tell me, what makes you think that these guys will sign up for us and a 3 hour trip up the A9 before and after matches, rather than a more local club where they are embedded in the camaraderie of the club infrastructure and the local community? Success will depend on recruiting a very significant number of such players. Logic tells us that the only players we will attract will be ones who can't get a contract with a central belt team. A team of rejects with no link to Inverness are more likely to see us relegated than promoted.

Obviously won't be there, as the only plane available to me lands at Kelty International Airport too late to make the quick 140-mile trip up the A9. However, as a member of the trust, I would like to ask if we can put something to the meeting to see if we can formally ask the club to seek the resignation of our CEO. We have no power to demand it from the club, other than the power of the fan (and media and former players) reaction to this newest statement but surely that should be enough. I have heard a lot of stuff over the weekend, and added to the examples from the past, this man's position should be completely untenable. Everything he does is supposed to be for the good and benefit of ICT, and there does not seem to be anything he has ever done that falls into that category. He said this when he came into the club and that goes contrary to everything that is being said now. "My priorities are to build a strong support team to generate the income needed to field a side capable of progressing to the Premiership of the SPFL and – parallel to that work – develop a strategy for the club which will give confidence to the local and regional business community as we look to garner their support for what is, after all, their team" He has failed 100% in that self-proclaimed target. When you fail time after time, (at club after club), then your position is untenable. If the board believe his reign to be acceptable, then they too need a good shake up, which brings me to my next point. If rumours are true, there also appears to be a spot on the board available after the resignation of one board member last week. Rather than have a cronie co-opted to that position, can we publicly put it on record that we want (demand) fan representation on the board via the Trust? This has been mentioned before by the trust, but it is really important now, crucial in fact. I only have the minimum shareholding of £250 but you can most certainly have my proxy (as offered before) if this requires a vote at some emergency EGM that must surely follow soon. I am sure many other disgruntled fans would be in the same boat in supporting this and hopefully some of the larger shareholders too? Can we get some momentum rolling for this?

A rather tense, emotive meeting with some very articulate and considered contributions. To summarise, the vast majority of the room appeared to strongly favour administration as their preferred outcome by the time the meeting concluded. I know I know, sounds mad but it seemed the best option to get our club back, and we fully accepted the implications. There was some debate/conflict of opinions as to whether the future of the youth academy was secured or not, with someone very close indeed to the club saying they hadn't seen the evidence to back up the claim of it's secure future made by another contributor. A fair bit of pressure on the ST to come up with an action plan/already have one in place, but I think everyone understood by the end that this wasn't something that they could have put in place - as a small group - already. Some really helpful input by a few individuals, and a lot of passion and strong feelings in the room. No miracle solution, but a massive majority of people in favour of boycott/administration.

https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/sport/caley-jags-fans-would-prefer-administration-over-kelty-move-351904/ https://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/sport/we-will-get-our-club-back-351905/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

We're burning through that in less than a season. We need to reduce our overspend massively, not fund it.

Just a short, easy hop down the road to both compared to the deranged plan we’ve been presented with - can’t imagine training in either location would have generated the shock, betrayal and anger that we’re currently feeling.

MEE RETURNS!!!!

Head of Medical seems sensible to recruit far and wide? I just think they should pay their own housing costs

Ross Morrison seems to have realised a football club is nothing without ST money Peter? I think they are so tone deaf it's unbelievable

A quick google search shows up a lot of possibilities locally, if we were, for example, a community club and not pissing off the community at every turn. This example seemed pretty decent... https://www.highlifehighland.com/blog/new-physio-clinic-opens-at-inverness-leisure/ "“We have a team of highly skilled practitioners with experience working within many sports from professional football for Inverness Caley Thistle Football Club and Celtic Football Club to Olympic skiers in the Austrian Alps. Our sports massage therapist, Josh Meekings is a former professional footballer and therefore knows the demands of sports people."

With experience of working on a squad of full time professional sportsmen? I would imagine a pro football club would ideally want someone who has done that before, but maybe I’m completely wrong.

Pretty sure they don't train 125 miles away though. *Edit* Just did some quick groundwork. If Arbroath trained in a similar manner, they would be training in Kilmarnock He is also laying the groundwork for "If we don't do this the club will go bust" excuse. Totally missing the point entirely.

I was of the understanding that funds helped youth development? I could be wrong.

Also… if there’s an enforced U-turn, then any subsequent insolvency event may end up being attributed (although not necessarily attributable) to that U-turn and those who (very rightly) pursued it.

All the wrong people resigning .This is unbelievable.!!!

Is the club paying for Gardiner's Tornagrain pad?

Could we fit our entire board of directors, chairman AND CEO in his magic hat?

Can anyone find out if he would like to work in Fife and visit Inverness twice a month

£300k on renting can't be right. That's 25 properties at a grand a month. Unless they've all been living it up by staying in the Kingsmills Hotel.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts Scotty. Those are pertinent items that we expect to be discussing tomorrow evening, and we are looking for the views of fans as to the steps the Trust could be taking following recent events.

Saturday sees the start of June. This is the month for new contracts and the month Morrison says our training bases will move to Kelty. It is now just 6 weeks till the new season kicks off with the first round of matches in the Viaplay trophy on 13th July. So what progress has the club made to put together a team capable of improving on our showing in that competition and then pushing for promotion back to the championship? The silence from the club is deafening. There are a host of questions for which answers are required in the next few weeks. Which of our contracted players have confirmed they want to continue to play under the new arrangements, and who have requested transfers? Which of our out of contract players have been offered new contracts? Of those, who have agreed terms, and who have said they no longer want to play for us? When are the club going to announce the flood of quality new players attracted by the club's "innovative" new arrangements? If the squad are to be based in Fife, who will the club's pre-season friendlies be against and will any of them be played in Inverness? We should be expecting the answers to some of those questions to be answered in the coming week and to all of them in the coming month.

He is our U18 manager and has his coaching badges FFS

Seems like dougal was not too far off the mark, though who would have thought the merger would be with the mighty Kelty??