CaleyD

You know, I'm with IHE - Small Fan Mentality :014:

He would have got away with it if it wasn't for you pesky kids!!!

Bloody foreigners - do anything to avoid buying a map!!!!

Fine, then scrap Road Tax and collect all taxes via the pump - that would be the fairest solution as it hits those who choose to drive thirsty vehicles and/or high mileages. If they want to compensate those living/working/operating in rural areas then I am sure they can put systems in place similar to those that they have for those operating public transport services etc. Also, not only would it be a fairer system, it would remove the need for almost an entire government department, saving money which could be spent on the roads....well we can but hope. As for the argument that X% of the price is tax and how much of "our" money we give back to the government in this fashion - I always find it quite laughable that it is always viewed as a one way street. Yes we give money back in tax, but we also get it back again in things like the NHS etc etc. Now I'm not arguing that we get value for money, but these things don't pay for themselves. It takes a certain amount of money to run the country and the government will get that out of us all one way or another. What one person argues is the right way is only right for them, it may be crippling for someone else. The tax system will never be totally fair for everyone all of the time, but it tends to go in swings and roundabouts depending on who's in power and over a lifetime we'll all see tax breaks or tax burdens even out among the population in general. I'm not saying I like taxes or necessarily agree with them, but the argument as I see it is more to do with how they spend it, not how they collect it. And yes, I have had the pleasure of driving in Ireland, they have a very scarey "overtaking system" whereby the roads are just wide enough for 3 cars but are only 2 lanes. You just pull out and pass and everyone else is suppose to get out of the way. First time I witnessed it I about chit meself.

I agree with the principles of the proposal but think it has been taken too far in terms of the costs. Someone who drives 50,000 a year should definitely have to pay a higher tax than someone who drives 5000 IMO. Haven't read the article, but I believe some insurance companies in Ireland already use such a device for young/new drivers in order to help curtail speeding and to offer "safe" drivers a reduced premium based on their actual driving habits and not those of your stereotype/group you so happen to slot into and again, this is a good thing IMO.

I recall a rumour doing the rounds previously when Sutherland was suppose to have been in talks with Romanov about some kind of agreement to bring players in. It would seem our interest in looking East still exists and I have no objection to bringin in ANY player that helps improve the squad provided the core of the team remains Scottish.

Larger corwds = More foods sales - which increases the value of the lease on the catering booths meaning it will attract larger bids the next time it goes out to tender. It could and should aslo lead to an increase in the number of these booths around the stadium - All of which increases the revenue for the club.

under the

hunting

Sunday, April 20, 2059 - Age 79.5 Thats about long enough for anyone - we should all be shot at 70 anyway.

The net effect of lowering ticket prices to increase crowds also has to take into account the other revenue streams an increased crowd size brings - like merchandise, food, programmes etc.. Lets say you have £50 surplus income and your considering going to this match - the first thing that comes into a your head is the cost of the ticket and if your going to charge what people feel is "over the odds" then you have immediately given them a reason to look elsewhere. So not only do you lose out on the £25 from the ticket, you probably lose out on a fair portion of what remains from their surplus income to be used on that day. If the Club did something to grow the number of bums on seats it then hepls justify spending on a whole range of other income streams to offset the rediced gate revenue, like proper eating facilities (restaurant/diner) and possibly a bar at/near the stadium in order to attract as much as possible from people's leisure funds. The money is their to be had, and you can have it without leaving your customers feeling like they have just been robbed. If the club actually made a bit of effort to find out what the people of Inverness want/expect from a matchday and how much they would be willing to pay for that then they would at least have some facts to base decisions on. You can't compare ICT with most other clubs when it comes to trying these initiatives becase we are in an almost unique situation of not having another SPL team on our doorstep. In the majority of cases for other clubs they are battling with each other to attract the "local" punters along on matchdays and many will have allegiances elsewhere and already be attending matches elsewhere so it's no wonder they struggle to increase gates. ICT are only battling with the cinema, rollerbowl, a trip to the supermarket, going into town shopping or watching a match on the TV....and to date, it's a battle they are losing badly. If the people who post on this forum (and the majority I think will be diehard fans) are becoming disenchanted with these things, then it's a no-brainer that those who are a little less interested don't even include going to see ICT in the equation the moment they see a ticket price that is even slightly unappealing.

Can't say too much, but I had a conversation with someone today and the group were unable to purchase tickets for seats which they have season tickets for because they had "unfortunately" been sold to someone else and as with the poster in the opening thread were only given the option to purchase tickets in the main stand or uncovered wings, and even then they could not get tickets all together despite them sitting together every other match at the stadium. Now, reading between the lines of various things I have heard it would seem that someone or something has screwed up somewhere along the line on a fairly monumental scale and it would seem to be due to the fact that Season Ticket Holders were allowed to purchase up to 4 tickets. Also, don't be suprised if the club announce that their are NO tickets available for public sale, or a very very limited number.

Wilson will be the third player to reach 300 - Rossco and Christie being the others.

If your unfortunate enough to be related to one of the manky mob from over the bridge, then here is the ideal gift for their next birthday. Clicky Clicky

Other than the fact the stadium only holds around 7500 you mean? :016:

The club cannot survive on income from 'big' cup matches and matches v the Old Firm alone, these are the icing on the cake and they should be putting more effort into securing bums on seats for the bread and butter games. The "maximise income" argument looks sensible enough on the surface, but if the cost is loosing season ticket holders and regular pay at the gate customers because they are fed up being squeezed for their hard earned then it becomes counter productive.

Great post and I would agree with all of your thoughts and observations Also agree that there are many factors which contribute to accidents over and above human error/neglect. It wasn't till I started driving the buses that I really begun to realise just how many "problem spots" exist in Inverness alone. There are some streets in particular where if the sun is bright you can guarantee you won't be able to see traffic lights and if the sun is in your face you can even struggle to clearly see junctions etc, especially when the road is wet and you get the glare from that aswell. Where I really notice it though is when the sun is hitting your mirrors, there are bus stops in town where you can't see feck all behind you if the sun is bright (the stop at Inshes heading out towards Culloden just after the roundabout is one of the worst) and without the option of an over the shoulder check your practically screwed and just have to inch out until you get a clear mirror. Saw you introducing one of your pupils to the new system in town last week (a fairly good looking mousey blonde if memory serves?) - you were coming up Church Street from the Friars Lane end and I patiently waited at the junction to Queensgate on the opposite side for you to clear and I never even got so much as a wave, so next time it's no prisoners :016:

The opinions we are seeing here are the extremes - the solution lies somewhere in the middle and rewards loyalty whilst maintaining a satisfactory income for the club. What frustrates me is the fact that all decisions being made at present are blinkered to the idea of screwing as much money out of the loyal fans as is possible at every opportunity and there's only so many times you can do that before people start to vote with their feet.

In the last cople of seasons (especially this season) Brown was really starting to show improvements when it came to commanding his area. One thing that used to annoy me about Brown was his reluctance to play the quick ball back out into play, often allowing opponents to reform at the back after coming forward. Fraser seems to have more vision and confidence in this department and I think our forward play is benefiting as a result. It's early days and I think Fraser is still to be truly tested, but so far so good and long may it continue.

repetitive :002:

Who's asking Celtic to take a reduce share? Any cost involved in making it more affordable/beneficial for OUR fans to attend can be taken out of our share of the gate.

Mike :004:

Ticket Prices aside as I don't think too many would argue they are steep, regardless of the justification. What the club should be doing, IMO, is encouraging loyalty and that can be done without necessarily reducing the "at the gate price". They do that to a certain extent with the Season Ticket Prices, but they include no benefit/discount other than priority for (expensive) tickets. Season Ticket Holders in the Family Section should have the opportunity of purchasing tickets at proportional prices, the accept seats in one of the least desireable viewing areas in return for these lower season ticket/league ticket prices, why then should they be expected to pay full whack just because it's a cup game? Supply and demand - blah blah blah - I think some people forget that football clubs are more than just a business, they are organisations which have huge dedicated communities that develop around them, and every now and then you have to take a step back and accept a slight hit in the pocket on the basis of giving something back to that community - these are the actions that people will remember and it will pay dividends in the long term. "we'll sell out anyway" - that maybe the case, but we hear CC, Players and Club Officials constantly go on about how they would like to see more bums on seats every other week at home. By denying those locals who may have come along to see a cup match as it was something a little special on the basis of cost only serves to keep "future fans" away. The club should be investing a little time and energy into making sure the tickets (over and above those that go to Season Ticket Holders) for these matches are not only reasonably priced, but that they end up in the hands of people they have a chance of converting to regular fans (not an easy thing I know). They have 1/2 season tickets available, why not offer some kind of combined package for a cup ticket and a 1/2 season ticket? Give these sales priority before general release. Again, I think the club are lacking a bit when it comes to thinking outside the box and I repeat - If You Can't Reduce The Price of The Product, Then Increase The Benefits For Purchasing It The club need to be investing now for the future, not only financially but in terms of initiatives to get bums on seats more regularly. Our finances are in good shape and now is the time to be doing these things, not when something goes wrong and debts start to mount and they are then begging people to come along and support the club or drop a couple of quid into a bucket.

Standing in terracing, IMO, creates no huge risk to safety provided theyaren't overcrowded, but standing in seated areas increases the risk significantly, especially when people start jumping around etc. If the authorities aren't going to do something to prevent everyone from standing then they should go back to terracing for the sake of safety. It also gives people a choice. They do have the power to do something about it, they just don't have the balls to make the decisions and follow them through with action. If we are to believe standing is the huge safety concern that has been hammered in to us over the years then they are negligent in not enforcing it properly.

It really is amazing how powerful the lenses are on these modern day cameras.