Weekend Hacker

Let's give him the benefit and wish him all the best for the new role.  Perhaps he can be "the one"

I can't help but think our hospitality is overpriced.  I think this game was £130 a skull - or at least £108?  That's a lot if you are taking guests when a lot of other things may represent better value.  Deduct your ticket price and you are looking at £70 a skull circa overspend.  The food, with respect, aint that good and whilst I get that we are helping the club, you still need to look at the cost.  If I was entertaining a client and took them to say Cafe 1 and spent that per skull?  All that aside, we have lost out on that for sure.  I remain to be convinced by the new televised games and the impact on gate receipts versus the revenue to be distributed.  Although I enjoyed the first 90 minutes of the Arabs v Stags game on Friday........

I've been asking myself that Satan.  I never classed Dross Raper as dirty when he was with us but that might be rose tinteds.  But in all of the derby games he has been without question, dirty.

Indeed, a hard few games but isn’t that when we tend to play well? Despite yesterday’s slightly lacklustre performance I’m looking forward to it.

On 3/13/2019 at 5:50 PM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

"any of us" - Does that mean that you are and underhand, undercover board member ? 

Apologies for the late response IHE, been busy.  I can confirm that whilst I may be deemed underhand at times by some, I am NOT a board (or indeed bored) member. North stand season ticket holder and fan only status.  Cheers.

Aye, we were poor but Falkirk set out to stifle and did so.  6 months ago we would have lost that type of game.  Bring on the gadgies I say.  The brown stuff just got slightly more real

Supposed to be aff it this weekend.  Nearly folded at half-time but two excellent goals, some decent passing, some nervy defending and a good result later, I’m hanging in there.  Anyone else know WTAF Brads role was tonight?  Slightly bizarre but hey, it’s all good 

The game at Tannadice v Rangers, I was down with Billy Urq on the bankers bus.  We arranged to have a drink in the Tangerine Club.  Ooooooft.  Happy memories I think

Jaysus, been off grid as mad with work.  I’ve known Danny since Telford St and if anyone knows how to obtain funding and is networked in coaching it’s him.  This is not great and I can only assume that he has fallen victim to our need to shed costs. But at what cost to the long term future? I’d hope we can cut through the mutual consent BS and actually find out WTAF is going on behind the scenes? A more genuine boy you’ll be hard pushed to meet, be an asset to THAT lot oer the bridge

Re underhand, undercover board members, I very much doubt that any of us say anything on here we wouldn't say in an open forum e.g. the AGM which nobody seems to know hellish much about?  I'm not really bothered about board members being on here if I'm honest as my hope would be that they may actually glean a sense of what the majority are thinking?  I use a pseudonym as the forum asks for a nickname when you set up.  And yes, let's get Hearts pumped and get to the final against Aberdeen and beat them on pens please.

8 minutes ago, sheepslagger said:

I, for one, am very sad to see her go. I really liked her and got on extremely well with her. Its a total bugger that shes gone , especially at this time as she had loads of different things on and different ideas to promote the club.  She most certainly had the club at heart and worked 7 days a week for all the time I ve known her.

Hopefully we can get a suitable replacement in who has the same enthusiasm in as quick as possible.  Any potential candidates names would be welcome .

We need someone on the ground with business and commercial local knowledge that  has vision and doesnt mind getting their hands dirty.  

Apply within !

Will work for food...!    Aye, it's not the glamorous Karen Brady role, this is a CEO with plumbing skills - I think people have no idea what's involved doing a job like this at our level - me included - but we need to take our time to appoint the right person for the role

I’ve emailed also.  May not get a response but might get some traction for them to get the collective digit out and announce.  About 6 hours ago so interesting to see what their timings are....

For what it’s worth I think the position needs either someone with a previous connection - like a Billy Urq or Jags equivalent - or someone with a far greater business experience and networked to fill the role.  I don’t doubt that she did her utmost and was committed to the post, but with a background in PR and a reasonable unknown in terms of football and local business, I think it was too big for her?  Anyway, wish her all the best for the future and I’m sure the back room team can pick up the slack meantime.

20 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

And a Union Jack as the background, singing Hello, Hello we are the Caley Boys ?

 

That's maybe a step too far.  Although.......

If we get Celtic in the final would it be bad taste to have a "Josh Meekings was innocent" banner made up?  Asking for a friend...... 

BDU, thanks for your response.  Your points are valid and clear.  My fear is that if we got PT (or the youth gets chopped) there may not be a way back from that as we seem to be fundamentally unable to get bums on seats.  Either of these options may make that even more difficult to achieve and whilst I don't live in 2015, I think that we do have a club to save.  As I'm sure we all do.  I think between us - board included - with full transparency and engagement we will find a solution.  Or I certainly hope so.

12 minutes ago, HawkeyeTheGnu said:

Ross

As someone for who Hearts was their big team before league football came to Inverness, and still spends some time on the Hearts boards here are a few observations:

The fan supported model is hostage to the massive throwing the toys out o& the pam when results, or a result, goes the wrong way. Imagine a number of pledges being cancelled if the penalty shootout had gone the other way last week. Look on Jambos kickback for the number of people threatening to cancel their pledge after eithe a bad result or an indifferent run to see that that income stream may be hard to predict  

For the fan ownership thing to work, I feel it has to be in partnership with some more stable money. As with anything, it really helps if you have an idea of your income. If a large amount of this income can change on a whim, or equally a change in circumstances (we currently live in uncertain times). 

Both St Mirren & Motherwelll have tried something similar - to what level of success I genuinely don’t know. It would be worth canvassing both sides of those situations to see how it might work for us. 

My ultimste fear is whether we could raise enough from our fans to make this work. Hearts have a much larger fan base, and I don’t know these things scale. 

But any and everything is worth exploring in these financially challenging times. 

Interesting points and prudent advice.

5 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

So if your local shop stops trading because they cant compete - would you start giving them donations? No, you'd let them either restructure and trade accordingly or go to the wall.

This whole idea that the club trades on loyalty of hard working individuals who often already contribute to offer even more in return for nothing seems naive. Its time for the board members (afterall they have each chosen to be there) to make the hard choices of how to restructure the club and move it forwards in a long term and sustainable way. Begging for money is not the solution - however if there are affluent fans who want to throw their money into this pit then go ahead, maybe they will even create a plaque with your names so you can all get the plaudits from the rest of us.

For clarity you’d rather see the club go down without a fight? And a plaque, on that basis, will be of use to no one as the club will be consigned to history.  I’m far from affluent but I’m certainly not wishing to see my team disappear.  Nor am I naive; I’d certainly look for transparency and a plan as to where the money will go and what it will be used for but in principle I support the idea to crowd fund.

A lot of what we shouldn’t do in your post but I’d like to see what suggestions you have to drive the club on.  I’m sure you must have some as your posts are clearly well constructed and thought out.  NOT sarcastic for clarity.

We need input from everyone as to how we go forward?

5 hours ago, old caley girl said:

Thats not the kind of spending I am meaning WH. Im not meaning the football or youth kind of spending.

Ok, but what other spending given the low revenues the club generate? If we lost a back room salary or 2, would this make a difference do you think?

1 hour ago, Huisdean said:

Taking paragraphs 2 and 3, you may have a point but that would almost certainly mean the end of full time football for ICT for many years and we would become a bit of a yo yo club like the Forfars and Arbroaths. Nothing wrong with that but is it what the fans really want, if so they need to come out and say that as that is the reality of what you suggest. As for paragraph 4, that to me is the major problem, we cannot seem to attract increased interest from the public in Inverness. Even when the club has been doing well, attendances have not increased and we even struggled to sell our allocation of tickets for the Scottish Cup Final. If we couldn't do that, it highlights a major problem that nobody can solve. Don't disagree with your point about the marketing and communications director.

Disagree entirely with your comments in paragraph 5. The current board inherited multiple issues from previous boards, they did not know about the rental issues with the stands for example as far as I know and various other issues of a smaller nature also surfaced. It is easy to blame the board (or the manager/payers) but some of the blame rests with us as fans who don't turn out in the numbers they should. Statements like the one you make may well appeal to some fans but do not generate any real answers. I am not a cheer leader for the board but genuinely think they are trying to do the best they can for the club and are every bit as much of a supporter as the rest of us.

In reality, our financial situation is nothing new as we have been in deep financial troubles previously, the major difference is that previously we had a white knight who rescued us and we were heading upwards, in football terms compared to where we are now. We have always struggled to break even or make a profit and, more often than not, made a loss. Just think of the situation Ross County would be in if Roy MacGregor did not pump money intyo it annually. Didn't he write off a million pound debt recently for them?

In essence, the club is at a crossroads and cannot continue as it is without some  sort of financial injection or becoming something radically different from what we have now. To suggest something different is, in my opinion, not facing up to reality.

Bravo.  Eloquent and factual.  We can bitch and moan about the past and who is doing what but is this not a call to arms which, if not answered, will see us facing the reality of no club at ICT?

Look at the numbers though.  Let's say 2000 home fans.  Not all will be Full price (kids/ concessions etc) so if we agree an average gate receipt of £17 a skull just as an example.  £35k for a game.  This is to pay operating expenses - catering, gates, stewards, ground staff, management etc - as well as playing staff from FT, coaching and youth/ apprentice.  These just don't stack up I think we'd agree and IMHO confirm that the club are not spending way above or on the wrong things - our spend is perhaps aspirational but I don't think any of us want a return to PT football or to cull the Youth?  That's why we need to consider SheepSlagger's crowd funding angle?  For clarity I'm not on the board I'm a season ticket holder in the family section in the North Stand.

243 views but only 17 comments, some of which don't actually say if they feel it is worthy of support or otherwise.  Mmmmm.  Is this call to action to be ignored and post administration there will be lots of whatabootery around why the board did nothing?  is this the depth of feeling we have for our club?  Not if the last game against RCFC is anything to go by.  Or do we as fans "only raise our game" against them the same as the allegation leveled at the players by some?  

I'm going Option 1.  Said SheepSlagger does seem to have the interest of the club at heart and seems unafraid of tackling the issues.  Transparency is what we are all after eh?

47 minutes ago, caleyboy said:

It should be remembered that the Hearts model is supported by considerably more fans than we could ever hope for. They also have Mrs Budge.

Are you saying therefore that you wouldn't support something like that or do you not feel it is a good idea?  I think that the low fan base is part of the issue we have at present but we can do something to help the club?  Not an aggressive statement being made, I'm genuinely interested in hearing what people think.

Fingers crossed Walsh be fit?  BUt I'd stick with Austin & White up top as I think they have started to form quite a good partnership.  No point in going down with a defensive formation.  What's th ecraic if it is a, ahem, draw?  Do we go replay or do we nee dto get a result?