Missing In Action

[RiG]

I'm suprised no one has mentioned this but I am becoming increasingly concerned at the whereabouts of some 4,000 ICT fans that seem to have become lost since Sunday. Does anyone know where they are and if they are okay?

Obviously some will have been working but 4,000 of them? I hope wherever they are they return home safe and well  :003:

[kencar]

I predict a few thousand will not be seen again till 27th December and even then they will look different  :016:

[tm4tj]

Always a problem rig. Remember the next home game after we beat Celtic 1-3 at Parkhead and about 1200 turned up to welcome their heroes at home. Bobby man mentioned this and then was slated by some of the fans for complaining about the support. I have to say that he was right, what more could the team do, yet general apathy rules. Slashing the prices to rock bottom may help this type of game and maybe offering freebies to schools/clubs/organisations etc.

Four thousand fans missing sums up what the locals think of SPL football in Inverness at that prices.

Noticed a sentence from you on other thread.

"Yet again I think ICT underestimated the opposition and nearly got screwed over"

Painful one for me, when I was walking over the Kessock bridge after the game on Sunday, I stood on a very rusty screw about 100m from the North end of the bridge. I had to go to casualty to have the screw removed. Been off work for four days and getting fed up limping around. I for one, was certainly screwed over!

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[RiG]

Always a problem rig. Remember the next home game after we beat Celtic 1-3 at Parkhead and about 1200 turned up to welcome their heroes at home. Bobby man mentioned this and then was slated by some of the fans for complaining about the support.

That was one of the best things he ever did for me! Did he not say that after the 1- 0 game when he was being interviewed?

Noticed a sentence from you on other thread.

"Yet again I think ICT underestimated the opposition and nearly got screwed over"

Painful one for me, when I was walking over the Kessock bridge after the game on Sunday, I stood on a very rusty screw about 100m from the North end of the bridge. I had to go to casualty to have the screw removed. Been off work for four days and getting fed up limping around. I for one, was certainly screwed over!

:pale:

[Caley Fish]

That was one of the best things he ever did for me! Did he not say that after the 1- 0 game when he was being interviewed?

It was cause I can remember seeing it on sky sports after the game.

[+jagster]

I understand what you are saying about the missing fans, however based on myself we have season tickets(several years) for myself,missus and two kids, £520.00 then theres programmes, drinks at the game, sausage roll pie etc, football tops and other things you may buy at the shop or wherever during the season, this comes to well over £1,000.00 a year and in these days of escalating fuel costs gas electricity, the beloved council tax etc, I can well understand why people pick and choose games, the atmosphere last night was shocking no doubt about that and more fans would have been great, but we will never have huge crowds on a regular basis because we just don't have the population numbers to support it, maybe if Poland were playing we'd sell out.

[tm4tj]

Theres an answer.  Why don't we sign a couple of polish players :003:

It is far too expensive for what is on offer, these prices are killing the game in this country, it is no longer something that ordinary people want to part with their hard earned cash.

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

I said this last season about the prices being too high, due to being away a lot a season ticket is of no use to me so a home game cost me around the £40.00 mark at least which is my seat, programme, 50/50, parking and petrol, now I can afford that but there are many who would have to think twice about it and obviously many do.

So I am sure that it is costs which sways possible fans. I know we din't fare better crowd wise in the lower divs but there is more on offer football wise nowadays and I for one thought that the crowds would improve.

[Bridge_Ender]

I live in Glasgow and had a season ticket for 3 years but didn't renew as I couldn't justify the cost as I didn't make enough games. As a reult I have to pick and choose my games and, obviously, Dumbarton on a Wednesday night is nowhere near as attractive as Celtic on sunday. I will make maybe 4/5 home games this year and I would imagine that Rangers/Celtic/Aberdeen will be the home games I'll make an effort for as they are the most attractive. I'd also wager that many fans are in the same position and that when all the costs are included (travel, tickets, food, drink, etc) and comes to about £70 for about an hour and a halfs entertainment, not to mention days off work/away from family/etc it is often too much.

Don't assume I, or anyone else in a similar position, is less of  a fan or a gloryhunter. I've followed the club home and away since our first game against St. Mirren in 1994 at considerable cost and sacrifice. It is about prioritising and posts, like RIGs at the start, don't encourage floating fans to return. It creates animosity, a them and us between the self proclaimed 'hardcore' or 'real' fans and those who attend when they can or choose to.

[kencar]

Good points well made  :003:

Personally I think a lot of the 'missing' fans who turn up for OF games are Celtic or Rangers fans anyway and just sit in the home end

[RiG]

Points all taken and of course there will be some like those who have posted who have to weigh up the cost but are there really 4,000 ICT fans in exactly the same predicament?

[Bridge_Ender]

I wouldn't be surprised if thats the case, Inverness has a lot of people who leave for a variety of reasons such as Uni, better job prospects, letc. I'd say a relatively high % of our support is 'ex-pat' and very few of these are going to make the effort to travel a minimum of 300 miles on a Wednesday night to watch Dumbarton, never mind how attractive the ticket prices. Add to that that the game isn't included in season tickets (I think? correct me if I'm wrong), which a lot of people have just paid for and probably still feeling the pinch and suddenly you have a large number of supporters who can't afford another odd £30.

Basically what I'm saying is that did anyone really expect anymore than what the Dumbarton crowd was?? If we are attracting crowds like that, for example, Motherwell or Killie, that is the time to worry and question it, not against a 3rd Division side!!

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

Being a student RIG do you attend all home games? and what does each game cost you?

[Heilandee]

I used to go to a lot of ICT games thru divs 3,2 and 1, 10 -15 a season,very affordable,great entertainment, great fun.Still go occasionally but never bother wi OF games as i cant be ersed wi the baggage that surrounds them.SPL prices put off the neutral "popping along", went to the St Mirren game,think i was £37 for me and junior,can do a fair few other things wi £37.

Manny, ehm just glad eh cannae smell thon picture  :tongue07:

[RiG]

Being a student RIG do you attend all home games? and what does each game cost you?

The last couple of seasons I have been able to attend almost all Home games (and a reasonable number of Away ones as well) with some having to be missed for exams or travel not being feasible with the trains not running as late as the game finishes. Livingston (0-1), Dundee United (0-1) and Falkirk (0-3) being theones I have missed.

This season, my seaon ticket was ~ £150 - £180 for the North Stand. Travelling through from Aberdeen by train for the day would cost about £15 (£20 if I'm staying an extra day for whatever reason - God bless Young Persons Railcards!). If it was by car - like the othernight - it's about £20 worth of petrol which isn't too bad as that is about the same as the train  :003:

[Scarlet Pimple]

Ticket prices are too high. Nothing much will change, I predict ,unless greater marketing efforts are made by the club. Youngsters must be encouraged to come to the games.... :011:

[RiG]

Ticket prices are too high. Nothing much will change, I predict ,unless greater marketing efforts are made by the club. Youngsters must be encouraged to come to the games.... :011:

Quite correct and £15 a head for a kid is not on!

[Dmacca]

Id have thought it was obvious to the club that the Dumbarton game would have been the perfect chance for doing something like £1 a kid scheme, or maybe even £2- £3 quid a kid accompanied by adult.

speculate to accumalate.