Promote I.C.T to people of Inverness

[collectiveaction]

Let's see how many ideas we can come up with to get more bums on seats on a Saturday and eh....Sunday.....Monday etc.

Here's two to kick-off-

Invite non "locals" i.e Poles, Lithuanians etc to a specially arranged open day at the club. Free snacks, promo giveaways( scarves etc), fun coaching sessions etc used to make them feel welcomed and wanted by the club.

Representatives of the club(including players) visit the 5 secondary schools in the area to initiate the setting up of supporters clubs within each school. Discounts on entry to games for all members plus organisation of competitions,challenges between the supporters clubs once set up.

Come on -YOU can come up with more than these!

[buckett]

Dunno about the Poles and Lithuanians, but agree that schools should be targetted - these young folk are hopefully the future supporters of the club.

Sadly, the Aberdeen, Rangers and Celtic supporting older gits will probably never change - a throwback to the days when Inverness could not offer senior football and people had to look elsewhere.

I live in the north-west of Scotland and, interestingly, folk here tend to identify with the west rather than the north, opting to follow the Glasgow teams rather than the Highland teams, despite the fact that Inverness and Dingwall are much closer.

Ross County often do coaching sessions here, especially during the summer, but as far as I know, ICT don't. Maybe they should, and try to bring the team to the whole Highlands, rather than just Inverness.

****, even Celtic and Rangers do coaching session here, why can't our LOCAL spl team?

[CaleyD]

We do offer coaching sessions to younger kids and I believe our Hotshots programme is extremely succesful.  Players also visit the primary schools etc so these things are being done.  The problem lies in the fact that they don't seem to attract too much press attention.

[Johnboy]

I live in the north-west of Scotland and, interestingly, folk here tend to identify with the west rather than the north, opting to follow the Glasgow teams rather than the Highland teams, despite the fact that Inverness and Dingwall are much closer.

That's probably true... but doesn't it have something to do with religious afflictions??

[buckett]

Naaah . . . . . glory-hunting tw@ts!

[Johnboy]

It happens the world over.... even if Caley won the SPL you would still see more OF tops around the town than anything else.... :007:

[reefinweedallday]

Let's see how many ideas we can come up with to get more bums on seats on a Saturday and eh....Sunday.....Monday etc.

Here's two to kick-off-

Invite non "locals" i.e Poles, Lithuanians etc to a specially arranged open day at the club. Free snacks, promo giveaways( scarves etc), fun coaching sessions etc used to make them feel welcomed and wanted by the club.

Representatives of the club(including players) visit the 5 secondary schools in the area to initiate the setting up of supporters clubs within each school. Discounts on entry to games for all members plus organisation of competitions,challenges between the supporters clubs once set up.

Come on -YOU can come up with more than these!

In all honesty from the poles i know you wouldn't get many of them going due to our ticket pricing policy!!!

[Alex MacLeod]

Can't always blame ticket prices on poor turnout. Main stand Dunfermline game there was a lot of empty season ticket seats. Those are seats that have already been paid for but for whatever reason the holders chose not to attend this match.

[Johnboy]

Must all be down to apathy then....

Ach well........ Who cares..?

:sleep01: :sleep01:

[Dmacca]

What the club has to do is try to create an attitude or belief that they are more than just a football club in Inverness, ICT needs to become part of the community integrate as much as possible. Its a good ideal to ask the fans what ideals they have got to help achieve this because i believe that the fans views are all too easily dismissed when decisions are made in football, i dont believe that football fans in general are given credit for what they know or where supporting their team is concerned, we watch football week in week out some of us play football and lets face it a win on a Saturday is a great start to the weekend on the other hand loose it all together a different matter.

So a few ideals.

Hand out some leaflets and ask for ideals on this subject at the game. to be posted in a box on the way out.

Reward the best ideals, ie free ticket for a home match.(these two should make a big difference in attitude, it will make the fans feel that they have an input, and that there opinion is valued)

How about getting a penalty competition going for the kids at half time or some other activety, say keeping the ball up as many time as possible. could extend to the dads, also entertains the crowd...hopefully.

Get posters up in the shops around town telling everyone who the team are playing next at home, please come down support us we need you type thing. Promote half time penalty shoot out this weekend for kids.

Use the players more get the fringe players/subs out chatting to the kids/visiting the schools etc giving out signed posters maybe.

Make more of the reserve games have a few first teamers there who are not playing to meet fans for signatures,give out posters,pens

Well thats just a quick thought before tea. Dmacca

[collectiveaction]

Some really good ideas there Dmacca! Some form of half time entertainment is a must for starters.

[caley100]

Its all very well coming out with loads of different idea's of how to increase our attendances ( which i commend by the way) but by far the biggest draw, is surely the performance of the team.

Since last saturday the people i have spoken to about the game have all got one thing in common, yes, what a shyte game, poor performance etc etc, lucky to win.

Lets face it ICT are having a poor run of home form, the team keep their best performances for away games for some strange perverse way, the base support that turns out now at TCS turns out in the hope of a good game rather than expecting a good game.

So we have to question why the poor home form? CC has said last weeks win lifted the monkey off the back of ICT, we will just have to wait for the visit of Falkirk to see.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

GIVE ME THE FECKIN JOB.  :notworthy01: :notworthy01:

It is all about motivation, ownership and inclusion BUT local knowledge and enthusiasm.

I CHALLENGE ICT off the Park. I could increase the crowds with a proposal.  :001:

[+Gringo]

What the club has to do is try to create an attitude or belief that they are more than just a football club in Inverness, ICT needs to become part of the community integrate as much as possible...

And once they've done that they can agree with Setanta and the SPL to move a fixture to stop you going....

....I digress.

There's some very good idea's there Dmacca, but, to be fair, attempts to gey more folk down the Longman has been going on ever since the stadium was built. Crowds have increased since we entered the SPL but, yes, there still needs to be more down there. We will never convert the great unwashed so the club must target the yougsters as they will the next generation of ICT support. Take ICT into the schools - its the only answer.

[caley100]

GIVE ME THE FECKIN JOB.  :notworthy01: :notworthy01:

It is all about motivation, ownership and inclusion BUT local knowledge and enthusiasm.

I CHALLENGE ICT off the Park. I could increase the crowds with a proposal.  :001:

Try phoning Mike Smith.. i'm sure he's desperate for some postitive news.

[Alex MacLeod]

For all you with good ideas, the Highland News is running a competition.

Personally I think more noise from both stands would give the players a bit of a lift. I was in hospitality seat last sat and the only times I heard any noise was the two or three times we went into attack mode.

We need a loud PA system and an anouncer who can gee up the fans if and when we score. A tune that is recognisable and synonimus with ICT that is belted out before the kick off and at half time and any time we score. Thats the sort of thing that makes Tynecastle one of the best places to go. They gee up the fans.

We also need something at half time. Another thought is a pipeband. I'm sure the Legion band would be willing to perform on match days for the right to watch us play and a few coins in thier bucket.

Maybe we even need the drums back. Give the team a lift with supportive noise that will drown out the opposition as well as the loudmouthed critics who shout nothing but abuse.

[Johnboy]

That's the best suggestion yet......

A pipe band between 2.40pm and 3pm, and again at half time would be superb.... It would certainly give the supporters a lift, and who knows, might even inspire our players..... :003: :003:

[RiG]

The drums are back Alex - I think with the same drums as well - but we need drummers who more than just one beat. Those guys are good for some noise though and brought balloons last time!  :001:

IMO...

We need to lower prices to get more folk there

We need to abolish designated seating

We need to sell those horn thingys at the ground - they are quite popular aren't they? See a lot of folk with them

We need to allow airhorns, bog roll and confetti inside the ground

We need to get rid of the Hitler stewards who make you sit down if you stand up to shout encouragement (Same goes for the old people - "Sit down I can't see!", "You're not missing anything mate, Barry Wilson is running over to take a corner", "Well be quiet then", "No! I am trying to get behind the team"). That is what we are up against.

[Alex MacLeod]

Bog roll and confetti ---- dont think Tommy would appreciate the clean up after each match.

Airhorns ------------------- not a chance, pressurised cylinders are a no no.

Stewards------------------ sorted!! I have it on good authority (feb 8th) that Rock Steady are not getting their contract renewed and Ace will be taking over the whole lot. So it'll be local guys and girls in place and not busloads of central belters.

[CaleyD]

Designated seating is also an SPL rule.  All tickets the club sell MUST have a seat number on them, thats not to say that you have to sit there of course, and other than the "Big" games their is plenty of room to move around so no excuse for sitting like Johnny No Mates just because your ticket has a specific seat number on.

Also, I wouldn't want to see designated seating abolished.  Defeats half the purpose of buying a season ticket which many people do to guaranteee their seat in a certain area or next to (away from) certain people.

[sneckfan]

Must be hard trying to get people up here to pay to get in a game. Was speaking to someone who works for the council yesterday and a firm he went to offered him 4 corporate season tickets for nothing as he couldn't get any of his men to use them, how can a whole firm (not sure what size they are) have workers that don't even want to go to a game for free?  :007:

[Johnboy]

Have you got that firm's name, Sneckfan?

If so please PM....

[Dmacca]

The point Sneckfan makes is mirrored around the streets of Inverness, you dont tend to see many ICT shirts other than match days...thats sad, Rangers & Celtic shirts yes. Its a sad fact.

As Gringo said the kids are the key, Gotta get the mind set of the kids, get into the schools encourage and identify with the kids, what better players than Tokely with all his appearences for the club or maybe Dargo with his goals to get around the schools, maybe even do some training sessions after school(ok i know the players need to be focused on their game and the priority is to win games but surely as employees of the club it would do no harm to get out there, the long term benifits must be worth the effort) kids are very impressionable as we know, i know if either of these players came to my sons local school, he would come home and tell me wow dad Ross Tokely/Craig Dargo came to our school today and we played football, can we go to watch on Saturday.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What we feckin need is a fourth compact, enclosed stand with the section next to the away end listed as the Singing Section. Season ticket holders with the option of a pay on the day pal (distance traveller) to boot.

[Guest Sandy Cromarty]

Maybe I'm being a wee bit fanciful here but don't you think we could create a lot of interest and increase the gates if we moved to Dingwall and called ourselves Dingwall United?

If not I agree with the toilet roll suggestion, now I'm not being a snob here but if the club does go ahead with issuing toilet rolls will there be a choice? as I prefer the type ( not going to mention the name in case I break some advertising rule) with the wee fluffy puppy in the adverts on TV.

Also with all this controversy with the bombing range at Tain why don't we ask the RAF if before the game theycan lay out a target in the water outside the ground and attack it for say half an hour before kick off?

Or better still we could ask President Bush and Tony Blair to do the 50/50 draw at half time, bet we would see lots of foreign fans trying to get into the ground to see them.

I've got lots more of great ideas which I've sent to Viz.