ICT to Move?

[pie-eyed piper]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned what is really going to be Inverness' 'Golden Mile' for the 21st century.

The former Dump around Longman Bay.Currently under review by HC, stretching from the Raigmore Interchange all the way along to the current Stadium.Large parts of which are now suitable for construction after 20-40 years of required inactivity.This site is so huge you could easily fit a Sports Village in there , all snug with the A9 just a stones throw away!

[+jagster]

There is no substitute for a grass pitch though,.

Definitely no substitute for grass, man...

Was it not the great Joe Namath (American Footballer)

When asked if he preferred grass to astroturf

He replied

I don't know I've never smoked Astroturf :(

[Alex MacLeod]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned what is really going to be Inverness' 'Golden Mile' for the 21st century.

The former Dump around Longman Bay.Currently under review by HC, stretching from the Raigmore Interchange all the way along to the current Stadium.Large parts of which are now suitable for construction after 20-40 years of required inactivity.This site is so huge you could easily fit a Sports Village in there , all snug with the A9 just a stones throw away!

There's a much better area at Culcabock. Large tract of waste ground used, at present, for nothing more than walking a ball with a funny shaped stick. Many advantages including only a short walk from Heathmount.

[dead_ball_specialist]

Our current stadium is situated in one of the most picturesque locations in British football. I for one hope we stay where we are.

[Scotty]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned what is really going to be Inverness' 'Golden Mile' for the 21st century. The former Dump around Longman Bay.Currently under review by HC, stretching from the Raigmore Interchange all the way along to the current Stadium.Large parts of which are now suitable for construction after 20-40 years of required inactivity.This site is so huge you could easily fit a Sports Village in there , all snug with the A9 just a stones throw away!

think I have been mentioning this for years .... and in my post above (see reference to leisure village), and the zoned land goes further than Raigmore interchange, it actually goes from Allanfearn to the Kessock bridge and encompasses all the coastal land from those points round, with the southern/western boundaries being road/rail lines in the area (A9/A96 and Aberdeen rail line).

[Scarlet Pimple]

To ensure an adequate revenue stream, would such a project not need to ensure that a policy of "all roads lead to Rome" would have to be envisioned by the city in co-operation with ICT.

As the major revenue earner in the form of a sports facility in the city,then unless the Council, or whomever is responsible for roadworks, had the plans and funding in place to make sure that all roads somehow led to the stadium in an uncluttered and non-tortuous way to contribute to a continuous smooth traffic flow, both in and out of the park , then nothing but gridlock would result...frustration, ultimately-reduced crowds etc.

Presuming that these mooted road projects got the green light well in advance and got underway to ensure completion well before the first ball was kicked, then I see no reason why a progressive thinking and determined Board of Directors could not accomplish this innovative project. It's change or decline on a daily basis for success.

No club with the ambition to remain successful for a very long time can affored to get complacent and sit basking in the glory that comes with the good times whilst having no plans in place for the most assured adversities that must come their way from time to time.

Therefore , even if nothing ever were to come of this , I applaud George Fraser for his progressive and visionary approach. Most successful people are not all thinkers who see every smooith and every rippled surface on the future road of life; but choose to put their faith in their own energy, dreams and vision to make sure that when the bumps appear then they either have already decided to go round them, over them, or through them and the goal is the only thing that motivates them.

One thing is certain if the naysayers on here always work with the prompter that : " Ohhh, we can't do it, there are too many problems that could come with such a venture" then ICT will languish and not get more successful---which incidentalluy would also mean no benefit to many other people, such as organisations , schools, sports teams projects , Rod Stewart -type promotions, and the overall feel good factor of the people in the City of Inverness.

Keep it in mind, George ,and when the opportunity arises, just go for it, I say.

[Harry Chibber]

Clicky

Seems Airdrie are going for the artificial surface

[Charles Bannerman]

I know it was a long time ago now, but I would still point to Caledonian FC's massive problems finding a new location at places like The Carse, Kinmylies and the Bught area in the early 90s and also the Percy Johnston Marshall report of 1993 on a possible site for the then proposed merged club.

Bruce Hare looked at something like 13 different sites which very easily reduced to a short list of just 4 which in turn equally easily reduced to East Longman (the current site) and Stratton Farm because so many were not suitable. Stratton Farm was hugely unpopular with fans and the embryonic Board at the time and I don't know whether that land is in use now anyway. If anyone has a copy of Against All Odds, the question is discussed in detail in the "Finding A Home" chapter.

I saw Torvean Quarry mentioned earlier on in this thread among other suggestions, but Torvean was one of the very first to depart the fray in the Hare report.

Indeed I would suggest that anything between the Ness Bridge and the south west (A82) extremity of Inverness is a non starter because, in the absence of a bypass, getting traffic in and out of there is a nightmare. For instance the Race for Life a fortnight ago caused prolonged gridlock.

Indeed I suspect that for the same reason, anything any distance from the A9/A96 would be equally problematic.

[Bridge_Ender]

Location wise I think the current site is as good as anywhere and better than most. What it does lack is surrounding facilities and having not seen any plans for the area I don't know if that will be improved or not. One thing to consider perhaps would be to move the gypsy camp to another location (preferably across the Kessock Bridge...) which would free up more land, perhaps for an all weather facility and other leisure facilities.

Within the present TCS I think it would benefit from a partial redevelopment of the main stand, i.e. perhaps putting office/hospitality space above the wings with access into the main stand and the knock on benefit of a roof for those areas meaning the seats could be used more frequently or even as solely hospitality spaces. On the West side of the gound a structure of some sort would be welcome, although not knowing the proximity of the gas line to the back of the present perimeter wall and the subsequent impact on development space it is difficult to suggest anything more than a small stand encompassing TV facilities as well as a bar/restaurant for fans to mingle together pre-match. Capacity wise we don't need much more, if any more, than the present level.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Listen up here - we now have Orion back on board and Tulloch will evidently take on all the builders rights - there have been some real rumours about Holm Mills - at the end of the present road. It would'nt just be one stadium - it would be a complex.

[Misher23]

Our current stadium is situated in one of the most picturesque locations in British football. I for one hope we stay where we are.

Totally agree - is there any stadium in Scotland locate in such a nice setting?

[Alex MacLeod]

Our current stadium is situated in one of the most picturesque locations in British football. I for one hope we stay where we are.

Totally agree - is there any stadium in Scotland locate in such a nice setting?

Not unless you can count Claggan Parks in Fort William

[TopSix]

IF the current stadium is redeveloped, I hope permanent stands - north especially - are built closer to the pitch.

[Caley]

Listen up here - we now have Orion back on board and Tulloch will evidently take on all the builders rights - there have been some real rumours about Holm Mills - at the end of the present road. It would'nt just be one stadium - it would be a complex.

OxyMORON!

I doubt ICT will relocate any time soon, if ever. If it were to happen though, it's got to be to the Bught. Walkable distance from the town centre pubs, which Holm Mills is not.

Going back to Charles' point about gridlock, this wouldn't be such a problem as fewer people would take the car due to the proximity of the Bught to the town centre. The Race For Life event probably had a lot of people from out of town who would have driven there out of necessity. If Hearts can manage it with 15.000 in a built-up area then I'm sure we can with 3,000 - 4,000.

Never happen though.

[CaleyD]

I know it was a long time ago now, but I would still point to Caledonian FC's massive problems finding a new location at places like The Carse, Kinmylies and the Bught area in the early 90s and also the Percy Johnston Marshall report of 1993 on a possible site for the then proposed merged club.

Bruce Hare looked at something like 13 different sites which very easily reduced to a short list of just 4 which in turn equally easily reduced to East Longman (the current site) and Stratton Farm because so many were not suitable. Stratton Farm was hugely unpopular with fans and the embryonic Board at the time and I don't know whether that land is in use now anyway. If anyone has a copy of Against All Odds, the question is discussed in detail in the "Finding A Home" chapter.

I saw Torvean Quarry mentioned earlier on in this thread among other suggestions, but Torvean was one of the very first to depart the fray in the Hare report.

Indeed I would suggest that anything between the Ness Bridge and the south west (A82) extremity of Inverness is a non starter because, in the absence of a bypass, getting traffic in and out of there is a nightmare. For instance the Race for Life a fortnight ago caused prolonged gridlock.

Indeed I suspect that for the same reason, anything any distance from the A9/A96 would be equally problematic.

Whilst I don't necessarily disagree with some of what you've said, I do think we have to stop using what happened 17+ years ago as any kind of guide or benchmark for where we should be aiming. Aside from anything else, so much has changed in that time that many of the previously discounted options will have either been developed for other things and/or more suitable now than they might have been then.

Stratton Farm is perhaps the best example. 17 years ago it would have been considered "on the outskirts" of the city at best. These days it's very much part of the city and is no more out of the way that the retail park which is visited by thousands every day without a second thought as to it being a pain to get there.....it also one of the best served by public transport with it being possible to get a single bus from most parts of town...even the North Kessock Service goes via there!!!.

Given that we're not looking at an imminent shift it's also likely that much more will change before it is ever likely to happen....but having the "thought" out there could influence, or at least have people thinking about, how such a thing can/should be accounted for in any future plans.

What George Fraser talks about involves looking to the future, not the past.

[CaleyStag]

Our current stadium is situated in one of the most picturesque locations in British football. I for one hope we stay where we are.

Totally agree - is there any stadium in Scotland locate in such a nice setting?

Not unless you can count Claggan Parks in Fort William

Absolutely agree. Claggan Park is a stunning location. I do love the position of the TCS though. I've sat in the north stand before and seen dolphins leaping in the Firth, and there's something quite epic about crossing the Kessock Bridge from the Black Isle side and seeing the stadium spread out in front of you. It has to be one of, if not the most dramatic location of any club in Britain.

[bauhaus]

Had a dream the other night in which I met the Bran Seer, and he did predict that ICT would play European football in a new build 15,000 seater stadium at Inshes. When I woke up it was amazing that i could remember so much of the dream and the Seer's predictions coz i could even remember going to bed!

10 years time we will be at Inshes super stad de Caley.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Bauhaus

After Johnboy reently ridiculed my connections to the supernatural through our black cat, Matilda, I laconically asked her to investigate this issue as part of her thesis for her application to be inducted into the Pimpernel Organisation's Hall of Flame.

She is a real fast thinker and acter and came back yesterday to advise. :

"Scarlet, taking into account the aforesaid (she is a bit pedantic, like , so bear with me ) poo-pooing of your thoughts I consulted with the All-Bran Seer over the Bridge over a nice lunch in Avoch and , confidentially, the said Gent hinted that Bauhaus might be in need of some solace after recovering from a bad bout of "Welsh Golfer's".

"Welsh Golfer's? " I expostulated. "You mean Glamorgan Glaucoma, I presume.?"

"Nooooooooo!" she replied......................Dai Rees, dummy!

:P

[bauhaus]

HaHA the truth will come out, and I do predict one or more of us will be right

[gordyfromsneck]

With its development plan, good transport links, proximity to the city centre, North Kessock must be the obvious choice.

[bauhaus]

With its development plan, good transport links, proximity to the city centre, North Kessock must be the obvious choice.

Nah, North Kessock is a total non starter. No room for 2 teams in Ross shire. Might be the best way to get a Ross shire team in the SPL though. As far as I can remember over the bridge is Ross shire