NEW INVESTMENT IN ICTFC

[CaleyD]

Flybe gave us that but unfortunately they weren't prepared to put their name to a lower league team. We also need a gate increase but that is unlikely to happen in the short term.

Sorry Alex, but that is simply not true and a bit of a slur on Flybe, who remained, and still remain, large supporters and contributors to ICT.

Flybe, like many other companies, were going through financial challenges and had to cut back on certain things. They continued, and I believe have just renewed the agreement too, sponsor the Youth and Community Development part of the club.

In many respects it might have been easier for them to justify the spending, based on the exposure received, on sponsoring the First Team. I would say it's more to their credit that they instead chose to continue doing what they could in an area of the club where it would have been far harder to find a new sponsor.

[Alex MacLeod]

Didn't intend to sound like I was slating Flybe and I know they continue to invest in Inverness but they did time their main sponsorship withdrawal at the time of our demotion. At that same time they announced they were separating from Southampton FC who were also relegated.They also stopped sponsorship of Norwich and Birmingham at the time they had been relegated. Flybe have shown they dont like relegation

[PullMyFinger]

Didn't intend to sound like I was slating Flybe and I know they continue to invest in Inverness but they did time their main sponsorship withdrawal at the time of our demotion. At that same time they announced they were separating from Southampton FC who were also relegated.They also stopped sponsorship of Norwich and Birmingham at the time they had been relegated. Flybe have shown they dont like relegation

So they're a jinx?

[CaleyD]

After re-reading my comments on the accounts I felt it perhaps best that I post a "BTW" pointing out that I am not looking to apportion blame or have a pop at anyone. The situation is was it is and when compared to the accounts of any other Scottish Club then we are still, by far, in the best financial position in the league (with the possible exception of the big two who have far more "pulling power" to get them out of financial stook if needed). If I had to claim motive for my comments, then it would be in highlighting to everyone what the position is in the hope that fans might think about what they can do to help improve things because when push comes to shove, we are all in this together and going around with our heads stuck up our butts thinking everything is fine and dandy does nobody any good.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Don't think Jeff MacDonald is involved. OBTW I don't remember either JMcD or IHE pull on a Caley 1st team shirt!

Twice each actually in pre season friendlies - but two years in the "seconds".

Cant wait to be proved rite this time. :biggrin:

[12th Man]

I would assume a good chunk of money is paid for the lease of the stadium.

Perhaps if the new university campus could incorporate a sports stadium and all weather pitches,including gym, there would be a stronger case for better sports education courses, physio courses, it encourages other sporting events to be held in Inverness which is fresh money for the local economy, plenty of parking on a Saturday for the game,on site pub and restaurant could be built so its in constant use due to location,we currently only serve food and alcohol at the stadium 19 times a year for a short duration. We would still have good access to the A9. University students would have a football team to link themselves to, it encourages new fans to come along as it would be located within 1 to 2 miles of thousands of residential houses,it also encourages walking to the match.

The match day out experience would improve for the ones from town with a better pub crawl route, Heatmount, Corriegarth, Fluke,Raigmore (and back) The Cheiftan and Dows also get a boost of trade. new pubs get a chance to affiliate themselves with our club.

Awaiting red dots because its not next to Dalneigh, in fact its about the same distance from the Bught to the new campus as it is from the Bught to the current TCS stadium, after a quick look at a map.

The current owners of TCS can sell it to Asda, Asda can give money to the council to build a much needed flyover at the longman roundabout,this will ease commuting traffic, could you imagine, there wouldnt be a single A9 North bound vehicle trying to hold up traffic leaving the Longman at 5pm and reduced bridge traffic in the mornings, we also get a big Asda.

Ive been going to the current stadium since it opened in the division 3 days but if all the above positive things above were to happen then I'm all in-favor of a change.The main other thing is that ICT lease the stadium for pennies from the council.

[CaleyD]

The club are already doing a lot to improve things. Stuff like the use of the stadium for conferencing etc has increased and they are trying to find things to bring more people in on a matchday and also to encourage them to spend a little more when there.

However, it must get a little frustrating when the reaction to these things is one of apathy.

Some examples....

• The recent hospitality offer for the Killie game...lot of complaints from people that they can't afford to do these things, the club give them a chance for a very reasonable £15 and take-up is so low they end up having to cancel it.
  
• Legends v Curry Hoose night...complaints that it clashed with a Clach match, moans that the club got other people from other parts of the ICT community involved in the squad and it was "falsely advertised" and only a couple of hundred turn up on the night...and it was a free evening with no need for people to spend a penny.
  
• Some painting needed done a couple of summers back...we couldn't muster a dozen people to pick up a brush and help for a couple of hours, so the club ended up having to pay someone to do it.
  
• The Supporters Trust put out a newsletter recently looking for assistance this coming Saturday to do a bucket collection....I don't think we've had a single volunteer outside of those on the Trust Board.
  

The club have their bit to do and nobody is saying they have got everything right and don't have more they can do, but Inverness as a city (as well as the fans) could be doing a lot more to pay back ICT for the benefits they have brought to the area.

I sometimes wonder if Inverness actually deserves an SPL team.

[12th Man]

The club are already doing a lot to improve things. Stuff like the use of the stadium for conferencing etc has increased and they are trying to find things to bring more people in on a matchday and also to encourage them to spend a little more when there.

However, it must get a little frustrating when the reaction to these things is one of apathy.

Some examples....

• 
  
  
• The recent hospitality offer for the Killie game...lot of complaints from people that they can't afford to do these things, the club give them a chance for a very reasonable ?15 and take-up is so low they end up having to cancel it.
  
• Legends v Curry Hoose night...complaints that it clashed with a Clach match, moans that the club got other people from other parts of the ICT community involved in the squad and it was "falsely advertised" and only a couple of hundred turn up on the night...and it was a free evening with no need for people to spend a penny.
  
• Some painting needed done a couple of summers back...we couldn't muster a dozen people to pick up a brush and help for a couple of hours, so the club ended up having to pay someone to do it.
  
• The Supporters Trust put out a newsletter recently looking for assistance this coming Saturday to do a bucket collection....I don't think we've had a single volunteer outside of those on the Trust Board.
  

The club have their bit to do and nobody is saying they have got everything right and don't have more they can do, but Inverness as a city (as well as the fans) could be doing a lot more to pay back ICT for the benefits they have brought to the area.

I sometimes wonder if Inverness actually deserves an SPL team.

You have been sucked into the comments of wind up merchants.

Its fine and well having a moan about fans not doing enough but they turn up for matches,buy merchandise,pay for parking, buy food,buy a pint,buy 50/50,programmes,donate to the youth, turn up to help clear snow off the pitch if time permits, some even pool together to sponsor a players shirt. So its a bit harsh to say they dont do enough.

The whole country is facing difficult times, even hospitality used to be a way of entertaining business clients and claiming the tax back which is fine when making money, not so good when running at a loss and now fans are being asked to pay for hospitality too. Its a good day out but you cant expect all the fans to support this all the time.

Stating that a five figure investment is a sticking plaster then something drastic needs to be done, whether its increasing the fan base or reducing overheads then something needs to happen, if its both then its a win win situation and the clubs back in the black.

The good news is we have great people working behind the scenes,excellent youth training and people growing up as ICT fans to swell the ranks,so I think we are in an OK long term position but I'm a realist and if its a case of keeping our heads above water and maintaining the creature of habit mentality or building ICT into something powerful in the next 5 years then I'm all for it, you'll remember the gate figures for a div 3 club, 3000-3500 we were too powerful for div 3 and 2 and the main reason was that we had a new club, a new stadium and a new league. maybe that mentality would return with a ground on the doorstep of what is now the real centre of the population of Inverness, with better facilities and cheaper rent.

[PullMyFinger]

Why move from the Longman? Cheaper rent? Evidence please.

[CaleyD]

It's not all about asking people to spend money, be that the fans, investors, local business or whatever. That is only a part of the solution....and you would be surprised how few actually do buy a 50/50 ticket or a programme etc. It actually costs money to have the matchday programme because sales are so low...and we have one of the top programme sales levels in Scotland.

It costs nothing for someone to pick up a paint brush and do a bit of painting, it costs them nothing to hold a bucket for an hour or whatever.

• 20 people do a half days painting each and that saves the club £5000 or £6000 that they can then spend elsewhere.
  
• 10 people with buckets can collect twice as much as 5 people...15 or 20 would be better, but that seems like a pipe dream right now.
  

Why is it they can get some people to clear the pitch on a matchday morning? My theory is that it's because they can see a clear link between getting the pitch cleared and seeing a game of football. When it comes to other things then that connection is not so apparent, but it's every bit as important.

We have a core fanbase of maybe 3000...if even 1% of those gave up a little time every now and then to get more involved then the club would be the better for it. I think it's St Johnstone that have something like 70 or 80 volunteers who regularly assist with community projects and getting things done around the club, so it is happening elsewhere.

As I've already said, the club have their part to play as well. They need to be making sure that every penny is used wisely and that fans are confident they are doing that. They also need to be willing to accept that they don't have all the answers and that listening to the fans is vital in being able to understand the issues and formulate solutions. Improvements have taken in place in that, but there's more to be done, but it can only happen if everyone works and pulls together.

Moving the stadium is not the magic fix....look at St Mirren, they thought it was the answer to all their problems....only a couple of years down the line they are quickly realising it wasn't. It got them out of the hole they were in at the time, but they've quickly found another hole.

IMO, the Stadium will move at some point in the next few years, but the whole "Field of Dreams....Build it and they will come" thing is pure fantasy.

[12th Man]

Field of dreams ??

Put it on peoples doorsteps and yes we will have extra bums on seats.

Sea to the North and West, Dump to the East and an industrial estate to the South. we have zero residents.

It wouldnt be hard to lure in extra support if relocating.

[caleyboy]

Don't think Jeff MacDonald is involved. OBTW I don't remember either JMcD or IHE pull on a Caley 1st team shirt!

Twice each actually in pre season friendlies - but two years in the "seconds".

Cant wait to be proved rite this time. :biggrin:

Wel that'll be why I don't remember either you or JM pull on a 1st team shirt and I didn't watch the North Caley/North Reserve League. But well done you for your 2 years with Jackie Spud.

Edited September 8, 2011 by caleyboy

[dougal]

Field of dreams ??

Put it on peoples doorsteps and yes we will have extra bums on seats.

Sea to the North and West, Dump to the East and an industrial estate to the South. we have zero residents.

It wouldnt be hard to lure in extra support if relocating.

I very rarely agree with anything you have to say but you are spot on here

Green dot for you 12th Man

The longman site is the worst possible site to have a football stadium, I just can't understand how ICT got away with it due to its close proximity to the A9 and the crazy congestion it causes on match days

dougal

[Scotty]

The longman site is the worst possible site to have a football stadium, I just can't understand how ICT got away with it due to its close proximity to the A9 and the crazy congestion it causes on match days

It was its close proximity to the A9 that was a plus point !!!

The council didnt want loads of cars going through the town to potential sites at the Bught or Merkinch, which some fans also thought had a "west of the river" Caley bias and the infrastructure to Stratton Farm, too far east of the river and a Thistle bias for others, was also an issue.

Longman was a compromise that everyone lived with as the council thought it could get folk in and out quickly and easily using A9 and A96 and fans from both sides of the river could get there easily enough .....

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Personally I have began to save up for the Texan pre season tour Plus 12th Man has inadvertently got it rite - hope he has not zoned in to my psychic airways - and who would build such a project with dollars behind it - Tullochs or Muirfields ?

LET THE RENEWED POWER STRUGGLE CONTINUE = But there is only one winner for ICT.

Plus I have given Dougal a green dot - but I never give out red dots as they are usually given becos peeple dont agree with the view being banded.

My only grievance is that you should have a separate table for red and green dots - that way I could be well to the feckin top of both.

[TopSix]

The longman site is the worst possible site to have a football stadium, I just can't understand how ICT got away with it due to its close proximity to the A9 and the crazy congestion it causes on match days

I agree with you to a fair extent. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the worst possible site but it is very exposed to the elements down there - it's a criticism I've heard a lot of opposition fans make. The congestion on the roundabout is bad and there should be a safe crossing point for fans walking to the stadium. As for the point Scotty made about buses, etc getting access to the A9 I don't really subscribe to that fully. A fair majority of away fans - from the central belt and further afield - view Inverness as being the other end of the Earth and many make a weekend of it.

[caley100]

I would assume a good chunk of money is paid for the lease of the stadium.

Perhaps if the new university campus could incorporate a sports stadium and all weather pitches,including gym, there would be a stronger case for better sports education courses, physio courses, it encourages other sporting events to be held in Inverness which is fresh money for the local economy, plenty of parking on a Saturday for the game,on site pub and restaurant could be built so its in constant use due to location,we currently only serve food and alcohol at the stadium 19 times a year for a short duration. We would still have good access to the A9. University students would have a football team to link themselves to, it encourages new fans to come along as it would be located within 1 to 2 miles of thousands of residential houses,it also encourages walking to the match.

The match day out experience would improve for the ones from town with a better pub crawl route, Heatmount, Corriegarth, Fluke,Raigmore (and back) The Cheiftan and Dows also get a boost of trade. new pubs get a chance to affiliate themselves with our club.

Awaiting red dots because its not next to Dalneigh, in fact its about the same distance from the Bught to the new campus as it is from the Bught to the current TCS stadium, after a quick look at a map.

The current owners of TCS can sell it to Asda, Asda can give money to the council to build a much needed flyover at the longman roundabout,this will ease commuting traffic, could you imagine, there wouldnt be a single A9 North bound vehicle trying to hold up traffic leaving the Longman at 5pm and reduced bridge traffic in the mornings, we also get a big Asda.

Ive been going to the current stadium since it opened in the division 3 days but if all the above positive things above were to happen then I'm all in-favor of a change.The main other thing is that ICT lease the stadium for pennies from the council.

I think re-locating to an all use type stadium would be a feckin disaster, ever been to a football match where there is a running track/safety wall between the fans and the pitch? we wonder about the lack of atmosphere at home games well it would be 5 times worse in an open athletics type stadium.

I went to a footie match at Meadowbank many years ago and it was so quiet it was scary, probably please the sweetie paper/tartan blanket brigade but as a football experience it would never work.

Also the distance from town centre and access over the A9 would be an issue as the police are not all that happy with the fan access over the A9 at present.

Nah, stay where we are and maybe develop around the stadium, move the travellers site/salt heap and there is plenty land about.

[Scotty]

As for the point Scotty made about buses, etc getting access to the A9 I don't really subscribe to that fully. A fair majority of away fans - from the central belt and further afield - view Inverness as being the other end of the Earth and many make a weekend of it.

I didnt say that is what is happening ... I said that is one of the factors that was stated at the time .... With hindsight, the "get them in, get them out quick" reasoning is indeed flawed because in reality, your scenario is what actually happens.

Nah, stay where we are and maybe develop around the stadium, move the travellers site/salt heap and there is plenty land about.

If the local plan for the area - posted on here a few times over the years - ever comes to fruition (leisure village, marinas, hotels etc, then the TCS would be at the very centre of a vibrant area ......

[TopSix]

If the local plan for the area - posted on here a few times over the years - ever comes to fruition (leisure village, marinas, hotels etc, then the TCS would be at the very centre of a vibrant area ......

I'd like to think that would happen (and was going to happen with the new road) but unfortunately can't see it coming to fruition anytime soon. It seems such a waste to have that area turned over for industrial usage.

Please don't jump down my throat, but a compact stadium in the bught would be great (IMHO). Having the stadium where it is doesn't feel like you're 'in' Inverness.

Or there could be investment to build a tramline from the bus / railway station to the stadium...

Anyway, I'm pretty sure we've had a thread like this before, with similar comments in the past.

[Charles Bannerman]

The council didnt want loads of cars going through the town to potential sites at the Bught or Merkinch, which some fans also thought had a "west of the river" Caley bias and the infrastructure to Stratton Farm, too far east of the river and a Thistle bias for others, was also an issue.

Longman was a compromise that everyone lived with as the council thought it could get folk in and out quickly and easily using A9 and A96 and fans from both sides of the river could get there easily enough .....

This all goes back to Bruce Hare's 1993 report on possible stadium sites which initially looked at 11, seven of which were very quickly rejected leaving West Seafield, Inshes, Stratton Farm and East Longman. West Seafield (police reservations and infrastructure costs) and Inshes (where the land was too expensive) also departed the contest, leaving a head to head between Stratton Farm (which miraculously went from bottom of the four to top of the pile in a second appraisal by Hare!) and East Longman.

This led to a head to head in the spring of 1994 between the club (who favoured EL) and INE (who strongly preferred SF which was on the Golden Mile which they wanted to kick start.) After many convolutions, EL became the designated site and the rest is history.

It's all very well to talk about relocating the stadium - but where to? The original report itself shows that there are very few suitable places in Inverness. You will note that NONE of the short list of four is on the west side of the river and of the original eleven the only one west of the Ness was.... Torvean Quarry!!

Quite simply west of the river offers very little choice in terms of stadium location and that's before you even consider the fundamental of getting traffic across the Ness Bridge in the absence of an extended distributor road. Remember that Caley (sic) spent much of the pre merger years looking at alternative sites on that side of the water and failed at venues as diverse as Kinmylies, the Bught, Canal Field and the Carse.

I'd also just like to comment on the extensive discussion earlier in this thread about the funding of ICT and would suggest that two dominant factors are the way that football goes about its business and the nature of the game in Scotland.

In the case of football as as a whole, so much of the available funds are going into the very biggest clubs that there is not a lot left for the rest to pay players etc and apart from that just about every club in the land lives beyond its means in order to try to compete. This leads to the expectation that rich individuals will in effect make large donations to clubs to allow them to operate in a fundamentally lossmaking manner which no sane business would contemplate.

Also, specifically in Scotland this is much worse because we have two clubs which have been able to acquire black hole proportions because they are based in the largest conurbation in the country and also function as focal points for the religious and political divide which has largely been imported from across the Irish Sea. (By now Highland News readers may have identified this as an argument I expressed in my Sportsview column a couple of weeks ago.)

Black holes of course suck in a great deal of surrounding matter and Rangers and Celtic are able to do this because of the critical mass they have been able to acquire (yes, I know I'm slightly mixing my Physics metaphors!). As a result, vast amounts of money pour into the Ibrox and Celtic Park coffers in the armadas of buses and cars which converge on these places on Saturdays from all across the land.

Now for some reason, despite these massive advantages, the Old Firm are still ***** in Europe but that's their problem. However the effect on the rest of the country is that local clubs - such as ICT - are left disproportionately under supported and under resourced.

The way I see it is that ICT has got three options or a combination of 1) and 2).

1) Increase income.

2) Reduce expenditure.

3) Accept a long term existence outwith the SPL.

Hoping that one off windfalls will continue to come along indefinitely to keep the wolf from the door isn't a realistic strategy and there aren't really any assets left to sell off. The family silver cupboard is now more or less bare.

Edited September 8, 2011 by Charles Bannerman

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Herr Bannerman - well put - but as most of us post-merger dinosaurs have found out why would you continue to support a team that you have no real allegiance to when you have the answer to your real loyalies on your doorstep. Then I suppose this is a question every small conurbation outside of the midland belt still asks themselves today....

I care about my team and I know I am not alone....it is not ICT that is the problem it is the modern game and what it means or really the football perception of the naughties....I never thought I would say this but the HL days seemed a lot simpler but as we know the basic challenges then of just staying solvent were just as big a challenge if not bigger....

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

PS - pub quiz question - name another football stadium located on a Firth?

[HumbersideDude]

PS - pub quiz question - name another football stadium located on a Firth?

Greenock Morton?

[12th Man]

http://invernesscampus.co.uk/ee/index.php/opportunities/

http://invernesscampus.co.uk/ee/index.php/partners/sports_facilities/

You couldnt find a better spot, good access,all weather pitches, indoor pitch, sports facilities, never mind the lothian tram fetish domers, we would have the southern train line running parallel with the site, you couldnt create a new station cheaper if you tried, so drinks in sneck, on the train to the game and zero traffic delays,providing a new time table was created to suit of course.

Edited September 9, 2011 by 12th Man

[CaleyD]

Where's the money going to come from to build this new stadium?