Merger Talk

[+Fraz]

I'd agree that TCS isn't in the greatest location for amenities however was their ground not opened in the 20's? I'd have imagined the village / town grew out and around the ground rather than the other way around. 

[reefinweedallday]

I'd agree that TCS isn't in the greatest location for amenities however was their ground not opened in the 20's? I'd have imagined the village / town grew out and around the ground rather than the other way around. 

not sure how you would look at it,before ICT the area around the "dump" was just that,some forthright people in the Highalnds and Islands Enterprise had a vision which included ICT in a place where nobody wanted them!!

Some members of the HIE got rich and regaled about how they brought scottish league football to inverness....as for everything else down the "marina" area well that's only come in the last few years,long after HIE ceased to exist and Mr Sutherland got a grip to make yet another beautiful landscape on the Inverness horizon.

 

The biggest council housing estate in the western world is how i would describe Inverness,all created by our once director Mr Sutherland,.does his bit for the community and charity(in a tim nice but dim way) all round good guy who doesn't ever think about his bank balance before the city

Edited January 9, 2013 by reefinweedallday

[+Fraz]

 

I'd agree that TCS isn't in the greatest location for amenities however was their ground not opened in the 20's? I'd have imagined the village / town grew out and around the ground rather than the other way around. 

not sure how you would look at it,before ICT the area around the "dump" was just that,some forthright people in the Highalnds and Islands Enterprise had a vision which included ICT in a place where nobody wanted them!!

Some members of the HIE got rich and regaled about how they brought scottish league football to inverness....as for everything else down the "marina" area well that's only come in the last few years,long after HIE ceased to exist and Mr Sutherland got a grip to make yet another beautiful landscape on the Inverness horizon.

 

The biggest council housing estate in the western world is how i would describe Inverness,all created by our once director Mr Sutherland,.does his bit for the community and charity(in a tim nice but dim way) all round good guy who doesn't ever think about his bank balance before the city

 

 

Err, Ok?   

[Yngwie]

Its been said many a time over the years that they are better at certain things "off the pitch" - but which team has finished above the other 16 out of 18 seasons? And about to be 17 out of 19. That's not rivalry, it's a massacre.

[reefinweedallday]

Its been said many a time over the years that they are better at certain things "off the pitch" - but which team has finished above the other 16 out of 18 seasons? And about to be 17 out of 19. That's not rivalry, it's a massacre.

I think most fans prfer results on the pitch to where they are sitting match day experience etc,will it still be the same in 10yrs?

[RiG]

What kind of saddo goes to the football looking for a "scrap"?

[Charles Bannerman]

 

not sure how you would look at it,before ICT the area around the "dump" was just that,some forthright people in the Highalnds and Islands Enterprise had a vision which included ICT in a place where nobody wanted them!!

Some members of the HIE got rich and regaled about how they brought scottish league football to inverness....as for everything else down the "marina" area well that's only come in the last few years,long after HIE ceased to exist and Mr Sutherland got a grip to make yet another beautiful landscape on the Inverness horizon.

 

Reef.. I'm afraid that statement simply shows how poorly informed you actually are on these topics and also again highlights your tendency to come up with the first unsubstantiated statement which comes into your head as long as it suits your preconceived point of view.

What actually happened was that INE's (not HIE's) preferred stadium site was Stratton Farm on the A96 which they wanted to develop to kick start the Golden Mile. This was one of a short list of four sites from a long list of 13 from Bruce Hare's 1993 feasibility study into stadium sites in Inverness - which is incidentally not at all well endowed with suitable sites. Also among the four was the current East Longman site which was the strong preference of THE CLUB. ICT and INE then had a protracted debate about this during the spring of 1994 and the CLUB's will eventually prevailed.

So Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stadium is where it is because that is where Inverness Caledonian Thistle and not INE wanted it!

It is also reasonable to mention that the possibility of a marina first arose away back in 1995 - over four years before David Sutherland had anything to do with ICT - in an interview I did with Councillor Clive Goodman, Chairman of the Harbour Trust, about the possibility of the stadium road linking through to the Harbour which he said could vastly increase the value of the area, which indeed it has.

The Common Good Fund's £900,000 stadium grant has been refunded many times over by that alone.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Charles Bannerman

[lukemackay]

this forum really is just one big merry go round at times.

 

location of tcs-atmsphere-attendence-the merger-location of tcs-atosphere-attendance-merger over and over. can we not just move on?

[Charles Bannerman]

this forum really is just one big merry go round at times.

 

location of tcs-atmsphere-attendence-the merger-location of tcs-atosphere-attendance-merger over and over. can we not just move on?

Yes you are quite right Luke. I thought this thread had run its course over the festive break until it suddenly burst forth again yesterday with this latest attempt to reinvent the wheel - which the inventor insists is square!

[ferben1994]

not sure how you would look at it,before ICT the area around the "dump" was just that,some forthright people in the Highalnds and Islands Enterprise had a vision which included ICT in a place where nobody wanted them!!

Some members of the HIE got rich and regaled about how they brought scottish league football to inverness....as for everything else down the "marina" area well that's only come in the last few years,long after HIE ceased to exist and Mr Sutherland got a grip to make yet another beautiful landscape on the Inverness horizon.

Reef.. I'm afraid that statement simply shows how poorly informed you actually are on these topics and also again highlights your tendency to come up with the first unsubstantiated statement which comes into your head as long as it suits your preconceived point of view.

What actually happened was that INE's (not HIE's) preferred stadium site was Stratton Farm on the A96 which they wanted to develop to kick start the Golden Mile. This was one of a short list of four sites from a long list of 13 from Bruce Hare's 1993 feasibility study into stadium sites in Inverness - which is incidentally not at all well endowed with suitable sites. Also among the four was the current East Longman site which was the strong preference of THE CLUB. ICT and INE then had a protracted debate about this during the spring of 1994 and the CLUB's will eventually prevailed.

So Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stadium is where it is because that is where Inverness Caledonian Thistle and not INE wanted it!

It is also reasonable to mention that the possibility of a marina first arose away back in 1995 - over four years before David Sutherland had anything to do with ICT - in an interview I did with Councillor Clive Goodman, Chairman of the Harbour Trust, about the possibility of the stadium road linking through to the Harbour which he said could vastly increase the value of the area, which indeed it has.

The Common Good Fund's £900,000 stadium grant has been refunded many times over by that alone.

slightly off topic but i used to go with one of councillor clive goodmans daughters back in the day an the guy is a crook.

Seem to remember a few years ago reading about him in the local rags also.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Charlie - why are you trying to utilise factual argument - this is a Merger debate. It was actually IHE's preferred site at Stratton Farm and the Golden Mile is in Blackpool. Bruce Hare is unreliable as his family were grave robbers in Embra. Using the word endowed should not be allowed. THE CLUB - was that the Caley Club or the Littlewoods Club ? Why has it taken so long to build the marina ? Goodman has funny hair and plays for Wolves doesnt he ? Can I have a sub from the Common Good fund.

 

Anyway why build a stadium on an Aquifer ?

 

Luke this forum is a Magic feckin Roundabout - we have Dougal - we have Charlie B bouncing up and down like Zebidee whilst Reefinweed is undoubtedly Dylan - It is a feckin history lesson fer fecks sake - PAY ATTENTION.

[CaleyD]

slightly off topic but i used to go with one of councillor clive goodmans daughters back in the day an the guy is a crook.

Seem to remember a few years ago reading about him in the local rags also.

 

Allegedly...

[old caley girl]

Charles is quite correct re the stadium location. None of the sites proposed were particularly exciting at the time but it was felt that our current location was the best due to the reasons already described. This was definitely the Caley view anyway as I wasn't privy to the Thistle discussions. In fact Norman Millar once said that if the Golden Mile option was railroaded through by INE it would possibly have been a deal breaker.

[ferben1994]

slightly off topic but i used to go with one of councillor clive goodmans daughters back in the day an the guy is a crook.

Seem to remember a few years ago reading about him in the local rags also.

Allegedly...

oh aye cheers lol

[+Fraz]

 

Its been said many a time over the years that they are better at certain things "off the pitch" - but which team has finished above the other 16 out of 18 seasons? And about to be 17 out of 19. That's not rivalry, it's a massacre.

I think most fans prfer results on the pitch to where they are sitting match day experience etc,will it still be the same in 10yrs?

 

 

Yes. I wouldn't but a season ticket to marvel at the indoor astro that isn't even ours or the fact that there is a trainstation nearby, I would buy one to watch football and hopefully good performances / results.

 

A bit off topic however...

 

'Off the pitch' credit where it's due- I have recently been part of an excellent FFIT programme for fatty fans, part of which we will get a wee cross pitch game at HT at the Aberdeen match; the community coaching Dept are also coming out to 2 of my youth clubs free of charge and I'm waiting to hear back about some free tickets for the same groups, it does seem that they do a great deal of good work. I think they are maybe just lacking in promoting said good work sometimes, thus people don't hear about it.

 

Out of interest what are all the great things County do? Innoculating children in Africa, brokering peace in the middle east, warning the locals about the dangers of beastiality?

[The Mantis]

 

For me Ross County win hands down

Except in the part that really counts for anything.............!

P.s. it's easy to make statements like that while they're in a league below and not having to handle regular OF games etc. Remember our stadium is 20% bigger and we've also handled things like the elton John gig.

You have to ask if they're handling things better now we're both in the same division and we have a level playing field (although theirs is a bit soggier).

Yes I know they're slightly ahead of us on crowds this season but its still significantly lower than what we used to get when we came home in Jan 2005. You can expect crowds at the global warming stadium to drop next year after the SPL novelty wears off - it happens everywhere.

[Charles Bannerman]

Charles is quite correct re the stadium location. None of the sites proposed were particularly exciting at the time but it was felt that our current location was the best due to the reasons already described. This was definitely the Caley view anyway as I wasn't privy to the Thistle discussions. In fact Norman Millar once said that if the Golden Mile option was railroaded through by INE it would possibly have been a deal breaker.

OCG... as I also recollect it that was Norman's viewpoint and that of a number not only of the Caley hierarchy but also of the Jags people - although by the spring of 94 the merger had been completed and the ICT Board, which included reps of both former clubs, was running things.

[dougiedanger]

Whichever way you look at it, to sell two prime sites in the centre of Inverness and only end up with a half-built stadium at the dump doesn't seem like that great a deal.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

One prime site on Telford Street - I am reliably informed that the other went via Poundstretcher.

[reefinweedallday]

 

 

not sure how you would look at it,before ICT the area around the "dump" was just that,some forthright people in the Highalnds and Islands Enterprise had a vision which included ICT in a place where nobody wanted them!!

Some members of the HIE got rich and regaled about how they brought scottish league football to inverness....as for everything else down the "marina" area well that's only come in the last few years,long after HIE ceased to exist and Mr Sutherland got a grip to make yet another beautiful landscape on the Inverness horizon.

 

Reef.. I'm afraid that statement simply shows how poorly informed you actually are on these topics and also again highlights your tendency to come up with the first unsubstantiated statement which comes into your head as long as it suits your preconceived point of view.

What actually happened was that INE's (not HIE's) preferred stadium site was Stratton Farm on the A96 which they wanted to develop to kick start the Golden Mile. This was one of a short list of four sites from a long list of 13 from Bruce Hare's 1993 feasibility study into stadium sites in Inverness - which is incidentally not at all well endowed with suitable sites. Also among the four was the current East Longman site which was the strong preference of THE CLUB. ICT and INE then had a protracted debate about this during the spring of 1994 and the CLUB's will eventually prevailed.

So Inverness Caledonian Thistle's stadium is where it is because that is where Inverness Caledonian Thistle and not INE wanted it!

It is also reasonable to mention that the possibility of a marina first arose away back in 1995 - over four years before David Sutherland had anything to do with ICT - in an interview I did with Councillor Clive Goodman, Chairman of the Harbour Trust, about the possibility of the stadium road linking through to the Harbour which he said could vastly increase the value of the area, which indeed it has.

The Common Good Fund's £900,000 stadium grant has been refunded many times over by that alone.

 

I wasn't referring to Mr Sutherland having anything to do with ICT,i was referring to Mr Sutherland owning the marina land which we saw a grand plan for over 17 years ago and we have......

 

Bit like his housing estates with no amenities to be fair.

 

Charles you are pretty good at bluster and gloss yourself my friend.Still no reply as to what way the players were told to vote?

Surely as the man who was on scene and who has written a book about it must know about this?

 

 

Also you said that you listened to the whole of the merger tapes in the holidays but didn't hear yourself say that Peter Donald was "accosted by hooligans" when in fact it was a peaceful handing over of a petition?

did you get it wrong? or did you mis-report for some other agenda?

What are your thoughts on your reporting at the time after listening to the tapes? Did you take an unbiased view or were you pro-merger and anyone against it was a rabble-rouser?

that's not a sly dig or anything btw just interested as to how it sounds nearly 20yrs on,would be a very interesting listen i'm sure.

[clacher_holiday2]

in 100 years time I fully expect us to be playing down the bucht.

 

It might take 99 years for that to happen but I'm sure we'll move eventually.

[+Tree]

in 100 years time I fully expect us to be playing down the bucht.

 

It might take 99 years for that to happen but I'm sure we'll move eventually.

 

Caley tried the Bught prior to the ill fated Carse episode and both the locals and the Planners made it clear that this was not an option.

 

The Western Link road will mitigate some of the impacts of traffic, however I suspect that the loss of local amenity to allow a stadium to be constructed will remain a showstopper for a considerable time.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Come on Charlie Bannerman - stop hiding behind yer facade of omniscience when confronted by the loquacious - stop pontificating and be forthright and provide the clarity that this merger thread desperately needs

[+Tree]

Whichever way you look at it, to sell two prime sites in the centre of Inverness and only end up with a half-built stadium at the dump doesn't seem like that great a deal.

 

"Two prime sites" being the definition of grounds with minimal opportunity for redevelopment, no parking (other than marginal on street parking which was a becoming a problem even in HIghland League days) and in the case of the Caley Park a pitch more liable to waterlogging than Dingwall.

 

Also, where was the money coming from to change these into 6000 all-seater grounds?

[clacher_holiday2]

I don't think anybody is denying that eventually the club wouldv'e had to build a new ground.

 

We could've picked a less ridiculous location and stadium design however, even if it meant staying in Telford Street another couple of seasons, we should've waited.

Edited January 9, 2013 by clacher_holiday2