Stand up if you can't sit down

[Harry Chibber]

Excellent news, just what was needed but is this the end for the Innes??

I take it the gym will be for the public aswell as the players?

[Scotty]

Proposed to build two fabricated buildings including gym/indoor training area and clubhouse/bar/cafe/tv room for members. The plan is for them to go up behind the North stand. £150k investment.

read that in the Highland News .... {LINK}

What it doesnt say is when we will be changing the name of the Stadium to "Portacabin Park"  :024:

but seriously .....

I would imagine the gym (at least initially) would be private as its for the players benefit and if open to the public why bother spending money on it - just go to a public gym as they do now.

Moving onto the pub .... every time it has been mentioned in the last few years most people have regarded it as something that could be a considerable money maker if it is done correctly. I hope that the club actually seek advice from people who have been involved in the licensed trade who are associated with the club (eg. Caley Club landlord) or who are big supporters of the club (eg. George MacLean) to talk through their plans and any potential pitfalls rather than go it alone.

In my own opinion, it would need to be a decent building - prefab is ok so long as its not portacabin style like the shop - It would also need to be large enough to accomodate a big rush once a fortnight. Perhaps what is required is not a huge building that costs a lot in heat and light but maybe a smaller main bar which has an enclosed (fenced off) 'patio' or 'beer garden' so that the overspill on match days could stand outside. This would have the added benefit that (if it is actually open at other times) its not like a huge empty cavern inside on days when there are no matches.

They do this quite successfully in Toronto - even when it is -30 and snowing outside - by using pull down/out canopies on the sides of smaller bars in conjunction with heat lamps to make it comfortable so a similar arrangement in Inverness should not be a big problem. Maybe the bar could be open all day on a Saturday when the team are at home and restricted hours during the week - good pub lunches during the week might bring in a bit of trade too.

I dont have the same fears of zoning that CaleyD has - for years the council have quietly been moving towards establishing the coastal area from the edge of the harbour to the nairn road as a marina/leisure area - I am sure the plans were online somewhere just about a year ago but cant find them.

[Scotty]

Aha ... found the plan (approved June 2006) : {Click on the link to see the approved plan - PDF}

In it, Longman Bay - (the blue bit in the pic below) is classified for redevelopment as "a high density “urban village”/visitor “gateway” of mixed residential, hotel and office development, tourist attractions including marina, together with major recreational links, the Caledonian Stadium and park n’ ride terminus;

[attach=1]

There's also this old article in the Courier that suggests that whole area is going to end up with industrial one one side and leisure nearer the coastal side ....

{Harbour Development}

[attach=2]

[RiG]

Interesting to read Charlie talking about where they train - no mention of the HFA. Do the first team use it?

[CaleyD]

Zoning may well change, and it has been looked at by the club on several occasions, but it has always come down to the fact that a change to allow the expansion of the types of business operated at the site would vastly increase the rates.

It would seem they are looking at/have discovered some way around this with a "Members Only" bar, but as the club is now a 'Ltd Company' and no longer a 'Club' it effectively has no 'members' in the manner normally required for such establishments.

If it's anything like the Sports Bar they were "so close" to opening in the town then I won't hold my breath.

[L_G]

My guess would be to tie it in with the Social Club membership, or pay a small fee to become a member of the new club, but guests allowed on match days.  Just a quick thought

[forresjags]

Great news if it all goes ahead , but priority has to be given to a club shop/ticket office because the portakabin is nothing more than a embarrasment on a par with what you would expect at a Highland League club(no offence Forres ,Clach etc) .

[SMEE]

SMEE, why would you want a half season ticket if you already get a full season ticket for free?

I just found out i qualified for season ticket about november time...so contacted the club and spoke to an individual who could well do with learning some customer skills! Since found out this person is reknowned for this

[Alex MacLeod]

Excellent news, just what was needed but is this the end for the Innes??

No reason why Colin MacFadyen at the Innes couldn't put in a bid to run the place. Quite a lot of places do just that.

[Alex MacLeod]

Zoning may well change, and it has been looked at by the club on several occasions, but it has always come down to the fact that a change to allow the expansion of the types of business operated at the site would vastly increase the rates.

It would seem they are looking at/have discovered some way around this with a "Members Only" bar, but as the club is now a 'Ltd Company' and no longer a 'Club' it effectively has no 'members' in the manner normally required for such establishments.

If it's anything like the Sports Bar they were "so close" to opening in the town then I won't hold my breath.

May be wrong but I think by 'members only' they would operate along the lines of a social club.

I'm sure I read a while back that the planning committee had approved the re-zoning of the area so that they could build a 'waterside' area with marina, hotel, flats, local shops etc. Part of the area is existing land and part reclaimed. How its all going to be achieved I dont know but it would be a long term developement of the area. Have to admit the run from town along Longman road is a dismal eyesore and really needs improvement. It has also been proved in other cities around the country that industrial and residential can operate side by side and its a far more sensible option to develop existing run down areas rather than destroy the green belt.

Can just imagine myself retiring to a luxury penthouse overlooking the Moray Firth

[Scotty]

I'm sure I read a while back that the planning committee had approved the re-zoning of the area so that they could build a 'waterside' area with marina, hotel, flats, local shops etc. Part of the area is existing land and part reclaimed. How its all going to be achieved I dont know but it would be a long term developement of the area.

see my comments [and pdf file] above ... plan approved in 2006 for that very idea. The whole 're-zoning' issue seems to revolve around the names of areas. Longman "core" has been made smaller over the years and cannot be used for this type of thing but Longman Bay which realistically didnt exist in previous plans can be used for this.

I was sure I read something more extensive online somewhere, might have been courier or HN or a different site altogether, but sure I saw something that had an artists impression of the area. might have a look later

[Guest Atholl]

If a members bar/club is to be opened I hope some thought is given to the poor old dads who take their bairns along and provide some sort of cafe area or non licensed area as well.. Much as I would love to sit and have a few drams before kick off I envisage my ability to do so will be significantly restrained until approximately 2016. Mind you I'd happily pay to join just in case I do get allowed out on my own.. :023:

Back to the subject of consistently filling stands I have done my bit and persuaded my good lady to join me and my youngest today in the footie fest that will be ICT v Well .. Unfortunately this only replaces a missing Season ticket holder as my eldest is away swinging the caman .. :024:

[caley100]

If a members bar/club is to be opened I hope some thought is given to the poor old dads who take their bairns along and provide some sort of cafe area or non licensed area as well.. Much as I would love to sit and have a few drams before kick off I envisage my ability to do so will be significantly restrained until approximately 2016. Mind you I'd happily pay to join just in case I do get allowed out on my own.. :023:

Back to the subject of consistently filling stands I have done my bit and persuaded my good lady to join me and my youngest today in the footie fest that will be ICT v Well .. Unfortunately this only replaces a missing Season ticket holder as my eldest is away swinging the caman .. :024:

The Innes bar will let well behaved kids in before the match if ya fancy a beer to wet the whistle.

[Guest Atholl]

The Innes bar will let well behaved kids in before the match if ya fancy a beer to wet the whistle.

Thanks for the tip caley100. I'll maybe look in at the next home game for an.. ahem... glass of juice.. and maybe meet some of the forumites for next season as we intend to travel away regularly from August now the second in line to the family debt is obsessed with visiting other clubs grounds courtesy of Panini..

I can confirm my son is well behaved.... he gets it from his father of course...  :014: