Next Fans Meeting Saturday 3rd Feb

[ICT Supporters Trust]

Register Here  Registration is not compulsory but it does help us gauge numbers

We look forward to seeing a good turn out on Saturday 3rd February at the ICT Social Club on Greig Street. There will be food availalable and a return bus to the stadium leaving at 2.30.

We are delighted to confirm that once again we will be joined by Scott Young, Director ICT who will do what he can to answer questions or come back with any other queries.

If you are unable to attend then please drop us an email with any concerns and we will raise them on your behalf info@ictsupporterstrust.org

Please spread the word and pop down if you can.

[jamie ictfc]

Why is this at the Social Club and not the Innes as the last one was? 

 

The last time I was at the ICT social club it was less than 'ICT friendly' 

[old caley girl]

13 minutes ago, jamie ictfc said:

Why is this at the Social Club and not the Innes as the last one was? 

 

The last time I was at the ICT social club it was less than 'ICT friendly' 

I'm assuming as beer garden at Innes not suitable this time of year. 

 

[Robert]

1 hour ago, jamie ictfc said:

The last time I was at the ICT social club it was less than 'ICT friendly' 

I’ve no idea when you were last there, but I’m confident you will find the Social Club to be extremely ICT friendly if you go there now.

The venue will hopefully appeal to a wide cross section of fans, and hopefully many who have not attended the previous two meetings will be able to attend.

A club Director will again be in attendance to answer questions and hear the views of fans, so the more that are able to attend the better.

There’s a summary of the previous discussions on the Trust website:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/post/update-supporters-trust-fans-meeting-held-saturday-23rd-september-2023

And anyone not already a member (it’s only £5 or £1 for kids) is encouraged to join. More information and how to join are here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/join-us

 

 

Edited January 23 by Robert

[STFU]

Doesn't make any difference to me, as I won't be going to the meeting, but I'm with Jamie.  The last time I was in there it was full of Rangers fans and even had Rangers memorabilia hanging on the walls.

Were a lot of fans not also boycotting it for this and other reasons?

[Duke of Inverness]

31 minutes ago, STFU said:

Doesn't make any difference to me, as I won't be going to the meeting, but I'm with Jamie.  The last time I was in there it was full of Rangers fans and even had Rangers memorabilia hanging on the walls.

Were a lot of fans not also boycotting it for this and other reasons?

Was one of the Rangers fans Scot Gardiner?

[old caley girl]

If it helps the steward is no longer employed by the social club. Allegedly he was the Rangers fan? 

[highlandexile]

1 hour ago, STFU said:

Doesn't make any difference to me, as I won't be going to the meeting, but I'm with Jamie.  The last time I was in there it was full of Rangers fans and even had Rangers memorabilia hanging on the walls.

Were a lot of fans not also boycotting it for this and other reasons?

I was one of many fans boycotting due to the Rangers issues.

Luckily, the person involved has now left and I went back to the club for the first time in a long time on Saturday.

The club is now being run by the committee and there is a big improvement already.

[Robert]

Just a reminder about the meeting at 1200 in the Caley Club next Saturday (3 February), with Scott Young, one of the club’s Directors attending to answer questions from fans.

Full details are at the top of this thread and all fans are welcome.

 

[L_G]

I'm sure we all have thoughts and ideas regarding the football club so why not take up the offer of speaking directly to them via it's newest director. Scott seems genuinely interested in the views of the fans and as a season ticket holder himself this doesn't come as a huge surprise. 

This is open to all fans and not in any way restricted to Trust members so why not come and see what's going on?

[Leaky Blinder]

Just a thought but will the Supporters Liason Officer also be liasing with the supporters ?  

[ICT Supporters Trust]

Whilst we aren't expecting the SLO, the club will be represented by a director.

[Robert]

As the weekend approaches and we start to think about Saturday's crucial match with Queens Park, remember this meeting is on before it, at 1200 at the Caley Club.

Full details are in the first message in this thread and all fans are welcome.

 

[highlandexile]

On 1/28/2024 at 3:05 PM, Leaky Blinder said:

Just a thought but will the Supporters Liason Officer also be liasing with the supporters ?  

I received a response to an e-mail I sent to the SLO e mail address.  Turns out Scott Young is now officially the clubs SLO, so the answer to your question is yes!

[Leaky Blinder]

2 hours ago, highlandexile said:

I received a response to an e-mail I sent to the SLO e mail address.  Turns out Scott Young is now officially the clubs SLO, so the answer to your question is yes

Okay thanks. Well all we need to do now is find out who is this weeks Communication Officer & let him know

[+DoofersDad]

9 hours ago, Leaky Blinder said:

Okay thanks. Well all we need to do now is find out who is this weeks Communication Officer & let him know

Quite.  If you didn't laugh you'd cry.  Seriously though, the SLO should be the main contact person between the club and the fans.  Any club that values communication with the fans would ensure that the appointment of the SLO received maximum possibly publicity.  Not to publicise it at all is contemptible.  Not only has the club not announced this, they haven't even bothered to change the website.  It still lists Gordon Fyffe as SLO.

It is great that Scott Young has been attending the Supporters Trust's open meetings and I wish him all the best in the role.  I do wonder though, what the club has told him his role is.   The SLO is a role that Supporters Direct Scotland and the SFA have worked closely together on in order to provide guidance to clubs.  Scott, just in case you haven't been provided with a copy, you can find one here.

[old caley girl]

1 hour ago, DoofersDad said:

Quite.  If you didn't laugh you'd cry.  Seriously though, the SLO should be the main contact person between the club and the fans.  Any club that values communication with the fans would ensure that the appointment of the SLO received maximum possibly publicity.  Not to publicise it at all is contemptible.  Not only has the club not announced this, they haven't even bothered to change the website.  It still lists Gordon Fyffe as SLO.

It is great that Scott Young has been attending the Supporters Trust's open meetings and I wish him all the best in the role.  I do wonder though, what the club has told him his role is.   The SLO is a role that Supporters Direct Scotland and the SFA have worked closely together on in order to provide guidance to clubs.  Scott, just in case you haven't been provided with a copy, you can find one here.

Well said DD. It really annoys me the SLO is a Director (don't care which one). The club play lip service to this important role which works very well at other clubs including our near neighbours 

[Leaky Blinder]

2 hours ago, DoofersDad said:

 I do wonder though, what the club has told him his role is.   

I also wonder if they've told Gordon Fyffe asI received a reply to an email sent to the SLO mailbox from Gordon Fyffe just 2 days ago when he still considered himself to be SLO from his email signature.

[IBM]

5 minutes ago, Leaky Blinder said:

I also wonder if they've told Gordon Fyffe asI received a reply to an email sent to the SLO mailbox from Gordon Fyffe just 2 days ago when he still considered himself to be SLO from his email signature.

Sounds like they are running around like headless chickens 

[ICT Supporters Trust]

A big thank you for everyone who came along to yesterday's meeting in the Caley Club, and particular thanks to Board Member George Moodie who led the Q&A Session.

Thanks also to Ross Morrison, who joined for the first hour, and to Scott Young, who was present for the full meeting. It is encouraging to see the Chairman and Board wishing to engage with the Supporters Trust and with fans in general.

A full update will appear on the Supporters Trust website in due course, but some highlights from the discussion.

Ross Morrison provided an update on the Battery Park, and the implications for the club. The planning decision will be made by the Council at Wednesday's South Area Planning Committee. The club has overcome three of the four grounds for refusal, with the loss of open space being the remaining issue. With the work that has been put in since the previous Planning Meeting, Ross is confident that the application will be approved. If it is, the club will quickly receive a seven figure sum which will stabilise finances, allow debt to be cleared, and allow investment to start in areas which will secure future income streams for the club. The club will not get an ongoing income stream from the Battery Park. Areas which may see investment include the North Car Park.

However, the position is very bleak if the application is refused. An appeal will be submitted, but the delay will cause significant cash flow issues for the club, as it cannot continue to sustain the level of losses that have been prevalent in recent years. This will have a serious negative impact as the club will not be able to support all its current activities.

Fans received an update on the activities of the Community Trust, and in particular the good progress that has been made on the Sports Hub. The future progress on this is one of many issues which are dependent on the planning decision on Wednesday.

Scott Young advised that, at the club's Board Meeting on Friday, he was confirmed as the Supporters Liaison Officer. Scott indicated his commitment to making this role work, and to ensuring that the club responds to contact from fans and takes action where it is required. The Supporters Trust has been pushing for the club to make the SLO work properly, and this is a welcome step forward. We look forward to working closely with Scott to ensure that fans' issues are understood and addressed.

Scott advised that there are 1459 season tickets, and a further 50 half season tickets were sold. The club intends to be more proactive when it comes to season ticket renewals this year.

The meeting between the Trusts Disability Group and the club remains outstanding, but a date should be fixed soon.

Options for Hospitality Days that are aimed at fans rather than businesses are being explored.

The club recognises that the attractiveness of player sponsorship has reduced, and intends to address this for the coming season.

It has been great to see some new members join the Trust in recent weeks: welcome to you all!

The Trust exists to represent fans of the club, and to be a bridge between the club and its supporters. Membership is only £5 (£1 for under 16s) and joining is easy. Just follow this link:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/join-us

If anyone has any comments for the Supporters Trust, we can be contacted through this link:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/contact

or through the Trust Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ICTSupportersTrust

Thank you again for everyone who attended yesterday's meeting.

 

Robert Andrew

(please note that the above is my personal summary of the key issues and not a formal Trust report on the meeting).

 

 

[old caley girl]

Wasn't able to make it yesterday but was sad to hear of the clubs poor handling of homophobic abuse at the United game which I believe was discussed at meeting and response was again poor. 

Edited February 4 by old caley girl

[ICT Supporters Trust]

The issue was raised and discussed.

As it was a specific issue resulting from a complaint, I did not feel it appropriate to refer to it here.

There have also been previous complaints about issues which the club did not respond to or deal with well. Hopefully with a new SLO in place, and the commitments he made yesterday, we will see an improvement in communication and how complaints are handled, but the Trust is happy to hear from anyone with concerns, so we can raise these with the club.

Communication has been an ongoing issue for some time, and another couple of areas that Scott Young said he would look into and come back on were the lack of access to players given to the Wyness Shuffle team, and the poor highlights offering now provided with the camera in the main stand.

[highlandexile]

56 minutes ago, ICT Supporters Trust said:

A big thank you for everyone who came along to yesterday's meeting in the Caley Club, and particular thanks to Board Member George Moodie who led the Q&A Session.

Thanks also to Ross Morrison, who joined for the first hour, and to Scott Young, who was present for the full meeting. It is encouraging to see the Chairman and Board wishing to engage with the Supporters Trust and with fans in general.

A full update will appear on the Supporters Trust website in due course, but some highlights from the discussion.

Ross Morrison provided an update on the Battery Park, and the implications for the club. The planning decision will be made by the Council at Wednesday's South Area Planning Committee. The club has overcome three of the four grounds for refusal, with the loss of open space being the remaining issue. With the work that has been put in since the previous Planning Meeting, Ross is confident that the application will be approved. If it is, the club will quickly receive a seven figure sum which will stabilise finances, allow debt to be cleared, and allow investment to start in areas which will secure future income streams for the club. The club will not get an ongoing income stream from the Battery Park. Areas which may see investment include the North Car Park.

However, the position is very bleak if the application is refused. An appeal will be submitted, but the delay will cause significant cash flow issues for the club, as it cannot continue to sustain the level of losses that have been prevalent in recent years. This will have a serious negative impact as the club will not be able to support all its current activities.

Fans received an update on the activities of the Community Trust, and in particular the good progress that has been made on the Sports Hub. The future progress on this is one of many issues which are dependent on the planning decision on Wednesday.

Scott Young advised that, at the club's Board Meeting on Friday, he was confirmed as the Supporters Liaison Officer. Scott indicated his commitment to making this role work, and to ensuring that the club responds to contact from fans and takes action where it is required. The Supporters Trust has been pushing for the club to make the SLO work properly, and this is a welcome step forward. We look forward to working closely with Scott to ensure that fans' issues are understood and addressed.

Scott advised that there are 1459 season tickets, and a further 50 half season tickets were sold. The club intends to be more proactive when it comes to season ticket renewals this year.

The meeting between the Trusts Disability Group and the club remains outstanding, but a date should be fixed soon.

Options for Hospitality Days that are aimed at fans rather than businesses are being explored.

The club recognises that the attractiveness of player sponsorship has reduced, and intends to address this for the coming season.

It has been great to see some new members join the Trust in recent weeks: welcome to you all!

The Trust exists to represent fans of the club, and to be a bridge between the club and its supporters. Membership is only £5 (£1 for under 16s) and joining is easy. Just follow this link:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/join-us

If anyone has any comments for the Supporters Trust, we can be contacted through this link:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/contact

or through the Trust Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/ICTSupportersTrust

Thank you again for everyone who attended yesterday's meeting.

 

Robert Andrew

(please note that the above is my personal summary of the key issues and not a formal Trust report on the meeting).

 

 

I  did make the meeting and while I do appreciate the chairman and a director turning up,  I came away from the meeting feeling very disheartened.  While there may be some small sound bites being said to try and make out they are listening, most suggestions were being dismissed.

To see no progress with the disability group is also very disappointing and for the club to now say they are waiting  for potential names to allow for due diligence before the meeting feels like they are just stalling on a very important issue. 

They were also very dismissive of the issues that happened in the North stand at the Dundee United game.  They did not seem prepared to listen to season ticket holders that were affected.  Homophobic abuse and unacceptable behaviour by a small majority of supporters were brushed under the carpet.

I know a lot of the focus is currently on the battery farm but does that have to be to the detriment of the day to day running of the club.

[STFU]

Yet again it would seem that inferences made by the CEO are having to be corrected by the Chairman.  This time it's the Battery Storage being a one off windfall and not the ongoing income stream we were lead to believe it would be.

What happens when that money (assuming it happens) has been swallowed up by debt and operating costs that are beyond our means?  Do we just keep running up debt in the hope that another windfall arrives from somewhere?

The most recent accounts show a hole in excess of £800k in required annual income.  There's no hope of Premiership football on the horizon, the club are doing nothing to improve the fans experience or relationship with fans, so numbers will likely continue to fall and the pie in the sky ventures are alienating local businesses, damaging the support we get from there.

It's an absolute shitshow and if they think fans can be placated and brought back by filling a few holes in the north car park, then it's just another example of how out of touch with reality they really are.

Get these clowns to **** away from the club.

[old caley girl]

6 minutes ago, STFU said:

Yet again it would seem that inferences made by the CEO are having to be corrected by the Chairman.  This time it's the Battery Storage being a one off windfall and not the ongoing income stream we were lead to believe it would be.

What happens when that money (assuming it happens) has been swallowed up by debt and operating costs that are beyond our means?  Do we just keep running up debt in the hope that another windfall arrives from somewhere?

The most recent accounts show a hole in excess of £800k in required annual income.  There's no hope of Premiership football on the horizon, the club are doing nothing to improve the fans experience or relationship with fans, so numbers will likely continue to fall and the pie in the sky ventures are alienating local businesses, damaging the support we get from there.

It's an absolute shitshow and if they think fans can be placated and brought back by filling a few holes in the north car park, then it's just another example of how out of touch with reality they really are.

Get these clowns to **** away from the club.

Well said!