Fans Meeting: 6 April

[ICT Supporters Trust]

The next Fans Meeting organised by the Supporters Trust will take place at the Caley Club from 1200 until 1415 on Saturday 6 April.

The meeting is open to all fans, and follows on from the meetings held earlier in the season, which allowed many fans to put questions to the club Chairman, Ross Morrison, and Director, Scott Young.

This is your opportunity to ask your questions or to make your point about anything to do with Caley Thistle.

You can register your interest in the meeting or find out more about it here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/events-1/ictfc-fans-open-meeting-everyone-welcome-4

We have been delighted to welcome new members recently, and if you are not already a member, have a look round the Trust website and you can join here for only £5 (£1 for Under 16s):

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

We hope to see as many of you as possible on 6 April.

[ICT Supporters Trust]

Following yesterday's planning decision, this meeting has become even more important.

You can register your interest in the meeting or find out more about it here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/events-1/ictfc-fans-open-meeting-everyone-welcome-4

The meeting is open to all fans, and we hope that as many as possible are able to attend.

[+Fraz]

Good to see that the ICT Social Club is a place that ICT fans want to frequent once more and not just a surrogate for the Portland Club. 

[ICT Supporters Trust]

The club's recently confirmed Supporters Liaison Officer, Scott Young, has confirmed that he will be attending the Fans Meeting at the Caley Club at 1200 on Saturday 6 April.

This gives all fans the opportunity to ask questions of Scott, and to hear the club's views on the many current issues it faces, at what is one of the most difficult periods the club has faced in its history.

We hope as many fans as possible will take this opportunity.

You can register your interest in the meeting or find out more about it here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/events-1/ictfc-fans-open-meeting-everyone-welcome-4

We have been delighted to welcome new members recently, and if you are not already a member, have a look round the Trust website and you can join here for only £5 (£1 for Under 16s):

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

We hope to see as many of you as possible on 6 April.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Given the apparent financial predicament of the club, has there been any discussion about the size of last year's Scottish Cup bonus? On the face of it the sum being talked about was well over £1m and if that was the case that should have given some stability for a year. 

[old caley girl]

2 hours ago, CELTIC1CALEY3 said:

Given the apparent financial predicament of the club, has there been any discussion about the size of last year's Scottish Cup bonus? On the face of it the sum being talked about was well over £1m and if that was the case that should have given some stability for a year. 

I'm told it paid off directors loans? 

[+DoofersDad]

On 3/31/2024 at 11:42 AM, old caley girl said:

I'm told it paid off directors loans? 

I wonder when the Scottish Cup bonus would have been paid to the club?  Elsewhere on here, there has been discussion about the secured loans from Ross Morrison and Allan Munro which were filed on 21st December.  If the cup bonus was used to pay off loans, then it sounds as though these would have been loans made before the Charges filed at Companies House.  If that is the case, then it suggests that we have been funded by huge loans (albeit unsecured) for longer than I had realised.  The secured loans presumably remain to be paid off regardless of the outcome of any appeal / legal action following on from the Highland Council's recent decision.  It all points to the club's current level of expenditure being totally unsustainable.

[ICT Supporters Trust]

The Supporters Trust Board met last night, and can advise that we will be announcing and launching an exciting new initiative at our Fans Meeting on Saturday..........

To be the first to hear about it, and how you can participate in it, come along to the meeting at 1200 at the Caley Club.

The meeting is also your opportunity to ask any questions you have of the club's recently confirmed SLO, Scott Young.

You will be able to buy tickets for the Race Night on Saturday 20 April.

The meeting is open to all fans, and we hope that as many as possible will be able to attend.

You can find out more about the meeting here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/events-1/ictfc-fans-open-meeting-everyone-welcome-4

If you are not already a member, have a look round the Trust website and you can join here for only £5 (£1 for Under 16s):

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

We hope to see as many of you as possible on Saturday.

 

 

[ICT Supporters Trust]

Welcome to those who have joined the Supporters Trust this week. It is great to see so many new members.

If you have not already listened to it, Trust Board Member George Moodie was on the Wyness Shuffle podcast released earlier this week. George is at 47.46. why not listen to George (and the full podcast) before joining us at Saturday's meeting?

It is at 1200 at the Caley Club, where you can hear all about our exciting new initiative.....

The meeting is open to all fans, and we hope that as many as possible will be able to attend.

You can find out more about the meeting here:

https://www.ictsupporterstrust.org/events-1/ictfc-fans-open-meeting-everyone-welcome-4

If you are not already a member, have a look round the Trust website and you can join here for only £5 (£1 for Under 16s):

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

We hope to see as many of you as possible on Saturday.

[ICT Supporters Trust]

As you make your plans for tomorrow's crunch game, remember to come along to the Fans Meeting at 1200 at the Caley Club.

It is open to all fans, and the Supporters Trust will be unveiling its exciting new initiative, which we hope many fans will want to participate in......

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the club's SLO, Scott Young, and to buy tickets for the Race Night on 20 April.

This is one of the most critical times in the club's history, and we want to increase the voice of supporters. Our membership has already grown by over 25% this year, and we hope that more fans will join us.

If you are not already a member, have a look round the Trust website and you can join here for only £5 (£1 for Under 16s):

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

The image contains details of the meeting and we hope to see as many of you as possible tomorrow.

 

Edited April 5 by ICT Supporters Trust

[ICT Supporters Trust]

It was great to see so many of you at the Fans Meeting yesterday, and to receive so much positive feedback about the meeting and the good progress the Supporters Trust is making in getting issues addressed by the club.

It is clear that we are making progress with many of the issues and concerns raised at the previous meetings, and that the club now wants to hear our concerns and to see if they can act on them where it is practical to do so. However, there is more work to do, and we will continue to pursue issues on behalf of fans.

As at this morning, our membership has grown by 33% this year already, and if you are not already a member, please consider joining, as it will increase our ability to get improvements for fans. Membership is only £5 (£1 for Under 16s) and you can join using this link:

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

We are very grateful to the Chairman, Ross Morrison, and SLO/Director, Scott Young for attending the full meeting and answering questions in a very open and frank manner. They also took the opportunity to speak to many of those present after the Q&A finished.

This update is not intended to be a full report of the discussion, but it will give those not present a flavour of the issues discussed.

Stronger Together:

This was launched at the meeting, and is covered on a separate thread:

https://caleythistleonline.com/topic/36172-stronger-together/

Battery Farm:

The Chairman advised that the club will submit its appeal to the Scottish Government Reporter, but it cannot do so until it receives the decision of Highland Council in writing,. The process is likely to take six months. He is confident that the Reporter will approve the scheme. However a new buyer has to found, so there could be a reduction in the sum the club will receive.

Club Finances:

The club is preparing its budget for the year starting on 1 June. This includes a restructuring due to the losses being incurred.

The Board is working hard to develop revenue streams, as it wants the club to remain full time. Income is now being received for the North Stand car park through the Red John project. Other revenue streams being are being pursued with the objective of raising £600k per year from the ground, the club's land and through greater use of the facilities. Issues being explored include sponsorship of the three stands, a tenant in part of the building, greater use of the Highlander Suite and Boardroom for conferences and events, electric charging points and a car wash.

Squad / Academy Graduates / Injuries:

The Chairman explained that decisions on players are taken by the Manager. The Manager reports to the Board, but it is the Manager's job to make decisions on players and he decided which players would go out on loan. The Chairman recognised that we have a lot of promising Academy Graduates, who have been out on loan since January and therefore not available to us.

Our injury position has been bad, but the Chairman pointed to other Championship clubs who have had similar issues this season.

There were a lot of concerns raised in the meeting about the Academy Graduates being sent out on loan when we should be giving them game time ourselves, and about what the reasons were for the injury situation.

Hospitality:

The SLO advised that he had taken on board the feedback about the cost of hospitality, and that next season there will be different packages for different games, with some being the current corporate offering and others being at a much lower cost and targeted at the wider fanbase. He hopes that hospitality will be in place for every home game.

The Supporters Trust has been pushing for this for a significant time, so it is good to see the views of our members being acted on.

Season Tickets:

This is another issue the Trust has been pushing for some time, and it was pleasing to hear the SLO confirm that there will be proper marketing for next season, including contacting fans who have not renewed.

Disability Issues / Singing Area:

The Trust has been seeking an on site meeting with the club to review the matchday experience for fans with disabilities. The meeting is scheduled to take place this week.

The club is also looking at options for a Singing Area, so will look to resolve both issues at the same time, ensuring the needs of both groups are met.

Stewarding Issues in North Stand at the Ayr Game:

The SLO had a positive meeting with Section 94 this week and outlined the actions taken following the incidents at the game.

A number of Section 94 members were at the Fans Meeting, and confirmed that they were happy with the action the club had taken and that they considered the matter to be closed.

30th Anniversary:

The club will share its thoughts with the Supporters Trust in the near future.

 

 

 

 

[Charles Bannerman]

I’ve now read the Courier’s report on this meeting and I see the Chairman quoted as saying “We bought the ground around us. We didn’t own the ground until last year.” This raises one or two questions for me.

Precisely which “ground” is being referred to here? The stadium site - initially 9.03 acres but soon extended to 12.88 - was leased for 99 years in 1994 from the Inverness Common Good Fund who owned the land. This comprised the area of the stadium itself and the surrounding car parks. So is it all or part of this area that the Chairman is saying has been purchased from the CGF by the club? Or is it further land beyond the perimeter? And of particular interest here at this time of financial crisis is - where did the money come from?

I imagine that another quote from the Chairman may also attract attention - “Caley Thistle should be a commercial property company with a football club hanging off it.” Thoughts, anyone?

[Yngwie]

The bit that troubled me most from the ICTST update is that because of the delays caused by the battery farm having to go to appeal, the £3.4m seems to be off the table even if planning permission is obtained and a new buyer will have to be found, no doubt for a lower sum. 

[Robert]

Some context to both the above.

The comment about being a property business was in relation to the club not being able to generate enough income from footballing activities to sustain a full time team, along with other current activities such as the Academy. By using its assets to generate income it can do so. I’m sure the Chairman said previously the club now owned the ground, opening up opportunities like Red John.

On the Battery Farm, the intended purchaser has walked away due to the delays. The Chairman said that a replacement will not be hard to find, but there may be a reduction in value due to changes in the market. However it remains very sellable as it has a grid connection which can be used next year, with most schemes apparently 2027 or later. 

[Stephen Malkmus]

4 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

The bit that troubled me most from the ICTST update is that because of the delays caused by the battery farm having to go to appeal, the £3.4m seems to be off the table even if planning permission is obtained and a new buyer will have to be found, no doubt for a lower sum. 

Yep, the buyer that was lined up pulled out due to the Council's intransigence. Another buyer will likely be found, but the terms for ILI/ICT may be less appealing.

[Bridge_Ender]

46 minutes ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I imagine that another quote from the Chairman may also attract attention - “Caley Thistle should be a commercial property company with a football club hanging off it.” Thoughts, anyone?

Doubt that there are many, if any, football clubs that operate successfully purely on football activities. Be it retail, sponsorship, leasing, alternative investments or whatever. All are used to feed the football operation. In the absence of those, property makes sense.

They talk elsewhere about Conferencing facilities. I’d imagine that there is plenty scope for these sort of activities (done properly) to potentially drive significant revenue. 

[Yngwie]

26 minutes ago, Bridge_Ender said:

Doubt that there are many, if any, football clubs that operate successfully purely on football activities. Be it retail, sponsorship, leasing, alternative investments or whatever. All are used to feed the football operation. In the absence of those, property makes sense.

They talk elsewhere about Conferencing facilities. I’d imagine that there is plenty scope for these sort of activities (done properly) to potentially drive significant revenue. 

I was told recently that St Johnstone make half a million a year from their function suites because they are next door to the only crematorium in the region. There was a time in years gone by when they would rent the stadium our for a week every summer for a national convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses which would have been pretty lucrative too but they eventually went elsewhere.

[+DoofersDad]

1 hour ago, Robert said:

Some context to both the above.

The comment about being a property business was in relation to the club not being able to generate enough income from footballing activities to sustain a full time team, along with other current activities such as the Academy. By using its assets to generate income it can do so. I’m sure the Chairman said previously the club now owned the ground, opening up opportunities like Red John.

On the Battery Farm, the intended purchaser has walked away due to the delays. The Chairman said that a replacement will not be hard to find, but there may be a reduction in value due to changes in the market. However it remains very sellable as it has a grid connection which can be used next year, with most schemes apparently 2027 or later. 

The focus needs to be on a well run football club supported by other commercial activity.  Improving facilities at the stadium, for instance, will allow for income from conferences etc.  It would be helpful if the Chairman could specify exactly what land the club now owns as that would allow others to put forward some ideas about how the land could be used to the benefit of the club.  Perhaps the Trust would be able to formally ask for that information to be made public?

I'm a bit concerned that if the BESS site is still very saleable, why the original company has walked away.  Even with the delay, they would be able to have the facility up and running well before any alternative site.  Perhaps it is their view that the Scottish Government is likely to uphold the Council's decision, so best to walk away ASAP and look elsewhere? It also suggests that the contract allowed them to walk away.  That being the case, it was even more important for ILI and the Club to do their homework properly and make sure the application went through first time.  They did, after all, have about 3 years or so to get it right.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Presumably the decision yesterday about the Green Freeport benefits will not benefit the Club? We are presumably also not too involved with 'The newly formed Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport company includes Port of Cromarty Firth, Port of Nigg (Global Energy Group), Port of Inverness, Highland Deephaven and Port of Ardesier (Haventus). The Highland Council alongside over thirty regional and national businesses, public sector organisations and academic bodies have collaborated to support what is the most transformative project in the Highlands for decades.'

[robbo1985]

'Converged Communication Solutions And ICTFC Announce Cybersecurity Workshop For Local Businesses'

Hopefully this (ironic) partnership proves fruitful!

On a more serious note it's good to see the club taking steps to improve communication with the fans (including Ross Morrison and Scott Young attending the recent supporters meetings).  Well done to the Trust for the progress made in this regard so far.

 

 

Edited April 9 by robbo1985

[Bridge and a Castle]

Not a happy clapper but by going off 'stronger together' thread on here it sounds like the relationship between the trust and the board are improving. I just pray that the trust are able to bridge the chasm between the club and the fans. Stadium looks and feels soul-less and without character, as many stadiums do when they are built out of town with nothing nearby. Initiatives like Football memories and the Mcdonalds football festival for the kids go a long way to make a ground feel like a home, but maybe more initiatives to make the stadium feel less souless could include getting some keen individuals from the Honours degree course for art & contemporary practices course from the UHI in to give the place a bit of colour! I wouldn't mind putting money to initiatives like that, although wouldn't go anywhere to securing the clubs future in full time football! "Would be the most colourful ground in league 1"........

[tm4tj]

Use stronger together topic as both topics running side by side. Meeting over, stronger together is the topic going forward.

This topic is now closed