The Great Highland Franchise Experiment

[dougiedanger]

6 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I’ve come to the conclusion over the last couple of seasons that’s a complete U-turn on what I strongly believed 30 years ago… which was that it was essential that both Ross County and “The Inverness Bid” secured election to the SFL. That also seemed like a good idea for a long time after that but, after both moved rapidly upwards, I’ve now come to the view that the inner Moray Firth is unable to sustain two “large” football clubs. Both County and ICT are now struggling to maintain their previous status and that’s despite Faustian arrangements with wealthy parties which have resulted in what I would estimate to be a very rough total of £30 million of other people’s money (County £20M, ICT £10M) having been spent since 1994. County may seem the more stable entity at the moment, but that depends solely on one man’s ongoing support. ICT’s equivalent ship - Tullochs - sailed a long time ago.

And there is NO alternative to the current scenario of TWO fundamentally loss making clubs just 15 miles apart. We are therefore only reading the middle phase of a story that started 30 years ago and has several uncertainty-packed chapters - possibly relating continuing decline in both cases - still to run.

On the other hand, Dr Faustus only got 24 years of life from his arrangement… Caley Thistle and Ross County have already had 30.

No one really cares what you think mate, neither then nor now. 

[+snorbens_caleyman]

1 minute ago, dougiedanger said:

No one really cares what you think mate, neither then nor now. 

Actually, I agree with CB's analysis - in fact, I remember that I wrote something similar quite recently.

Where I diverge from him is that I think that a merger is not inconceivable.  I think it will inevitably happen, quite possibly in the next few years.  CB may be reluctant to say that, because he was crucified when he said so in print a while ago (I can't remember how long ago).

That is assuming that neither club goes bust before a merger can be arranged.

It's no more inconceivable than Caley and Thistle merging!

[Leaky Blinder]

19 minutes ago, dougiedanger said:

No one really cares what you think mate, neither then nor now. 

Must have missed that poll 

[dougiedanger]

9 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Actually, I agree with CB's analysis - in fact, I remember that I wrote something similar quite recently.

Where I diverge from him is that I think that a merger is not inconceivable.  I think it will inevitably happen, quite possibly in the next few years.  CB may be reluctant to say that, because he was crucified when he said so in print a while ago (I can't remember how long ago).

That is assuming that neither club goes bust before a merger can be arranged.

It's no more inconceivable than Caley and Thistle merging!

Absolutely no one would support such a daft idea for a team.

The recurring problem is people proposing ideas with no knowledge of how real supporters feel about their clubs.

[buckett]

9 minutes ago, dougiedanger said:

Absolutely no one would support such a daft idea for a team.

You've done the appropriate survey then?

[+snorbens_caleyman]

14 minutes ago, dougiedanger said:

The recurring problem is people proposing ideas with no knowledge of how real supporters feel about their clubs.

I've been a supporter for about 60 years.  When do I get real?

[dougal]

7 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

I’ve come to the conclusion over the last couple of seasons that’s a complete U-turn on what I strongly believed 30 years ago… 

30 years ago you were a sneaky little weasel and it appears 3 decades on not much has changed. 
There must be another Beano or Dandy book on the horizon to spew out. 
Just leave the football to the real football supporters off you trot to the Queens Park Running track for one last lap before the bulldozers move in.

Dougal

[Charles Bannerman]

2 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Actually, I agree with CB's analysis - in fact, I remember that I wrote something similar quite recently.

Where I diverge from him is that I think that a merger is not inconceivable.  I think it will inevitably happen, quite possibly in the next few years.  CB may be reluctant to say that, because he was crucified when he said so in print a while ago (I can't remember how long ago).

That is assuming that neither club goes bust before a merger can be arranged.

It's no more inconceivable than Caley and Thistle merging!

I was actually criticised for what I DIDN’T say, but which an inaccurate headline implied I said, but anyway… I don’t think that you and Buckett and I are very far apart on that one. It’s essentially the difference between “unlikely” and “inconceivable” - and I think the latter is actually the word I also used in the column in question - ironically because I wanted to go out of my way to emphasise that I was most definitely not calling for a County - ICT merger.

I think the only circumstances where one might be remotely possible is if County were also to descend to the state Caley Thistle is currently in and the only way that would happen would be if Roy MacGregor, or some successor benefactor, were to withdraw support. But even then, serious fan opposition would have to be overcome and the idea that there was some major benefit as a result would need to be sold pretty convincingly.

[McMurdo]

What next after we merge with County and plateau? St Johnstone or perhaps Aberdeen? Do we just keep going until we have Rangers, Celtic and the Rest of Scotland FC?

 

[Leaky Blinder]

4 hours ago, McMurdo said:

What next after we merge with County and plateau? St Johnstone or perhaps Aberdeen? Do we just keep going until we have Rangers, Celtic and the Rest of Scotland FC?

 

More likely a regionalised set up along with Dens Park Tangerines, Aberhead Rangers, Leith of Midlothian and Butt-cheek Non Denominational. 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Feck it - Get as many clubs as possible in amalgamation and rename Caledonian FC, and rename the North Stand to the Howden End. We could rename the toilet block as the Shed ?

[+snorbens_caleyman]

5 hours ago, McMurdo said:

What next after we merge with County and plateau? St Johnstone or perhaps Aberdeen? Do we just keep going until we have Rangers, Celtic and the Rest of Scotland FC?

No, because of geography.  ICT and County are less than 15 miles apart and are chasing after the same pool of potential supporters.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Ah the fond memory of storming into the Jail End.

[bdu98196]

Anyone who wants to go watch a merged Caley & County clearly cares right now more about following a team doing well or in a higher league then loyalty to their own team. On that basis they are all free to **** off to Dingwall and enjoy the Uncle Roy ego project.

 

[bdu98196]

5 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

No, because of geography.  ICT and County are less than 15 miles apart and are chasing after the same pool of potential supporters.

Dundee has 2 clubs on the same street. In the central belt there are lots of clubs in a 15 mile radius - should they all merge too? And IMO its not the same pool of supporters at all - you make a choice and stick with it through loyalty and if you're fair-weather enough to be 'chased' or woo-ed by another club flashing its knickers suggest you are already a  flaky glory hunter with more than one 'big team' whether that be domestically or elsewhere.

[buckett]

2 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Anyone who wants to go watch a merged Caley & County clearly cares right now more about following a team doing well or in a higher league then loyalty to their own team. On that basis they are all free to **** off to Dingwall and enjoy the Uncle Roy ego project.

 

Not that long ago I was loyal to my own team and then it merged with one of its oldest rivals to produce a team which eventually did very well in a higher league and so to get my football fix I ****d off to the Longman to enjoy the Caley Thistle project.

With your flaky logic I suppose that makes me a glory hunter!

[+snorbens_caleyman]

I am not chased or woo-ed by anything.  I've lived in the London area for 45 years, and I still support my home town club. And I hope that I can continue to do so for many years to come.

But faced with the choice of progress, as happened 30 years ago, or survival/oblivion,  as could happen soon, which would you choose?

[bdu98196]

8 hours ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

But faced with the choice of progress, as happened 30 years ago, or survival/oblivion,  as could happen soon, which would you choose?

A phoenix club playing in the HL is necessary and look at rebuilding sustainably. Merging 2 clubs with constant debts and being financed by others (with one fully funded by a single aging individual) doesnt look like a master stroke either.

[dougal]

22 hours ago, McMurdo said:

What next after we merge with County and plateau? St Johnstone or perhaps Aberdeen? Do we just keep going until we have Rangers, Celtic and the Rest of Scotland FC?

 

Bannerman and his ilk would allow us to merge with anyone if they saw personal gain on the horizon. 
He’s already put it out there in the local press but back tracked immediately when he realised the outraged backlash he got from same article. 
Morale of the story Do not trust the weasel!!!

Dougal
 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

With Robbo and Bazza moving across the bridge in June then serious discussions about a merger can take place, under the supervision of Uncle Roy and Gardiner.

[dougal]

[dougiedanger]

Seems like dougal was not too far off the mark, though who would have thought the merger would be with the mighty Kelty??

 

[dougal]