https://www.facebook.com/ICTFC

 

Club Statement

As one major part of our planned strategic restructure of the club, ICTFC are delighted to announce an innovative agreement with League 1 side Kelty Hearts which will see the club move our training base to the Fife club’s New Central Park Stadium.

This creative partnership will mean that we will hire their excellent facilities which include a 3g pitch, onsite grass pitches and offices for our coaching staff, as our training base during the week starting from this coming pre-season in June.

The last few years have seen the geographic challenges in getting players to move to the Highlands become ever harder for a number of reasons.

Caledonian Stadium will always be our home, but other factors in Scottish football have changed and where we train should not be an impediment to the quality of the players we can attract to Caley Thistle, or to our potential to progress.

The commercial success of the city of Inverness – which will always be our home - both as a tourist destination and a place to live, has led to very high prices for the accommodation we require to house players. In addition to these high costs which our competitors do not carry, the extremely limited housing stock in Inverness continues to be both a challenge and a huge factor working against us.

Increased playing budgets in and around the central belt has meant that on many occasions, even when we have offered players more favourable terms than our competitors, sometimes even agreed deals, we have then been told that the player has changed his mind due to challenges relocating their families. Support structures in and around the families of players may all be in and around the central belt, partners will have jobs where they live and moving kids schools to the Highlands and moving home itself can just be seen as impractical for a one or two year contract.

It makes it particularly challenging for us to sign senior players, a category which through no fault of our budget, or of previous ICT Managers, we have struggled to attract in the last few seasons.

Similarly, our location means that we miss out on the opportunity of signing promising players from the larger clubs in Scotland, on loan or otherwise.

For the avoidance of any doubt we absolutely intend to continue to develop our own homegrown Highland boys and we will take the appropriate steps to make sure that by being creative, innovative and practical, they do not miss out on the chance to have a pathway to first team football with their team. We have a proud tradition of introducing local players in to our first team and this will absolutely continue.

We obviously never intended to be in the same division as Kelty when originally exploring this concept, but football throws strange things at you sometimes and having reassessed the proposition and judged that the pros still far outweigh the cons, we would like to thank the Board of Kelty Hearts and MD Stefan Winiarski and his management team for considering this unique to the SPFL partnership, and then seeing and agreeing on the possibilities and benefits for both clubs.

To reiterate, by moving our footballing department's training base to central Scotland, both the club's Board of Directors and the club's First Team Management feel we give ourselves the best possible chance to attract the highest quality players to the club, allowing some of the players we sign to also live in and around the central belt while playing for ICTFC.

We now look forward to taking further positive strides on and off the pitch to address the football and financial challenges we face we believe this exciting opportunity to help us attract players previously not available to us and build a better squad, is one of the first steps we can make and we hope to develop further innovative partnerships.

Inverness is and will always be our home.

The Caledonian Stadium will always be where we play our football. We hope this venture will help us achieve our goal in giving our supporters a team to be proud of.

Edited May 24, 20241 yr by The Mantis

21 minutes ago, ictchris said:

I think some people have thought that going into administration is just a car-wash way to write off debts and emerge shiny and new.  It is very far from that.  We would have points deductions for the next two seasons.  There would be issues with getting an SFA license.  Would we be able to submit our accounts, which we are also required to do to get a license to play in the SPFL.

It's a desperate statement to be honest.  It mentions that we are either looking for investors or owners - the club isn't owned by any one person to sell, if someone wants to own it they need to buy the holdings of several different people at once.  What would investors be funding?  Are they just pouring money into the money hole?  We are repeatedly told that there are other people involved with the club who would be interested were it not for the financial obligations to creditors, ie Ross Morrison.  Are these guys going to step up or not?

People saying stuff like "we need Gardiner gone" etc.  Gardiner going doesn't change the circumstances of the club in the immediate future.

People know that however he is central to the reason why we are in the position we are and central to any potential new investors coming in so yes him going does change the immediate future through one form or another.

If I were an investor, which I'm not although I wish I had money as I would be, I would want him out the door without his feet touching the steps before I invested even £1 in the club. At the very least I'd have him on gardening leave pending a full disciplinary into his conduct as there's more than enough incompetency to get rid of him.

No one person is ever bigger than an organisation no matter how much people think they are.

The man should never ever set foot inside a football club again and be allowed to carry out any business in the name of a club. 

 

Edited June 5, 20241 yr by MrCaleyjag

The fact that a rich man like Duncan Ferguson who failed at the club and hasn’t walked away especially knowing the cash flow problems at the club tells us all the kind of person he is. 

Obviously it is good news that the Kelty move is off.  Other than that, it is a pathetic statement.

My take is that there will be negotiations going on about a number of separate issues and that there is little more detail they can really say just now.  They should, however, have officially apologised and noted Ross Morrison's departure.  They should have thanked him for his contribution to the club.  They are, after all, collectively responsible for supporting the decisions which have resulted in Morrison's resignation.

Whilst the Kelty move may be off, that does not mean there aren't some contractual obligations linked to that absurd deal.  Kelty may be demanding payment whilst the club will be arguing that the deal is null and void because Kelty failed inform to Fife Council.

There will be negotiations around the failure of the car parking contract.  This might well involve our main sponsors, ILI, who the club might perceive to be at fault for not including that contract as an integral part of the Red John sale.  The club will not be wanting to lose its main sponsor too.

There will be negotiations around the CEO's position.  His position is surely not tenable any longer, but he will not give up without trying to squeeze as much out of the club as he can.

Other issues need urgent attention, such as ensuring the 2022/3 accounts are submitted to Companies House and ensuring the planning application appeal is submitted.

Then there are the discussions with potential investors.  Potential investors will be wanting clarity on all of these issues even if they are not all fully resolved.  They will certainly be wanting Gardiner out of the door.

 

Well the fans have got what they wanted, the removal of Mr Gardiner excepted. As such, we, the fans need to now put our money where our mouth is and buy our season tickets/merchandise etc. In return though, the board need to get someone from the Supporters  Trust on the board to demonstrate they will listen to fans at long last.

To reiterate however, fans need to back the club  with the same passion they displayed over the Kelty move and also financially. 

1 hour ago, DoofersDad said:

Other issues need urgent attention, such as ensuring ...

... that we can field at least 11 players next season!

Edited June 5, 20241 yr by snorbens_caleyman
spilling

Not a penny from me till Gardiner is gone.

None of this is ghe fans fault. We trusted the custodians of the club to run affairs in a prudent manner not like a drunk gambler? 

I agree though we will need to step up going forward as we always gave done before when asked

8 minutes ago, Huisdean said:

Well the fans have got what they wanted, the removal of Mr Gardiner excepted. As such, we, the fans need to now put our money where our mouth is and buy our season tickets/merchandise etc. In return though, the board need to get someone from the Supporters  Trust on the board to demonstrate they will listen to fans at long last.

To reiterate however, fans need to back the club  with the same passion they displayed over the Kelty move and also financially. 

Those who were protesting after the Hamilton match wanted Gardiner out.  That was before his farcical plan to move training to Kelty hit the fan.  Many, and perhaps the majority of fans, won't be buying a season ticket if it goes towards paying his wages.  I can see another Supporters Trust survey on this one?

34 minutes ago, Huisdean said:

Well the fans have got what they wanted, the removal of Mr Gardiner excepted. As such, we, the fans need to now put our money where our mouth is and buy our season tickets/merchandise etc. In return though, the board need to get someone from the Supporters  Trust on the board to demonstrate they will listen to fans at long last.

To reiterate however, fans need to back the club  with the same passion they displayed over the Kelty move and also financially. 

It’s going to take a lot more than season ticket sales and a few shirts to plug the gap.

Assuming ICT come through this, there needs to be a concerted effort to radically rethink how the club is financed. The existing business model does not sustain full time senior football in Inverness. To set up in the same way would be pointless. 

13 minutes ago, Bridge_Ender said:

It’s going to take a lot more than season ticket sales and a few shirts to plug the gap.

Assuming ICT come through this, there needs to be a concerted effort to radically rethink how the club is financed. The existing business model does not sustain full time senior football in Inverness. To set up in the same way would be pointless. 

Sense at last.

Money is needed to stabilise for sure, but moving ahead additional revenues need to be found to prevent it happening again & again. 

Perhaps also some acceptance of where we are in football terms...self realisation.

5 hours ago, dougal said:

 

I still find it astonishing from what I can see anyway is that large number of fans who seem to welcome going down this route. 

 

Yes. Exactly. Astonishing.

ICT has been on a precipice for a long time (as many years' annual accounts plainly show) ... long before Gardiner ever came to Inverness. Rightly or wrongly, he has become a paria targeted by the suffering multitudes, thirsty for blood and looking for a scapegoat.

Look, I'm sure Gardiner has made mistakes but remember that the recent club sugar daddy fan and chair Morrison (while under the interrogation on the Wyness Shuffle podcast) remained adament that Gardiner brought valuable skills and knowledge to the table. With his boardroom position, Morrison had the inside take on what Gardiner has really been like and what he is capable of / responsible for. 

Generations of experienced, board members and directors have all been unable to financially make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Fanpower has very effectively got the reversal of Kelty and the chairman to fall on his sword.

However, chaos probably now ensues.

"Be careful what you wish for" is a phrase currently ringing in my ears.

Several months from now, it'll be interesting to see, with hindsight, whether the knock-on effects of this week's "fanpower" will be looked on with regret/remorse or vindicated enthusiasm.

Fans at the meeting did not WANT administration.  What was being said was that the risk of administration was preferable to having the soul ripped out of the club by moving operations to Kelty.

I was at the meeting at the Caley Club and I did state that I would prefer administration to the Kelty move. That is not the same as saying that I wanted administration, and I still stand by my point of view.

I believe that the Kelty move was really only ever going to be a diversion from the poor management of the club and the financial difficulties that we are in, and would only have dragged out the inevitable downfall.

It would have been absolute madness for our club to be financing Kelty Hearts while playing against them. ICT would be a laughing stock. This way we face what is coming with dignity while we hope for a last minute miracle solution.

What is Russell Crowe doing with all his money? Would he fancy becoming a director at his 'local' club?

 

Kelty haven't had a peep about us binning the deal. Gardiner is loooong overdue for his appointment at River House...

33 minutes ago, Bridge_Ender said:

Assuming ICT come through this, there needs to be a concerted effort to radically rethink how the club is financed. The existing business model does not sustain full time senior football in Inverness. To set up in the same way would be pointless. 

Turn ourselves into a global soap opera on the internet.  "See the plucky Highlanders' fight for survival!".  Regular update episodes, and global pay-per-view of matches.  Spin-offs and merchandising.  Prequels covering the past 30 years.  Everyone's heard of the Loch Ness Monster, so feature Lionel Nessie heavily.  Get written into the Outlander TV series. 

Only need to hook 1 person in a million to get 8,000 subscribers.

Yes, I know, we'd need to finance a production company, scriptwriters, marketing....  I'll stop now before I start believing this stuff 

 

2 hours ago, cif73 said:

Look, I'm sure Gardiner has made mistakes but remember that the recent club sugar daddy fan and chair Morrison (while under the interrogation on the Wyness Shuffle podcast) remained adament that Gardiner brought valuable skills and knowledge to the table. With his boardroom position, Morrison had the inside take on what Gardiner has really been like and what he is capable of / responsible for. 

That would be true if there was oversight on a daily basis... repeatedly we have been told (from sources) there was not. SG basically had a free run of the place. Even on the POD he was not in a position to answer direct questions about what was going on at the club on what sounds like the same night he resigned. 

Repeatedly, stories come out about the dictatorial style and how things are being run on a day-to-day basis at ICT. These come from staff, fans, and also businesses. Leaving aside the fact there are usually 3 sides to any story, the anecdotes are all so similar that they sound legit.    

Past history shows failures at other clubs long before he landed at our door. That was long before the litany of failed schemes we have listed in various places by fans.   

While I don't welcome administration, and all the hurdles and challenges that it would/will bring, it may mean that we go back to fiscal responsibility. Saw a couple of posts last night mentioning former chairman Dougie McGilvray. If he were interested then he has both the knowledge and past experience of navigating the club through tortuous waters. He had the plan of Premier football within 10 years of formation at ICT and that happened. Thats a real statement on getting stuff done, and was the backbone of our future success even if it did come with many challenges. Same with messrs. Savage and Sutherland. All brought something to the table in terms of business acumen, ideas, knowledge and direction. One of those back would be great. However, if all three could find some way to work together for ICT then even better ... it would be like getting an offer from all the Dragons in the Den ... with hopefully the first action to roast the CEO. 

 

2 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Turn ourselves into a global soap opera on the internet.

Stranger things have indeed been proposed in recent months!

3 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Turn ourselves into a global soap opera on the internet.  "See the plucky Highlanders' fight for survival!".  Regular update episodes, and global pay-per-view of matches.  Spin-offs and merchandising.  Prequels covering the past 30 years.  Everyone's heard of the Loch Ness Monster, so feature Lionel Nessie heavily.  Get written into the Outlander TV series. 

Only need to hook 1 person in a million to get 8,000 subscribers.

Yes, I know, we'd need to finance a production company, scriptwriters, marketing....  I'll stop now before I start believing this stuff 

 

Ok, so Karen Gillan can maybe get the timelord to go back in time to circa 2000, or maybe one or more of the guardians of the galaxy to dispense with the CEO (preferably Rocket), or get the Rock to go Jumanji all over his 'candy ass' 🙂 ... maybe she could produce the series! no need for scriptwriters as you could not make half of this stuff up! 

7 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Turn ourselves into a global soap opera on the internet.  "See the plucky Highlanders' fight for survival!".  Regular update episodes, and global pay-per-view of matches.  Spin-offs and merchandising.  Prequels covering the past 30 years.  Everyone's heard of the Loch Ness Monster, so feature Lionel Nessie heavily.  Get written into the Outlander TV series. 

Only need to hook 1 person in a million to get 8,000 subscribers.

Yes, I know, we'd need to finance a production company, scriptwriters, marketing....  I'll stop now before I start believing this stuff 

 

Gee I thought this was a new Idea from Scott Gardiner 

1 minute ago, IBM said:

Gee I thought this was a new Idea from Scott Gardiner 

Dont give him ideas!!! no, really. dont give him ideas!!!

2 minutes ago, IBM said:

Gee I thought this was a new Idea from Scott Gardiner 

I just caught sight of tomorrow's press release

1 hour ago, cif73 said:

Yes. Exactly. Astonishing.

ICT has been on a precipice for a long time (as many years' annual accounts plainly show) ... long before Gardiner ever came to Inverness. Rightly or wrongly, he has become a paria targeted by the suffering multitudes, thirsty for blood and looking for a scapegoat.

Look, I'm sure Gardiner has made mistakes but remember that the recent club sugar daddy fan and chair Morrison (while under the interrogation on the Wyness Shuffle podcast) remained adament that Gardiner brought valuable skills and knowledge to the table. With his boardroom position, Morrison had the inside take on what Gardiner has really been like and what he is capable of / responsible for. 

Generations of experienced, board members and directors have all been unable to financially make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Fanpower has very effectively got the reversal of Kelty and the chairman to fall on his sword.

However, chaos probably now ensues.

"Be careful what you wish for" is a phrase currently ringing in my ears.

Several months from now, it'll be interesting to see, with hindsight, whether the knock-on effects of this week's "fanpower" will be looked on with regret/remorse or vindicated enthusiasm.

Do you really think they could go on running the club in this fashion for ever?The fact they delayed posting the now late accounts was a huge red flag. Long before the fans had enough. None of this mismanagement is our fault ie the fans 

Edited June 5, 20241 yr by old caley girl

8 minutes ago, old caley girl said:

Do you really think they could go on running the club in this fashion for ever?The fact they delayed posting the now late accounts was a huge red flag. Long before the fans had enough. None of this mismanagement is our fault ie the fans 

Spot on there old caley girl but I am sure they will blame us the fans for their total failure.

This story with a bit of encouragement could easily go global......certainly amongst the football fraternity. Some rich guy ,lying on a beach in Bermuda, may just pick up on it and think............I want a piece of that action. On looking up our proud history and rise to the top he decides there and then he must be involved. He phones for his jet. Its happened before. So keep up the heat and force a further resignation/sacking. This could indeed go global.

9 minutes ago, Naelifts said:

This story with a bit of encouragement could easily go global......certainly amongst the football fraternity. Some rich guy ,lying on a beach in Bermuda, may just pick up on it and think............I want a piece of that action. On looking up our proud history and rise to the top he decides there and then he must be involved. He phones for his jet. Its happened before. So keep up the heat and force a further resignation/sacking. This could indeed go global.

@IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER is referencing Anders Povlsen in the HMS Sneck thread. Probably appropriate as his love for Scotland started when he was fishing!! However, we could do worse!  According to this BBC article: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47803110 he and his wife have a manifesto of sorts which describes their deep connection with the area and their pledge to:   

"Restore our parts of the Highlands to their former magnificent natural state and repair the harm that man has inflicted on them".

Given that all of us want to repair the harm "that man" (SG) has inflicted on us, and restore Caley Thistle to their former magnificent natural state, then perhaps its a good fit. Besides, the ground at the Longman is a small part of Scotland he doesn't own 🙂