Mystery Investors

[TheresNoEsInBlack]

Just going back to the "feeder club" notion for a second....  Are we not already a feeder club due to our size and the fact that we've done so well?

Robson, Dods, Wyness, Brown, Brewster, Robertson, Paterson to name but a few are all people who have moved on to bigger clubs at some point.

[ictchris]

From today's Inverness Courier:

Sex industry boss bids for Caley Thistle

By Lorna Paterson

Published:  15 January, 2008

A SECURITY company owner with links to the porn industry is one of the bidders offering to invest millions of pounds into Inverness Caledonian Thistle, it can be revealed today.

Creating a new ?10 million training facility and a covered stadium are two of the improvements being proposed by businessman Neil MacGregor, who has made a formal takeover approach to club chief executive Mike Smith.

The club's major shareholder David Sutherland is due to be briefed on the offer today while the board is currently running checks on Mr MacGregor's background and seeking further details of his proposals. But both Mr Sutherland and club chairman Alan Savage have expressed their determination not to allow anyone to take a controlling stake in the Scottish Premier League side.

The Inverness Courier exclusively reported on Friday that two parties had declared an interest in buying into Caley Thistle. One is a group of London investors understood to have links with an English league side and who see Caley Thistle as a potential feeder club. Mr MacGregor has now declared himself as the other.

A lifelong Rangers fan, Mr MacGregor owns MacGregor's Adult Entertainment Services which provides clients with male and female escorts, dancers and strippers and is a senior partner of Glasgow and California-based security firm MacGregor Protection Services, which claims to have provided security to celebrities, royalty and US President George Bush. He also operates a website design company and has links to beauty company Senses Beauty, located in Stirling.

Yesterday he confirmed he was proposing a full takeover of Caley Thistle and criticised the board's negative reaction.

"These people are grippy," he claimed. "They do not want to lose control but they have no money to do anything with it. Either do something with the club or step aside and let someone else do something.

"I have inquired about it but nothing has happened yet."

It is not the first time Mr MacGregor has attempted to win control of a Scottish football club. Last summer he offered to buy out all Elgin City's shares for ?600,000 and to invest a further ?5 million in taking the club full time. He also outlined plans for a ?10 million training facility and to rebuild the club's Borough Briggs stadium, taking the capacity up to 10,000 seater capacity.

However, the bid eventually foundered after receiving a mixed reaction from Elgin City fans following revelations that he had links to the sex industry. Questions were also raised about the legitimacy of the offer, with more sceptical supporters dismissing his proposal as a fairytale.

Mr MacGregor subsequently bought shares in the New York Red Bulls soccer team.

He said yesterday his aspirations for Caley Thistle were very similar to those proposed for Elgin and included building a ?10 million training facility and a closed roof 20,000-seater stadium to encourage supporters to turn out in all weather conditions.

With the right investment he predicted Caley Thistle could be one of Scotland's top six sides within two years.

Yesterday Mr Savage said he believed supporters would expect the board to take both offers seriously and ascertain whether they were in the best interests of the club.

However, Mr Sutherland has made clear he opposes Mr MacGregor's takeover proposals, indicating he would be prepared to increase his own 29 per cent stake in the club if necessary to keep him out.

I remember this guy from his farcical 'bid' for Elgin City.  He is an absolute clown, your classic Walter Mitty character.  Thank God David Sutherland doesn't want him.

[Proctor]

We must make it a duty not to let this sleasy scumbag anywhere near our beloved club, his comments alone and farcical plans show that he has no place in football. Its people like him I feel should be chemically castarated.

[beachcomber]

Have a look at the ...impressive website for his multimillion dollar enterprise (not)

"Yesterday Mr Savage said he believed supporters would expect the board to take both offers seriously and ascertain whether they were in the best interests of the club."

er,  no, not this one.

Surely the board won't waste any time on this erse

Is he related to the Ross County McGregors by any chance?

[Govan Jaggie]

Lets not dismiss this just yet.  Just think of the improvement to the matchday programmes! :004:

[Guest TinCanFan]

Here's his picture:

[TheresNoEsInBlack]

His website i.e the window to his business, is woeful.  Absolutely appalling.  It looks like it was done by Timmy from South Park, and that would be disrespectful to Timmy.

[KingBeastie]

Regarding the website - what makes me laugh the most is that they advertise web design  :017: :017: :017: :017: :017:

Yeah - cos I'm gona pay money for someone to build a site that looks like that  :029:

[Charles Bannerman]

Buenos rides again!...I notice in today's Courier a quote from a certain Mr. A Douglas, relishing the prospect of ICT being bought over by an outside investor and bering sold off as redundant in due course.

The said Mr. Douglas describes himself as "an ex Caley Fan".... oh... and who was Chic Allan anyway?

[SMEE]

I am almost certain this Mr A Douglas was one of the so called rebels. And from my recollection, he was always more of a Rangers fan than he was a Caley fan. I certainly dont recall many of the "rebels" attending Caley park prior to the last few seasons. And I know one of the leaders only started going to Caley games when he got banned from Tynecastle!

[RossP]

Here's his picture:

I don't trust him. He's got that shifty eye a bit like the leader of the BNP

[Scotty]

The words "Toys" & "Pram" spring to mind

COURIER ARTICLE

Mr MacGregor defended his position yesterday, claiming people in Inverness were "small minded" and without outside investment the club was going nowhere. He criticised fans for focusing on the porn element of his businesses and said he felt ashamed to be Scottish. "It does not matter what I do for a living," he said. "If that's the attitude then stuff them. They are never going to make anything of the club. They are hanging on by their teeth and nails."

Well Mr McGregor - on behalf of the supporters of ICT on this website may I respectfully suggest you take one of your biggest "adult massagers" and proceed to stuff yourself  :017:

[ymip]

MacGregor's slick site is to web design what Harold Shipman was to geriatric healthcare.

File alongside keepy-uppie king Michael Knighton - another walter mitty fruitcake with about as much a grip on reality as your average St. Mirren fan. 

Shame on the Courier for wasting newsprint on this non story.

Re. Buenos - just remind him about his admission back on the rivals site that he wanted to come back to the fold.  Cue furious back pedalling when his fellow refuseniks got wind of his "treachery". 

[Johnboy]

He criticised fans for focusing on the porn element of his businesses and said he felt ashamed to be Scottish. "It does not matter what I do for a living," he said. "If that's the attitude then stuff them. They are never going to make anything of the club. They are hanging on by their teeth and nails."

This man is a complete inadequate....  He should feel thoroughly ashamed to be Scottish....

I hope the Courier print some of these comments so as he can see exactly what we think of him....  :018:

[+Gringo]

Quote: Mr MacGregor - "If that's the attitude then stuff them...."  Unquote.

No Mr MacGregor, that's your 'industry' not ours. Take Scotty's advice and do us all a favour. ICT can and will manage without your 'filthy' money.

[KingBeastie]

The fact that his money has been made via porn does not put me up nor down, its his money, he made it selling something there is a market for.

The issue I (think the majority of us) have is that we are a well run club who live within our means and do not want control of the club falling into the hands of someone who's going to eventually leave us in a bad state, in the mould of Dundee, Hearts, etc.

[Scotty]

The fact that his money has been made via porn does not put me up nor down, its his money, he made it selling something there is a market for.

The issue I (think the majority of us) have is that we are a well run club who live within our means and do not want control of the club falling into the hands of someone who's going to eventually leave us in a bad state, in the mould of Dundee, Hearts, etc.

precisely.

Everything he has said has seemed to either belittle or question the motives or abilities of people he clearly has no clue about. And when people question him or his abilities then its toys out of the pram stuff and comments like "stuff em". We dont need him and dont want him ....

[Guest TinCanFan]

Here's his picture:

I don't trust him. He's got that shifty eye a bit like the leader of the BNP

And he's a nutter too.

without outside investment the club was going nowhere.i]

Well, from what I can see it's been on the up over the last few years without money from morons like this guy.

They are hanging on by their teeth and nails."

Hardly.

[Scotty]

next time TCF you might want to put the quotes in context and make it clear what you were actually quoting was his comments as shown within my post.

Quoting as you do makes it look like those were my direct comments !!

[TheresNoEsInBlack]

Here's his picture:

I don't trust him. He's got that shifty eye a bit like the leader of the BNP

You're right, trustworthyness is all in the eyes...

Exhibit A: Abu Hamza

Exhibit B: Blackbeard the Pirate

[Guest TinCanFan]

next time TCF you might want to put the quotes in context and make it clear what you were actually quoting was his comments as shown within my post.

Quoting as you do makes it look like those were my direct comments !!

Sorry

[Alex MacLeod]

My impression is nothing to do with how the guy made his money but more about the fact he didn't do much research on either us or Elgin. He has money and thinks if he flashes it he can get control of a football team. It doesn't seem to matter which team it is but it seems he wants a north one. Either that or he thinks northerners will just lie down and let him walk over us.

Mr McGregor, The team you think is not going anywhere is an established mid table team in the top league in Scotland, having got there in a ten year period from Highland league football. We operate within our budget and in the last two seasons made a profit. Who's going to fill your 15000 seat stadium? Even if it does have a roof. Messrs Sutherland, Catto and Savage have done us proud, as have others before them, and will continue to do so

[tm4tj]

Hey, live life on the edge guys..............

[clacher_holiday2]

:015: I'm more impressed by somebody who can make money from pornography than building houses myself. 

Good luck to Macgregor in the future and lets all hope he never darkens our door again  :022:

Ross County next?

[Charles Bannerman]

I have now located a Courier and can quote directly the webwords of Mr. Hornell - "Wouldn't it be terrible if the hybrid ICT was bought by "outsiders" and run into the ground for a quick profit? As an ex Caley Fan I would laugh my socks off. It's no more than they deserve. Primus Inter Omnes.  - Alan Douglas." (And who was Chic Allan anyway? )