The ICT vision or not

[BornCaley]

Ok. First off i dont want this post to come accross as negative, but i wanted to see what other ICT fans thought the club's vision was. Can we as an SPL team see further south than Aviemore or North of Dingwall.

Listen we spent many years in the 3rd,2nd & 1st Divisions, biding our time until the day we got into the SPL...but i have still to see ICT have the vision i think an SPL club should be.

If you look at the bigger SPL clubs, they have a vision, they can exploit markets across world...Celtic didnt just buy Nakamura because he was a talented player. It also offered a lucrative Japanese market in terms of TV rights & Merchandising. What is raiding R*ss C**nty again going to do for us. Yes Barrowman has banged in 29 goals....but the 1st div is a different ball game...well its not but you know what i mean, lol.

I appreciate ICT are a young club and it takes time, but i just want Caley to talk about this and ease the minds of their supporters. We dont just care about the results on the park.

Ive followed Caledonian/ICT for 30 + years and my dream was to follow them into the SPL & Europe, but i dont see Europe happening without financial investment from somewhere and the vision required to take the club further up the league and stop Inverness kids supporting the Old Firm. We have out own SPL team now and they can see Old Firm players at the Tulloch Stadium 4 or more times each season

I lived in Edinburgh for over 10 years now so i dont hear whats going on with the supporters in Inverness. But im passionate about the club i first saw when i was 9 and i still get to as many games as i can.

So i hope this post makes sense and hope my brothers & sisters can help me get my head around the mentality of ICT

So to finish : You can take the team out of the Highland League but can you take the Highland League out of the team

Peace and see you tomorrow for Gretna

Chris

[Scotty]

Chris, you raise a very good point !!!!

I think things surrounding ICT can be very blinkered at times and it was only in leaving the town that i myself picked up on it.

Despite the fact that there is actually a sizeable out of town support for ICT, they have done nothing to encourage these fans or market themselves outside the highlands. In fact for many years they did nothing to market themselves outside the longman industrial estate !!!! County on the other hand were doing all sorts of community based stuff and trying to gain more fans. OK it didnt quite work out for County and they havent been as successful as ICT on the park but they **** well tried and that for me speaks volumes.

Its my hobby horse - as you will discover if you stay around long enough - but one prime example of the short sightedness of the club is their approach to internet broadcasting. Their website provider has a service that would allow them to broadcast live audio globally and live video outside the UK (although I concede video service might cost them too much) as well as highlights packages and exclusive interviews and stuff like that to subscribers. The majority of SPL clubs have a service like this (or are at least in serious planning stages) but ICT dont seem to see how it could enhance their profile. There seems to be a fair number of people willing to pay for this service but its nowhere on the agenda. I was promised an update/response to my initial questions about this in February/March but nothing, nada, zip.

Hopefully our new chairman is both web-savvy and progressive ... maybe then we might see some progress.

[CaleyD]

Our last Chairman was very much in to these things.....remember talks about trips to the States and forging links with the Romanian Football Academy and tapping in to the Ex-Pat community on a Global level?  None of these came to fruition because, as he said himself, he came up against great opposition from certain influential people connected to/working at the club.

As far as I can see nothing has changed....our new Chairman was promoted from within and we have no new blood involved which is likely to be the catalyst for the types of changes mentioned above.

Will be VERY happy to be proved wrong.

[clacher_holiday2]

BornCaley, great post.

At the moment the vision of the club doesnt seem to extend far beyond the Heathmount and a bit of back slapping for the job well done so far.

I really thought Savage was the man to bring us on again but he failed to deliver on any of his promises, no matter the blocks that were put in his way, we have probably gone backwards since he took over.

As I posted on the Orion thread, we've been in the SPL longer than St Mirren and Falkirk, yet both of them have improved on and off the park beyond us.  This time next year, both will be posting much healthier accounts and both will have much improved facilities compared to our own.  While we still have two temporary stands, Falkirk are building a 2,200 capacity effort that'll last for years, if its anything like their other two, itll be a brilliant and sensibly sized modern stand with all the facilities we currently house in portacabins.  The deal St Mirren struck with Tesco is one of the finest pieces of business a Scottish club has ever done, the fact that St Mirren were the party who went out actively looking for buyers rather than the other way around sets the deal apart.  What are we seriously considering with our stadium?  If we arent going to invest our profits in the site then why arent we doing what St Mirren have done in trying to find out the true worth of the land?

Neither of those sides are certs to stay up by any stretch of the imagination, but theyve used their time in the SPL well, neither will be posting loses anytime soon and neither have come anywhere close to operating like  (paraphrase Sutherland here) the Gretna, yet have still made investments into the club.

The longer they keep doing anything that advances their clubs, the more sure footed theyll be in the future, not just in terms of their accounts but in terms of their support.  You dont have to win the league to draw a crowd, if the local community feel as if the club is attempting to achieve something or to improve themselves then the people will come out to support it.

For us, I have far less confidence, we seem to scrape by, year on year financially, which is no different to what the two clubs I've mentioned here have done.  The more we stand still the more we'll fall behind.

The future is bleak in my eyes.  I'm totally grateful for everything that Sutherland has done for ICT but unless he's willing to take this bull by the horns and do something realistic with us, then he should look at stepping aside and letting somebody else have full control over the running of ICT.

[Alex MacLeod]

Some excellent points from everyone there. Just a couple of points I'd bring up with Clacher.

Our stands are not temporary. they are removable but the founds are six feet of concrete and the assembly, if maintained properly, will last a lot longer than a lot of other stands around the country.

Falkirk and St Mirren have both been around for a hundred years or more and have both been in, and held there own in, the top flight of Scottish Football so they have a great deal more experience than us about progression. Before Falkirk were relegated last time they had a regular gate of 8,000 and 17,000 at old firm games. Big difference to our 3000 diehards.

Love Street is a lucrative site, not too far from motorway but more or less in the centre of Paisley so it wasn't too difficult to find a buyer once they managed to get the land and necessary permissions for the new ground. Unfortunately our site is 1. Not owned by us but on a long lease. 2. Not permitted for retail under the local plan.

What profits do we have to invest? ?150k last year. ?250k the year before. Probably a loss or at best a break even this year. Hardley enough to pay an architect let alone develop the stadium.

No chairman of a company, unless he holds the majority shareholding, can operate against boardroom opposition so to say Savage failed is a bit unfair.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Our problem is attracting fans. That must surely be a priority. It is amazing we are talking about 'diehards' when we are in Scotland's number one league.

I'll offer a couple of previous suggestions to improve this position.

Every single business within a radius of 20 miles or so should be offered an exclusive season ticket deal. Even schools might participate. Sports awards could be to see an SPL game. If hotels, shops, workplaces invested ?150 per annum surely this would increase income and interest? Hotels could offer guests a 'free' ticket. There might be a security consideration but the owner of the book would be liable for guests.

We consider offering discounted tickets for perhaps three hours every Friday morning before home games.

[SMEE]

I will tell you an area of potential support that seems to be overlooked........its people who are on low income. There could easily be some concession for them, as there is for OAPS and students. Bottom line to the points raised, is that it would take initiative from ICT, and I am afraid to say, this seems to be thin on the ground where ICT are concerned!

[mikeyrob73]

watching from afar ( not as far as scotty but far enough ) i dont think any of us could say that Savage " failed ".He can only be deemed a failure when he has actually been allowed to move forward with any plans he had, which i think certain board memebers would not allow.Now he has been replaced we will never know, but lets not forget one thing, Savage was, and is , a highly respected businessman, and he has not built his company up overnight, and is certainly no dummy.

There has been all kinds of spin put into this whole thing.

There is a certain well know posters on this site who has posted a LOT of information, well before it has come to light, now feel free to shoot me down in flames, but has this poster been used as a spokesperson, a mouthpiece, to swing favour with fans ? Certainly seems that way to me, i think you ALL know who i am talking about

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

My first thought was that this is far too sensible a thread fer me to contribute to but, as a true visionary, I had better add my prophecies.  :001:

The bottom line is that we are situated in the back of beyond and are lacking the sugar type daddy to alter our vision. To be fair - Cowie and Rankin have been two of our best ever signings and Barrowman may well join that "club". It is also satisfying to pisss off the Tinks who, whether they like it or not, are a "feeder club" at the present time. When you talk about generating funds and business with a "swoop" for a name from abroad - we have tried that with Niculae - unsucessfully unless he stays next season - but the signings of Xausa and Hastings to attract the Canadian audience has met with more success - at least five of the feckers.

I feel that a lot of people, including our feeble management, have set their sights solidly on achieving 11th spot and SPL survival. We get it rammed down our throats that we are "lucky" to be in the SPL, given the fact that we were a mere Highland League outfit just over a decade ago. I fer one thought that it would be one memorable season in the SPL but ICT have proved me and a lot of other doubters wrong. But I truly thought that we would move forward and we would achieve a Top Six finish or win a Cup (or at least a feckin semi !!) or even get into Europe. To be honest, at times, we have only been two or three classier players short of that vision.

In regard to the support - I feel that it is gradually growing - we have suffered from the Highland League days and family allegiances to the Old Filth and Aberdire - In those days there were more footbal buses leaving Inverness on a Saturday - and that takes time to change. But I am heartened that you can walk around Sneck these days and see kids walking about in ICT strips and the likes of Section G shows that more and more of the yoof are being attracted to the Dump. Getting the atmosphere going and getting the stewards to feckin sit down would attract more and more. I would say that Midden and Falkirk are going in the other direction. Their crowds are almost on a par to us these days and they are "family" driven and dependent on the "old ties"and have to fight a lot harder against the Old Filth and the Embra Twins.

I have always enjoyed the family "feel" of ICT but we have become insular, incestuous and too fixed in the "old school" ideology. We have maintained many individuals on the basis of loyalty and the fact that they would probably not geta SPL start elsewhere. The "school" needs a lot of new "pupils" and a new Head Teacher and Board. Unless we do we will always be the Bash Street Kids instead of a school of excellence. Sutherland appears to use ICT as a "hobby" - Savage had lots of alledged ideas but no fruition - all talk and no action. They have both used the club as a "power" struggle and we now do not know who, if anyone, was telling the truth. Was Savage "blocked" or was it all psyche ? Irrespective neither of them are up to the Vision task.

But we lack ambition and foresight and our PR is ridiculous. Of course we should be attracting the schoolkids with low cost "packages" - how many times does a kid go to their first game and they are hooked ? As Scotty stated we have a very healthy support out of Sneck - mainly in the Central Belt - many individuals who jumed on the wagon as the Cinderella story of Sneck took off and the memorable Giant killing Cup publicity. On our cup days - Midden and Muvversmell fer instance we can easily muster a 1000 + strong away following and the atmosphere is great. I have long advocated the notion of sponsored hotels and sponsored events on friday and Saturday night events - it would bring in regular ammounts of dosh and encourage the "travellers" to attend more often. The admission prices at Sneck are also a put-off - that is why I couldnt understand why they didnt chuck up a Fourt Stand and drop the feckin prices - I know many away fans who dont travel to Sneck becos of the cost. I can travel away a lot becos of cheap fares, cheap hotels AND usually cheaper prices at the turnstiles.

I wouldnt start with the Stadium - I would start on the playing field - We could build a team around Niculae or someone of similiar ilk - we are sadly lacking in most departments - that means an influx of funds into the wage bills and the ability to attract a crowd pleaser or two - even on loan. I would even accept being a "feeder" type club for a Prem side - to get us on our feet and up and going. But you have to remember the examples of Liviscum and Dungdee before you ponder that money is the total answer.

A "sugar daddy" may well be required if we are to reach the promise land - but a sugar daddy has to spot potential and our management dont portray that or they egotistically want to hold on to the "power" status of ownership. A club should be a vision not a hobby. We should be feckin chasing a multi millionaire with visions of the future with a clear "blueprint" fer the future - even if it is a wish list.

Some peple say that some of us talk like managers and chairmen and Chief Executives. Some of us could do a much feckin better job than the diddies we have at the moment.  :022:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

watching from afar ( not as far as scotty but far enough ) i dont think any of us could say that Savage " failed ".He can only be deemed a failure when he has actually been allowed to move forward with any plans he had, which i think certain board memebers would not allow.Now he has been replaced we will never know, but lets not forget one thing, Savage was, and is , a highly respected businessman, and he has not built his company up overnight, and is certainly no dummy.

There has been all kinds of spin put into this whole thing.

There is a certain well know posters on this site who has posted a LOT of information, well before it has come to light, now feel free to shoot me down in flames, but has this poster been used as a spokesperson, a mouthpiece, to swing favour with fans ? Certainly seems that way to me, i think you ALL know who i am talking about

Now - if you are alluding to me - I can assure you that my "mole" is "feeding" me information because he/she is an Inverness fan - born, bred, loyal and with the future of ICT in his/her blood. I summat post what is happening behind the scenes as we are oft kept in the dark - but I also colour it with my own perception and the camouflaged "wind up" and many of my prophecies are a mix of those. Believe it or not I am sometimes intelligent enuff to put 2 and 2 together and make 4 but sometimes I make 5. Fer fecks sake Oats I work ma feckin erse off doen South - this is merely a "hobby" and a cathartic release fer me. Mind you the 3000 Tulloch shares will come in nicely when I retire.  :001:

And if ya think Savage and Co  doesnt like me - well I aint exactly Mr Popular with the other factions either. Knowledge is power.

[mikeyrob73]

hey if the cap fits  :004:

now am i serious, or am i like you merely " on the wind up "

:001:

[Caley Mad In Berks]

For once I agree with most of what IHE said in this length post.  All I would add is that we could learn a lot from the English club I follow (Exeter City).  They even have the same shirt sponsor, Flybe, as us.  They too are geographically isolated, and with a fairly similar catchment area population wise.  They too had their boardroom problems a few years ago with power struggles etc, so much so that they fell out of the 'proper' leagues, and were within a whisker of going  to the wall.  They even had Yuri Geller involved ffs. Since then they have revamped their boardroom and recruited a young ambitious manager backed up with a wise old head (Steve Perryman) as Director of Football. Steve was at Spurs for almost 20 years, and has also managed at the highest levels internationally, so has developed a huge 'contacts' base which is proving invaluable.

The blend of youth and experience is paying off on the playing side with Exeter reaching the Conference 'play offs' this year.  They had over 8000 at their first leg match the other night.  Commercially I know they are getting it right too, although I don't know the full detail,  with involvement with local businesses, schools etc. So when they get back in English Div 2 (this year, I hope), they have the infrastructure in place to survive and hopefully climb through a division or two. 

I really fear for ICT. We definitely still have the Highland League mentality,  and although I hope I'm wrong, if we don't get a board with the vision and ambition refered to by others on this thread, we could easily find ourselves as relegation candidates next season.  If we do go down, I fear it will take us years to get back up again unless things change.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What utter feckin garbage.  :001: Come on Torquay.  :023:

[Caley Mad In Berks]

What utter feckin garbage.  :001: Come on Torquay.  :023:

Hope you get blisters the size of footballs on the Highland march, you old begger!  Only joking.  Seriously, 'break a leg' as they say.

[hislopsoffsideagain]

I hope to goodness that someone at the club might actually read this thread, which in itself has produced umpteen very good ideas which could mostly be implemented at quite low risk.  If only...

At least today's kid for a quid offer shows somebody at ICT has a teensy bit of initiative; the rest of the time the club are about as forward-thinking as Russell Duncan!

[Yngwie]

Admin, somebody sensible appears to have obtained IHE's login and password!

[Scotty]

Admin, somebody sensible appears to have obtained IHE's login and password!

We really should let IHE create a legitimate second identity called Johndo  :004: .... his posts as "Johndo" are usually articulate, well thought out and based on reason and fact whereas IHE, being immortal and perhaps suffering from conditions that can affect the elderly can be somewhat more challenging to read or believe  :004:

[Alex MacLeod]

I go with yngwie. Its not IHE

Excellent post alter ego. See you at Westfield next week

[BornCaley]

Thanks guys for all your positive replies. I didnt realise there was so much of us who thought the same

I agree with all the posts, especially regarding Niculau..we definately missed an opportunity to exploit a market in Romania. Marius is still a big deal over their.

Keep them coming...Hopefully someone at the club reads these posts.

PS good to see Rory & Vigurs get on the scoresheet today.

peace

Chris

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Lets keep this thread going especially as some of the more vociferous feckin posters havent joined in YET.  :blah01: