David Sutherland

[StockholmSyndrome]

BTW, why is my post at the head of this topic? It doesn't make a lot of sense in this context and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that I had seemingly started a topic I had no knowledge of!! For a moment I thought someone at work had hacked into my account

Back on topic, I was quite disappointed when Sutherland and Savage couldn't work together, as IMHO this has hampered the club's progress. The public falling out they had after Savage resigned was needless and didn't make us look good, not least because they appeared to be behaving less like experienced businessmen and more like a couple of small angry boys arguing over a toy. As to what Sutherland's real intentions are right now, I guess only he knows that.

Edited November 21, 2008 by WriteOnCaley

[Scotty]

BTW, why is my post at the head of this topic? It doesn't make a lot of sense in this context and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that I had seemingly started a topic I had no knowledge of!! For a moment I thought someone at work had hacked into my account

because I had to split the topic somewhere and this was the first one I deemed suitable.

[caleyboy]

BTW, why is my post at the head of this topic? It doesn't make a lot of sense in this context and I nearly had a heart attack when I saw that I had seemingly started a topic I had no knowledge of!! For a moment I thought someone at work had hacked into my account

Back on topic, I was quite disappointed when Sutherland and Savage couldn't work together, as IMHO this has hampered the club's progress. The public falling out they had after Savage resigned was needless and didn't make us look good, not least because they appeared to be behaving less like experienced businessmen and more like a couple of small angry boys arguing over a toy. As to what Sutherland's real intentions are right now, I guess only he knows that.

DS always likes to be known as a very democratic individual as long as evryone agrees with him! The long and the short of it all is that he destroyed Doug Macgilvray and Alan Savage because they didn't agree with everything he said or wanted. Until Ken Thomson courted him into getting involved with ICT he had virtually no interest in football and I still firmly believe his only interest is the financial return on the Tulloch investment however much it was/is. He created the Trust to get shareholder approval and then changed the whole structure. Some will remember his promise to transfer the Tulloch Shares to the Supporters Trust after the agreed term of 5 years. Did he do it? NO. I suppose this was all good business as far as he was/is concerned but I think he should be considered a very good businessman - not an Eddie Thomson who really had his club in his heart.

[StockholmSyndrome]

Interesting that you should say that, caleyboy. I have a friend who works for Tullochs and a few years ago she also told me that in her opinion David Sutherland wasn't really a football man. This isn't to badmouth him or anything, just interesting that more than one person has this opinion of him.

[Kirishima]

I dont forsee DS one day moving in the bulldozers, stroking a white cat and laughing menacingly. I think that if he wanted a bit of land he may well have gone down quicker and easier routes.

However, the refusal to tell its own shareholders who exactly owns what is alarming to saythe least.

If DS said, "its my land, get out" he wouldnt get very far at all. I cant see us re-locating, not ever, so while it is concerning about the unanswered questions, DS may be able to do with the land what he wants on paper, i doubt he would ever do anything that would vilify him, hence i am not worried

He saved us, so benefactor all the way, profit or no profit

[Scarlet Pimple]

Well this may only be the opinion of a ballooning Pimple but if he ever was directly responsible for the downfall and cessation of Inverness Caley Thistle as a football club he would attract such rancour and bitterness in the town that HIS bubble would well and truly be burst.

Additionally he might find that his business in the area might go down the tubes.

So being as astute a businesman as people appear to feel he is, on that score alone it is very unlikely ever to happen whether he likes football or not.

[TSTtiger]

take it from me business in the area has already gone well and truly down the tubes.tulloch homes is basically mothballed at the moment as are almost all housing developments.

sutherland has moved into the hotel trade of late. wouldn't the stadium make a good hotel site

he's done some good for the club in the past when we've been in dire straits but isnt so keen to spend on the playing side of things which to me illustrates how the business man takes precedent over the football man and so seperates him from the likes of eddie thomson, who aspired first and foremost to win trophies and even from alan savage who had much higher aspirations for us.

personally i think he's the reason we're in the state we're in now and that we're now going backwards under his control and that he should have put up or shut up where savage was concerned.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Was Sutherland dealt a savage blow or did he tame the savage beast. Lets have a Brew and think about it.

[Alex MacLeod]

David Sutherland has put a lot of money and effort into getting this club out of debt and operating within its means. Something thats been the envy of most other clubs in the league. I think Alan Savage wanted to progress the club with borrowings and thats where the breakdown came about.

Where major building contracts are being cancelled or written off all over the country I dont believe the site of TCS to be worth enough for DS to recoup his investments. Bear in mind a major part of his building empire was transferred to ROK. Houses will never be built at TCS without big changes to the local plan so I cant see much profit being made in the next few years from the site.

Personally I dont believe Sutherland is strangling the club. I believe he is trying to keep the business solvent.

[Kingsmills]

I suspect that when the stadium land is developed it will be for commercial purposes rather than residential so planning constraints will not be too much of a problem.

Given the hugely attractive waterfront location, there will be a substantial gain available once the current recession is over.

I've no difficulty with DS reaping that gain provided that ICT gain a better Stadium elsewhere in town with a little bit of working capital into the bargain

I would be surprised if that particular scenario didn't come to pass within a decade or so. I would have said sooner but for the economic situation.

[ammac]

DFS look at moving the stadium from the Longman when he took over as chairman. There was suggestion of a new stadium at the Bught. I believe this fell through because TCS and the dump are zoned in the local plan for leisure and recreational uses only. This was one of the main reasons the council wanted the stadium there in the first place. Therefore I would suggest it may be very difficult or nearly impossible to get planning permission at the stadium for anything else.

Even the deal with Asda fell through which the club and fans where 100% behind it.

Does it really matter who owns the lessee on the stadium or how they manage the huge debt which they took away from the club when we need the most.

At the end of the day, the council own the land and they are the one?s who would have to planning permission for any redevelopment.

[Ronaldo]

I actually trust him as far as the footie club goes, further up the page Mr. Pimple says it as it is.

[PullMyFinger]

I concur, with Black and Cowie's contracts not being renewed as a matter of urgency it appears to me that the club are not prepared to go outwith their wage structure (any new contract would need to have an attractive increment to retain them). It's a case of balancing the books, I just hope that with less income in the first division we can balance them.

Could we find a new management team to fit in with the wage structure? Seems to be the problem for the board at the moment.

Editted to add reference to management team.

Edited January 3, 2009 by 5thStand

[CaleyD]

I don't believe either Cowie or Black are/were looking for wages which were anything more than what others are already earning.

[PullMyFinger]

I don't believe either Cowie or Black are/were looking for wages which were anything more than what others are already earning.

Their agents would have been though.

[RiG]

I don't believe either Cowie or Black are/were looking for wages which were anything more than what others are already earning.

Neither was Wyness and look what happened to him. I don't buy the ICT side of the story with regards to his contract.

[caley100]

Wyness was a victim of the Brewster regime, but saying that Denzil was pretty poor and has been for saints this season - so far.