ICTChris Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 (edited) Was talking to a few Caley fans I know in our group chat and one made the point that while the current board are useless in many ways, we are basically seeing the results of not building the club properly when we were on the up. Between 2003 and 2017 we were in the top flight for 12 of 14 seasons, and the two seasons we weren't in the top flight we won the First Division, as it was then called. When we got promoted we built the new stands and put in undersoil heating to meet the criteria for going up. What investment has been done in the club since then? The ground has not had any work done on it, in terms of improving the facilities or match day experience for fans, nothing has been done at all. I saw that some of the floor cracked in the away stand during the Hibs game, which is extremely worrying. In terms of the playing side, what long term investment has there been? John Robertson left the club in 2004 and when he returned in 2017 it must have been like he'd never been away - we are still using the training facilities at Fort George, as far as I understand, and use other facilities that aren't ours like Highland rugby club and other pitches. We have some sort of gym at the stadium that the players don't use. We are trying now to develop a hub for training at the IRA (calm down Mr Gardiner, not that one) but why has it taken until now? What has been done to diversify our revenue streams, which is what the club are trying to do now, however successfully or unsuccessfully? Nothing - as noted above, we don't use the stadium for events or anything like that, we didn't manage to identify any extra revenue streams to make the club more sustainable. We didn't *need* that stuff as we were in the top flight, plenty TV money, better crowds than now, full houses a few times a year from the Old Firm and Aberdeen. When that's taken away we are in a bad spot. I hope the battery farm vote goes our way - it sounds like the usual Highland Council teuchtery back room carve up from the reports - but we seem to be in the right about the initial vote being ignored. I'm not massively confident that we'll take this money and invest it in brilliant schemes to make the club self sustaining. Edited March 7 by ICTChris 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 We're never getting promoted as long as there's a money team(s) in the league. Bar St Mirren who went up in our first season back in the league in 2017/2018, look who's won the title - 2019 - County 2020 - United 2021 - Hearts 2022 - Killie 2023 - Dundee 2024 - United or Raith What's the common denominator? They've all 'gone for it' either quietly or publicly. And they've all been promoted at the first time of asking, bar United in 2020, due to them keeping their Premiership budget, much like we did in 2009/2010, or Raith this season with a clearly larger budget than they usually have due to a new board who have invested. I'm not advocating for us to do that, as it's more likely to fail than succeed. But there's a clear reason why the likes of us, Thistle, Ayr, Dunfermline aren't getting promoted any time soon IMO. If Livi come down then great, but if we lose United and Raith upwards, we're probably gaining County, and MacGregor isn't going to accept not going back up at the first time of asking so he'll continue to write off the loss for them to win the league. This is why @ICTChris is spot on, why aren't the club recognisng this situation and trying to get investment from other streams? (Not another Concert Company fiasco preferably). This gambling the clubs future on a Battery Farm situation, that is out of our control to an extent, is fucking mental. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 We finished the following behind in those seasons 2019 - 15 points 2020 - 14 points (Covid season so finished early) 2021 - 21 points (Covid season) 2022 -8 points 2023 - 8 points 2024 - Promoted as champion after winning last ten games The last couple of seasons have been the ones that we really should have been a lot closer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Yep, there was a clear dip in quality in 21/22 and 22/23 and we really should've been promoted in 22 IMO. We had Killie's number but as usual not being able to beat the shite at the bottom of the table was our undoing, as it often is. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB1994 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Not saying we should have won the league when Killie were in it but we at the very least should have been in the mix with them and Arbroath. We had the squad, just a complete loser for a manager. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Belt Caley Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 After we utterly shagged Morten 6-1 in December 21 I was convinced that was our year for promotion…then we didn’t win again til March 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 17 minutes ago, Central Belt Caley said: After we utterly shagged Morten 6-1 in December 21 I was convinced that was our year for promotion…then we didn’t win again til March Shane Sutherland, Austin Samuels and Logan Chalmers all seemed to come to life in behind Billy McKay in March, whereby then it was too late to catch Killie and Arbroath. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Belt Caley Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 42 minutes ago, TheScarf said: Shane Sutherland, Austin Samuels and Logan Chalmers all seemed to come to life in behind Billy McKay in March, whereby then it was too late to catch Killie and Arbroath. Sutherland was frighteningly good in that run-in, still think he’d be doing a job for us if he hadn’t went down injured against Arbroath 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derry Alli Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 9 hours ago, PB1994 said: He’s actually doing one in Dundee as we speak! Morrison that is. Nothing to do with the club. Ah, does he own Inverness or an investor? I'm sure I've had dealings with him if it's on the site that used to house the Michelin factory. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandyCromarty Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 12 minutes ago, Derry Alli said: Ah, does he own Inverness or an investor? I'm sure I've had dealings with him if it's on the site that used to house the Michelin factory. Go to - James Ross Morrison - Companies House And you will see the numerous Dundee companies he's involved with. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB1994 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 20 minutes ago, Derry Alli said: Ah, does he own Inverness or an investor? I'm sure I've had dealings with him if it's on the site that used to house the Michelin factory. Current Chairman. No idea how much he owns of the club tbh. He didn’t say where it was. It’s not the one on the opposite side of the kingsway from Asda that is already up and running if that is where the Michelin factory used to be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Morrison is absolutely minted apparently. He owns a lot of the new buildings on the waterfront in Dundee I’ve been told. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Malkmus Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Why does the chairman not simply sell his property empire and buy us some strikers? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB1994 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 28 minutes ago, TheScarf said: Morrison is absolutely minted apparently. He owns a lot of the new buildings on the waterfront in Dundee I’ve been told. He was saying last night that ILI started sponsoring us and this battery farm thing all came from Morrison doing a job for them and this is just a favour in return. Must have been some fucking job he did if this is work multi million pounds. He seems like a sound enough guy and I have no basis for this but I reckon he will keep covering our losses for a few more years if this battery farm thing gets dragged on and on. If at the end of the road the application does get rejected I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him call it a day. He’s clearly very invested in this project and to put all that work in for nothing would be the final nail in the coffin for him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB1994 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 1 minute ago, Stephen Malkmus said: Why does the chairman not simply sell his property empire and buy us some centre backs? FTFY 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Malkmus Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 (edited) 11 minutes ago, PB1994 said: He was saying last night that ILI started sponsoring us and this battery farm thing all came from Morrison doing a job for them and this is just a favour in return. Must have been some fucking job he did if this is work multi million pounds. It starts to make more sense when you realise everyone involved in our club is a mason. Edited March 7 by Stephen Malkmus 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sophia Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiG Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Apparently we might be offering a contract to Ferguson Jnr. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Is he the guy who can't get a game for Forfar? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Belt Caley Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 Alexa, what is the meaning of the word ‘nepotism’? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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