Waspie Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Just now, Spyro said: Apart from the fact that after doing everything, they were still only left with options in others towns (which were also made impossibly difficult by Highland Council) rather than having a home inside the city. We will see how the new Inverness Thistle get on with their apparent application to the NCL in 2025. Maybe things will change but I'm not holding my breath But they didn't "do everything". They moved into one venue knowing it wouldn't be for the whole season then complained when they had to leave. The local authority then provided them with a bit of land and time to work something out - then more time - and they didn't. That wasn't the council's fault. I watched the team a few times and enjoyed the games but there was (and still is it would seem) a lot of misinformation about the ground situation. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Waspie said: But they didn't "do everything". They moved into one venue knowing it wouldn't be for the whole season then complained when they had to leave. The local authority then provided them with a bit of land and time to work something out - then more time - and they didn't. That wasn't the council's fault. I watched the team a few times and enjoyed the games but there was (and still is it would seem) a lot of misinformation about the ground situation. You're missing the point though. A place the size of Inverness and with the amount of green space there was (until the housing developers got a hold of it all £££) and the council couldn't find a SINGLE area for City to make into a ground. They weren't allowed the NMP, the weren't allowed the Bught, they weren't allowed North Kessock, they weren't allowed Inverarnie, and they even looked into tidying up Fraser Park but the council were in the way again. Oh and Kirkhill, which again they also weren't allowed to help develop into a home ground. Any other city would've helped them make ONE of these options a reality, not Highland Council though. They were happy to accept planning on any other decent land to housing development for the sake of the English/Southern homeowners who would like a cheaper place in the highlands or a 2nd home to Airbnb out Edited June 18 by Spyro 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 And I'm not meaning only City, but other Inverness based clubs who have tried to make a base within the city and being knocked back over the years 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevsmart Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Would they consider a groundshare with Highland Rugby Club at Canal Park. It's an all weather pitch, Floodlit(albeit) they would more than likely have to switch fixtures around if they had a clash 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 9 minutes ago, kevsmart said: Would they consider a groundshare with Highland Rugby Club at Canal Park. It's an all weather pitch, Floodlit(albeit) they would more than likely have to switch fixtures around if they had a clash Others have asked but it's fully booked up apart from the occasional game that's been played there 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 14 hours ago, Spyro said: You're missing the point though. A place the size of Inverness and with the amount of green space there was (until the housing developers got a hold of it all £££) and the council couldn't find a SINGLE area for City to make into a ground. They weren't allowed the NMP, the weren't allowed the Bught, they weren't allowed North Kessock, they weren't allowed Inverarnie, and they even looked into tidying up Fraser Park but the council were in the way again. Oh and Kirkhill, which again they also weren't allowed to help develop into a home ground. Any other city would've helped them make ONE of these options a reality, not Highland Council though. They were happy to accept planning on any other decent land to housing development for the sake of the English/Southern homeowners who would like a cheaper place in the highlands or a 2nd home to Airbnb out I'm afraid you're the one who has missed the point - and spectacularly so. If any club has aspirations to play at a certain level it is incumbent on them in the first place to make sure they have the appropriate facilities. Inverness City went into the juniors with a ground agreement that didn't go past March. When the inevitable problems arose they blamed everyone else. The junior authorities were patient in trying to give them time to find a solution and the local authority then gave them a bit of land for a set spell of time on the understanding they used it to find a permanent ground. Then extended it. City then blamed them when they couldn't find a home. As you are now. The whole thing must have gone on for a decade. Imagine if I decided I wanted to restart Citadel at senior level and phoned up the council and said I'm setting up a football team and aspiring to a decent level, any chance you can give me a ground that fits the criteria. It would rightfully laughed out. They'd tell me I could get a council park for amateur level. And I'd try and build from there. Plenty of other local authorities wouldn't have been anywhere near as helpful as the Highland Council were in this case, and indeed as the football authorities were. Local authorities certainly need to do their best to provide appropriate sports facilities. They aren't obliged to provide grounds for sporting clubs who have overreached themselves by applying for levels of football they aren't equipped for. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 13 minutes ago, Waspie said: They aren't obliged to provide grounds for sporting clubs who have overreached themselves by applying for levels of football they aren't equipped for. So are you trying to say there has been absolutely nowhere in the entire city, or anywhere around the city, for an aspiring new football club to use as a home base to grow a club? In Inverness? It's not like they are trying to find land in Edinburgh or Glasgow City centre! There are/were plenty of options to utilise, but the council have consistently made it impossible for new clubs to grow in the city, but the council are only interested in milking house development and tourist money while ignoring the young people in their city. As has been proven time and time again with "Inverness" clubs being forced to play in Fortrose, Muir, North Kessock, etc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspie Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 I'm not trying to say that at all, I'm answering your misinformed points about Inverness City. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevsmart Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 14 hours ago, Spyro said: Others have asked but it's fully booked up apart from the occasional game that's been played there That's a shame. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyro Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 9 minutes ago, Waspie said: I'm not trying to say that at all, I'm answering your misinformed points about Inverness City. But I clearly added that I was talking about ALL the Inverness teams, including City (whether they were incompetent or not), who have tried and failed to get through the brick wall that is the Highland Council. Something that has stopped MANY new football clubs being able to set up a base in the city to grow over the years. It is not just Inverness City who have tried and failed to represent the city but have found it impossible 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 3 hours ago, Waspie said: I'm afraid you're the one who has missed the point - and spectacularly so. If any club has aspirations to play at a certain level it is incumbent on them in the first place to make sure they have the appropriate facilities. Inverness City went into the juniors with a ground agreement that didn't go past March. When the inevitable problems arose they blamed everyone else. The junior authorities were patient in trying to give them time to find a solution and the local authority then gave them a bit of land for a set spell of time on the understanding they used it to find a permanent ground. Then extended it. City then blamed them when they couldn't find a home. As you are now. The whole thing must have gone on for a decade. Imagine if I decided I wanted to restart Citadel at senior level and phoned up the council and said I'm setting up a football team and aspiring to a decent level, any chance you can give me a ground that fits the criteria. It would rightfully laughed out. They'd tell me I could get a council park for amateur level. And I'd try and build from there. Plenty of other local authorities wouldn't have been anywhere near as helpful as the Highland Council were in this case, and indeed as the football authorities were. Local authorities certainly need to do their best to provide appropriate sports facilities. They aren't obliged to provide grounds for sporting clubs who have overreached themselves by applying for levels of football they aren't equipped for. Puzzled by your line of conflicting logic here! "If any club has aspirations to play at a certain level it is incumbent on them in the first place to make sure they have the appropriate facilities." "Imagine if I decided I wanted to restart Citadel at senior level and phoned up the council and said I'm setting up a football team and aspiring to a decent level, any chance you can give me a ground that fits the criteria. It would rightfully laughed out." Presumably you will know from first hand experience that clubs don't start up with the facilities already available to them from day 1. Instead, they build a club, if they are capable of doing so, and they work on making progress, which isn't just about creating a suitable ground. No Council is obliged to lift a finger to help. However, no club with ambitions can possibly progress unless they have a wealthy funder or a considerate local Council, and preferably both, who are able and willing to back them. If a club has reached North Caley standard then they cannot be all that bad can they? Wouldn't that be a fair enough test for any Council which has land and is minded to sell/lease it on appropriate terms and conditions in accordance with its' responsibilities to the people of the Council's area? Or doesn't Inverness Council have any potentially suitable land for a football (or any other sport) project? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandmac Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 On 12/06/2024 at 22:58, Cyclizine said: But of a non-story really. Ignoring the fact that ICT will have something to say about a team called Thistle, this'll not be a reformation, just using the name. Like when there was an Inverness Citadel in the amateurs (or welfare or whatever grade the I&D were at the time). As @Spyrosays, where will they play? What makes then different to any of the other Inverness teams that have sprung up over the last few years? ict dont have a monopoly on the name thistle 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityDave94 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 There's already been a team called Inverness Thistle in the amateurs, also there has also been a Caledonian ......and a Citadel in recent times. Teams keep running through the same names over and over again. On 19/06/2024 at 14:06, Spyro said: But I clearly added that I was talking about ALL the Inverness teams, including City (whether they were incompetent or not), who have tried and failed to get through the brick wall that is the Highland Council. Something that has stopped MANY new football clubs being able to set up a base in the city to grow over the years. It is not just Inverness City who have tried and failed to represent the city but have found it impossible If only we had asked Fife council for a pitch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Tarmo Posted August 11 Share Posted August 11 Kicks off next week, not a full set of fixtures with Alness, Bunillidh, Halkirk and Orkney absent. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherrif John Bunnell Posted August 14 Share Posted August 14 A surprising addition to the NCL. I had no idea he was still playing at any level. https://www.northern-times.co.uk/sport/bonar-bridge-agree-deal-to-sign-former-ross-county-midfielde-358370 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 14 hours ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said: A surprising addition to the NCL. I had no idea he was still playing at any level. https://www.northern-times.co.uk/sport/bonar-bridge-agree-deal-to-sign-former-ross-county-midfielde-358370 He was playing for Drakies in the 2nd tier of the Inverness summer leagues alongside ex-Brora pair Dale Gillespie and Ally MacDonald. I have to admit i thought he would be older than 40 too. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comrie Posted August 15 Share Posted August 15 15 hours ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said: A surprising addition to the NCL. I had no idea he was still playing at any level. https://www.northern-times.co.uk/sport/bonar-bridge-agree-deal-to-sign-former-ross-county-midfielde-358370 Has he shifted the weight he'd put on as he was getting pretty hefty when he was coaching at County. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Tarmo Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 About as good a result for Invergordon as they could get on the opening weekend. Without Loch Ness in the league it’s hard to see how they don’t win it. Shame they aren’t licensed as it would be good to see an actual pyramid system in the North. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonS Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 I was just looking at the history of NCL sides in the Scottish Cup, as you do, and I noticed that the 2010-11 first round replay between Fort William and Golspie was played at Ellon Academy. This seems totally bizarre and I can't find any information online, does anyone here know what happened? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarf Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 I bet Fort got schooled that day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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