Caley Thistle fans have reacted in shock and anger to the news the club will now train in the Central Belt.
The club announced on Friday lunchtime that from next season, ICT will relocate their training base to Fife after striking a partnership with fellow League One side Kelty Hearts.
The Inverness side, relegated from the Championship following defeat against Hamilton Accies in the play-offs, have said the move will allow the club to attract higher quality players.
But Caley Thistle fans reacted with fury and astonishment on social media to the decision to move the club’s training base 142 miles away.
Evelyn Grant wrote: “I can understand creating a Central Belt training base partnership but not this. This rips the Inverness out of the club. For the first time EVER my season ticket renewal is in doubt.”
Nick Okseniuk said: “Caley should put more effort into bringing local players into the side. Surely a good youth system is more important than signing loan players and others who supposedly find it hard to come to the Highlands.”
A bewildered Karen MacGilp asked: “Am I understanding that this means the team will only come back to Inverness to play home games? Surely paying for digs for a whole team is a major expense? What about Inverness-based players, most with young families, who will now find themselves away from their families? Never in my wildest dreams did I think the board would come up with something like this, it’s honestly mind-boggling!”
Is this a joke?
James Duncan wrote: “Is this a late April fools joke? The people making these decisions need removed from the club. What a way to get the community involved with the club again.”
David Gillies was also downbeat about the club’s future following the statement. He wrote: “I presume this means we’re enduring another season of Ferguson, his horrendous tactics and team full of second-rate English loan players. Couple more years and we’ll get derby games with Clach.”
Jason Scobbie believes the move will lead to a further discontent between the club and the support.
He wrote: “Pushing the distance between the fans and Inverness community and the club even further. Was the meeting agenda: ‘How do we further destroy the club but make it look like we’re trying to better it?'”
Andrew Shepherd agreed, writing: “That’s absolute madness. Players don’t sign because of the state the club is in, not because they don’t want to go north of Perth. I just can’t fathom out who thought that was a good decision. Probably couldn’t be more disconnected from your fans as it is. That move will only make it worse.”
David Maclean was also in disbelief. He wrote: “This has to be a wind up? Seriously? Talk about alienating the fans even more from the club. A local club has to bond with its community, not rip it to bits. Shameful.”
Chris Peters wrote: “What an absolute joke, the excuses are just fabrication, Ross County don’t have these issue. Blaming hotel and housing prices for the downfall of this club is just ridiculous. You’ve killed this club, mon the Clach then. RIP ICT.”
Parents upset by decision
Mark Leighton, whose son is a youth player at Caley Thistle, wrote: “I’m sorry but this is ludicrous. What encouragement does this give to the youth coming through from the Highland area? I know you travel a lot but hey don’t worry you can now travel even further! As a parent that’s been running my child up and down the A96 for three years four times a week I’m not impressed that if he does make it into the first team squad he’ll have to travel even further to train! Madness.”
Michael Hills wrote: “So all players who will be committed to ICT won’t live in the Highlands, but will happily commute 100 miles to play a home game, what a load of garbage. What needs to happen is the people who run ICT need to live in Inverness, belive in Inverness and the people, that is not the current situation.”
Ross McGuire wrote: “So basically, removing any possible interaction with the players and removing the community engagement aspect of the club in Inverness. All this does is put even more distance between players and fans, allowing ‘new players’ to be paid for the by the club’s fans without them ever needing to connect or engage with the city. It’s not like there isn’t another Highland club making it work!”
