ICT chief to women’s manager: ‘You have a home’ after historic decision as 'historic' Highland Council decision paves the way for school playing fields next to Inverness Royal Academy to become the mecca for the women’s game in the north
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The result of two years of work aimed at delivering a massive step forward for women’s game in the north was ultimately decided in extra time and in under 90 seconds at Highland Council on Thursday.
The local authority approved a community asset transfer of playing fields next to Inverness Royal Academy to the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Development Trust.
The club and the trust want to turn the fields into a state of the art base not just for the women’s and girls game but also the youth and para teams as well as Inverness Athletic.
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- State-of-the-art base for women's football gets go ahead after Highland Council agreed a community asset transfer of playing fields next to Inverness Royal Academy to Inverness Caledonian Thistle Community Trust
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How did it feel for those involved? Unashamedly “emotional” was the response from within the club as the women, girls, and para footballers who play and work for the sheer love of the game will now get the facilities they deserve.
The chief executive of the club, Scot Gardiner watched the council meeting live from the stadium with sporting director John Robertson and on hearing the result the pair shook hands.
‘You have a home’
Mr Gardiner phoned the chairman to let him know but he was intent on delivering the news to those who wanted to hear it most and he drove across Inverness to where the women’s team was training.
He picks up the story: “I watched the council meeting at the stadium with John Robertson and when we got the decision we immediately shook hands and I then got in my car, phoned the chairman to give him the news and set off for fields where I knew the women's team were training.
“When I got to the fields, I walked onto the pitch to Karen Mason, she blew the whistle, and said 'I am frightened to ask' and I just told her: 'You have a home.'
“It is emotional to us, it was a lot of work but this will make a difference to generations of women and girls footballers. I also phoned the chairman of Inverness Athletic and he was almost in tears.
“This will create a legacy for football in the Highlands.”
The consensus within the football community around Inverness Caledonian Thistle is that the decision to agree to lease playing fields for a period of 25 years for a nominal sum – likely £1 a year – will be an epochal change.
Inspiring
Mr Gardiner said the “historic” project will not just make a difference to women and girls but also the youth and para teams as well as Inverness Athletic and anything from £1 million to £2 million will be invested.
He said: “The positive impact this decision will have across our community, for our Trust, our own Academy, the pupils of the Royal Academy and in particular, for our girls and women’s game cannot be over emphasised.
“This is going to be a major pillar of the football club’s community-centric approach going forward and I am very thankful to have a chairman and board of directors at the club who share this vision.
“I watched the decision of Highland Council live here at the stadium last night and if that was tense and emotional, it was nothing compared to driving round to the Royal Academy immediately afterwards to tell Karen Mason that ICTWFC now had a home of their own and then telling some of our Academy and Trust coaches the fantastic news on the next pitch.
“So much hard work has gone into the last couple of years to get to this point and the support and encouragement we have had from in and around the city has been inspiring.”
