Seething Caley Thistle fans react to news that first team training is relocating to Fife
Fans of Inverness Caledonian Thistle have responded with overwhelming opposition to today’s statement from the club that first team training will relocate over 130 miles away to Fife.
Caley Thistle announced today that a partnership has been agreed with League One opponents Kelty Hearts, noting the difficulty in convincing players to move to the Highlands as one of the main reasons for the relocation.
The move has left many fans of the club bemused and asking many questions that the decision has left unanswered. This comes at a time where supporter demand for a greater voice at the club is growing, with the ICT Supporters’ Trust seeing a growth in members in recent days.
Liz MacRae who has supported the club since their formation in 1994 voiced her concern at the disconnect from Inverness, and queried what will happen to a number of players who are currently based in Inverness that would have to make the journey.
Liz said: “This will rip the heart out of the club.
“What happens to Highland based players, Are they now not wanted?
“We will be a team with no connection whatsoever with Inverness.
Karen MacGilp echoed Liz’s sentiment questioning what will happen to the players who are already based in the Highland capital.
Karen said: 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!”
MSP Emma Roddick, who has already spoken out about how ‘The club’s relationship with the city has been damaged’ also questioned the decision to relocate referring to the Inverness in the club’s name and asking: “What does the I stand for now?”
ICT shareholder, sports journalist and author Charles Bannerman also chimed in with his views on the statement after he had recently documented the rise and fall of the football club.
Charles said: “So let’s get this straight, one of the club’s biggest problems is lack of engagement with local people and with the local business community along with the issue of supporter morale at an all time low - in other words failure to be perceived as an important and valuable part of the community that’s worthy of its support.
“And how do they respond? They uproot the entire first team to a location 140 miles away from Inverness under an arrangement that will help fill the coffers of a club with which they will be in direct competition next season.”
Many questions remain unanswered for Caley Thistle fans with today’s announcement coming as only the second piece of information they have been provided by the club in the six days since they were relegated from the Scottish Championship.
Some have queried what will happen with youth players trying to break into the first team that will now have to travel a 5-hour round commute to train with the first team squad if they make the step up.
Continued queries for the club are likely to be raised over the coming weeks, including at the first ICT Supporters’ Trust meeting on Tuesday June 4, at ICT Social Club.
