Inverness Caley Thistle legend Charlie Christie makes plea for major shareholders to act quickly to save the 2015 Scottish Cup winners from liquidation
Charlie Christie today warned Caley Thistle’s major shareholders they must act now or “there will be no football club”.
The Caley Jags’ legend’s impassioned plea came in a traumatic week where the threat of liquidation of the 2015 Scottish Cup winners and former Premiership top three side became all too real to those with the club at heart.
Christie, acting ICT chief executive during the administration, declared the time for talking was over and stressed it was “no bluff” that the club could cease to exist without significant concessions from those who can open the way for fresh investment.
Few are more steeped in Caley Thistle’s culture and history than the 58-year-old who played for both pre-merger clubs, became a Caley Jags hero and also served as coach, manager, commercial manager and youth academy chief.
Equally, few have experienced first hand more of the complexities and difficulties of Caley Thistle’s finances and share ownership.
Christie, reacting to club consultant Alan Savage’s dire warnings on Monday, said: “The statement showed just how desperate a situation this club is in.
"I could see the disappointment on Alan's face on Monday. He needs more help and cooperation.
"There have been a long line of parties who have helped the club throughout its history, really good guys who have been hugely supportive from day one.
"The crux of the matter is if people don't step up to the plate now, there will be no football club.
“Alan Savage has done his bit. We really need the city of Inverness, if we want a football club, to come on board.
"We also need cooperation from individuals. BDO made it plain what the stumbling blocks are to a sale. It didn't surprise me.”
BDO, in a statement on Monday, identified three main reasons why no club buyer or major investor had stepped forward.
One was the disparate nature of the club’s shareholding, making it difficult to take outright control with ownership spread thinly among hundreds of shareholders with at least eight major shareholders.
The second was a tangle of confusion over land ownership around the stadium, with past chairman Ross Morrison and past club director owning the leases to significant sites.
The third was director loan debt topping £3 million, including a sizeable portion owed to the aforementioned ex-board members.
A spokesman on behalf of Caley Thistle’s creditors, though, indicated to us in our exclusive earlier today that they have always been willing to cut a deal on loan debts, so long as they can assess the potential new owners.
To date, the creditors say they have never been approached by any potential buyers.
Savage has made it clear that his funding of the club and the administration process will finish at the end of the season – potentially in just over six weeks’ time.
To date, he has committed £1 million to stabilising finances until May, but said on Monday “I’ve run out of money”.
He is seeking to meet with all of the club’s major shareholders and creditors before next Thursday.
Christie stressed: “In my time at Caley Thistle, I’ve always thought the issues behind the scenes were convoluted and complicated.
“Nothing ever seems to be easy here.
"When you try to sell the club, that doesn't help – as the joint administrators have openly said.
"It's time for people who say they care about the club to do their utmost for the club. Lots of people have spoken publicly about their affinity for this club.
"If they want a football club in Inverness to survive, now is the time to step up.
“The time for talking is over. It is time for action from those who have said over the years what the club means to them.”
Perhaps more controversially, Christie insists the Inverness area “owes” Caley Thistle, given the way the club’s past success projected the city and Highlands to a wider audience in the national consciousness.
He said: “The club is such a massive part of the community.
"Inverness and the Highlands owes Caley Thistle. Make no bones about it - we've been great for this area.
"Someone said after our famous Scottish Cup win against Celtic in 2000, we did more for Inverness in that game than the tourist board did for Inverness in a decade.
"I have suggested before that we should get the major shareholders around the table. It was not thought to be achievable, but we now need to.
"I'm still confident there is a way out of this if people would get their heads together.
"It would be absolutely devastating if the club goes to the wall. It is unthinkable.
"The bottom line is, we can't let the club go.”
Christie also made a plea for the public authorities such as Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to work with the club for the greater good of the area.
Savage has already held talks with both bodies, but neither is likely to commit funding while the club languishes in administration.
Christie added: “I have seen first-hand what the council in Augsburg (Inverness’ twin town) did in the Bundesliga. They worked in tandem with FC Augsburg for the benefit of the area, not for the football club.
"I try not to think about the club not being here because I'd become emotional.
"There is no bluff and I know that for a fact. It's D-Day now and we need people to step up to the mark.”
