Inverness Caley Thistle confirm controversial plan to move first team training to Kelty has been scrapped
Inverness Caledonian Thistle have announced that plans to relocate first team training to Kelty have been called off.
The club announced on May 24 that Duncan Ferguson’s side would train in Fife next season, citing difficult in convincing potential new signings to move north to the Highlands as a major reason for the decision – and the cost of finding housing for those who do as another.
Almost immediately the plans were met with backlash.
Supporters reacted furiously, and there was even a petition launched in a bid to try and get the board to change their minds which has been signed by more than 2200 people.
Politicians voiced their disappointment over the move too, with Drew Hendry and Emma Roddick each calling on the club to reconsider.
Former manager Billy Dodds also voiced his reservations, while Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor admitted he could not understand the move.
Club icons weighed in too, with Scotland star Ryan Christie labelling the move a “freak decision”, while 2015 Scottish Cup hero James Vincent and former club captain Gary Warren expressed their disbelief at the plans.
Such was the strength of feeling among supporters, though, that at last week’s Supporters’ Trust open meeting many said they would rather put the club into administration than go through with the plans.
Yet more discussed a boycott of season tickets, merchandise, sponsorship and any other investment that could be put into the club, with the Supporters’ Trust estimating that fans planned to withhold almost a quarter of a million pounds.
That threatened to wipe out the financial savings the club claimed they would have made by moving to Kelty, and signs began to creep in that the message was getting through to Caley Jags decision makers.
An extra wrinkle was thrown into the mix when it emerged that Kelty Hearts, who ICT’s agreement was with, did not even own the pitch at New Central Park, which instead comes under the remit of Fife Council.
Things have come to a head over the last 48 hours, with chairman Ross Morrison stepping down from the role, saying he still believed that the training camp in Kelty was the best thing for the future of Caley Thistle.
Following Morrison’s resignation as chairman was an emergency board meeting, where it was decided to abandon the plans to move first team training to Kelty and come back to the Highlands ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Their statement reads: “The Board of Directors are in discussions with potential new investors into the club and remain hopeful of finding a new investor or new owners.
“However, in the circumstances we currently find ourselves in following the loss of the Statkraft contract at Caledonian Stadium which was worth seven figures to the club and given the new financial position of the club, it is also prudent to approach a suitably qualified insolvency practitioner to advise on how we may proceed should our efforts to find new investment fall short.
“For clarity, on the football front, we have decided to remain training at Fort George for the foreseeable future.”