Inverness Caley Thistle on the brink of entering administration – how have others in Scottish football fared when faced with the same issues?
Inverness Caledonian Thistle are expected to officially enter administration today after long-term concern about their finances.
The Caley Jags have recorded major losses for years, culminating in their current perilous financial situation that saw them attempt to raise £200,000 in a two-week span through crowdfunding.
However, off the pitch there will still be concerns that worse could be coming down the line if a buyer for Caley Thistle cannot be found.
It is the first time a club in the SPFL will have gone into administration in more than a decade, but what happened on those other occasions clubs appeared to be on the brink?
Queen’s Park – 2000
The then-amateur side went into administration in February 2000, with the oldest club in Scotland put under pressure by renovation works on Hampden Park to allow them to host the 2002 Champions League final.
When administrators were appointed, Queen’s Park were seven points clear at the top of the old Third Division, now League Two, but they were not hit by a points deduction as that rule was not yet in place.
Eventually in April, a deal was struck with the Scottish FA for the governing body to lease the stadium for 20 years, paying £200,000-a-year to Queen’s Park and £600,000 to the club’s creditors.
After exiting administration, Queen’s Park would clinch the league title on the final day of the season with a club-record points tally, but would largely bounce between the bottom two tiers of the Scottish Football League.
That would change when, around the same time that 20-year lease of Hampden Park to the Scottish FA expired, the club decided to turn professional, and they now ply their trade in the second tier.
Greenock Morton – 2000-2001
Rumours had been swirling all season that Morton could be set for a takeover before then-owner Hugh Scott placed the club in administration in December 2000.
The club were bottom of the second tier, and only struck a deal at the 11th hour with the Professional Footballers’ Association after November wages were not paid.
Unsurprisingly, Morton would be relegated, and they would actually play the opening match of the following season before a deal was struck to save the club in August 2001.
It took longer to fully resolve the financial issues at Cappielow, though, and they would be relegated again to the fourth tier of Scottish football.
Since then, Morton have risen back through the lower leagues and have been a staple in the Championship for the last decade.
Clydebank – 2000-2002
Just eight days after Morton entered administration, another Cappielow-based outfit in Clydebank would follow suit.
It was a surprising turn of events for the club, who believed they were about to be taken over at the start of December 2000 only for the deal to fall through.
Relegated to the third tier with just 10 points at the end of that season, their long-running saga would meet one of the more unusual resolutions on this list.
Airdrieonians had been dissolved in the summer of 2002, but their former owner bought out Clydebank and relocated and rechristened them as Airdrie United, taking their place in the old Second Division.
Airdrie United would later rebrand as Airdrieonians once again in 2013, but the Clydebank name has been consigned to history.
Motherwell – 2002-2004
The longest spell in administration on this list, Motherwell became the first top flight club to enter administration in April 2002.
Then-chairman John Boyle – who had put £11 million of his own money into the club to keep it running – blamed dwindling attendances due to the dominance of Celtic and Rangers, reduced corporate hospitality income, lack of income from television deals and the collapse of a deal with long-time sponsors Motorola for the club’s financial woes.
Led on the pitch by Terry Butcher, Motherwell would struggle the following season and finished bottom of the league, but were spared from relegation on a technicality as First Division champions Falkirk’s ground did not meet requirements to go up.
It would take a full two years for the club to emerge from the predicament, but by the time the Fir Park outfit discharged their administrators Motherwell had secured a top six Premier League finish, and they have remained in the top flight ever since.
Dundee – 2003-2004
Around 18 months after Motherwell became the first SPL club to enter administration, Dundee became the second.
Immediately, 25 players and staff were sacked to reduce the club’s wage bill by 45 per cent, with debts spiralling to £10 million and rising by £100,000-a-week.
There were reportedly genuine fears that the Dens Park outfit would go out of business altogether, but that would be avoided.
However, the saga would take its toll, and Dundee were relegated from the top flight in 2004/5.
Livingston – 2004-2005
Just nine years after forming and after a rapid rise through the Scottish football pyramid into the SPL, Livingston found themselves in financial difficulties in February 2004.
It was a strange time for the club, who saw their future threatened but continued to be successful in the short-term on the pitch, winning the League Cup months after going into administration.
Eventually, the ordeal would have an impact, and although the club were bought over by the Lionheart consortium in May 2005 they would be relegated to the second tier.
Gretna – 2008
Experiencing both the benefits and perils of a wealthy benefactor, Gretna’s surge through the pyramid came to an almost equally quick conclusion in 2008.
Winning back-to-back-to-back promotions to take their place in the SPL, Gretna made it to a Scottish Cup final before owner Brooks Mileson fell ill and was unable to put any more money into the club.
When administrators were appointed, Gretna became the first club to be deducted points as a penalty in Scotland, but their relegation was already all-but-certain.
The SFL then demoted the club from the second tier to the fourth, causing a potential takeover to fall through, and that left the worst case scenario as the only option: liquidation.
A phoenix club was formed, starting in the East of Scotland First Division, and they came founding members of the Lowland League in 2013 where they have remained ever since.
Livingston – 2009
A year after the Lionheart consortium sold Livingston to an Italian consortium, the club were back in administration.
Happening during the close season, no points deduction was applied, but the Lions were demoted from the second tier to the fourth by the SFL.
While undoubtedly a blow, this was also the shortest period spent in administration on the list, ranging from July 24 to August 13.
That did not prevent off-field controversy affecting matches, as Livingston initially refused to play their opening league games while their appeal was heard, which was only defeated by 16 votes to 10.
Since then Livingston have rebuilt themselves on a more solid footing, memorably winning back-to-back promotions under David Hopkin to return to the Premiership only to be relegated back to the second tier at the end of last season.
Dundee – 2010-2011
Another club to go back into administration just a handful of years after believing they had been saved, Dundee were only given a 50 per cent chance of survival by their administrators in October 2010.
Billy Dodds, who was then assistant manager at the club, called it the lowest point of his career having left Queen of the South with Gordon Chisholm to take over at Dens Park.
Dundee actually had to sell their stadium to try and stay afloat, and were deducted 25 points – putting an end to their title challenge.
However, they would come out of administration in May 2011, and won promotion back to the top flight the following season, bouncing back and forth between the Premiership and Championship ever since.
Rangers – 2012
The biggest giant to fall to a perilous financial situation in Scottish football, Rangers went into administration before being liquidated in 2012.
It was estimated that the Ibrox outfit’s total debts could be as high as £134 million, and a string of high-profile players would leave the club for free.
The business and its assets were sold to a new company, which brought their league membership into doubt. SPL clubs voted on whether to allow Rangers re-entry into the top flight, ending in a 10-1 landslide against.
Then they turned to the SFL, who agreed to let Rangers enter the old Third Division – essentially starting at the bottom of the pyramid – while also placing the club under a 12-month transfer embargo.
With fans rallying around the club, Rangers would begin their ascent back to the top tier of Scottish football, earning promotion to the Premiership in 2016, lifting the league title in 2021 and reaching the Europa League final in 2022.
Dunfermline Athletic – 2013
Debts approaching £10 million proved to be too much for Dunfermline Athletic in 2013 as they entered administration less than a year after being relegated from the SPL.
The Pars would have been comfortably mid-table if not for their 15-point deduction, which sent them into the relegation play-offs which they lost 3-1 on aggregate to Alloa Athletic.
It took eight months, but fan group Pars United would take control of the club in December from administrators BDO – who Caley Thistle also approached last month.
On the pitch, Dunfermline finished second in the newly-rebranded League One to an invincible Rangers side working their way back through the pyramid, but they would return to the Championship as champions in 2016.
Hearts – 2013-2014
The last SPFL club to enter administration, a complex ownership situation did not help Hearts avoid the predicament when their debts approached £30 million in June 2013.
With shares being spread across companies connected to former owner Vladimir Romanov, it was a tricky job for BDO to make the stars align and restore the Jambos to a sound financial footing.
As a result of the insolvency event happening in the close-season, Hearts entered the 2013/14 campaign on -15 points, making relegation practically inevitable from day one.
They bounced back quickly, winning the Championship title the next season, only to return to the second tier when Covid-19 brought the 2019/20 campaign to an early close.
Again they only spent one season in the second tier, easing to the title and establishing themselves as the third best team in the country before this season.