Inverness Caley Thistle admin: Alan Savage reiterates call for clarity over intentions of former directors Ross Morrison and David Cameron
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman Alan Savage believes former directors Ross Morrison and David Cameron are holding the club to ransom with their ownership of the land surrounding the Caledonian Stadium.
However, while ICT have a lease on the stadium until 2094, they are sub-letting the land around the stadium – including the club’s car parks – from the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Properties Company, owned by Morrison and Cameron, who collectively are personally owed over £2 million according to the list of creditors released by BDO last week.
Those two bought the land in 2023, and have control of what the future holds for it.
Savage had believed a deal had been struck regarding both the land and the debts owed to Morrison and Cameron, but he claims the pair’s position has changed since ICT entered administration.
With BDO confirming that the lack of clarity over future plans for the land is a stumbling block to a potential sale of the football club, Savage has called on the duo to make their true intentions known.
When asked whether promises had been broken, and whether Morrison and Cameron were holding the club to ransom, Savage each time responded “absolutely”.
He would later elaborate: “It shouldn’t be difficult. They have already said they would give us the car parks once they sold (part of the land), now they won’t.
“People quite rightly don’t want to put money into the football club for people who have made a mess of the football club, to take that money straight back out.
“We had an agreement on the loans, and that’s been reneged on. There’s two problems – one is the loans and the other is them wanting to sell the car parks for an astronomical sum.
“We can get around it, but we need the support of the council to do that (by saying) they won’t give change of use for the land.
“There’s only two parties involved, it’s not tricky. It is whether people want to do the right thing.”
With Morrison set to meet with administrators BDO next month, Savage continued: “It just means we’ll decide what direction we go in. Nothing’s going to happen (to the club), I’ll make sure of that.
“I’ll know what to do, once these guys either do it or get off the pot.
“I’m just asking for clarity. I think that’s what the fans want. People are keen to help the club in their own way. We had £700 of sales in the club shop on Saturday.
“People should respect the club. It is a football club, it is not a property development.
“One of the biggest players in this is the council and the Common Good Fund, because they can decide whether or not there can be a change of use in the land. Without that change of use, it is worth nothing. That’s a fact.
“The important thing is the football continues and the people working, and the players, enjoy what they are doing. It means a lot to me, that.”
Savage has been touted in the media and by supporters as a potential investor in the club to help move them out of administration.
He has already committed to seeing Caley Thistle through to the end of the 2024/25 campaign if necessary, but he has not ruled out potentially partnering with one of the interested parties that BDO are speaking to regarding a potential sale of the club.
“(My support will continue until) I run out of money,” he added.
“When we get to the end of the season, there will be decisions to be made, but I think a consortium could be formed and I’ll run the show.
“We’ll get some people to put money in, but we need absolute clarity on the loan agreements and this PropCo fiasco.
“It is a consortium of one at the moment. We’ve got some good interested parties. I’ve had influence in bringing two parties to the table, but people need clarity.
“Whatever outcome we can get for the club, so long as it is not too complicated and it is structured properly, that can work.
“When I first got involved I bought time so the club could do the right thing. I’m still buying time because we’ve got people who won’t sit around the table and sort out an issue or two.”
Ross Morrison and David Cameron have been approached by The Inverness Courier for comment, with Morrison declining at the time of publishing.