Caley Thistle manager John Robertson has criticised the scheduling of the IRN-BRU Cup semi-final against Crusaders, revealing the Highlanders stand to make no financial benefit from the televised fixture later this month.
Inverness earlier this week discovered they will host the Northern Irish outfit on Sunday, February 18 with a 5.15pm kick-off in order for it to be screened live on BBC Alba.
Robertson expects the kick-off time to hamper the attendance and he is disappointed the club will not receive any incentive from the television company.
He said: “If your match is rescheduled on television in the Premiership right now you get a fairly substantial sum – somewhere between £65k and £80k.
“It’s a shocker for us because we don’t get paid any money for it.
“It’s disappointing, it will have a big effect on the crowd and on the hospitality.
“Had the club been compensated financially we could understand and we could do it, but there is zero gain for the club whatsoever in this.
“It’s a poor decision in respect of the fans. It’s not good for our fans and I don’t think it’s good for the Crusaders fans either.
“The worst thing is we’re not even asked beforehand. We are told that’s the date and the time.
“They haven’t discussed it with Crusaders or with us, because we would have said of all the days and times in the world, that is the worst it possibly could be.”
The scheduling of the tie had been up in the air due to Crusaders’ involvement in the Northern Irish League Cup, with the final due to take place on the same weekend as their tie with Caley Jags.
After Crusaders were defeated 2-1 in their last-four tie against Dungannon Swifts on Tuesday, Robertson felt better options were available for the Caledonian Stadium encounter, adding: “On a Friday night, I would have totally understood the reasoning for it. Maybe it wouldn’t have been ideal for the majority of the fans, but you could understand the appeal of it. People like to see a game on a Friday night – it’s a nice atmospheric thing.
“Saturday night would also not have been ideal but that’s when BBC Alba tend to play their stuff and we would have gone with it.
“On Sunday at 5.15pm, I don’t see who benefits from this.
“Will it be a massive television audience from our perspective? No. Will there be a few Crusaders fans tuning in? Perhaps.
“But for whatever reason I just don’t understand why this is the kick-off time. It’s a nonsense.”
