Stuart Golabek is confident Caley Thistle’s youngsters will thrive in League One after the club pledged to give local talent its place next season.
The ex-Inverness captain, who helped guide ICT into the top-flight 20 years ago, has watched a summer of torment unfold at the Caledonian Stadium following last month’s relegation from the Championship.
With plans to move their training base to Kelty Hearts in Fife scrapped following strong opposition from fans, there was a boardroom shake-up with chairman Ross Morrison and chief executive Scot Gardiner stepping down.
Fears of administration were hanging over Caley Thistle, but on Friday a long-awaited club statement confirmed “hugely positive discussions currently ongoing with a number of potential new investors”.
As season tickets were put on sale, the statement also said ICT will now “feature more Inverness and Highland players than we have had for many a long year”.
Locals lads can kick on in League One
Golabek, who has been a youth coach at the club, as well as managing Brora Rangers, believes the youngsters being given the nod will rise to the challenge in League One.
He said: “When you look at the overall picture, in terms of where the club is at the moment, it’s quite positive news for the younger players coming through. It’s a great opportunity for them.
“Caley Thistle’s youth policy has been pretty good with a good number of players coming through over a good period of time. Hopefully the young boys will get their chance in League One.
“As a football club, they will be looking – first and foremost – to get back to being stable.
“Sometimes, youngsters will be good enough, yet they find themselves playing in the Highland League, or at Elgin City (in League Two). They don’t find a pathway (into the first-teams) – although they are good enough.
“That’s maybe because Inverness have been trying to get up from the Championship, or with Ross County playing in the Premiership.
“But there are good enough young players in this area and the youth system in Inverness have been well looked after by Charlie Christie and Ross Tokely.
Local player route can be long-term
“Even in my short time there working with the (under-)16s alongside Ross Tokely, you could see there was potential for young players to push through. Hopefully they will now get that chance to develop and prosper.
“It will be good for young boys in this area to get a chance in League One. They’re certainly good enough.
“You just need to look at the job Ryan Esson did with the under-18s at Caley Thistle, there were strong players coming through. There is no reason why they cannot now kick on if given the chance next season.
“If the club see playing young boys as the future, certainly in the short-term, but hopefully in the longer term, then that’s good for the area. It might even draw some more fans through the gates eventually.”
Investors might be losing money
Golabek is delighted to hear that “positive talks” mean fresh investment looks to be on the cards for ICT, staving off any imminent threat of the club going into administration.
However, the former full-back feels any backers might need to take a financial hit as a result.
He said:Â “Any sort of investment coming into the club can only be positive.
“It doesn’t look good as to how the club got into this position. Inverness was always a club that was shrewd, prudent and looked after its budgets.
“Any fresh investment coming into the club will have to be to carefully managed. There looks as if there will be very little, if any, return on an investors’ money – it might well be money they’re unfortunately willing to lose.
“The main thing is the club survives and they can put a team on the pitch.
“For any fan, you want the club to be there longer than any individual.
“It would be good for everything behind the scenes to get settled, get a team on the pitch in League One, press the reset button and build a good stable environment again with the help of new investment.”
Conversation