Caley Thistle Scottish Cup-winner Josh Meekings hopes his old club can build bridges with their fans and climb back out of League One.
The defender, who also played in the top-flight with the Highlanders, is in line to face ICT this weekend.
Having been player-assistant manager at Highland League side Brora Rangers, Meekings has moved to Conor Gethins’ Clachnacuddin in a playing capacity this summer.
His former side Inverness dropped out of the Championship via the play-offs last term and will have to fight their way back under boss Duncan Ferguson.
It has been a steady stream of tough news for ICT fans since the season ended, with a proposed training switch to Fife eventually scrapped and concerns of administration, which have abated slightly after a statement mentioning “hugely positive” talks with potential investors.
The club have also been criticised for not thrashing out a deal or constructive talks with now free agent goalkeeper Mark Ridgers, and for failing to pay for winger Aaron Doran’s knee surgery after it was cancelled twice. Doran is also no longer with the club.
Togetherness needed at Inverness
All of this has led to disharmony between fans and their club, and Meekings, who enjoyed six years at ICT from 2011, hopes rifts can be healed.
He said: “Without knowing what’s going on in the background, to see what has been happening at the club has been disappointing.
“When they spoke about training at Kelty Hearts… that would have been taking the club away from the community. They need to get back in touch with their fan base.
“They need to make an effort to build a togetherness – that’s what we thrived on in our time at Inverness!
“We always said teams would never want to come and play us up here in the Highlands and that drove us on. It lit the fire for us to try and make something happen.
“That came through creating a togetherness and having players here who wanted to play for Caley Thistle.
“You just need to look at our squad and the number of people who stayed up in the Highlands (afterwards) and that speaks volumes in itself.
“I hope the club can find a way to rejuvenate itself and rebuild that trust with the fans to try to get the club back to where it once was.
“It would be a real shame if they club was to continue to struggle. You want Caley Thistle and Ross County to be successful, ideally with both in the top league.”
Communication key at Inverness
Meekings feels Caley Thistle’s new plan to stick with mainly local players in the new season is worthwhile as they bid to get out of League One at the first attempt.
Also calling for better communication between ICT and supporters, he added: “You need the right characters as players for the season ahead.
“With the relegation, there needs to be a change in personnel and a change in the way they want things to happen.
“At this moment, everything seems to be a bit negative around the club.
“Communication needs to be better and then take little steps to rebuilding that trust and rapport with the fans again.
“That is massive. You need the community and people around you wanting you to do well and be successful. Without that, you haven’t got a club.
“Everyone will want the club to be successful, but you have to all be driving in the same direction. At the moment, they are not in the same bracket.
“I have a history with the club, and I always want them to do well. The handling of some of the situations of late has been disheartening and disappointing.”
Meekings has ‘good feeling’ at Clach
Meekings was most recently assistant boss to Ally MacDonald at Brora, who stepped down at the end of last term, with ex-Nairn County manager Steven Mackay taking over alongside new Dudgeon Park assistant David Hind.
The centre-half explained focusing firstly on playing and enjoying football under Gethins led him to pick Clach as his next career move.
He added: “Ally resigned and changes were going to be made. I discussed it with the club, and we felt it was best to mutually part ways.
“After that, I had a few offers from clubs and the one that stood out for me was Conor Gethins and Clach.
“There has been so much change at the club this summer and I know Grant Munro (Clach’s new director of football). I know the history of the club and the direction it wants to go.
“Conor has recruited really well with some good young talent mixed with good experienced players such as Joe Malin (from Brora) and Gavin Morrison (from Spartans).
“It’s good for me to get back to playing and not think about too much else. That will be a fresh challenge for me.
“I had a knee operation last year and got back into games at the end of last season. I am enjoying pre-season with the boys right now, and it’s going well, so touch wood I can stay injury-free and look to have a good season and enjoy it.
“This gives me a chance to come away from coaching a little bit.
“I had a good experience of that with Brora, for which I am grateful. They helped get me through by B Licence, which was great of them to do.
“I can now just focus on playing for Clach, and my wife and kids can come and see me, which was more difficult when I was at Brora.
“I have got a good feeling about it.”
**** Caley Thistle have added an away friendly against Nairn County to their pre-season schedule next Tuesday.
That follows this Saturday’s game at Clach, with Championship runners-up Raith Rovers hosting them on Saturday, July 6, with Brora v ICT on July 9.
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