Caley Thistle legend Charlie Christie wants the fresh feelgood factor to transmit to a winning team and he’s urging fans to pitch in with ticket and merchandise sales.
The former midfielder says he’d love to see his star son Ryan, a 52-times capped Scotland player, take on the best in the English Premier League with Bournemouth in the coming weeks and months.
But the club’s head of youth academy answered an SOS from his former club chairman Alan Savage, who has come in as a consultant to oversee finances and attract short and long-term investment.
The 58-year-old is the interim chief executive officer, replacing Scot Gardiner, who parted ways with the club this week.
Plans over the years to bring in money into ICT via concerts, a battery storage farm or a park-and-ride scheme have all come to nothing and Christie says it’s time to sort out bills and focus on fans backing a winning team.
He’s also the main point of contact for manager Duncan Ferguson as they best plot the way to success, with promotion still a target after taking one point from the first two games.
Christie will leave Ferguson to boss
Christie, who as a player helped guide ICT to the top-flight, was the boss in the SPL in 2006-2007, so knows Savage well and was determined to help.
He said: “Alan asked me to help, and he’s one of the few people I’d do it for.
“I worked with him here when I was manager, and he was the chairman.
“I’m happy to help the club in whatever way I can, even if it is the case of signing off invoices or something basic like that.
“I am totally comfortable on the football front in terms of squad sizes or levels, but I won’t be talking about tactics or such.
“That’s the manager’s job and he will rise or fall by the results on the park. That’s football, as we all know.
“But I know how to work within a football budget, and I will try to help Duncan out as much as I can.
Club has ‘taken eyes off the ball’
“This club, for far too long, has been losing too much money – colossal amounts of money.
“We have to stop that somehow. How easy that will be, we don’t know, but it needs to be addressed.
“We’ve all read about the money-making ideas which have not come to fruition over the past two or three years.
“We’ve maybe taken our eyes off the ball on the football front, which was exacerbated by relegation last season.
“Alan has come in to try and steady the ship then open up potential new bids for the club if possible. How long that will take, I have no idea.
“The ship badly needed steadied. We’ve been staring down the barrel of administration. Hopefully, but there’s no guarantee, that threat has been put on the backburner.
“The best thing we can do is to start winning games and start challenging near the top of the league, which benefits everyone at the football club.”
ICT fans ‘must step up to the plate’
ICT host Montrose in League One on Saturday and a larger crowd than usual is expected due to this week’s movements.
Christie, who knows fans wanted to see Gardiner gone from the club following him resigning in June, wants fans to rally round the team and make the stadium tills ring too.
He said: “The stadium has been busier in the last two days than it has been for two years.
“One thing I will say is, I was at the meeting of the Supporters’ Trust and they were very vocal and made their feelings clear.
“They need to step up to the plate now, they really do.
“I can’t force them to do that, but they need to.
“We need merchandise bought, we need more fans through the gate to try to fill a bit of the hole.”
Shareholders have vital role to play
And Christie says the positive reaction to Savage coming in to help – and pitching in £200,000 this week alone – must be tempered by the realisation there’s lots of deals to be struck behind the scenes.
He added: “People should not underestimate the challenge ahead.
“Alan Savage and the board are going to need the help of all shareholders, but particularly the major shareholders.
“Hopefully then we can start moving forward.
“We need to start winning some games.”
Club will support manager Ferguson
Boss Duncan Ferguson has been told he can’t make any more signings this month, following the weekend captures of keeper Musa Dibaga and returning defender/midfielder Wallace Duffy.
But Christie insists regular dialogue will be the name of the game to ensure the boss is supported.
He said: “I’ll be liaising with Duncan and helping him as much as I can.
“The basic requirements at a football club are meeting once a fortnight and having a discussion, along with Alan and (director) Graeme Bennett will be heavily involved as well – and I’d like to go back to that.
“We’re basically saying to Duncan ‘how can we help?’
“I’m guessing he will want a bigger budget with more players. That’s going to be very difficult to achieve in the short term.
“I personally think we’re not far off a League One challenge for promotion. We should be with the squad we’ve got, although we’re probably short in one or two areas.”
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