The notion that Caley Thistle could move to a new stadium while the club still faces the very real risk of liquidation caused a stir last month – but how achievable is it really?
The Inverness club’s future hangs in the balance as it plots its way out of administration.
Just three weeks ago, administrators BDO said a sale of ICT did not look likely and it was at a “significant risk” of disappearing altogether.
The picture looks a little rosier after a meeting of loan creditors, major shareholders and a former director led to an agreement that could see loans written off and major shares returned.
Investor and former chairman Alan Savage has now tabled an £800,000 bid to buy the troubled club – an offer that expires tomorrow.
Along the way, a few eyebrows were raised when Mr Savage floated the idea of a new stadium being built at Inverness Campus as a way of the club creating a sustainable future.
Given everything that’s been going, it might seem a little bit pie-in-the-sky.
But let’s take a look at why it might work.
The case for leaving the Caledonian Stadium
New stadiums are usually associated with clubs on a solid financial footing, looking to take advantage of increased interest in their brand to get more people through the door.
More often than not, people will picture the moves of billion-pound businesses like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.
Those examples are a far cry from Caley Thistle’s current predicament.
But there are a few reasons it could make sense.
1. The club’s current Caledonian Stadium has proved costly to maintain
Aside from a possible one-off cup tie, it simply doesn’t need a ground with 7,512 seats right now.
It also costs the club a hefty sum to heat every month.
2. Fans have been critical of the club’s home ground for decades
There’s a reason you often see pictures of the stadium on random Facebook pages celebrating football grounds.
On a drone image, it looks sensational. But its out-of-the-way location and proximity to the Moray Firth are not things to be thankful for on a cold January matchday.
Add the fact that many fans believe the stands are too far away from the pitch and you quickly understand why Caley Thistle supporters are so much louder away from home.
3. Could the site prove interesting to someone else?
It might not be the most attractive spot for a football stadium. But land around the ground was once earmarked as being part of the lucrative green freeport zone.
A park-and-ride scheme was also considered for the stadium car park.
Admittedly, both of those deals fell through. But it doesn’t seem beyond the realms of possibility that there could be someone waiting in the wings given its prominent location.
The plan for the A9/A96 East Link
Let’s take a look at why Inverness Campus came up as the potential location of a new home for Caley Thistle.
If you’ve been down there recently, you’re probably struggling to picture where exactly a new stadium could go.
A lot of the land is already taken up by other buildings or set aside for something else.
But there are two key things to consider.
A planning application notice for phase two of Inverness Campus has recently been lodged.
There is no mention of any sports facilities within that specifically.
But it will not be completed until a link road running between the A9 and the A96 is built.
That link road features in the £315m Inverness city and region deal and is said to be key to the future of infrastructure of Inverness.
Its construction will unlock huge swathes of land for thousands of homes, a new school and – hopefully – some new sports facilities.
The east side of Inverness has been crying out for sports-related investment for years and a major new development would seem like the perfect opportunity to finally address that imbalance.
And a potential tie-up between agencies like Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), sportscotland, the Scottish Government and Caley Thistle could be a very interesting proposition.
‘ICT wants to be an integral part of the expanding Inverness community’
Of course, a lot of hoops have to be jumped through before we get to that point.
We still don’t know if the club will soon have a new owner. Or even what division they will be playing in next season.
All the main parties involved seem to be playing their cards pretty close to their chest.
When asked to elaborate on his comments about the possibility of a new Caley Thistle stadium, Alan Savage replied: “ICTFC wants to be an integral part of the expanding Inverness community.
“Inverness is a growing city and the expansion will be planned and phased by the council, HIE and the government.
“There will be a need for leisure facilities and community hubs. ICTFC wants to be not only a part of the process but also a contributor to it.
“ICTFC looks forward to adding value in the future by working more closely with the council and HIE.”
A spokeswoman for Highland Council said: “[We] continue to engage with Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club and relevant stakeholders.”
A spokeswoman for HIE added: “It would be inappropriate for us to comment while the club’s administration process is ongoing.”
The whole idea might seem like a bit of a pipe dream as Caley Thistle fights for its survival.
But after the last few years, its supporters deserve the chance to dream about a brighter future.
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