Inverness reverse controversial plan to move training base 135 miles south, but admit they may soon be facing ADMINISTRATION amid financial woes

INVERNESS Caledonian Thistle have admitted they could be facing the prospect of insolvency after announcing they have scrapped their controversial plan to move their training base 135 miles south to Kelty. 

The crisis-hit Highlands club yesterday backtracked on their proposed move to Fife following a fierce backlash from supporters and the community at large.

In doing so, the Caledonian Stadium outfit revealed they are in talks with potential new investors after Norwegian renewables company Statkraft confirmed it was walking away from a previously agreed deal worth between £1.4million and £1.7m over five years.

However, the Inverness club — who also saw chairman Ross Morrison step away from his role in the wake of the anger over their proposed training switch — are already making contingency plans for a possible worst-case scenario if the discussions fail to result in a positive outcome.

Yesterday, a statement from the 2015 Scottish Cup winners read: ‘The board of directors are in discussions with potential new investors into the club and remain hopeful of finding a new investor or new owners.

‘However, in the circumstances we currently find ourselves in following the loss of the Statkraft contract at Caledonian Stadium, which was worth seven figures to the club, and given the new financial position of the club, it is also prudent to approach a suitably qualified insolvency practitioner to advise on how we may proceed should our efforts to find new investment fall short.’

Inverness — freshly relegated from the Championship under Duncan Ferguson — were hit with a ferocious backlash from their own supporters after revealing last month they had struck an agreement to train some 135 miles away, at the home ground of new League One rivals Kelty Hearts, from this summer onwards.

The decision was described by Inverness at the time as giving them ‘the best possible chance to attract the highest quality players to the club’. However, following intense criticism and significant pushback from their fans — who had threatened a boycott of season tickets and merchandise — the club have performed a U-turn.

‘For clarity, on the football front, we have decided to remain training at Fort George for the foreseeable future,’ the statement added.

Club chairman Morrison had doubled down on the merits of the move when announcing his decision to step aside earlier this week. He said: ‘I believe [the move to Fife] is the best way forward and I have to stick with my beliefs. That is the reason I’m stepping down now.’

Inverness suffered a setback earlier this year when Highland Council blocked permission for a ‘transformational’ battery storage farm worth £3.4m that would have breathed new life into the club’s finances.

Their subsequent relegation, following a two-legged play-off loss to League One Hamilton Accies, represented a new low for the club, and came just 12 months after they had contested the Scottish Cup final against Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic at Hampden in 2023.