Renewed optimism for Inverness Caley Thistle’s future as meeting of key shareholders sets BDO up for ‘much better sales pitch’
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle chairman, and current club adviser, Allan Mackenzie says he is optimistic that a solution to the club’s ongoing search for a buyer can be found quickly after a meeting with key shareholders.
The likes of Ross Morrison, David Cameron, Allan Munro and David Sutherland met with Mackenzie and Alan Savage at the Caledonian Stadium this afternoon in response to a statement from BDO at the start of the week.
Caley Thistle’s joint-administrators had said that there were three complications to their search for a buyer: the extent of loans to former shareholders, the diaspora of shareholdings and the ongoing uncertainty around future plans for the land surrounding the stadium.
Key figures at the club, including Savage and interim chief executive officer Charlie Christie, had voiced their fears that liquidation was a very real possibility if a new owner could not be found before the summer.
In a statement, Mackenzie said he was pleased to see that all attendees came into the meeting with a positive intent to find solutions, putting the club’s future front and centre.
The statement reads: “I am pleased to report, that after long, commercially focused and collaborative debate, all parties agreed to sensible proposals to address all three matters, subject, of course, to getting appropriate assurances from BDO on each matter.
“For my part, I undertook to engage with BDO, as a matter of urgency, to ask that they capitalise on this tremendous goodwill and to assiduously advance the administration with a view to securing a successful CVA, securing a buyer and exiting the process by the end of the current season.
“BDO should now have a very much better “sales pitch” for the people who have expressed interest in buying the club and, needless to say, the parties today and the staff at the Club will use best endeavours to assist them in that enterprise.
“Much needs to be done in a very short space of time, but I am now very much more optimistic that this exercise, which has been necessary, albeit painful for all, can advance to an early conclusion.
“We owe it to the loyal and dedicated staff at the club and to Scott Kellacher and the team, (all of whom have done their best from their perspective) to demonstrate the same commitment and focus.
“Inevitably in a commercial deal, such as this, there will follow a period of “purdah” whilst detailed negotiations take place. Please do not treat this as stasis. Rest assured everyone is working diligently to secure the positive outcome mentioned above and as soon as is possible, a further update(s) will be issued publicly.
“Meantime, thank you all for your patience and commitment to the ICT cause.”