Ross County manager Don Cowie and striker Jordan White hope to see former club Inverness Caley Thistle bounce back after upcoming administration
Don Cowie hopes that Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s imminent administration will help the club move forward with a clean slate.
The Caley Jags have filed papers to appoint administrators this week after years of significant losses, with a press conference expected to take place tomorrow once control of the club has been handed over.
Currently Ross County manager, Cowie played on the other side of the Kessock Bridge for two years between 2007 and 2009, even winning a player of the year award in the Highland capital before moving on to Watford in England.
While his allegiances may lay with the Staggies, he appreciates that Caley Thistle played a significant role in his career, and as such he is saddened by the plight that ICT currently find themselves in.
“It is a club that played a huge part in my playing career, so it is not nice to see,” Cowie explained.
“You just hope that whatever happens allows them the opportunity to draw a line in the sand, move forward and get back to where they used to be.
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“For us as a club in the Highlands, you want both teams to be thriving and that may take time now. Maybe whatever comes in the next couple of days will allow that to happen.
“The clubs have pushed each other on in the past. There’s also been a lot of transfers between the two clubs over the years.
“Naturally you want to see them both do well. If the team 10 miles away has a really good player it gives you the opportunity to maybe sign him to make your team better.
“When there is such a gulf as we’re seeing now that falls away a little bit. Hopefully now, in the next couple of days, the outcome will lead to a positive new beginning for Inverness.”
Cowie is not the only man in Dingwall with a Caley Thistle connection.
His assistant manager Carl Tremarco is an Inverness legend as part of their 2015 Scottish Cup winning squad, and players Scott Allardice, Alex Samuel and Jordan White have all spend time at the Caledonian Stadium previously in their careers.
White, who was ICT’s top scorer in each of his two seasons at the club between 2018 and 2020, shared his manager’s disappointment at Caley Thistle’s current plight – particularly having experienced the atmosphere that comes with Highland derbies.
“It’s never nice to see things like that happen, because you still know people there,” White said.
“Hopefully they can get back on track, and it’s disappointing because I think they have been in trouble before but got out of it.
“It would be nice to see them back. From playing in the derbies, it’s a rivalry you want to see, but right now they’re probably a wee bit away from that.”
As well as the former Inverness players currently in the Staggies ranks, there is also a player on loan at ICT from Ross County.
Defender Connall Ewan has made three appearances for the Caley Jags since signing for the club in late August, but it remains to be seen whether his loan could be cut short when administrators come in and cut costs.
“We’ll see what happens,” Cowie reasoned.
“Do they cut the squad and does that mean loan players go back to their clubs? That’s something we’ll deal with.
“Connall’s gone there to play football and it has not quite worked out in terms of minutes.
“Knowing Connall, he is the ultimate professional and the reports I’ve had back are that he has continued that through in Inverness.”
