First Team
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1st May 2024
Following the receipt of further and unequivocal legal advice regarding the recent SPL vote, Dundee United will now vote accordingly and after discussions with ICT, will support their case to play in Inverness.
Dundee United Chairman Eddie Thompson has confirmed that his Club will support Inverness Caledonian Thistle's bid for SPL status and that it is United's intention to put forward a resolution to the SPL which would allow ICT to play their matches at their own stadium from the start of the forthcoming season.
Eddie Thompson said, "We have received confirmation from the SPL lawyer that the deadline of March 31 does not apply to groundsharing where the ground to be shared is already compliant with the SPL stadium criteria. This could be construed by some people as 'flying in the face' of precedents already set but we have no wish to return any further to that question. Instead we would like to move on.
"Having discussed a number of points over the weekend with Ken Mackie, Chairman of Inverness Caledonian, a meeting was held yesterday with him to go over the various aspects of ICT's bid for promotion to the SPL. Putting aside the confusion over deadlines, it was clear from the meeting that ICT have done everything in good faith and have carried out all the requirements as set down to them by the SPL authorities. Having consulted with my Board this morning, we have now firmly come to the conclusion that Inverness ICT should be allowed promotion to the Scottish Premier League.
"Moving on from this, having discussed the matter in depth with the ICT chairman, we are also firmly of the opinion that ICT should be allowed a waiver to enable them to play their SPL football in Inverness. We believe that football clubs hold a special position within their own local community and play an important and integral part of that community. This community role is severely undermined by supporters having to travel a 200 mile round trip to support their club.
"What we are asking is for the fans to be taken into account as an important consideration in the decision making process on where ICT should play. We would therefore like to give Inverness a waiver to play at Inverness for season 04/05 requesting them to get to the level of 6,000 seats (not 10,000) by end August 2004. If necessary, they could switch 2 home games in August to play away as we did for Dunfermline last year when they were laying their pitch. What we are really asking for here is for some common sense to prevail on the situation. It is now extremely likely that ICT will be voted to be allowed to play in the Scottish Premier League at the June 22 meeting. It does not make any sense that, once in, Inverness should then lose their club from the community and the fans have to endure a 200-mile trip to support their local team.
"It is our intention to put forward a resolution to this effect to the SPL for discussion at the already agreed June 22 meeting. However, we are getting a number of legal hurdles presented to us from the SPL centre on this proposal due to a precedent being set which would not run in line with past decisions made many years ago with other clubs. We would need another club to propose this resolution with us, but with the growing changing opinions amongst the SPL clubs this will not be a problem. We intend taking the matter on from here."
Dundee United Chairman Eddie Thompson has confirmed that his Club will support Inverness Caledonian Thistle's bid for SPL status and that it is United's intention to put forward a resolution to the SPL which would allow ICT to play their matches at their own stadium from the start of the forthcoming season.
Eddie Thompson said, "We have received confirmation from the SPL lawyer that the deadline of March 31 does not apply to groundsharing where the ground to be shared is already compliant with the SPL stadium criteria. This could be construed by some people as 'flying in the face' of precedents already set but we have no wish to return any further to that question. Instead we would like to move on.
"Having discussed a number of points over the weekend with Ken Mackie, Chairman of Inverness Caledonian, a meeting was held yesterday with him to go over the various aspects of ICT's bid for promotion to the SPL. Putting aside the confusion over deadlines, it was clear from the meeting that ICT have done everything in good faith and have carried out all the requirements as set down to them by the SPL authorities. Having consulted with my Board this morning, we have now firmly come to the conclusion that Inverness ICT should be allowed promotion to the Scottish Premier League.
"Moving on from this, having discussed the matter in depth with the ICT chairman, we are also firmly of the opinion that ICT should be allowed a waiver to enable them to play their SPL football in Inverness. We believe that football clubs hold a special position within their own local community and play an important and integral part of that community. This community role is severely undermined by supporters having to travel a 200 mile round trip to support their club.
"What we are asking is for the fans to be taken into account as an important consideration in the decision making process on where ICT should play. We would therefore like to give Inverness a waiver to play at Inverness for season 04/05 requesting them to get to the level of 6,000 seats (not 10,000) by end August 2004. If necessary, they could switch 2 home games in August to play away as we did for Dunfermline last year when they were laying their pitch. What we are really asking for here is for some common sense to prevail on the situation. It is now extremely likely that ICT will be voted to be allowed to play in the Scottish Premier League at the June 22 meeting. It does not make any sense that, once in, Inverness should then lose their club from the community and the fans have to endure a 200-mile trip to support their local team.
"It is our intention to put forward a resolution to this effect to the SPL for discussion at the already agreed June 22 meeting. However, we are getting a number of legal hurdles presented to us from the SPL centre on this proposal due to a precedent being set which would not run in line with past decisions made many years ago with other clubs. We would need another club to propose this resolution with us, but with the growing changing opinions amongst the SPL clubs this will not be a problem. We intend taking the matter on from here."
