By Andrew Henderson

Copyright inverness-courier

Alan Savage says he would welcome the club’s former directors Ross Morrison and David Cameron back to the club after completing a deal to buy the car park surrounding the Sarens PSG Stadium.

Last week Savage announced he had 100 per cent control of the club in terms of shares, and earlier today the final paperwork was completed to pass over control of the land around the stadium.

That means that for the first time in the club’s history, Caley Thistle – and the land surrounding their stadium – are under a single person’s control.

There was a period during the club’s administration, officially ranging from October last year to last week, that it seemed the ownership of the land would prove to be the major stumbling block to finding a new owner.

However, Savage struck a deal in principle with Morrison and Cameron, who ran Inverness Caledonian Thistle Property Company (PropCo), in March, paving the way for him to buy the club.

Now, with a final line being drawn under the saga, Savage acknowledged that the former directors had Caley Thistle’s best interests at heart, and said he would be happy to see them return in the future.

“I’ve been waiting for this event to happen, and it is a milestone event,” Savage said.

“All deals of this kind of nature, where there is emotion and subjectivity involved, are difficult.

“To be fair to Ross Morrison and David Cameron, once we agreed in principle and the lawyers sorted out the 40-page documents to ratify it, they have been as good as gold.

“I have no issues with them. They tried their way to run the football club, and I’m going to try it a slightly different way.

“I would say they started with the very best of intentions. It got out of hand, and they didn’t expect Highland Council to have another look at the battery farm once they had passed it. From then on, they were playing catch up.

“I think they tried their best, and they sank a lot of money into the football club, there’s no doubt about that.

“If Ross wants to come back to the football club I have no problem with that. He supported the club, and things got out of hand. It wasn’t his fault that it went pear-shaped. If the battery farm had gone ahead, who knows what would have happened?”

Savage can now press on in earnest with his plans to build a five-a-side football pitches that can be converted into a conference centre and music venue beside the Sarens PSG Stadium.

He admits it will not be easy to see these plans come to fruition, but he is more than willing to put in the work to make it a reality for the benefit of Caley Thistle.

“I will go to the relevant people and outline what my plan is for a five-a-side pitch, music venue and all that, and see what the reaction is,” Savage continued.

“I’ve been around the block quite a lot of times, and I think I’ve got to bring a sensible business head to the event and not get carried away emotionally because that doesn’t really get you anywhere.

“I’ve met (Highland Council CEO) Derek Brown a few times, and he seems to me to be a straight up guy who wants to do his job well. He’s a career civil servant, and I’ve got to respect that. He has helped me up to now, and I think he’ll help me in the future.

“I’m not getting into a situation where I’m going to fall out with him. I will respect his decision, and I know that if he can’t do something to help me he will suggest an alternative route.

“I think it’s a challenge, but I like a challenge.”

On the benefits of having the club under a single owner, with control of the surrounding car park, Savage added: “Having the car park simplifies things and gives us clarity. If the club was ever going to get a rich American, or someone like that, who had the best interests of the club at heart, it would be very easy for them to do it.

“I wouldn’t stand in their way, and I wouldn’t take a penny out of it. Whatever money they would bid for the club would go straight into the club.

“That would be good for the club’s point of view, but equally the club is safe with me in the meantime.”

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