Management in Scottish football is relatively rare, but common enough to strike fear into the hearts of managers and fans alike. Since 2000, there have been a total of 14 insolvency cases involving Scottish clubs across the league system.
The Inverness Caledonian Thistle may take some solace from the fact that nine of them came out the other side injured but unscathed. Of course each case is different, but the sentiment is the same.
I’ve covered many of these incidents over the years, and I’ve seen fans cry, staff shocked, and organizations on the brink of extinction. What always impresses me is how quickly the story changes from winning the game to survival.
There’s nothing like watching a team of administrators walk into a football stadium swinging their briefcases and the community holding their breath, wondering if they might be the next Gretna or Clydebank. I don’t feel any strain.
Fans are desperately clinging to new reports of new investments as administrators work to figure out just how bad the finances are. The first week can usually be critical, and the list of people who lost their jobs in the first few days shows how precarious their jobs are.
History shows that public administration does not necessarily mean the end, and often public administration can focus the minds of those seeking investment. Inverness Caledonian Thistle fans will be watching anxiously, but they will take some solace in the fact that many other supporters from across Scotland are also feeling the pain.
