ICT use Betfred Cup as pre-season workout in an effort to cut costs

INVERNESS Caley Thistle chief executive Scot Gardiner says John Robertson’s side will treat the Betfred Cup as preseason in order to keep their players on furlough for as long as possible.

Inverness’s players have been on leave since the Scottish football season was suspended due to coronavirus, with the club taking advantage of the UK Government’s job retention scheme which pays 80% of the wages of furloughed employees.

Caley Jags will be unable to continue using the scheme once they resume training ahead of the start of the Championship season on October 17.

Gardiner is keen to delay the beginning of pre-season training until mid-September at the earliest, in order for the club to save money in wage costs.

That will mean using the Betfred Cup, which is voluntary for clubs this term and is expected to begin on October 7, as build-up to the start of league action.

Gardiner said: “We’ll be looking at the League Cup strictly as pre-season. I was speaking to a couple of other clubs who were intent on bringing their players back in late August but we simply can’t afford to do that.

“If we began pre-season training then, we’d have to take them out of furlough and the fact is a month’s wages could make all the difference in us getting through this difficult spell.”

Inverness have been unable to provide training instruction to their players while they have been on furlough due to the rules of the scheme.

The club have also furloughed the majority of their non-football staff and are rotating those working in the ticket office.

Gardiner says Caley Jags have also put measures in place to maintain the wellbeing of players.

Caley Jags chief executive Scot Gardiner.