Scot Gardiner says the club need more fans at games and more investment

Inverness Caledonian Thistle chief executive Scot Gardiner says the club's academy could be in danger if fresh investment is not found.

The Scottish Championship club lost £805,000 last season and expect to do so again this year while spending £485,000 on youth development.

Caley Thistle are in tier two of the Scottish FA's Project Brave programme.

"You are trying to give Highland boys the best chance," Gardiner told BBC Scotland.

"The Highlands is 10,000 square km and we have kids coming from Wick and Elgin training three nights a week.

''I think it is unfair. A lot of the criteria is over the top. We are not the only club thinking that. We will spend £485,000 on our youth this year. Considering we are going to lose £800,000, that tells you something.

"Should we cut loose our academy? We are desperate not to do that, but if the club is on the line, you have to look at everything. That is why we are having an EGM and explaining this to everyone.''

On Wednesday, it was announced chairman Graham Rae and director Alan McPhee had resigned with immediate effect.

That came just days after an emergency general meeting for new investment plans to deal with "challenges" in the Scottish Championship was called.

Over the years, a number of Scottish clubs have hit financial trouble and gone into administration and Gardiner said: "We are not in that position, but cash flow is critical to every business.

"I have worked in the real world and I have worked in football and, while they are two different things, cash flow is the same in both.

"We had less than 2,000 people come to our game last week, when we played some fantastic football against Queen of the South, and we need more fans to come to the games.

"That is just as critical as going to someone who is going to invest six figures into your club to give you the working capital.

"The investor needs to see we are getting support, the city needs to see that we are doing the right thing in the community, so it is all tied up."