Alan Savage (football chairman)
Alan Savage is a Scottish businessman and football executive, best known for his tenure as chairman of Inverness Caledonian Thistle from 2006 until 2008. He is also the chairman of Orion Group, an Inverness-based engineering recruitment business.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle
[edit]Savage served as chairman of Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. from 2006 until 2008, when he resigned due to being unable to commit sufficient time to the club.[1] Savage provided the finance necessary to sign Romanian international Marius Niculae, and Savage's departure meant that Inverness could no longer afford the player.[2]
In 2024, Savage announced he would help finance ailing Scottish League One side, Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Youth Academy, as it was clear the club was struggling to keep itself out of a slow slide towards Administration. However, in August 2024, Savage took charge of the club in its entirety, in order to stabilise finances following years of mismanagement, subsequently managing to get over £1 Million worth of debts written off, before opening the club to bidders for a financial takeover, with investors from as far away as China putting themselves forward.
In October that same year the club set up a crowdfunding page called save ICT fund which needed £200,000 in two weeks and 1.4 million to last the rest of the season however the club only recorded £87,000 and after failing to find a buyer the club went into administration on 22 October becoming the first side to enter administration in the SPFL era where he said that he was confident that the club could avoid relegation to League Two.[3]
Outside football
[edit]In December 2013 it was announced that Mr Savage had donated £150,000 to the anti-Scottish independence group Better Together,[4] stating that "My support for the Better Together campaign is stronger than ever following the publication of a White Paper that does nothing to convince me that independence would be a force for good for Scotland, Scottish people, the Scottish business community and the rest of our friends in the UK." This brings his total donations to £250,000.[5]
On 7 March 2014 it was announced that multi-million pound plans to expand the Highland Hospice in Inverness had been given a massive boost by the businessman who lost his wife to cancer.
The chairman of Inverness's Orion Group, announced his company was donating £1.25 million towards the £4.5 million Project Build Appeal, the largest single donation in the hospice's 25-year history.
Personal life
[edit]Mr Savage lost his wife Linda to cancer at just 53. After her death he raised money for Marie Curie Cancer Care, taking part in a six-day, 310-mile challenge cycle ride from Prague to Warsaw collecting £20,000 in sponsorship which his firm matched.[6]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Alan Savage quits as Inverness chairman, Daily Record, 11 April 2008.
- ^ Inverness struggle to pay Niculae, BBC Sport, 23 April 2008.
- ^ Alan Savage confident Caley Thistle can stay in League One after administrators move in and points deduction confirmed, 22 October 2024
- ^ "Scottish independence: Better Together reveals donor list - BBC News". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "SNP slam Better Together as 'Tory to the core' after campaign reveal large cash gifts from two Conservative donors". Daily Record. 16 December 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ "Single £1.25m donation for hospice appeal". Inverness Courier. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
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