Read Caley Thistle CEO Scot Gardiner's full statement backing A9 dualling

Scot Gardiner, Chief Executive Officer, Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club

"Steve [Ferguson, Ross County CEO] and I speak intermittently, mainly on football matters, but we have spoken more than once on the situation re the A9, especially since the campaign and recent events brought the matter even more to the fore.

"As Highland businesses, let alone football clubs, we both felt it would give out a very strong message to show that our two clubs support the dualling of the A9.

"Our Caley Thistle team bus has travelled up and down the A9 hundreds of times over the years and we have been caught in huge traffic delays many times because of traffic accidents and, sadly, on at least one occasion when heading south to play in a match because of a fatal accident.

"The game did not seem important after that. Similarly, thousands of our fans and the fans of other clubs travelling to see us in Inverness or away from home have travelled the road and the miles in all weather, in all conditions, at all times of day and while football is a game of opinions where we rarely agree on anything, none of us would disagree that safety should always come first for friends, family, staff, and colleagues and that the A9 dualling is a massive priority for the country and the region.

"No matter what team we support work or play for all of us in the Highlands feel the same terrible knot in the stomach when we hear there has been another accident on the A9 because they rarely seem to be inconsequential, and everyone joins together to support the campaign and intention to dual the A9 as a matter of priority."

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