Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s newest international partnership will improve the club’s branding around the world, according to the club’s commercial director Andrew Benjamin. Earlier this week Caley Thistle announced a commercial affiliation with Lorain County Leviathan in the USA, who are about to play their debut campaign in the USL League Two. It was the American club who approached Inverness about linking up, encouraged by a kinship around lake monsters. Leviathan play in Ohio, which is home to Lake Erie where, legend has it, lake monster Bessie lives – a strikingly similar story to Nessie in Loch Ness. That connection meant Caley Thistle were Leviathan’s first choice for an international partnership, and they were encouraged by the club’s willingness to open up initial conversations. “My big plan for the team when I was hired was getting the team a bigger presence, past just our local community,” Leviathan FC’s commercial dierctor Stephanie Carnie said. Lorain County Leviathan have teamed up with Inverness Caledonian Thistle after the two clubs announced a commercial partnership in March 2026. “For me, the best answer to that was having a global presence. I started reaching out to clubs across the UK to see if there was any interest in a partnership, and my go-to was Inverness because of the history behind Inverness’ folklore with Nessie at Loch Ness. “We have Bessie here in Lake Erie, and I thought they could be sisters or cousins, and we could draw up a whole story between the two clubs. “I visited Inverness about four years ago with my family, and we fell in love with the city, so we were following the Inverness story over the last few years anyway. It’s kind of like Wrexham – this underdog story that came up from the ground and took over. “This partnership took off when Inverness got back to me and spiked their interest about having a presence in America. We can work together to grow the game, one community and one player at a time. “In our community there is a lot of excitement to take this passion that we all have for this game, and tie it together with someone across the pond. We’re not only going to share our love of the game, but also our cultures and traditions, and open up avenues for players.” Discussions have already taken place around trialists potentially coming over to the Highland capital from Ohio as part of the partnership, but it is also hoped there will be a range of benefits off the pitch for both the club and Caley Thistle’s fans. Through cross-networking with Leviathan’s contacts, the Caley Jags are already in talks with multiple American companies around sponsorship packages, which will help boost the club’s coffers. Talks have also begun on a potential pre-season trip to the USA for Inverness, which could see them play friendly matches on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. For fans, tourism opportunities in both directions could open doors for Highlanders, while boosting the local economy if and when people travel to Inverness from Lorain County – which boasts attractions like the world’s rollercoaster capital Cedar Point and the rock and roll hall of fame. Inverness Caledonian Thistle's commercial director Andrew Benjamin says the partnership will directly benefit season ticket holders in the Highland capital. Members of Leviathan’s board already intend to travel over to Scotland for ICT’s last match of the League One season, at home against Hamilton on May 2, and Andrew Benjamin hopes to secure discounts for Inverness season ticket holders to go in the opposite direction. “I’ve been in contact regularly with Visit Inverness Loch Ness, and their CEO has been involved in these conversations (with Leviathan) because it opens up the tourism that they are promoting,” Benjamin said. “This could open pathways to our fans getting discounts to Disneyworld holidays. All the partnerships we’re putting together is about getting value for our season ticket holders – there has to be a benefit for them. “At the same time, we’re helping the local economy by bringing more Americans over to watch football games, and stay in hotels, and go out to eat and do all the other tourism stuff. “Everything that we’re doing is having a huge positive impact on our community, and the potential for more commercial partnerships is there. “I can’t go into too much detail, but some of the potential partners I’ve spoken to are huge players in the tourism industry, and they want their brand in front of our fans. That means we can put more money into the club to make the football club more sustainable for the future. “Commercial sustainability is key to any football club. So is player profile, and having pathways for player development, so these kind of partnerships tick all the boxes. “It puts Inverness on that map, and puts money back into our economy. That can only be a good thing.” Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.inverness-courier.co.uk