Butcher ignites home support

Butcher ignites home support

Published Aug. 10, 2012 7:15 a.m. ET

Butcher believes the crowds have played a huge part in helping athletes break records and claim medals at the London Games, and as the Highlanders prepare for their first home game of the season against Kilmarnock, he has told supporters they can play a similar part in Inverness' campaign.

"We're looking forward to putting on a show for the fans," Butcher said.

"We want our fans to come to the game and get that Olympic spirit where the fans can really inspire the players and get behind them and make it a great atmosphere for the players to play in.

"We have seen in the Olympics when athletes have had personal bests beyond their wildest dreams and have got medals on the back of great crowd participation.

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"In the interviews afterwards, they always say: 'It was the crowd that really got me going'.

"We want our players to be saying the same about the Caley Thistle crowd."

Butcher also wants the home support to make the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium an intimidating arena for the opposition.

"We want the fans to inspire us and make it an atmosphere that is very hostile to the opposing teams.

"Those are environments that we meet every other week when we travel away.

"We want that here, for our crowd to get behind us and cheer us right to the end because it does make a massive difference," he added.

Butcher is also keen to see an improvement on the club's home form this season ahead of the visit of Kenny Shiels' men.

"It wasn't good enough last year. I think we lost nine games at home - I lost count after about four or five.

"That wasn't fun at all. We've actually played not bad at home but without winning matches.

"We want to get over the line at the end of the 90 minutes with those three points," he said.

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