Caledonian F.c. Thread

[PRS]

I remember when Caley had a Scottish Cup Game with Clyde I think it was and the manager was the ex-celt John Clark, in the friday news sports item on TV he kept referring to Caley as Ceilidh, anyway the next day Ceilidh hammered his team 3-1 I think it was so he learned the hard way how to pronounce an opponents name, a good game as I remember.

Anyway it highlights how only a few years ago a manager in the central belt hadn't heard of Caley, now? there's not a football fan in the UK hasn't heard of us, fact! and as Clacher pointed out only 250 voted against the merger and that wasn't much over an average gate.Caleys average gate is over 4,000 and growing these days.

What I have never been able to understand is why those objectors who so passionately believed in their team didn't immediately create another team called Inverness Caledonian ( ICT didn't have the Inverness tag at the time) and register with the Highland league, they could have played at Bught park.

Funnily enough I was looking at that ICT video on YouTube again this morning, and it shows a fleeting glimpse of the BUS! Remember it? the double decker parked outside the walls with the windows all steamed up and some of the objectors shouting through them tiny slidy windows, what a laugh.

I fully understand the passion in football though and what could drive them to do it, anyway I'd better go and let the Caledonian Nostalgia roll on.

I don't believe for one minute that John Clark did not know the proper pronounciation of Caley as the club were pretty well known within Scottish football. I reckon he did it as a sign of disrespect to Caley. As for forming a new team called Inverness Caledonian, doubt if they would have gained entry into the Highland League immediately and given that Caleys assets disappeared into ICT, where would the money come from?

[RayBees]

I remember when Caley had a Scottish Cup Game with Clyde I think it was and the manager was the ex-celt John Clark, in the friday news sports item on TV he kept referring to Caley as Ceilidh, anyway the next day Ceilidh hammered his team 3-1 I think it was so he learned the hard way how to pronounce an opponents name, a good game as I remember.

Anyway it highlights how only a few years ago a manager in the central belt hadn't heard of Caley, now? there's not a football fan in the UK hasn't heard of us, fact! and as Clacher pointed out only 250 voted against the merger and that wasn't much over an average gate.Caleys average gate is over 4,000 and growing these days.

What I have never been able to understand is why those objectors who so passionately believed in their team didn't immediately create another team called Inverness Caledonian ( ICT didn't have the Inverness tag at the time) and register with the Highland league, they could have played at Bught park.

Funnily enough I was looking at that ICT video on YouTube again this morning, and it shows a fleeting glimpse of the BUS! Remember it? the double decker parked outside the walls with the windows all steamed up and some of the objectors shouting through them tiny slidy windows, what a laugh.

I fully understand the passion in football though and what could drive them to do it, anyway I'd better go and let the Caledonian Nostalgia roll on.

Thanks for the only slightly patronising contribution Sandy. I for one couldn't give a monkeys how many people have heard of the ICT corporate brand compared to Caley (and you are ICT by the way, don't get confused with Caley). And if you are proud of a team in the Premier League getting 4,000 for home games thats up to you. As for the Caley fans somehow entering a team in the Highland League, i don't think so. Caley fans unfortunately didn't have the backing of the council, Inverness & Nairn Enterprise, local press, and the assets of 2 football clubs behind them. And i couldn't see the Highland League allowing entry to a bunch of "refusenik rebels" who caused trouble by invading pitches during games and defying banning orders by driving double decker buses to games to see over the wall.

So yeah, do us a favour and go away and let the Nostalgia roll on.

[SandyCromarty]

I am in no way being patronising, but I was only asking that with all the passion that was flying about at that time over the demise of Caley I was surprised that nobody made any attempt to form a team and approach the HL for admission, they I'm sure would have been most sympathetic to the cause as they were to Wick Academy.

Given that most teams in the HL are run on a shoestring I don't think the costs would have been that high initially and probably less than the cost of hiring a double decker bus and if I remember the 'rebels' had enough funds to hire lawyers and go to court, I also recall that there were a few very articulate 'rebels' who managed well constructed press interviews against the merger, maybe their skills could easily have presented a good case to the HL for an Inverness Caledonian team.

Unfortunately it was deemed more important to fight a cause which we all knew could not be won, and this silliness continues to this day perpetuated by a few individuals and the sad thing is that the vast majority of ICT fans nowadays don't know and don't care.

As I indicated in my post I attended Caley games pre merger and I mentioned a Cup game yet the two posters who responded didn't even mention that cup game in their replies, so sad!! which indicates that this thread is not so much about the good old days but more and more an opportunity for daft and jealous snipes at ICT by people who are so feckin disappointed, even gutted, that ICT have done so well against all the odds, how sad is that.

BTW you sorry fools, two of the goals that Cup day were from headers.

So I'll let you carry on with your 'Nostalgia'????? thread and won't bother you again as I like many other decent ICT fans have moved on, and as a wee bit more to keep you going it might be better to remember that there might be no Clachnacudden today if Inverness Caledonian Thistle hadn't stepped in when they did a few years back.

[Jimmy Shaker]

Given that most teams in the HL are run on a shoestring

A fair chunk of the HFL is pissing away money like a sailor on shore leave.

[Loki]

A fair chunk of the HFL is pissing away money like a sailor on shore leave.

I think Sandy should stop havering shite.

I remember my first game at Telford Street was in the Highland League the year we won the Highland League championship for only the second time. It must have been close to capacity as I remember it being absolutely packed. The atmosphere was excellent and for the first time you got the feel what a big game was. I am pretty sure we won, but as I was only 11 at that time I can only remember the atmosphere and crowd! It had a good effect on me.

[Jimmy Shaker]

ICT have done so well against all the odds

This also is shite. A club formed with the assets of two to dispose of, two grounds, two squads of players to start with, the good side of the local and national press, the bending-over-backwards-to-help attitude of HIE, and the total shambolic state of the lower leagues in this country meant that if ICT were pretty much guaranteed to rocket up the leagues.

As a franchise, they have done well, but theres not been much to stand in their way, has there?

[RayBees]

I am in no way being patronising, but I was only asking that with all the passion that was flying about at that time over the demise of Caley I was surprised that nobody made any attempt to form a team and approach the HL for admission, they I'm sure would have been most sympathetic to the cause as they were to Wick Academy.

Given that most teams in the HL are run on a shoestring I don't think the costs would have been that high initially and probably less than the cost of hiring a double decker bus and if I remember the 'rebels' had enough funds to hire lawyers and go to court, I also recall that there were a few very articulate 'rebels' who managed well constructed press interviews against the merger, maybe their skills could easily have presented a good case to the HL for an Inverness Caledonian team.

Unfortunately it was deemed more important to fight a cause which we all knew could not be won, and this silliness continues to this day perpetuated by a few individuals and the sad thing is that the vast majority of ICT fans nowadays don't know and don't care.

As I indicated in my post I attended Caley games pre merger and I mentioned a Cup game yet the two posters who responded didn't even mention that cup game in their replies, so sad!! which indicates that this thread is not so much about the good old days but more and more an opportunity for daft and jealous snipes at ICT by people who are so feckin disappointed, even gutted, that ICT have done so well against all the odds, how sad is that.

BTW you sorry fools, two of the goals that Cup day were from headers.

So I'll let you carry on with your 'Nostalgia'????? thread and won't bother you again as I like many other decent ICT fans have moved on, and as a wee bit more to keep you going it might be better to remember that there might be no Clachnacudden today if Inverness Caledonian Thistle hadn't stepped in when they did a few years back.

Calm down Sandy, i seem to have struck a nerve there. I take it back if you weren't meaning to be patronising. Genuinely.

The reason i didn't mention the Clyde game you got so angry about is because PRS had already talked about that earlier in the thread. Also, whoever said that the goals weren't from headers? And why get so worked up about it? It hardly merited your outburst.

Not being a Clach fan, i won't be thanking you personally for ICT stepping in to "save" them but i hope it makes you sleep easy at night and i'm sure they are forever indebted to you. Ok maybe that wasn't entirely sincere.

Also, i think you'll find recently that the Caley Thread had featured little of "jealous snipes at ICT", we had been focusing on Caley matters, and some may suggest you are actually fanning the flames a little. Like i said before, i couldn't give a monkeys about ICT's supposedly miraculous rise through the impossible obstacle of the Scottish lower leagues and i'm not impressed by it for a club with your resources.

[PRS]

"I am in no way being patronising, but I was only asking that with all the passion that was flying about at that time over the demise of Caley I was surprised that nobody made any attempt to form a team and approach the HL for admission, they I'm sure would have been most sympathetic to the cause as they were to Wick Academy."

• Reality check here. Just ask anyone involved in the Highland League how much it costs to keep a team going. Besides as I already posted, whay should the Highalnd League accept a club that was just formed and no playing record
  

"Given that most teams in the HL are run on a shoestring I don't think the costs would have been that high initially and probably less than the cost of hiring a double decker bus and if I remember the 'rebels' had enough funds to hire lawyers and go to court, I also recall that there were a few very articulate 'rebels' who managed well constructed press interviews against the merger, maybe their skills could easily have presented a good case to the HL for an Inverness Caledonian team."

• Yes the court case was expensive, but a lot of people who totally agreed with the action helped fund the case which aimed to preserve Caley, not create a new one.
  

"Unfortunately it was deemed more important to fight a cause which we all knew could not be won, and this silliness continues to this day perpetuated by a few individuals and the sad thing is that the vast majority of ICT fans nowadays don't know and don't care".

• Glad the vast majority of ICT fans don't care about this. Fact is, feeling is mutual.
  

"As I indicated in my post I attended Caley games pre merger and I mentioned a Cup game yet the two posters who responded didn't even mention that cup game in their replies, so sad!! which indicates that this thread is not so much about the good old days but more and more an opportunity for daft and jealous snipes at ICT by people who are so feckin disappointed, even gutted, that ICT have done so well against all the odds, how sad is that".

• If you had bothered to read the posting previous to your one, you would have seen that the Clyde game had been already discussed.
  

• "Jealous swipes at ICT". I don't think so. This is a Caley thread, not an ICT one. The first person to mention ICT on this thread was an ICT fan, who had to tell us how wonderful life as an ICT fan is. What has that got to do with this thread? Wonder who he was trying to convince? ICT are just not on my radar.
  

"BTW you sorry fools, two of the goals that Cup day were from headers".

• ????????????????
  

"So I'll let you carry on with your 'Nostalgia'????? thread and won't bother you again as I like many other decent ICT fans have moved on"

• Good.
  
• "Decent ICT fans" Are you implying there are indecent ICT fans?
  

"and as a wee bit more to keep you going it might be better to remember that there might be no Clachnacudden today if Inverness Caledonian Thistle hadn't stepped in when they did a few years back".

• And your point is........
  

[SandyCromarty]

Look guys I don't want to hijack your Thread and I really understand your feelings for the way it was but lets look at the other side of the coin and lets say the merger didn't go through and things stayed the way they were??

So here we are in 2007 and Inverness still have three teams team in the HFL, all three are struggling with crowds of 2-300 while a lot of their fans have started to attend SFL games at Ross County every second saturday, there is no Football Academy in the town, no Youth Policy and no school visits by HFL players to encourage the youngsters to get out there and kick a ball around, in fact the young of the town can't be ersed with football.

No large crowds of visiting away fans who in the winter bring lots of much needed dosh to the pubs,restaurants and B & B'S. No mention of Inverness in the sports media etc etc etc.

Yes indeed football in Inverness would be a lot better if we had stayed the way we were.

[PRS]

Look guys I don't want to hijack your Thread and I really understand your feelings for the way it was but lets look at the other side of the coin and lets say the merger didn't go through and things stayed the way they were??

So here we are in 2007 and Inverness still have three teams team in the HFL, all three are struggling with crowds of 2-300 while a lot of their fans have started to attend SFL games at Ross County every second saturday, there is no Football Academy in the town, no Youth Policy and no school visits by HFL players to encourage the youngsters to get out there and kick a ball around, in fact the young of the town can't be ersed with football.

No large crowds of visiting away fans who in the winter bring lots of much needed dosh to the pubs,restaurants and B & B'S. No mention of Inverness in the sports media etc etc etc.

Yes indeed football in Inverness would be a lot better if we had stayed the way we were.

I'd have loved to have seen Caley in the Scottish league, but not as part of a merger.

[RayBees]

I'd have loved to have seen Caley in the Scottish league, but not as part of a merger.

Seconded.

[Guest Hansa]

there is no Football Academy in the town, no Youth Policy and no school visits by HFL players to encourage the youngsters to get out there and kick a ball around

You don't do that anyway, you built your way through the leagues by ignoring the local community and ploughing your resources into your first team squad. Youth policy?

[SandyCromarty]

FYI Hansa ICT have quite a strong youth policy plus when we need another player we just plunder your 1st team squad.

BTW where has Ross County's youth policy got them? Are you still full time in the 2nd Division??

[Loki]

BTW where has Ross County's youth policy got them? Are you still full time in the 2nd Division??

We have taken just under £300k in tranfer fees in the last year and a bit thanks to that youth system. We also have players in International squads all the way upto Under 19 level. We have scouts from Premiership clubs regualrly watch our youth games. And our brightest prospect yet has already been involved with the Chelsea setup.

And yours? One Grant Munro! Well done son!

Anyway back on topic and let the guys that want to remember Caley remember Caley.

[ICTChris]

You don't do that anyway, you built your way through the leagues by ignoring the local community and ploughing your resources into your first team squad. Youth policy?

What does that even mean? Caley Thistle do as much in the local community as any club, with regards to coaching days, visits, supporting community projects. We have youth players playing in the Scotland Under 17, 19 and 21 squads.

As for ploughing our resources into the first team, we won the First Division over a number of teams who paid more wages than us, including Ross County. Your own club outbid us on a number of occasions for players - Steve McGarry, Jim Hamilton, David Hannah being cases in point.

Again, more fantasy from Hansa to compensate for the abject failure of a football club he supports

[RayBees]

What does that even mean? Caley Thistle do as much in the local community as any club, with regards to coaching days, visits, supporting community projects. We have youth players playing in the Scotland Under 17, 19 and 21 squads.

As for ploughing our resources into the first team, we won the First Division over a number of teams who paid more wages than us, including Ross County. Your own club outbid us on a number of occasions for players - Steve McGarry, Jim Hamilton, David Hannah being cases in point.

Again, more fantasy from Hansa to compensate for the abject failure of a football club he supports

Take your irrelevant squabbles off our thread please!

Actually, as you mention Steven McGarry, i remember being in the County end when he scored a last minute screamer volley down at the dump in a 3-3 draw a few years back. My 6ft 5, burly County supporting mate demolished about a dozen people in the celebrations. Good night that was.

[Loki]

Take your irrelevant squabbles off our thread please!

Actually, as you mention Steven McGarry, i remember being in the County end when he scored a last minute screamer volley down at the dump in a 3-3 draw a few years back. My 6ft 5, burly County supporting mate demolished about a dozen people in the celebrations. Good night that was.

I was tempted to head into Inverness after they went 3-0 up, some of my mates did. Luckily though I stayed. When we went to the pub after the game we said something along the lines of "Unlucky lads finished 3-3 McGarry scored goal of the season in injury time for the draw". I was called a lying c**t and I should have made my story more believable! So the smart arse checked the score on his phone. Nugget.

Does anyone have the Highland Hundred and if they do do they have the County-Caley scores and scorers perhaps of the games played in County's championship years? Would be interested in the scores.

Also how does Caley's trophy haul rank up in Highland League circles, have they won the most Highland League's etc?

[ICTChris]

I was tempted to head into Inverness after they went 3-0 up, some of my mates did. Luckily though I stayed. When we went to the pub after the game we said something along the lines of "Unlucky lads finished 3-3 McGarry scored goal of the season in injury time for the draw". I was called a lying c**t and I should have made my story more believable! So the smart arse checked the score on his phone. Nugget.

Does anyone have the Highland Hundred and if they do do they have the County-Caley scores and scorers perhaps of the games played in County's championship years? Would be interested in the scores.

Also how does Caley's trophy haul rank up in Highland League circles, have they won the most Highland League's etc?

I think that Caley are the leading winners of the Highland League the Clach, then Elgin.

[SandyCromarty]

Brian Irvine on 2K a week when he first arrived and where did it get you? I'm not being silly or spouting on hindsight but I think it's more than obvious that monies as mentioned above WOULD have been better spent on local youth. We at ICT learned very early ( due to David Sutherlands financial prudence) how to cut our cloth to suit and it has paid off handsomely.

Apologies to the Caley Faithful for hijacking their thread.

[PRS]

Brian Irvine on 2K a week when he first arrived and where did it get you? I'm not being silly or spouting on hindsight but I think it's more than obvious that monies as mentioned above WOULD have been better spent on local youth. We at ICT learned very early ( due to David Sutherlands financial prudence) how to cut our cloth to suit and it has paid off handsomely.

Apologies to the Caley Faithful for hijacking their thread.

Why not start a seperate thread? This has nothing to do with Caley. OK