What do they think now?

[The Mantis]

 That attitude still exists and was recently manifested by those down there who wanted Ross County to be relegated last season.

Central Belters = Barstewards as usual     . Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

I suppose you'll be condemning the HL for keeping out Cove, Fort and Wick

 

[Alex MacLeod]

I really struggle to understand why some folk still don't see the remarkable achievements of ICT as a ringing endorsement of how successful the merger has been for football in Inverness.

In reference to IHE's post regarding it is not just the "Rebels" but their offsprings I find that really sad that some youngsters are missing out on the greatest ever time in the Highlands football history due to their parents stance on what happened over 20 years ago.

In answer to the posters original question I don't think that they feel any different and probably never will, but then again thats their choice. 

 

In fairness to central belt there are many kids of today missing out on great times due to their parents stance on what happened in 1690 and 1921. Many local clubs miss out on local fans for all the wrong reasons.

[Council Juice]

Perhaps I was too rash with my point but I'm still sticking to my guns in regards to the sentiment.

HL is and was amateur football. You don't need to have lived 150 years to know that. To suggest pub football is admittedly going overboard. Though essentially it's a high level of postmen and sparkys playing football at weekends and training a few nights a week. Its part time.

And saying that Inverness Thistle were rejected previously on their own (whether than be the "central belt bias" conspiracy or just a really close vote lost out on) proves that it would have been exceptionally difficult for either team to, first of all get in league football, but to actually progress to any greater level than then division 3.

Yes OK the founding fathers didn't just "come along" . They worked long and hard to bring the merger about and should be admittedly recognised for such. But let's not be pedantic about it. I wasn't meaning any disrespect. You're just getting a little flustered. 

I never said there was no football in Inverness prior to the merger. I said there were 2 small non league (diddy) teams who occasionally had cup flourishes. And yes quite rightfully people should be proud of their team. Just as people are proud to be Scottish... Though it doesn't actually matter in the grand scheme of things does it? 

I just think anyone still bitter, 21 years on, about 2 small teams festering around in non league daring to be ambitious enough to believe that working together could actually bring about much greater success... Well I think they're just daft. Dinosaurs.

I'd imagine anyone on this site whilst still rightfully proud of the origins of the club we have today, have got over this by now, both for the love of the local team and in recognition of where its taken them.

[KingBeastie]

 

[Charles Bannerman]

 That attitude still exists and was recently manifested by those down there who wanted Ross County to be relegated last season.

Central Belters = Barstewards as usual     . Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.

I suppose you'll be condemning the HL for keeping out Cove, Fort and Wick

 

The Highland League began in 1893 with six Inverness clubs and Forres Mechanics (plus the "Ross County" side which resigned during the first season). It has subsequently expanded steadily over the decades with in more recent years Fort then Cove (1985 and 1986) boosting numbers from 16 to 18 and Wick (who got the verdict over geographically more accessible Inverurie) taking it to 16 in 1994 after Jags, Caley and County moved on. Inverurie and Strathspey have subsequently made it 18 again and I wouldn't rule out 2 divisions of 10 in the future.

Central belters? In general, throughout history they've been far more of a pain in the @‌rse for Highlanders than the English ever were and in particular there was for decades a definite Central Belt effort to keep HL clubs out of the SFL. Hence, for instance, an Edinburgh works team got in ahead of Thistle in the 70s and there was that famous statement from Mr Clydebank Jack Steedman that Highland terams would get in over his dead body which kind of summed up the attitude of the CB. They still whinge about having to come up here and many would have loved to see County go down.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What has that garbage got to do with the opening post and the thread ?

[Charles Bannerman]

What has that garbage got to do with the opening post and the thread ?

Quite a lot. We have been discussing the enormous progress, despite a phoneboxfull of refuseniks, made by football in Inverness since the central belt obsession with keeping the Highlanders out was at last defeated in 1994. The extent to which we (including Ross County) have got it right up them (the Central Belt) is therefore sweet in the extreme up here!

[+jagster]

 

pity I couldnt make out the top pic a bit clearer  Might have been there with my wranglers on

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Hope not Jagsters they are Caley fans. 

Oh oh dear Mr Bannerman - more rhetoric about the merger from a biased perspective. Read the opening post again before you turn this in to yet another merger debate.

[The Mantis]

Obsession.... yes we know who's obsessed around here 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

And when you think about CB would never be able to answer the question posed in the opening post as he is not on talking terms with the phone box rebels 

[SMEE]

I reckon if there was no "refuseniks" Inverness could have been seeing crowds of 5000-6000 instead of what ICT unfairly get

[SMEE]

Oh...and to Iamcaptain....Caley and Thistle fans in the highland league days were PROPER fans, who were passionate about their club, and not a bunch of glory hunters who only started going because the local team hit the big time. Your bang out of line trying to belittle such people!

[buckett]

I'm always amused by the way the M-word in a post inspires the Red Mist in one or two posters!!

To answer the OP's question, I was against the merger and I was in seventh heaven when ICT won the cup.

Being against the merger didn't stop me supporting the merged team - to me they were just Caley with a bit of baggage added on!

Others I know who were against the merger feel the same, while others just don't care. There are a few I know who detest the merged team and will have nothing to do with them at all, yet they were passionate Caley supporters back in the day. It's hard to believe that they wouldn't be even a wee bit moved by the Cup win, but there you go. Hope this answers your question!

[Eagle4Caley]

As an 'outsider' not even born in Scotland let alone the lovely Inverness, this is quite an interesting thread for me.....on the one hand I would like to think everyone from Inverness would celebrate ICT winning the Cup, however I am reminded that football more than any sport is incredibly tribal (and there's nothing wrong in that) and just because the level of support for the two teams that amalgamated was small in relative terms it probably isn't a surprise that some in Inverness still only identify with their original team, it would be the same if the two Manchester or Liverpool clubs were to merge for instance.   Back in the day there was a proposal for Palace and Wimbledon to merge which created quite a stir at that time...indeed when Wimbledon relocated to Milton Keynes a very large proportion of their support were having none of it and formed AFC Wimbledon, whilst arguably MK Dons have gone on to decent things, but as a completely different entity.

People often say that that if you cut them their teams colours run through them such is the bond.... I still would like to think that no-one will have begrudged ICT their triumph given the joint ancestry

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Oh...and to Iamcaptain....Caley and Thistle fans in the highland league days were PROPER fans, who were passionate about their club, and not a bunch of glory hunters who only started going because the local team hit the big time. Your bang out of line trying to belittle such people!

Smee is correct.  The original Caley and Thistle supporters were indeed passionate about the teams we followed, and rightly so.  Also, it is not strictly correct that Highland League football was amateur.  I know for a fact that some of the Caley players, even from the early 50s, when I started watching them, were well rewarded as part time professionals.

I don't know how many 'glory hunters' are now supporting ICT, but for me, the more the merrier.  We need all of them, and I hope our current success will breed a new generation of young fans who will grow to love ICT in the same way as we old Caley and Thistle fans loved their clubs.

Some one on here posted that he thought many of the 'reuseniks' simply reverted to supporting their 'big teams' when ICT came into being.  I feel sure that this is correct.  In my own case, however, I never had a 'big team'.  Not in Inverness when I was growing up, nor in Glasgow when I was a student, although I did watch Partick from time to time, as they were close to my student digs.

Then when I moved to London in the 60s, I didn't watch football at all.  Even when I moved to Berkshire in the 70s, although I like to see my local teams, Reading and Wycombe, do well, I don't class myself as a supporter, although I'll go and watch them from time to time.   The only English team I like, which no one could call a 'big team', is Exeter city and that is partly because a friend of mine has been Director of Football there for many years.

So it has only been Caley and ICT for me.  One of my big regrets is that I have failed to persuade any of my grandchildren to show any interest in ICT.  They don't even follow their local team, Reading, being too easily caught up in the hype that is Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool etc.  But these premier league giants will never give them the same enjoyment  as I had from supporting Caley and ICT.  

[The Mantis]

"So Ted, yer man, that angry pompous fella that won the worst poster award, is he really such a blinkered old twit then?"

"Shhhhh Dougal, that's quite enough, he's a very clever man you know, with the big words and that. And don't you be mixing up your Nairns and your Brochs now, or he'll be ripping you a new one."

"But Ted, he told me he mixes up his Whitehill and his Annan Athletic and sure there's half of Scotland between them."

"Enough I said Dougal! Anyway where were we?"

"You were telling me about when that East of Scotland club Ferranti Thistle....."

"Dougal! I've told you they're called the "works team". You know, like "pub team". They're a works team".

"Well anyway, you were saying the dirty rotten obsessive Lowlanders ganged up on the Jags from Inversneckie".

"Yes Dougal, it was a conspiracy".

"So the 37 dirty Lowlanders voted for Ferr.... the works team?"

"No Dougal, only 19 of them".

"What, the rest abstained then Ted?"

"No, they em, voted for the Jags Dougal."

"Haha come on now Ted, I'm supposed to be the eejit around here, not much of a plot that is it? 19 away from 37, that's, that's eh, quite a lot. Some of them must be less rotten than others eh?"

"LOOK! There was corruption. Something about eh, (waves hand dismissively) Forfar bridies being handed out. OK?"

"Ah, right you are Ted. So what about the next time then?"

"Well, this time they pulled a real fast one Dougal. They altered the votes so the big clubs got 4 each, the middle clubs got 2 and the wee diddy clubs got only 1."

"(Snort) ah come off it Ted! I'm not thick you know! Everybody knows that would only help the highlanders! The wee diddy clubs were the ones objecting in the first place!"

"No Dougal, it was a cunning plan to obsessively shaft them and get it right up them".

"Ah right, I get you. They all voted for Gala Fairydean then?"

"No, Caley Thistle"

"What, Caley Thistle AND Gala Fairydean?"

"NO THEY DIDN'T! No they didn't Dougal. (Whispers) They gave 68 to Caley Thistle and eh, some more to Ross County."

"Speak up Ted! 68 out of 82? Isn't that quite a lot Ted for a lot of conspiring rotters?"

"Yes but it was a dirty conspiracy Dougal, letting only the two in."

"So how many spaces were there Ted?"

"Eh, two."

"And how many applied Ted?"

"Eh, five."

"Ah, right Ted."

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

 

[Council Juice]

Oh...and to Iamcaptain....Caley and Thistle fans in the highland league days were PROPER fans, who were passionate about their club, and not a bunch of glory hunters who only started going because the local team hit the big time. Your bang out of line trying to belittle such people!

"Proper" were they? Oooh fancy!

I wasn't aiming to belittle anyone, and if I did well then I must truly say, that from the bottom of my heart.....that I don't give a hoot if a few noses have gotten out of joint because they take a game so seriously. It's a little pathetic.

You're essentially saying that anyone who hasn't endured (and I stress that) the lower leagues isn't a proper fan. You're bang out of line for that. Anyone who gives their hard earned money to follow their team, no matter when they started, no matter how often, no matter how much they spend, is a proper fan as far as I'm concerned.

It's such snobbery and attitude that holds the club back "ooh you weren't there on the cold dark nights in Forres. You're welcome to spend your money, but you're not really one of us". It stinks.

It's no better than the refuseniks who are still bitter approaching a quarter of a century later as opposed to being proud that a small team, any team, from the highlands, against all the odds and with a tiny budget has managed to win the main cup competition in the country and qualify for Europe.

So do forgive me if I have no sympathy whatsoever for them at all. It's beyond childish.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Not sure how old you are captain but the "heydays" for the Highland League teams were in the 60's and 70's when the football played by the top say 5-6 teams was of a very good standard and crowds were probably averaging the same as ICT today albeit much bigger crowds when the big guns played each other. The standard IMHO started to go downhill in the 80's as did the attendances. But as you say in the last three sentences they are the feckers who are losing out on years of feckin adrenaline and sheer feckin ecstasy

[Council Juice]

Wasn't even born in the 70s so the standards of HL football 35 or more years ago is quite irrelevant from my point of view. Scottish football as a whole was of a higher standard (compared to others) back then. Celtic reaching to European cup finals and winning 1 and rangers also winning the cup winners cup. Our players were also key players in many big English teams. And so on...

It's refreshing that both clubs were able to operate at that level and attract decent crowds, evidently displaying the local loyalty. Of course most clubs prior to seated stadia could probably remember bigger crowds. I'm not looking at levels of crowds then and now. There's many and more factors involved.

I just don't see how people can feel so betrayed. It's still their club, with an added bit. It's 2 "enemies" coming together for the greater good and mutual benefits. Putting aside their differences and choosing to represent the city with a united front. It's a lesson that could actually be used far beyond Inverness and far beyond football.

I can understand having reservations but surely seeing continued success on the pitch would allay any fears that it could be damaging due to the immense positive focus and attention that has come to the city as a result.

I wonder how people would react to ICT and County merging? Could people get behind a big team representing the highlands as a whole if someday it resulted in winning the league? Not that I'm mooting such an event.

[CaleyD]

I'm going to revise my saying of "One Great Club, Two Great Histories".  I think we've now earned the right to say......

"ONE GREAT CLUB, THREE GREAT HISTORIES"

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

One great club, two great histories and one in the making and shaping to be the most prolific of all. And that is being really nice to all the Jeggie bestards.

[Council Juice]

One great club...making great history 

[Sneckboy]

I'm always amused by the way the M-word in a post inspires the Red Mist in one or two posters!!

To answer the OP's question, I was against the merger and I was in seventh heaven when ICT won the cup.

Being against the merger didn't stop me supporting the merged team - to me they were just Caley with a bit of baggage added on!

Others I know who were against the merger feel the same, while others just don't care. There are a few I know who detest the merged team and will have nothing to do with them at all, yet they were passionate Caley supporters back in the day. It's hard to believe that they wouldn't be even a wee bit moved by the Cup win, but there you go. Hope this answers your question!

That's that sort of 'flippant' remark that does nobody any favours, and could be inflammatory!

ICT are not a continuation of Caledonian (Caley)!

Inverness then, is unrecognisable to what it's like now - from a town of 30k to now 80k in such a small time-scale is incredible.

Back in the 80s/early 90s, Inverness Thistle or Caley 'going to the wall' would have been a blow to the town. Not financially, but they were simply part of the fabric.

For both to 'fold' at-the-same-time was unthinkable...it was a risk, and the 'timing' had to be right. The vacancy, after 20 years, with no further opportunity in sight, had to be taken.

The 'risk' involved in dissolving two 'great' (locally) clubs was certainly right. The opportunity was there to apply (and be accepted) to the Scottish League - despite interest from Gala (as usual) and others, it was virtually a fait accompli.

Yes, the town lost two major institutions in its proud history - but a new one has been formed, perhaps mirroring the growth in the now City of Inverness.

To suggest Caley still exist is absurd and frankly, legally inaccurate.

Yes, 'Caley' is often used as the name for ICT, but that of course, is just a nickname, based on the shortening of the word Caledonian in our name.

Any inference to the former 'Caledonian FC (Caley)' is unfortunately mistaken!

Interested to see how many ex-Caledonian fans would be in favour of the club re-naming as simply Inverness FC?