A season of triumph and an amazing end to the Club’s first decade.  2002/03 had been a tremendous success but 2003/04 was even better.  The Bell’s Cup was captured and there was a Scottish Cup semi-final appearance for the second year in succession.  The league went to the last day when a full house at Caledonian Stadium witnessed John Robertson’s side take the First Division championship.

After weeks of drama, confusion, ballots and diplomacy entry to the SPL was achieved, but at the expense of a season’s groundshare in Aberdeen.  In the close season Barry Robson joined Dundee United, Dennis Wyness signed for Hearts and David Bagan left for Queen of the South.  David Bingham came from Livingston then Darran Thomson and David Proctor signed from Hibs.  Barry Wilson returned from Livingston as the transfer window closed.  A major shirt sponsorship deal was signed with Inverness Medical.  Drs Ian Smith and Derek MacLeod took over jointly as Club Doctors.  Roy McLennan left the Board but was replaced in October by Nigel Spiller.  On the commercial side Debbie Ross left and Les Kidger stepped in to take over most of her duties.  The youth and community set-up was revamped when Danny MacDonald rejoined the club as Community and Football Development Manager.  

ICT took part in Oban’s Keyline tournament on July 12th then friendlies started with away victories against Clach, Forres and Brora.  Three high-profile home friendlies resulted in successes against Aberdeen, Livingston and Hearts.  There were also away wins at Lossiemouth and Forfar.  August was hectic with three Bell’s Cup and four league matches.  In the cup Gretna were beaten 5-0 away, it was 2-1 at Peterhead then 1-0 at home to Ross County.  The opening league match away to Falkirk (at Ochilview) was traumatic.  Stuart McCaffrey scored, Falkirk equalised, then McCaffrey was red carded for stamping - TV evidence proved his innocence and the card was rescinded.  The league continued with a 0-0 home draw against Clyde then St Johnstone were beaten 2-1 in Perth.  The first derby in Dingwall ended 1-1.  On September 2nd Caley Thistle were clear favourites at home against Queen’s Park in the CIS Cup but the Spiders achieved a 2-1 giant-killing victory.  It was better in the semi-final of the Bell’s Cup with a 4-0 away win against Raith.  On October 4th Raith were beaten 2-1 in the league and Caley Thistle sat proudly alone at the top of Division One.  The stint at the top lasted two weeks until a 3-2 defeat at Dumfries. 

October was completed with the Bell’s Cup final against Airdrie United on Sunday 26th  3000 fans made the trip to Perth and they were not disappointed.  Airdrie soaked up early pressure and the goals were a long time coming.  David Bingham headed home in 79 minutes then Steve Hislop scored to end the contest.  Bobby Mann collected the club’s first senior cup and the ghost of the 1999 defeat had been laid.  There was more good news at the AGM three days later when the first-ever operating profit was revealed.  To be in the black to the tune of £129,000 for the year to 31st May 2003 contrasted sharply with a loss of £272,000 for the previous year.  A plan for temporary seating to meet SPL requirements, should promotion be achieved, was also unveiled. at McDiarmid Park.

November saw six league games.  It started badly with defeats to Falkirk and Clyde then Ayr were soundly beaten 3-0 at Somerset Park.  The derby match was brought forward to Friday 14th because Scotland were playing Holland and it turned out to be a night of drama.  Goals from David Bingham, Steve Hislop and Barry Wilson seemed to set up a win but County made it 3-1 then with 20 minutes to go it was 3-2.  In added time Steve McGarry equalised and it felt like a defeat.  The 4-0 win away to St Mirren on the 22nd led to Saints’ manager John Coughlin falling on his sword.  The final game of November was at home to Brechin who were on a mini-revival.  They were demolished 5-0 and this took Caley Thistle to the top of the league on goal difference with the first six teams only separated by two points.

Early December wins against Queen of the South and Raith gained top spot outright but this was surrendered when the away Falkirk match was postponed.  Clyde beat Ayr 2-1 to go top.  The final game of 2003 was a six-pointer at home against St Johnstone.  Despite ICT dominance Saints held out until a Barry Wilson penalty settled it.  In January Darren Mackie came on loan from Aberdeen and reserve ‘keeper Ally Ridgers left for Clach.  The New Year’s derby at Dingwall went County’s way 1-0 then a week later it was the start of the Scottish Cup at home to Brechin.  On paper this was a banker and Caley Thistle duly won 5-1.  There were league victories against Ayr and Brechin then a 1-1 draw at St Mirren before going back to Paisley for a Scottish Cup fourth round tie.  The new £2.1m Highland Football Academy situated in Dingwall opened in January and both Ross County and Caley Thistle quickly began to make full use of its facilities.

The Scottish Cup tie in Paisley on February 7th was not a match to relish and Saints dominated.  The weather was dreadful and it was a day for defensive heroics.  With 12 minutes left a breakaway led to a winning goal from Darran Thomson.  The home fans were stunned and even the Caley Thistle camp conceded that the 1-0 result was a steal.  Motherwell were drawn away in the quarter final.  Back to the league and a win against Raith Rovers before defeat to Queen of the South.  Clyde regained top spot and the final Saturday of the month was to be the showdown.  Clyde were due in Inverness but snow and frost wiped out the First Division card.  The weather relented to allow the away game against Falkirk to go ahead on March 2nd but it ended in a 2-1 defeat.  The cup tie on the sixth was another big day out for the fans but, with Motherwell on a roll, there was pessimism.  It ended 1-0 thanks to a Barry Wilson wonder goal in ten minutes.  He spotted Gordon Marshall off his line and a 30 yard lob came off spectacularly.  It was then backs-to-the-wall and Motherwell failed to score.  The Scottish Cup semi-final had been reached for the second season in a row.

In the league Clyde were in the driving seat and the games against St Johnstone and Clyde on March 13th and 16th were crucial.  Clyde were six points ahead of ICT with Saints a further three points adrift.  At Perth, St Johnstone took a 2-0 lead but a brace from Paul Ritchie in the second half set up a dramatic finish.  In injury time, Saints’ Keigan Parker scored a spectacular goal to make it 3-2.  Clyde only took a point against Brechin but still had a seven point lead.  The home Clyde match was quite a night.  Paul Ritchie scored, Clyde equalised with a freak goal then David Bingham made it 2-1.  With two minutes left a Barry Wilson penalty goal made it 3-1.  A vital win which reduced the deficit to four points.  A 1-1 draw at a windy Ayr the following Saturday was very disappointing but the conditions made it a lottery.  Clyde soundly beat St Johnstone 3-1 and thus extended their lead back to six points.  Caley Thistle’s home league derby win the following week came thanks to a goal by Barry Wilson on the hour mark.  At the end of March, Clyde were just four points ahead and St Johnstone three points behind Caley Thistle.  The visit to relegation-threatened St Mirren on April 3rd was not a match to remember. Enough chances were created to win but it ended goalless.  Minds could now turn back to the cup.

On Saturday April 10th Inverness emptied for the day as fans headed for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Dunfermline at Hampden.  The crowd of 13,255 was slightly down on last season and the match turned out to be less than a classic.  The team gave everything and at the end were running on empty.  As the clock ticked over 45 minutes in the first half Paul Ritchie gave Caley Thistle the lead but Craig Brewster equalised in 67 minutes.  It ended 1-1 and went to a Pittodrie replay on April 20th.  Celtic beat Livingston to reach the final and this ensured UEFA Cup qualification for the other cup finalist.  Before the cup replay there were two important home league matches - Brechin and Queen of the South were both beaten.  Ticket sales for the Pittodrie replay were slow and Inverness supporters comprised the majority of the 5358 crowd.  It turned out to be a great night as the team put on a superb performance but the final score was 3-2 for Dunfermline.  It started well when Paul Ritchie scored in seven minutes but with 13 minutes left it was 3-1 to the Pars.  David Bingham converted a penalty in injury time but there was no time left for any more heroics.  The twin dreams of a Scottish Cup final and European football were over, but it was very close.

Despite the disappointment there was a determination to fight for the league title.  Raith were beaten, Clyde drew in Dingwall and there were now only two points in it.  On Sunday 25th April it was the final of the North Cup at Forres but a 1-0 defeat to Elgin.  On May Day Caley Thistle entertained Falkirk and Clyde went to Ayr – both ended in jittery draws.  The crunch match at Broadwood on May 8th was akin to a cup tie - a win for Clyde and they would take the title but otherwise it would go to the last day of the season.  The atmosphere was electric and the first half was played at a frantic pace.  It was goalless at half time then Caley Thistle took the lead through Liam Keogh in 54 minutes.  Ian Harty equalised with a penalty in 72 minutes then seven minutes later Steve Hislop scored the winner.  The visitors were triumphant as they moved to the top of the First Division by one point.  A day to remember but a job only half completed.

The climax to the season – and the decade – came on May 15th against St Johnstone at Caledonian Stadium.  The deadlock was broken on the half-hour mark when a David Bingham overhead kick fooled ‘keeper Craig Nelson and it was 1-0.  Near half-time Keigan Parker hammered the ball past Mark Brown from long range to equalise then in 56 minutes Barry Wilson converted a penalty.  Clyde were now 4-0 ahead at Brechin but any doubts disappeared when Paul Ritchie headed goal number three with 14 minutes left.  The whistle went and the Inverness fans again went ballistic.  The players were swamped in a good-humoured pitch invasion.  The SFL helicopter landed at Culloden House Hotel, the official party was brought to the stadium in double-quick time and Lord Macfarlane presented the trophy to Bobby Mann.  A magic moment for the crowd and everyone involved with the club.  The management team and players went off on a lap of honour and it was a long time before the party ended.

A major decision had now to be made as the only possibility of promotion was a groundshare.  Pittodrie was the nearest SPL ground and, after a series of meetings with shareholders and fans, the Board was convinced there was backing for the temporary move.  Agreement was reached with Aberdeen for the groundshare and the details submitted to the SPL on May 28th.  SPL members voted on the issue on June 1st but only seven votes out of the necessary eight were gained.  Three ‘No’ votes and two abstentions did the damage.  Relegation-threatened Partick had been lobbying hard and it paid off.  At issue was whether the groundshare agreement should have been concluded by March 31st.  The affair dominated the media and Ken Mackie was constantly in the spotlight.  Hearts and Hibs asked for a second vote and this was fixed for June 22nd.  Crucially Dundee United Chairman Eddie Thompson reversed his position and pledged support for the Inverness cause.  He also wanted to table a motion allowing Inverness to be used subject to high-speed improvements.  The SPL had agreed that the seating requirement would come down to 6,000 from 2005/06 and Thompson suggested a dispensation.  ICT lodged an appeal with the SFA against the June 1st decision but this was overtaken by events.

Partick went to the Court of Session to try to stop the second vote but an interim interdict was refused by Lord Brodie just before the SPL meeting.  This time the vote went 10-2 in favour and the champagne flowed in Inverness.  There was no real support for Eddie Thompson’s second proposal so the groundshare was on.  Partick Chairman Tom Hughes accepted the result but his Board did not agree.  An appeal to the SFA was lodged but meanwhile ICT began to plan for the big time.  There was no other choice – the appeal was not to be heard until July 8th and the organisation of a year in Aberdeen would need all the time available.  The three-man SFA Appeals Committee duly met at Hampden and, after over three hours deliberation, found against Partick.  SFA Chief Executive David Taylor revealed the decision: “The Appeals Committee has decided that Partick Thistle have no grounds of appeal in terms of their submissions under Article 133.1 of the SFA Constitution.  The appeal therefore fails.”  After overnight consideration Partick decided to take the matter no further and to concentrate their energies on football.  Thus on July 9th the curtain came down on Partick’s hopes and removed all doubts surrounding Caley Thistle’s SPL membership.  The saga could now pass into history and the lessons learned would hopefully ensure that nothing similar ever happened again.  Finally everyone could move on with some certainty.  It was time for a year on the A96 with the prime aim of SPL survival whilst Caledonian Stadium was being improved to the new SPL standards.  SPL entry was a dramatic but fitting end to the Club’s first decade.

Ken Mackie took over as chairman in May and economic stability was achieved with a £500,000 cash injection by Tulloch in September.  In the close season Martin Bavidge left to pursue a full time career in geology but was to continue playing part-time with Forfar.  Neil MacDonald went to Clach, goalkeepers Jim Calder and Nicky Walker hung up their gloves and Motherwell’s Mark Brown took over the number one shirt.  Richie Hart came from Brora and Chris Miller from Barnsley – Hart was to become a first team regular but Miller left in January after only one appearance.  Steve Hislop signed from Ross County during the January transfer window.  Emily Goodlad took over physio duties and Drs Ian Smith and Derek MacLeod continued to deputise for Club Doctor John MacAskill while he recovered from a lengthy illness.  On April 26th “The Doc” sadly died and a large club contingent attended the funeral service in Fort William.  During his nine-season service to the club he made many friends and travelled many miles from his home in Fort William.  John will be badly missed by everyone at the club.

Pre season training started on July 2nd and the first public outing was an unsuccessful one at the annual Keyline/Oban Saints tournament on July 13th.  Six pre-season friendlies in July produced mixed results.  The league season opened on August 3rd with a frustrating goalless draw against Alloa at home.  Three days later it was a long midweek trip to Berwick in the Bell’s Cup and a 1-0 victory for the home side.  On August 10th Caley Thistle travelled the relatively short distance to Perth to play St Johnstone for the first time and lost to a late goal.  The season’s first senior goal did not come until August 17th - Ross Tokely was the scorer against Falkirk at home but the concession of two late goals led to another defeat.  The tide turned on the 24th  On the last day of the month came an amazing 4-0 away victory against promotion-fancied St Mirren.  This result led to the sacking of manager Tom Hendrie and a climb to fourth place in the league.  The final of the Inverness Cup took place on September 3rd against Ross County at Grant Street Park and the Dingwall side won 1-0. with a 2-0 home victory against Ross County.

Home victories in the CIS Insurance Cup against Dumbarton and St Mirren earned a third round tie away to Celtic.  The match was played on October 24th and many feared a sound beating in revenge for February 2000.  In the event Caley Thistle put up a good show and went down 4-2.  Steve Paterson was linked with Dundee United when Alex Smith was sacked but nothing came of it.  A good league run from September to November led to top place being achieved.  The cup victories and league run ensured that Steve Paterson was named SFL Manager of the Month for September, October and November.  Dennis Wyness won the player award in September and October with Barry Robson taking the honour for November.

Steve Paterson’s achievements threw him into the limelight just as Aberdeen parted company with Ebbe Skovdahl.  A dramatic 3-3 draw at Ayr on December 7th was to be Steve Paterson and Duncan Shearer’s swansong as they left for Aberdeen four days later.  On Boxing Day former Hearts and Scotland player John Robertson was named the new manager.  He came from the post of first team coach at Livingston and brought in former Hearts (and Caledonian) player Donald Park as Head Coach.  Park was appointed on January 3rd.  An undefeated December run meant that 2002 ended with Caley Thistle in the number one slot.  Robertson made a dream debut with a 4-1 away win against St Mirren on December 28th amidst a blaze of publicity.

The new transfer window system led to speculation that Dennis Wyness and/or Barry Robson would leave in January – perhaps following their former manager to Aberdeen.  In the event neither moved despite late bids from Dundee United for Robson.  Freezing weather meant that only two games were played in January – a narrow home defeat to Ayr and a 2-0 Scottish Cup victory against Raith Rovers.  In the next round Hamilton were beaten 6-1 and this earned a quarter final tie at home against Celtic.  Three February league defeats led to a drop to third.  The 5-1 home defeat by Ross County in the postponed New Year’s Day match was a major shock and disappointment.

Six league matches were played in March – four wins, one draw and one defeat – but the highlight was the Celtic match on March 23rd live on Sky TV.  Tickets were at a premium and the excitement in the days leading up to the match was intense.  Martin O’Neill watched the team go down 4-1 at Clyde and this may have lulled him into a false sense of security.  Celtic came north just after defeating Liverpool in the UEFA Cup and Martin O’Neill rested some of the big names.  This was to prove a major error as a Dennis Wyness goal ensured another historic victory.  Henrik Larsson played for the full 90 minutes but his usual strike partner John Hartson only came off the bench in the 62nd minute.  This top class partnership could not break down the home defence and O’Neill was left to make excuses.

It was clear by this time that Falkirk were going to be First Division champions but the race for second place was an open one.  This all took a back seat as preparations were made for the biggest game in the club’s history – the semi-final of the Scottish Cup at Hampden on Sunday April 20th.  The opponents were not known for a long time but eventually Dundee beat Falkirk in a replay to earn their Hampden place.  An 11000 allocation ensured that tickets were easy to obtain and thousands went south to enjoy a day out at the National Stadium.  The match did not really live up to the pre-match billing and, despite Dundee and Caley Thistle being attack-minded teams, there was only one goal in it.  Semi-finals are often nervy affairs and this one did not explode into the thriller that had seemed likely.  The game hinged on two incidents – Dundee ‘keeper Julian Speroni produced a wonder save in nine minutes to deny Dennis Wyness then in 78 minutes the winner came from a mishit shot by Georgi Nemzadze.  The cup dream was over but heads could be held high.

It was now just a question of where Caley Thistle would finish in the league.  A 5-1 victory at Alloa gave some hope of ending in the top three but defeats to Ayr and St Johnstone meant that fourth could not be bettered.  Paul Ritchie was named Player of the Month for April with an Alloa hat-trick being his fourth of the season.  The season ended on May 10th with high drama around the country.  Caley Thistle were guests at Falkirk’s party to celebrate Brockville’s last game but spoiled the day by winning 3-2.  Charlie Christie’s 82nd minute goal proved to be the very last at Brockville.  In Dingwall Ross County beat Ayr 4-1 to avoid relegation on goal difference.

Dennis Wyness ended the season as club and division top scorer with 27 goals in the league and cups.  He was also named First Division Player of the Year.  Mark Brown started in all 44 games and Dennis Wyness also played 44 times – including one substitute appearance.  The Falkirk match was Wyness’s 119th in a row.  Stuart Golabek scooped the pool in the annual awards as he was named Player of the Year by the Official Supporters Club, Players and the Internet Supporters’ Club.  Dennis Wyness was named Supporters’ Player of the Year following a vote at the last home game and the Matchday Programme Player of the Year was Richie Hart.

As the close season arrived all the talk was of the re-opening of the transfer window – who would stay, who would go and who would arrive?  Time will tell.    

Preservation of First Division status, Scottish Cup exploits and economic trauma.  The First Division was tight and safety was only assured at the eleventh hour.  Paul Sheerin left for Ayr United and Richard Hastings went to Ross County.  Arrivals were Paul Bradshaw, Russell Duncan, Paul Ritchie and Nicky Walker.  Bradshaw’s career was to be short but the rest became established first team players.  In July Sharp were unveiled as the new shirt sponsors then the transfer of Caledonian Stadium to a Charitable Trust was completed – the debt of £2.6 m was wiped out as a result.  General Manager Gary Thomson left for personal reasons.

At the Keyline Tournament in Oban on 14 July the team came second to Clyde then played six pre season friendlies.  The start of the league campaign was hard - by the end of August the team were last but a month later had climbed to sixth.  The Bells Challenge Cup campaign lasted two matches – both went to extra time.  Forfar were beaten 3-2 at home then it was down to Alloa and defeat by the same score.  The CIS Insurance Cup started with a trip to Albion Rovers on 11th September.  News of the US World Trade Centre attack came through during the trip south and this overshadowed the 2-0 victory.  The North Cup final on 22 September was lost 2-0 to Clach while the senior team were being demolished 6-0 at Airdrie.   Partick came north for round two of the CIS Cup and were beaten 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw.  The third round took place on 9th October at Dunfermline and led to the first premier scalp of the season – a 1-1 draw then 4-1 on penalties.  The best league result in October was a 5-1 home win against Clyde – by the end of the month third place had been achieved.  In late September Steve Paterson was touted in the press for the vacant St Johnstone manager’s post but speculation ended with the appointment of Billy Stark. 

There were two league victories in November – 5-1 at Raith then 3-0 against Ross County at home.  The Raith game saw the first goalkeeper substitution - Jim Calder replaced Nicky Walker in the 77th minute.  There then followed two visits to Ayr in five days.  A 3-0 league defeat was followed by the quarter final of the CIS Cup.  After a ninth minute Ross Tokely goal it all went pear shaped.  Tokely was sent off a minute later and a lively Ayr side tore the ten men apart.  In the end it was 5-1.  December saw a mixture of league fortunes but they turned the year in fifth place.  At the AGM of the PLC on 13 December the Chairman mooted a move from East Longman to somewhere more central to give easier access and hopefully attract more fans.  It was not long before rumours started of a sale of the site to ASDA and relocation to the Bught Park.

January started with weather problems and a delayed Scottish Cup third round match away to Arbroath – a narrow 2-0 victory earned a lucrative away match against Hearts.  This took place on the 26th and the road south to Edinburgh was filled with 3000 Inverness fans.  On a dreadful pitch Caley Thistle were magnificent and Hearts were well beaten 3-1.  Tokely, Wyness and Bagan were the heroes with spectacular goals.  There were only two league games played in January because of frozen pitches – Raith were hammered 5-0 at home but it was 3-0 for Airdrie away.  It was all enough for Steve Paterson to be named Manager of the Month. 

February league games produced a win, draw and defeat leading to fourth place.  February was dominated by the build up to the Scottish Cup quarter final tie away to Partick Thistle on the 23rd.  It was another exciting awayday for the fans which ended 2-2.  Caley Thistle were in the lead twice but Partick fought back to earn a replay.  This took place on 5th To the disappointment of the home fans Partick’s Scott Paterson scored the only goal.  It was back to the League and the fight against relegation.  Squad reductions began and Mike Teasdale and Les Fridge both moved on in March.  This was catch up time with six league games being played during the month.  By the end of the month the team lay fifth after two wins, one defeat and three draws.  It was then down to Ayr on the 6th April with both sides needing a victory to be safe.  Ayr won 1-0 and safety was not assured until a home 1-1 draw with Clyde the following week.       March in Inverness on a very wet night.

On the 17th April there was drama at an EGM of the PLC called to discuss a £150000 debenture issue.  A shareholders’ vote against the plan was taken as a vote of no confidence and the Board resigned en masse.  David Sutherland had already announced his intention to stand down as Chairman and Ken Thomson was leaving the Vice Chairman’s post.  After numerous meetings the crisis was ended with an announcement on 29th April that Tulloch were to purchase a 51% controlling interest in the Club – major shareholders were agreeable in principle but a full shareholders vote would still be required.  The football ended on 27th April with a fine 3-0 home win against champions Partick and a creditable sixth place in the league.

Mark McCulloch and Barry Wilson left for Livingston in the close season but David Bagan arrived from Kilmarnock and Roy McBain from Ross County.  Davide Xausa also left for Livingston in March. Despite a tight budget Steve Paterson steered the team to an excellent 4th place in Division One. Mark McCulloch and Barry Wilson left for Livingston in the close season but David Bagan arrived from Kilmarnock and Roy McBain from Ross County.  Davide Xausa also left for Livingston in March.

Off the field Catriona Bisset was appointed in June to the newly created post of Chief Executive – the first female Chief Executive in Scottish football. The AGM of the PLC on Friday 25 August saw the unveiling of the Board’s revival plan “The Road To Premier League Football”.  This envisaged the setting up of a Charitable Trust to take ownership of the Stadium and shoulder the debt of £1.9m.  The Football Club would lease the Stadium back, raise cash for football purposes and move on free of debt.  Arrangements were put in place and the plan eventually voted through by shareholders on 1 March.  December saw an internal re-organisation of the administration staff.  It was announced that Catriona Bisset would revert to a part-time consultancy role from 1 April and General Manager John Sutherland left to be replaced by Gary Thompson.

The opening competitive fixture was a home league match against a Spanish-dominated Airdrie team battling extinction.  Caley Thistle won 2-0 but Airdrie gained revenge a few weeks later when they reversed the score in the second round of the CIS Cup.  The second round was reached with a 3-2 away win against Scottish League newcomers Peterhead.  Form slumped in the League and reached four defeats until Alloa were thumped 4-1 on 23rd September.  A last minute draw at Ayr, a convincing 4-0 win over Morton and a win at Airdrie improved things greatly and by 14 October the team stood a respectable sixth.  Injuries caused problems in late October/early November and Steve Paterson was struggling to put out 16 fit players.  Despite this they climbed to 5th place by mid November and won a classic derby match at Dingwall 3-0.  October saw the departure of Iain Stewart to Peterhead – leaving behind a goal record which will be hard to beat.  On 2 December an astounding game at Caledonian Stadium saw promotion-chasing Ayr defeated 7-3.

The 18th December saw the granting of  “Millennium City” status to Inverness and the immediate re-opening of the debate regarding the Club’s name with “Inverness City” mooted – a poll among supporters ended with 72% voting for the status quo.  A unbeaten December run earned Steve Paterson the Bell’s First Division Manager of the Month award with Dennis Wyness taking the Player of the Month award.  They turned the year in 4th place.  Snow and ice threatened the New Year derby match with Ross County but an army of volunteers worked over three days (including New Year’s Day) to ensure the match went ahead.  It ended 3-3 with Dennis Wyness rescuing a point by scoring twice in the last two minutes.  The big January freeze throughout Scotland caused the first postponement of a senior match at Caledonian Stadium – 20 January against Morton.  January also saw SPL2 discussions involving a number of Clubs including ICT and Ross County.  Scottish Football was rocked when Airdrie’s financial problems came to a head in February – they were thrown out of the Scottish Cup and their fourth round tie awarded to Peterhead.  Caley Thistle stood to lose 9 points if a new consortium had not stepped in and ensured survival at least to the end of the season.

On 17 February, in a thrilling home tie, Kilmarnock were held to a 1-1 draw in the 4th round of the Tennents Scottish Cup.  Both goals came in injury time with ICT scoring first and thinking this was enough.  An immediate equaliser took the tie to a replay on 28 February.  This match was amazingly abandoned after 27 minutes due to a frozen pitch despite undersoil heating.  This caused a tremendous row in view of the travel implications for the fans.  Tennents paid for all supporters’ buses for the revised match on Tuesday 6 March – Kilmarnock narrowly won 2-1 despite ICT taking the lead through David Xausa.

A 14 league game undefeated run ended at Livingston on 3 April but it left ICT a firm 4th.  The last home game of the season on 28 April saw Livingston – with three ex-Caley Thistle players – needing a point to secure promotion to the Premier League.  In the event they won 3-2 in a hard fought match then celebrated in style – including a pitch invasion.  With Ayr definitely second it left a straight fight with Falkirk for 3rd place in the last match of the season at Brockville.  A jaded performance led to a 2-1 defeat but a very respectable 4th place.  Dennis Wyness ended the season as the First Division’s top goalscorer with 26 goals.

The last game of 1999 was against Clydebank at home. Barry Wilson created Scottish football history when he scored the 4th goal - it was the last league or cup goal of the old millennium - helped by the 330 start. Amazingly he scored the first of the new millennium at Livingston on 3 January - a 1pm kick off because Livingston temporarily had no lights. Restructuring of the Board early in January saw David Sutherland take over as Chairman with Ken Thomson as Vice-Chairman. 8th January saw a 6-2 victory against Morton then the Scottish Cup draw the next day produced a plum away tie against Celtic.

The game drew great interest and 4000 fans made their way to Glasgow on buses, cars and a special train. After a night of gales part of the Parkhead stand became dangerous and the game was called off 45 minutes before kick-off. The disappointed supporters made their way home and the match was re-scheduled for 8 February - a Tuesday evening. They could not believe what was to follow as their team beat Celtic 3-1. This was dubbed the greatest Scottish football shock for over 30 years amd it spawned the classic headline "Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious" in The Sun. The resultant publicity was overwhelming and began to overshadow all other matters. Inverness was the centre of attention for a long time. The 5th round tie on the 20 February was at home against Aberdeen - live on SKY TV. After an exciting game it was 1-1 and a replay at Pittodrie. This took place on 29th February and 4000 fans travelled east in hope. The team put up a good show but narrowly lost 1-0. Only a wonderful Jim Leighton save from a Paul Sheerin volley in the dying minutes stopped a draw.

Richard Hastings and Davide Xausa both played in the replay after being with the Canadian international team at Gold Cup 2000 in California. Richard scored the winning quarter final "Golden Goal" against Mexico and he played in the final when Canada beat Colombia 1-0. Richard was also voted "Rookie of the Tournament". Davide played in the earlier games but missed the final due to a shoulder injury. Assistant manager Alec Caldwell left on February 24th to take the Manager's job at Elgin City - bound for the Third Division next season. Duncan Shearer moved into the vacant slot from First Team Coach. February was quite a month.

With the cup run over the new Board faced up to the economic realities of a near £2m overdraft and stringent financial controls were applied throughout the Club. On March 7 it was announced that there would be a £1m share rights issue. The terms were opposed by major shareholders but eventually agreement was reached and financial matters were set to dominate the close season. On the field the season was effectively over with 6th place in the League secure. It was just as well because a series of injuries decimated the team and gave chances to the Skillseekers. A 5-1 home defeat against lowly Airdrie on 15th April was a major embarassment but the season finished on a high note with a 5-0 home win against newly-crowned champions St Mirren.

The season started with the traditional series of friendly matches including a 2-2 draw at home to Aberdeen. Then it was down to the serious business of the League Cup. A 4-1 victory away to Queen of the South on August 1st set up a lucrative second round match against Aberdeen at Caledonian Stadium. A crowd of 5164 turned up on 8th August but it was over as a contest when Billy Dodds scored the first of his three goals in 17 seconds. Caley Thistle could not reply and eventually lost 3-0. With the demise of the League Championship Trophy (formerly the B&Q Cup) this was the last cup action until January. The league campaign started on 4th August at Firhill when ICT beat Partick Thistle 1-0 with a Barry Wilson 57th minute goal. A 2-1 home victory on 15th August against Livingston put ICT joint top of the league with Clyde. A 5-1 away victory at East Fife two weeks later put them clear at the top and they stayed there until 26th September and a bad 4-1 defeat by Clyde at Broadwood. Full back Richard Hastings received a bad knee injury in this game and was out until January. Hugh Robertson came on loan from Dundee from October to December. As the Division settled down it became a two horse race between ICT and Livingston with Clyde a distant third. A 3-2 victory at home against Partick produced a record for a competitive goal when Paul Sheerin scored in 1 minute 20 seconds. By the half-way stage Livingston were on top with a 5 point lead. Clyde were third, 8 points behind second placed Caley Thistle.

In the Tennents Scottish Cup Caley Thistle were given a bye into the second round but interest ended when league rivals Livingston won 2-1 at Caledonian Stadium on the 2nd January 1999. Livingston went on to beat Aberdeen in the third round . With Iain Stewart out with a long term injury Martin Glancy came on loan from Dumbarton and made his debut on 9th January. After a fee wrangle with Dumbarton he finally signed a full-time contract. In February the defence was strengthened by the signing of Bobby Mann fron Forfar. Caley Thistle were unbeaten in the league for the first two months of 1999 and this included beating Stirling 5-1 and Alloa 4-1. On 27th February the promotion race took a significant turn when ICT beat Livingston 2-1 to close the gap between second and first to 4 points. Charlie Christie passed a milestone on 13th March when he became the first player to make 150 appearances. On the 20th March ICT went to the top of the Division on goal difference after a 3-0 win at Forfar and the Inverness Cup was retained on 26th March with a 1-0 defeat of local rivals Ross County. On 3rd April promotion was achieved with a 3-0 home win against Clyde. This result also ensured that Livingston were promoted and the only issue was the Championship.

The Championship decider took place on 1st May at Almondvale. It could not have been scripted better with both teams on the same points with two games left. Over 2000 supporters travelled down the A9 to support Caley Thistle and the record 6013 crowd saw an amazing game. Livingston were 4-0 up after 22 minutes and it looked like a landslide. Caley Thistle clawed three back through McCulloch, Christie and Stewart and could have equalised. These three goals restored pride but Livingston took the points and effectively the Championship. They made sure the following week when they beat Forfar and Caley Thistle could only draw at home against Alloa. Caley Thistle finished the league campaign on 72 points, 5 behind Livingston.

It was the end of a memorable season and all at the Club could look forward to Division One.

The Second Division campaign started badly with a series of draws and defeats by the odd goal. Despondent at the foot of Division 2 the first league win did not come until the 25th October - a resounding 5-1 score at East Fife. Things improved gradually and by Christmas, although second bottom, only 8 points separated them from Queen of the South who lay third.

The Scottish Cup was a welcome distraction from the strain of the league. In the first round Caley Thistle beat non-league Whitehill Welfare 3-1 in Inverness and in the second round they beat Queen's Park 2-0, also at home. In the league a 4-0 thumping of East Fife at home on the 27th December was followed by a 5-1 win against Clyde on the 16th January - results which lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time.

The third round of the Cup brought non-league Annan Athletic to Inverness in January - the result was a record 8-1 win (despite Annan taking an early lead) and the prize of a Fourth Round match away against Dundee United. This led to two historic matches. At Tannadice Caley Thistle led Dundee United 1-0 for most of the game before United equalised 9 minutes from time. The replay saw cup fever in the town and a record 5821 crowd. 2-0 down with 5 minutes remaining it seemed all over despite a great performance and a saved penalty by Jim Calder. In 85 minutes Brian Thomson pulled one back and in the 91st minute Mark McCulloch hit a glorious volley to equalise. 18 minutes into extra time Dundee United scored to take the tie and a home match against Celtic. The finest night in the Club's short history.

It was back to the league campaign and the long grind to retain Second Division status. During the season the Premier clubs declared their intention to break away and form their own league - 10 teams to start with but a promise to increase this to 12. This left the other teams to decide their own set-up and many formats were mooted - two Divisions of 12 & 18 being the most common suggestions (or 18-12!). This caused great uncertainty - was there going to be promotion or relegation? In the end the present arrangement was left for 1998/1999. Caley Thistle bounced back and forward from a relegation slot for all of the second half of the season with the worst moment being a mid-week 3-1 defeat at Brechin - a night that everything seemed to go wrong. The tide turned and important wins against Clyde, Stenhousemuir and East Fife gave them a strong chance of avoiding the drop. They beat East Fife 1-0 on the 25th April and this lifted them to 6th place needing 2 points from 2 games to survive - assuming lower placed Clyde & Stenhousemuir won their last 2 games. Brechin were already down. On the second last Saturday of the season they beat Brechin 2-1 to ensure survival. The last Saturday (9th May) proved to be eventful as Caley Thistle beat Livingston 2-1 at Almondvale.. Livingston started the day at the top of the table with high hopes of taking the Championship. Caley Thistle took the lead in the 34th minute through Iain Stewart, Livvie equalised in 47 minutes then Paul Sheerin scored the winner 15 minutes from time direct from a free kick. In the end Clydebank and Stranraer both leapfrogged Livingston to gain promotion and they were devastated. Caley Thistle finished a very creditable 5th despite the ups and downs of the season.

Brian Thomson and Iain Stewart were joint top goal scorers in the Second Division and Richard Hastings gained a full Canadian international cap on 18th May - his 21st birthday. Caley Thistle retained the Inverness Cup and the reserve team won the North Caledonian League Championship.