Does anyone know how much the tickets will be for this match.  Its only a testimonial for some clach player on Sunday. (I was told by a mate so dont know his name) Anyone else planning on going

The trialists who played in Clach match today are Darren Campbell (no.7) who was at Reading and the other trialist Mathew Glass who came on late in the second half was at Nottingham Forrest, and was also a former Scotland U-18 international according to their website.

If anyone who was at the game wants to right a match report for inclusion on the news section of the site it would be most welcome.  Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just team info, who scored and (roughly) when, any "incidents" and a bit of an overal opinion of the game.

Sorted, error somewhere, probably me, thought I cut'n'pasted the article, maybe not:-

Clachnacuddin F.C. are a semi-professional senior football club from the city of Inverness who currently play in Scotland's Highland Football League. Their home ground is Grant Street Park in the city's Merkinch area.

They were founded in 1886 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites (due to their white strip) or Clach. Their name is Scots Gaelic and means "the stone of the tubs", referring to a city landmark

EWS, this is the Rangers item. Rangers were founded in 1873..............

I didn't realise they were losted.

In 1872, the brothers Peter and Moses McNeil, William McBeath and Peter Campbell saw a group of men playing football on Glasgow Green's Flesher's Haugh and decided to form a team of their own.

The team's first game was in May of 1872 against Callander F.C. on Flesher's Haugh, which resulted in a 0-0 draw. Moses McNeil suggested the name Rangers after seeing the name in a book about English Rugby. Rangers only played two matches in their birth year and their second match was a comprehensive 11-0 win over a team named Clyde - not the present Clyde F.C.

Rangers began to grow into a more formal football club and in 1876, for the first time, a player was called up to play international football as Moses McNeil made his Scotland debut against Wales.

In 1888 the now famous Old Firm fixture was born as Rangers met Celtic for the first time in a friendly match which Celtic won 5-2. By 1890 the Scottish league was formed and Rangers enjoyed a victorious first season as they finished joint-top with Dumbarton F.C. and after a play-off match finished 2-2, the title was shared.

Rangers had to wait until 1884 to taste their first Scottish Cup success after losing to Vale of Leven F.C. in 1877 and 1879 but finally lifted the trophy for the first time after a 3-1 win over Celtic F.C. Rangers even came close to winning the English FA Cup in 1887 when they lost to Aston Villa F.C. in the semi-final.

Rangers ended the nineteenth century with further Scottish cup wins 1897 and 1898 and a League championship win in 1899 during which they won every one of their 18 league matches. Rangers formally became a business company in 1899 and match secretary William Wilton was appointed as the clubs first manager. The club also appointed its first board of directors under the chairmanship of James Henderson. Rangers were well on their way to becoming one of Scotland's top clubs.

Might as well go the whole hog:-

Inverness Thistle Football Club (Inverness Thistle F.C.) were a football club playing in the city of Inverness in northern Scotland.

They were members of the Highland Football League, winning the championship five times, including its inaugural season: 1893-94. They wore in black and red striped strips and played their home games at Kingsmills Park. Like many clubs featuring the name "Thistle", they were often known as the Jags.

They occasionally qualified for the Scottish Cup. Many regard their most famous result to be the defeat of Kilmarnock F.C. - 3-0 - in season 1989-90.

When their became two vacancies in the Scottish League in time for season 1994-95 Thistle decided to apply for membership. However to improve their chances they decided to merge with city rivals Caledonian F.C. who also wanted to apply, as they felt it unlikely both clubs would get both places, and perhaps neither would gain entry if they both applied. This decision was not without controversy. Fans of both clubs bitterly opposed the merger and many tried to stop it. In this they were unsuccessful, and the new entity, Caledonian Thistle F.C. (subsequently renamed Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.) were elected along with Ross County F.C. to membership of the Scottish League's Third Division for season 1994-95.

Caledonian Football Club (Caledonian F.C.) were a football club from the city of Inverness, Highland, Scotland.

It is possible that the club was formed in 1885, though some sources quote 1986. They were founder members of the Highland Football League in 1893 and wore strips of blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks. Their home ground was Telford Street Park, located beside the Caledonian Canal, and they were known by the nickname Caley.

One of the Highland League's larger clubs, they won the competition eighteen times- a record they held until they ceased to exist in 1994. Another Inverness side, Clachnacuddin, equalled this record in 2004. Caledonian also qualified for the Scottish Cup many times, knocking-out larger League clubs on a total of 19 occasions.

In 1993, the Scottish Football League decided to expand and restructure. This meant that two vacancies for membership would be available. Caledonian decided to apply for membership, as did city rivals Inverness Thistle. The SFL hinted that a joint application might be more successful and the boards of Caley and Thistle decided to merge. This decision was met with widespread opposition by supporters of both sides but an amalgamation went ahead. The new club, Caledonian Thistle (later Inverness Caledonian Thistle), were granted membership to the Third Division at the beginning of Season 1994-1995

so now we know :003:

all info from wikipedia

Christie Praises Trialists

A couple of points here. As far as I recollect, it was in 1985 and not 89-90 that Jags beat Kilmarnock 3-0 at Kingsmills.

Also, whilst understanding the need for brevity is describing the merger process, I have some reservations about this statement from Wikipedia".....

"Caledonian decided to apply for membership, as did city rivals Inverness Thistle. The SFL hinted that a joint application might be more successful and the boards of Caley and Thistle decided to merge. This decision was met with widespread opposition by supporters of both sides but an amalgamation went ahead."

It's principally the second sentence I take issue with. For a start, even within the necessary constraints of a single sentence, it oversimplifies a rather more complex process. Secondly, and possibly more importantly, it was not the "boards" of the two clubs which made the decision. Neither club had a board since they were both members clubs. It was the Memberships of the two clubs, on the recommendations of their respective committees, which corporately both voted in favour of a merger.

I'm also not convinced that either club decided to apply on its own account although it was always a possibility. Caley had had a "letter of intent" lodged with the SFL for some years which wasn't an application since, when it was lodged, no vacancy existed. It was more a standing delcaration of interest in SFL membership.

Thistle had just missed out on a previous application during their heyday in the early 70s. But given the extent of their financial decline in the intervening 20 years, I'm not convinced that they could or would have sustained an independent application in 1993.

But there's no point in rehashing history. I for one am in no doubt that the outcome which (eventually!) arose was the best one for football in Inverness.

Wikipedia is a an open source gathering of information, anyone can edit the information presented and I don't think their would be any harm in you altering the relevant statements to better reflect events.

Thanks Caley D... I hadn't realised that Wikipedia was an open source. As far as I am concerned that means that I will be looking on its contents with a good deal more caution in the future. At best, a lot of Internet sources are of dubious reliability and what you've just said has certainly downgraded this one.

As for adding to it, that, unfortunately, requires a degree of technical competence so I'll just give it a miss!

If you want to put the information together I will happily make the changes on the relevant pages.  You can e.mail it to me on [email protected]

I know we have a couple of users on here who keep tabs on the ICT section of wikipedia, but there's always room for improvement and given the fact that so many people use wikipedia as a "reliable" source of information, it is only right that where possible we make that information as correct and meaningful as we can, not just for the ICT section, but for the Thistle and Caley sections also.

I was aware it is a by the people, for the people site.  It gives the gist of the merger, if not all the small print and crossing of t's and dotting of i's etc. It's close enough for laymen like me. I was not actually trying to discuss the merger, but give relevant info on the origins of the three Inverness clubs, really for those a bit younger and not so knowledgeable. I would go along with 1984-85 as well, I was at the game and it was just fine.

Nothing wrong with your memory Charles.

MFTJ.... that Jags result in1985 is not one I'd be likely to forget!

On the assumption that Thistle had no chance at all, I treated myself to a much needed Saturday off. However I happened to be driving back up Kingsmills Road about 4:55 so I stopped and asked these guys in black and red what the score was.

"3-0" was the (goodness knows why) somewhat subdued reply.

"Never mind, lads. Next year, maybe."

"3-0 THISTLE!!!!"

I really regret having missed that one.

Question for former Jaggies.... when Thistle went to Celtic Park in the next round, who was their substitute striker? (HINT - the same man came on as sub in a different position in Bruce McCraw's testimonial on Sunday.)

By the way, I tend to be a bit of a pain in the a**e when it comes to the minutiae of the merger and apologise if I appear over pedantic. I think this originates from the need during these very delicate days to report things with absolute precision and impartiality!

Some people will need a feckin Wikepedia and a feckin encyclopaedia to understand that last paragraph. Still that is the result of a proper education.  :004: :004:

Charles I was at that one as well, Jimmy Calder was the striker.  He was striker for Grantown in the Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare League.  Funnily enough, when we came out of Parkhead, we were met with a similar question from a Glesca cabbie, "whits the score, by the way Jimmy", "six nil" was the reply........"who for" was his next serious question :015:

The same game Danny McGrain got his ear clipped by the trainer on his way to treat Black after a hefty challenge in the first few minutes

:sleep01: :sleep01: :sleep01:

All these old Jeggie ramblings should be put into Anything Goes.

..........or the bucket!  :015:

Remember Celtic fans being amused at Jim Oliver playing in his sandshoes.

..........or the bucket!  :015:

Remember Celtic fans being amused at Jim Oliver playing in his sandshoes.

Aye and poor Jim O probably had to buy them himself  :015: