Possibly the closest scenario to the current one in the First Division which I can directly recollect is the finish to the Highland League title race in 1988. Buckie had looked odds on favourites to take the title as the only other contenders Caley went up the Hill to Jags Park for their final game on the last Saturday of the season. The only thing that would do Caley was a win at Kingsmills (against what, before the Howden End veterans get on the case, I would stress was an incredibly good Jags side!) and for Buckie to slip up v Peterhead. Buckie duly did so, but the Inverness Thistle defence was proving obstinate... until Wilson Robertson grabbed the only goal of the game late on.
This completely changed it, leaving Buckie three points and seven goals behind Caley, but Buckie still had to complete their programme at the Clach Park the following Wednesday night.
Now these were the days when customers in the Rodgers' shop outnumbered spectators at the Clach Park where things had become utterly dire in the run up to the 1990 near collapse. As a result, the 8 goal win Buckie needed couldn't be entirely ruled out.
It wasn't surprising, then, that Grant Street was full of Caley fans who had become Clachers for the night and the atmosphere in there was amazing. (This may also have been the last game at Grant Street before the stand (ahem!) "burned down". )
In the end it was a 2 all draw so Caley won the league by two clear points but, having been at both games, it was a great few days for football in Inverness.
As it happens this was also Caley's last ever Highland League title. Great memories.
Possibly the closest scenario to the current one in the First Division which I can directly recollect is the finish to the Highland League title race in 1988. Buckie had looked odds on favourites to take the title as the only other contenders Caley went up the Hill to Jags Park for their final game on the last Saturday of the season. The only thing that would do Caley was a win at Kingsmills (against what, before the Howden End veterans get on the case, I would stress was an incredibly good Jags side!) and for Buckie to slip up v Peterhead. Buckie duly did so, but the Inverness Thistle defence was proving obstinate... until Wilson Robertson grabbed the only goal of the game late on.
This completely changed it, leaving Buckie three points and seven goals behind Caley, but Buckie still had to complete their programme at the Clach Park the following Wednesday night.
Now these were the days when customers in the Rodgers' shop outnumbered spectators at the Clach Park where things had become utterly dire in the run up to the 1990 near collapse. As a result, the 8 goal win Buckie needed couldn't be entirely ruled out.
It wasn't surprising, then, that Grant Street was full of Caley fans who had become Clachers for the night and the atmosphere in there was amazing. (This may also have been the last game at Grant Street before the stand (ahem!) "burned down".
)
In the end it was a 2 all draw so Caley won the league by two clear points but, having been at both games, it was a great few days for football in Inverness.
As it happens this was also Caley's last ever Highland League title. Great memories.
Edited by Charles Bannerman