As one of the younger members of the ICT fan base I don't know a lot about the merger but ive been surprised to hear that it has kept many fans from both teams away from supporting ICT? Find it quite silly TBH

Clach were in the initial discussions but I think they pulled out of the talks mid 1993.  I think they felt they could prosper better as the only Inverness side in the Highland league rather than joining the merged sides.

That was one reason given as was the fact that Clach were a limited company whereas Thistle and Caley were members clubs and that any amalgamation between the three would be complex. The latter argument held less water than the first.

History Lesson

 

Hard to believe this is almost 20 years ago.  So many great memories of Caley, Telford Street and the Howden End, however this Howdender has no regrets about the merger, and the subsequent achievements and successes, in my opinion, vindicate the very difficult and troubled process to complete the merger.

I agree with you Kind of Blue and a good History Lesson Mantis!

Going back some 30 years I can recall having a wee unofficial poll in Culloden Academy as to who supported what teams,  the majority were Old Firm followed by Aberdeen, Dundee United  and one or two fans of  other top flight clubs,     locally only one fan of Clach (now a linesman) and one Thistle fan (whos also a Celtic fan) 

 

If truth be told, its unlikely that any of the current top flight fans mentioned actually went to games (excluding the local clubs)   and  just said thats the club they supported.  As adults, of the ones I have kept in touch with, some have maintained their allegiance to their childhood clubs, will pay money to ICT to watch their team play against ICT, some bought Season tickets when we reached the SPL as they enjoyed watching SPL football in Inverness,  some have managed to keep their kids supporting  their own childhood team but still pay ICT to sit in the away end,  some have started supporting ICT   and some take their children to TCS  because their children are now ICT fans

 

The point Im making is that  ICT has had a positive affect  on local people since the merger,  how much interest would there be for Caley or Thistle whilst in the Highland league  from the above people?  none.  How much money would the HL clubs take from these locals ?  £ 0.00   

 

I wouldnt mind the opinion of a more youthful poster to guage the current  level of support in their local school.    

Edited January 13, 201312 yr by 12th Man

Well this was am imteresting thread. BUMP

What about yon new strip - looks like the toilets in post merger Telford Street.

It would be quality if all this started again

I'm pretty sure if you took caleys highest home attendance and thistles, it would still be lower than ICTs home average and that's not particularly high. I think we've gained a lot more fans than we've lost.

Caley at Telford Street today would have been hitting the 7-8K attendance mark.

Yeah Caley had higher averages than ICT by quite a bit

Caley at Telford Street today would have been hitting the 7-8K attendance mark.

 

 

Doubt it - wouldn't be much different from what ICT are getting now.

 

That would be missing the point though - who'd have thought you'd be trying to wind up the same prefect 40 years on!!!

 

   

 

Caley at Telford Street today would have been hitting the 7-8K attendance mark.

 

 

Doubt it - wouldn't be much different from what ICT are getting now.

 

That would be missing the point though - who'd have thought you'd be trying to wind up the same prefect 40 years on!!!

 

   

 

Johndo may indeed be fishing for a reaction, but if so I suspect it's not from me!   This is just another example of IHE's well tried tactic of making an deliberately absurd statement just to see who will rise to the bait and take it seriously.

...and your 'non response' has given it a bit of oxygen....

I actually do think that Caley would only have grown and gown IF they got the same financial backing afforded to ICT. Caley were a local institution and were always the biggest draw fer the fun loving Sneck football fraternity. Caley had a fair core following and had the historical and family influences. The vocal support would have been a magnet fer the yoof beginning to follow ICT now and that would have probably have ignited years ago. ICT have attracted a lot of curious support from around the world and a tradition like Caley may well have attracted many more. Can you imagine sticking a full Howden End under the bridge and multiply it by 4 or 5 !!

You taken another bang to the head?

I can never feckin win - I am asked to be serious and I get more abuse than ever. I hope that the younger post merger generation recognise that all the shallow and derisory posts are being provided by the forever envious Fools from the Hill contingency. Please note that I utilised the word if in capital letters - and if it happened the only bangs on my head that I would be suffering would be off the roof of a tumultuous Howden End.

 ICT have attracted a lot of curious support from around the world

 

Including darkest Lancashire!

 

OK IHE.. enough.... as Kingsmills puts it.... "oxygen" for one day!

I actually do think that Caley would only have grown and gown IF they got the same financial backing afforded to ICT. Caley were a local institution and were always the biggest draw fer the fun loving Sneck football fraternity. Caley had a fair core following and had the historical and family influences. The vocal support would have been a magnet fer the yoof beginning to follow ICT now and that would have probably have ignited years ago. ICT have attracted a lot of curious support from around the world and a tradition like Caley may well have attracted many more. Can you imagine sticking a full Howden End under the bridge and multiply it by 4 or 5 !!

But then again, if the Jags had got into the league instead of Ferranti Thistle, they would surely have started to attract a bigger support similar to what you suggest for Caley. Let's be honest, both supports had dwindled dramatically pre the merger and the days of 5/6000 at local derbies had long gone.

If jags had got in it would only have strengthened Caley and Telford Street would have attracted more than the Heathmount Beer Garden. The stand would have been burnt down sooner and the merger would have been a takeover. The standard of the HL did drop but the lure of Caley would have brought back the faithful and the fun seekers.

Always wondered why no one ever tried to bring back Caley like hardcore fans down south done with Wimbldeon or fc united.would have bin great seeing an inverness derby again.and to all the guys slating the merger thread how would you feel if ur club was taken away from you using every dirty trick in the book?History yes, boring maybe,but we will never forget & we will always hate thistle

Should have used the Club 12 scenario last season to try and de-merge the clubs. One of the clubs could have taken that '12' place that would have sorted everything and we'd be seeing a minimum of 14 to 15 thousand Invernessians flocking to games on a weekly basis.

It's quite simple Caledonian Fc had outgrown the Highland League, crowds were dwindling because by the late eighties there was no achievement in winning the title as it meant absolutely nothing

Had their been a proper pyramid system in the Scottish game Caley would have left Thistle a long way behind years ago, jags fans don't like hearing this but deep down they know had they not been taken over by Caley they would no longer be here in name at all

Jags fans to me are a very very strange breed, ICT are widely called Caley by 99% of Invernessians and also by the local and national media

The predominantly blue strip, The Caledonian Stadium etc etc I could go on but I don't really want to rub further salt in the wounds

Caledonian had the biggest support in the Highland League a lot larger than Ross County yet County have always had the better average attendances than ICT while they were in the same leagues

The merger has severly stunted crowds in Inverness no matter what the Jim Leishman worshippers like to spin as their story

I've said it before it will take a generation or two to pass before ICT will recover from the damage done twenty years ago

Dougal

...and your 'non response' has given it a bit of oxygen....

Now look what you've done CB, awoken dormant Dougal !

Dont think its that dramatic Dougal, many people refer to us as ICT, Caley Thistle, Caley Jags, Inverness.....

In my head and in my heart ICT are the reincarnation of Caley and I relish joining in (or starting!!) some of the ditties of olde. There are times in the Notth Stand that I wander back to the Howden End and there are probably more times away from home that it feels just like the seventies again - only thing missing is those brilliant Football Train Specials which were jam packed with Caley supporters. As many know I couldn't give a toss about the anti-jags nonsense as it never feckin existed. It was pure feckin banter and thankfully still feckin is - if not better !!

What gets on ma tits is ex-Caley boys following County. Stay away is understandable, crow at ICT failings is understandable but singing Anti-Caley songs from the Jail End is beyond feckin belief. Yes Caley WITH the same financial backing would have been a big club- much bigger than ICT - but ICT would now be a bigger club if many of the old Howden Enders had buried the hatchet and gradually moved on. So it is Caley in ma head and heart but ICT now til I die. I always agreed wiv much that Dougal said but this season has began to bring new young faces to the games, I walk through the streets of Sneck and I see more ICT shirts than Old Filth ones. The times they are a changing and ICT in current mode will grow and grow. - and in 5 or so years may emulate the Caleywho could have been.