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Wee County Crush Caley Jags: An Inverness XI faced Nairn County in the North of Scotland Cup at Station Park Nairn tonight (Tuesday 20th August.) The Inverness side was mainly fringe players and youth players with Robbie Thompson and Mathew Strachan the most senior players in the starting XI. Not the best weather as rain came in during the day and a chilly wind to boot. As it was, Nairn romped home 4-1 against a very youthful Inverness XI.

The first game after the olde CEO was prized from his oligarchy bubble saw a decent crowd turn out in appreciation of the efforts of Alan Savage to right the wrongs. It won't happen overnight, but the first steps have been taken to put some life back into the ailing Caley Jags. On the park, Musa Dibaga replaced the injured Jack Newman in goal with emergency loan keeper from Clach Martin MacKinnon on the bench. Keith Bray kept his place with Adam Brooks on the bench. Montrose were the visitors and they are a more settled side although Michael Gardyne was suspended with former Inverness youth player Matheus Machado starting. Both teams were looking for their first win of the League campaign. Kane Hester scored after twenty minutes but on the interval Montrose were reduced to ten men when Sean Dillon was sent off. After the break it was one way traffic against the ten men and no surprise when Adam MacKinnon equalised. However the winning goal eluded us and it was a point apiece.

A week is a long time in the changing faces of Caley Thistle. Montrose are the visitors this weekend as news of a Savage intervention overpowered the extra sensory perceptions of fantasy that were wafting around the Caledonian Stadium as if they were going out of fashion. Billy Mckay makes his 300th appearance for Inverness tomorrow. What a legend sitting on 112 goals. Note to Dunc. Billy is a striker, so let's see him strike please.

Think this will be deserving of its own thread as details emerge of the sheer state of our finances ... but let me start controversially by saying THANK YOU to Ketan Makwana ! No, I am not kidding: READ ON for the reasons.

It's time for Player Sponsorship for the 2024/2025 season. 

For over two decades, we've been proud sponsors of ICT players each season. However, like many, we made the difficult decision to halt our sponsorship after the 2022/23 season due to dwindling confidence in our then-CEO. Despite our deep affection for the club, this step was necessary. Now, with Alan Savage poised to steer the club back on course, and club icon Charlie Christie stepping into the CEO role, the time has come for us to renew our commitment. We're eager to contribute to the resurgence of ICTFC and restore its status as the 'Pride of the Highlands'.

Defeat on the road: Jack Newman had the only notable save of the first forty-five denying Aidan Smith after ten mintes. Other than that it was Annan on top without overly threatening. After the interval Annan were awarded a penalty after fifty minutes and Tommy Goss duly scored from the spot. That was the difference between the sides as Annan took all three points despite a late charge from the visitors.

Thirty years on from our entry into the Scottish League system when we were then known as Caledonian Thistle, we head to Galabank Stadium, Annan, for a League 1 game, having already lost there this season in the League Cup group stages. This will be only the fourth meeting between the two clubs having won the first two 8-1 and 4-0 many moons ago before losing 1-0 last month.

Game of Two Halves: A rousing round of applause rang out from the crowd on the sixth minute in appreciation of the dedication of John Mackenzie, AKA the Immortal Howden Ender who sadly passed away last week. A fitting tribute as cheering and clapping broke out around the ground and one in which he would have loved to have led the way. Rest in Peace my well travelled friend. You would have enjoyed the first half. The second I'm sure you would have had some choice words for in your aftermatch summary. 

Celebrate the life of the Immortal Howden Ender at Johndo's Last Conga with a massive round of applause in the sixth minute of the game against Dumbarton.
Our first game in the third tier of Scottish football for twenty six years begins on Saturday with the visit of Dumbarton FC. We seem to have avoided playing Dumbarton often with only eight encounters overall. We did spend a season with them in the Championship in 2017/2018 and we also lifted the Challenge Cup in Perth thanks to a late Carl Tremarco strike in March 2018. However, times have changed and not for the better at the Caledonian Stadium and we will be looking for our youngsters to get us out of trouble against a seasoned Dumbarton FC.

Arbroath won the bonus point after winning the penalty shoot-out following a goalless 90 minutes, but that was of secondary importance tonight.

Howden Enders Farewell: With the sad passing of the Immortal Howden Ender, the outcome of this game was immaterial. Johndo had travelled all over Britain to watch his beloved club and also into Europe when we went to Astra Giurgiu of Romania. Sadly, this morning he passed away suddenly and everyone at CTO passes on our our deepest condolences to his family friends and extended family at this saddest of times. He did witness Inverness lift the Scottish Cup and was looking forward to the club getting back on track after the financial woes. Sadly, he will never know, but his legacy will live longer than those at the helm just now. Johndo was Captain of the HMS Sneck a vessel he guided through stormy waters and the doldrums. It just won't be the same without you and your Smileymometer 🙂 after the games, or your pre-season five-a-side tournaments 😂 RIP Legend!

This game would be overshadowed by the passing of legend on the matchday
It is with great sadness that one of our long term Caley and then Inverness CT supporters has passed away. Johndo Mackenzie, or as most of us on CTO knew him as Immortal Howden Ender, suffered a heart attack this morning after a couple of recent scares. Scotty has put a lovely tribute on the CTO site and you can read it by clicking the above link. Rest in peace my friend, you were one of a kind, and although you may have 'moved on', you will always be Immortal to those that knew you

It is with a heavy heart that I post this message today. Our friend and fellow supporter John MacKenzie, known as "Johndo" or Immortal Howden Ender passed away this morning while waiting for surgery. More details and tributes to follow.

Young Guns N' Roses: Welcome to the Jungle.  For the second year in a row Bonnyrigg Rose came calling in a League Cup group stages encounter. Last season when we had selection choices we edged them 2-1 thanks to a first half brace from the discarded Aaron Doran. It would be a much more difficult task this season with the young guns on the park...... or would it. Inverness cruised to a 3-0 half time lead thanks to crisp strikes from Adam Brooks, Keith Bray and Luis Longstaff in an entertaining forty-five full of neat one touch possession football. With the job done at the break, the second half was an anti-climax with few opportunites and rakes of substitutions which put paid to any thoughts of flowing football and copious amounts of goals. Good win for the young guns who were applauded off the pitch at half time, something unheard of last season.

A Rose by any other name: Bonnyrigg Rose are the visitors in our second Group D League Cup game. Both sides lost their opening games and will be looking to get back on track. Only one competitive fixture between the sides and that was in last seasons League Cup group stage in which Inverness struggled to get the better of the Rose before edging it 2 - 1. We were fortunate to have someone on the park to inject that bit of extra quality to get us the win. That will be difficult to replicate this season. His name was Aaron Doran, our very own rose, and now abandoned by the club in his hour of need. Shameful stuff from the club, knee surgeon and all. Plenty of discussion around the club looking for new investors and you can read all about it on the link below.

Defeat at Annan: New look Inverness made the long trek to Galabank Stadium for the opening game of the season to face Annan Athletic in the League Cup group stages. Most of our injured players made the game but Jack Walker and Ethan Cairns missed out. Annan added Aaron Quigg to their squad today and in former Dundee midfielder Paul McGowan they won't lack determination, skill or experience, something we lost over the summer. We'll just have to see how it pans out. Tommy Goss headed in the opening goal midway through a fairly even first half but we trailed at the break. No more goals after the interval and it ended 1-0 to Annan.

In other news, Cammy Harper has changed his shirt number to No3 at Carlisle United and Roddy MacGregor scored on his debut for Queens Park... Sigh!

 Much has been made about our plight, and the way the club has handled it. Danny Devine, Charlie Gilmour and Billy Mckay were the only big names not to be disconnected from the club. Add a couple who struggled for game time last season in Luis Longstaff, Adam Brooks and Jake Davidson and the rest of the squad is made up of fringe players and youths. Yes, that is the reality we are facing this season in League 1. It's going to be a long season methinks unless a miracle happens to come our way.

Shameful: Thanks to Shane Sutherland, the generosity of friends, fans, former colleagues and opponents, Aaron has now had his operation. However it has emerged that he had posted on Instagram regarding his sad dismissal and treatment from the Board of Inverness CT who have treated Aaron in a similar way to which they have been treating the fans. Let's not forget that Aaron was due to have a testimonial for his service to the club.

Firstly; we can confirm the resignation of our Chairman and Board member Ross Morrison. He leaves with our sincere thanks for the dedicated service he has given to the Club and we are indebted to him for his passion, tireless effort and crucial investment in the Club.

We can also announce that our CEO Scot Gardiner has tendered his resignation, which has been accepted by the Board. Scot is now serving his notice and will be continuing to help the Club get through this difficult period.

ICT CEO Scot Gardiner resigns.
 
Local media in Inverness is reporting that ICTFC CEO Scot Gardiner has resigned and is now working his notice period at the club. https://bit.ly/3VcnYcX

Administration pending, unless... How can we go from SupercaleygoballisticCelticareatrocious in the year 2000, to Scottish Cup Winners in 2015, playing in Europe and just 9 years after lifting the Cup; Administration. Mismanagement and our demise was hastened by the appointment of Scot Gardiner. Ever since then, ludicrous decision making has seen our stock plummet whilst 'shady' dealings were investigated. The failed Concert Company, the Battery Storage, the Statkraft contract have all ended badly leaving the club facing insolvency.

That's another fine mess you've got us into.

Chairman Ross Morrison resigns

 

Nothing official from the club as we speak, but the Inverness Courier are running with a story that Ross Morrison has resigned at 18:00 tonight 3rd June.  More to come as this story develops, but most fans are looking for more heads to roll.

Speaking exclusively to The Inverness Courier, Mr Morrison said he is leaving now because of the aftermath of the Fife move. “I believe it [the move to Fife] is the best way forward and I have to stick with my beliefs,” Mr Morrison said. “This is the reason I'm stepping down now.”

Reflecting on his time with the Caley Thistle, Mr Morrison said: “My six-year tenure with the club has had some great and some not so great times but through everything I was immensely proud to be the chairman of the club and clubs I’ve supported for 50 years - I was a Jaggie by the way.

“I would ask the fans to rally round the club at this time and show their support by not only purchasing their season tickets but also getting involved directly with the club to see how they can help.

“Hearing fans saying they would prefer administration to training the first team in Kelty sent a shiver down my spine. Administration is a desperate thing to happen to a club and must, at all cost, not happen to ICTFC.”

The winner for this season voted for by you is our very own local player Cameron Harper. Will that ever happen again I wonder?

CTO PotY with 69  points is Cameron Harper  

2nd with 68 points Alex Samuel
3rd with 58 points Cameron Kerr
4th with 53 points Billy Mckay
5th with 51 points Max Anderson
6th with 50 points Nathan Shaw

What a farce we have become, a laughing stock: Did you hear the one about the footbal team from the Highlands of Scotland that want to train at Cowdenbeath? Unfortunately, unlike our board, this is not a joke. Our board are trying to rip our identity from the Highlands and replace it with shared training at Kelty Hearts. I kid you not, this is not a drill and the clowns that run our club appear to be delighted at this coup.

RELEGATION STATEMENT: This could have been said ten minutes after our defeat to Hamilton three days ago. So far, this is not the news that we on Caley Thistle Online wanted to hear. Pleased that we will still function as a club, disappointed that resignations have not been offered yet. Keeping fans waiting in silence for three days is unforgivable and relationships are drifting further apart than ever before. Silence is not the way forward, we deserve better as fans.

RELEGATED: Despite Inverness needing to get off the mark quickly, it was Accies that killed the tie inside the first fifteen minutes with strikes from Kevin O'Hara and Lewis Smith. Cammy Kerr reduced the leeway with a good strike from distance, but O'Hara struck again with a penalty before the break to diffuse the revival. We struggled to create anything of note and this reporter could not stomach any more and left the stadium. I'm told Alex Samuel pulled a goal back in stoppage time, but like the rest of the season it was too little too late.