An intriguing revisionist theory, given that the replay in question was in November 1988, a full four and a half years before the Scottish League even began to think about a 4x10 team league at which point INE entered the football arena in May 1993!
I was there that day and Caley were quite simply *****. On the other hand I would agree that this was perhaps the start of the decline of Caley's on-field performances which, by 1993, left them in a sufficiently weakened position for a merger just to be politically possible (as I suggested in an earlier post on this thread.)
No Charles, you are wrong (again). It was 1993 when Roddie D turned out for Thistle against Caley. 2-0 to Thistle. All very dubious considering the teams current form at the time, together with the ongoing off-field events.
I believe you are thinking of the Q-Cup final replay in 1988. Keep up please.
If by "that year" you mean the 4th September 1993 second round tie between Jags and Caley at Kingsmills which Jags won 2-0, I think Caley were well past their best by that time and that was why they didn't qualify for the Scottish Cup run to which a certain section of their support seemed to think they had a God given right.
As it happens I was at both games (1988 and 1993) and on both occasions Caley were rubbish. My abiding memory of the September 1993 tie (5 days before the merger vote) was two guys in respective Caley and Thistle scarves whom I met outside the Heathmount who could sdo nothing but mock the prospect of SFL football in Inverness. In particular they mocked the thought of playing the likes of Stenhousemuir. Well at least they didn't have to worry too much about games against Stenhousemuir which didn't figure for too long.
So who do you reckon was the go between who paid the money from INE to the Caley players for throwing the game? The same guy as rigged the vote five nights later? Or surely it wasn't the same public spirited fellow as laid his hands on a whole bundle of Couriers and returned all the merger poll slips in the negative to fabricate the only instance there ever was outside a Rebel meeting of public opposition to the merger? :thumb04:
Charles are you honestly saying that there were no underhand tactics used by the Caley Board,INE etc to force the merger through?? Or are you not allowed to give your viewpoint due to your friendship with ICT??