caleyboy

In the early 70,s Caleys change/away strip was red and white vertical striped shirt, white shorts Remember the red and white stripe shirt but was it not blue shorts and red socks?

Sorry Kingmills but semi-finalists are never remembered. What really matters is how many of these boys are capable of stepping up to the next level and lets not forget that the reserve league is being scrapped by the SPL. Good youth teams will not help the first team but a development programme pruducing good players will!

Now there's a player for both Jags and Caley - Fred Neild and brother Bobby. Caley probably had the bet out of both but what a dream Freddie was. Haven't seen him for many years but hope he is still going strong down Speyside. Howden legends!!!!

According to the Nairn web-site (Transfers Page) he was transferred to Golspie Sutherland in January. Just noticed at the bottom of the Transfers Out list a certain Ronnie Sharp - I used to hate playing against him as you knew he was always going to give you a few problems - big lad all arms - if I remember right he was at Nairn Academy - but he must have had a fairly long HL career as he only retired at the end of 2003. Not the same Neil MacDonald. The Nairn Neil MacDonald is from Invergordon and played for the tinks. The ICT Neil is in Orkney with the constab.

i am not here to disrespect anyone who went before and trust me i know all the hard work that went on before i arrived and understand only to well why the club could only bring in so many players at this time in partivular the work of a certain MrBeaton who was and still is one of the most important figures in youth football in inverness currently with his work at clach and also his work in the park leagues summer leagues etc if it is indeed correct that Duf and Wood started in the Elgin set up they finished at Caley and i would praise the fact that the youth set up now have the scouts in place to get the players into our system as regards to Danny the reason he spends a considerable amount of time fund raising is that to the best of my knowledge the entire youth system up to but not including the full time youths is to be self sustainable!!! no money directly from the club therefor to keep every team/coach plus office expenses and travel expenses he has to raise it and second point of not having enough money to run a team in the first division ross county,dundee,st johnstone,livingston,dunfermline,all run youth teams as said earlier its about priority in youth or 1st team and i have no issue with that and certainly no issue whatsover with what went before indeed nothing but praise i am merly stating in my opinion at the time one of the most important things was to set up a good well run youth system to attract and keep the best young talent i knew danny well from uefa pro license course saw what he had in place at county and wanted him not only to replicate it but better it at caley i beleive he has delivered that system and that caley will benefit long term i wish to place on record here and now at no point have i or would i disrespect anyone from the previous set up as ultimately it was far harder then without doubt merely pointing out that this was an area of the club that we could improve on and build thats all paramount to everything then and now was the 1st team making the premier league as youngsters i beleive want to play for their local team and this will continue with participation in the spl the current across the board youth set up was started 5 years ago and could not and would not have been a success with all those who worked previously fact i beleive the current set up is run or used to be under team ict to raise all monies to self sustain the running i applaud the fact that the previous set up produced fraser,munro and to lesser extent ridgers and low all who have played 1st team football merely stating that the system is now in place to hopefully start producing a reglar stream of new talent and i am certain had this been in place from clubs inception we might have had many more who knows but now we do have it and lets enjoy it Thanks for coming back John. I think you hve probably hit the nail somewhere near the head when you mention scouting system. It is my belief that this is the key to our future because I can assure you that ICT will NEVER be in a position to field squads of 16 - 18 LOCAL boys at U12 to U17 level. It is vital that we have football people scouring the North, East, West, Islands and Central belt for talent which could be developed. However, it is more important that these kids are coached by people who have played the game at a reasonable level. John Beaton and Co put in huge amounts of time and effort into Clach and ICT before it, but they have very little practical football experince. I know being a talented and experienced footballer does not make you a good coach but surely it must help. It is my opinion that not enough former players put enough back into the game and help these kids develope. I personally wish the ICT Youth Development Programme avery success but with the amount of self-generated money being pumped into it, it HAS to be. If Danny has 5 to 6 boys coming from the U17's to the U19's and they do well where do they go from there? There will be no reserve team so they will go out on loan to Elgin. If we retain our SPL status it will become more and more difficult for them to play 1st team football for ICT so we will see very little return for our Youth Development investment. In your day, you had a reserve team made up of first team squad players, the 3 or 4 full-time Skillies and kids from the U17's playing most Saturdays against the FREE highland league team - maybe this is where we will have to go back to - who knows. We then get into the debate of is it worth having 15 or 16 full-time U19 players with no "intermediate" step to the 1st Team? I could go on and on all day but I won't bore you.

Sorry John but our youth setup did not start only 5 years ago and Danny MacDonald didn't start it. A massive amount of work had been put into youth long before you came to the club but because we were in the lower divisions it was not possible to have a full-time youth team. The club could only afford to have a very limited number of full-time youths when we were in the 2nd and 1st divisions but from that limited resource Grant Munro and Ike Fraser (both Inverness boys) came to the fore. For what was being spent at that time compared to the investment now being made, I would strongly suggest that this was an exceptionally good return. Now that we are an established SPL club and enjoy the money this attracts, the two full-time coaches the club employs and the resources available, I would be expecting a better return on this investmet. As you know, very few players are retained after U19 level and even fewer make the first team squad on a regular basis and because the SPL are disbanding the Reserve league I see even fewer being reatined in the future. Only Jamie Duff of the 3 players mentioned by you have come through the system as Vigurs and Wood came from the Elgin City setup and joined us at U19 level. I also find it bizarre that Danny, a qualified European Lic coach spends his time fund raising and not coaching! I normally value your opinions John and I have a great respect for what you did at the club but I think you should make sure your facts ar correct and also show some respect for what went before you.

Totally agree. Said it many times before. He was NEVER good enough to play at this level. 3rd Div - Yes. 2nd Div -Probably. 1st Div-Doubt it. Too many youngsters are given false hope in football and it's not nice when the shove comes. Good luck to the boy wherever he lands up but it's about time he got a job and enjoyed football part-time. Even Nairn County would pay him good pt wage - certainly more than he would get from Elgin.

As far as I'm aware, kids football consists of Soccer Sevens (or whatever it is called now), Street League and Youth League cater for the "community" side of things and then you have Clach and ICT running teams up to U19's. The ICT U19's are however full-time.

Maybe that's the problem alex - he is living in the past!

Can't remember the year but have vivid recall of Denis Gowie flying header against Raith Rovers and connecting with the upright instead of the ball. He was fearless! Was right down at the front of the Howden End as I was too wee to see over anyone.

George Ross stayed at the St Valery end of Bruce Gardens and if my memory serves me his dad was a male nurse at the Craig/Dunain House. Has a brother Tony but I don't know if he is still on the go or not.

Good point DJS - ICT was created by those two great clubs and both should be remembered with gratitude.

Maybe you should go to Tulloch Caledonian Stadium instead!

Under SPL rules you can only play in your registered colours/strips and I don't think the white shirt is registered for league/cup business. You also can't make falkirk change strips as it is their home game.

That's what makes it naf

Wouldn't have a problem with that - in fact I think the word "Inverness" in the name alienates us from a lot of folk in the Highland region. A name like Highland F.C. would I think extend the appeal of the club to a much larger area and would surely benefit our attendances. Having survived the trauma of one merger I would have no difficulty in principle with another if there was a genuine prospect of furthering professional football in the north. If the figures are to be believed County regularly attract crowds in the region of 2,500 if even half of these could be persuaded to watch a combined team in the SPL and at least half of their commercial income could be retained then that would equate to additional turnover in excess of a million pounds which, prudently used, could see the combined team regularly in the top six and making the occasional foray into Europe. Inveerness Caledonain Thistle Ross County FC -

Depends on who you're talking to and what the politics are at the time.

Maybe we'll just play in SKINS. What the fluke does it matter anyway - that black strip is absolutely crap

Played for Clach Rangers as well "exgrover". You are right, Muirpark were the caley younguns not Telford Street. I remember Clach Rangers were to play Crown Thistle in a cup final at Grant Street with Peter Bennett due to ref it. When we turned up, Peter had called off and Chicks MacKay was his replacement - or so he thought. Dougie and George Rodgers Jnr, who ran the team at the time, insisted that poor old Chicks would NEVER ref at Grant Street and they refused to let us take the field. Game off, Crown Thistle took the cup home. We were guutted and it created a big hooha in the local press via Frank Philips. I can't really remember if we played any games after that and I think the league disbanded shortly afterwards - maybe 1970.

One of my earlier illicit pints (before a school dance) was the "The Gorm" in the summer of 1970. As someone who had only preiously purchased at 3/3d in the Loch Ness Hotel, I didn't know whether to be more taken aback by the unbelievable price (even in these days) of 2/4d for lager and lime or by the sawdust on the floor. For the benefit of the post 1971 generation, 2/4d is just less than 12p. Aye Charles the good old days when a gallon of lager was under a ? and the Caley ballroom at 10/-. A great night out for ?1.50 new money. I also used to visit the back bar in the Gellions after footie where a pint of light was under 2 bob - Oh take me back to the old days - the old days in Inver-sneckie la la la

Splitting hairs but hay loft separate building from albert. it was demolished -too much booze taken by you young man! ord was pub with walter and helen grant - Many a good night and many pounds spent in the Ord - great memories. Unfortunately Walter and Ellen no longer with us but probably still partaking in their new venture.

Was good for the club at the time. Has anyone got a better offer?

I was in the 8th (West) in the 60's - Captain Bill MacDonald, Herb MacDonald, Gordy Munro (gordy bus) Bruce Shaw (ex cop), Sandy Coutts. Good craic in those days, good football team, good camps at Daviot, Carrbridge, Dalguise. Met reglar Tuesdays, Fridays and unfortunately Sundays. OBTW Jackie Sutherland (former captain of 7th) looks the same today as he looked in the 60's!

More like belt out the songs at Caley Park never mind the tinks camp!

Does anyone have memories of this league? Did you play in it? Clach Rangers, Crown Thistle, Cameron Boys Club, Ness Rangers (run by Bill MacAllister), Telford Street - can't remember the other clubs.