Charles Bannerman

Pity I missed that. As a frormer member of staff at "Millburn Junior Secondary School" I would like to have had a final wander round myself. However I find the demise of the old Royal Academy Playing Field to accommodate the new Millburn even more traumatic. Six happy years I spent there lapping the track and chucking a rugby ball about and it's very sad to see that disappear, as RBC says. Even when I returned after University to do my year's Missionary Work (VSO?) :thumb04: over the green fence, before returning to the place at the top of Stephen's Brae and then to Culduthel, I still used to get the chance to trot round the old track and change in the old changing rooms. Greatly missed.

I suspect that's not too far off the mark, a touch generous by now maybe even, and the number will continue to decrease steadily due to death, decrepitude, relocation to a place where attending ICT matches is not realistic etc... and of course Alex's "(grand?)daddy will you take me to see ICT?" factor. I'm just intrigued to know who all these blokes are that BNP seems to keep meeting who are so adamant about never crossing the threshold of the TCS. Oh well, as the Lord High Executioner said in The Mikado.... Using the omelettes and eggs analogy, this is a rather large and tasty culinary creation at the price of a rather small number of burst shells.... or at least shells which choose to be in that condition.

Much as the topic fascinates me and provided one of the most interesting (and frequently entertaining!) periods of my life, the merger is over, done and dusted and... most importantly of all... has been a huge success which has brought SPL football to Inverness. I once recounted the merger in 70,000 words. I would want to add two more.... IT WORKED!

You underestimate the quality of writing in your own publication which I always thought was excellently composed and impressively incisive. The satire really was first rate. The distinction I was making between the alternative formats was actually a genuine one. I would indeed attribute the writers of LSM with the ability to distinguish the subtle differences between the meanings of "the greatest Highland League club in history" and "the greatest club in the history of the Highland League".... and in the case of Caley, consciously to opt for the former! Whether LSM was written by Davie the Painter, Willie the Playwright or Rabbie the Poet is of no consequence to me whatsoever. It was always a very well written publication, irrespective of whether I personally agreed with its content in its latter days. I have, right from day one, believed that some fans within the Caley and also the Thistle fold suffered a kind of "castration panic" on the realisation that a merger would deprive them of a significant object of hate. Those suffering in that way who decided to opt into ICT initially transferred that role to Ross County. Some of those who elected not to take up that option appear perhaps to have invested it in ICT - or have latterly returned to the fold.

Maybe they took advice from the bloke who managed to get an 83% anti merger vote from the general readership of the Inverness Courier who, as a whole, couldn't really have cared one way or another. I have to say I have very fond memories of that somewhat Pythonesque autumn of 1993 and that was one of several vintage moments of high comedy (albeit not quite in the same league as the bus!). Who would have thought that, out of all that chaos, Inverness would, 15 years later, be enjoying its fifth season of SPL football?

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:

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.)

Scotty... I think I must have sacrificed clarity of expression for the sake of a bit of humour. What you've said above, especially the first sentence, mirrors my views entirely. The history and tradition of ICT are vitally dependent on, spiritually descended from and chronologically end on to the 108/9 years of Caley and Thistle, and you will also be aware from the penultimate chapter of my book that I regard Clach as a significant element too. Historically LSM plays a particularly important part since it so eloquently, if not reverently, expressed the views of a number of Caledonian fans at the time of the transition from one vital phase of Inverness football history to another. Along parallel lines, it gives me great pleasure to see all the old Caley and Thistle photos on the walls about the stadium. As it happens, BNP and a small number of others chose to terminate their association with football in Inverness at a particular point in its evolution, which continues. By the way, there weren't (for once!) any expletives in the quote I was making from LSM which was the caption placed on the photo of the original Caley team of 1886 which appeared on the front cover of an issue of, I think, late 1993. From memory, the full caption read: "Right lads, do we go on to become the greatest Highland League team in history or go and build a petrol station down the dump with Fiona Larg." I always found the highlighted words an interesting format, given that the rather less grandiose struture of "the greatest team in the history of the Highland League" was a fairly obvious alternative!

So in LSMspeak you want to set up an online museum about the days before the "petrol station down the dump with Fiona Larg".

I'll just ignore that attempt at humour, but I'm pretty sure both Titchy and Lofty were both signed Thistle players before they left the IHS. And these guys were SERIOUS Jaggies. Titchy was a wonderful player while Lofty also went on to become one of the best managers the Jags ever had. Lofty took over from Roshie Fraser towards the end of 1985 and in his first full season 86-87 won the Highland League, losing only the final game at Peterhead. He also famously won the Qualifying Cup with a 3-0 final replay victory over Caley at Telford Street in November 1988. :thumb04: :018: Now on to the "what if" part. Lofty was sacked early in 1991 and a number of people, including myself suggest that this was a prermature move by Jock McDonald. After that, Jim Leishman arrived for 10 months and was, not to mince words, a failure. Leishman presided over a rapid decline of Thitle which was in parallel with hard times on the field over at Telford Street as well. I have always argued that one of the main reasons the merger and hence ICT squeezed into existence was that when the possibility came around, both teams went into this at a fairly low ebb. Had that not been the case with one or both, I would doubt if the will to join together would even have scraped the absolute minimum of support which it eventually got. In other words, to what extent did an error of judgement by Jock McDonald almost 20 years ago lead to SPL football coming to Inverness?

Not quite... Lofty and Titchy Black were both pupils at the High School when they were PLAYING for the Jags!

So probably do Clach! Old Caley Girl.... :thumb04: :018: Well said! One other incident I remember in the original St. Johnstone game at Telford Street in Feb 1992 was that one of the St. Johnstone players kicked in the dressing room door in frustration at the end of the game. When Alec Totten came out to do his post match interview, we weren't quite sure whether he stood in front of the door to obscure the damage!

Someone will have to introduce this guy to Footballer's Wife!

In my day, although I was never a smoker, Frankie Jew charged 3d for a fag and an extra ha'penny if they needed a match to light it with. Clearly Frankie extended his expertise in extracting money from people to Sundays as well!

I'll just take this opportunity to summarise BBC coverage of ICT this weekend. * Full match commentary from Kheredine Idessane and Brian Irvine on 92-95FM in the Highlands and Islands and on the internet wherever it's contractually allowed to be sourced. * Open All Mics across Scotland (and I think on the web too?) on 103.5-105FM with Jim Spence. * Sportscene with updates and full time report from Kenny MacIntyre on BBC1 Scotland from 4:30. * Match report and reaction on Sports Report on all Radio Scotland frequencies at 6:30. * Webcast from Kheredine and Brian. Should be up from early evening. * Post match interviews from Kenny. Should also be on the internet from early evening. * Internet highlights from whatever time tomorrow the contract allows it. * TV highlights with Richard Gordon at 10:35 on Monday evening. * I think I'll tune into Open All Mics from the dry and warmth of the Ross County press box this afternoon where I'll be compiling part of Moday morning's BBC Local sports bulletin. Local bulletins are on every morning at 0750 (and at various other times especially 0654, 1254 and 1654) on 92-95FM in the Highlands and Islands with ICT (and other) news every Monday and Friday plus other times when relevant.

I was just wondering the same thing myself. The SA (Salvation Army not Sturmabteilung!) don't seem to have sold the Warcry about Inverness pubs for years but i do remember their regular visits to the Hayloft in the 70s.

I suppose you needed that to find your way to Toronto!

You're a mere youngster! Before Ronnie Wilson had it, this Chemist was "T.S. Davidson (Successor to WJ Bethune)". Really nice old man Tom Davidson was. He lived in Broadstone Park and ran a great old fashioned Chemist's shop with the chemical jars with Latin labels lined up round the place. I just remember the old PO and next door to Bill Fraser the butcher there was a cafe... the Queensgate Snackbar? which when I was little I used to call the Queensgate Talbot because there was a Sunbeam Talbot parked outside one day. Anyone remember when Scoobies was manager of the licensed grocer's just along the street from Davidson's?

Would this be at Art or at Chemistry or both?

Just as well maybe. My mother left me outside a shop in the pram and came back out to find me hanging on to a dog's tail so the poor creature couldn't get away!

Good to see the story and photos of the Church parade in yesterday's Courier. Despite all the good natured Ferry banter I've sprayed around this forum about the Fourth, I'd be first to acknowledge that there's more tradition and social cohesion about that company than about any other from Inverness. By the way, Jock, had they stopped drilling with rifles by the time you joined?

Does anyone have an answer to a question to which I've never been able to elicit a satisfactory response? - "Apart from the fact that you make less mess by not throwing away cooking oil and you don't use up scarce crude oil resources, what's the point of burning cooking oil instead of diesel?" I've always sensed the implication from the chip pan fuel brigade that they're saving the planet by reducing CO2 emissions. But the reality is that cooking oil produces CO2 just like any other carbon based fuel when it burns. Biofuels only reduce CO2 output if they are grown specifically and additionally as fuels and create a net increase in the capacity of the planet to photosynthesise away existing emissions. Unless that happens, you just grow biofuels instead of food, still produce CO2 and also contribute to the large food price increases we've been seeing of late. Similarly, people often forget that to get hydrogen as a fuel (and it's extremely awkward to store) you have to get energy from somewhere. But sunlight on Unst... that's got to be a wind up in a place which doesn't see the bloody thing for the entire winter!

I've got a feeling that "old" Eastgate began to disappear about 1979-80 to make way for Eastgate Mark 1 (which opened about 1982) and around the same time Falcon Square also went and was used as a car park before the new Falcon Square/ Eastgate 2 appeared more recently. Further out the road Hamilton's Marts (and the Lochgorm of beloved memory of pints of lager for 2/4d!) also went to make way for Safeways (of beloved memory before it got converted to Morrisons where the cafe isn't nearly as good!) which I think opened in 1999. I don't have all the dates but the 20 years between about 1979 and 1999 saw that whoile Eastgate/ inner Millburn Road area blitzed and transformed.

Might these steps not have led into the Carlton where I remember my mum used to take me late 1950s and there were still waitresses in te old traditional black and white uniforms? On the other hand I may be wrong since my memory of Hamilton St. seems to be a bit shaky (!) although I have a clear recollection of Scoobies getting BB parades up and running out of Washington Court off the same street.

That's it - I remember now! That's how I got it confused with Mitchell and Craig!