Charles Bannerman

Possibly the main thing this thread has to commend it is that it provides a (relatively) welcome escape from the Referendum and the Queen's Baton Relay, both of which now feel as if they have been going on for even longer than discussions about the merger. The effect of the merger has been to have several times as many people in Inverness watching alevel of football which is light years ahead of what was available 20 years ago and with a worldwide profile which would have been unthinkable in the Highland League days. So even if that doesn't suit a few people, then it's a small loss because this new deal clearly suits hugely more than the old one did. Frankly it's getting to the stage that if a few people don't like the vastly improved fare on offer, I don't really care and (with no disrespect to the other Inverness team which I love dearly) if that is the level of football they prefer then they could do a lot worse than go down the Clach Park. One further apprehension I have about this thread is that it is often difficult to discern when and whether IHE is being serious and when he is trying to provoke his fellow posters into stances ranging from longwindedness to blind fury.

Did they all go to Seville instead?

You'll get a MacFatwah from Big Alec and a tartan handbagging from Wee Nicola for calling it that But you are dead right Bughtmaster. There were times in earlier years on here when it seemed that an account and evaulation of Caley Thistle's origins seemed relevant. Sometimes it is still helpful to clarify certain historical facts about the formation of the club. But the case for the "Union" is now long proven beyond all conceivable doubt and revisiting the same old stuff again and again has become overwhelmingly boring. The only mildly interesting - or perhaps rather amusing - aspect of more recent discussion is the manner in which the refusenik case has shifted. It used to be that the few hundred who used to attend Thistle and Caley games were staying away in their thousands. Now it seems to be that their children and their children's children are staying away - along with thousands who never went to Telford Street or Kingsmills in the first place It just gets more and more bizarre as time goes on.

Johndo... FACT - around SIX times as many fans attend ICT games now than Thistle and Caley combined for many years prior to 1994. So next time you knock back an opportunity to convert £1000 into £6000 after start-up costs have been paid, please let me know because I would be very pleased to take it up.

Poor Dougal He really is having such difficulty coming to terms with the stunning success of the merger-catalysed transition from a few hundred fans shouting abuse at each other in the relative anonymity of the Highland League to a high profile team in the top half of the Scottish Premiership.

20 years on, I really prefer just to boil the merger down to four brief statements. It happened. It was controversial at the time. It worked. It has brought football in Inverness on light years since 1994.

Playing for which team?

I find it interesting that the "refusenik" theory, having failed with Plan A, now seems to have moved on to Plan B which is the claim that the second generation of this proven tiny minority are now apparently staying away in their thousands. The big problem, even with the original argument, was that if refusenikism ever was a significant factor, far more people would have had to stay away from TCS than ever went to Telford Street or Kingsmills in the first place! Look.... it's the tourist season. Why can't we just content oursleves with that other local myth which is the Loch Ness Monster?!

I'm not sure it really was much of a surprise that Ross County got the other league place in 1994. Granted their Cup victories over St. Cuthberts and Forfar came at extremely convenient times, but I'm not convinced that experienced Scottish football politicians were going to be especially influenced by this short term consideration. One thing that is certain is that County's bid, which I was quite well across at the time, was extremely sound and persuasive - and of course has delivered a lot more even than it ever originally implied. I was certainly in no doubt at the time that the bids from Inverness and Dingwall were the best by a distance. Remember also the voting figures in the January 1994 election - Inverness 68, Ross County 57, Gala Fairydean 35, Elgin City 10, Gretna 2. This clearly shows that County in second place were a lot nearer the first placed Inverness bid than they were to Gala in third place. The concept of a merger with Ross County has been tentatively raised in this thread. In an area of very low population density with uncomfortably high allegiance to central belt clubs, limited economic turnover and two Premiership clubs both now averaging crowds well below 4000, the commonsense, financial case is overwhelmingly for a single club in the inner Moray Firth area. But that will never happen for several reasons. Firstly, and in line with an observation OCG made, there is no hitherto unobtained status to be gained. Secondly, the amalgamation of Thistle and Caley was of two clubs which may have been robust rivals but they were from the same community and their joining together was to the overall benefit of that coherent community. In contrast, ICT and Ross County represent quite distinct communities which it would be a lot more difficult to join together. Thirdly, both these clubs are now limited companies and I detect no desire at all among their significant shareholders to depart from the status quo. As I say, an Inverness-Dingwall merger would probably make local football a lot more financially viable than it is now and is actually a logical solution - EXCEPT that football clubs need fans and for reasons 1 and 2 above, such an arrangement would, I believe, have little attraction for them. What might happen if one or both clubs ran into serious viability issues is rather more intriguing though, since then you would have a hugely compelling financial case ranged against the same overwhelming opposition of the fans.

How interesting to read this Telegraph exclusive! 20 YEAR OLD MERGER CONTROVERSY SHOCK Now that's something nobody ever knew about until the Telegraph "revealed" it two decades later! (Perhaps reluctance to "bump" this thread should be persevered with.)

I think what you are proposing and describing is possibly called a "share issue"?

Does anyone have an answer to this question, since one has always eluded me? It is repeatedly said that ticket prices are too high and thec cost of attending football is a deterrent. In that case, why do charities seem to be queueing up to locate all these collectors with buckets outside grounds if people already find they have forked out more than they feel comfortable with? Why don't the charities park themselves outside places perceived to be a lot cheaper such as Lidl or Aldi? (As opposed to Marks and Spencer )

The whole saga is covered well in Ian Broadfoot's book "Going Ballistic".

As Captain Mainwaring used to say..... "I was waiting for someone to notice that". Except I really WAS waiting for someone to notice it. Full game "as live" coverage. Programme on from 6:30pm - 8:30pm. Post match interviews with Ryan Christie and Graeme Shinnie.

3 all after 90 and 120 mins. Clach won on pens - John Campbell saved two.

Can anyone remember who apart from Patrick voted against us? Dundee.

As the broker of that bet, I can confirm that this was the case (and you are also correct that it was "We are SPL" - my memory was defective there). The bet was back around 1997/98. At full time one Saturday, when Off The Ball was on air at the time, Dougie asked me if I could arrange to get him on to the programme to challenge Tam. The producer was more than delighted to have him on and the bet was £500 to a pie that ICT would be in the SPL within 10 years of starting in the SFL - ie by 2004. Dougie duly won but as far as I know the bet has never been honoured. Strangely enough I did an article for the Motherwell programme on the rise of Highland football for ICT's visit there a few weeks ago and related that particular anecdote. I went out of my way to thank Tam for that small extra incentive to succeed!

Robbo appearing at the top of the steps down to the bottom bar in the Social Club and holding the trophy aloft. The place went mental! Oh, and Robbo stomping off on me in the middle of an interview a few days before the St Johnston game because he didn't like the question he THOUGHT he heard me ask We had a good laugh about that the other week! Then there was Tommy Cumming at full time giving the only interview he's ever given in his life. I never thought I would ever see the man virtually in tears. Also at full time... chants from the fans of "We want SPL... we want SPL" because it was by no means certain at that moment of triumph that SPL status would be requested by the club.

Do you want to tell us more about that or would it be inappropriate for a family forum?

What did Maud have to say about that? Was she annoyed at dropping two points?

I would call it a rather good example of how West Central Scotland, with its various social, medical, religious problems etc would emerge as a much bigger issue for the proposed, much smaller alternative to the status quo. But since this is a football forum, and the bait has been risen to, let's instead look ahead at how Police Scotland might respond to relatively harmless banter at future Highland Derbies.

I'm surprised no one has highlighted this so far.... So much for the pathetically feckless Offensive Behaviour at Football Act. https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/scottish-premier-league-8-000-fans-turn-turn-121232012--sow.html My first thought here is that I don't actually blame either club. This is clear evidence that both Rangers and Celtic have been hijacked by elements of a sick society which seems to be overwhelmed by some bizarre need for vehicles through which to express hatred and antagonism. And, despite the provisions of Holyrood's most absurd piece of legislation, it is reported that mayhem like this resulted in only THREE arrests! It therefore seems even more ironic that this can happen with impunity at the very epicentre of this problem while the same Police Scotland can threaten the liberty of County and ICT fans indulging in harmless banter at a Highland Derby. At least, as arrangements stand at the moment, this social sickness is mercifully diluted by the fact that it exists in a wider community of 60 million UK citizens. One major concern in the event of a yes vote would be that this west central Scottish affliction would become a much more concentrated evil within a narrower and more limited society. But that's possibly a viewpoint for another forum.... In the summer, a huge crowd of spectators will be gathering in Glasgow for, not the Commonwealth Games, but a Diamond League meeting at Hampden which in athletics terms is arguably even more prestigious. The date for Glasgow's opportunity to showcase itself to all these visitors? July 12th!

The Admiral Duncan?

And here I was thinking that the topic title simply referred to IHE's residence in the town!

Someone must know him as there can't be many that have such an accent amongst all the incomers Dougal That barely make sense you dullard. I feel bad for you man but try getting a hobby or something. A hobby is probably still a fair way along the road for Dougal, since even the getting of a life still seems to be eluding him.