Calling Mantis, Charlie B

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Have a peep at the Memorial Thread on the Pie and Bovril - Highland League.

There may be a lot of bitterness etc on there but they all come across as being true, genuine Caley Fans - I am sure that there are equally as many true but bitter jeggies as well.

CB / Mantis - where can i access the old scores / fixture lists etc. I recall most of the memories but not the dates !!

But how many of the pre merger brigade are now supporting ICT ? Why did you start supporting ICT ? What do you think of the stay away population ?

ME:

Evidently I am - I stayed away fer the first 3 seasons - went reluctantly to a game and got the passion again - but it took me another 2 seasons to admit to it and then I got hooked. This site and the Internutters welcomed me with open arms and it has felt like a "family" ever since.

I just want to support Sneckie football - most games I think I am supporting "Caley" anyway.

I can really understand why many feel bitter and betrayed (especially Jeggies) but I cannot understand their venom at times. It is akin to a Blocked Grief Reaction - To me the Howden End is dead and buried but it will live on in my heart for ever. There were some great memories both on and off the park.

[Charles Bannerman]

Have a peep at the Memorial Thread on the Pie and Bovril - Highland League.

There may be a lot of bitterness etc on there but they all come across as being true, genuine Caley Fans - I am sure that there are equally as many true but bitter jeggies as well.

CB / Mantis - where can i access the old scores / fixture lists etc. I recall most of the memories but not the dates !!

But how many of the pre merger brigade are now supporting ICT ? Why did you start supporting ICT ? What do you think of the stay away population ?

ME:

Evidently I am - I stayed away fer the first 3 seasons - went reluctantly to a game and got the passion again - but it took me another 2 seasons to admit to it and then I got hooked. This site and the Internutters welcomed me with open arms and it has felt like a "family" ever since.

I just want to support Sneckie football - most games I think I am supporting "Caley" anyway.

I can really understand why many feel bitter and betrayed (especially Jeggies) but I cannot understand their venom at times. It is akin to a Blocked Grief Reaction - To me the Howden End is dead and buried but it will live on in my heart for ever. There were some great memories both on and off the park.

Johndo, information from your era is probably contained on rolls of papyrus hidden in caves.....

Seriously, I really don't know of any comprehensive list going back in time like that. On the other hand, next time you are in Inverness during the week, you could go into the public library reference room and ask for copies of the Courier from the era in question (I presume around the mid 70s among others). These are now on microfiche and, although laborious, taking a look through these old files, especially Tuesday editions, should produce a lot of information. If you're doing this, a look at other parts of these papers would also be well worth while.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What about the Football Times ?

[Charles Bannerman]

What about the Football Times ?

I would imagine there would be archives of the Football Times somewhere but I'm not sure where. The Highland News would probably be the best first port of call there since it was a subsidiary of that.

[buckett]

Gosh I'd forgotten about the Football Times - I used to walk down to the paper shop with my Dad after tea on Saturday to buy it, then eagerly wait until he'd finished reading it.

I remember it was reborn at one stage and printed on pink paper, and marketed briefly as "The Pink", but I can't recall anyone ever calling it that. It even had "The Pink" printed on the front of it beside its proper name - all rather contrived if you ask me - a bit like Meadowbank Thistle being reborn as Livingston and coming out of the box complete with 'team nickname' of "Livi Lions" or whatever.

Which makes me wonder if there are any equally bitter Meadowbank Thistle supporters seething away every Saturday in their Meadowbank slums, miles away from the action in Almondvale.

[Charles Bannerman]

Gosh I'd forgotten about the Football Times - I used to walk down to the paper shop with my Dad after tea on Saturday to buy it, then eagerly wait until he'd finished reading it.

I remember it was reborn at one stage and printed on pink paper, and marketed briefly as "The Pink", but I can't recall anyone ever calling it that. It even had "The Pink" printed on the front of it beside its proper name - all rather contrived if you ask me - a bit like Meadowbank Thistle being reborn as Livingston and coming out of the box complete with 'team nickname' of "Livi Lions" or whatever.

Which makes me wonder if there are any equally bitter Meadowbank Thistle supporters seething away every Saturday in their Meadowbank slums, miles away from the action in Almondvale.

I think the Football Times became pink in the latish 60s. I certainly remember as a kid when it was white but also have some cuttings from old papers around 1968-70 when it had become pink. It was a sister paper of the HN and in fact I think the company, before the various Inverness paper shennanigans of the 80s and early 90s, was known as "The Highland News and Football Times".

I suppose the old FT was one of the earlier victims of the progressive demise of traditoinal newspapers which we are seeing continue today. "Newspapers" are in many respects outdated technology, although still very conveniently accessible and portable. TV, Ceefax, computers etc sealed the fate of papers whose function was to be on the streets with football reports very soon after full time on a Saturday. Now further progress with the internet etc means that even the dailies and the Sundays are struggling for the kind of readership and advertising revenue needed to make them prosper.

We are a long way along the line now from the days when boys waited at Highland League matches to take pages of handwritten copy in instalments by bike to the HN in Diriebught Road for rapid inclusion into the FT.

Indeed that was how one David Love started off in the journalism business!

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

The Inverness Football Times (1904 - 1976) are available for inspection at the British Library Newspaper Library which has one of the world's largest collection of football related newspapers and magazines....

Then later wasn't there the Green Final that used to circulate on a Saturday evening in the 1970/80s....only to lose its colour and then it's place with the football revolution of the 90s and the growth of the internet....

[Caley Stan]

I found the Caledonian F.C. memorial thread a few months back and really enjoyed reading it. There's a lot of talk about some the brilliant Scottish Cup games in the early 90's that i was lucky enough to attend.

Some of the guys writing on the thread are the same age as me and can't have been watching Caley for more than 4-5 years before the merger. It's the biterness that is displayed by these guys that really confuses me. In the case of the old-timers who stood on the Howden end for decades i think it's more undertstandable.

Unfortunately, the thread has degenerated into a slanging match between some of CTO's finest and the "rebels", and for that reason i feel that i can't go on there and share my memories of supporting Caley lest i should be berated for selling out to support a soulless, plastic, franchise.

[Charles Bannerman]

Inverness Football Times (1904 - 1976)

Oh my God... it's been gone since 1976???!!!! Now that's scary. Seems just like the other day.

[caley100]

Inverness Football Times (1904 - 1976)

Oh my God... it's been gone since 1976???!!!! Now that's scary. Seems just like the other day.

Bet you dont even know yer bald....

[old caley girl]

Gosh I'd forgotten about the football times and the Green final. Pre-teletext, internet etc. In reply to the original question I think a lot of old Caley folk stayed away at first due to all the bad feeling in pre-merger meetings etc. I myself always took an iterest in ICT at the beginning but due to ill health, having young kids etc did'nt manage to attend many matches. However have attended a lot more games in recent years - especially since my boys are all at an age where they nag me to take them to matches. Have to confess have got the bug again. Nothing better than live football and I see ICT as my team now as I did my beloved Caley. I still miss the Highland League days and the SPL is not so much fun but I am proud to see my home town have a team in the SPL which all these years ago would have seemed like a dream. Funnily enough I was thinking about this on saturday at the Falkirk match and I looked around the North stand and could see loads of familiar faces from the old days. I think a lot of Caley folk ( and probably Jags folk) have returned over the years. There will always be some who will never return (my brother and his best mate included) but time has moved on and staying away is their loss. I think their number is probably not as large as people imagine. I think the Highland League may have kept records of the type you are looking for. When Caley celebrated their centenary I was lucky enough to get to read the original HL records of the league at that time. John Grant used to be the person to ask about this. If I see any old HL faces may be able to ask.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Mmmm - Have we ever crossed paths - or lips - young caley girl ??

Charlie - OK probably substance misuse - but I have so many memories and goals in ma head but I cant remember when fer the likes of me !!

Caley Stan - have another peep at the P&B thread - have another go - but I suspect that it is becos of who I am that they are accepting me - BUT I am not bullshitting with what I am posting on that thread - I never do.

Come on peeple - answer ma original questions - and if ya are an old Caley fan or a dirty Jeggie ******* give yer fekin reasons - This fer once aint a feckin wind up - I am truly interested

[tm4tj]

Why give them the time of day on the old Caley thread on P&B. They are quick enough to go to any ICT related thread and run us into the ground. These guys are stuck in the past and will never move on. They can't accept ICT and are extremely jealous of anything we have achieved, but are full of hatred also, and take it out on ICT, blaming them for killing off their club. Live with it. I have no issues with the actual topic, but why take every opportunity to slag off what ICT have accomplished?

Morons

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Why give them the time of day on the old Caley thread on P&B. They are quick enough to go to any ICT related thread and run us into the ground. These guys are stuck in the past and will never move on. They can't accept ICT and are extremely jealous of anything we have achieved, but are full of hatred also, and take it out on ICT, blaming them for killing off their club. Live with it. I have no issues with the actual topic, but why take every opportunity to slag off what ICT have accomplished?

Morons

Would you be happy if ICT were to merge with Ross County and change the name to Highland F.C. ?

[Yngwie]

The point is, if it happened would you eventually move on, or would you spend the rest of your life being bitter about losing the battle and bringing the new club down at every opportunity because you didn't like the outcome.

[tm4tj]

I was not a Caley or Thistle fan, therefore the merger did not fluster me, I was a fan of North football, and the way into the league was via the merger, good enough. ICT-County merger, if it meant bigger and better things, European super league or such likes then if that was the way forward then so be it.

[buckett]

Would you be happy if ICT were to merge with Ross County and change the name to Highland F.C. ?

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.

[Kingsmills]

Would you be happy if ICT were to merge with Ross County and change the name to Highland F.C. ?

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.

[caleyboy]

Would you be happy if ICT were to merge with Ross County and change the name to Highland F.C. ?

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 -

[The Mantis]

I used to have a peek at the thread occasionally and I know some of the posters as they drop clues to who they are.

Sometimes people remind them that it is a thread to REMEMBER CALEY rather than BASH ICT but too many just end their posts with a swipe at ICT.

A couple of times my own photos have appeared on there - for example somebody blatantly nicked a photo I took of Wilsie Robertson, cropped off the ICT badge and posted the rest without as much as a thank you.

I too stayed away for a bit. Went for a while in 94/5 out of curiosity, lost interest in 95/6 apart from a couple of times just for ground bagging.

Went back in August 97 to a game at Forfar to see if the fancy football would be arriving under Pele. The Forfar fans started abusing Herchie on account of being fat. I started sticking up for Herchie as a Caley legend and suddenly it all started to click. When we battered County 3-1 at Viccy Park it was even better and the players and fans all went into a huddle after the second goal. That season we walked away with the championship and I even thought I might buy a scarf one day.

Agree strongly with Yngwie though, the rest of your life is a long time to feel bitter. I've actually met more ex-Caley fans since I started watching ICT, and loads of other decent guys. Hell, I've even spoken to one or two Jeggies even if it was by mistake.....

Johndo - often Caley printed a list of the last year's results in the programme near the start of the season. Away back then during a bit of a sad phase I catalogued all my Caley programmes onto a spreadsheet and I included the score if I could trace it. However they're Appleworks files, not Excel, so you can't open them on a PC.

I'll print them off though.

Edited March 13, 2009 by The Mantis

[Caley Stan]

ICT-County merger, if it meant bigger and better things, European super league or such likes then if that was the way forward then so be it.

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.

I find the above posts deeply disturbing.

Do none of you have a sentimental attachment to ICT that means more than increasing commercial income, attendances, or even winning football matches?

A football club relies on the togetherness of its fans, the feeling that we all want the best for our club and will support it even when that doesn't seem rational.

That spirit can't be ripped apart and rebuilt into something bigger every few years.

If the comments above represent the general will of the ICT support then the "rebels" are right to use the words soulless, plastic, franchise when they refer to our club.

Fortunately, i don't think those views are representative of the ICT support. We have a new generation of supporters who never attended Telford Street of Kingsmills and are passionate about ICT without any of that baggage. It's taken us almost 15 years to get that far, would you really want to start all over again?

[The Mantis]

Hear hear, well said that man. Fire in the belly. Must be the Greek bird.

[FortressICT]

I cant believe that people are even suggesting a merger with County!! Not true fans if they are willing for that to happen!

[Kingsmills]

I cant believe that people are even suggesting a merger with County!! Not true fans if they are willing for that to happen!

Funnily enough that echos the sentiments of many Thistle and Caley fans a decade and a half ago and just look how far we've come since then !

[FortressICT]

I was only 4 at the time of the merge, so I dont know or understand really about most of it. But that was two inverness clubs. I dont want to be "Inverness County" or whatever and possibly sitting next to someone from Dingwall when watching football.