The old Caley v Leicester City friendly.

[scotland]

Hi,

Does anyone have any info on a game between Caley and Leicester City at Telford Street in the late 70s, early 80s?

Tried google etc, but can't seem to find anything.

I'm sure Jock Wallace was the manager and that Lineker played for Leicester.

Cheers.

[Yngwie]

I was there and still have the match programme at my parents house (100 miles away so i can't look it up!).

It was a midweek evening match in the early 80's, and I'm pretty sure Leicester were in the top flight at the time. You are right about Lineker, and I think Steve Lynex was also a big player for them at the time. The fixture was arranged when we sold Kevin MacDonald to them.

Leicester won 4-0, which somewhat flattered them, and I recall Caley had a good penalty shout turned down.

[scotland]

Thanks for that. Was going mad trying to remember details.

I never went to the game, but remember it happening.

It makes sense that there is a tie in with MacDonald.

Would love to see the programme if you ever get the chance to post it up.

Cheers pal.

[Charles Bannerman]

I don't have my copy of Caley All The Way to hand at the moment but I'll check this when I get a chance (unless someone else can do the job quicker?)

But I do, like Yngwie, recollect that it was linked with Kevin MacDonald's move from Caley to Leicester?

[old caley girl]

I remember being there. It was definitely after kevin went south arguably the most successful player to come out of the highlands.

[SMEE]

I remember being there. It was definitely after kevin went south arguably the most successful player to come out of the highlands.

I dont think theres any arguing about it. For my money, he had the most illustrious career. Capt of leicester City. Played in Liverpools double winning team (might have even been a european cup final appearance too. Think he was even Capt of Coventry for a while too....not to mention Managing Aston Villa in the modern day EPL.

Only blot on the landscape was his time playing for Rangers 2012 lol

OBVIOUSLY tho....the high point would have been playing for the mighty Caledonian Fc!!

Edited March 16, 2012 by SMEE

[SMEE]

Ooh...and one of my wee fve bits of trivia for y'all.....Kevin was an ex pupil of Inverness High School. My old PE teacher told us one day that Kevin is the only person he ever heard off, being sent off, in a game of.................BADMINGTON lol

[old caley girl]

Ooh...and one of my wee fve bits of trivia for y'all.....Kevin was an ex pupil of Inverness High School. My old PE teacher told us one day that Kevin is the only person he ever heard off, being sent off, in a game of.................BADMINGTON lol

Smee I remember Kevin well. He was a prefect in the high school when I started there. Still have some old school mags from then. Thevhighcschool also had a good football team then with several players who went on to play highland league. Btw I agree that he is the best player to come out of the highlands but fun illy enough this has been debated recently with cowrie playing at wembley.

Edited March 16, 2012 by old caley girl

[Charles Bannerman]

I remember being there. It was definitely after kevin went south arguably the most successful player to come out of the highlands.

I dont think theres any arguing about it. For my money, he had the most illustrious career. Capt of leicester City. Played in Liverpools double winning team (might have even been a european cup final appearance too. Think he was even Capt of Coventry for a while too....not to mention Managing Aston Villa in the modern day EPL.

Only blot on the landscape was his time playing for Rangers 2012 lol

OBVIOUSLY tho....the high point would have been playing for the mighty Caledonian Fc!!

Yes I think I'm with SMEE on that one.... and into the bargain his dad gave me my first mortgage! In fact Doxers was also instrumental in getting me an early scoop as a rookie BBC reporter when he got me in contact with Kevin on the phone for BBC Highland in these pre mobile days right off the back of his double win with Liverpool in I think 1985 or maybe 86.

I've checked "Caley All The Way" and can't find any reference to the Leicester game itself but there are a few paragraphs about Kevin's move to Leicester. Alex Main explains that it was actually himself who signed Kevin for Caley on semi professional forms in 77-78 and gave him his first appearance in 79. Moving on then into Willie Hunter's era, Kevin made 56 appearances, scoring 22, 10 of them penalties. (Clearly penalties were more easily obtainable for Inverness teams in these days! )

Hunter then recommended him to Jock Wallace and a HL record fee of £26,000 was paid.

Alex then comments that although Caley were happy enough with the fee, it was also an excellent deal for Leicester who got a captain and ultimately £450,000 from Liverpool who regarded him as a replacement for Graham Souness.

Kevin of course was also present at the Hyssel disaster in 1985 and I'm sure Doxers had gone over to the game since I have a recollection of him telling me how harrowing the whole thing was.

Edited March 16, 2012 by Charles Bannerman

[ymip]

Aha, my specialist subject........

The friendly in question was played on March 28th 1983. My 10th birthday to be precise. The reason I remember this game so vividly is that this was the first game I'd ever been allowed to go to unaccompanied. From this game onwards I barely missed a home game until I left Inverness to go to Uni in Aberdeen. This was effectively the game that triggered the madness which has lasted for almost thirty years. The fact that we got humped four nil should possibly have been a sign of things to come.

Kevin MacDonald was the big draw for us Howdenenders but a certain jug-eared lad by the name of Lineker also featured. Ian Wilson (ex Elgin City and later Scotland) was also in the Leicester line-up.

I'l dig the programme out tonight and stick the team lines up. Might get a wee bit teary eyed listing the Caley side.

I think I'm right on saying there was a copy of said programme on e-bay last week - might still be up if anyone's that way inclined.

[Charles Bannerman]

Aha, my specialist subject........ The friendly in question was played on Might get a wee bit teary eyed listing the Caley side.

Go on!! Have a good blubber!

[tm4tj]

Aye, Kevin was like a pencil when he played for Dalneigh, plenty of skill though and by Christ he filled out once he was at Leicester. Legs like tree trunks.

[Yngwie]

The friendly in question was played on March 28th 1983.

Which was a Monday.

[Scarlet Pimple]

I remember a game between them in the 1950's, . They played in a white strip then.....?

Leicester won by a couple of goals.

Is anybody interested...?

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I recall seeing some photos of the game on the web but can't remember exactly where

[Alex MacLeod]

_{I put Bing image search in for Caledonian v Leicester and the first pic that hit me was this one. CaleyD's twin}

[Ronaldo]

I reckon Kevin would have got an international cap had he not broken his leg.

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

I remember a game between them in the 1950's, . They played in a white strip then.....?

Leicester won by a couple of goals.

Is anybody interested...?

1955/6 - Inverness Select 0 Leicester City 2

[Charles Bannerman]

I remember a game between them in the 1950's, . They played in a white strip then.....? Leicester won by a couple of goals. Is anybody interested...?

1955/6 - Inverness Select 0 Leicester City 2

Anything to do with Alec Bowman?

[Caley Mad In Berks]

I remember a game between them in the 1950's, . They played in a white strip then.....? Leicester won by a couple of goals. Is anybody interested...?

1955/6 - Inverness Select 0 Leicester City 2

Anything to do with Alec Bowman?

Almost certainly as a result of Bowman moving south. Good left winger he was too.

[Charles Bannerman]

Almost certainly as a result of Bowman moving south. Good left winger he was too.

Yes, all CATW says is what is common knowledge anyway which is that Alec went to Leicester in the 50s. I think it's very likely that this earlier game would have been part of that deal.

[Scarlet Pimple]

TICHY--WHAT A GUY. iMAGINE YOU DIGGING THAT ONE UP.

YES! I WAS 17 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME. AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAW A 'FOREIGN 'TEAM AT T

IT WAS A CLEAR, FAIR DAY AND LEICESTER WERE IN THE WHITE STRIP.

I also remember that the English boys were taller and fitter than the select lads.

Does anybody else remember that game by any chance>

[BornCaley]

I remember this game well! A bloody cold night and Caley were played off the park. But an English team playing in Inverness was unheard off in those days. Im sure i have the programme somewhere and great memories of Kevin Mac!

[DJS]

My only recollection of the game is missing it because of a 21st birthday party.

Funnily enough, I met the girl in question at the weekend and she's 50 this month!!!!!!

[Scarlet Pimple]

OMG. Born Caley , you must be nearly, (but not quite) as old as the Pimple. And all this time I have been thinking of you as being an enthusiastic youngster.....

Obviously one of us is having memory problems--you remember it as an evening game and I remember it as being an afternoon one,. Did Caley have flooodlights in these days? If so, they were not on. . Therefore it must havp played on a Summer evening....eh?