Merger Dreams

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Well those of you who followed Caley or Thistle in the heady pre-merger days - would you ever have dared to dream that you would - one day - be standing in the away end at Dingwall, on the last day of the season, in the top division of Scottish football, with the prospect of European competion football the reward ?

 

I suppose my only regret is that it is'nt Borough Briggs !!

[Rival]

I watched a few Caley games aged 4-7 and didnt really know what tean I was watching but in the late 90s I couldnt imagine ever finishing above livi and falkirk so this will be either the best or worst game of my life

[Sneckboy]

Talking of the merger, there's an interesting article in the Sunday Mail today. I suppose it adds a bit of perspective if our European push ultimately flounders!

　

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/inverness-caley-stalwart-charlie-christie-1882945

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What a feckin brilliant article and very - very to the point. I suppose that we all (including me) have just expected more and feckin more and have not looked back at where we have come from. But the more yoof we get in to follow the cause the better - I hope that my head will not be severed before I again witness the big away supports that once followed the Caley - and I am talking Highland league and not just the Scottish Cup forays.

 

Lets start the feckin trend next weekend !!

 

[dougal]

Well those of you who followed Caley or Thistle in the heady pre-merger days - would you ever have dared to dream that you would - one day - be standing in the away end at Dingwall, on the last day of the season, in the top division of Scottish football, with the prospect of European competion football the reward ?

 

I suppose my only regret is that it is'nt Borough Briggs !!

Yes you would never have thought about this scenario while waving your tricolour furiously in the Jungle

Dougal

[Kingsmills]

Yip, I remember when the likes of East Stirling coming to town for a Scottish Cup first round tie was regarded as glamorous and victory was an act of 'giant killing'.

 

We have indeed come a very long way.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

 

Well those of you who followed Caley or Thistle in the heady pre-merger days - would you ever have dared to dream that you would - one day - be standing in the away end at Dingwall, on the last day of the season, in the top division of Scottish football, with the prospect of European competion football the reward ?

 

I suppose my only regret is that it is'nt Borough Briggs !!

Yes you would never have thought about this scenario while waving your tricolour furiously in the Jungle

Dougal

 

 

    :lol:      

[Bluesman]

Yes indeed, I have been guilty of getting in a state about recent results but to be true, it's a long way now from the days of looking forward to maybe beating Albion Rovers. According to 'On This Day' on the club site, on 13 May 1995 we played out a 1-1 draw with Queens Park in front of 640.

 

If you get a chance, have a look at a book called Stramash by Daniel Gray (Luath Press). Very funny but also reminded me of the past glories of many of the clubs now down the leagues below us, Cowdenbeath, Alloa, Morton etc. and the huge part they had in the history of their towns when fans worked tough jobs in pits and factories.  Also reminded me about how recent we are as ICT and the success we've had moving up.

 

Feb 2010 at Raith Rovers - "Inverness's Golabek, still carrying weight from Christmas, completed the attention-grab by bolting into a gloriously meaty challenge. Supporters looked to see if a train had derailed and seagulls dived for cover" - we won 4-0 and went on the win the 1st Division. Oh happy day

Edited May 12, 2013 by Bluesman

[dougal]

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

[Kingsmills]

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

 

Charlie Christie will be devastated.

[Charles Bannerman]

When I saw the "M-word" in the title of this thread, I made the very safe prediction that when I opened it up, I would find that Dougal had already emerged from the woodwork to post at least once!

 

But anyway, let's get on with what really matters. It's actually 20 years ago this month that the whole process started which has so far culminated in the top 6 of the SPL and which may further culminate in European status for Caley Thistle in Dingwall on Sunday. It was on 20th May 1993 that INE and the clubs revealed that they were discussing a possible merged bid for national league football and then at their AGM on the 27th, the SFL voted - only because Raith Rovers director Bob Paxton cast his against his instructions - to go to four divisions of 10 by taking in two new clubs.

 

But if it's Europe we're talking about, let's go a further year back to 1992 and the ultimately abortive Superleague breakaway scheme. Inverness was making serious overtures to that too until it collapsed - and while talks were still ongoing, I did an interview with then Clach chairman David Dowling on what national league football could do for Inverness. In the course of the interview, he speculated that one day an Inverness team might play in Europe and he was roundly ridiculed for making what at the time seemed an inconceivable suggestion. Along similar lines, Dougie McGilvray was thought to be off his rocker in 1994 when he bet Tam Cowan live on Radio Scotland that Caley Thistle would be in the Premier League within 10 years - but so it transpired.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Charles Bannerman

[Bluesman]

Yes Dougal, there's a classic Jethro Tull song "Living in The Past" - a great song but not recommended as a way of life....

 

Chill dude

[Alex MacLeod]

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

I read this as an article celebrating 20 years since inception. 20 years since a few people had the foresight to realise that an Inverness team could do what many other teams have failed to do even though they've been established for a hell of a lot longer. What I cant see is any reason why anyone would need to apologise for success.

[Charles Bannerman]

 

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

I read this as an article celebrating 20 years since inception. 20 years since a few people had the foresight to realise that an Inverness team could do what many other teams have failed to do even though they've been established for a hell of a lot longer. What I cant see is any reason why anyone would need to apologise for success.

 

Precisely right Alex. There had been previous half baked suggestions about mergers for decades, but - apart from the 1973 vote when Thistle unsuccessfully went it alone - there was never an opportunity to put one into practice. May 1993 provided just that opportunity.

I was going to say it's a pity that there are just a few people like Doogie who remain in denial and cannot acknowledge the reality that what happened between 1993 and 1996 has been a roaring and still developing success, which of course makes it stick in the throat of those who did their utmost to prevent it from happening and keep Inverness football in the dark ages.

 

I am also now wondering if Dougal is really a staunch pro-mergerite having a long term laugh by posing as some kind of caricature Caley rebel and posting the stuff he does. I'm not really convinced that anyone could sustain the posting of such demonstrable rubbish and actually mean it.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Charles Bannerman

[ForzaCaley]

Dougal is seething......let him be!

[dougal]

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

I read this as an article celebrating 20 years since inception. 20 years since a few people had the foresight to realise that an Inverness team could do what many other teams have failed to do even though they've been established for a hell of a lot longer. What I cant see is any reason why anyone would need to apologise for success.

Precisely right Alex. There had been previous half baked suggestions about mergers for decades, but - apart from the 1973 vote when Thistle unsuccessfully went it alone - there was never an opportunity to put one into practice. May 1993 provided just that opportunity.

I was going to say it's a pity that there are just a few people like Doogie who remain in denial and cannot acknowledge the reality that what happened between 1993 and 1996 has been a roaring and still developing success, which of course makes it stick in the throat of those who did their utmost to prevent it from happening and keep Inverness football in the dark ages.

 

I am also now wondering if Dougal is really a staunch pro-mergerite having a long term laugh by posing as some kind of caricature Caley rebel and posting the stuff he does. I'm not really convinced that anyone could sustain the posting of such demonstrable rubbish and actually mean it.

Oh the irony Bannerman, you accuse me of posting rubbish yet you wrote a book full of complete and utter rubbish

If it's such a roaring success then why are we the worst supported club in the SPL?

Maybe you can explain to me why County have always had a higher average attendance than us when we've both being in the same division?

Can you also explain why there are so many Invernessians that have turned their back on the local side to travel 14 miles north for their football?

This season has been the most successful in the clubs history yet the attendances are getting worse, id hate to think what we would be getting through the turnstiles if we were in the bottom six at the moment

The merger has happened and I agree there is no turning back but I will never sit back and accept things that were done wrongly and pretend things are all rosey in the garden while reading drivel posted by numpties like yourself

Dougal

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Yes Dougal, there's a classic Jethro Tull song "Living in The Past" - a great song but not recommended as a way of life....

 

Chill dude

I would have thought that " Thick As A Brick" was more apt.

[Govan Jaggie]

Really Dougal?

Ross County 4343

Inverness CT 4038

St Johnstone 3640

Can I add that County have had Celtic at home once more than us and for years they have for whatever reason inflated their attendances. I do agree our attendance is poor but make sure you get your facts right first.

As for the merger, I don't really care anymore. There are still people living in the past who need to move on. If they can't then feel free to move to Dingwall.

[Kingsmills]

 

 

 

Very strange time for this sort of article to be released in the press is it not?

Someones going to look a little bit silly next Sunday should it go all wrong and European football is not achieved

Sounds like a grovelling apology to me albeit twenty years too late, and one I personally won't be accepting

Dougal

I read this as an article celebrating 20 years since inception. 20 years since a few people had the foresight to realise that an Inverness team could do what many other teams have failed to do even though they've been established for a hell of a lot longer. What I cant see is any reason why anyone would need to apologise for success. Precisely right Alex. There had been previous half baked suggestions about mergers for decades, but - apart from the 1973 vote when Thistle unsuccessfully went it alone - there was never an opportunity to put one into practice. May 1993 provided just that opportunity.

I was going to say it's a pity that there are just a few people like Doogie who remain in denial and cannot acknowledge the reality that what happened between 1993 and 1996 has been a roaring and still developing success, which of course makes it stick in the throat of those who did their utmost to prevent it from happening and keep Inverness football in the dark ages.

 

I am also now wondering if Dougal is really a staunch pro-mergerite having a long term laugh by posing as some kind of caricature Caley rebel and posting the stuff he does. I'm not really convinced that anyone could sustain the posting of such demonstrable rubbish and actually mean it.

Oh the irony Bannerman, you accuse me of posting rubbish yet you wrote a book full of complete and utter rubbish

If it's such a roaring success then why are we the worst supported club in the SPL?

Maybe you can explain to me why County have always had a higher average attendance than us when we've both being in the same division?

Can you also explain why there are so many Invernessians that have turned their back on the local side to travel 14 miles north for their football?

This season has been the most successful in the clubs history yet the attendances are getting worse, id hate to think what we would be getting through the turnstiles if we were in the bottom six at the moment

The merger has happened and I agree there is no turning back but I will never sit back and accept things that were done wrongly and pretend things are all rosey in the garden while reading drivel posted by numpties like yourself

Dougal

 

 

Yes, good point Dougal, I've always thought that if we could only get the hoards of refuseniks currently milling aimlessly about Dalneigh on a Saturday afternoon to come along the ground would be full to bursting even for mundane fixtures and we would have to build that West Stand.

[Charles Bannerman]

Look folks, maybe it's not a great idea to allow celebration of ICT's meteoric success and the 20th anniversary of the conception of that club to be sidetracked by the likes of Doogie.

The first four posts were absolutely great, but since then, Inverness's answer to the Flat Earth Society has unfortunately become able to sidetrack this thread.

Don't rise to it!

[old caley girl]

Back on topic I was talking about this subject with some folk on saturday. I think when the merger was taking place it was hoped that the club would go on to bigger heights over the years but imo this season has been something else. To be one of the top teams in Scotland consistantly for months was I think beyond our wildest dreams 20 years ago. I personally am very proud of where we have got too and rather than merger topics decending as usual into a slanging match can we not, for a change, celebrate the present and also celebrate our history (from both clubs)!

 

My childhood memories are of HL (which was great btw) but my boys memories will consist of SPL matches and maybe just maybe a European dream realised.

[RednBlackComeback]

It's not the first time I've been dreaming of european football. Has everyone forgotten the fact that Jags were just 18 hours away from reaching the European Cup Winners Cup Final in 1985 ?

[Rainbow]

Dougal is seething......let him be!

 

Maybe he is really Deek's lost brother

[Charles Bannerman]

It's not the first time I've been dreaming of european football. Has everyone forgotten the fact that Jags were just 18 hours away from reaching the European Cup Winners Cup Final in 1985 ?

 

Maybe you should outshine the Aberdeen fans and have an even bigger 30th anniversary celebration of that come 2015!

 

Now there's an interesting thought! How many hours away from the Cupwinners Cup final was the first round of our old friend, the Qualifying Cup?

[Bluesman]

Indeed. How many hours and how many £millions....

Edited May 13, 2013 by Bluesman