Old Highland League days....

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Sponsored by Four Crown, Convoy and Cape Club Sherry - those were the days !!!

[Charles Bannerman]

It's a pity that Third Lanark went defunct. They should have merged with Motherwell, Albion Rovers and Airdrie to form a Lanarkshire select and called it Buckie Thistle

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And

[Charles Bannerman]

Ah, the third round (quarter finals) of the Qualifying Cup! It used to be the most important day in Highland football because these games each October decided the four teams that went into the Scottish Cup. If your club got through then the world was potentially your oyster.

The ideal outcome was to start off with a first round bye followed by a winnable second round home tie against Spartans or St Cuthberts or similar and make the last 32 when the big boys came in, and there were a lot of games against the big boys in the 80s.

On the other hand, compared with Inverness football as it now is, some of these big boys are now quite small boys.

[Charles Bannerman]

On the other hand, compared with Inverness football as it now is, some of these big boys are now quite small boys.

On that subject, remember the celebrations when humble Caley (OK that's possibly the ultimate oxymoron in the language of old Inverness football!) performed giant killing feats by eliminating, for instance, Airdrie and Clyde. How the Scottish game has inverted itself, Rangers and Hearts also being massively high profile cup opponents of the 80s who now find themselves in the lower leagues. Then there's the likes of St Mirren and Kilmarnock who remain in Scotland's top flight but are struggling either for survival or a top six place while the current Inverness agenda is possible European football.

 

Hey... I think I've just dreamt up a Highland News Sportsview topic for next week in advance of the Scottish Cup quarter finals against the 1994 Coca Cola Cup winners who now also find themselves in the lower leagues.

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I think that I deserve a mention then and here is a mottled crew

[Charles Bannerman]

I think that I deserve a mention then and here is a mottled crew

What's the collective noun for "Rodgers"?

[dougiedanger]

I think that I deserve a mention then and here is a mottled crew

 

Not sure which typo you have made here IHE--should be either a "y" at the end or a "d" at the beginning.

[dougiedanger]

 

I think that I deserve a mention then and here is a mottled crew

What's the collective noun for "Rodgers"?

 

 

A Buck.

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The Caley boys refuse to leave ?

[IBM]

That looks like Ken Macpherson taking a photograph!

[Charles Bannerman]

That looks like Ken Macpherson taking a photograph!

That's Kenny righteenuff! What's the game? Last derby at Kingsmills?

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We'll do what we want, we'll do what we waaanntt, we are the Caley, we'll do what we want.

[Charles Bannerman]

we are the Caley, we'll do what we want.

 

Oh, you mean it was the Qualifying Cup first round tie at Kingsmills at the start of that last HL season 1993-94.... where Thistle put Caley out?

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So many potential retorts

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LOL - it could only happen to a Jeggie ?!

[Charles Bannerman]

That "programme" unfortunately doesn't have a date so, unable to trace detailed records of the Highland League Cup other than winners, I set myself the challenge of working it out. 

It's 1976 -  that year of the long hot summer and the heyday of the Hayloft -  possibly Wednesday 1st September, and Caley must have won the game since they also won the cup.

The date must be between 1971 and 1993 inclusive because the programme costs 5p rather than 1 shilling and decimalisation was in February 1971 while Thistle and Caley merged early in 1994. There is a reference to Thistle going to play Rothes on "Saturday 4th September" and the only years within that time bracket which had such a date were 1971, 1976, 1982 and 1993.

1993 can be eliminated because on 4.9.93. Thistle were indeed playing in the Preliminary round of the Q Cup - but against Caley whom they beat 2-0 at Kingsmills in their last ever Q Cup derby five days before the merger votes.

1982 can also be eliminated because Clach won the Highland League Cup that year, but the text says that in the year in question Caley put Clach out in round 1.

That leaves 1971 and 1976 and indeed Caley won the HL Cup on both occasions. However there is a reference to Caley having already won the short lived Bells Cup, which they did in 1976 while the trophy didn't exist in 71.

The only thing that is confusing me is the reference to Caley as "Hunter's Heroes". The first thought was that this might refer to Willie Hunter's managerial tenure, but that was from 1979 - 81 so I just can't resolve that one.

 

PS - 5p at 1976 prices is still pretty dear for a sub-standard typrewritten match programme!

[IBM]

I couldn't see Bryan Munro putting out one like that now!

[Charles Bannerman]

I couldn't see Bryan Munro putting out one like that now!

Given the element of (necessary) cost cutting with the ICT programme.... don't bargain on that!

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Did the Jeggies ever say who they were playing or was it the same cover every week ?

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Could be worth a few bob against a now defunct outfit ?!!

[Charles Bannerman]

Could be worth a few bob against a now defunct outfit ?!!

Would that be the game which led to Billy Urquhart being signed by Rangers?

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Aye Yoghurt scored a hat trick and went to Rangers - now help me out with this one - love the strip

[duke]

Urquhart's testimonial, and I think that is Brian Reid who was Ayr Utd manager after his playing days were over.

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What an eyesore