Caledonian or Thistle

[BornCaley]

I have many happy memories of derby days at Kingsmills & Telford street..those games were big crowds, similar to the Caley v C**ty games, so Thistle had a decent sized support. However a lot of Thistle fans were of the opinion that they were taken over rather than merged. With hindsight i can see their point now

anyway we are all one big happy family now huh!

[Charles Bannerman]

I tend to be a bit backward at coming forward, but if the younger generation want to find out about how Caley Thistle came about there's a book available.... I don't know if there are any copies still left in the club shop.

In response to those on both sides of the previous divide who reckon they were "robbed" I will simply quote the statistic that at the end of 1993, Caley contributed 70% of the assets, 80% of the membership (OK after something of a freak "recruitment" campaign by both Caley's pro and anti lobbies) and 90% of the fundraising capacity. Hardly an equal merger, but not grounds for a monopoly either, and that's the way it turned out.

Wonderul comment about that Old Folks' Home which is the ICT Social Club.... and not a little truth in it too.  :015:

[Charles Bannerman]

It's a well known fact that that the stigma of coming from Hilton only decreased (and then marginally) when 10CC became ICT manager.

Not to mention that Caley Thistle's major shareholder is also a Hilton loon, and an ex Jags fan. On one occasion he told me that when he was a lad he used to have to stand on the terraces at Kingsmills because he couldn't afford to go into the stand.  :015:

[Caley Mad In Berks]

I moved to Hilton when I was about 11.  Prior to that we lived in a tied house behind one of the big nursing homes on Island Bank Road, where my Dad was Head Gardener.  Fortunately I'd started supporting Caley before I moved, otherwise I might have ended up supporting Thistle, as many of my friends in Hilton did. 

[caley100]

Think my username may be a givaway...  but i was taken to Kinsmills to see thistle when a youngster, but i had a vision and soon became a Caley supporter.

[Doresboy]

Dores United FC and Caley FC.... Before the TAKEOVER would go up the hill when Caley were away well it was better or safer than going to see the clach

Was thinking the oldest Jaggie fan must be now at least....95? :blah01: :blah01:

[Govan Jaggie]

No offence but I aint going to bother voting (people know anyway) but this is a pointless vote that has been done time and time again.  All that it does is open up any wounds that may exsist.  Can we stop this and future threads on this subject as we are now Inverness Caley Thistle.  History is important but it is just that, HISTORY.

[L_G]

No offence but I aint going to bother voting (people know anyway) but this is a pointless vote that has been done time and time again.  All that it does is open up any wounds that may exsist.  Can we stop this and future threads on this subject as we are now Inverness Caley Thistle.  History is impartant but it is just that, HISTORY.

:021: :021:

[+Tree]

Although the anti-merger mob were all Caley as far as i know.

Yeah, it was a Caley Fan who waged a year long legal battle to court to stop the transfer of Thistle's Assets  :029:

[BornCaley]

Govan Jaggie...I started the poll/Thread because im a newbie to this site. Living in Edinburgh for the last 10 years im out of touch of whats happening to my club locally, albiet i goto all the away games & a few home games, im not hearing the rumours etc etc like i used to. so i merely wanted to see who's who.  Theres no intent on opening any wounds, besides there long gone as far as im concered.

To be honest ive always wanted to know about the thistle side of ICT....Ive been Caley, Caley Caley all my life and i suppose at the time i didnt really think about my Thistle bro's until now.

And i agree that its history now, and i dont look to the past, but should i then i visit the Caley or Thistle Nostalgia web sites for those memories, sniff!.

Peace

Chris

[tm4tj]

Clach

Caley and County were the benefactors from the demise of Clachs title winning team of 74.

Thistle second choice and Caley a distant and hated third.

[+dumpmaster]

Caledonian FC - Lived in dalneigh only about 400 yards from Telford street so there was only one choice for me

[BIGTAMS]

Caledonian FC - Lived in dalneigh only about 400 yards from Telford street so there was only one choice for me

You must have lived next door to me, i was about 396 yards from the howden end.  :004:

[tm4tj]

yes, just a three wood away.

[Kingsmills]

What surprises me, given that the merger was a decade and a half ago, is that so few seem to have had no allegiance to either club before the merger.

I would have thought that at least a third of fans would have fallen into that category by now.

[caleyboy]

Although the anti-merger mob were all Caley as far as i know.

Yeah, it was a Caley Fan who waged a year long legal battle to court to stop the transfer of Thistle's Assets   :029:

No Tree it was a Jaggie who took the court action to freeze the Jags assets and eventually lost!

[The Mantis]

Zooooooooooooooooooooom!

[+Tree]

Although the anti-merger mob were all Caley as far as i know.

Yeah, it was a Caley Fan who waged a year long legal battle to court to stop the transfer of Thistle's Assets   :029:

No Tree it was a Jaggie who took the court action to freeze the Jags assets and eventually lost!

Really. Do they have sarcasm down your way  :017:

[BornCaley]

Oh jeez..maybe i have opened old wounds...which was not the point of the post

I dont think its important these days who did what at the time...it was a long time ago and we stand side by side now with one voice

what is important is ICT and the future of this club we love so much

[Charles Bannerman]

Oh jeez..maybe i have opened old wounds...which was not the point of the post

I dont think its important these days who did what at the time...it was a long time ago and we stand side by side now with one voice

what is important is ICT and the future of this club we love so much

I don't really think you have opened old wounds inasmuch as the only people likely to take offence at reference to the merger this long past the event are the rump (and believe me, there are not nearly as many of them as some urban myths suggest!) who refused to have anything to do with ICT from the start.

If people want to discuss from time to time the important sequence of events in the history of Inverness which ultimately brought Premier League football to the Highlands then I think there's nothing wrong with that.. as long as folk still remember that the way ahead is forward.

If the Buenos "Chicky Allan :026:" Hornells of this world take offence then tough... but they should feel free to discuss the issue at their next Battle of Rose Street Revivalist Meeting which I understand is to take place in one of the telephone boxes which have recently been declared surplus to requirement. (Perhaps someone could let off a large commemorative firework during the proceedings.  :015:)

Regarding Kingsmills' comment about the proportion of fans who have no former allegiance to either club, I would suggest that even his estimate of one third is on the low side, given the number aged under about 22, the number of incomers, the death rate among former Thistle/ Caley fans over the last 14 years and the fact that both clubs enjoyed massively smaller crowds than turn out nowadays. Perhaps a larger proportion of the older HL fans log on here? I also wonder if, in the wider community, some people who claim to be "lifelong Caley or Jags" were in fact of the armchair variety whose loyalty was based on the time they queued for tickets for games against the likes of St. Johnstone and Kilmarnock whilst gleaning results from the Football Times.

I have to say that the extremely subtle sarcasm  :004: in the reference to the Thistle court action had me giving that post a double take too for a few seconds!

Just in case anyone is in ANY doubt, the Caley Rebels indeed grabbed most of the headlines and there were far more of them than there were Thistle refuseniks. But one Thistle fan - Martin Ross who was 18 at the time - did obtain an interdict in June 1994 which seriously restricted what Thistle could do with Kingsmills Park until the case was decided by Sherriff James Fraser in May 1995 (and Ross then lost his appeal in the July).

This legal action not only starved CT of assets for a year but also put Thistle so far on to the diplomatic back foot that it very nearly forced them out of the merger and Inverness out of Scottish League football. I could argue (but I won't go into it at the moment) that Martin Ross's action brought the merger scheme closer to disaster than the Caley Rebels ever did.

By the way, Martin Ross was then liable for costs for that action, which I believe ran to about ?10,000. I have repeatedly heard it alleged that he departed Inverness without paying them and have never been aware of any subsequent payment having been made.

[caleyboy]

Although the anti-merger mob were all Caley as far as i know.

Yeah, it was a Caley Fan who waged a year long legal battle to court to stop the transfer of Thistle's Assets   :029:

No Tree it was a Jaggie who took the court action to freeze the Jags assets and eventually lost!

Really. Do they have sarcasm down your way  :017:

Oh - what a klonker  :splat02:

[BornCaley]

Thanks Charles...I must admit ive only hear rumours about the Anti Merger lot over the years...even some that they were still going with their court cases only a few years ago..

anyway thanks for that

Peace

[Charles Bannerman]

BC... beg, borrow or steal (but not from the ICT Shop!) a copy of Against All Odds. The whole merger story is there... warts and all.

[BornCaley]

Er didnt you write that?

I might just do that...it will go nicely with my "Caley all the Way" book that i still have from years ago

[starchief]

Clach

Though I actually liked all the Highland clubs.  I know it's a bit strange but if Ross County/Skye/Nairn etc were losing to Clach, I'd hope they would make a comeback and just have a good game.  I still like all the Highland clubs.  I know we're supposed to be rivals with Ross County but I like them and hope they get to the SPL too!  Always get a bit embarrassed when people criticise Ross C for being teuchters.  Inverness is hardly metropolis! The isolation and access to the wilds is one of my favourite things about Inverness/the Highlands.