UNTIL 1994, the Highlands were somewhere most senior clubs looked to go in the Scottish Cup every so often.
The A9 was a road you only took if you were a central or southern side going away to St Johnstone. Unless you WERE St Johnstone, in which case you travelled along it regularly during the season.
Then the Scottish Football League made a decision that changed that. In very different fashions, Inverness CT and Ross County were admitted to the top four divisions. No longer was Aberdeen the furthest north away day in Scottish league football. This was a new venture for supporters. To this day, the prospect of playing them, in league or cup, is still relished by away fans all over the country.
But it’s about more than that. Over the past two decades, the two clubs have advanced through the three league divisions to move among Scotland’s elite. Something which isn’t very easy to achieve, especially when one started life as a newly-merged outfit. Here’s a look at their first season in national league football, along with what they have achieved since, and an analysis of what the future holds.
In the beginning
There could hardly have been more contrasting circumstances behind the admission of the two clubs to the SFL ranks, a decision taken in January 1994.
Ross County’s admission to the league would surely have been a no-brainer. For some years, they had shown in the Scottish Cup that despite their Highland League status, they could mix it with opposition from Scottish football’s main four divisions. The best example of this was the season before they started were admitted, in 1993/94. An 11-0 annihilation of St Cuthbert Wanderers in round one was followed by a second round tie at Forfar, who themselves had scored eight in the first round at home to Queen of the South. A 4-0 win for County – as the away team – reinforced their reputation as a side which sometimes could be a bit more than a banana skin. They lost to Alloa in round three but their cup exploits, in this and other campaigns, made them strong candidates to join the new Third Division, which they did under manager Bobby Wilson.
In contrast, Caledonian Thistle did not even exist as a club when consideration was taking place over who should complete the league line-up for season 1994/95. At the time, Caledonian FC and Inverness Thistle had been local rivals for more than a century, Caledonian playing at Telford Street Park while Kingsmills Park was Thistle’s home. Caledonian were the more successful, with a record 18 Highland League titles to their name. Thistle, meanwhile, had previously applied for SFL membership in 1974, losing out to Ferranti Thistle (later Meadowbank Thistle and then Livingston) by one vote. Both sides could have made a convincing case to make the step up.
However, behind the scenes, plans were brewing that were to infuriate supporters of both Inverness clubs. A merger was felt to be the best option to enter the SFL, as it was considered unlikely that both clubs would get in, and possibly neither would gain entry if both applied. Despite huge opposition, the plans went ahead and eventually, the merged Caledonian Thistle was invited to join the SFL with Ross County. Caledonian manager Sergei Baltacha, a former Soviet Union internationalist, took control of the side, inheriting players from both Inverness sides. They would also play at Caledonian’s Telford Street Park, but a condition of their entry was that they would move into a new stadium at the earliest opportunity.
The first season
Both Highland clubs’ first matches as members of the Scottish Football League were not in the Third Division, but in the first round of the League Cup, each against opposition from their own league. Ross County had home advantage, against Queen’s Park, while Caledonian Thistle were handed a trip to Firs Park to play East Stirlingshire. That match was a routine victory, with Wilson Robertson opening the scoring and an own goal sealing a 2-0 result for the visitors. However, Ross County’s tie went right to the wire. Goals by Brian Grant and Jamie MacPherson established a 2-0 lead only for the Glasgow side, making a long midweek trip to Dingwall, to fight back and equalise at 2-2. Extra time was looming before Grant scored his second of the game and County, like Caledonian Thistle, could celebrate cup progress in their first match since joining the SFL.
And so it was on to the league season’s opening day – Saturday, August 13 1994. Seventeen hundred people packed into Telford Street Park for Caledonian Thistle’s first-ever SFL fixture, against Arbroath. It was only 13 minutes into the match before they saw Alan Hercher head home Graeme Bennett’s corner to score the club’s first goal in a national division. Within a further 20 minutes Hercher, who celebrated his 29th birthday only two days before the game, had a hat-trick as a result of finding the net a further twice, giving the hosts a 3-0 half time lead. It could hardly have been a more pleasing first 45 minutes of football for the new club. Arbroath threatened to spoil the party and pulled the scoreline back to 3-2 in the second half, but further goals by Paul McKenzie and then Robertson sealed it. The day was meant for Caledonian Thistle.
The fact that their Highland rivals were at home on the league season’s opening day meant that Ross County had to start with an away fixture. It was at Cowdenbeath, who finished the 1993/94 season as Scotland’s bottom club, four points behind Albion Rovers. Despite being the league’s new boys, and having to go away from home, County were the favourites going into the Central Park encounter and delivered a 2-0 victory with Billy Herd opening the scoring and MacPherson sealing it.
Despite two wins out of two for both clubs, reality was about to bite as both teams sustained hefty defeats in the League Cup second round, with County well beaten 5-0 at home by Raith Rovers. Newly relegated from the Premier Division, the Kirkcaldy team crushed County with an Ally Graham hat-trick and single goals by Gordon Dalziel and Colin Cameron. In the end, that result would turn out to be no disgrace, as Raith went on to lift the League Cup by defeating Celtic on penalties in the final. Meanwhile, Caledonian Thistle were beaten 3-0 at Dundee who, like Raith, had just been relegated from the top flight.
Neither side was to win their second league fixture either. Caledonian Thistle, buoyed by their five-goal rout against Arbroath, were at home again the following Saturday to play Queen’s Park. With the Spiders having lost their opening fixture 2-1 at home to Forfar Athletic, confidence among the Inverness team would have been high. However, they were beaten 4-0 by Queens, for whom Ian Maxwell, who would later become a Ross County player, scored twice. Meanwhile, County were again away from home, against East Stirlingshire, and although not victorious this time around, at least maintained their unbeaten start to the league season. MacPherson was again on target, this time along with Barry Wilson, as they held the Shire to a 2-2 draw.
Both sides had an ideal opportunity to bounce back on the last Saturday of August – the first-ever Highland derby contested in the SFL by the two clubs. Ross County had home advantage in a Third Division fixture for the first time and found the net to open the scoring within 11 minutes. Unfortunately for them, the goal found by Sandy MacLeod was his own one, putting Caledonian Thistle ahead in front of a crowd of more than 3,000. By half time, the home side were also reduced to 10 men after Gary Campbell was sent off. Referee Joe Kelly then produced the red card again just five minutes after the restart as the visitors’ Mike Andrew conceded a penalty. He was sent off for a professional foul and Andrew MacLeod equalised from the spot.
Then it all went downhill for County as, remarkably, they shot themselves in the foot again with a second own goal. This time it was scored by Chris Somerville, on 62 minutes, as he deflected in Robertson’s cross. It was Robertson himself who made it 3-1 for the Inverness side with 15 minutes left, and that was how the game stayed. Caledonian Thistle were travelling back across the Kessock Bridge with bragging rights in their first-ever SFL derby fixture.
The rest of the 1994/95 season was to be all about ups and downs for both clubs. Both fell at the opening hurdles in their first-ever campaigns in the Challenge Cup, although Caledonian Thistle did have the boost of a bye through to round two. County’s first round assignment was away to East Fife where, despite an Andrew MacLeod goal, they lost 2-1. Caledonian Thistle’s second round match saw them eliminated by the same opposition who put them out of the League Cup, although Dundee found it much tougher at Telford Street Park. The tie went all the way to penalties after a 1-1 draw where Danny MacDonald’s early goal for the hosts was cancelled out by Morten Wieghorst. Both McKenzie and Dave Brennan failed to convert in the shoot-out, which was won 4-3 by the Tayside club.
When the Highland rivals next met, in Inverness on Saturday, October 29 1994, Caledonian Thistle were the higher-placed in the league by two points. However, County went into the match off the back of two convincing home victories – 3-0 against Albion Rovers and 4-0 against Cowdenbeath. They kept a clean sheet again but this time did not find the net themselves and ended up ruing a missed opportunity in the second half. Just as in the first meeting, Andrew MacLeod stepped up to take a penalty, but his kick hit the post and keeper Mark McRitchie saved the loose ball, ensuring the game finished goalless.
As the novelty of their presence in the SFL wore off, both sides struggled for consistency as the season went on. When the Scottish Cup came round in December, the fortunes in the first round were reversed, with Ross County given a bye to round two while Caledonian Thistle had to host Second Division Queen of the South. The Dumfries side, despite a long journey, were too strong and took a 2-1 victory, with Mark McAllister pulling one back for the home side in the final minute.
Around the turn of the year, things were gradually clicking for Ross County. When the third derby match took place in Dingwall on Monday, January 2 1995, they went into it after three consecutive victories without conceding a goal. In contrast, Inverness made the trip to Victoria Park without a win in four games, including their cup exit to Queen of the South. The better form told on the day as, at the third time of asking, County got the better of their Highland rivals, completely reversing the 3-1 scoreline they were on the receiving end of in August. However, they had to do it the hard was as Andrew, sent off in his last match at Ross County, scored the opener for Caledonian Thistle after 20 minutes. The home side still trailed going into the second half but an equaliser by MacPherson, and then a double by Brian Grant, gave them the result. Five days later, County won their first Scottish Cup match as an SFL side, winning 3-2 at Third Division rivals Alloa in the second round.
Their reward in round three was a tie away to Second Division East Fife, a match they would undertake having won another three consecutive league matches since the New Year derby. But the trip to Bayview Park had to be made in midweek as a result of bad weather. In the end, for the second time this season, the Fifers dumped County out of a cup competition, this time by a 1-0 scoreline with a Gilbert Allan goal. County, though, continued to thrive in the Third Division and slowly it became possible that they could win promotion in their first-ever season in the national league. When Arbroath won 1-0 at Victoria Park on Saturday, February 18 1995, it was the home side’s first league defeat in over three months. Caledonian Thistle, meanwhile, had slipped into the bottom half of the league and it was becoming clear that they would spend a second season in the Third Division.
The final derby took place on Saturday, May 6 1995. County were still chasing promotion, but had suffered a blow two weeks before when they lost at home to both of the top two, Forfar Athletic and Montrose, within four days. They trailed second-placed Montrose by a point and, with this being the penultimate league fixture, anything other than a win at Inverness would end their chances if Montrose won at Cowdenbeath. Despite being the away side they were considered favourites, with Caledonian Thistle having only won four times in 1995. However, it was not to be. Norman MacMillan had Caledonian Thistle ahead just before half time in front of a crowd of more than 3,500. By the time Hercher made it 2-0 in the second half, and Charlie Christie then added a third, Montrose were well clear at Cowdenbeath, eventually winning 4-0. Ross County, despite a valiant effort as they adapted to their new surroundings, were to spend another season in the Third Division as promotion went to Forfar and Montrose.
Since…
Baltacha resigned from Caledonian Thistle at the end of the season, being replaced by Steve Paterson, who had led Huntly to back-to-back Highland League titles.
The Inverness side was the first of the two Highland outfits to win promotion, lifting the Third Division title at the end of the 1996/97 season. By this time they had added their hometown to their name and become Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Inverness CT). They were also in their new stadium, the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. Only two years later they were a First Division club, finishing the 1998/99 season as Second Division runners-up to Livingston, all of 19 points clear of third-placed Clyde.
It was during the following season that they endured perhaps their finest hour to date. On Tuesday, February 8 2000, they were away to Celtic in a Scottish Cup third round tie. Although the Parkhead club were playing catch-up in the SPL they were expected to win fairly easily. In the end, in the words of a famous headline, Super Caley Went Ballistic as Celtic Were Atrocious. Barry Wilson, formerly of Ross County, gave Inverness the lead and although Mark Burchill levelled, a Bobby Mann effort, recognised by some as a Lubomir Moravcik own goal, gave the visitors back the advantage. Ten minutes into the second half, Paul Sheerin’s penalty conversion completed the scoring and gave Inverness a night to remember. In the words of manager Paterson, it was the time the club arrived in Scottish football.
Despite their cup success it took Inverness CT until 2004 to secure promotion to the top flight of Scottish football – whereupon they were hit with more stadium trouble as the Caledonian Stadium did not have the requisite number of seats for the SPL’s criteria. A temporary measure saw them groundshare with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. After five seasons in the SPL, Inverness CT were relegated for the first time in their history in 2009. However, it only took them one year to bounce back and in 2010 they were back in the top flight, where they have been ever since. Last season the club reached its first major final, losing to Aberdeen on penalties.
Meanwhile, Bobby Wilson stayed on as Ross County manager for a further season in the SFL before making way for Neale Cooper. After more close calls, County were finally promoted out of the Third Division, as runaway champions, in 1999. With Inverness CT also promoted to the First Division, it was a double success for the Highlands. After only one year in the Second Division, they went up again, finishing the third of three teams promoted due to league reconstruction. Seven seasons were to elapse before County were relegated back to the Second Division in 2007. But only one year later, they were back in the second tier, winning the second league title of their senior history.
In 2010, County had a Scottish Cup triumph over Celtic in Glasgow to remember themselves. In the semi-final of the competition, at Hampden Park, goals by Steven Craig and Martin Scott gave them a 2-0 victory over the Parkhead side. However, it was not to be in the final, as they were beaten 3-0 by Dundee United. Two years later, though, came the day Ross County had aimed for since they joined the national league. They won the First Division title and, as a result, joined their Highland rivals Inverness CT in being a top-flight club in Scotland.
Both teams have also won the Challenge Cup in their 20 years in the SFL. Inverness CT were the first to do so, augmenting their First Division title success in 2003/04 with a 2-0 win over Airdrie in the Challenge Cup final. However, since then, County have lifted the trophy twice, firstly in 2006/07, beating Clyde on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and then again in 2010/11, defeating Queen of the South 2-0. Both Inverness CT and Ross County have also been beaten finalists twice.
Future
So where do Inverness CT and Ross County go now? Established as top-flight clubs, but still some way short of being contenders to win the Scottish Premiership title, what more is there for them to achieve?
Both have lost domestic cup finals in recent years and it seems a reasonable guess that registering a first presentation of the League or Scottish Cup will be the target for them. In a fairly open Premiership this season, which sees Inverness CT top after five matches, a high enough league finish to qualify for Europe shouldn’t be out of the question for either.
Whatever Inverness CT or Ross County go on to do in the 20th anniversary of their entry to the national league, it is worth remembering where it began – at home to Arbroath and away to Cowdenbeath respectively. Two decades later, here they are, established among the leading 12 clubs of Scottish football. Both can look back on their first 20 years in Scotland’s top four divisions with enormous pride.
Sources for this article
http://www.ictfc,com/matches/fixture-list
http://www.staggiearchive.co.uk
Scottish Football League review 1995/96; Programme Publications 1995
The Dumbarton Terrace 