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Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, commonly known as Caley Thistle, is a professional football club based in Inverness, Scotland. The team currently competes in the
Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish Champio ...
, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, and hosts home games at Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle won the Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2015 and was runner-up in the
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
a year earlier. They have also won the Scottish Challenge Cup three times and the Scottish Football League First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as t ...
twice. Its highest Premiership position is 3rd in 2014–15.
History
Formation and early years
Before 1994, there were three football clubs in Inverness competing in the Highland League: Clachnacuddin, Caledonian, andInverness Thistle
Inverness Thistle Football Club was a football club playing in the city of Inverness in northern Scotland.
Formation and timeline
They were members of the Highland Football League, winning the championship eight times, including its inaugur ...
. There had also been three smaller sides, Inverness Citadel, Inverness Celtic, and Inverness Union who competed in the Highland League in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries; the latter of these three smaller clubs merged with Inverness Thistle
Inverness Thistle Football Club was a football club playing in the city of Inverness in northern Scotland.
Formation and timeline
They were members of the Highland Football League, winning the championship eight times, including its inaugur ...
in 1895.
All three clubs had won a number of local titles, and Thistle narrowly missed out on being elected into the Scottish League in 1973. In 1993 the league agreed to expand by an extra two teams, and improved road links to Inverness now meant that competing in national competitions was more possible.
Caledonian Thistle F.C. was formed in August 1994 from the merger of Caledonian and Thistle
Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles can also occur all over the planton the stem and on the flat parts of the leaves ...
, with an objective of taking up one of the two available places in the Scottish League. The merger was opposed by some supporters of both clubs, with Caledonian fans staging a number of protests, but the merger went through and the new club was selected to the Scottish Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division was the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system between 1994 and 2013.
History
The Scottish football league system had operated with three divisions in the Scottish Football League (SFL) fro ...
along with fellow Highland team, Ross County.
Caledonian Thistle started 1994–95 with a game against Arbroath on 13 August 1994, which ended in a 5–2 win at Telford Street Park
Telford Street Park was a football ground in Inverness, Scotland. It was the home ground of Caledonian F.C. and latterly Caledonian Thistle F.C.
History
Caledonian played at the eponymous Caledonian Park until the mid-1920s, when Telford S ...
, the former home ground of Caledonian. Alan Hercher scored Caledonian Thistle's first league goal, and went on to complete a hat-trick. The club eventually finished sixth in the Third Division, and followed this up with a third-place finish in 1995–96. Before the start of the 1996–97 season the club changed its name to Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. Part of the application to join the Scottish League was a commitment to move to a new stadium and, a year later than originally planned, Caley moved to the newly built Caledonian Park in November 1996. With a new name and new stadium, the club finished 1996–97 as Third Division champions, earning promotion to the Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. The club spent two seasons in the Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. After a closely fought campaign, they finished runners-up to Livingston in Season 1998–99, securing promotion to the First Division.
First Division (1999–2004)
The club first came to national prominence after theirScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Celtic in 2000 and 2003: winning 3–1 at
A change in SPL rules during the 2004–05 season reduced the stadium seating requirement to 6,000 seats for SPL membership. The
After a slow start to their first season back in the First Division, which looked set to be won at a canter by runaway leaders Dundee who were 15 points ahead in January, Inverness put together a run of form which saw them go on a 21-match unbeaten run. On 21 April 2010, Inverness secured promotion back to the SPL with two games to spare after Dundee lost to
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is the home stadium of Celtic Football Club, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest football stadium in Scotland, and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is al ...
, resulting in the headline " Super Caley Go Ballistic Celtic Are Atrocious" in '' The Sun'' which is now framed in the foyer of Caledonian Stadium, and 1–0. Inverness also knocked other SPL teams out of cup competitions, including Motherwell and Hearts. Over the first ten years of their existence the club had been responsible for a total of 12 'shocks' and as a result had gained themselves a reputation as being " giant killers". On 25 February 2007, Inverness's run of cup victories over Celtic came to an end following two goals in the last two minutes of their fifth round tie at Caledonian Stadium. Having led 1–0 for the majority of the game thanks to a Graham Bayne goal, Steven Pressley equalised before Kenny Miller
Kenneth Miller (born 23 December 1979) is a Scottish professional football coach and former player. Miller, who played as a striker, is one of only five post-war players to have played for both Rangers and Celtic.
Miller began his career at ...
netted the winner in stoppage time. However, another victory against Celtic occurred on 16 December 2007, this time in the league, when the team came from being 2–0 down to win 3–2, with goals scored by John Rankin, David Proctor and Don Cowie.
Season 2003–2004 could be regarded as the club's most successful up to that point. In November 2003, they defeated Airdrie United 2–0 with goals from Steve Hislop
Robert Steven Hislop (11 January 1962 – 30 July 2003) was a Scottish motorcycle racer. Hislop won at the Isle of Man TT eleven times, won the British 250cc Championship (1990) and British Superbike championship (1995 and 2002).
Hislop die ...
and David Bingham to win the Scottish Challenge Cup, and also reached the Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermline ...
after a 1–1 draw at Hampden Park. However, the greatest achievement was on the final day of the season, when Inverness defeated St Johnstone 3–1, with goals from Paul Ritchie, David Bingham and Barry Wilson and, as a result, pipped Clyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
to the First Division title. This made the club eligible for promotion to the Scottish Premier League (SPL). However, SPL rules at that time stated that all member clubs must have a stadium with a minimum capacity of 10,000 seats. Caledonian Stadium did not meet this criterion, leaving the club's Board with a dilemma: either to remain in the First Division (like Falkirk the previous season) or to groundshare with Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, over 100 miles (160 km) away. After consulting with supporters, the Board decided the 'sacrifice' of one season in Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
would be an acceptable compromise to ensure Premier League participation for the club.
2001 Name Change Ballot
In late January 2001, following Inverness'Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
, in which ''Caley Thistle'' overturned a 0–3 deficit to win 4–3, fans were asked to fill in a voting card on whether the club should change their name to reflect Inverness's recently granted city status. However, the name change was overwhelmingly rejected by the fans in attendance by 412 to 1,067, mostly on the grounds of the amount of success they had under the Inverness Caledonian Thistle name, namely it being just shy of a year since they had beaten Celtic in the Scottish Cup. The name Inverness City was registered by the club, seemingly in case of a change of heart within the voters, however it was soon dropped when Inverness CT won the Scottish First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as ...
in 2004, and were promoted to the Scottish Premier League. With the name now free to use, in 2006 now defunct local amateur side Inverness City were born, and competed in the lower echelons of the Scottish Football Tier System, playing in the North Caledonian Football League
The North Caledonian Football Association is a football association operating throughout the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and is a recognised body of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and as such has its senior football competitions of ...
and later the North Junior Superleague, before folding in 2019 due to lack of a home ground.
Scottish Premier League (2004–2009)
A change in SPL rules during the 2004–05 season reduced the stadium seating requirement to 6,000 seats for SPL membership. The Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
was rendered a valid SPL venue after a rapid ground expansion, with two new stands added. The stadium was renamed as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium in honour of the local building firm that completed the work in only 47 working days. The chairman of Tulloch, David Sutherland, was also chairman of the club at the time and remains a major shareholder. The club returned to playing in Inverness, defeating Dunfermline 2–0 in their first SPL game in their own ground on 29 January 2005, thanks to goals from Barry Wilson and then player-manager Craig Brewster
Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, ...
.
A significant event in the club's history was the signing of Romanian international The Romanian International, also known as BanuInvest International Championships, is an international badminton open held in Romania since 1991. It was halted in 1994, 1996, 1997, and between 2001 and 2005. The tournament belongs to the European Bad ...
Marius Niculae. Niculae was involved in the club's 2007–08 campaign and played at UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
, before leaving for Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator.
Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to:
Places
* Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia
* Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
. He later became involved in a dispute with the club over a share of the transfer fee that was not paid to him when he left. As a result, Inverness were ordered by FIFA to pay £133,000 to the player. The club appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its c ...
, and in November 2011, the club won their appeal.
During season 2008–09 season, the team incurred a number of bad results and struggled near the bottom of the SPL. Eventually, manager Craig Brewster
Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, ...
was sacked after a run of seven consecutive defeats, ending with a 1–0 loss to Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire who currently compete in the Scottish Championship, having been relegated from the 2020–21 Scotti ...
. This was the first time the club had sacked a manager, and the fans had previously voiced concern about Brewster's ability. Brewster was replaced by former England international Terry Butcher
Terry Ian Butcher (born 28 December 1958) is an English football manager and former player. He works as an academy coach for Ipswich Town.
During his playing career as a defender, Butcher captained the England national team, winning 77 caps ...
, who was unable to prevent the club's relegation, despite an initial improvement in results. Inverness Caledonian Thistle's tenure in the SPL eventually ended in May 2009 after suffering a 1–0 home defeat to Falkirk. Their final total of 37 points remains the highest ever for a team finishing bottom of the SPL.
Return to the First Division (2009–2010)
After a slow start to their first season back in the First Division, which looked set to be won at a canter by runaway leaders Dundee who were 15 points ahead in January, Inverness put together a run of form which saw them go on a 21-match unbeaten run. On 21 April 2010, Inverness secured promotion back to the SPL with two games to spare after Dundee lost to Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leagu ...
. Inverness became the first team in ten years to secure an immediate return to the SPL. The team went on to celebrate their promotion with a 7–0 win at Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
, their biggest ever away win. On the final day of the season, Inverness beat Dundee 1–0.
Return to the SPL/Premiership (2010–2017)
Having won the 2009–10 First Division title in their first year back in the division since 2003–04, Inverness competed in the top tier of Scottish football from 2010–2017. In 2013–14, the club reached their first major final – theScottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
– losing on penalties to Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
. They then beat Falkirk in the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2015. That same season, Inverness secured entry to European competition for the first time, with a best-ever third-place finish in the Premiership.
As part of the push for promotion in the 2009–10 season, Inverness went on an unbeaten away run in the league that continued through the entire 2010 calendar year, culminating in a 1–1 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle on 18 December. This extraordinary sequence ended in defeat at St Johnstone on 2 January 2011 when the
The
The team failed to carry the form from the previous season due to the loss of key players such as Marley Watkins,
The club's defence of the Scottish Cup began by beating
July 2019 saw the beginning of the 25th Anniversary Celebrations: a new 3rd Kit was announced as well as a special friendly game. The
The club's highest 'home' (league) attendance actually occurred while they were groundsharing with
'' Daily Record'', 19 January 2009. Brewster's successor, the former England international
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
side won by a single goal. At the split, Inverness narrowly missed out on a top six spot, eventually finishing in a club record-equalling 7th place. However, two years later, they would finish even higher.
During the 2012–13 season, a 3–0 win over Hibernian on 8 December 2012 saw them rise to second place in the SPL (behind Celtic), their then, highest ever league position.
Continued good form over the course of the season consolidated the club's position in the top-half of the table. Victory over Highland derby
The Highland derby is a football rivalry that is based in the Scottish Highlands. It is contested between the only two full-time SPFL clubs in the Highland council area, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County. The city of Inverness and ...
rivals Ross County on 16 March elevated Inverness CT onto an almost unassailable points-total in their quest for a maiden 'top-6' finish. This achievement was confirmed the following day as the club benefited from a favourable result in the Sunday SPL
SPL may refer to:
Association football
* Saudi Professional League
* Scottish Premier League
* SportPesa Premier League, Kenya
* Singapore Premier League
* RoboCup Standard Platform League, matches between autonomous robots
Computing Program ...
fixture.
This guarantee of a 'top-6' place ensured that the 2012–13 Scottish Premier League
The 2012–13 Scottish Premier League was the fifteenth and final season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season began on 4 August 2012 and ended on 19 May 2013.
Twelve ...
season would see Inverness CT record, their then, highest ever finishing league position.
Ultimately, Inverness CT finished in 4th place, narrowly missing Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
qualification on the final day of the season, succumbing to a 1–0 defeat from local rivals Ross County.
Inverness CT began the inaugural season ( 2013–14 Scottish Premiership) of the revamped SPFL
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As we ...
Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...
with a 3–0 win over St Mirren. This result saw the club take pole-position in the league table. They remained top of the league until the 9th game of the season when they dropped to 2nd place following a loss at St Johnstone.
On 11 November 2013, Hibernian reached a compensation deal with Inverness for Terry Butcher to move to the club, alongside assistant manager Maurice Malpas
Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas (born 3 August 1962) is a Scottish former football player and coach. He signed for Dundee United in 1979 and spent his entire professional playing career with the club until his retirement in 2000. With him, United ...
.
After an extensive recruitment process, on 4 December 2013, John Hughes was unveiled as the new manager of the club. In January 2014, Russell Latapy
Russell Nigel Latapy CM (born 2 August 1968) is a Trinidadian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, and is currently the assistant coach of Macarthur. In a senior career which spanned more than twenty years at b ...
was appointed as Hughes' assistant manager.
In February 2014, Inverness defeated Hearts in the Scottish League Cup semi-final. Inverness struck first with Greg Tansey firing the Highland side into the lead. Jamie Hamill then scored 2 goals in 2 minutes and gave Hearts hope of reaching their second League Cup Final in two years. Just when Inverness were on the brink of defeat, Nick Ross equalised in the 94th minute and sent the game to extra time. After no goals being scored in extra time, Inverness clinched the win on penalties.
On 25 February, Inverness beat Ross County in Dingwall in the Highland Derby. The 3–0 win was the first time they had won a Highland Derby in Dingwall in the League since March 2003.
They also won the next derby 2–1 on 4 April. The game was also played in Dingwall.
On 16 March, Inverness and Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
faced each other in the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2014 Scottish League Cup Final was the 68th final of the Scottish League Cup. The final took place on 16 March 2014 at Celtic Park, Glasgow. The clubs contesting the 2014 final were Scottish Premiership clubs, Aberdeen and Inverness CT. Th ...
at Celtic Park in Glasgow. After tense 120 minutes the two teams lined up for a penalty shoot-out. Inverness missed their first 2 penalties with Billy Mckay's penalty saved and Greg Tansey firing over the bar. Despite Nick Ross and Aaron Doran scoring their penalties Aberdeen won 4–2.
Inverness finished the season with a 2–0 win over St Johnstone thanks to second half goals from Ryan Christie and Greg Tansey.
Between May and September 2014, Inverness kept a series of consecutive clean sheets, enabling them to achieve a club record of 616 minutes without conceding a goal.
Further success followed that season, with a 1–0 victory away to Dundee confirming a record third-place league finish for the club.
This also guaranteed Inverness qualifying for European football for the first time – they competed in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League.
Scottish Cup victory and European qualification (2014–2015)
Inverness CT capped an extraordinary 2014–15 season by winning theScottish Cup Final
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the Scottish Cup, is a knockout cup competition in Scottish football. Organised by the Scottish Football Association, it is the third oldest existing football competition in the w ...
against Falkirk at Hampden Park. This result came after they had defeated Celtic in a tense semi-final.The
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Highlands
Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau.
Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to:
Places Albania
* Dukagjin Highlands
Armenia
* Armenian Highlands
Australia
*Sou ...
.
Furthermore, it entitled Inverness CT to enter the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League in the Second qualifying round. The club were drawn against Romanian outfit FC Astra Giurgiu
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu (), commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as ''Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română'', it spent the m ...
. An estimated 500 fans followed the team to Romania, watching the team grind out a 0–0 draw. However this was not enough to set up a tie against West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
in the next round, as the Romanians had narrowly beaten the Highlanders 1–0 in the first leg in Inverness.
Relegation to the Scottish Championship (2017–present)
The team failed to carry the form from the previous season due to the loss of key players such as Marley Watkins, Graeme Shinnie
Graeme Garry Shinnie (born 4 August 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Aberdeen, on loan from Wigan Athletic, as a left back or central midfielder. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Forres Mechanic ...
and Edward Ofere. Furthermore, an approach from Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
to bring John Hughes to the ''Tangerines'' in October was rejected by Inverness, leaving Hughes frustrated. The club's defence of the Scottish Cup began by beating
Stirling Albion
Stirling Albion Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Stirling. The club was founded in 1945 following the demise of King's Park after World War II. The club currently competes in Scottish League Two as a member of the ...
after a replay. In the following round, a Jordan Roberts goal set-up a tie against Hibs. Inverness lost a replay to the Edinburgh club, who eventually went on to win the competition. Hughes left at the end of the season after mutually terminating his contract, citing a collapse in relations with the board.
Club captain Richie Foran was appointed as his successor, despite having no previous managerial experience. The club started the season scoring fifteen goals in four League Cup group games. They also recorded a 2–2 draw in the league against Celtic, the only club to take a point off the Glaswegians for close to a year. However, this good form dropped off, and Inverness did not win a league game from October until February – when a last-minute overhead kick from Billy Mckay
William Robert Mckay (born 22 October 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He has represented the Northern Ireland national team.
Mckay began his career with Lei ...
lead to a 2–1 win over Rangers.
Inverness CT were relegated to the Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish Champio ...
on the final day of the 2016–17 season, despite recording a 3–2 victory over Motherwell. After Foran was sacked from his position, former manager John Robertson was appointed as his successor on 14 June 2017.
Inverness reached the 2017–18 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, after a 3–2 win over Northern Irish invitee side Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
at home, meaning the club's would make their fourth cup final appearance, and John Robertson's second challenge cup final at the club. Inverness went on to lift the cup on 24 March 2018, with Carl Tremarco
Carl Philip Tremarco (born 11 October 1985) is a retired English professional footballer who played as a left-back.
Career
Tremarco began his career as a trainee at Tranmere Rovers in August 2003 and made his first team debut in December 2003 a ...
scoring the only goal of the game seconds before the game was due to go into added time. Robertson became the first manager in the cup's history to lift the trophy twice with the same club.
This cup win kick-started an unbeaten run of 13 games as Inverness went from lingering around the lower echelons of the table to mid-table. However, despite a late push, an injury-time equaliser in the final home game of the season against Dunfermline meant ICT narrowly missed out on the promotion play-offs by just two points, finishing in 5th place despite winning 3–0 away to Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the Scottish Championship. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Green ...
on the final day, which would've confirmed a play-off slot had Dunfermlne either drawn or lost to Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
.
In August 2018, the club was saddened to learn of the death of ex-player Alan Hercher at 52 years of age. He was the club's first captain, goalscorer and hat-trick scorer – in their first league game against Arbroath. In tribute, a minute's silence was held at Inverness' first home game of the 2018–19 Scottish Championship
The 2018–19 Scottish Championship (known as the Ladbrokes Championship for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season in the current format of 10 teams in the second tier of Scottish football. The fixtures were published on 15 June 2018, with the ...
season against Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
which ended in a 0–0 draw.
Come the new year, Inverness were doing better than they had the previous season, sitting in the play-off spots despite drawing nearly every game. The club beat rivals Ross County to progress into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Aaron Doran against
on what punishments he'd receive from the SFA for his actions;Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
. This was the 4th semi-final appearance for the club, after appearances in 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2014–15. They played Heart of Midlothian, but were unable to proceed to the final, as they were defeated 3–0.
By the end of the season, Inverness had secured a play-off spot, after leapfrogging Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
into 3rd place. In the quarter-finals, Inverness defeated Ayr
Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
, winning 3–1 in the first leg, and drawing 1–1 in the second, securing a comfortable 4–2 aggregate win. However, the joy was short-lived after facing Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
in the semi-finals. In the first leg, at home, they fell to an unfortunate 1–0 loss while down to 10 men after Liam Polworth
Liam Polworth (born 12 October 1994) is a Scottish professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C., Inverness Caledonian Thist ...
was handed a straight red for an apparent high foot on Mark Connolly while making a clearance. Inverness went to Tannadice with heads held high hoping to overturn the 1–0 deficit, but hope began to fade after United
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
were awarded and scored a controversial penalty just before half time. The penalty was conceded by a Brad McKay
Brad McKay (born 26 March 1993) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish League One club, Falkirk. McKay has previously played for Heart of Midlothian, St Johnstone and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, as well ...
handball, after it deflected off his heel. Again, controversy followed just after half time, when a handball wasn't seen by the referee which resulted in John Robertson being sent to the stands for flicking a water-bottle in aggravation near the 4th official. Inverness went on to lose 3–0, 4–0 on aggregate. After the match, Robertson stated in an interview with the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
..."I don't care. They he SFAcan ban me for as long as they want. I'm going to start speaking out now because I've had enough of it."
July 2019 saw the beginning of the 25th Anniversary Celebrations: a new 3rd Kit was announced as well as a special friendly game. The
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
campaign was poor; an 11–10 loss on penalties to Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...
was followed up by wins over Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leagu ...
and Cove Rangers but for the 3rd year on the trot the club failed to progress to the next round. The league, like the League Cup, started off disappointingly, with to a 4–1 defeat by Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
at Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park ( gd, Pàirc Thanachais), usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland. It is the home ground of Dundee United F.C., who have played at Tannadice since the club was founded as Dundee Hibernian in 1 ...
. However, the following weekend they won 2–1 at home against Arbroath. The game came one year after the death of the club's first captain, Alan Hercher, who scored a hat-trick against the same opposition in the first (home) game of the club's existence, almost 25 years prior. This game saw the debut of the anniversary kit.
By the end of February, the club was close to securing a second-place finish, and potentially even winning title ahead of Dundee United, who were dropping crucial points. However, in a situation that had not been seen since the Second World War, the league was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...
with the SPFL choosing to shut down all football in Scotland from the Premiership to local leagues. A decision was made to finish the season as it stood and to do away with the play-offs. This was met with controversy, as Inverness, Partick
Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and ...
and Dundee planned on voting no, however, Dundee changed their vote at the last minute, leading to the league standings being finalised. Had Dundee also voted no, the SPFL Proposition would have failed and the playoffs would have taken place. Following this outcome, a league reconstruction proposal was made, which would have seen Inverness go up with Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
to form a 14 team Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...
, resulting in Partick being spared relegation into League One. However, as of 22 July 2020, the talks collapsed with Hearts and Partick taking the matter to court and subsequently to an SFA tribunal.
In the 2020–21 season, Inverness finished in 5th place, narrowly missing out on the promotion play-offs despite spending the early part of the season in the relegation zone. On 30 April 2021, it was announced the previous season's Challenge Cup would not take place and instead would be shared between Inverness and fellow finalists Raith Rovers.
In May 2021, John Robertson took up the role of Sporting Director. The following month, Billy Dodds
William Dodds (born 5 February 1969) is a Scottish football coach and former player who is the manager of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
His playing career started with English club Chelsea and the rest of his career was spent in Scotland with ...
was appointed as manager.
In the 2021–22 season, Inverness finished in 4th place, despite going through an 11 game winless spell, and ultimately made it to the Premiership Play-Off final, where they were beaten 6–2 on aggregate by St Johnstone.
At the start of the 2022–23 season, Inverness brought in five new signings and a season-long loan. Daniel MacKay
Daniel MacKay (born 19 April 2001) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Hibernian.
He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Elgin City and Kilmarnock. MacKay has also represented Scotland at youth levels up t ...
was loaned back to his boyhood club from Hibs. The other signings were Max Ram, Steven Boyd, Zak Delaney, Nathan Shaw and the return of George Oakley.
In July 2022, Inverness made it out of the League Cup group stages for the first time since 2016, before being beaten 4–0 in the following round by Motherwell.
Kit history
In 2017 Inverness cut ties with Carbrini due to delays in manufacturing of replica kits, which angered many fans who had ordered their kits which took months to arrive at their homes. The kits were only available at JD Sports Stores, and did not become available to buy until a month into the 2016–17 season. Inverness partnered up with longtime supplier Errea in May 2017 in time for the 2017–18 season. In August 2019 a 3rd Kit, which was given a limited release of less than 300, was launched. The kit featured 4 vertical stripes of red, black, white and blue, a silver crest, and the names of all the players who were with the team in the 1994–95 season, as well as featuring the anniversary logo used to promote the occasion and a one-off 25th anniversary sponsor. In May 2020, it was revealed that the club's contract withErreà
Erreà () is an Italian sports equipment company supplier. Erreà was the first Italian sportswear company to be accredited with the Oeko-tex standard certification, which assures that garments textiles are free from harmful chemicals.
Backgrou ...
had run out as well as potentially the sponsorship by McEwan Fraser Legal
McEwan Fraser Legal is a Scottish solicitors and estate agency, which sells both residential properties and commercial properties throughout Scotland. It is headquartered in Edinburgh, and has a staff of around 160. It was founded as McEwan Fr ...
. In the club's fan podcast, The Wyness Shuffle, it was revealed by club chairman Ross Morrison that Inverness had signed a deal with German sports manufacturers Puma and further details would be disclosed by the club at a later date.
Rivalries
Aberdeen
A big derby fixture is theNorth derby
The term North derby is sometimes used to emphasise their relative geographical proximity, when matches are played between Scottish football clubs Aberdeen and Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club, comm ...
between Inverness and Aberdeen, which is still regarded as a derby even though the clubs are over 100 miles apart. The rivalry started when Inverness were ground sharing with Aberdeen at Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) club Aberdeen F.C. since they w ...
in 2004 when Inverness first gained promotion to the top flight, and their ground was being improved to the standards required to be a SPL
SPL may refer to:
Association football
* Saudi Professional League
* Scottish Premier League
* SportPesa Premier League, Kenya
* Singapore Premier League
* RoboCup Standard Platform League, matches between autonomous robots
Computing Program ...
team. When Inverness were scheduled to play their home game against Aberdeen, it took place at Pittodrie where Aberdeen had to use the away dressing room and play in their away kit, causing a stir amongst the Aberdeen team and staff.
By far the biggest game between the two was the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2014 Scottish League Cup Final was the 68th final of the Scottish League Cup. The final took place on 16 March 2014 at Celtic Park, Glasgow. The clubs contesting the 2014 final were Scottish Premiership clubs, Aberdeen and Inverness CT. Th ...
at Celtic Park
Celtic Park is the home stadium of Celtic Football Club, in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. With a capacity of 60,832, it is the largest football stadium in Scotland, and the eighth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom. It is al ...
, where Inverness held Aberdeen to a 0–0 draw, but ultimately lost 4–2 on penalties.
Aberdeen are the dominant team in the derby with 24 wins to 10.
Inverness has been considered as somewhat of a breeding ground for future Aberdeen players, as players such as Adam Rooney
Adam Christopher David Rooney (born 21 April 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Brackley Town. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, was a re ...
, Jonny Hayes
Jonathan Hayes (born 9 July 1987) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Scottish Premiership team Aberdeen and Republic of Ireland.
He began his career in England with Reading, but did not break through to their f ...
, Miles Storey
Miles James Storey (born 4 January 1994) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for National League North side Hereford.
Originally from the West Midlands, Storey began his professional career at Swindon Town. Although ...
, Graeme Shinnie
Graeme Garry Shinnie (born 4 August 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Aberdeen, on loan from Wigan Athletic, as a left back or central midfielder. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Forres Mechanic ...
, Greg Tansey
Gregory James Tansey (born 21 November 1988) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Tansey started his career at Stockport County, progressing through the youth system before making his first-team debut in 2006. ...
and Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie (born 22 February 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and the Scotland national team. He began his career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle before joining ...
have all ended up at Aberdeen after their time in Inverness.
Clachnacuddin
Inverness also has a long-lasting rivalry with Clachnacuddin, which goes back to before Caledonian andInverness Thistle
Inverness Thistle Football Club was a football club playing in the city of Inverness in northern Scotland.
Formation and timeline
They were members of the Highland Football League, winning the championship eight times, including its inaugur ...
merged. All three teams were founding members of the Highland League, and all their grounds were close together in Inverness. This led to the City Derby. Though this rivalry is on a lesser scale than it was before the election of Inverness to the SFL, it still exists through pre-season friendlies. Inverness has 17 wins in this fixture, and Clach only two.
Ross County
Inverness have had a long-standing rivalry with local club Ross County, who are situated a few miles north of Inverness inDingwall
Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cas ...
. The rivalry began when both teams were elected to the SFL in the 1994–95 Season. They contest the Highland derby
The Highland derby is a football rivalry that is based in the Scottish Highlands. It is contested between the only two full-time SPFL clubs in the Highland council area, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County. The city of Inverness and ...
. Inverness are the dominant team within the derby with 27 wins to County's 17.
Stadium
The Highland Council
The Highland Council (' ), the political body covering the Highland local authority created in 1995, comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional represe ...
contributed £900,000 towards the development of Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
, now known for sponsorship reasons as the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. The stadium is situated beside the Moray Firth, in the shadow of the Kessock Bridge
The Kessock Bridge ( gd, Drochaid Cheasaig) carries the A9 trunk road across the Beauly Firth at Inverness, Scotland.
Description
The Kessock Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge across the Beauly Firth, an inlet of the Moray Firth, between the ...
. Its construction was promised in their election to the Scottish Football League. The former ground of Caledonian, Telford Street, was used until the new stadium was complete. The stadium has 4 stands – The North Stand, The Jock McDonald Main Stand, The South Stand, and the small West Stand. Away supporters are housed in the South Stand, which can hold around 2200 supporters, as well as being given the West Stand and uncovered section of the Main Stand if demand is exceeded, however, if demand is not met, away supporters may be given the uncovered section in the Main Stand. The North and South stands were constructed in 2005 in order to meet SPL requirements. The West Stand was constructed in 2007, holding around 400. It was intended to be used as a singing section, however, the stand remains unused on most match days.
In 2019, the stadium was gifted back to the club, and its original name of the Caledonian Stadium returned.
Attendance
The club's highest 'home' (league) attendance actually occurred while they were groundsharing with Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
at Pittodrie
Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) club Aberdeen F.C. since they wer ...
. With Inverness fans in the traditional home end, and Aberdeen fans filling the away end, a record attendance of 9,530 was set on 16 October 2004. This record may stand for some time, as the crowd that day was bigger than the current capacity of Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
.
The club's highest cup attendance was also recorded in a venue other than their home ground. A crowd of 11,296 watched Inverness play Rangers on 9 March 1996 at Tannadice in Dundee. The game had been switched to Dundee as the club's home ground (Telford Street Park
Telford Street Park was a football ground in Inverness, Scotland. It was the home ground of Caledonian F.C. and latterly Caledonian Thistle F.C.
History
Caledonian played at the eponymous Caledonian Park until the mid-1920s, when Telford S ...
at that time) was deemed unsuitable for the Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
is 7,753 set on 20 January 2008 against Rangers.
In February 2021, the attendance record was beaten, albeit unofficially, by a joint effort between Inverness and Heart of Midlothian as a thanks for Inverness helping Hearts when they fell into administration in 2013. This generated revenue of over £10,000. Following this the club introduced a limited run of Matchday programme
A matchday programme or match programme is a booklet associated with a live sporting event which details the proposed starting lineup and other details of the match. To some spectators, the purchase of a matchday programme is part of the "ritua ...
s for the game. The club stated they were going to use the revenue from the ticket and programme sales to buy a new cover for the pitch after the club's start in 2021 was plagued by postponements due to rain and heavy snow. Towards the end of the match, which ended 1–1, it was announced that 11,356 tickets had been sold.
Players
Current squad
On loan
Notable players
Personnel
Club staff
Board of Directors
Notable players
Players who have played at international level whilst contracted to Inverness CT and years contracted to club: (Players in Bold are currently contracted to the club)Senior caps
*Richard Hastings
Richard Cory Hastings (born 18 May 1977) is a former Canadian soccer player and current manager of Highland League side Inverurie Loco Works.
He played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht, Hamilton Aca ...
(Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) 1994–2001; 2004–2009
* Davide Xausa
Davide Antonio Xausa (born 10 March 1976) is a Canadian former soccer player.
Club career
Xausa started his career with Metro Ford Wolves before accepting a scholarship with the University of Portland where he was a 3 time All American, 4 time W ...
(Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
) 1999–2001
* Henri Anier
Henri Anier (born 17 December 1990) is an Estonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Thai League 1 club Muangthong United and the Estonia national team.
Club career Flora
Anier came through the Flora youth system. He moved to ...
(Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
) 2017
* Lonsana Doumbouya ( Guinea) 2016–2017
* Pāvels Mihadjuks
Pāvels Mihadjuks (born 27 May 1980) is a Latvian retired professional association footballer.
Club career Early career
As a youth player Mihadjuks played for his local club Liepājas Metalurgs, passing his first training at the age of 7. He s ...
( Latvia) 2009
* Billy Mckay
William Robert Mckay (born 22 October 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He has represented the Northern Ireland national team.
Mckay began his career with Lei ...
(Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
) 2011–2015; 2017; 2021–
* Jonathan Tuffey (Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
) 2010–2012
* Marius Niculae (Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
) 2007–2008
* Andrew Shinnie
Andrew Murray Shinnie (born 17 July 1989) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Livingston.
Shinnie started his professional career at Scottish Premier League side Rangers in 2006, but only made two lea ...
(Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
) 2011–2013
* Owain Fôn Williams (Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
) 2015–2019
* Owain Tudur Jones
Owain Tudur Jones (born 15 October 1984) is a Welsh former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He represented the Wales national football team and during his club career he played for Porthmadog, Bangor City, Swansea City, Swindo ...
(Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
) 2011–2013
Youth caps
* Calum Ferguson (Canada U-18 & Canada U-20) 2013–2016 * Bajram Fetai ( Denmark U-20) 2005 * Aaron Doran ( Republic of Ireland U-21) 2011– *Adam Evans
Adam George Evans (born 3 May 1994) is an Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for NIFL Premiership side Warrenpoint Town.
Career
Born in Dublin, Evans joined the youth system of Burnley in 2010 on a two-year scholarship, having previou ...
( Republic of Ireland U-19) 2013–2014
* Jake Mulraney ( Republic of Ireland U-21) 2016–2018
* Conor Pepper ( Republic of Ireland U-19) 2012–2014
* Adam Rooney
Adam Christopher David Rooney (born 21 April 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Brackley Town. He previously played for Stoke City, spent spells on loan at Yeovil Town, Chesterfield and Bury, was a re ...
( Republic of Ireland U-21) 2008–2011
* Gil Blumstein ( Israel U-21) 2010–2011
* Ian Black ( Scotland B) 2004–2009
* Mark Brown ( Scotland B) 2002–2007
* Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie (born 22 February 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and the Scotland national team. He began his career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle before joining ...
( Scotland U-21) 2013–2015
* Craig Dargo ( Scotland B) 2005–2007
* Robbie Deas
Robbie Deas (born 27 February 2000) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Scottish Premiership club Kilmarnock.
Club career Celtic
Deas signed his first professional contract with Celtic in 2018. He scored the winni ...
( Scotland U-21) 2020–
* Jamie Duff
James Alasdair Duff (born 26 January 1989 in Inverness, Scotland) is a Scottish professional association football plays as a centre-back for Rothes.
Duff broke into the Inverness Caledonian Thistle first team during the early part of the 20 ...
( Scotland U-21) 2008–2010
* Cameron Harper ( Scotland U-21) 2017–
* Kai Kennedy ( Scotland U-19) 2020–2021
* Alex MacDonald ( Scotland U-21) 2011
* Daniel MacKay
Daniel MacKay (born 19 April 2001) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Hibernian.
He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Elgin City and Kilmarnock. MacKay has also represented Scotland at youth levels up t ...
( Scotland U-19 & Scotland U-21) 2017–2021; 2022–
* Roddy MacGregor
Roddy MacGregor (born 21 December 2001) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, as a midfielder.
Club career
MacGregor began his career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and was one of 10 youth players ...
( Scotland U-21) 2018–
* Rory McAllister ( Scotland U-20 & Scotland U-21) 2005–2009
* Jamie McCart
Jamie Daniel McCart (born 20 June 1997) is a Scottish footballer, who plays as a defender for Barnsley on loan from Rotherham United. McCart has previously played for Celtic, St Mirren, Alloa Athletic, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and St Joh ...
( Scotland U-21) 2017; 2018–2020
* Tom Parratt ( Scotland U-19) 2005–2006
* Liam Polworth
Liam Polworth (born 12 October 1994) is a Scottish professional association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kilmarnock F.C., Kilmarnock. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C., Inverness Caledonian Thist ...
( Scotland U-17 & Scotland U-21) 2011–2019
* Bryan Prunty ( Scotland U-21) 2004–2005
* Nick Ross
Nicholas David Ross (born 7 August 1947) is a British radio and television presenter. During the 1980s and 1990s he was one of the most ubiquitous of British broadcasters but is best known for hosting the BBC TV programme ''Crimewatch'', whi ...
( Scotland U-21) 2009–2015
* Graeme Shinnie
Graeme Garry Shinnie (born 4 August 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Aberdeen, on loan from Wigan Athletic, as a left back or central midfielder. He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Forres Mechanic ...
( Scotland U-21) 2009–2015
* Iain Vigurs ( Scotland U-19) 2006–2009; 2015–2018
* Sam Pearson Sam Pearson may refer to:
* Sam Pearson (Emmerdale)
* Sam Pearson (footballer)
See also
* Samuel Pearson, English entrepreneur and founder of Pearson plc
{{hndis, Pearson, Sam ...
( Wales U-21) 2022
Managers
List of permanent Inverness CT managers:Managerial history
Sergei Baltacha had been manager of Caledonian prior to the merger and he carried on as Caledonian Thistle manager after the merger in 1994. He remained in charge for only one season, leaving in 1995 to be closer to his family inPerth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
. Baltacha was replaced by Huntly
Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...
manager Steve Paterson
Steven William Paterson (born 8 April 1958) is a Scottish football manager and former player.
Nicknamed "Pele", after six first team games for Manchester United, his career was curtailed due an injury in a pre-season game after transferring t ...
, who to date is the club's longest-serving manager. During his seven and a half years as manager, from the summer of 1995 to December 2002, Paterson succeeded in taking the club to the Scottish Football League First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as t ...
. He also steered ICT to their famous 3–1 Scottish Cup victory against Celtic in 2000. In November 2002, Paterson was strongly linked to the vacant manager's position at Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
. However, he chose to stay with Inverness for another month, after which he left, along with assistant Duncan Shearer
Duncan Nichol Shearer (born 28 August 1962) is a Scottish former footballer, currently coaching the 'Development squad' at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. During his playing career, Shearer predominantly played for Huddersfield Town, Swindon Town, ...
, to become manager of Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
.
The club also had a Director of football
A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...
, with former player Graeme Bennett appointed while Steve Paterson was manager. Paterson was replaced by former Hearts player John Robertson, whose two-year reign as manager was an exceptionally successful period. Under Robertson, Inverness won the 2003–04 Scottish Challenge Cup, gained another Scottish Cup victory over Celtic, this time 1–0 thanks to a goal on the stroke of half time by club record scorer Dennis Wyness
Dennis Wyness (born 22 March 1977) is a retired Scottish footballer. He played either as an attacking midfielder or as a striker.
He has previously played for Aberdeen, Inverness CT, Hearts, St Mirren, Queen of the South, Dumbarton, Peterh ...
and won the First Division Championship, taking the club into the SPL. Robertson eventually left to become Hearts manager and was replaced by Dunfermline's Craig Brewster
Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, ...
as player-manager. Brewster succeeded in keeping the club in the SPL. He also introduced new training regimes to increase player fitness and was successful in steering the club to good results against a number of established Premier League sides, including Rangers, Celtic, Motherwell, Hearts and Hibs. After a period of just over thirteen months at the club he left to become the new Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
manager after the sacking of Gordon Chisholm
Gordon William Chisholm (born 8 April 1960 in Glasgow) is a Scottish professional football former player and manager. Chisholm played as a central defender for Sunderland, Hibernian, Dundee and Partick Thistle.
After retiring as a player, ...
.
Former player Charlie Christie was appointed manager on 27 January 2006, after a successful spell as caretaker manager following the departure of Brewster, during which time Inverness achieved three wins out of three games played, including a record victory for the club in the SPL as they beat Falkirk 4–1 away from home. He resigned on 19 August 2007 due to the pressures of the job, and because he believed it to be the correct decision for him and his family. He has now resumed his former role, running the club's Centenary Club lottery. A short time after Christie resigned, Craig Brewster was reappointed. This was a controversial decision by the club, as Brewster had left to manage Dundee United only 18 months previously. He was eventually sacked in January 2009, after a run of seven league defeats.Inverness sack manager Craig Brewster'' Daily Record'', 19 January 2009. Brewster's successor, the former England international
Terry Butcher
Terry Ian Butcher (born 28 December 1958) is an English football manager and former player. He works as an academy coach for Ipswich Town.
During his playing career as a defender, Butcher captained the England national team, winning 77 caps ...
was appointed on 27 January 2009, along with Maurice Malpas
Maurice Daniel Robert Malpas (born 3 August 1962) is a Scottish former football player and coach. He signed for Dundee United in 1979 and spent his entire professional playing career with the club until his retirement in 2000. With him, United ...
as his assistant. Terry Butcher managed in over 200 matches for the club, the 100th taking place on Friday 6 October 2012, in the 3–1 win over Ross County in the first SPL Highland derby
The Highland derby is a football rivalry that is based in the Scottish Highlands. It is contested between the only two full-time SPFL clubs in the Highland council area, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County. The city of Inverness and ...
. In November 2013, after nearly five years at Inverness, Hibernian reached a compensation deal with the club for Terry Butcher to move to Easter Road
Easter Road is a association football, football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian F.C., Hibernian (Hibs). The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity ...
alongside assistant manager Maurice Malpas.
After an extensive recruitment process, on 4 December 2013, John Hughes was unveiled as the new manager of the club. Hughes left Caledonian Thistle on 20 May 2016, citing frustrations with his player budget and the club's failure to retain players.
Long-term player Richie Foran was announced as the new Inverness manager on 30 May 2016, also announcing his player retirement. Foran was in charge of Caley Thistle for just under one-year before being sacked on 29 May 2017. During his time in charge, the club finished in last position in the Scottish Premiership
The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...
, suffering relegation to the Scottish Championship
The Scottish Championship, known as the cinch Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish Champio ...
on the final day of the season despite a 3–2 win over Motherwell. The club needed a win from Dundee over Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Accies, or The Accies, is a Scottish football club from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire who currently compete in the Scottish Championship, having been relegated from the 2020–21 Scotti ...
, to secure play-offs, which unfortunately did not come as Dundee succumbed to a 4–0 defeat.
A few weeks after the sacking of Foran, former manager John Robertson, who brought the club into the Premiership for the first time in their history in 2004, returned to manage the club in a bid to get them back to top flight. Doing this, he became the second former manager to return to managing the club, after Craig Brewster left in 2006 and came back for a second spell in 2007. Robertson's attempt to return to the top flight immediately was halted by Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermline ...
after a late goal stopped any chances of Inverness making the play-offs, and took the season, like the previous year, to the last day, where Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
were playing Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermline ...
, and Inverness were away to Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the Scottish Championship. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Green ...
. To secure a play-off spot, Dunfermline had to lose and Inverness had to win. Inverness did their part with a 3–0 win, but Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
lost 4–0 after going down to 10 men against ''the Pars''.
The following season did not start out successful, with 9 draws in their first 12 games, which also included failing to defend the Challenge Cup title after being defeated 2–1 by Dunfermline. However results soon picked up and by May, Inverness captured a play-off spot; they also enjoyed a strong cup run with a 6–1 win over Edinburgh City, a 4–0 win over East Kilbride, a 5–4 penalty win over Ross County and a 2–1 win over Dundee United before heading to Hampden where they were beaten 3–0 by Hearts in the semi-final. The play-offs started well, however after beating Ayr United 4–2 on aggregate hopes were shattered with a controversial 4–0 loss to Dundee United in the semi-final.
The 2019–20 season started off, again, with an early League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
exit. Come March, the club were doing well in the Challenge Cup and league. However, the season was abruptly cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. This meant that the season of every league from the Championship down was to be abandoned with the league tables being recognised as the final positions, however, the play-offs would not take place, resulting in Inverness being set for a 4th consecutive season in the Championship, and Dundee United, being promoted to the Premiership. This was officially confirmed on 9 May 2020, after the SPFL
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is the national men's association football league in Scotland. The league was formed in June 2013 following a merger between the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League. As we ...
announced there would be no league reconstruction as there was not enough support from Premiership sides. Inverness finished their season on 10 March with a 3–1 home win over Queen of the South. On 10 May, a strongly worded statement was released by the club, which agreed with multiple other clubs statements of the SPFL bullying clubs during the Season Ending Vote, and that officials were turning a blind eye to all reported cases.
In early 2021, John Robertson left on compassionate leave due to a death in his family, and was subsequently replaced by interim manager Neil McCann, who took Inverness out of the relegation playoff zone into the top half and competing for promotion playoffs.
Mascots
In recent years, the club have embraced the trend of adopting an official mascot. These have included: * ''ICaT'' – a play on the initials 'ICT', ICaT was designed from the winning drawing in a competition amongst Inverness school children. * ''SuperSub'' – aSubmarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, commonly known as a sub, hoagie ( Philadelphia metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania English), hero ( New York City English), Italian ( Maine English), grinder (New England English), wedge (Westchester, NY), or a spuc ...
in a Superhero costume was retired after Subway cancelled their sponsorship.
* ''Nessie'' – a 'Nessie' costume wearing the club's home kit. This creation has been rebranded as ''Lionel Nessi'', in reference to international footballer Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
, and debuted at the 2018 Scottish Challenge Cup Final.
Honours
League
*Scottish First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 to replace the old Scottish Football League Division Two, as ...
(second tier):
**Winners (2): 2003–04, 2009–10
**''Runners up (1):'' 2019–20
*Scottish Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division was the third tier of the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013.
History
The Second Division was created in 1975, as part of a wider reconstruction of the Scottish Football League (SFL ...
(third tier):
**''Runners up (1):'' 1998–99
*Scottish Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division was the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system between 1994 and 2013.
History
The Scottish football league system had operated with three divisions in the Scottish Football League (SFL) fro ...
(fourth tier):
**Winners (1): 1996–97
* North Caledonian League (reserve team):
**Winners (2): 1994–95, 1997–98
Cup
*Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,2014–15
** Shared with
* During the * One-off, as Telford Street was deemed unsuitable for a Scottish Cup Quarter Final.
* 2020–21 Season cut to 27 Games due to
'CaleyThistleOnline' ~ Independent Fan Site
BBC report on Scottish Cup defeat of Celtic, 8/2/2000
Caley Thistle on Soccerbase
Inverness CT BBC My Club page
{{Authority control Football clubs in Inverness Football clubs in Scotland Association football clubs established in 1994 Scottish Premier League teams 1994 establishments in Scotland Inverness Thistle F.C. Caledonian F.C. Scottish Football League teams Scottish Challenge Cup winners Scottish Professional Football League teams Scottish Cup winners
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existen ...
:
**''Runners up (1):'' 2013–14
* Scottish Challenge Cup:
**Winners (3): 2003–04, 2017–18, 2019–20*
**''Runners up (2):'' 1999–00, 2009–10
*Inverness Cup
The Inverness Cup is a football competition for teams around Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. Originally, it was contested by the four Inverness based teams: Caledonian, Citadel, Clachnacuddin and Thistle, but became an invitational tourna ...
:
**Winners (7): 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2009–10
*North of Scotland Cup
The North of Scotland Cup is a knock-out tournament for football teams in membership of the North of Scotland Football Association. The teams involved are based in the Highlands and Moray and membership consists of senior clubs from the Scotti ...
:
**Winners (4): 1999–00, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12
*Chic Allan Cup:
**Winners (2): 1994–95, 1998–99
*Football Times Cup:
**Winners (1): 1998–99
*PCT Cup:
**Winners (1): 1998–99
Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leagu ...
Records
Attendance
''All competitions'' ''AtTelford Street Park
Telford Street Park was a football ground in Inverness, Scotland. It was the home ground of Caledonian F.C. and latterly Caledonian Thistle F.C.
History
Caledonian played at the eponymous Caledonian Park until the mid-1920s, when Telford S ...
''
* Highest attendance: 4,931 v Ross County, 23 January 1996.
* Lowest attendance: 491 v Albion Rovers, 11 April 1995.
''At Caledonian Stadium
Caledonian Stadium is a football ground in the Longman area of Inverness, Scotland, near the banks of the Moray Firth. It hosts home matches of Scottish Professional Football League club Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
History
Inverness Cal ...
*''
*Highest attendance: 7,753 v Rangers, 20 January 2008.
*Lowest attendance: 300 v Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leagu ...
, 21 November 2020; and Dundee, 12 December 2020.
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, where fans were not permitted inside stadia, Inverness and Hearts fans virtually sold out the stadium for the match between the two on 26 February 2021, with the final count being 11,356. Though not an official attendance, it is the largest number of tickets sold for a home match involving the club.
''At Pittodrie Stadium
Pittodrie Stadium, commonly referred to as Pittodrie, is an all-seater stadium in Aberdeen, Scotland. Used primarily for football, it has been the home ground of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) club Aberdeen F.C. since they w ...
''
* Highest attendance: 9,530 v Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, 16 October 2004.
* Lowest attendance: 1,125 v Dundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
, 23 November 2004.
''At Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park ( gd, Pàirc Thanachais), usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium in Dundee, Scotland. It is the home ground of Dundee United F.C., who have played at Tannadice since the club was founded as Dundee Hibernian in 1 ...
*''
* 11,296 v Rangers, 1995–96 Scottish Cup Quarter Final, 9 March 1996.
Players
* All-time top scorer:Dennis Wyness
Dennis Wyness (born 22 March 1977) is a retired Scottish footballer. He played either as an attacking midfielder or as a striker.
He has previously played for Aberdeen, Inverness CT, Hearts, St Mirren, Queen of the South, Dumbarton, Peterh ...
, 139 Goals.
* All-time most appearances: Ross Tokely, 456 Appearances.
* Longest spell at club: Ross Tokely, 1996–2012, 17 years.
* Highest transfer sum paid: John Rankin from Ross County, £65,000, July 2006.
* Highest transfer sum received: Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie (born 22 February 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and the Scotland national team. He began his career with Inverness Caledonian Thistle before joining ...
to Celtic, £500,000, September 2015.
* Most goals in a single season: Iain Stewart, 27 Goals, 1996–97.
* Most goals in a match: Billy Mckay
William Robert Mckay (born 22 October 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He has represented the Northern Ireland national team.
Mckay began his career with Lei ...
, 5 goals, v Arbroath. 23 July 2013. ''(Friendly).''
* Fastest Goal: James Keatings, 35 secs, v Buckie Thistle, 23 March 2021. ''(Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Billy Mckay
William Robert Mckay (born 22 October 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Championship club Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He has represented the Northern Ireland national team.
Mckay began his career with Lei ...
, 15 mins, v Arbroath, 23 July 2013. ''(Friendly).''
*Youngest Player: Daniel MacKay
Daniel MacKay (born 19 April 2001) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Hibernian.
He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Elgin City and Kilmarnock. MacKay has also represented Scotland at youth levels up t ...
, 16 years, 2 months and 20 days v Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...
, 7 October 2017. ''( Scottish Challenge Cup)''
*Oldest Player: Craig Brewster
Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, ...
, 40 years, 9 months and 9 days, v Heart of Midlothian, 22 September 2007. ''( Scottish Premier League)''
*Youngest Goalscorer: Daniel MacKay
Daniel MacKay (born 19 April 2001) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a winger for Hibernian.
He has previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Elgin City and Kilmarnock. MacKay has also represented Scotland at youth levels up t ...
, 16 years, 2 months and 20 days v Peterhead
Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census. ...
, 7 October 2017. ''( Scottish Challenge Cup)''
*Oldest Goalscorer: Craig Brewster
Craig James Brown Brewster (born 13 December 1966) is a Scottish former professional footballer, turned coach. He made his name in a long playing career as a striker for numerous clubs in Scotland, particularly Forfar Athletic, Raith Rovers, ...
, 40 years, 9 months and 9 days, v Heart of Midlothian, 22 September 2007. ''( Scottish Premier League)''
*Most international caps: Richard Hastings
Richard Cory Hastings (born 18 May 1977) is a former Canadian soccer player and current manager of Highland League side Inverurie Loco Works.
He played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht, Hamilton Aca ...
for Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, 38.
Overall
* Biggest home victory: 8–1 v Annan Athletic, 24 January 1998 ''(Scottish Cup)'' * Biggest away victory: 0–16 v Fort William, 31 July 2018 ''(North of Scotland Cup)'' * Biggest home defeat: 0–5 vDundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
, 9 March 2014 ''(Scottish Cup)''
* Biggest away defeat: 6–0 v Airdrie, 22 September 2001 ''(First Division)''; 6–0 v Celtic, 22 September 2010 ''(League Cup)''; 6–0 v Celtic, 27 April 2014 ''(Premiership)'' and 6–0 v Celtic, 11 February 2017 ''(Scottish Cup)''
*Goal milestones: The club's 1000th goal was scored on Saturday 9 February 2008 by club captain at the time, Grant Munro in a 1–1 draw away to St Mirren.
*Clean sheet record: 708 minutes – between 23 September and 25 November 2017.
*Longest winning streak (league): 11 games – between 16 November 1996 and 15 February 1997.
*Longest unbeaten streak (league): 25 games – between 17 March 2018 and 1 December 2018.
*Longest losing streak (league): 8 games – between 29 November 2008 and 24 January 2009.
*Longest winless streak (league): 14 games – between 29 October 2016 and 18 February 2017.
SPL / Premiership
* Record home victory: 6–1 v Gretna, 3 May 2008. * Record away victory: 0–4 v Gretna, 27 October 2007 andDundee United
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dundee. The club name is usually abbreviated to Dundee United. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1 ...
, 22 August 2010.
* Record home defeat: 1–5 v Motherwell, 18 November 2012.
* Record away defeat: 6–0 v Celtic, 27 April 2014.
* Most points in a season: 65, in 2014–15.
* Fewest points in a season: 34, in 2016–17.
* Best league placing: 3rd, in 2014–15.
* Worst league placing: 12th, in 2008–09 and 2016–17.
* Most goals scored in a season: 64, in 2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
.
* Fewest goals scored in a season: 37, in 2008–09.
* Most goals conceded in a season: 71, in 2016–17.
* Fewest goals conceded in a season: 38, in 2005–06.
* Best Goal difference: +13, in 2005–06.
* Worst Goal difference: -27, in 2016–17.
Seasons spent in division: 12/29
First Division / Championship
* Record home victory: 5–0 v St Mirren, 6 May 2000;Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Kirkcaldy, Fife. The club was founded in 1883 and currently competes in the Scottish Championship as a member of the Scottish Professional Football Leagu ...
, 12 January 2001; Arbroath, 21 September 2001; Brechin City
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club ...
, 29 November 2003 and Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton Football Club is a Scottish professional football club, which plays in the Scottish Championship. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs. Morton was renamed Green ...
, 30 August 2019.
* Record away victory: 0–7 v Ayr United
Ayr United Football Club are a football club in Ayr, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of the Scottish Professional Football League. Formed in 1910 by the merger of Ayr Parkhouse and Ayr F.C., their nickname is ...
, 24 April 2010.
* Record home defeat: 1–5 v Airdrieonians, 15 April 2000 and Ross County, 25 February 2003.
* Record away defeat: 6–0 v Airdrieonians, 22 September 2001.
* Most points in a season: 73, in 2009–10.
* Fewest points in a season: 36 in 2020–21*.
* Best league placing: 1st, in 2003–04 and 2009–10.
* Worst league placing: 6th, in 1999–2000 and 2001–02.
* Most goals scored in a season: 74, in 2002–03.
* Fewest goals scored in a season: 36, in 2020–21*.
* Most goals conceded in a season: 55, in 1999–2000.
* Fewest goals conceded in a season: 31, in 2020–21*.
* Best Goal difference: +40, in 2009–10.
* Worst Goal difference: +5, in 1999–2000 and 2020–21*.
Seasons spent in division: 12/29
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Second Division
*Record home victory: 5–1 vClyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
, 17 January 1998.
*Record away victory: 6–1 v Clyde Clyde may refer to:
People
* Clyde (given name)
* Clyde (surname)
Places
For townships see also Clyde Township
Australia
* Clyde, New South Wales
* Clyde, Victoria
* Clyde River, New South Wales
Canada
* Clyde, Alberta
* Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...
, 14 March 1998.
*Record home defeat: 0–2 v Queen of the South, 21 March 1998.
*Record away defeat: 3–1 v Brechin City
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the townDespite the name of the football club, Brechin is not an official city. Brechin was historically known as a city because it has a cathedral. of Brechin in Angus. The club ...
, 25 February 1998; Stranraer, 18 April 1998; and Arbroath, 6 March 1999.
*Most points in a season: 72, in 1998–99.
*Fewest points in a season: 49, in 1997–98.
*Best league placing: 2nd in 1998–99.
*Worst league placing: 5th in 1997–98.
*Most goals scored in a season: 80, in 1998–99.
*Fewest goals scored in a season: 65, in 1997–98.
*Most goals conceded in a season: 51, in 1997–98.
*Fewest goals conceded in a season: 56, in 1998–99.
*Best goal difference: +32, in 1998–99.
*Worst goal difference: +14, in 1997–98.
Seasons spent in division: 2/29
Third Division
* Record home victory: 6–1 v Albion Rovers, 21 October 1995. * Record away victory: 0–5 vAlloa Athletic
Alloa Athletic Football Club is a Scottish association football semi-professional club based in the town of Alloa, Clackmannanshire.
Formed as Alloa in 1880, the football club shortly changed its name to Alloa Association, and then to Alloa Ath ...
, 23 September 1995 and East Stirlingshire
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scotland, Scottish association football club based in the town of Falkirk. The club was founded in 1881 and competes in the , in the fifth tier of the Scottish football league system. The club's origins ca ...
, 7 October 1995
* Record home defeat: 0–4 v Queens Park, 20 August 1994 and Montrose, 14 February 1995
* Record away defeat: 4–0 v Forfar Athletic, 3 May 1997.
* Most points in a season: 76, in 1996–97.
* Fewest points in a season: 45, in 1994–95.
* Best league placing: 1st, in 1996–97.
* Worst league placing: 6th, in 1994–95.
* Most goals scored in a season: 70, in 1996–97.
* Fewest goals scored in a season: 48, in 1994–95.
* Most goals conceded in a season: 61, in 1994–95.
* Fewest goals conceded in a season: 37, in 1996–97.
* Most goals conceded in a season: 61, in 1994–95.
* Best goal difference: +33, in 1996–97.
* Worst goal difference: -13, in 1994–95.
Seasons spent in division: 3/29
Europa League
* Best run:Second Qualifying Round
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
: 2015–16 (lost 0–1 on aggregate to Astra Giurgiu
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu (), commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as ''Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română'', it spent th ...
).
* Worst run: Second Qualifying Round
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds each ...
: 2015–16 (lost 0–1 on aggregate to Astra Giurgiu
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu (), commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as ''Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română'', it spent th ...
).
*Biggest Victory: N/A
*Biggest Defeat: 0–1 v Astra Giurgiu
Asociația Fotbal Club Astra Giurgiu (), commonly known as Astra Giurgiu or simply Astra, was a Romanian football club based in the city of Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. Founded in 1921 in Ploiești as ''Clubul Sportiv Astra-Română'', it spent th ...
, 16 July 2015.
Scottish Cup
* Best run:Winners
Winners Merchants International L.P is a chain of off-price Canadian department stores owned by TJX Companies.
It offers brand name clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, fine jewelry, beauty products, and housewares. Products are at a 20-60 ...
: 2014–15 (won 2–1 against Falkirk).
* Worst run: First round: 1994–95 (lost 1–2 at home to Queen of the South).
*Record Victory: 8–1 v Annan Athletic, 1997–98, 24 January 1998.
*Record Defeat: 6–0 v Celtic, 2016–17, 11 February 2017.
Scottish League Cup
* Best run:Final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
: 2013–14 (lost 2–4 on penalties after 0–0 draw (aet), to Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
).
* Worst run: First round/Group Stage; (7): 1995–96 (lost 3–5 on penalties after 1–1 draw (aet), (1–1 after 90 mins) away to Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers Football Club is a football team based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, just south of the border with Scotland.
Founded in 1881, they currently play in the , the fifth tier of Scottish football, despite hailing fr ...
), 2003–04 (lost 1–2 at home to Queen's Park), 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22.
*Record Victory: 7–0 v Arbroath, 2016–17, 30 July 2016.
*Record Defeat: 6–0 v Celtic, 2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
, 22 September 2010.
Scottish Challenge Cup
* Best run:Winners
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; (3): 2003–04 (won 2–0 against Airdrieonians), 2017–18 (won 1–0 against Dumbarton
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
) and 2019–20 (shared with Raith Rovers).
* Worst run: First round; (4): 1995–96 (lost 1–2 away to Alloa Athletic
Alloa Athletic Football Club is a Scottish association football semi-professional club based in the town of Alloa, Clackmannanshire.
Formed as Alloa in 1880, the football club shortly changed its name to Alloa Association, and then to Alloa Ath ...
), 1997–98 (lost 0–2 at home to Queen of the South), 2002–03 (lost 0–1 away to Berwick Rangers
Berwick Rangers Football Club is a football team based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, England, just south of the border with Scotland.
Founded in 1881, they currently play in the , the fifth tier of Scottish football, despite hailing fr ...
) and 2018–19 (lost 1–2 at home to Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently play in Scottish League One after being relegated from the 2021–22 Scottish Championship. Dunfermline ...
).
*Record Victory: 5–0 v Gretna, 2003–04, 2 August 2003.
*Record Defeat: 3–0 vs Arbroath, 2016–17, 2 August 2016. (U20s Squad)
Miscellaneous
* Last SFL goal of the old millennium and First SFL goal of the new millennium: Barry Wilson against Clydebank (27 December 1999) and Livingston (3 January 2000) respectively. *Longest name in professional football in the United Kingdom.European record
Matches
Notes * 2Q: Second qualifying roundReferences
External links
*'CaleyThistleOnline' ~ Independent Fan Site
BBC report on Scottish Cup defeat of Celtic, 8/2/2000
Caley Thistle on Soccerbase
Inverness CT BBC My Club page
{{Authority control Football clubs in Inverness Football clubs in Scotland Association football clubs established in 1994 Scottish Premier League teams 1994 establishments in Scotland Inverness Thistle F.C. Caledonian F.C. Scottish Football League teams Scottish Challenge Cup winners Scottish Professional Football League teams Scottish Cup winners