Caledonian F.C.

Caledonian Football Club was a Scottish football club from the city of Inverness, Highland. It played in the Highland Football League until 1994, when it merged with Inverness Thistle to form Caledonian Thistle, later renamed Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Not to be confused with Old Caledonians Football Club or Caledonian F.C. (Glasgow).

Caledonian
Full nameCaledonian Football Club
Nickname(s)Caley
Founded1885
Dissolved1994
GroundTelford Street Park
Inverness

Formation

Caledonian Football Club was formed in 1885. They were founder members of the Highland Football League in 1893 and wore strips of blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks. Their home ground was Telford Street Park, located beside the Caledonian Canal, and they were known by the nickname Caley.[1]

History

Caledonian won the Highland Football League a record eighteen times.[1] Another Inverness side, Clachnacuddin, equalled this record in 2004. The club's greatest period of league and cup success was in the early 1980s when they won three successive titles under manager Alex Main, a journalist who also wrote the club's centenary book 'Caley All The Way – The First Hundred Years' in 1986. The club won the prestigious Rothmans Football Yearbook Award for outstanding non-league club in 1981–82, Rothmans describing them as one of the outstanding teams of their grade in Britain, let alone Scotland. In 1982–83 their Highland League record of won 23, drew 7, lost 0, made them the first of only two clubs in the postwar era (the other being Brora Rangers in 2014–15) to finish the season as unbeaten champions.

Caledonian, like other Highland League clubs, were prevented from making the step up to the Scottish Football League due to the lack of a pyramid system.[1]

Despite this, they qualified for the Scottish Cup many times, knocking-out larger League clubs on a total of 19 occasions.[1] Notable achievements included knocking out First Division Airdrieonians in 1990 and in 1992 embarking on a run to the fourth round, defeating league sides Stenhousemuir (4–1), Clyde (3–1), before taking Premier Division St Johnstone to a replay, eventually losing 3–0 in Perth in front of a crowd of 10,000.

The last Caledonian game was against Huntly on Saturday 14 May 1994 at Christie Park, Huntly. The match ended 1–1 with Wilson Robertson scoring the Caley goal.

Kit History
Season Manufacturer Sponsor
1885–1978 None None
Aug - Dec 1978 Admiral
Dec 1978–1979 None
1980–1981 Litesome
1981–1982 Ness Motors
1982–1983 Dickson's
1984–1986 None
1986–1987 John G McGregor
1987–1989 Nike
1989–1990 None
1990–1991 Umbro Macrae & Dick
1991–1994 Matchwinner

Merger with Inverness Thistle

In 1993, the Scottish Football League decided to expand and restructure. This meant that two vacancies for membership would be available. Caledonian decided to apply for membership, as did city rivals Inverness Thistle. The SFL suggested that a joint application might be more successful and the boards of Caley and Thistle decided to merge. This decision was met with widespread opposition by supporters of both sides, especially by Caley fans who were confident their club could successfully bid on their own. However, an amalgamation went ahead. The new club, Caledonian Thistle (later Inverness Caledonian Thistle), were granted membership to the Third Division at the beginning of season 1994–95.[2][3]

Club
  • Formed 1885; Defunct 1994 – By amalgamation of Caledonian F.C. and Inverness Thistle to form: Caledonian Thistle – shortly afterwards renamed Inverness Caledonian Thistle
  • Ground: Telford Street Park
  • Colours: Royal blue shirts, white shorts, royal blue socks

Honours
  • Highland Football League – 1895/96, 1898/99, 1899/1900, 1901/02, 1910/11, 1913/14, 1925/26, 1930/31, 1950/51, 1951/52, 1963/64, 1970/71, 1976/77, 1977/78, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1987/88
  • Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) – 1948/49, 1949/50, 1950/51, 1961/62, 1966/67, 1969/70, 1971/72, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1986/87, 1987/88, 1991/92
  • North of Scotland Cup – 1889/90, 1891/92, 1896/97, 1901/02, 1910/11, 1911/12, 1921/22, 1924/25, 1925/26, 1927/28, 1933/34, 1950/51, 1951/52, 1973/74, 1974/75, 1976/77, 1981/82, 1983/84, 1985/86, 1993/94
  • Highland League Cup – 1951/52, 1968/69, 1970/71, 1975/76, 1976/77
  • Bells Cup – 1974/75, 1975/76, 1978/79
  • Inverness Cup – 1895/96, 1896/97, 1898/99, 1899/1900, 1901/02, 1907/08, 1910/11, 1911/12, 1912/13, 1913/14, 1920/21, 1922/23, 1925/26, 1963/64, 1977/78, 1982/83, 1984/85, 1986/87, 1988/89

Reserve Honours
  • North of Scotland Junior/2nd XI Cup - 1892–93, 1894–95, 1895–96, 1899–1900, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1921–22, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1954–55, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91

References
  1. "Caledonian – formed 1885". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  2. "Inverness Caley stalwart Charlie Christie: Club has scaled Everest in 20 years.. but nearly didn't make it past Base Camp". Daily Record. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  3. Macpherson, Greame (21 November 2009). "Merger of Caley and Thistle defied the odds". Herald Online. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
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