We have begun the countdown to marking the club’s silver jubilee. The 25th anniversary commemoration will kick off in one year’s time – on 24 February – the date in 1994 when the board of the new club, comprising representatives from Inverness and Nairn Enterprise as well as the former committees of Caledonian and Inverness Thistle met for the first time at Balnain House, Inverness. The landmark birthday is seen as a great opportunity to relaunch the club, generating new interest within the community and give loyal fans many exciting events to look forward to. An organising committee has been set up to draw up a memorable programme of events.
Chairman Graham Rae said: “ICT 25 gives us the chance to generate huge interest in the club. We want to engage with our supporters to capture all their ideas for a truly memorable year of celebrations. There are opportunities for existing and new sponsors to back the club, which generates £5 million per year for the local economy. We have a proud history and a very bright future ahead.”
Some of the high level ideas being suggested for the year of celebration are:-
- Organising a keynote match against prominent opposition
- Creating a memorabilia museum within the stadium, featuring a hall of fame and memorabilia
- Producing a film and photo-led book on the club’s history
- Staging events such as a celebration dinner/golf event/reunion
- Creating new merchandise including, a special commemorative strip.
The club’s first competitive game was played on 9 August 1994 – a 2-0 win over East Stirlingshire at Firs Park in a Coca Cola Cup Round 1 tie. The club’s first Scottish League Division 3 match followed on 13 August – a 5-2 home win over Arbroath.
One personality who has been associated with the club since its formation is Charlie Christie, who played more than 300 games for the club, managed the club and is now Head of Youth Development. Charlie is playing a key role on the organising committee.
Charlie was Man of the Match in the club’s unforgettable Scottish Cup victory over Celtic in February 2000 and his son, Ryan, featured in the historic side that lifted the Scottish Cup in May 2015 and is now a Scottish internationalist.
Charlie said: “There have been so many good times in the short life of our club and it is our aim to involve as many people as possible who have played a part in creating such great memories.”