Preparations have begun for the celebration on Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC’s 25th anniversary.

And the chairman of the organising committee sees the landmark birthday as a great opportunity to relaunch the club, generating new interest within the community and giving loyal fans many exciting events to look forward to.

Liam Dalgarno, a Director of the Club and a prominent businessman in the city, chaired the first meeting of the organising committee which has been set up to piece together a memorable programme of events.

He 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 is a big player in 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.

Liam added: “We would love to hear from any supporter who has a good idea about our celebrations.”

The club played pre-season friendlies against St Mirren and Bolton Wanderers before their 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.