Two Highland footballing legends have been recalling the night an epic penalty shoot-out in an Inverness Cup semi-final 40 years ago went more than 20 spot-kicks deep.
The famous old trophy will be back up for grabs in Tuesday’s Clach v Caley Thistle game at Grant Street Park, the first time the trophy has been played for since Forres Mechanics won it in 2005-2006.
The local competition kicked off in 1895 thanks to four Inverness clubs – Caledonian, Citadel, Clachnacuddin and Inverness Thistle.
In 1982-1983, Caledonian, or Caley, made history by winning the Highland League without suffering one defeat, with 23 league wins and seven draws earning them the “Invincibles” tag long before Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic went unscathed in the Premiership seven years ago.
Caley’s achievement was the first time a campaign without defeat had been achieved in 70 years of Highland League football, with Brora Rangers joining that elite unbeaten club in their stunning title triumph eight season ago.
During that relentless campaign 41 years ago, and removed from their league heroics, Caley clinched the Inverness Cup, beating Nairn County in the final 5-0.
Cup semi shoot-out lasted almost half an hour
However, the semi-final with Clach on February 2, 1983, at Caley’s Telford Street ground was a much less clear-cut affair.
The high-scoring shoot-out decider required to separate the sides even made it into the Guinness Book of Records.
The match finished all-square after 90 pulsating minutes and the teams could not be split after 30 minutes of extra-time.
So, on to the shoot-out, and the scores were locked at 4-4 after five penalties each.
The remaining members of each team then stepped up to take spot-kicks, including Caley goalkeeper Billy MacDonald and Lilywhites’ Hamish Morrison, the pair having previously been team-mates at Clach.
Soon it was 9-9, and it was time for the players to start again – and it took until almost half-an-hour after the end of extra-time for there to be a winner.
‘Not a single penalty went wide’
Raymond MacKintosh slotted away his penalty, but Clach’s Frankie Watt didn’t, and it finished 12-11.
Incredibly, not one penalty was off target.
Alex Main, in his “Caley all the Way” book, which marked Caledonian’s centenary in 1986, painted the perfect picture of the scene as the dust settled on a remarkable night.
He wrote: “The players left the field emotionally drained. Caley had nothing left with which to show elation and the combined feelings were of sympathy for Watt, a former Caley player, at having the misfortune of having the final miss.
“On three earlier occasions, other Clach players had failed from the spot when a score would have seen their side through.
“Seven of the kicks were saved by the goalkeepers, which meant not a single penalty went wide.”
The reintroduction of the Inverness Cup this season sparked fresh recollections for former players, as part of the Football Memories project, using Am Baile, High Life Highland’s bilingual website.
MacDonald recalls ‘Remarkable’ high-quality shoot-out
Victorious goalkeeper Billy MacDonald, 69, won 21 medals in his glittering football career, which kicked off as a youth at Ross County, led to Clach and Caley and finally a spell with Elgin City.
He earned six league-winners’ medals, five with Caley and one with Clach, and is one of the most successful keepers in Highland League history.
Reflecting on that remarkable shoot-out success in the 1983 Inverness Cup semi with his former club Clach, he said: “Penalties are always lotteries. One bad bounce of the ball and it’s over your hand and in the net.
“It was an exciting match and an exciting end to it. Thankfully we won. I thought it was more than 12-11, maybe 15-14, but plenty of time has passed.
“You don’t see shoot-out scorelines like that often, even now – it’s usually six or seven to win it.
“It is remarkable when you consider none of the penalties were off target. I scored one, too.
“I only scored twice, including that one.
“The other was when I was playing for Caley at Lossiemouth when I kicked it the length of the park. Kevin MacDonald, running in front of the goalie, put him off and the ball trickled into the net.”
Crowds lapped up Inverness derbies
Nothing bettered facing your local rivals in front of a passionate and packed crowd in Inverness for MacDonald, who continues to revel in the company of former team-mates and foes.
He added: “The local derbies were always so keenly fought. Those were fantastic times.
“The atmosphere at Telford Street, Grant Street and Kingsmills was always fantastic, with decent crowds.
“All the boys would admit it was a time they look back at fondly.
“I’m glad to say we’re making the most of it and we’ve had a few reunions going back to the invincible times and beyond.”
Caley were ‘lucky’ to reach shoot-out
Peter Corbett won Highland League titles with Clach, Caley and Thistle, racking up an incredible 26 winners’ medals as a player and manager – a tally thought to be unrivalled.
He was wearing the number six sweeper jersey for eventual victors Caley that evening of the shoot-out.
The 70-year-old, who also managed Caley and the Lilywhites, admits his team were lucky still to have a chance by the end of the tie.
He said: “To be honest, Caley were lucky to get a draw. Clach were the better team, but as good teams do, we managed to hang in there and take them to penalties.
“We couldn’t believe the way the penalties were going. I took the 10th penalty as I didn’t want to take one and didn’t expect to be taking one, but it reached sudden death. I scored thankfully and the goalkeepers took their penalties.
“Every time, we missed, they missed or vice versa.
“It was crazy for it to reach that scoreline. It might well have been a UK-record scoreline.
“We have seen so many shoot-outs over the years, and I had never seen or experienced anything like it. That was another great feat for the record books.
“It was at the Howden End of the ground and the supporters were going mad when you scored.
“It was a great occasion.
“When you are taking part in it, you think: ‘what’s happening here?’
“It sorted itself out eventually, as penalty shoot-outs do.”
Players ‘loved’ Inverness Cup action
Corbett felt the Inverness Cup was a competition loved locally and he hopes it takes a new on a new lease of life.
He added: “The Inverness Cup was one of the best cups to play in. The games were in midweek and it was so competitive. We loved playing in it.
“There were good quality teams. You had Elgin, Lossiemouth, the three Inverness teams, and Brora. You basically had the top half of the Highland League taking part.
“When Roshie Fraser and I were managing Clach, we tried to revive it, but Caley Thistle by that point had moved on to another level. It never really picked up.
“However, it is great to see the Clach and Caley Thistle compete next Tuesday, and it would be great for it to become annual once more.
“It’s great to see the Inverness provost Glynis Campbell-Sinclair and Highland Council support it and to see it resurrected as a competition.”
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