Charlie Christie recalls Caley Thistle’s winning first week as a club in the Scottish leagues 30 years ago.
On Tuesday, August 9, 1994, the club – formed from Highland League sides Inverness Caledonian (or Caley) and Inverness Thistle – played their first first-team game in the Coca-Cola (League) Cup away to East Stirling at Firs Park.
Goals from Wilson Robertson and the late Alan Hercher sealed a 2-0 win, which was followed on the Saturday by a rousing 5-2 Third Division debut victory over Arbroath.
A Hercher hat-trick and goals from Paul McKenzie and Wilson Robertson earned the second win.
An abductor muscle injury put midfield star Christie out of action in the opening weeks on ICT’s maiden campaign, after he had competed for both Thistle and then Caley in prior years.
Caley Thistle maiden first-team match ‘such a big occasion’
But that first bus journey to face East Stirling nevertheless stirs vivid memories for Christie.
He said: “I remember it well. It was a Tuesday night and I travelled down with the team.
“It was such a big occasion. We stopped for pre-match food and there were lots of nerves about the place, but they won the game quite convincingly. Even though it was only 2-0, we were never under pressure.
“Wilson Robertson, typically as a big-game player, scored the first goal and was a constant threat from the very first minute.
“He was the main player on the park, and he went on to have a terrific season for us.
“God rest his soul, Alan Hercher got the second one, which was a bit of a stramash.
“It was just before half-time and it was almost like an OG, but Hercher got the credit for it – he also played brilliantly that night.
“Sergei Baltacha was the manager, but all 11 players were Scottish, and the vast majority were from the Highlands.
“It was a different era and was so refreshing for the new club, and for the area.
“Knowing it was the first time we’d played in the cup as Scottish League side, it was important we got the win, and it was great it went so well.”
New club getting off to winning start mattered
With the first game ending in victory, the focus was switched immediately on to the Arbroath league opener at Telford Street.
Christie explained how everyone at ICT involved was determined to ensure they got people talking about wins on the park – rather than the politics which brought the merged club into existence.
He said: “The over-riding feeling for everyone was ‘thank goodness we’re here’.
“There were, of course, still some dissenting voices behind the scenes, and you can understand that, but it wasn’t helpful at the time.
“All the players, the manager Sergei Baltacha and the staff were just delighted finally football had come around and we could put the politics behind us.
“I do think it was so important, as a club and team, to get off to a good start in the cup.
“East Stirling away was certainly not a glamour draw, but we got the win.
“Highland League teams, especially Caley, had an incredible history in the Scottish Cup.
“Until the football starts, you’re just a name and we were keen to start playing and getting results.
“We followed up our win against East Stirling four days later with a tremendous 5-2 win at home to Arbroath in our first Third Division game.
“It was a really positive start, which was needed.”
Baltacha ‘probably ahead of his time’
In that first year in Division Three, Caley Thistle finished sixth, with Forfar Athletic, Montrose and neighbours Ross County – also newly accepted into the Scottish leagues – the top three.
Christie added: “Our first season would be marked as a seven out of 10. We were just finding our feet.
“There was still some unrest and a lot of changes going on in the background, such as getting the new stadium identified then built for the following season.
“We competed well enough. It was peaks and troughs. We he good runs where we played some really good stuff, but also times when we didn’t perform too well.
“Sergei had a continental way of playing, which was a bit more defensive than some people accepted at the time.
“When you consider football now, he was probably ahead of his time. He is a great man and was hugely knowledgeable in the game.
“Overall, that season was about cementing ourselves as a Scottish League club.
“We didn’t want to let ourselves down and wanted to perform as well as we could.
Next boss Paterson moved club further forward
“We always knew there would probably be a big turnover of players over the first 18-24 months and that proved to be the case when Steve Paterson came in as the manager the following year.
“We recruited a lot of still Highland-based players, but real quality such as Iain Stewart, Barry Robson and Mike Teasdale.
“I look back and say it was ‘mission accomplished’ that first season.
“We finished mid-table and had some very good cup performances.”
Under Paterson, Caley Thistle finished third the following season then won the Division Three title in 1996-1997.
Two years in Division Two and five in what’s now the Championship took them to the top-flight by 2004, with John Robertson and Donald Park in charge by that point.
Christie, father of Caley Thistle youth prodigy and Scotland international Ryan Christie, went on to play 312 times for the merged Caley Jags over a decade, but retired ahead of their debut Scottish Premier League campaign – a decision he talked to The Press and Journal about here.
He is currently head of youth development at Caley Thistle, who are now back in League One, having also managed them in the Scottish top-flight in 2006-2007.
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