Talks take place about bringing Inverness Thistle back to senior football
PLANS are being discussed to bring back Inverness Thistle into senior football, 30 years after they played their final game in the Highland League.
A video conference took place on Wednesday to establish a team called Inverness Thistle into the North Caledonian League.
If successful, it is planned that the team would enter the competition for the 2025/26 season.
Inverness Thistle previously played in the Highland League before merging with Caledonian to create Inverness Caledonian Thistle and join the Scottish Third Division in 1994.
Organisers say the idea to re-establish Inverness Thistle has nothing to do with the current financial situation at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
They say it has been an idea in the making well before problems with the League One outfit came to light.
Project spokesman Martin Mainland says while the idea to re-establish Inverness Thistle is still at an early stage, is keen to see how much interest there is to set up a club.
He said: “I have been sitting on the idea for a while now. In 2015, there was an amateur football team called Inverness Thistle who were looking for a revival of the club and I played for them then.
“What we are looking to do is see if we can push a team forward to play in the North Caledonian League if possible.
“Amateur teams come and go, but by having a team in the North Caledonian League, we are looking to get a bit of longevity this time.
“The idea is still in its infancy, I have had the idea for a while, but we waited to see what the engagement levels are like before I pulled the trigger on anything.
“I have been in touch with the North Caledonian League who are happy to discuss things with us. We want to make it a community club. If we can do fundraising and get people on side, we will look at some fan ownership model.
“This is about getting Inverness Thistle back to where they should be and it is the right time for action.
“The current situation at Inverness Caledonian Thistle has not been a factor in getting Inverness Thistle up and running. This is not about any other club apart from Inverness Thistle.”
Inverness clubs have reappeared in the North Caledonian League in recent years with Inverness Athletic and Clachnacuddin A currently playing in the division.
Loch Ness had success in the competition, winning the NCL in the 2022/23 campaign, before deciding to withdraw from the league this season.
Mainland says he has drawn confidence from how other clubs in Inverness have had success at NCL level, and thinks an Inverness Thistle team could do well too.
He said: “Inverness Athletic have a good thing going, their youth development is fantastic and have shown that a club can be run sustainably and build for the future.
“Hopefully, Loch Ness will be back in the North Caledonian League in the future as you saw the success they had on the park and off the park.”
