Thanks, Charlie

On Monday August 20th 2007 a long and significant era for Caley Thistle came to a sad end with the resignation of Charlie Christie from the post of manager. Having been with Caley Thistle from the very beginning, when we took our first tentative steps on the park in 2004, Charlie seemed like part of the fixtures and fittings at the club. A legendary player, then a well-liked coach and Centenary Club manager, Charlie was always destined to manage Caley Thistle at some point, and the idea of him not being involved with the club was inconceivable. He had been manager for a little over a year and a half and during that time, although he found it difficult adjusting to the manager's role, the Caley Thistle team achieved some notable results, including several very memorable encounters with Rangers, both at home and away at Ibrox.

Because of all these factors, although it sounds melodramatic, when Charlie resigned it felt almost as though someone had died. When you're used to having someone around all the time, you really feel their absence when they're finally not there. The choice of Charlie for manager had been controversial amongst some fans who had set their sights elsewhere, and during his time as manager Charlie was undeservedly given a hard time by a harshly vocal minority, increasing the pressure he was feeling. I'm not saying he was perfect; he wasn't. He made mistakes like very other human being on this planet, but he didn't deserve the treatment he got, or the pressure that was put upon him.

However, let's not dwell on the controversy or the sadness when there are so many good things to remember. During his long Caley Thistle career Charlie accomplished a great deal to further our cause. Charlie's playing career spanned our first ten seasons in the senior league setup and he made a contribution to each season, finally celebrating his retirement from playing by lifting the Division One Championship trophy. He was as crafty and wily a midfielder as they come and he gave many defenders a torrid time on our rise through the leagues. Over the years many fans have enjoyed watching his skillful and entertaining brand of football; neatly dodging defenders, performing tricks with the ball and creating as well as scoring goals. The pinnacle of his playing career was his Man of the Match-winning performance on 8th February 2008, when he was one of the small but mighty squad that felled Celtic. There were many other notable performances along the way, and he could always be relied upon to provide a bit of flair and passion to a game.

That passion sometimes spilled over and things got a bit, er, heated. And what exactly did he say to Alex Bone that day at Victoria Park? Whatever it was, the result has been enjoyed for years by Caley Thistle fans. Bone never did get over the incident, but it added a certain edge to future derby matches!

Charlie's management career also deserves more than a passing mention. Probably no other Caley Thistle manager will achieve such a good record against Rangers as he did. We definitely became Rangers' bogey team, and there wasn't one fan who didn't love that! His media interviews have also always been a joy to listen to, especially compared with those of some other managers who seem to be barely able to string a sentence together without lapsing into clichés or incoherence. When Charlie quit, Scottish football management lost probably its most articulate and pleasant speaker. Nothing compares to hearing a gentle, well-phrased Inverness accent on the radio!

In the end, Charlie felt had to make the decision to resign for the good of his health and family life, and it's unfortunate that it had to come to that. However, since the very beginning he's done so much for Caley Thistle, and for Caley Thistle fans especially, that we owe him a great debt of gratitude. We would not be where we are now if it wasn't for his passion and dedication, and for that he deserves a very big

THANK YOU