2007–08 Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. season

The 2007–08 season was Inverness Caledonian Thistle's fourth in the Scottish Premier League and 14th since the merger that created the club. They also competed in the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
2007–08 season
ManagerCraig Brewster
Scottish Premier League9th
Scottish Cup4th round
Scottish League CupQuarter-final
Top goalscorerLeague: Don Cowie (9)
All: Marius Niculae (10)
Highest home attendance7,753 vs. Rangers, 20 January 2008
Lowest home attendance3,420 vs. Kilmarnock, 19 April 2008
Average home league attendance4,753

Scottish Premier League

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Caley Thistle finished 9th of 12 teams in the SPL, on 43 points from 38 matches. They managed only a disappointing −11 goal differential, from 51 goals scored and 62 allowed. It was a mixed season for statistics, as this tied the club's record for goals scored in an SPL season, set in 2004–05, but also demolished their record for SPL goals conceded by 14. But overall, it could be called a poor season for the Caley, with the lowest total points and lowest finishing league standing since their promotion in 2004.

The exception to this poor form, and the main reason for the team's survival in the SPL, was the month of December. A streak that included wins against Hearts and Celtic earned Craig Brewster Manager of the Month and Marius Niculae Player of the Month honors.

Scottish Cup

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To go along with the lackluster league season was a short and poor Scottish Cup. Caley Thistle entered the tournament in the fourth round, and faced Hibernian at Easter Road. Dean Shiels scored a hat trick and sunk Caley's hopes for a cup run at the first possible point as the match finished 3–0 to Hibs.

League Cup

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The League Cup provided a bit more positive news for Caley Thistle fans, as the club reached the quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons, on the strength of a 4–1 win over Arbroath and a 3–0 win over Gretna. The run stopped abruptly, however, away to Aberdeen, who beat Caley Thistle 4–1 on the strength of another hat trick (albeit including two penalties), this time from Barry Nicholson.

Results

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All the results of the regular matches [1]

Scottish Premier League

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation[a]
7 Falkirk 38 13 10 15 45 49 −4 49
8 Heart of Midlothian 38 13 9 16 47 55 −8 48
9 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 38 13 4 21 51 62 −11 43
10 St Mirren 38 10 11 17 26 54 −28 41
11 Kilmarnock 38 10 10 18 39 52 −13 40
Source: Scottish Professional Football League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.

Matches

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4 August 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–3 Rangers Caledonian Stadium
12:30 Ferguson   16', 90'
Novo   64'
Attendance: 7,711
Referee: Clarke
11 August 2007 Motherwell 2–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Fir Park
15:00 O'Donnell   85'
McCormack   90'
Tokely   82' Attendance: 4,259
Referee: Freeland
18 August 2007 St Mirren 2–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Love Street
15:00 Miranda   19'
Corcoran   55'
Cowie   58' Attendance: 3,309
Referee: Collum
25 August 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–3 Dundee United Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Dillon   46'
Robson   58', 81'
Attendance: 4,178
Referee: Underhill
1 September 2007 Hibernian 1–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Easter Road
15:00 Fletcher   2' Attendance: 13,258
Referee: Smith
15 September 2007 Celtic 5–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Celtic Park
15:00 Vennegoor of Hesselink   15', 59'
Donati   41'
Nakamura   56'
McGuire   70' (o.g.)
Attendance: 56,020
Referee: Thomson
22 September 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2–1 Hearts Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Wyness   64'
Brewster   90'
Black   34' (o.g.) Attendance: 4,918
Referee: Tumilty
29 September 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4–2 Falkirk Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Wyness   7', 54'
Duncan   18'
Black   32'
Milne   28'
Arfield   47'
Attendance: 4,011
Referee: Somers
6 October 2007 Kilmarnock 2–2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Rugby Park
15:00 Koudou   1'
Nish   56'
Ford   22' (o.g.)
Cowie   61'
Attendance: 4,456
Referee: Brines
21 October 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1–2 Aberdeen Caledonian Stadium
14:00 Wyness   58' Young   8'
Tokely   62' (o.g.)
Referee: Smith
27 October 2007 Gretna 0–4 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Fir Park
15:00 Wyness   2'
Cowie   31'
Wilson   73'
McBain   75'
Attendance: 1,096
Referee: McCurry
3 November 2007 Rangers 2–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Ibrox Stadium
15:00 Boyd   1'
Cuéllar   63'
Attendance: 48,898
Referee: Collum
10 November 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–3 Motherwell Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Clarkson   15', 53'
Smith   87'
Attendance: 3,608
24 November 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1–0 St Mirren Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Cowie   6' Attendance: 3,699
Referee: Allan
1 December 2007 Dundee United 0–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Tannadice Stadium
15:00 Black   20' Attendance: 5845
Referee: Brines
8 December 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2–0 Hibernian Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Niculae   42', 78' Attendance: 4224
Referee: Clark
12 December 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3–2 Celtic Caledonian Stadium
14:00 Rankin   41' (pen.)
Proctor   57',   68'
Cowie   61'
Vennegoor of Hesselink   24', 26' Attendance: 7004
22 December 2007 Heart of Midlothian 2–3 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Tynecastle Park
15:00 Berra   62'
Kurskis   86'  
Velicka   88' (pen.)
Duncan   22'
Rankin   52' (pen.)
Bayne   90+3'
Attendance: 16202
26 December 2007 Falkirk 1–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Falkirk Stadium
15:00 Aafjes   34' Attendance: 5265
29 December 2007 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3–1 Kilmarnock Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Niculae   42', 76'
Cowie   52'
Nish   87' Attendance: 4169
2 January 2008 Aberdeen 1–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Pittodrie Stadium
15:00 Nicholson   82' (pen.) Attendance: 13327
5 January 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3–0 Gretna Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Niculae   34', 42'
Rankin   39' (pen.)
Attendance: 3919
20 January 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–1 Rangers Caledonian Stadium
14:00 Darcheville   89' Attendance: 7753
9 February 2008 St Mirren 1–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle St Mirren Park
15:00 Mehmet   75' Munro   27' Attendance: 3609
16 February 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1–1 Dundee United Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Paatelainen   84' Buaben   68' Attendance: 4087
20 February 2008 Motherwell 3–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Fir Park
19:45 Clarkson   7', 42'
Porter   10'
Cowie   19' Attendance: 4526
23 February 2008 Hibernian 2–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Easter Road
15:00 Nish   3'
Fletcher   5'
Attendance: 12552
27 February 2008 Celtic 2–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Celtic Park
19:45 McDonald   45'
Samaras   61'
Niculae   70' Attendance: 56787
1 March 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–3 Heart of Midlothian Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Karypidis   22'
Elliot   33', 47'
Attendance: 4489
15 March 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–1 Falkirk Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Clarke   86' Attendance: 4012
22 March 2008 Kilmarnock 4–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Rugby Park
15:00 Wright   37'
Bryson   50', 57'
Flannigan   64'
Black   13' Attendance: 5100
29 March 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3–4 Aberdeen Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Bus   20' (o.g.)
Duncan   40',   46'  
McBain   57'
Munro   90+10'
Aluko   7'
Nicholson   45'
Miller   53'
Maguire   90+3'
Attendance: 5655
5 April 2008 Gretna 1–2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Fir Park
15:00 Barr   80' McBain   71'
Cowie   73'
Attendance: 431
19 April 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3–0 Kilmarnock Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Imrie   10'
Lilley   71' (o.g.)
Niculae   79'
Attendance: 3420
26 April 2008 Heart of Midlothian 1–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Tynecastle Park
15:00 Glen   80' Attendance: 15423
4 May 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 6–1 Gretna Caledonian Stadium
14:00 Imrie   1'
McAllister   24'
Wilson   51'
Cowie   70'
Tokely   88'
Vigurs   90+1'
Hogg   26' Attendance: 3639
10 May 2008 Falkirk 2–1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Falkirk Stadium
15:00 Higdon   28'
Finnigan   68'
Wilson   90' (pen.) Attendance: 5631
17 May 2008 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 0–0 St Mirren Caledonian Stadium
15:00 Proctor   54' Attendance: 3783

Scottish League Cup

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Round Date Opponent H/A Score ICT Scorer(s) Attendance
R2 28 August Arbroath H 3–1 Niculae (2), Wyness 1,246
R3 25 September Gretna H 3–0 Bayne, Wilson, Wyness 1,717
R4 31 October Aberdeen A 1–4 Bayne 7,270

Scottish Cup

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12 January 2008 Fourth round Hibernian 3–0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle Easter Road
15:00 Shiels   5', 53', 84'
Morais   88'  
McGuire   88'   Attendance: 9622
Referee: Conroy}

Club Records Set

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  • (+) Tied – Most SPL goals scored: 51 (also scored 51 in 2004–05)
  • (−) Lowest SPL finish: 9th (previous was 8th in 2004–05 and 2006–07)
  • (−) Least SPL points: 43 (previous was 44 in 2004–05)
  • (−) Worst SPL goal difference: −11 (previous was −6 in 2004–05 and 2006–07)
  • (−) Most SPL goals allowed: 62 (previous was 48 in 2006–07)

Transfers in

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Date Name Moving from Fee
8 May 2007   Ally Ridgers   Clachnacuddin Free[2]
1 July 2007   Don Cowie   Ross County Free[3]
4 July 2007   Dean McDonald   Gillingham Undisclosed[4]
17 July 2007   Marius Niculae   Mainz 05 Free[5]
14 August 2007   Steven Watt   Swansea City Loan[6]
31 August 2007   Zbigniew Małkowski   Hibernian Loan[7]
31 August 2007   Phil McGuire   Dunfermline Athletic Loan[8]
31 August 2007   David Proctor   Dundee United Free[9]
31 January 2008   Dougie Imrie   Clyde Undisclosed[10]

Transfers out

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Date Name Moving to Fee
1 June 2007   Stuart Golabek   Ross County Free[11]
28 June 2007   Craig Dargo   St Mirren Free[12]
1 July 2007   Darren Dods   Dundee United Free[13]
31 August 2007   Ally Ridgers   Elgin City Loan[14]
31 August 2007   Zander Sutherland   Elgin City Loan[14]
1 January 2008   Alan Morgan   Kilmarnock Free
17 January 2008   John Rankin   Hibernian £110,000
29 April 2008   Stuart McCaffrey   St Johnstone Free

References

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  1. ^ "Caleythistleonline 2007–08 results".
  2. ^ "Ridgers poised for Inverness stay". BBC Sport. 8 May 2007.
  3. ^ "Inverness line up County captain". BBC Sport. 1 July 2007.
  4. ^ "McDonald joy at Inverness switch". BBC Sport. 4 July 2007.
  5. ^ "Romania striker joins Inverness". BBC Sport. 17 July 2007.
  6. ^ "Defender Watt moves to Inverness". BBC Sport. 14 August 2007.
  7. ^ "Malkowski heads to Caley Thistle". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007.
  8. ^ "Transfer Window". caleythistleonline.com. 31 August 2007.
  9. ^ "Proctor moves back to Inverness". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007.
  10. ^ "Caley Thistle sign Clyde's Imrie". BBC Sport. 2 March 2008.
  11. ^ "Golabek & Bullock back at County". BBC Sport. 1 June 2007.
  12. ^ "St Mirren sign up striker Dargo". BBC Sport. 28 June 2007.
  13. ^ "Dods seals move to Dundee United". BBC Sport. 22 June 2007.
  14. ^ a b "Inverness duo farmed out to Elgin". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007.