| Description | Legal and Financial Records (1949-1981), Plans and Related Correspondence Regarding Building Work and Alterations (1956-1976, n.d.), Photographs (1971-1989, n.d.), Newspapers (c1920-1985), Match Programmes and Related Paperwork (c1973-1995), Competitions (1932-1985), Publications, Ephemera and Objects (1924-1998), Sports Writers Association of Great Britain (1986), Fan Poetry (n.d.), Material Relating to Other Clubs (1981-2015). |
| Administrative History | Dennis Eames was a supporter of Inverness Thistle F.C., as well as performing various roles for the club, such as, programme editor, secretary, and director. This is a collection he possessed largely relating to Inverness Thistle and the Highland League, as well as some material relating to Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C.
Inverness Thistle Football Club was founded in 1885 by a Diriebught miller by the name of Mr Smith, who had four sons who played for the club. They absorbed Crown FC in 1889 and Union FC in 1895-6 when they moved from the Millburn area to Kingsmills.
When the Highland League was established in 1893, there were 7 teams competing and Inverness Thistle won the first league title. They went on to win 8 titles, the last of which was won in 1986-87.
In 1973-74, Thistle made an unsuccessful bid to join the Scottish League, losing out by only one vote to Ferranti Thistle. The opportunity to join arose again in the 1994-95 season, however, to improve their chance of gaining membership a controversial merger with local rivals Caledonian was proposed. Fans of both clubs bitterly opposed the merger, and many tried to stop it. In this they were unsuccessful, and the new entity, Caledonian Thistle (subsequently renamed Inverness Caledonian Thistle) was elected along with Ross County to the Scottish League's Third Division for season 1994–95.
Thistle’s final game before the merger with Caledonian was in May 1994 - a home game against Lossiemouth.
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