Duncan Ferguson scored a hat-trick on his last visit to Arbroath – but it was so long ago he almost forgot.
The new Caley Thistle manager takes charge of the Championship’s basement team this Saturday as he seeks a winning start at Gayfield just days after penning a three-year deal to boss the Caledonian Stadium club.
It’s almost 30 years since the former Scotland and Everton star played in Scotland, but one of his last acts as a Rangers striker in 1994 was bagging a treble against Arbroath at Gayfield in a 6-1 rout in the League Cup.
Nearly three decades on, he’s now leading the Highlanders into battle as their boss as Caley Thistle target three precious Championship points.
Dad Duncan reminded boss of goals
The 51-year-old revealed his father, Duncan senior, reminded him that Arbroath was a happy hunting ground for him just prior to him leaving Ibrox for Everton.
He said: “I can’t really remember being at Arbroath’s ground, but I think my dad said to me I actually played there for Rangers many years ago.
“When you’re a young player, the memories don’t stick as much.
“He said I actually score three goals there.
“I should remember, shouldn’t I? I never scored many hat-tricks for Rangers, that’s for sure!
“It is great to be back. Having spent a lot of time in England, you forget really a lot of what happened 30-odd years ago.
“𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐜’𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐲.”@ArbroathFC boss Dick Campbell is looking forward to his dugout showdown with new @ICTFC boss Duncan Ferguson.
Full interview on @thecouriersport 🔜 pic.twitter.com/OrDDvHXkbk
— 𝐄𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 📝 (@ewansmithpr) September 27, 2023
“But my dad reminded me and I remembered, then. I think he still has the ball, amazingly.
“All dads are great for keeping wee mementoes. He went all over the country with me and was dead proud of us.
“We used to go on holiday to Arbroath, as well as up here to Nairn. It was the Red Lion Caravan Park in Arbroath and I remember the fairground, which is still there,
“Some things never change.”
Inverness will give fans 100% – boss
Inverness supporters, lifted by the big-name appointment of Ferguson, will be travelling in good numbers to Angus for this weekend’s match.
The manager sent a stirring message out to fans as they prepare to roar ICT on against Dick Campbell’s third-placed high-fliers.
He said: “Fans are the lifeblood of the club. They’ll be here forever – it is their club.
“They want a winning team. They want a team that is going to be aggressive and at the very least is going to give 100%.
“I’ll push myself and work 100% and I’ll push them as hard as I can, and we absolutely need the fans with us, of course we do.
“We thank them for travelling to Arbroath. It can’t be easy because at the end of the day it is expensive, plus they have seen the team losing a lot of games as well.
“We do want the die-hard fans coming to the games and shouting the team on, right through the game.
“It is not easy for the fans when the team is losing, but we want that support right through what is going to be a difficult game for us.
“As you know, Arbroath are on a high, third in the league, flying high and undefeated in the last four (league) games.
“It is going to be a tough game for us, but one we’re looking forward to.”
As well as winning four Championship games in succession, Arbroath beat a much-changed Inverness 4-2 in the SPFL Trust Trophy earlier this month.
