North Caledonian League

[Robert James]

The NCL has progressed this season with (Tain) St Duthus and Inverness Athletic proving to be very creditable additions to the league. St Duthus have secured sound backing, and started the season strongly. Inverness Athletic have found themselves a more than decent ground at Farr, which is just a few miles to the south of Inverness. After a difficult start, additional players have been recruited from the Inverness area, and results have improved considerably !  

In addition Shetland FC, and Lewis & Harris FC have performed well (to date) in the NCL Cup Competitions (2016/17). Unfortunately geography and winter weather considerations prevent them from joining the League itself. Lossiemouth Development XI are also participating  in some of the NCL Cups, this season.

Don't be surprised if more clubs (re)join the NCL, or participate in the NCL Cups, during next few years, eg  (former Members) Dingwall Thistle, Nairn County Development XI, Dornoch City, and possibly a 'representative' Skye FC (following the example of the other 3 island clubs)..

[Whitburn Vale]

Just recieved my June e'mail newsletter from Tain St.Duthus,i sponsored them at the start of the season.

In it was the news that NCL football is more than likely coming back to Helmsdale,BunillidhThistle are looking to return to the fold,which is great news for football in Sutherland and the NCL.

[HibeeJibee]

Is there a possibility of Inverness City returning if they can't get their ground issues sorted in the Juniors?

What about some of the other clubs who dropped out in recent years - Bonar Bridge, Balintore, Dingwall Thistle, Muir of Ord Rovers, Sutherland Utd? It's been carnage up there.

I'm guessing Tain Thistle won't be making a comeback, anyway, now Tain St Duthus are on the go.

[Whitburn Vale]

9 hours ago, HibeeJibee said:

Is there a possibility of Inverness City returning if they can't get their ground issues sorted in the Juniors?

What about some of the other clubs who dropped out in recent years - Bonar Bridge, Balintore, Dingwall Thistle, Muir of Ord Rovers, Sutherland Utd? It's been carnage up there.

I'm guessing Tain Thistle won't be making a comeback, anyway, now Tain St Duthus are on the go.

St.Duthus are now very well run HJ,Niall and the guys have done a great job getting them started back up and viable.

They have a healthy bank balance and good sponsorship,the future looks bright for football in Tain.

Would be good to see another team join the NCL and bring the numbers in the league to a more viable 10 teams 

[LongTimeLurker]

Think I read somewhere that Inverness Athletic are using Muir of Ord Rovers old ground?

[Whitburn Vale]

2 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Think I read somewhere that Inverness Athletic are using Muir of Ord Rovers old ground?

Aye Inverness Athletic are now playing in Muir of Ord after a brief spell playing at "Farr" LTL.Think HJ was talking about junior side Inverness City and if they would be interested in returning to the NCL,but as he says they have ongoing problems with sourcing a new ground.

[LongTimeLurker]

What I was getting at is that if they are playing there, they can probably be viewed as a Muir of Ord comeback at this point more than an Inverness team. From what I have read elsewhere Inverness City hope to groundshare with Clach as a way of staying in the juniors.

[Whitburn Vale]

Would make sense for City to share with Clach.

Muir of Ord isnt that far from Inverness,10 mins north in the car,think its a good move for Athletic as its a struggle for any club to find a playing location in Inverness as Inverness City have found out.

[cmontheloknow]

5 hours ago, Whitburn Vale said:

Would make sense for City to share with Clach.

Muir of Ord isnt that far from Inverness,10 mins north in the car,think its a good move for Athletic as its a struggle for any club to find a playing location in Inverness as Inverness City have found out.

Strange to see almost the entirely of Inverness AFA playing out the Bught too.

[Cyclizine]

There's plans afoot for Clach to go plastic, which would allow more matches at Grant Street. City are hoping to groundshare.

Sent from my SM-T330 using Pie and Bovril mobile app

[Robert James]

On 2017-6-1 at 19:14, Whitburn Vale said:

Just recieved my June e'mail newsletter from Tain St.Duthus,i sponsored them at the start of the season.

In it was the news that NCL football is more than likely coming back to Helmsdale,BunillidhThistle are looking to return to the fold,which is great news for football in Sutherland and the NCL.

Confirmed at NCL AGM that Bunilldh Thistle have rejoined the NCL for 2017/18, taking the membership to 9 clubs. Also Elgin City has entered its Development U20 side into the NCL Cup competitions for the new season.

[welshbairn]

On 2017-6-8 at 21:04, Cyclizine said:

There's plans afoot for Clach to go plastic, which would allow more matches at Grant Street. City are hoping to groundshare.

Sent from my SM-T330 using Pie and Bovril mobile app
 

Cancelled, the grant from Sport Scotland has been cut. City might not have a ground.

[tarapoa]

On ‎27‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 21:29, Cyclizine said:

Why? It's an anomaly that the NCL is affiliated to the SFA, it is realistically equivalent to the amateur leagues. I could possibly see a case if there was going to be an amalgamated structure as part of a unified pyramid in the north, but at present it would be pointless.

A unified pyramid north - sounds very sensible - promotion and relegation, play-offs and all that stuff that makes fitba exciting with a coverage of every sizeable place north of the faultline (possibly excluding Outer Hebrides and Shetland) surely makes sense.

Thurso v Keith play-off to get into one tier below the actual league - would be box office.

 

[cmontheloknow]

13 hours ago, tarapoa said:

A unified pyramid north - sounds very sensible - promotion and relegation, play-offs and all that stuff that makes fitba exciting with a coverage of every sizeable place north of the faultline (possibly excluding Outer Hebrides and Shetland) surely makes sense.

Thurso v Keith play-off to get into one tier below the actual league - would be box office.

 

If the NCL came into a North pyramid it would be nowahere near the top of the tree. It would be a region below the middle which would most feasibly be the North Junior Superleague divison.

[HibeeJibee]

NCL have introduced a new website and have just issued a half-season fixture list running from September to Christmas.

(Golspie v Inverness Athletic on the opening day will have to be cancelled due to Golspie's Scottish Cup tie).

Did Orkney's home games always kick-off at 12:30pm or is that new? Full list here:
http://www.northcaleyfa.co.uk/news_article.php?id=7


On the cup front - Elgin U20s, Nairn U20s, Lewis & Harris Select XI and Shetland Select XI have entered the Football Times Cup and Jock Mackay Cup... Orkney have chosen not to enter the North Caledonian Cup or Tommy Ross Cup, which the U20 pair have also entered:
http://www.northcaleyfa.co.uk/news_article.php?id=4

Apparently the Chic Allan Cup is also reintroduced between the top 2 scorers as a sort of 'Supercup'.

[welshbairn]

On 02/06/2017 at 12:08, Whitburn Vale said:

Aye Inverness Athletic are now playing in Muir of Ord after a brief spell playing at "Farr" LTL.Think HJ was talking about junior side Inverness City and if they would be interested in returning to the NCL,but as he says they have ongoing problems with sourcing a new ground.

City's Bught Park lease runs out in October, if they can't get an extension there's talk about moving to a pitch in Kirkhill, no idea if it meets Superleague criteria. Sounds like the Council are being total c***s about it, they'd rather have a handful of cricket games over the Summer at the Northern Meeting Ground and rip apart all the hard work and money spent on the Bught Park ground than help a City the size of Inverness to have a viable Junior Football Club. It will also cost City a load of money to put the Park back to how it was. It's not like they'll even be using the area for anything else, there's stacks of room for other events without getting rid of Lister Park (City's ground in Bught Park).

[Cyclizine]

City's Bught Park lease runs out in October, if they can't get an extension there's talk about moving to a pitch in Kirkhill, no idea if it meets Superleague criteria. Sounds like the Council are being total c***s about it, they'd rather have a handful of cricket games over the Summer at the Northern Meeting Ground and rip apart all the hard work and money spent on the Bught Park ground than help a City the size of Inverness to have a viable Junior Football Club. It will also cost City a load of money to put the Park back to how it was. It's not like they'll even be using the area for anything else, there's stacks of room for other events without getting rid of Lister Park (City's ground in Bught Park).

To be fair, City at the Bught was only ever a temporary solution - they were given a five year lease with the intention that they would've sourced a permanent ground during that time. I do have a lot of sympathy for City, but they had time to get this sorted.

[welshbairn]

11 minutes ago, Cyclizine said:

To be fair, City at the Bught was only ever a temporary solution - they were given a five year lease with the intention that they would've sourced a permanent ground during that time. I do have a lot of sympathy for City, but they had time to get this sorted.

Can't see how Bught Park benefits by closing Lister Park. It's sandwiched between the shinty and rugby pitches. And there's rumours of an all weather pitch they could share after the West Link is completed. I can't see the loss to anyone by the Council extending the lease. And I'd be livid about having to stay sober and drive to fucking Kirkhilll. 

[Robert James]

On 14/08/2017 at 22:50, Cyclizine said:

To be fair, City at the Bught was only ever a temporary solution - they were given a five year lease with the intention that they would've sourced a permanent ground during that time. I do have a lot of sympathy for City, but they had time to get this sorted.

Has the North Junior League given City a deadline to sort out a ground which meets the required standard ?  Does Kirkhhill meet this requirement ? Or are they considering ground sharing at various locations, like Cove ?

[welshbairn]

On 17/08/2017 at 00:33, Robert James said:

Has the North Junior League given City a deadline to sort out a ground which meets the required standard ?  Does Kirkhhill meet this requirement ? Or are they considering ground sharing at various locations, like Cove ?

No idea on the first two, they did a bit of Cove style homeless begging before they got Lister Park, but without the cash Cove have. I'm seriously worried that if the Council don't extend the lease until a new pitch is available with the West Link Project, that they could fold. It's a small community club with few resources, how they got hold of £70 odd thousand to develop Lister Park I've no idea, and it will cost them a load of money to put it back as it was. It means digging up and removing water pipes for the showers and toilets, drainage and the like over a fair distance and under the shinty pitch I believe.