Tuesday 3rd: Liam Shewan became the latest player to sign a new STFC contract, agreeing a two-year contract extension with the club.
Wednesday 4th: A hard-fought game in difficult conditions away to Deveronvale saw the Jags’ beaten by a late winner for the home side. Andrew Macleod had drawn us level early in the second-half and manager Ryan Esson told the Press & Journal afterwards: “I’m really disappointed because I thought we played really well and created plenty of chances but we didn’t take them and we were punished.”
Saturday 7th: A tough afternoon at Brora Rangers as the league leaders took out their frustrations on the Jags following a shock midweek defeat at home to Nairn. Brora led by four goals to one at half-time, Josh Race scoring for STFC, and added a further three after the break, captain James McShane receiving a red card to compound the Jags’ woes.
Sunday 8th: The long wait is over and the celebrations can begin. Not Scotland qualifying for the World Cup, but the Jags lottery jackpot has finally been won! Congratulations to Kirsty Almond from Burnley who has scooped the rollover prize of £14,900. For details of how the club lottery will now operate, following the jackpot win, click here.
Thursday 12th: 28-year-old defender Dean Stewart, a former Jags loanee, returned to the club on a permanent basis, signing from New Elgin FC on a contract running until 2028. Manager Ryan Esson told the STFC website that Dean would “add real competition and strength to our back line”.
Saturday 14th: Seafield Park looked a picture (above) but more suited to the Winter Olympics after a sharp overnight frost and temperatures of -7 caused the postponement of the scheduled home fixture with Inverurie Loco Works.
Wednesday 18th: Another postponement, unfortunately, this time as the game against Buckie Thistle fell foul of a frozen pitch and continued the long wait for a home fixture.
Thursday 19th: Goalkeeper Lewis Munro joined the Jags on a one-month loan deal from Nairn County to provide cover and competition between the sticks.
Saturday 21st: An afternoon to forget for the Jags as they conceded three goals in each half away to Forres Mechanics to fall to a heavy 6-0 defeat.
Monday 23rd: STFC announced the departure of manager Ryan Esson and assistant manager Don Johnstone with Aaron Doran taking the reins until the end of the season, assisted by James Lee Fraser.
Wednesday 25th: A first home game at Seafield Park for over two months and plenty of excitement as the Jags defeated Rothes 3-2. Josh Race, Shaun Morrison and Dean Stewart scored for the home side in an action-packed first half that twice saw bottom club Rothes equalise as they played their part in a very entertaining game. New manager Aaron told the Strathspey Herald that: “I said to the lads before the game that this is our home patch, and we want to make it really difficult for teams to pick up points here.”
Saturday 28th: The visit of Fraserburgh was due to bring the month to a close but a sharp drop in overnight temperatures meant the Seafield Park pitch was frozen and saw the game called off. That leaves the Jags with eleven matches still to play, plenty of time to add to our current tally of twenty-eight points.
Upcoming home matches
Wed 4th Mar: Clachnacuddin (8pm) Wed 11th Mar: Buckie Thistle (8pm) Sat 14th Mar: Wick Academy (2pm) Sat 28th: Inverurie Loco Works (2pm)
HOME MATCH v FRASERBURGH FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2026 – KO 2PM
THIS MATCH IS SPONSORED BY LAWSON, COULL and DUNCAN, Legal Services, Dundee.
This Saturday our visitors are the players, officials and supporters of Fraserburgh FC who travel the two hour eighty mile journey across Scotland’s North East on both the A98 and the A95. Fraserburgh currently sit in fifth place in the Breedon Highland League on forty-seven points from twenty-five games so the Jags will be in for a tough test but one that is not insurmountable. Having drawn five games and lost six hopefully we will be on top form and possible arrive at four o’clock on Saturday afternoon with a point or three. However in the past The Broch have been very strong adversaries and although we drew last season in our home match we were beaten at both times at Bellslea since then. So it looks as though the spectators should be in for a cracker!
If any of the Broch travelling support wants a resumé of what’s available in Grantown – click here – our Snack Bar situated in the ground has non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs and, in addition, is our Mackellar Suite, also situated within the ground, and is available for pre and aprés match alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs.
Jags’ new head coach Aaron Doran should have more or less a full complement to choose from so hopefully the winning ways continue.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S GAME v ROTHES
Action in the Rothes goalmouth.
In the first of three straight home games, Aaron Doran in his first game in charge, had only two minutes to wait to go in front when Josh Race fired in a screamer. However it was only thirteen minutes later when Rothes equalised when Owen Alexander headed home. The Jags went ahead again five minutes later with a Shaun Morrison header, only to be pulled back level when ex-Jag Jake Thompson tapped in after a couple of defensive mistakes in the home goal area. Four minutes later we were back in front when recent Jags’ re-signing Dean Stewart headed past Rothes keeper Stewart Black to make it 3-2 for the home side. In what was a ideal night for football and the first game at Seafield Park since mid-December the score remained the same until half-time, and after an industrious second half by both teams there was no more scoring although the Jag’s had a couple of very good chances near the end which we were unable to take. All in all it was a very entertaining game of football with some good football from both sides.
Strathspey Thistle : Danny Gillan (Gk), Ali Morrison, Zach MacPhee, Rorie Macleod, Dean Stewart, Jamie Calder, Caelan Mutch, James McShane (C), Shaun Morrison, Josh Race, Dylan Lawrence. Subs: Lewis Munro (Gk), Scot Docherty (T), Jamie Williamson, Cammy Lisle, Robert Flett, Bailey Black, Calum Brown.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 11 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 18 v Banks O’Dee (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 25 v Keith (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 28 v Inverurie (H) 2pm Saturday April 4 v Turriff United (H) 3pm Saturday April 11 v Lossiemouth (A) 3pm
LES FORQUERS RETOURNÉZ (?)
LtoR: Donly McLeod, Jim Beveridge, Charlie Sinclair and Ken Crake.
Celebrating a very complimentary comment in the P&J match report regarding the condition of Seafield Park for the Rothes game here are the team responsible…as well as Mother Nature, of course. If anyone fancies giving us a hand we are at the park 10am Tuesday after a Saturday home game, or maybe 10am on a Thursday if we have a midweek home game being followed by a Saturday home game.
GAME RULES The entrant must be at least sixteen years old to play the STFC Fundraising Lottery Game. The game is to forecast five winning numbers, which are drawn at random from numbers on a grid from one to twenty. If you are playing the paper ticket, the five numbers chosen are marked with a cross (X). The jackpot prize starts at £1000 and the game continues weekly until it is won. The draw is normally held every Sunday evening at 7pm. If no-one wins the jackpot then after the first draw in each calendar month the jackpot increases by £100 per month up to a possible maximum of £5000 at which level it is capped. After the game is won, the jackpot then immediately reverts to £1000 which is increased by £100 after the first draw of the next calendar month. If more than one entry correctly forecasts all five numbers the jackpot will be divided between the winning entries. If no entry matches five numbers, then any entry matching four numbers will be entered into a secondary draw for a single consolation prize of £100. All winners will be notified.
SATURDAY’S MATCH IS SPONSORED BY LAWSON, COULL and DUNCAN, Legal Services, Dundee. For more info click here
REMEMBER WE ARE AT HOME AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT v CLACHNACUDDIN 8pm kick off
HOME MATCH v ROTHES FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2026 – KO 8pm
RYAN ESSON AND DON JOHNSTONE LEAVE THE CLUB
Ryan Esson and Don Johnstone
From Grant Mackellar
Strathspey Thistle Football Club wishes to address recent media coverage regarding the departure of Head Coach Ryan Esson. Firstly, I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Ryan for his efforts, commitment and professionalism during his time with the Club. It is with genuine disappointment that we have had to take the decision to relieve him of his duties as Head Coach. When Ryan was appointed, we were hopeful and optimistic that the Club was beginning to move forward under his leadership. There were encouraging signs and positive developments during his tenure. However, results and performances over the past few months have seen us regress to a position we have worked extremely hard to move away from. This decision has been made with the very best intentions for Strathspey Thistle. Our priority is to restore confidence, belief and positivity throughout the squad, management team and our loyal supporters. We want to put smiles back on the faces of everyone connected with the Club and ensure we continue moving forward. We can confirm that Mr Aaron Doran has been appointed as Head Coach and has our full support as we begin this next chapter. We believe this change gives us the best opportunity to stabilise performances and build on the foundations already in place. Further James Lee Fraser has been appointed assistant manager given Aaron the experience he brings after many successful seasons in the Highland League. We understand that changes of this nature can be difficult and may generate strong opinions. However, every decision taken at this Club is made with its long-term future firmly in mind. I trust that our supporters and the wider community will rally behind Aaron, the players and the staff as we move forward together. Strathspey Thistle remains committed to progress, unity and ambition, and we look ahead with determination and renewed focus.
AARON DORAN TAKES CHARGE Aaron Doran and James Lee Fraser will be in charge of the team until the end of the season so we wish them all the best in continuing in trying to beat the thirty-three point total we amassed back in the 2018/2019 season.
WEDNESDAY’S MATCH v ROTHES We welcome players, officials and supporters of Rothes FC to Seafield Park for our second meeting this season. We last played at the end of July and in a seven goal thriller we left MacKessack Park with all three points thanks to a James McShane header in the final minutes of the match to make the score 4-3 for the Jags. Many moons have passed since then with the Jags’ having possibly their best ever season, and unfortunately Rothes have had a pretty tough time of it results wise. Manager Ronnie Sharp has always showed faith in his young team and over the past few weeks results have been improving with them getting their first win a couple of weeks ago with an impressive 4-2 win at Deveronvale so we can expect a pretty tough encounter under the Seafield Park floodlights. After the results at the weekend for both teams, both will want the three points.
As ever, we wish the new management team of Aaron and JLF and the boys all the best.
If any of the Rothes travelling support wants a resumé of what’s available in Grantown – click here – our Snack Bar situated in the ground has non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs and in addition is our Mackellar Suite, also situated within the ground, is available for pre and aprés match alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs.
SATURDAY’S MATCH AT FORRES
Not the result we had been expecting – although according to one of the Jags’ fans at the match we generally did not play that badly but we were unable to control the Forres forwards who overpowered us. Forres’ Calum Frame scored two in the first nineteen minutes which was followed by a well-struck drive from Mark McLaughlan making it three after thirty minutes. After sixty minutes Jack Grant made it four and following a controversial penalty decision Frame completed his hat-trick and Lewis Mackenzie completed the scoring in stoppage time making it 6-0. In what was to be his last after-match interview as Jags’ boss Ryan Esson told the P&J that Forres deserved their victory as we struggled to deal with Calum Frame, Ben Gardiner and Kyle MacLeod and we would need to compete a lot better …….
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 11 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 18 v Banks O’Dee (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 25 v Keith (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 28 v Inverurie (H) 2pm Saturday April 4 v Turriff United (H) 3pm Saturday April 11 v Lossiemouth (A) 3pm
We are at home again on Saturday this time welcoming Fraserburgh – remember it’s a 2pm kick off. The match is being sponsored by Lawson, Coull and Duncan.
AWAY MATCH v FORRES MECHANICS FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE MOSSET PARK, FORRES, IV36 1AU SATURDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 3pm
On Saturday we head across the Dava Moor to Mosset Park, in Forres and our Breedon Highland League game with Forres Mechanics FC. It will be great to get back on the park after a stop-start period of weather interrupted inactivity – Forres have only played two games and we have only managed three since the turn of the year so lets keep our fingers and toes crossed that this is the end of the snow and ice. Unfortunately the weather always curtails the league at this time of year leading to a maniacal splurge of fixtures from now until the end of the season….but if we play in the winter in the North of Scotland that is to be expected.
From the archives.. v Forres at Seafield Park July 2021
The Can-Cans have, like many teams this season, had a topsy turvy set of performances and results the highlight being, winning the North of Scotland Cup back in October. They currently sit in thirteenth place on twenty-six points one place above us and one point ahead so it’s all to play for on Saturday and an exciting game is in prospect. Our last meeting in October, under the floodlights at Seafield Park, both teams endured high winds in what was a very even and competitive game which resulted in a 2-1 win to Forres – so it would be nice to head back across the Dava with at least a point – three would be better! Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson has more or less a full complement of players ready to go so as ever we wish the boys all the best.
WELCOME LEWIS MUNRO
Boss Ryan Esson with Lewis Munro.
We’re delighted to welcome 20-year-old goalkeeper Lewis Munro to Strathspey Thistle on a one-month loan deal from Nairn County FC. Lewis is no stranger to manager Ryan Esson, having previously come through the youth system at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. He joined up with the lads at training earlier this week and goes straight into the squad for the upcoming fixtures. We would also like to thank Nairn County for their assistance in getting this deal completed. Welcome to Seafield Park, Lewis. All the best during your time with us.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We have been informed by the SHFL of another batch of re-arranged fixtures so our itinerary for the rest of the season looks like this – there is still one game to be arranged, I think, Brora (A) to play.
Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 11 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 18 v Banks O’Dee (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 25 v Keith (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 28 v Inverurie (H) 2pm Saturday April 4 v Turriff United (H) 3pm Saturday April 11 v Lossiemouth (A) 3pm
LOTTERY After the hoopla of the major jackpot payout a couple of weeks ago, we now have a jackpot of £1000 to be won.
If you wish to play the game online, and many do – please click here and you will be taken to the Clubforce website page and follow the instructions – thank you – your support is very much appreciated.
RULES The entrant must be at least sixteen years old to play the STFC Fundraising Lottery Game. The game is to forecast five winning numbers, which are drawn at random from numbers on a grid from one to twenty. If you are playing the paper ticket, the five numbers chosen are marked with a cross (X). The jackpot prize starts at £1000 and the game continues weekly until it is won. The draw is normally held very Sunday evening at 7pm. If no-one wins the jackpot then after the first draw in each calendar month the jackpot increases by £100 per month up to a possible maximum of £5000 at which level it is capped. After the game is won, the jackpot then immediately reverts to £1000 which is increased by £100 after the first draw of the next calendar month. If more than one entry correctly forecasts all five numbers the jackpot will be divided between the winning entries. If no entry matches five numbers, then any entry matching four numbers will be entered into a secondary draw for a single consolation prize of £100. All winners will be notified.
That’s all sportsfans…..hopefully see you on Wednesday night at Seafield Park for our match against Rothes FC…. if it’s anything to go by, the way Rothes have been playing recently it’s gonna be another another tough one !
HOME MATCH v BUCKIE THISTLE FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2026 – KO 8pm
On Wednesday night, weather permitting,and I am no meteorologist, but it’s not looking good as we have had a fresh covering of snow and temperatures are forecast again for -6 degrees tonight, we will hopefully welcome players, officials and supporters of Buckie Thistle FC to Seafield Park for our second meeting of the season in the Breedon Highland League and our first home game since the second week of December! Buckie currently sit in seventh place in the league on thirty-seven points, twelve ahead of us but with how results have been going and taking into account our last meeting when we had a convincing win, who knows what the score will be.
Buckie last Friday.
Our head coach Ryan Esson will have more or less a full squad at his disposal, but without Filip Franczak who is still recovering from injury, and possibly some with work committments so hopefully we can get a repeat amount of points from the game.
If any of the Buckie travelling support wants a resumé of what’s available in Grantown – click here – and remember our Mackellar Suite, situated within the ground is available for pre and aprés match alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs as well as our snack bar.
There will be a pitch inspection at midday tomorrow (Wednesday) so please check with our social media for up to date news.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
We have been informed by the SHFL of another batch of re-arranged fixtures so our itinerary for the rest of the season looks like this – there are still two games to be arranged, as according to my records we still have Huntly (H) and Brora (A) to play.
Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 11 v Inverurie Locos (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 18 v Banks O’Dee (A) 8pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm Wednesday Mar 25 v Keith (A) 8pm Saturday April 4 v Turriff United (H) 3pm Saturday April 11 v Lossiemouth (A) 3pm
As you can see we will be playing every Saturday and Wednesday until the end of the season so it’s going to be a tough shift for the boys…..and that’s not counting their day jobs during the week…..ah….the joys of playing football in the North of Scotland!!
FUND-RAISING SPORTSMAN’S DINNER – Saturday 2nd May 2026
We are delighted to announce the return of the Strathspey Thistle Football Club Sportsman’s Dinner which will take place on Saturday 2nd May 2026, at Seafield Park, Grantown-on-Spey, hosted in a luxury marquee, with champagne on arrival The evening will be hosted by Ian Thain and will feature two fantastic guest speakers.
Firstly, Tam Cowan, one of Scotland’s most recognisable football voices, renowned for his sharp wit, storytelling, and unrivalled insight into the game. He will be joined by Gordon Smith, former Scotland international and highly respected figure in Scottish football, who brings a wealth of experience and entertaining sporting stories.
Guests can look forward to a three-course dining experience with wine, alongside sporting stories and entertainment, plus a grand auction, raffle and player end of season awards presentation.
Saturday 2nd May 2026 7:00pm – late £75 per person + VAT (tables of 10 available)
Tickets are available via our club social media channels by emailing hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk or by contacting Laura on 07972 595584
Early booking is strongly advised as this promises to be a very popular event. We look forward to welcoming you for what will be a memorable evening.
Thats about it – back with a preview of our trip to Forres on Friday.
HOME MATCH v INVERURIE LOCO WORKS FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2026 – KO 2PM
Before we start previewing Saturday’s match I thought it would be good to review the Club’s very generous weekend with …at last…after 138 weeks of our fund raising LOTTERY the jackpot, a record, of £14,900 was won ….and in Brora we gave seven goals to Brora Rangers!! ……….More on these later.
We welcome players, officials and fans of Inverurie Loco Works FC to Seafield Park in what will be, if the weather behaves, our first home game since 13 December – two calendar months! This will be our first league meeting against the Locos this season as we were meant to play this game on 4 October, but that was the weekend of Storm Amy and all matches bar one scheduled for that Saturday were postponed. This will be Inverurie’s first game since the end of January, when they drew 4-4 at home to Nairn County, as their last two games have fallen foul of the weather so I would imagine all concerned will be champing at the bit for a game of fitba’. Inverurie have not been enjoying their best season, and currently sit in sixteenth position having played twenty-four games accumulating fifteen points as opposed to ourselves two positions above them on twenty-five points from twenty-one games.
All set for football – Seafield Park 12 Feb 2026
So it means another hard fought and exciting game at Seafield Park….remember the kick-off time is 2PM – and fingers crossed Mother Nature behaves!!!
If any of the Inverurie travelling support wants a resumé of what’s available in Grantown – click here -also our Snack Bar situated in the ground has non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs and in addition also situated within the ground, is the Mackellar Suite, which is available for pre and aprés match alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and foodstuffs.
At the time of writing most of the Jags’ squad will be available for selection although captain James McShane will be missing as a result of being sent off last week.
LAST SATURDAY’S LEAGUE GAME v BRORA RANGERS at DUDGEON PARK.
Unfortunately, we have had an unsuccessful run of three away games in a row, two against the then, teams at the top of the league in Formartine Utd and last Saturday, Brora Rangers. It is never one of our successful parks to visit, it was probably the worst we have played for a while, admittedly it’s been a stop-start couple of months but I don’t think any of the Jags’ contingent came away from Dudgeon Park other than bitterly disappointed.
We were two down after nineteen minutes and although James McShane came close from a free kick, Gary Pullen added a third on his Brora debut soon after. Josh Race scored another very decent goal for the Jags but Brora scored a fourth before half-time.
After the break Brora scored again in the fifty-second minute and shortly after that James McShane was sent off for pulling down Shane Sutherland denying him a goal scoring opportunity. Although we had a couple of minor chances latterly, Brora showed no mercy and added a further two goals. Jags’ boss Ryan Esson told the P&J that he didn’t know where to start with his analysis of the game but concluded that if a team conceded goals like we did we can’t expect to get anything out of the game!
WELCOME BECK DEANO
Strathspey Thistle FC are delighted to announce the permanent signing of Dean Stewart from New Elgin Football Club on a deal running until the summer of 2028.
The 28-year-old defender arrives with valuable Highland League experience, having previously featured for Lossiemouth. He’s also no stranger to the Strathy Jags after spending time on loan with the club at the start of 2025. Dean joined the squad at training on Tuesday and will be included in Saturday’s matchday squad, subject to SFA approval. The club would like to place on record its thanks to New Elgin FC for their cooperation and professionalism in getting this deal completed. Manager Ryan Esson said “We’re really pleased to get Dean signed on a permanent deal. He already knows the club and most of the group, which is a big plus for us. He’s an experienced defender at this level with a great personality and will add real competition and strength to our back line”.
Welcome back to Seafield Park, Deano!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
As ever at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead so please check our social media posts.
Wednesday Feb 18 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm
LOTTERY WON – £14,900 JACKPOT Well…. after 138 weeks the jackpot has finally been won! A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Kirsty Almond from Burnley, who has won our incredible £14,900 jackpot! The wait is now over and we couldn’t be happier to be celebrating such a brilliant win. She spoke on Tuesday to Laura, our Commercial Director about her win Kirsty’s eight year-old daughter has epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, so Kirsty had been planning to re-arrange her house and bedroom for some time, and said her win could not have come at a better time so she was absolutely delighted. Kirsty’s winning numbers were 5 – 8 – 11 – 14 – 17.
Strathspey Thistle Football Club would like to thank most profusely everyone who has purchased a ticket during the past 138 weeks, which ended with the record pay out from our fund raising lottery draw. As we have been intimating over the past 120 weeks or so on this very page, we will be changing how the lottery is played. We appreciate that after such a high jackpot there is a high probability not everyone who played last week, will be playing this week. We thank you very much for your support over the past couple of years that the game had been in play – and hope that you will rejoin us in the future sometime.
NEW LOTTERY GAME STARTS AT £1000 JACKPOT It will still cost £1 per attempt per week (or as many attempts you wish to pay for – you are not restricted to one). But what now follows on as from this week the following changes come into effect.
There will still be a weekly prize of £100 for a consolation winner if their entry matches four of the five numbers drawn, however instead of a weekly increase in the jackpot of £100, this will now be increased monthly. The game is to forecast 5 winning numbers, which are drawn at random, from 1-20. If you are not playing online and have physically purchased a paper ticket the 5 numbers chosen are to be marked by a cross (X).
The Jackpot prize starts at £1,000 and the game continues until it is won and starts afresh. As applicable, the Jackpot increases by £100 immediately after the first draw in each calendar month, up to a maximum of £5,000. The Jackpot is then capped at £5,000 until it is won in the weekly draw.
If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players.
Should no entry forecast all 5 winning numbers, then any player matching 4 numbers will be entered into a draw for a single Consolation Prize of £100.
THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
All winners will be notified
THAT’S ALL FOLKS – REMEMBER OUR NEXT HOME IS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT – BUCKIE THISTLE ARE THE VISITORS- KO 8pm
AWAY MATCH v BRORA RANGERS FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE DUDGEON PARK, KW9 6QN SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 3pm
Off up the A9 we go to Brora, and our Breedon Highland League match with Brora Rangers FC, currently on top of the league with forty-nine points from twenty-two games, one point ahead of Formartine Utd. The Cattach’s last games against Keith and Rothes have resulted in draws, which followed a fine 4-1 defeat of Buckie Thistle two weeks ago….but a loss away to Nairn on Wednesday night – so you just can’t forecast what is going to happen results wise this season…for all teams!!! The last time we played a league match against Brora was at the start of the season when we were well beaten but a lot has changed with regards our squad and we hope on Saturday we can put on a performance similar to our last match against the then league leaders Brechin when we managed to take all three points.
As ever we wish Ryan all the best and we should arrive at Dudgeon Park with more or less a full squad, with hopefully Filip Franczak and Dan Whitehorn back from injury.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S GAME v DEVERONVALE at BANFF. You couldn’t have wished for worse weather for a football match.
We had the wind behind us in the first half and were first to threaten the opposition goal with Shaun Morrison’s shot just missing the far post – but after seven minutes we found ourselves one down and even though we went close a couple of times before the interval it was 1-0 to the Vale at half-time. As is now normal, Jags’ keeper Danny Gillan had a cracking save, this time from Vale’s Sam McLean, but then shortly after that, Jags’ debutant Andrew MacLeod equalised from twenty-five yards.
Jags’ scorer Andrew MacLeod – on loan from Ross County
Even although the Jags looked the most likely to score, and everyone thought that the game would result in a draw, Vale sub Ryan Park grabbed an eighty-sixth minute winner – much to the despair of the Jags’ players, officials and supporters who thought they were worth at least a point!….
As it was only our third game since the middle of November, Jags’ head coach was disappointed in the result but was generally pleased with the way the team is shaping up with both Rorie MacLeod and Andrew Macleod making their debuts.
Now we look forward to an exceptionally busy six weeks.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
As ever at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead so please check our social media posts. Saturday Feb 7 v Brora Rangers (A) 3pm Saturday Feb 14 v Inverurie Locos (H) 2pm Wednesday Feb 18 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm
Could someone please, please, please win our fundraising Lottery – here’s your chance to play online before Sunday night’s draw ….just click here
LOTTERY CH-CH-CHANGES After the current jackpot has been won therefore completing that game, there will be some changes. There will still be a weekly prize of £100 for a consolation winner if their entry matches four of the five numbers drawn, however instead of a weekly increase in the jackpot of £100, this will now be increased monthly. The game is to forecast 5 winning numbers, which are drawn at random, from 1-20. If you are not playing online and have physically purchased a paper ticket the 5 numbers chosen are to be marked by a cross (X).
The Jackpot prize starts at £1,000 and the game continues until it is won and starts afresh. As applicable, the Jackpot increases by £100 immediately after the first draw in each calendar month, up to a maximum of £5,000. The Jackpot is then capped at £5,000 until it is won in a weekly draw.
If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players.
Should no entry forecast all 5 winning numbers, then any player matching 4 numbers will be entered into a draw for a single Consolation Prize of £100.
THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
All winners will be notified
FUND-RAISING SPORTSMAN’S DINNER – AS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK
Put this date in your diary now – Saturday 2nd May 2026
We are delighted to announce the return of the Strathspey Thistle Football Club Sportsman’s Dinner which will take place on Saturday 2nd May 2026, at Seafield Park, Grantown-on-Spey, hosted in a luxury marquee, with champagne on arrival The evening will be hosted by Ian Thain and will feature two fantastic guest speakers. Firstly, Tam Cowan, one of Scotland’s most recognisable football voices, renowned for his sharp wit, storytelling, and unrivalled insight into the game. He will be joined by Gordon Smith, former Scotland international and highly respected figure in Scottish football, who brings a wealth of experience and entertaining sporting stories. Guests can look forward to a three-course dining experience with wine, alongside sporting stories and entertainment, plus a grand auction, raffle and player end of season awards presentation.
Saturday 2nd May 2026 7:00pm – late £75 per person + VAT (tables of 10 available)
Tickets are available via our club social media channels, by emailing hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk, or by contacting Laura on 07972 595584
Early booking is strongly advised as this promises to be a very popular event. We look forward to welcoming you for what will be a memorable evening
That’s all this week ……hopefully we’ll see you at Seafield Park next Saturday for our first home game since beating Brechin City on December 13 – which will by then be nine weeks!
AWAY MATCH v DEVERONVALE FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE PRINCESS ROYAL PARK, BANFF, AB45 1AZ WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 8pm
Weather permitting, Wednesday night sees us under the floodlights in Banff for our Breedon Highland League match against Deveronvale FC at Princess Royal Park.
The Vale after Saturday’s win away against Buckie Thistle, currently sit in tenth position – four places above us, they have twenty-eight points ,we are in fourteenth on twenty-five points but with five games in hand – so it should be another cracker of a match, especially as we haven’t played for a couple of weeks. It just goes to show how tight and unpredictable the league is this season. Our last outing in the league was two weeks ago, which in turn was our first game since mid-December, and with one or two new faces coming in and one or two going out, Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson now has all his players back in contention for selection so hopefully the visit to Banff can reward us with the three points. In our last league meeting at Seafield Park on a very hot August day we won, in what was a pretty tight affair so, I would imagine the homesters will not want to lose any more points to us. Both teams should be fighting fit and ready to go. With the game being played at the coast there is much less chance of frost affecting it, but as ever keep up-to-date with our social media pages for news. After Wednesday’s visit to Banff we are off up the A9 to current league leaders Brora on Saturday.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ALL FUTURE GAMES PLEASE CHECK WITH OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES FOR UP TO DATE NEWS.
LIAM SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION We’re delighted to confirm that Liam Shewan has signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at Strathspey Thistle FC until summer 2028.
Liam permanently signed for the Jags in May 2024 after impressing during a short loan spell and has established himself as one of the senior members of the squad. He also stepped up into the role of captain during James McShane’s absence, showing strong leadership both on and off the pitch. We’re pleased to see Liam commit his future to the club as we continue to build for the seasons ahead.
FESTIVE RAFFLE
A huge thank you to everyone who entered our Festive Raffle and helped support the club, your backing really is appreciated. The draw took place on Monday night, a little later than planned due to the recent bad weather and thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding.
Thank you as well to our committee members who gave up their time to sell tickets. A special shout-out goes to Mags Clark, who very kindly took time off work to sell tickets at Premier Grantown and the Co-op, it was a massive effort and hugely appreciated. We’d also like to give a very special mention to our generous sponsors who donated our top prizes: The McBroads – Not Just Travel The Crossing Kingussie Congratulations to all our prize winners, and thank you once again to everyone who took part and supported us it really does mean a lot to the club.
Other winners:
Garth Hotel 3 course meal for 2 Jane Mcintosh 04024 4 ball Grantown golf course Martin Durance 01823 Singleton 12 year old Darren Macrae 07371 Champagne Fraser Tulloch 02284 Rose Wine Ryan Maclean 04953 Tamnavullin Lara Macphee 00762 White Wine Willie Gillies 04695 Vodka Gavin Mackinnon 02498 Talisker Callum Ligerwood 02867 Red Wine Lara Macphee 00766 Prosecco Ann McAfferty 01808 Munchy Box Cairngorm Kebab House – Arlene McRoberts Tanqueray Robert McLeod 05789 Mini Hamper Tom Cummings 02159 £50 Amarone voucher Ian Lambie 01835
FUND-RAISING SPORTSMAN’S DINNER
Put this date in your diary now – Saturday 2nd May 2026
We are delighted to announce the return of the Strathspey Thistle Football Club Sportsman’s Dinner which will take place on Saturday 2nd May 2026, at Seafield Park, Grantown-on-Spey, hosted in a luxury marquee, with champagne on arrival The evening will be hosted by Ian Thain and will feature two fantastic guest speakers.
Firstly, Tam Cowan, one of Scotland’s most recognisable football voices, renowned for his sharp wit, storytelling, and unrivalled insight into the game. He will be joined by Gordon Smith, former Scotland international and highly respected figure in Scottish football, who brings a wealth of experience and entertaining sporting stories. Guests can look forward to a three-course dining experience with wine, alongside sporting stories and entertainment, plus a grand auction, raffle and player end of season awards presentation.
7:00pm – late £75 per person + VAT (tables of 10 available) Tickets are available via our club social media channels, by emailing hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk, or by contacting Laura on 07972 595584
Early booking is strongly advised as this promises to be a very popular event. We look forward to welcoming you for what will be a memorable evening
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY As ever at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead so please check our social media posts.
Saturday Feb 7 v Brora Rangers (A) 3pm Saturday Feb 14 v Inverurie Locos (H) 2pm Wednesday Feb 18 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm
As reported in the last few posts we were having a Ladies Day which was scheduled for the 28 Feb but it was agreed to keep that to when the weather warms up – more details when a more suitable date is decided upon.
Saturday 3rd: With snow all around, and amber weather warnings in place, all Highland League fixtures for the day were postponed, including the Jags’ trip to Deveronvale. The weekend card has been rescheduled for February.
Off the field, however, there was some surprising Highland League news when Ray McKinnon resigned as manager of title-chasers Brechin City.
Monday 5th: Loan duo Jamie Williamson and George Robesten were recalled by Ross County from their stay at Seafield Park with George then making a permanent move to sign for Weston-super-Mare AFC of the English National League South. We wish both players all the best.
Saturday 10th: No surprise that the scheduled home game with Clachnacuddin was postponed, with Seafield Park looking a picture in the snow…
Seafield Park 08.01.26
Thursday 15th: Positive news ahead of the return to action at league leaders Formartine as Josh Race, Jamie Calder and Zach MacPhee all signed new deals with the club.
Manager Ryan Esson told the Strathspey Herald: “If we can keep the nucleus of this squad then it is only going to lead us to better things.”
Friday 16th: More good news off the field with confirmation of a co-operation deal with Championship club Ross County which allows young Scottish players to move on loan to a partner club while retaining the flexibility to move between their parent club and the co-operation club during the course of the season.
As part of the agreement, midfielder Jamie Williamson has returned to Seafield Park.
Saturday 17th: A tough way to return to action after a lengthy break with a trip to league leaders Formartine and perhaps some rustiness showed in the first half as we conceded three goals before a late fourth put the seal on three points for the home side.
Coach Don Johnstone told the Press & Journal: “We looked like a team that haven’t played in over a month. Our performance was quite flat and Formartine were such sharper.”
Wednesday 21st: Midfielder Rorie Macleod, already due to sign for the Jags in the summer, made an early move from Clachnacuddin while Conor MacPhee has gone in the opposite direction to join the Inverness club. We wish Conor well and look forward to seeing Rorie in action.
Thursday 22nd: Another new arrival from Ross County with midfielder Andrew MacLeod joining on loan from the Staggies. Captain James McShane, meanwhile, agreed a contract extension until 2028 with his testimonial planned for this coming summer.
Friday 23rd: There was to be no immediate debut for our new signings as a waterlogged pitch caused the cancellation of Saturday’s planned trip to face Keith.
Saturday 31st: With no game scheduled for this weekend, we face a busy month ahead. Elsewhere in the Highland League, leaders Brora Rangers missed the chance to extend their advantage, with Formartine’s game postponed, when held to a draw at home by Keith.
AWAY MATCH v KEITH FC BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE KYNOCH PARK, AB55 5EB SATURDAY 24 JANUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 3pm
This Saturday, weather permitting, we’re off down the A95 for our match versus Keith FC. Keith are currently sitting one place and one point ahead of us in the Breedon Highland League, they’re in tenth spot and on twenty-six points so on paper this looks like another cracker of a match. In our last league match against Keith played last July it was a 3-1 victory to the Jags, with two goals from Shaun Morrison and one from Josh Race which created history in achieving our first ever first day of the season victory. It was a portent of was to come as we are currently enjoying our most successful season so far, so we hope to continue along that winning way and leave Keith with all three points…. but Keith have been motoring along very nicely recently so a very tough match is on the cards for both teams.
Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson will be back in the dug out this weekend and with more or less a full squad to choose from with Aaron Doran back fit, and with Daniel Whitehorn back training with a possibility of playing and possible debuts for our new signings it could make Ryan’s job difficult naming eleven. As ever we wish the boys all the best.
CAPTAIN COMMITS!
James McShane – captain
We’re delighted to announce that Club Captain James McShane has signed a new 2-year contract extension, keeping him at Strathspey Thistle until summer 2028! The summer of 2026 will also be a special one for James, as he will be honoured with a Testimonial in recognition of his outstanding service to the club. Manager Ryan Esson said: “James is a massive part of this football club, both on and off the pitch. His leadership, commitment and standards are exactly what we want at Strathspey Thistle, and we’re delighted he’s agreed to extend his stay with us.” A leader both on and off the pitch, James’ commitment is brilliant news for everyone connected with the Club.
LOANS AND TRANSFER NEWS
CONOR MACPHEE DEPARTS and RORIE MACLEOD JOINS US.
We can confirm that Conor MacPhee has joined Clachnacuddin and Rorie MacLeod has joined us from Clachnacuddin. Both players had intentions of leaving their respective clubs for the other one next season, so both clubs decided it made sense for both players to join up with their new clubs now and not wait till the start of next season.
Conor MacPhee
Conor signed for the Jags in July 2024 and went on to make 35 appearances, scoring 1 goal. During his time at Seafield Park he has been a committed and very professional member of the squad throughout. Whilst the Club offered Conor a new contract, he has chosen to make the move to Clachnacuddin to better accommodate his young family, coupled with also having been a member of the youth team at Clach so a move “home” was always on the cards. Everyone at the Jags would like to thank Conor for his efforts and wish him and his family all the very best for the future.
Rorie MacLeod
Rorie MacLeod joins the Jags We are delighted to confirm the signing of 27-year-old midfielder Rorie MacLeod from Clachnacuddin FC. Rorie has put pen to paper on a two-year deal, keeping him at the club until summer 2028. Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson said “We’re thrilled to get Rorie on board ahead of schedule. He’s a player with real quality and character and we know he’ll make a big impact “ Welcome to Seafield Park, Rorie!
WELCOME ANDREW
Andrew MacLeod
We’re also delighted to welcome 20-year-old midfielder Andrew MacLeod to Strathspey Thistle FC on loan from Ross County Football Club, as part of our new co-operation agreement. Recently returning from a lengthy injury, Andrew is no stranger to the Highland League, having previously spent time on loan with Brora Rangers, Nairn County, and Clachnacuddin. He now joins the Strathy Jags to gain valuable first-team minutes and continue his development at Seafield Park. We’d like to thank everyone at Ross County for their support and look forward to working closely together through this partnership.
Calum Brown
We can also confirm that Calum Brown’s existing loan agreement has now been transferred across to the new co-operation arrangement between Strathspey Thistle and Ross County. We wish Calum all the best and will miss his boisterous forward play and goal taking.
LAST WEEK’S MATCH v FORMARTINE at Pitmedden.
My spies at the match said that we were well beaten by a very strong and capable team – so we have no complaints!
Head coach Ryan Esson ,who was not in the dug out due to a one game suspension for three yellow cards, was interviewed in the local paper “The Strathspey and Badenoch Herald” and accepted the blame as he reckoned he had fed the players too much information in training which may have stifled their play, and admitted he should have left it to Don Johnston but as Ryan said it was something that they will learn from. The boys hadn’t played since early December were a bit rusty in the first half and found themselves three down at the interval. A better second half display saw them, although losing another goal, have more input in the match, so no doubt we’ve got a bit more match savvy and match fitness so well-ready for the Keith game.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY For all Seafield Park hospitality queries please email Laura at :
February looks mighty busy!! Saturday Jan 31 No Scheduled Game Wednesday Feb 4 v Deveronvale (H) KO 8pm Saturday Feb 7 v Brora Rangers (A) 3pm Saturday Feb 14 v Inverurie Locos (H) 2pm Wednesday Feb 18 v Buckie Thistle (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A) Wednesday Feb 25 v Rothes (H) 8pm Saturday Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) 2pm Wednesday Mar 4 v Clachnacuddin (H) 8pm Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm
As ever at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead so please check our social media posts.
LOTTERY HITS £14,700 JACKPOT
Could someone please, please win our fundraising Lottery – here’s your chance to play online before Sunday night’s draw … .just click here
LOTTERY CH-CH-CHANGES After the current jackpot has been won therefore completing that game, there will be some changes. There will still be a weekly prize of £100 for a consolation winner if their entry matches four of the five numbers drawn, however instead of a weekly increase in the jackpot of £100, this will now be increased monthly.
The game is to forecast 5 winning numbers, which are drawn at random, from 1-20. If you are not playing online and have physically purchased a paper ticket the 5 numbers chosen are to be marked by a cross (X).
The Jackpot prize starts at £1,000 and the game continues until it is won and starts afresh. As applicable, the Jackpot increases by £100 immediately after the first draw in each calendar month, up to a maximum of £5,000. The Jackpot is then capped at £5,000 until it is won in a weekly draw.
If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players.
Should no entry forecast all 5 winning numbers, then any player matching 4 numbers will be entered into a draw for a single Consolation Prize of £100.
THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
All winners will be notified
THAT’S ALL JAGS’ FANS FOR THIS WEEK AND AS WE HAVE NO GAME SCHEDULED FOR NEXT SATURDAY WE WILL BACK (on Mon 2 Feb or Tues 3 Feb)WITH A PREVIEW OF OUR AWAY GAME AGAINST DEVERONVALE ON WEDNESDAY 4 FEBRUARY – KICK OFF 8PM
