Strathspey Thistle FC

HOME MATCH v INVERURIE LOCO WORKS FC 
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2022
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN – KO 3PM

This week we welcome Inverurie Locos to Seafield Park. If its the same as previous encounters they will be bringing a large and vociferous support which is great – the atmosphere is always tweaked up a notch especially if the Loco band are there.
Currently sitting in seventh position in the Breedon Highland League, it makes it another difficult game for us especially as we have never taken a point off them in in our history – one of only two teams in the league.
So lets hope that our fortunes change this week and Charlie and the boys get something from the game – three points would be nice!

For travelling Locos supporters information can be found here.

---

The Scottish Cup 1st round tie against Camelon Juniors was preceeded by a minutes silence to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth.
The game was a wee bit disappointing as we started extremely well and could have been two up within the first fifteen minutes but a soft penalty in the thirtieth minute gave Camelon a half-time lead 1-0 which was unlucky as we were very much in the game. 
The second half was a different game altogether – and we struggled to every ball – and the East of Scotland league team took command and scored four goals – the last one on the ninetieth minute was a crafty shot from the half way line which looped over our keeper.
So again we go out of the national cup competition in round one – ach, there’s always next year!

The excellent photographs from the game are courtesy of Donald Cameron who was here covering the game for an Edinburgh based sports agency – this was his second visit to Seafield Park and we look forward to welcoming him again and thank him for giving us permission to use his work.

---

The postponement of the previous week’s game meant we were unable to bring you news of some local footballing success.

During half time at the Brechin game Keith Ross, who runs the Speyside Boys Summer League, presented Strathspey U12’s captain Thomas Crowson with the winners Shield and the squad with medals – it was the first time in ten years they have competed in the league and most of the boys have never played organised games before. Games were played twice a week throughout the summer and the boys won on the last day beating their nearest rivals in a thrilling game 2-1 – all in all they played fourteen games winning twelve and losing two. Lets hope in ten years time Thomas is lifting the Highland League Trophy!!!
…and you may probably recognise some of the guys as they help us with ball-boy duties at our games – which is very much appreciated.

---

As ever we can’t finish without giving you the chance to win our Club Lottery online – this week’s jackpot is £1200 so for your chance of playing, click here.

As there was no JAGpost last week the jackpot of £5000 was won two Sundays ago by a local loyal Lottery supporter, Dougie Stewart…. congratulations Dougie and enjoy your winnings!!

See you next week Jags fans…..

SCOTTISH CUP FIRST ROUND MATCH
V CAMELON JUNIORS AT SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN
SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2022 – KO 3pm

We welcome to Seafield Park the team, management, and supporters of Camelon Juniors FC – The Mighty Mariners! They retained the Juniors part of their name as it was a large part of their heritage when in 2018 they joined the East of Scotland League as part of the reorganisation of leagues

Formed in 1920 on the junction where the Union Canal meets the Forth and Clyde Canal – hence the nickname – Camelon Juniors have mainly been a Junior Club but in 2018 joined the East of Scotland League. They have a very good history and one of their players Jerry Dawson moved to Rangers in the fifties, and more recently Kevin McAllister and Jack Ross are names known throughout football.
Although success has been limited with one appearance in the Scottish Cup Final in 1952, the mid nineties saw their most successful spell winning the OVD Scottish Cup in 1995 when they beat Whitburn in the final 2-0. The following year they again reached the final only to be beaten in extra time by Tayport. During this period they also won the then East of Scotland League, The Skol League Cup and the East of Scotland Cup in the Junior Football realm. They are now playing the the East of Scotland League Division One.
For Camelon Juniors supporters information – click here.

It is a cup tie so if it remains a draw after 120 minutes there will be penalties.
There will be a souvenir programme available to purchase on the day.
As is ever in the Scottish Cup it will be a match both sets of supporters should enjoy and really not know what to expect….hopefully The Jags fans will enjoy it more so.
We remind fans that season tickets are not valid for this match.

---

CLUB LOTTERY
The jackpot was won a couple of weeks ago by local supporter Mr D Stewart – our congratulations go to him.
This week the jackpot is now £1100 so if you wish to play online and help The Jags you can do so by clicking here.

In accordance with sport everywhere tomorrow’s Breedon Highland League match between Nairn County and Strathspey Thistle scheduled for Station Park, Nairn has been postponed.

On behalf of Strathspey Thistle Football Club – the management committee, players and fans I would like to send our condolences to the Royal Family on the death of HM Queen Elizabeth.

On a personal note in my thirty years as photographer in Aviemore, we photographed most members of the Royal Family but the greatest excitement was when the Queen and Prince Philip visited and I was tasked with two inside photos – you had to be in position well before the Royal Party arrived – the signing of their display portraits in the foyer of the Osprey Suite and then rapidly racing to the Ice Rink for the photo above, while my boss Pavel was photographing all the action outside and following them around Aviemore.

HOME GAME v BRECHIN CITY FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE – SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN 
SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER – KO 3PM

This week we welcome for the second time Brechin City FC to Grantown. After the hooplah of the Harleys, we hope that getting to Seafield Park will be a lot easier this week especially for the fans who travel by car as there should be enough parking around the town!
As current leaders Brechin will be keen to continue their 100% league record but The Jags, again, looked more promising against Wick Academy last week so as we always say….you never know in football…

For Brechin City fans some information – click here

---

Last week we were very, very unlucky to not come away with at least a draw from an entertaining encounter at Seafield Park against Wick Academy FC in a Breedon Highland League match. Speaking to one of the Wick committee after the game he agreed that we were deserving of the draw.

It was a beautiful warm and sunny day – in fact there were water breaks..and that doesn’t happen a lot in the Highland League!!
Both teams had chances in the first half with the Wick keeper Graeme Williamson making two phenomenal saves early on. It remained 0-0 at half time, but in the 50th minute Liam Taylor headed home a delightful Darren Brew cross to give the Jags a 1 -0 deserved lead. 
After the hour mark Wick gained more control of the game and equalised in the 79th minute but The Jags again had at least two golden chances to take the lead but both shots failed to find the target. Heart break occurred in the 90+1st minute when Wick took the lead and by doing so won all three points…a very disappointing outcome for Jags fans.

---

We also welcomed to Seafield Park the Essex branch of the Strathspey Thistle Supporters Club, John McManus and Jack Hannah – we hope they enjoyed their weekend.

And congratulations go to our left back local Grantown lad Liam Grant for his MOTM Award.

---

DIARY DATE

Saturday 17 September – Scottish Cup 1st Round. 
We welcome to Seafield Park the management, team and supporters of Camelon Juniors FC  from East of Scotland League Division One.

---

£5000 Jackpot

As i normally do I mention winning the Club Lottery jackpot by playing online here – this week you may win £5000…….

---

JAGS PLAYER’S PROFILE

JagsWeb would like to thank Joe Cuthbert for being first, in what I hope to be a regular “get to know the players” type of thing : I hope all the Jags fans enjoy them!

Joe Cuthbert

PLACE OF BIRTH
Inverness Scotland

SCHOOL(S) AND WHERE YOU GREW UP
Grew up in the Hilton area of Inverness, attended Hilton Primary School before progressing onto the Inverness Royal Academy

FIRST FOOTBALL MEMORIES
Playing for local team Milton Athletic at age around five and watching games on TV with my Dad.

THE TEAM(S) I SUPPORT
Rangers and Man Utd – also like to see Caley doing well

MY FOOTBALL HISTORY – TEAM(S) HONOURS ETC
Caley Youth then moving to Clach Youth and Nairn Youth – Progressing to Nairn County first team before signing for Strathspey.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN FOOTBALL CAREER
My Dad taught me and coached me a lot.

FAVOURITE PLAYER EVER
Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Barry Ferguson, Ronaldo

BEST FOOTBALLING MOMENT EVER
There’s a few……Scotland qualifying for the Euros probably tops it.

BEST FOOTBALLING MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER.
Had a fair few good memories through youth football – winning a few things. Yet to have a real standout moment although Highland League debut was a good moment.

FAVOURITE FILM
Wolf of Wall Street, Home Alone

FAVOURITE MUSIC/BAND:
Liam McDade on the bus home from away games

A SURPRISING FACT ABOUT YOU
They’re aren’t many things that people don’t know about me – I wear football boots a half size too small!

---

Thanks Joe – See you next week Jagsfans.

HOME MATCH v WICK ACADEMY FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE : SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN 
SATURDAY 27 AUGUST – KO 3pm

We look forward to hosting  the Wick Academy team, committee and supporters to Seafield Park on Saturday. In the corresponding fixture last year spectators were treated to an exciting 3-3 draw. Hopefully it’ll be just as exciting but with the three points staying at home.
Wick currently sit in ninth position in the league with nine points.

It was a disappointing evening in Lossiemouth on Wednesday as we, as usual it seems, lost an early goal in thirteen minutes but Owen Loveland levelled for the Jags after twenty-nine minutes and that’s how it stayed until half time. There was another early goal for Lossie in the forty-ninth minute, followed by another eleven minutes later. Liam Taylor gave the Jags a chance of a come-back scoring in the seventy-eighth minute but Lossie completed the scoring in the ninetieth minute making the final score 4-2 to the Coasters.

Next week we have no midweek game but we have a home league game next Saturday with Brechin City FC, their second visit to Grantown.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON THUNDER IN THE GLENS – STRATHSPEY THISTLE v WICK ACADEMY SPECTATOR INFORMATION

This Saturday for the first time in three years an estimated 3000-4000 Harley-Davidson motor-cycles attending “Thunder in the Glens” visit Grantown between approx 1pm and 3.30pm from their base in Aviemore in their customary “ BIG RIDE OUT”.
For more information click here
So the roads in and out of Grantown will be busy, some closed, so please leave a lot more time and leave earlier if you are intending coming to the game – this will only impede arriving at the ground as after the game things should be back to normal.
There will also be very limited parking available throughout Grantown so STFC would appreciate if you do live locally and can walk to the ground please do or if you live further away car share if possible – thanks! 

WIN £4,900
There was no jackpot winner of our Club Lottery last Sunday so this week £4,900 could be won – to play online click here.

AWAY GAME v LOSSIEMOUTH FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE MATCH
GRANT PARK, LOSSIEMOUTH, IV31 6JG – KO 8pm

So we’re off to the coast again for the Breedon Highland League match against Lossiemouth FC and a visit to our friends at Grant Park.

Lossie have had a great week with a couple of wins in their past two games – a cup game last Wednesday and last Saturday’s home win against Wick Academy  – strangely we play both teams this week – we host Wick Academy FC in Grantown on Saturday. We are all very close in our current league position so hopefully both games will be closely contested and exciting to watch.

Player wise we have lost two of our summer signings to injury. Ben Cullen sustained a horrific head knock a couple of weeks ago and last Saturday it looked bad for defender James “Fellaini” Fraser with a recurrence of what seemed an Achilles injury so both may not feature for a while.
However, Club captain James McShane should be back in the blue shirt in the next week or so, but having not played for a few weeks he will probably need some time to get up to speed.

---

GENERALLY SPEAKING
The journey to Lossiemouth has been brutal.  So far in the league we have played five league games – drew one and lost four – and four of the clubs we have played currently sit in the top six – as they were last season – we’ve scored three goals and conceded twenty-nine, and sit bottom of the league on goal difference.
Not pleasant reading Jags fans but considering our pre-season we are now probably at the stage we should have been at four weeks ago but unfortunately the Highland League fixture-fixer gave us a really, really tough start…..so we are where we are.

I, and many other fitba’ fans understand the league consists of three leagues – six top clubs, a middle six and a bottom six. 

So, we are all fighting our in own little leagues and, with all due respect to the other clubs, we all know what league we are in, although we are all striving to get better – that’s why this post is titled about believing  – it is hard as a player, spectator or committee member being on the wrong side of some heavy defeats, but in my opinion I believe we have a real good bunch of players and that hopefully things will get better and that we can put a few hard fought points on the board so that we can go home on a Wednesday or Saturday night a wee bit happier!

HOME MATCH V FRASERBURGH FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN – 20 AUGUST 2022  – KO 3pm

We play three league matches over the next seven days and we start this Saturday by welcoming the current Breedon Highland League Champions to Seafield Park.  They last visited in March and an entertaining afternoon was had by all and although we went down 4-2, it was probably one of our best performances of the season. Congratulations went out to The Broch on what was a tremendous season for them a couple of weeks later. 
We welcome the team and their fans back again for what we hope will be another entertaining match. Fraserburgh currently sit fourth in the league with three wins out of four so any points we can earn from the ninety minutes will be hard won but brilliant.

Notes for the travelling fans can be found here.

---

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
AWAY MATCH V LOSSIEMOUTH FC – WEDNESDAY 24 AUGUST 2022 – KO : 8pm
We were on the road last Wednesday visiting Dudgeon Park in Brora for a North of Scotland Cup tie and although the result was 4-0 it was generally felt that with more games we getting to play, the more the boys are beginning take shape as a team and if hopefully we can omit the errors the next few games can bring us a few points.
After Saturday we head to Lossiemouth next Wednesday night for a Breedon Highland League game at Grant Park with an 8pm kick off – in the corresponding fixture last April we drew 1-1 so there should be all to play for – and follow that with another home game against Wick Academy FC next Saturday.

---

For information about The Jags in the Community goings on click here

---

The customary finish is with a nod the the £4800.00 you could win playing the Club Lottery – tickets are available at the usual outlets throughout the Strath but you can also play online here……..….good luck and thanks for your support.  

AWAY v BRORA RANGERS FC 
NORTH OF SCOTLAND CUP 
DUDGEON PARK, BRORA KW9 6QN
WEDNESDAY 17 AUGUST 2022 – KO 8pm

With stones from the Clynelish Quarry near Brora being used to build such eminent landmarks as London Bridge we hope that Wednesday nights North of Scotland Cup tie at Dudgeon Park is a stepping stone to some better results for The Jags after a weighty defeat in Buckie in the league on Saturday. 
Reports suggest that it was pretty much one way traffic but according to one observer all the Jags players committed well to the cause, but the inclusion* of two or three more experienced and stronger players would really help settle our young team when adversity strikes…..or in this case ex Strathspey Thistle and Elgin City striker Josh Peters with his four goals!!! 

* this would cost a fair bit of money……..

However, before the game Buckie Thistle’s Vice-President Raymond Cardno presented our chairman Donly McLeod with a gift to honour Strathspey Thistle’s thirtieth birthday next March…….it was a very nice gesture and much appreciated. 

Anyway, on Wednesday we make the lengthy trek to Brora, who are currently sitting on top of the Breedon Highland League, anticipating that fortune favours the brave and hope that our first half performance will carry forward to the second half – as most of the goals we have conceded have been after the hour mark. 

We wish Charlie and the boys all the best.

---

Echoing what has been said on our Twitter feed, everyone connected with the Club wish Ben Cullen all the best after his surgery and hope to see him at Seafield Park soon.

---

On Sunday an online player won the consolation £100 prize matching four of the five numbers correctly so the Club Lottery jackpot carries forward and is now £4,800.00 so to emulate and perhaps go one better play online here. 

AWAY MATCH v BUCKIE THISTLE FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE 
VICTORIA PARK, BUCKIE – AB56 1BJ
SATURDAY 13 AUGUST – K.O. 3pm

We’re off to the Moray Coast and to Victoria Park, where last year’s runners-up for the Breedon Highland League title Buckie Thistle FC await. To say it will be easy is a vast understatement and Charlie and the boys will do well to earn any pointage from this game, especially after Buckie’s mid-week cup win against HeartsB.
But as we all know – football is football and anything is possible. We wish the boys all the best and to continue from where they left off last Saturday.’

---

MATCH v DEVERONVALE last week

Thanks to the The ‘Vale supporters  who made the journey through from Banff and hope they enjoyed their day in Grantown.

A 2-2 draw was a fair result in the opinion of many, in a well contested match which produced some controversial decisions – from both sides of the terrace – but, unfortunately,  the match was marred with a horrific head injury sustained by Jags no 11 Ben Cullen. 
Ben, who had scored in our last game, came on in the second half and was only on for about a minute, when he collided with one of the Deveronvale defenders going for a ball, and sustained facial injuries including a broken cheekbone. Our thanks must go to the Deveronvale sports therapist  Rachel Mair who assisted us on the pitch as well as her own player, and all of us at STFC wish Ben a very speedy recovery.

The game itself was enjoyed by a good crowd and The Jags took the lead toward the end of the first half with a Stephen Kelly goal. This was maintained until just after half-time when Dane Ballard equalised.
Soon we were back in the lead, when a very cheeky and skilful Liam Taylor back-heel evaded the ‘Vale keeper – and we kept the lead until we made a couple of defensive mistakes enabling one of the Deveronvale forwards to tap in from a low cross at the far post in the last minute of the regulation ninety minutes.

But, on the bright side we had secured our first point of the season – a season in which every point will be exceptionally valuable and, especially as we play both last years ‘ runners-up and then the League champions over the next couple of weeks.  A week Saturday we host Fraserburgh FC.

---

PLAYER PORTRAITS 

We have just uploaded the official players potraits for our squad for season 2022/2023 so to have a look click here.

CLUB LOTTERY

As ever the Club is indebted to all supporters who come and watch games, help behind the scenes and play the weekly Club Lottery – this week’s jackpot stands at £4700 – you can play here.

---

See you next week, sports fans!

HOME GAME v DEVERONVALE FC
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN  – SATURDAY 6 AUGUST 2022 – KO 3pm

This week we welcome Deveronvale FC to Grantown for a Breedon Highland League match knowing that the corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-1 draw so hopefully this match will be as keenly contested. Much like ourselves last season The Vale had a decent start but finished in 14th, two places above us.  After a good home win against Lossiemouth last week, they will be hoping they can continue.
We had a disappointing game against Formartine.  We had a pretty good first half but things fell apart in the second and conceding two penalties did not help. There were signs that there was more cohesion but I reckon over the past couple of seasons if the first half finished five minutes earlier and the second half started five minutes later we could have been a lot further up the league!!
As ever we hope to see many ‘Vale supporters at Seafield Park and hope they enjoy their visit to Grantown and it’s a good game …..but… let’s hope there’s not too much enjoyment and The Jags can collect their first three points of the 2022/2023 season.

It was good to see new signing Ben Cullen in his first Highland League outing for us scoring our goal against Formartine last Saturday – hopefully the first of many – Ben wasn’t available for our last home match against Forres but should be available for his home debut tomorrow.

---

On a European scale everyone at Strathspey Thistle would like to congratulate England on winning UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Tournament at Wembley beating Germany 2-1.  Let’s hope that Scotland can join them if they can both qualify for next years FIFA World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand. At the moment both teams are guaranteed at least the play-offs.

As ever a quick promo for the Club Lottery – the jackpot this week stands at £4,600 – to play online click here and thank you.