Strathspey Thistle FC

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

 #StrathspeyThistle #SportsmansDinner

---

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 5^th: 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 10^th: No surprise that the scheduled home game with Clachnacuddin was postponed, with Seafield Park looking a picture in the snow…

Thursday 15^th: 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 16^th: 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 17^th: 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 21^st: 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 23^rd: 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 31^st: 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.

PLAY THE STFC CLUB LOTTERY BY CLICKING HERE

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! 

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 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 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

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.

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 :

hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk

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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. 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

Strathspey Thistle Football Club are delighted to confirm that a cooperation agreement has been finalised with Championship side Ross County FC.

This new system allows young Scottish players to move on loan to a partner club while retaining the flexibility to move between their parent club and the cooperation club during the course of the season, providing valuable match experience at senior level.
Under the agreement, Ross County will be able to place up to three eligible players, who are under the age of 21 and eligible to represent Scotland, on a cooperation list.

Speaking on the agreement, Strathspey Thistle FC CEO Grant Mackellar said:

“We are thrilled to finalise a cooperation agreement with Championship side Ross County. We already have a strong relationship with the club and are excited to build on it, providing opportunities for some of the best young talent in the Highlands to gain first-team experience.

This season we have already benefited from having Jamie Williamson and Calum Brown on loan from Ross County.  Jamie returned to Ross County a few weeks ago after being with us from the start of the season and we are delighted to welcome him back to Strathspey Thistle as part of this cooperation agreement.  We are grateful to Steven Ferguson and everyone at Ross County who worked hard to make this partnership possible.”

Strathspey Thistle looks forward to working closely with Ross County FC as part of this arrangement, strengthening links across Highland football and supporting the continued development of young players.

AWAY MATCH v FORMARTINE UNITED FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
NORTH LODGE PARK, PITMEDDEN,AB41 7PA
SATURDAY 17 JANUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 3pm

Weather permitting we will be in Pitmedden this Saturday afternoon for our Breedon Highland League meeting with Formartine United FC.

Formartine joined the Highland League at the same time we did and have been the more successful team and currently sit in top position, but we were very unlucky in our last league match at Seafield Park in August losing by two goals to one – our goal was a great goal scored from outside the box by Josh Race, who last week signed a two year contract extension for the Jags.
Formartine have only lost one game in the league so far this season, and their last loss was to Buckie Thistle in the first ever televised game featuring two Highland League teams at the end of October in the second round of the Scottish Cup, a night that is also remembered for the horrendous weather conditions.
It will be our first game since the middle of December and our win against the, then, current leaders of the league Brechin City so we go into this one with all guns blazing and hope we can match that performance.
Jags’ head coach should have more or less a full squad to choose from but we will be missing Jamie Williamson and George Robeston who were recalled by their parent club Ross County with Jamie featuring on the bench in their last two outings and George being sold to Weston-super-Mare and featured in their FA Cup match at the weekend.
As ever we wish the boys all the best against Formartine in what will be an exceptionally difficult match.

ZACH MACPHEE AND JAMIE CALDER

Both Zach and Jamie have signed contract extensions which is great news for the Club as we build for the seasons ahead. 

Twenty-one year-old defender, Jamie has committed to Strathspey Thistle FC with a two-year deal.
He joined the Strathy Jags in July 2024 and quickly become an important member of the squad.

Zach, who is nineteen, has signed a new deal that will keep him at Seafield Park until summer 2027. 
A former Ross County youth, Zach joined in July 2024 and has made an excellent impression with a strong start to this season, showing maturity beyond his years on the left side.
We’re delighted to see both committing their futures to the Jags.

This follows on from the news last week that Josh Race had extended his contract too.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
As ever, at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead so please keep
Saturday Jan 24 v Keith (H) 2pm
Saturday Jan 31 As Yet 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 OUR FIRST EVER LADIES DAY
Saturday Mar 7 v Inverurie Locos (A) 3pm
Saturday Mar 14 v Wick Academy (H) 2pm
Saturday Mar 21 v Nairn County (A) 3pm
Our only rearranged fixture not listed above is our away game at Banks O’Dee, which was meant to have been played on Wednesday 11 February but will not now – as soon as we have the date our social media platforms will inform.

For any queries regarding Match Day Hospitality at Seafield Park please contact Laura.

 LOTTERY HITS £14,600 JACKPOT

Could someone 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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. All winners will be notified

That’s all sports-fans – until next week……

MATCH OFF

HOME MATCH v CLACHNACUDDIN FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE
SATURDAY 10 JANUARY 2026 – KO 2PM

We were hoping to welcome players, officials and supporters of Clachnacuddin FC this Saturday but with about six inches of snow and a projected overnight temperature on Thursday and Friday of somewhere between -5 and -10 degrees I feel very confident in saying that this match will be postponed – adding yet another game to our unplayed fixtures which are now beginning to add up.

We are in for an exceptionally busy February already, so this is not a good situation – but as we play in the Highland League some years are worse than others so unfortunately there is nothing we can do about it.

We now turn our attention to our next scheduled match – which is next Saturday (17 Jan) at Pitmedden against Formartine United.

JOSH RACE 

At least there is some very good news with local lad Josh Race extending his contract with the Jags and we’re delighted to confirm that Josh, last season’s Supporters’ Player of the Year, has signed a two-year contract extension. 
Following interest from other clubs, we’re pleased that Josh has committed his future to the Strathy Jags and will continue to play a key role within the squad.
Manager Ryan Esson said: “Josh has been outstanding for us and fully deserves this new deal. He’s an important player in the group, both on and off the pitch and we’re delighted he’s chosen to commit his future to the club despite interest elsewhere.”

SQUAD UPDATE

Sadly, we can confirm that Jamie Williamson and George Robesten have been recalled by Ross County Football Club

We would like to thank both players for their efforts during their time with the club and wish them the very best going forward.

FESTIVE RAFFLE

We have obviously had to make a change with our intended draw which was meant to have taken place in the Mackellar Suite after the Clach game – it will now be drawn directly after our next scheduled match committee meeting on Monday January 26.

 LOTTERY HITS £14,500 JACKPOT

Could someone please win our fundraising Lottery – here’s your chance to play online before Sunday night’s draw ….just click here 

Wouldn’t it be a great way to start the New Year……

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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. All winners will be notified

Late news: November’s quiz night at the Royal British Legion Scotland Strathspey in Grantown-on-Spey was well attended and a great fundraiser for the club. Presided over by committee member Tom Clarke, 11 teams took part with Scrambled Eggheads coming out as the winners.

Friday 5^th: All eyes on the World Cup draw taking place in Washington DC as Scotland were paired with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti at next summer’s tournament, Boston being the venue for the opening two matches, the first of which kicks off at 2am UK time on Sunday 14 June.

Saturday 6^th: In the day’s Highland League matches, Huntly and Forres Mechanics drew 2-2 while Keith were 2-0 victors at home to Deveronvale.

Thursday 11^th: Speaking ahead of Saturday’s game against top of the table Brechin City, manager Ryan Esson told the Strathspey Herald: “We’re more than ready for a game because it has been that long and why not Brechin?”

Saturday 13^th: Why not Brechin indeed as the Jags earned one of the best results in the club’s history, Shaun Morrison scoring the only goal of what would turn out to be  a 1-0 victory against the league leaders in the 34^th minute of the game.

Saturday 13^th (cont.) “The game-plan we worked on in training worked so well and I couldn’t be happier with both the performance and the result,” was Ryan’s verdict, quoted in the Press & Journal.

Thursday 18^th: The flu bug sweeping the country found its way into the Jags’ camp with a large number of players affected and meant the postponement of our planned trip to face Banks O’ Dee on Saturday.

Saturday 20^th:  Brechin bounced back from their defeat at Seafield Park with a win at home to Rothes to stay top of the Highland League.

Saturday 27^th: Another postponement, this time the scheduled home game against Buckie Thistle falling foul of a frozen pitch.

Upcoming Fixtures
Jan 10 v Clach (H)
Jan 17 v Formartine Utd (A)
Jan 24 v Keith (A)
Jan 31 v Huntly (H)
Feb 4 v Deveronvale (A) Wednesday
Feb 7 v Brora Rangers (A)
Feb 14 v Inverurie Locos (H)
Feb 18 v Buckie Thistle (H) Wednesday
Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A)
Fen 25 v Rothes (H) Wednesday
Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) LADIES DAY

To book hospitality for any home game, contact:
hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk

STFC wishes all supporters a happy and healthy 2026

Lottery jackpot £14,500 – Click here to play

Follow STFC on Facebook

AWAY MATCH v DEVERONVALE  FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
PRINCESS ROYAL PARK, BANFF, AB45 1AZ
SATURDAY 3 JANUARY 2026 – KICK OFF 3pm

MATCH OFF – POSTPONED SNOW

Again we have succumbed to the winter weather as snow has covered many parts of the Highland League geographical area, and The Scottish Highland Football League has made the decision to cancel all matches arranged for Saturday 3rd January.
The decision is in the interest of safety for players, officials and spectators.
Keep checking our Facebook and social media for updates.

LAST SATURDAY v BUCKIE THISTLE

Unfortunately as we hinted at Seafield Park was frost bound and unplayable so our match against Buckie Thistle will be re-arranged and when we have the details of the date it will be on our social media sites and of course on the website.

SCHEDULED JANUARY FIXTURES

FESTIVE RAFFLE

Our Festive Raffle is now in full swing and tickets are still available from our committee members, players, management team, and various businesses throughout Grantown.

Prefer to buy online? No problem, drop us a DM and we’ll send you a secure payment link.
£1 per ticket or £5 per book

A huge thank you to our sponsors The McBroads – Not Just Travel for donating our fantastic 1st Prize
Two tickets to Aberdeen v Hibernian on Saturday 11th April at Pittodrie Stadium plus an overnight stay at the Leonardo Hotel, Aberdeen!
And that’s not all we have lots of other great prizes to be won too! 
Thank you for your incredible support every ticket sold helps the club! 

There is still just over a week to buy your tickets – the draw is scheduled to take place after our match v Clachnacuddin FC a week on Saturday (10 Jan) in the Mackellar Suite  – again, if the weather intrudes all information regarding the draw will be on our Facebook and other social media sites.

LOTTERY HITS £14,400 JACKPOT

Could someone please win our fundraising Lottery – here’s your chance to play online before Sunday night’s draw ….just click here 

Wouldn’t it be a great way to start the New Year……

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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. All winners will be notified

2026

Strathspey Thistle Football Club thank you very much for your support throughout 2025 and we hope that by April we will have amassed more points than we ever have done before in the Breedon Highland League, which is an achievment everyone at the Club would be well  chuffed about….and then, hopefully, all intact we set sail for season 2026-2027 with perhaps more involvement in the various cups, and perhaps a wee run in the Scottish Cup…..but that’s all after we follow Scotland’s efforts in the World Cup in June and July and possibly the closest and most exciting Scottish Premiership finish in forty years!!
Lots to look forward to.

HOME MATCH v BUCKIE THISTLE FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SEAFIELD PARK, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HE
SATURDAY 27 DECEMBER 2025 – KO 2PM

I hope Santa was good to you, and you had an enjoyable Christmas.

This week we 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 last game in 2025.
Buckie are currently sitting in sixth place in the league on thirty-three points and are five places above us and have seven points more, so that could mean yet another Christmas cracker to enjoy this week!
I would expect Buckie to be on a mission of revenge after us beating them earlier in the season, but they have had mixed fortunes over the past few weeks and, although they had a good win at Keith last Saturday, it points to another exceptionally difficult game for us, but one we are more capable of getting a result so we don’t have as much fear as we probably would have done in seasons past.
The massive high after our match against league leaders Brechin on the 13 December was brought very much down to earth last Saturday, when the flu bug ravaged the squad and we only had three fit players available for selection for our trip to Banks O’Dee, so fingers crossed that the boys are back fighting fit this Saturday.
In the Buckie ranks are two local lads – defender Sam Morrison, who joined us on loan from Buckie when recovering from injury for the latter part of last season, and Josh Peters, who is scoring freely again this season so we’ll have to try and keep him quiet – especially after his four goals last Saturday!!!

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.

I hope the footballing gods are with us as it was -8 degrees on Christmas Night and it has hardly been above freezing since Tuesday so fingers crossed the game can go ahead on Saturday – please check with our Facebook and other social media for up to date news.

---

LAST SATURDAY v BANKS O’DEE

As mentioned above, head coach Ryan Esson was devasted that we could not continue the momentum gained from our victory against Brechin City the previous week as the squad was ravaged with the flu bug that is sweeping the country and so after long consultations with the Highland League they agreed to postpone the match.

---

FESTIVE RAFFLE

We still have a couple of weeks left before the draw which will take place after our home match against Clach on the 10 January so if you haven’t bought a ticket yet ….please do….

---

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

As ever at this time of year we can never guarantee that matches will go ahead on the Saturday and already we have lost three Saturday fixtures (1x home 2x away) and we wait to discover how the HL try to fit these fixtures in – we hope that we do not end up as we did last season with six games to play over two weeks in March but hopefully the weather and team availability for fixtures will all fall into place – and as soon as we know the dates we will publish on our social media. The League schedules a couple of Saturdays for “pick-up” days i.e. for re-arranged games – but that depends on the availability of both teams- no cup ties etc.

Scheduled matches until the end of February are as follows: 

Jan 3 v Deveronvale (A)
Jan 10 v Clach (H)
Jan 17 v Formartine Utd (A)
Jan 31 No Scheduled Game
Feb 7 Brora Rangers (A)
Feb 14 No Scheduled Game
Feb 21 v Forres Mechanics (A)
Feb 28 v Fraserburgh (H) OUR FIRST EVER LADIES DAY

Hopefully we’ll see you at Seafield Park for one of the above…..if you want to book hospitality please do…
hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk

LOTTERY HITS £14,300 JACKPOT

What a great way to start the New Year……Could someone 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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. All winners will be notified.

2025

Everyone connected with the Club, I would hope, has enjoyed this years escapades, probably a lot more than previous years and it has been great to compete against all the teams, and beat quite a few.  I look forward to seeing where we are in April….we’re on track for having our best season in the Highland League….ever!
On behalf of everyone connected with Strathspey Thistle Football Club we would like to wish everyone, especially our supporters, a Happy and Healthy 2026 and our thoughts are also with those who have had a tough 2025 and wish that next year will be a happier one.

AWAY MATCH v BANKS O’DEE FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
SPAIN PARK, ABERDEEN  AB12 3AB
SATURDAY 20 DECEMBER 2025 – KICK OFF 3pm

GAME OFF

Unfortunately this week’s scheduled match against Banks O’Dee has had to be postponed because flu has rampaged through our playing squad – as soon as we know the date when the fixture will be rearranged we will post on all our social media platforms.

SATURDAY’S HOME MATCH v BRECHIN CITY
On a cold, dark and blustery day history was made with the league leaders visiting Seafield Park probably expecting to leave with all three points, but left with nothing – as the Jags, thanks to a Shaun Morrison goal, took all three.

As I have said many a time on this website – “It’s a funny old game“ which, the older readers will remember, was the late great Jimmy Greaves’ regular missive to his co-host Ian St. John in their 1980/90’s Saturday lunchtime football TV show “Saint and Greavsie” and that was proved yet again on Saturday.
I had texted on Sunday morning a couple of my friends who keep in regular contact about the the Jags’ results and said that Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson was quoted before the game in the local paper as saying that he and the team fear nobody – they had played all the teams in the league apart from Inverurie and had, apart from a couple of games, had more or less matched our opponents ….
And… that was the impression I got on Saturday – although Brechin fans in substantial number were very vocal in their frustration and probably did not thoroughly agree.
Something else I had texted to my friends was probably the managers summations of the game would be that Ryan would say that we played well and their manager will say that Brechin did not!
Sure enough in Monday’s P&J that is exactly what they said….Ryan saying that we stuck to a our game plan, scored a good striker’s goal after an excellent move and defended very well throughout, possibly the best he’s seen all season and Ray MacKinnon, Brechin’s boss, said Brechin did not play well at all…..are they both right??
I must admit at no point on Saturday were the Jags’ fans really worried and Jag’s keeper Danny Gillan added another clean sheet to his CV and although playing really well had no “big” saves throughout the match and I thought we deserved our win.

It was equally matched until the thirty-fourth minute when, after a very good piece of interplay, Shaun Morrison deftly nicked the ball past the Brechin keeper for us to go one up, and this was the score at half-time.
Twelve minutes into the second half Brechin brought on Republic of Ireland international Cillian Sheridan, which among Jag’s fans was the only time there was a slight concern, as he has an excellent CV throughout Europe as well as being an ex-Celtic player and in the past has scored a few times against us – but the boys at the back handled the situation very well and although Brechin piled on the pressure in the later stages we coped well.
The only downside for us was a couple of injuries – a shoulder one for Conor MacPhee, and for Filip Frankzak, who has broken a bone in his foot which will keep him out for at least eight weeks – both players will be a substantial loss over the coming weeks.

Saturday’s team was:
Danny Gillan, Zach MacPhee, Filip Frankzak, Jamie Calder, James McShane (C), Jamie Williamson, Conor MacPhee, Liam Shewan, Shaun Morrison, Josh Race, George Robesten
Subs : Ethan Rae (Gk), Ali Nixon, Ali Morrison, Bodhan Campbell, Cammy Lisle and James Fraser.

So …..arguably our best result since joining the Highland League in 2009 ….that was certainly the opinion of the vast majority of the Jags’ fans as they left Seafield Park……and in the opinion of one  “ if you can beat the league leaders you can beat all the others!”

See Shaun’s goal here …https://www.facebook.com/reel/1998724870973496

HALF TIME RAFFLE 

Winner of the half-time raffle at the Brechin game was Tim Rogers.
Tim, who has followed the Jag’s for a few years now, and has been a season ticket holder throughout that time too, was well chuffed with his prize and we hope the win will enable him to celebrate Saturday’s Jags’ even more with one or two nippie sweeties!

PRESENTATION

As it was Brechin City’s last visit to Seafield Park on Highland League business Strathspey Thistle chairman Donly Mcleod (left) presented Brechin’s Honorary President David Birse with a bottle of malt whisky and two engraved crystal tumblers in a token of friendship – both men wished each other all the best for their club’s futures and hoped to maybe meet again in perhaps a pre-season friendly sometime or a Scottish Cup tie. Brechin will be participating in the Scottish Midlands East league next season if they do not qualify for League Two.

THANK YOU, LYLA!

A big thank you to our mascot Lyla, who joined us at Seafield Park today. Lyla and her dad Liam are on a brilliant journey visiting football grounds and we were delighted to be number 8 on their adventure.
We can quite confidently say Lyla was our lucky charm today!

Make sure to check out and follow Dad and daughter footie adventure where they share their groundhopping experiences together.
Thanks again to Lyla and Liam, you’ll be very welcome back anytime and we look forward to seeing you again soon. Thanks to Liam for the photos.

FESTIVE RAFFLE

Committee stalwart Mags Clark (right) and her friend Susan McQuade spent Wednesday in our local Premier and Thursday in our local Co-op shops selling Festive Raffle tickets as well as Club merchandise – which will be making excellent stocking fillers for some lucky Jags’ fans.

The Club would like to thank Susan most profusely for all her help this year at the Golf Day, match days and this week’s endeavours – and hopefully we will see her again at Seafield Park sometimes again next year!

---

 LAST MATCH OF 2025 

Our final fixture of 2025 takes place on Saturday 27th December when we welcome Buckie Thistle Football Club to Seafield Park.

Spaces are still available — get your friends together between Christmas and New Year and enjoy a great day out in hospitality.

To book: hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk

---

LOTTERY HITS £14,200 JACKPOT

Could someone 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).

1. 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. 
2. If more than one player has 5 winning numbers, the Jackpot will be divided equally among the winning players. 
3. 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. 
4. THE DRAW will take place every SUNDAY at 7pm unless otherwise advised.
5. The entrant named on the ticket must be at least 16 years of age.
6. All winners will be notified.

Again,at this time we appreciate that there seems to be a lot of fund raising going on and it’s true –  but this is the time of year when it is our main chance to raise funds which over the year goes on ground improvements and outgoings, floodlights, refereeing fees and not to mention keeping and improving our playing squad – it’s nae cheap and we really appreciate all the support we get from from everyone who has an interest in keeping the Jags going and hope that everyone is enjoying what has been happening on the park this season. 

THANK YOU and we hope to see you next week at Seafield Park for the visit of Buckie Thistle.

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS
On behalf of everyone connected with Strathspey Thistle Football Club we would like to wish everyone, especially our supporters, a Happy Christmas and our thoughts are also with those who will be experiencing a very different one.