“Home Match” v Fort William FC – Seafield Park, Grantown
Breedon Highland League – Wednesday 13 April – KO 8pm
It must feel like eight days a week for Shadab Iftikar and his Fort William players as their game at Seafield Park will be their third game of five within an eleven day period – a real hard day’s night!!
Fort William, stars of what was a compelling television documentary on BBC Scotland a couple of years ago, about the running of a football club in the lower divisions of the football leagues in the UK, and highlighted the difficult everyday decisions that most other Highland League clubs can correlate with very easily…and I think a sequel is being filmed this year which, again, should be very interesting.
This year they have not had their troubles to seek – all of which has been well documented in the press. Not being able to play their home games at Claggan Park, I would imagine, was a bitter blow – in fact, Wednesday’s match is actually their home game…their trials and tribulations have unfortunately left them in the relegation position and at the end of April they face a couple of play-off matches with Banks o’Dee FC for a place in next years Highland League. We wish them all the best.
It means of course for us at Strathspey Thistle a very tough match, as the Fort are wanting to prove that their league position does not merit their current play and have shown a great improvement over the past few weeks as their draw on Monday night against Turriff United proves.
The Jags will hope to capture all three points and keep our recent run of decent results going too, as proved last Saturday when an 85th minute penalty scored by Jake Thompson secured a deserved draw against Lossiemouth.
Interesting fact from the Lossie game was that a late shot by Jags forward Ross Logan was saved by Lossie keeper Logan Ross……one for a quiz sometime….
Unfortunately captain James McShane, who missed the game on Saturday will not feature on Wednesday either because of suspension – as will Fraser Russell who was injured last week – but everyone else should be fit and ready to go.
Hopefully the weather will be a lot more pleasant than the last time Fort William visited Seafield Park last October. In the pouring rain the visitors went two up very early on in the first half but we fought back for a convincing 7-3 victory.
A win on Wednesday would make all Jags fans feel fine!
Then, on Thursday morning it’s pitch fixing (everyone welcome) ready for our last game of the season – a home game against Inverurie Loco Works on Saturday.