AWAY MATCH v HUNTLY FC
BREEDON HIGHLAND LEAGUE
CHRISTIE PARK HUNTLY AB54 8JE
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2025 – KICK OFF 3pm
After last week’s disappointing result against Formartine, we head across country to Huntly’s Christie Park and a Breedon Highland League match against The Black and Golds. We haven’t got a great record against Huntly and you would have to go back to, I think, 2015 to our last victory – a home win by five goals to two.
Huntly lie in seventh position on fourteen points, two points more than ourselves and after a two-nil defeat in the local derby against Keith last Saturday, and a mid-week cup tie losing to Formartine, they will be wanting to bounce back but The Jags will be wanting to do the same, so it looks as it could be another cracker of a game. Jags’ fans travelling to the game should be aware of the annual Huntly Hairst festival which may cause traffic interruptions.
Jags’ head coach Ryan Esson will have more or less a full squad to pick from, missing are Aaron Doran and Conor MacPhee, and after having no mid-week game again this week everyone else will be raring to go..
SATURDAY’S GAME v FORMARTINE UTD AT SEAFIELD PARK
Both teams started the game well with the visitors having slightly more of the play, but it remained much the same until half-time.
Two minutes after the break Formartine were slightly fortunate with Julian Wade taking full advantage of a ricochet to put United one up. However ten minutes later the Jags’ Josh Race scored a great goal. He took posession of the ball just inside his own half and raced towards goal and and from about twenty yards out smashed a curling shot into the top right hand corner levelling the score.
However Jags’ joy lasted only three minutes when a defensive mix-up allowed Wade to score his second of the afternoon and that was that. It was a shame as we had taken the ascendancy before and after our goal and had we been able to maintain that and not lose the second goal the outcome could have been different….but……
Head coach Ryan Esson was generally pleased with the overall performance especially as Formartine sit in third place in the league, but again he was disappointed with both goals conceded.
HALF TIME RAFFLE
A situation arose which hasn’t happened for a while in that the winning ticket drawn at Saturday’s match was not claimed – so if you have the other half of the ticket pictured, please produce it at the next home match and collect your winnings.
WELCOME TO A NEW SPONSOR
Strathspey Thistle FC are delighted to welcome LJF Powder Coating Ltd as a new Back of Shirt Sponsor for the season!
We’re excited to have them join the Strathy Jags family and proud to carry their name on the back of our shirts as we compete across the Highland League.
A huge thank you to everyone at LJF Group for their support, it means a lot to the club. “We’re thrilled to welcome LJF Group on board. Their support is a fantastic boost for the club, and we look forward to building a strong partnership together.”– Grant Mackellar, CEO Strathspey Thistle FC
SEPTEMBER DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
SCOTTISH CUP DRAW
On Sunday evening live on SFA’s YouTube channel was the First Round of the Mens’ Scottish Gas Scottish Cup and we were were handed a home tie on Saturday 27 September against Dundee North End FC – who have won the SJFC Midland League Championship for the last two years and whose journey in their first ever Scottish Cup last year ended with Airdrieonians beating them in the Third Round.
For all information contact : hospitality@strathspeythistlefc.uk
OTHER NEWS
STFC would like to send congratulations to both Aberlour Villa and Badenoch United. Aberlour Villa won the Donald McNair Cup making them Scottish Welfare Champions and Badenoch United won our local Welfare League – The Strathspey & Badenoch Welfare League….well done guys!
However, we were disappointed to learn a couple of weeks ago that Don Cowie had left Ross County – Don who is married to Shelley, a Scottish Football Internationalist herself along with her twin sister Suzanne, and who grew up in Grantown so the Jags’ have always taken a great interest in Don’s career from his playing career with Ross County, Inverness Caley Thistle, Watford, Cardiff City, Hearts and his return to Ross County where he became Assistant Manager before taking over as gaffer – unfortunately results over the past few months didn’t go his way so he offered his resignation last month. Always the gentleman we wish Don all the very best in his next career move. We also wish incoming boss Tony Docherty all the best in his quest in taking The Staggies back to the Premier League.
We have also loaned out Bailey Black to North Caley League newcomers Inverness Thistle joining our other loanee Lewis Mackie and we expect to see them back in the New Year.
LOTTERY NOW £12,700
It’s a ginormous amount – £12,700, yes £12,700, for you to win by playing our online fundraising lottery – click here if you want to play…
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. 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.