Strathspey Thistle manager Gordon Nicolson is pleased the wait to start the 2020-21 Highland League season is finally over.
The Seafield Park side get the new campaign under way this weekend with a trip to Fort William.
The league initially aimed for an October 17 start date before clubs voted for a delay until fans could return, but the season will commence this weekend.
Nicolson is pleased with the way his squad has come together ahead of the big kick-off as they look forward to their first competitive match since a 3-1 home defeat by Keith on March 7.
He said: “It has been a protracted and drawn-out pre-season. We started on September 1 as I’m sure a lot of the other clubs did.
“To wait until the end of November for our first competitive game feels like a long time.
“At times during that period we felt that it might not happen.
“I’m glad the season is going ahead and we are looking forward to a tough game on Saturday.
“We are fortunate the committee at the club have always tried to do what they can to help us recruit better players.
“We have done that over the last couple of seasons and I’m really happy with the squad.
“Towards the end of last season we brought in (former Caley Thistle player) Kieran Chalmers. He only played one or two games before the season ended, so he still feels very much like a new signing. Kris Duncan had also just come in.
“We have added Roddy Kennedy to that mix. Young Craig Mackenzie from Ross County has joined us and looked fantastic.
“He is only 17 and he has been fantastic throughout pre-season.
“We have purposefully gone for a slightly younger squad to reflect the way we want to operate as a club. These guys fit the mould.
“Most of them have come in from full-time football and this is an opportunity for them to play regular football and maybe take a step back to kick on again.”
The Jags are also hoping to have former Caley Thistle defender Gabriel Hastings in the squad to face Fort.
Nicolson said: “He has been in training with us for the last three weeks.
“He falls into that bracket of having been in full-time football before and he is looking to kick on his career. He has plans to go abroad in the early part of next year, so we are giving him an opportunity to be part of the squad, train with us and get himself ready.
“We will reap the benefits in the time he is with the club and we will see what happens at the turn of the year. That will be a cracking signing for us.”
Strathspey finished 13th on points per game after the campaign was halted by the coronavirus pandemic in March.
Nicolson admits it is difficult to set targets for a unique 15-game season with teams only meeting each other once.
He added: “Since we have come in the aim has been to try to progress every year. We have set different targets.
“We finished 13th last year, but I don’t put too much stock into that as there was still a lot of football left to play. It is going to be a sprint finish this year.
“With Forres dropping out it is one game fewer. I have stressed to the players how important the games are against the teams around about us.
“We need to make sure we are taking points in those games to give us the platform to pick up points elsewhere.
“You could get a few shock results this season. I don’t think there is any margin for error for any team this season. The top teams can’t afford to drop points as they could be vital.
“We want to be in that middle tier. To do that we will need to take care of the teams that finished around about us last year. We don’t know how it is going to pan out, but it will be an interesting season.”
