The 2023-24 Breedon Highland League season gets under way tomorrow and the Press and Journal has assessed all 18 clubs.
Our club-by-club guide provides information, trivia and analysis on every side in the division ahead of the big kick-off.
We’ve also spoken to someone from every team for their thoughts on the campaign ahead.
Banks o’ Dee
Nickname: Dee
Ground: Spain Park
Chairman: Brian Winton
Managers: Josh Winton and Paul Lawson
Honours
- Highland League Cup – 2022-23.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 2021-22.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 2021-22.
- Scottish Junior Cup – 1956-57.
- North Region Superleague – 2007–08, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22.
- North East Premier Division – 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1986–87.
- North East Division One – 1995–96, 1998–99.
- Aberdeen and District Junior League – 1920–21, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1952–53, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1967–68.
- Plus various other Junior cup competitions.
Key player
Kane Winton. Captain who leads by example and is a real driving force in midfield.
Rising star
Ramsay Davidson. The young defender stepped up to the plate when required last season and is likely to be pushing for more first-team involvement this term.
Hopes for the season
Banks o’ Dee’s inaugural Highland League campaign was hampered by a points deduction, but their Highland League Cup triumph showed what they are capable of. Pushing towards the top end of the table and competing in cups will be the aim.
Did you know?
A crowd of more than 30,000 watched Dee win the Scottish Junior Cup at Hampden in 1957.
Midfielder Marc Young
“I think the starting XI is as strong as I’ve ever seen at the club.
“If you take away the points deduction last season we would have finished sixth and we’d like to improve on that.
“If we can put a run together with no disruptions then I don’t see why we can’t be challenging the top three or four and doing well in the cups.
“The standards at the club are high. We’ve got a side here that’s as good as we’ve had in my time with the club.
“There’s the potential to continue improving because only a few of us are over 30, most of the boys are in their early 20s.
“I’m hoping for good things and to build on last season.”
Brechin City
Nickname: The Hedgemen
Ground: Glebe Park
Chairman: Kevin Mackie
Manager: Andy Kirk
Honours
- Championship play-offs – 2016-17.
- Division 2 – 1982-83, 1989-90, 2004-05.
- Division 3 – 2001-02.
- Division C – 1953-54.
- Highland League – 2022-23.
- Qualifying Cup – 1950-51.
- Forfarshire Cup – 1909-10, 1952-53, 1958-59, 1996-97.
- The Keith Tournament – 1982-83.
Key player
Grady McGrath. The reigning Highland League player of the year plundered 35 goals last season and will be looking for more of the same this term.
Rising star
Ewan Loudon. Scored in the title-decider against Buckie Thistle and at 19 there’s still a lot more to come from the attacker.
Hopes for the season
Brechin will be aiming to retain the Highland League title and give themselves another shot at promotion through the pyramid play-offs.
Did you know?
Michael O’Neill started his management career with Brechin in 2006 before going on to boss Shamrock Rovers, Stoke City and Northern Ireland.
Defender Kevin McHattie
“We’re hoping to do what we did last season and win the league.
“We know it’s a hard league and it gets harder every year, I think it will be more difficult than last season.
“This is our third year in the league so there’s no surprises any more. Everyone knows exactly what we’re about and what we do.
“The gaffer has brought in some new faces which it’s always good to do and I’m looking forward to it.
“The experience of winning the league should help us.
“Last season was a wild one.
“It came down to going to Buckie on the last day and needing to win, we only had one league defeat in the whole season.
“But it showed everyone that you need to turn up in every single game and be on it.
“Playing for Brechin is the most I’ve enjoyed football for a while and in the Highland League you’re expected to do well and win every week.
“Having that drive is important and I enjoy it. I love playing for Brechin and training part-time rather than full-time suits me.
“That focus to try to win every week is what drives me to keep going.”
Brora Rangers
Nickname: The Cattachs
Ground: Dudgeon Park
Chairman: Scott Mackay
Manager: Ally MacDonald
Honours
- Highland League – 2013-14, 2014-15, 2019-20, 2020-21.
- Highland League Cup – 2015-16, 2021-22.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1980-81, 1990-91, 2013-14, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2022-23.
- Inverness Cup – 1994-95.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1979-80.
Key player
Andrew Macrae. The former Highland League player of the year is a real livewire who always asks questions of the opposition defence.
Rising star
Millar Gamble. The defender will be hoping to build on his encouraging displays for the Cattachs last season.
Hopes for the season
Brora are used to picking up silverware and that will be the target in both the league and cup competitions.
Did you know?
Brora are the last team to go through a Highland League season without defeat, which they achieved in 2014-15 with 30 wins and four draws.
Player-manager Ally MacDonald
“Our goal is to win the competitions we’re in which are the league and the two cups.
“We know it’s tough to do that, but those are our ambitions.
“In the league we want to compete right until the end and try to win it.
“Looking back at last season, the spell I had before the end of the campaign was great to settle into the job and find my feet.
“Now in pre-season ahead of my first full season as manager we’ve been able to really start working towards how we want to play.
“We’re a team that likes to play football and although we scored plenty of goals last season I think we could be more ruthless in the final third.
“I also think we could improve defensively and we’ve had a good spell in pre-season working on those aspects.
“I inherited a top team and I was fortunate in that regard.
“We always look to try to bolster the squad, but we’ve got a good squad.
“We didn’t have Joe Malin, Josh Meekings and James Wallace for the majority of last season and they’re all to come back.
“Having them back fully fit will almost be like new signings for us.”
Buckie Thistle
Nickname: The Jags
Ground: Victoria Park
Chairman: Garry Farquhar
Manager: Graeme Stewart
Honours
- Highland League – 1919–20, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1933–34, 1936–37, 1953–54, 1956–57, 1957–58, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2016–17.
- Highland League Cup – 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1979–80, 1986–87, 2011–12.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 1936–37, 1938–39, 1945–46, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1984–85, 1986–87, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2016–17.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 1992–93, 2007–08.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) – 1952–53, 1953–54, 1958–59, 2003–04.
- Elgin District Cup – 1901–02, 1912–13, 1913–14.
Key player
Andrew MacAskill. The man who makes Buckie tick, chipped in with 21 goals as well as plenty of assists from midfield last season.
Rising star
Lyall Keir. Signed for the Jags last summer before being loaned back to junior club Dyce, but is someone manager Graeme Stewart has high hopes for.
Hopes for the season
Lifting a trophy will be the aim after being pipped to the league on the final day in the last two seasons and losing three cup finals in three years.
Did you know?
Buckie Thistle were name-checked in legendary horror writer Stephen King’s book ‘If It Bleeds’.
Midfielder Marcus Goodall
“Our hope would be to try to win the league, we’ve been close and failed in the last two seasons so hopefully it’s third time lucky for us.
“I think it motivates everyone what’s happened over the last couple of seasons.
“The way we lost it last season is probably the worst way to lose it and nobody wants to feel like that again.
“Even coming back into pre-season everyone came back really fit and hungry to do well which is a good thing.
“We’ve got a strong squad with plenty of competition with the signings the manager has made.
“There’s plenty of boys in midfield where I play so you have to try to push yourself on if you want to play which is a good thing for all of us.”
Clachnacuddin
Nickname: The Lilywhites
Ground: Grant Street Park
Chairman: Alex Chisholm
Manager: Jordan MacDonald
Honours
- Highland League – 1894–95, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1907–08, 1911–12, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1974–75, 2003–04.
- Highland League Cup – 1947–48, 1950–51, 1981–82, 2003–04, 2013–14.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1894–95, 1895–96, 1897–98, 1899–1900, 1902–03, 1903–04, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1919–20, 1920–21, 1922–23, 1937–38, 1939–40, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1953–54, 1964–65, 1979–80, 1992–93, 2001–02.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1934–35, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1998–99.
Key player
James Anderson. Clach’s main goal threat is more than just a penalty box player with his hold-up and link-up play continuing to improve.
Rising star
Donald Morrison. Had a decent first season with the Lilywhites and will be looking to kick on again.
Hopes for the season
The Inverness outfit will be looking for more consistency in the league as their squad continues to gain experience.
Did you know?
Clach have won the Highland League on 18 occasions, the most of any side still currently competing in the division.
Defender Calum Black
“I’m hoping we can climb the table as last season I felt we underachieved.
“We were lacking in consistency throughout the season and if we could get that consistency we could get into the top half and push towards the top six.
“Consistency is something that will come with experience throughout the team.
“Most of the boys have had a season or two seasons in the Highland League now.
“We’ve said it’s a young team, but you can’t say that forever.
“We’re all coming into our second or third full seasons of first-team football so we’ve got to start doing something and showing people what we’re made of.
“Reaching the North of Scotland Cup final last season showed what we can do and we’ve had some good results against some of the top teams in the league.”
Deveronvale
Nickname: The Vale
Ground: Princess Royal Park
Chairman: James Mair
Manager: Craig Stewart
Honours
- Highland League – 2002–03, 2005–06.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 1947–48, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1961–62, 1965–66, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2011–12.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 1994–95, 2002–03.
- Qualifying Cup – 1951-52, 2001-02.
- Bells Cup – 1977-78.
Key player
Innes McKay. Has established himself as a pillar of strength in Vale’s backline over the past two years and will look to continue leading by example.
Rising star
Jaydan Bradford. The 19-year-old impressed in defence last season and can continue on an upward trajectory again this campaign.
Hopes for the season
Deveronvale are trying to build for the future and after finishing second bottom last term the security of mid-table will be a target.
Did you know?
Legendary Aberdeen and Scotland goalkeeper Jim Leighton spent the 1977-78 season on loan at Deveronvale from the Dons.
Manager Craig Stewart
“We need to be realistic and first and foremost with the threat of relegation being there we need to make sure we’re clear of that.
“We also need to try to progress in terms of being better than we were last season.
“If we’re better than we were last season then we’ll be fine.
“There’s not a lot of difference between ourselves and a number of teams roundabout us so hopefully we can get ourselves up the table a bit.
“If we get off to a good start we might manage to put in a challenge for the top half of the table.
“That would be an excellent achievement for us, I do think we’ve got a great group of boys with a lot of talent.
“But it’s just the consistency issues you get with younger players that can hamper us at times.
“However, there’s no reason why we can’t push up the table. Firstly, we need to make sure we’re clear of trouble, but we also need to push on from last season and I’m confident we can do that.
“Our game management needs to be better at times and wee improvements in these areas can make a big difference.”
Formartine United
Nickname: United
Ground: North Lodge Park
Chairman: Alexander Sinclair
Manager: Stuart Anderson
Honours
- Highland League Cup – 2017-18.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 2013-14, 2017-18.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 2018-19.
Key player
Julian Wade. Provides United with a focal point in attack, the Dominica international is a nuisance for defenders and has established a good partnership with Paul Campbell.
Rising star
Rhys Thomas. The 21-year-old defender has impressed for the Pitmedden outfit since signing from Cove Rangers in January.
Hopes for the season
United appear well-placed to challenge for honours in both the Highland League and the cups.
Did you know?
Formartine hold the record for the most goals scored in a Highland League season with 137 in the 2015-16 campaign.
Striker Paul Campbell
“I think targeting silverware of some kind would be a good thing for Formartine.
“You’ve got to try to progress on what you did the season before, we were fourth last season with no trophies and it wasn’t a bad season.
“But I’d say to try to win some kind of silverware would be the target for us this season.
“Part of the reason I decided to come to Formartine was because I was excited to try to win something here.
“At Fraserburgh I managed to win a few trophies so to win something at Formartine would be an exciting thing to do.
“I certainly think we’ve got a squad capable of having success, there’s no excuses and I’m excited to see what we can do this season.
“Some of the games we have in training are about as tough as you have on a Saturday.
“The manager is able to have an 11 versus 11 and you’re up against top players in training.
“There’s competition for places which is what you need. It’s a long season and you can’t get by with 11 or 12 players, you need to have a bigger squad.
“Keeping everyone happy is maybe the hard part, but the challenge for us as players is to get in the 11 and try to put in performances to keep your place.”
Forres Mechanics
Nickname: The Can-Cans
Ground: Mosset Park
Chairman David MacKintosh
Manager Steven MacDonald
Honours
- Highland League – 1985-86, 2011-12.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1963-64.
- Highland League Cup – 1946-47, 1954-55, 1984-85, 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2009-10.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1907-08, 1926-27, 1936-37, 1957-58, 1966-67, 1986-87, 2004-05, 2010-11.
- Inverness Cup – 1985-86, 1989-90, 2005-06.
Key player
Lee Fraser. Whether he’s deployed up front or in defence his experience, physicality and aerial prowess make him a lynchpin for the Can-Cans.
Rising star
Shaun Morrison. The 19-year-old made a good impression last term netting 10 goals and will have an important role to play once again in the Forres attack.
Hopes for the season
After a busy summer in the transfer market a place in the top half is a realistic target for Steven MacDonald’s side.
Did you know?
Mosset Park was moved 500 metres south-east in 1987 because of the bypass being constructed around the town of Forres.
Midfielder Craig MacKenzie
“Our aim would be to try to get as close to the top six or seven as we can and also try to have a good cup run.
“In the league we want to win more games and try to push on a bit.
“The second half of last season was pretty disappointing for us, we feel we’re better than that and hopefully we can show it this season.
“We didn’t win many games and I’m not really sure what the main reason was for that.
“We had a good spell in the first half of the season and then fell away which was disappointing.
“We’re quite a young team and I’d hope the experience we gained last season can help us.
“We’ve made some good signings this summer and some of the guys have experience of being higher up the league so I’d hope that can help us.
“From a personal perspective I’ve enjoyed playing for Forres over the last year.
“I feel I’ve improved as a player and will hopefully keep developing.
“Playing in central midfield is my favoured position and it was good to play there regularly last season.”
Fraserburgh
Nickname: The Broch
Ground: Bellslea Park
Chairman: Finlay Noble
Manager Mark Cowie
Honours
- Highland League – 1932-33, 1937-38, 2001-2002, 2021-22.
- Highland League Cup – 1958-59, 2005-2006.
- Qualifying Cup (North) – 1957-58, 1995-96, 2006-2007.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 1910-11, 1937-38, 1955-56, 1963-64, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1996-97, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2022-23.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 1991-92, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1999-2000, 2011-2012, 2015-2016, 2019-20, 2022-23.
- Bell’s League Cup – 1972-73, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79.
Key player
Scott Barbour. His goals, energy, strength, work-rate and aggression are all integral to how the Broch play. Now just nine strikes behind Michael Stephen’s club record of 237.
Rising star
Zane Laird. Showed flashes of what he’s capable of in a few first-team appearances last term and also impressed when loaned to Deveronvale.
Hopes for the season
The Broch claimed two cups last season, but were disappointed with their performance in the league. Competing on all fronts will be their ambition.
Did you know?
Fraserburgh won the last Qualifying Cup (North) competition to be played with a 2-1 victory against Keith in November 2006.
Defender Kieran Simpson
“The first goal for the new season in the league is to do better than last year.
“That’s always your first thing to try to get more points than we did last season.
“In the league last season we let ourselves down so the first goal for us is to get more points and then see how many more we can get.
“We still won two trophies with the Aberdeenshire Cup and Aberdeenshire Shield which was good.
“Some people maybe gave us stick saying how poor a season we had, but we still won more trophies than anybody else in the league.
“That’s a good sign, but in the league we definitely let ourselves down and that’s something we want to improve.
“We’re not thinking about being up there challenging or anything like that, our focus is just on trying to beat Lossiemouth in the first game and we’ll see where we go from there.
“We have got a good squad and we know there’s quality in the group, but we still need to get better as well.”
Huntly
Nickname: The Black and Golds
Ground: Christie Park
Chairman: Gordon Carter
Manager: Allan Hale
Honours
- Highland League – 1929–30, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2004–05.
- Highland League Cup – 1948–49, 1951–52, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 1960–61, 1985–86, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1992–93, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1999–2000.
- SFA North Region Challenge Cup – 2007-08.
Key player
Andy Hunter. His guile and creativity in the final third is a big part of Huntly’s attack.
Rising star
Lyall Booth. Still only 20 but has been a shining light for the Black and Golds making the left-back spot his own.
Hopes for the season
Eighth last season was their best finish since 2010 but trying to better that will be in the Strathbogie side’s sights.
Did you know?
Huntly are the only side to have won the Highland League title in five consecutive seasons, having done so between 1994 and 1998.
Manager Allan Hale
“Our objective again will be to improve our points total from last season and make progress from last season.
“Beating your points total has to be the main target, as I’d think it would be for most clubs.
“We want to try to increase our goal tally from last season as well.
“I feel we’re in a good position with our squad and we’ve got stability in terms of players signed up on long-term contracts.
“In my opinion the Highland League is as competitive as I’ve ever known it and I’ve been involved in it quite a long time.
“There’s no easy games in the league and you see that in the results week to week.
“The quality of player and quality of coaches across the Highland League seems to keep growing which makes it more difficult.
“Overall we’ve got a really good product and the challenge for us at Huntly is trying to maintain a level of consistency and put a sequence together which hopefully allows us to be in a similar position to last season.”
Inverurie Locos
Nickname: Locos
Ground: Harlaw Park
Chairman: Mike Macaulay
Manager: Andy Low
Honours
- Highland League Cup – 2007–08, 2008–09.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 2003–04, 2013–14, 2016–17.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 2004–05, 2005–06.
- SFA North Region Challenge Cup – 2008-09.
Key player
Mark Souter. The experienced defender has spent his whole career in red and black and will have a big part to play if they are to be successful this season.
Rising star
Josh Buchan. Former Dundee youth who will be aiming to make his mark at Harlaw Park after penning a three-year contract during the summer.
Hopes for the season
Getting closer to the league’s top five from last season and success in the cups will be on the agenda for the Garioch outfit.
Did you know?
Inverurie were formed in 1903 by workers from the Great North of Scotland Railway who had locomotive, carriage and wagon workshops in town.
Defender Greg Mitchell
“We’ve got to try to be competitive and try to close the gap on the top teams.
“It feels like we say it every year but we want to be competing for trophies so we have to push in the cups and be more competitive in the league.
“We need to be more consistent and we’ve spoken about that as a group. We need to take more points off the teams at the top end of the league.
“In the past couple of years we’ve struggled to do that and we’ve also dropped points in games we felt we should be winning.
“We need to be more consistent and we need to raise standards and be demanding of each other as players.
“The manager Andy Low is big on that. We’ve bought into his ideas and we’ve seen what he’s trying to implement. Hopefully that will stand us in good stead.
“There’s a good mix in the squad. The likes of myself, Mark Souter, Jamie Michie, Calum Dingwall, Garry Wood and Sam Burnett have plenty of experience.
“We’ve also got a younger group of players that are hungry and want to kick on.”
Keith
Nickname: The Maroons
Ground: Kynoch Park
Chairman: Andy Troup
Manager: Craig Ewen
Honours
- Highland League – 1961–62, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1999–2000, 2006–07.
- Highland League Cup – 1964–65, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2012–13.
- Aberdeenshire Cup – 1935–36, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1966–67, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1979–80, 2008–09.
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 1997–98, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1960–61, 1962–63, 1984–85, 2002–03.
Key player
James Brownie. The energy and experience of the Maroons’ co-captain in midfield could prove invaluable again this term.
Rising star
Lewis Coull. Made a major impression in his first season in the Highland League and looks likely to be an important figure once again.
Hopes for the season
To push towards the top half and better last season’s 15th-placed finish and tally of 27 points.
Did you know?
Former Scotland captain Colin Hendry began his senior career with his hometown club Keith in the Highland League.
Manager Craig Ewen
“We’re just hoping to improve, we didn’t have the best of seasons last season for a variety of reasons.
“But we’re not making any excuses for that, we’re looking to improve and trying to push towards the top half this season.
“When we’re at our best we’re definitely capable of competing in any game.
“But we need to cut out that inconsistency when we’re not at it.
“If we could get close to the top half of the table that would be a decent step forward for us.
“We would also like to have a good run in the cups, but it’s not easy.
“With the Aberdeenshire competitions the quality of opposition is always high and the Highland League Cup is always tricky to progress in.
“We’d like to try to get through a couple of rounds in the Scottish Cup as well, but that’s also becoming harder and harder with the quality of teams in the early rounds.
“Overall we have to aim for improvement across the board.”
Lossiemouth
Nickname: The Coasters
Ground: Grant Park
Chairman: Alan McIntosh
Manager: Frank McGettrick
Honours
- Highland League Cup – 1961-62, 1996-97.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03.
- Scottish Supplementary Cup (North) – 1956-57.
- Stuart Cup – 1946-47, 1948-49.
Key player
Liam Archibald. The club captain continues to be a model of consistency for the Coasters. The midfielder also popped up with nine goals last season and will be keen to make a significant contribution once again.
Rising star
Lewis McAndrew. Has become a regular in defence at Grant Park and at 21 still has scope to keep improving as he continues to gain experience.
Hopes for the season
Having been 14th and 15th in the past two seasons Lossie will be looking to continue progressing up the table under Frank McGettrick, who is stepping up to manage in the Highland League for the first time.
Did you know?
The club nickname ‘the Coasters’ was the result of a competition between the town’s primary schools.
Manager Frank McGettrick
“Our hopes for the season would be to try to improve on last season.
“Realistically that’s all you can look for is a bit of improvement every year so if we can better our points tally and position in the league that will be good.
“Everyone at the club is willing to work hard, but on top of that I think there’s a lot of ability within our squad and hopefully the boys can show that talent over the season.
“For myself personally it’s a different challenge being a manager again, it’s about 20 years since I managed New Elgin.
“I’ve been a coach at various clubs since then but when you’re the manager you realise there’s that extra bit of work and responsibility that goes with it.
“If everyone gives their all we can’t ask for more than that and hopefully that should also allow us to improve our points tally and improve our position in the league.
“On top of that if we could have a good run in the cups that would be ideal as well.”
Nairn County
Nickname: The Wee County
Ground: Station Park
Chairman: Mark Kelman
Manager: Steven Mackay
Honours
- Highland League – 1975–76.
- Highland League Cup – 1963–64, 2010–11.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1956–57, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1965–66, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2012–13.
- Scottish Qualifying Cup – 1968–69.
Key player
Conor Gethins. Last season he became just the second player to reach 200 goals for Nairn and the veteran striker is expected to contribute once again.
Rising star
Ciaran Young. The 21-year-old striker netted nine goals last season and will be looking to increase that tally this term.
Hopes for the season
Having finished seventh last term Nairn will be aiming to push even further up the table in Steven Mackay’s first full season as manager.
Did you know?
Nairn were the last side to win the Breedon Highland League in a championship play-off. They defeated Fraserburgh 2-1 after the two sides had ended the 1975-76 season level on points.
Striker Scott Davidson
“We didn’t start last season very well, but with Steven Mackay coming in we kicked on again and finishing seventh was a good position for us.
“But this season we want to try to finish in the top six and I see no reason why we can’t.
“It’s been hard to bring players in, but I think we’ve got a good squad.
“You always want to try to improve so to do that we’re looking at the top six.
“This is the time we need to push on, we’ve felt we could do it in recent years and it hasn’t quite happened.
“We also haven’t competed much in the cup competitions recently. We want to be pushing for cup finals and trying to win something and getting into the top six in the league.
“On a personal level I need to kick on as well. I feel I’m coming into my peak years and I need to be scoring more goals like I was a few years ago to help the team.
“Fingers crossed we can make that progress and having some success would be good.”
Rothes
Nickname: The Speysiders
Ground: Mackessack Park
Chairman: Iain Paul
Manager: Ross Jack
Honours
- Highland League – 1958-59.
- Highland League Cup – 2019-20.
- North of Scotland Cup – 1958-59, 1978-79, 2021-22.
- Campbell Charity Cup – 1949-50.
Key player
Fraser Robertson. A tireless worker in midfield who has been a hugely consistent and influential presence for the Speysiders in recent years.
Rising star
Jake Thomson. The winger showed glimpses of his quality last season and looks to be a player with a bright future.
Hopes for the season
After dropping to ninth last term Rothes, with a largely unchanged squad, will be looking to move back up the table and challenge again in the cups.
Did you know?
Rothes changed the colour of their strip from black and white to tangerine and black in 1970.
Midfielder Fraser Robertson
“We didn’t meet our goals for last season. We set out looking to do well in the cups as we’ve done before.
“We were hoping to try to win some more silverware and then in the league we were looking to be in the mix with the top five or six.
“Unfortunately we didn’t manage to do that, but we weren’t helped by only having about 12 or 13 players available in the early part of the season because of injury.
“It was hard going and even when boys did come back from injury it took time to get properly back into the swing of things.
“But that’s not an excuse because last season we didn’t get anywhere near the targets we had set at the start of the season.
“Looking ahead we still have a very good squad and the manager has been trying to add to it again.
“When we’re on our game we feel we can compete with any team in the league.
“Winning the Highland League Cup and then the North of Scotland Cup in the last few years was really good.
“Once you’ve had that taste of success and you don’t get so close again it’s hard to take so hopefully we can get back to that.”
Strathspey Thistle
Nickname: The Strathy Jags
Ground: Seafield Park
Chairman: Donly McLeod
Manager Robert MacCormack
Honours
- Clive Williamson Trophy – 1997-98.
- Robbie Nicol Memorial Trophy – 1998-99.
- Morayshire Junior League – 2001-02.
- Gordon Williamson Trophy – 2001-02.
- North Region League Cup – 2002-03.
Key player
James McShane. Strathspey through and through, an inspirational presence in either central defence or central midfield.
Rising star
Seamus McConaghy. After a loan stint at Seafield Park last term the midfielder has joined the Grantown outfit permanently.
Hopes for the season
With relegation from the Highland League now a possibility Thistle will be looking to avoid finishing bottom.
Did you know?
Strathspey captain James McShane is a grandson of the Seafield Park side’s chairman Donly McLeod.
Manager Robert MacCormack
“We want to compete in every game. Clearly, we’re looking to pick up a lot more points than we did last season and I’m confident we can do that.
“Regardless of who we are playing we want to compete in every game and if we do that then hopefully we can finish higher than we did last season.
“We’ve set ourselves realistic targets which we feel we can achieve.
“But we know it’s going to be another difficult season as there are a lot of good teams in the Highland League.
“However, we believe we can get up the table and to do that we have to ensure we’re much better than we were.
“The games I had in charge towards the end of last season were a learning curve for me, both in terms of our group and what other teams can do.
“We’ve taken that all into account and we’ve learned from it coming into this season.
“I was encouraged by what I saw last season, but I also know what we need to do to improve.
“We’ve worked very hard to bring the players we need into the club to ensure we give a far better account of ourselves.
“The players that were here last season were also better than what they showed in my opinion and towards the end of the season there were some encouraging performances and results.”
Turriff United
Nickname: Turra
Ground: The Haughs
Chairman: Gairn Ritchie
Manager: Dean Donaldson
Honours
- Aberdeenshire Shield – 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15.
- North Region First Division (East) – 2002–03.
- North Regional Cup – 2006–07.
Key player
Neil Gauld. The signing of a striker who has scored 360 goals at this level with Huntly, Inverurie Locos, Formartine United and Banks o’ Dee looks a shrewd piece of business.
Rising star
Murray Cormack. The 19-year-old midfielder has already impressed when given opportunities in the United engine room and could become a standout in the new campaign.
Hopes for the season
Following huge improvement last term to finish 12th Turra are likely to target a place in the top half, they also couldn’t be discounted in cups.
Did you know?
In their first season competing in the Scottish Cup (2012-13), Turriff reached the fourth round and faced Morton following victories against Burntisland Shipyard, Civil Service Strollers and Buckie Thistle.
Manager Dean Donaldson
“We’ll be looking to improve on last season. I think we took a big step forward last season.
“The players have got another year of experience under their belts so that’s most of them now with at least one full season in the league.
“With our ambitions we’ve got to be looking for more, but also remain realistic that we are still early in our project.
“There are no easy games in the Highland League, we struggled in quite a lot of games against teams around us last season but then got results against sides higher up.
“But I see the hunger the boys have got and I think that will really help us going forward.
“We’ve made a few signings and they all bring something different.
“Neil Gauld’s an unbelievable finisher and we’ve seen the quality he’s got in training already.
“John Allan’s got the bit between his teeth and looks like he’s ready to make an impact.
“We’ve also brought in a couple of younger players in Connor Grant and Finlay Murray who have good potential.
“I’m hoping the players we’ve signed and the competition we’ve got can help us improve.”
Wick Academy
Nickname: The Scorries
Ground: Harmsworth Park
Chairman: Pat Miller
Manager: Gary Manson
Honours
- North of Scotland Cup – 2015–16.
- North Caledonian Football League – 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1986–87.
- North Caledonian Cup – 1979–80, 1980–81, 1985–86.
Key player
Jack Halliday. A real livewire in the Wick engine room who contributes at both ends. His energy and intensity make him ideal for the box-to-box midfield role.
Rising star
Joe Anderson. Only 18 but has already made 46 appearances for Academy and looks like being a mainstay for many years to come.
Hopes for the season
After last season’s surprising 16th-place finish Gary Manson has overhauled his squad with the aim of climbing back up towards the top half.
Did you know?
Gary Manson is one game away from being the first person to make 700 appearances for Wick.
Player-manager Gary Manson
“Unless you’ve won the league, every manager wants to finish higher than the season before and for us that’s not setting a very high bar.
“We’re looking for a vast improvement in terms of points tally and we’re also looking for a more settled squad and a more settled team.
“If we can have a bit more consistency in team selection and consistency in the squad we have available that will go a long way to helping us.
“There’s no numerical points target set, but we want to vastly improve on last season.
“Last season we didn’t score enough and we conceded far too many so it was a recipe for disaster.
“The numbers don’t tell the whole story. We created plenty of chances in a lot of games and for a large part of the season we didn’t have a recognised number nine.
“We’ve looked to make a number of changes from last season and looked at quite a few players in pre-season.
“There’s a few new names for people to learn about and get to know.
“We’ve also tried to put together a slightly bigger squad than in previous seasons.”
