North Caledonian League president Iain Whitehead is proud of the standard and competitive nature of the division, which looks like being a 12-club set-up next season.
This month, Breedon Highland League club Nairn County announced the withdrawal of their young reserve side from the NCL after three years.
The NCL’s annual general meeting takes place next month, but Whitehead expects no more withdrawals or additions to the remaining group of 12.
Could Caithness sides push for title with champions Loch Ness and likes of Invergordon?
In just their own third campaign after joining the Junior division, Loch Ness – who play in Fortrose due to the lack of pitches in or near Inverness – held off a determined challenge from defending champions Invergordon to win their first North Caledonian League title.
Invergordon demonstrated their qualities by winning the Football Times Cup and the North Caledonian Cup, and Whitehead welcomes the strength in depth in the division – predicting clubs from various parts of the NCL map will challenge for honours next term.
He said: “It was a competitive season, with teams taking points off one another which made it exciting.
“Loch Ness won it and had been top for much of the season after having played more games than Invergordon, who kept winning their games in hand. So, would they catch up on Loch Ness or not? Ultimately, they didn’t, and Loch Ness went on to win it.
“There is not a great difference between many of the teams. If you look at the Caithness teams – Halkirk United and Thurso – they didn’t have the best season, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one of them were back up there challenging near the top.
“It’s refreshing to have strong competition from throughout the league. For example, Inverness Athletic have done well, while St Duthus are always there or thereabouts, and Loch Ness are now the champions. We have a new name on the trophy.”
Door to stay open for Nairn to rejoin
In announcing their NCL exit, Nairn County pointed towards “quality over quantity”, revealing they would be ditching their B team in its current form, and trimming back the players on their books to focus on bringing the best talents through to their senior team.
The Station Park club will review their carefully considered decision next May, and NCL chief Whitehead insists the door will remain open should they wish to rejoin in future.
He said: “You’re always disappointed when a team pulls out for whatever reason, but there were a lot of factors considered by Nairn before they made this decision.
“If they had put an under-17s or under-18s team in the league, they probably would have struggled to compete.
“They might regroup and maybe next season or in two years they might have a squad of players knocking on the door of the first-team and will be better placed to rejoin.
“Nairn used to just enter the cup competitions and they then decided to join the league. At that point, they had a group of boys they could potentially see competing for the first-team.
“Three or four of them made that step-up – Ciaran Young, for example, always seemed to stand-out in the North Caledonian League.”
Nairn’s statement announcing their departure said: “A number of our reserve squad from last season are now a few years into their 20s and will be leaving the club having not progressed to the first-team.
“This will leave us with a very reduced reserve squad and that, along with potential restrictions on our team selections being voted in at the AGM of the North Caledonian League, would allow us unable to guarantee that we could fulfil all our fixtures.
“This is not a position we wish to put our coaching staff in, or other members of the North Caledonian League.”
Bonar Bridge backed to regroup
Meanwhile, the division’s back-to-back last-placed team Bonar Bridge, who won just one match last season, are expected by Whitehead to regroup this summer and target an improved term.
He is hopeful they return to action ready to kick on.
Whitehead said: “It has been tough for Bonar Bridge, but they are dogged, and they will tough it out.
“They have an enthusiastic committee, which is willing to back the manager and I’m sure they will be determined to kick on.
“Bonar seen Bunillidh go back into the league a few years back and they then wanted to rejoin. Bunillidh have since pulled out, but Bonar are still there, which is great.”
Tommy McClenaghan replaced Fraser Heath as Bonar’s caretaker boss during last season and took the team through to the end of the campaign.
Conference League won’t affect NCL
The proposed creation of the new Scottish Conference League has sparked plenty of heated debate – but Whitehead thinks, because most NCL clubs are content at their level, there is not much concern over the plans in their ranks.
The controversial Conference League scheme, if voted through at the SFA’s AGM next month, would mean a new fifth-tier of Scottish football, sitting just below Scottish League Two and above the Highland and Lowland Leagues.
Ostensibly designed to help develop Scotland’s best young footballers by giving them more competitive game-time, the league would feature colts teams from Premiership clubs Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and one other top club, as well as two sides from the Highland League and four from the Lowland League.
Whitehead explained only a couple of NCL clubs are even eyeing Highland League promotion as things stand, let alone the SPFL. And although the introduction of a new fifth-tier on the pyramid would be an effective relegation down a level for the 12 NCL clubs, he says the changes would have no real bearing on them.
He added: “We haven’t spoken about the Conference League within our league as such, but most people don’t feel like it is a good idea, and I personally don’t think it’s a good idea.
“It doesn’t really affect the North Caledonian League as such, because our clubs are probably never going to reach that level, with the greatest of respect to them.
“Only Golspie and Fort William currently have the SFA licences. Golspie, for example, don’t have any burning desire to even be in the Highland League. It would be too much for them and there is a realism of where they are.
“If they won the league, they would contest the play-off and they might go up to the Highland League, but then they might get stuck there.”
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