MATCH REPORTS

 

 

INVERNESS City celebrated last day glory to win the Scotscoup North Division 2 title in their first season in the junior ranks.

 

Mike Pollard and Stevie Graham’s men beat Fochabers 2-0 in their final game yesterday to snatch the title from favourites New Elgin.

 

New Elgin’s unexpected draw last weekend with Deveronside meant that City’s destiny was in their own hands.

 

After a tense, goal-less first half Colin Mason and Gary Miller eased the tension to spark a night of wild celebration.

 

Co-manager Mike Pollard said: “I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet, but we are absolutely ecstatic. The players deserve so much credit as we have not had our troubles to seek off the field this season.

 

“We want to dedicate this title to our mentor Willie Geegan. The committee have been fantastic and this title is for everyone in the City family who have worked so hard to get us to here today.”

 

Inverness City were conceived in 2006 when Pollard and Graham were still the co-management team at North Caledonian League side Dornoch. They brought the Sutherland outfit their first cup in 100 years.

 

Pollard said: “We always had to travel to play football at a higher level. My boss at Highnet (sponsors of Ross County) Dave Siegel asked us if we could start a team in Inverness, if he provided the financial backing. We didn’t need to be asked twice and Inverness City were born.

 

“The only trouble we had, ironically given the problems we have had in terms of our ground this term, was that we had nowhere to play which met the criteria for the North Caledonian League.

 

“We couldn’t get a park in Inverness but councillors in Dingwall afforded us the use of North Kessock park, just across the Kessock Bridge from the city, which allowed us to meet the criteria and enter the North Caledonian League.”

 

During their first season City came second in the league and lifted two cups and in season two they again finished second, losing out on another cup success on penalties to Golspie Sutherland FC.

 

However, the desire to play at a higher level came about one night when Pollard and Graham were talking about some of the happiest times they had enjoyed, which were playing junior football for Burghead Thistle.

 

Pollard said: “We felt the standard of the junior game was exceptional and that it was time to take the club to another level. We have always wanted to take the club as far as possible.”

 

After mountains of paperwork and some hard graft by members of the City committee the club was accepted into the junior ranks at the Scottish Junior Football Association AGM in Glenrothes in July 2008.

 

The Sun was the first newspaper to speculate, weeks before this, that Inverness were likely to be the first Inverness team to play in the junior ranks in living memory.

 

The team were pitched into the Scotscoup North Region Division 2, playing sides along the east coast of Scotland, including Deveronside, Pollard and Graham’s former club Burghead, Fochabers and Nairn St Ninians to name but a few.

 

They enjoyed a successful pre-season campaign, beating Scottish Football League Division 1 side Ross County in a friendly and achieving similar success against some Highland League sides.

 

The first quarter of the season saw the club take part in the Grill League Cup, where they finished second.

 

However, shortly afterward City’s season took a turn for the better when Highland Council announced they could play their home matches at the Northern Meeting Park in the heart of the city. They left North Kessock Park and their first match at their new ground saw them beat experienced Aberdeenshire side Buchanhaven Hearts in the Scottish Junior Regional Cup.

 

Pollard said: “Being allowed the use of the Northern Meeting Park was a real coup for us as it not only met the criteria for the junior league, but would also have met SFA criteria.

 

“This gave the club and the players a massive boost and we remained mid to top table for much of the season.

 

“Although it was not all plain sailing after that. We lost the use of the Northern Meeting Park with three home games still to play and lost some experienced players to the Highland League.

 

“As the Northern Meeting Park is also used by the North Counties cricketers we had to leave and were forced to play our remaining home games at Grant Street Park (home of Clachnacuddin FC), Nairn St Ninians and Burghead.

 

“Things didn’t seem much better for us during the final three weeks of the season as we lost our chairman to Ross County. However, Mr Siegel still has an outside interest in Inverness City and has ensured we had the necessary equipment in place to take us through next season and for that we thank him most sincerely.”

 

City will be hoping that Highland Council follow through on their promise to find the club a new ground for next season. The Council are currently working very hard to find a park and have promised the club they will have a ground for the start of next season.

 

The Council are fully aware of the publicity that City’s success has delivered and have said they will do everything in their power to back junior football in Inverness and ensure it continues.

 

Pollard added: “We did our homework at the start of the season. We set our sights on winning the league in our first season and were not simply thinking about surival.

 

“We will go into next season’s Scotscoup North Division 1 campaign with the same mindset.”