Fort football club’s Highland League status at serious risk

HIGHLAND League secretary Rod Houston says he is extremely concerned Fort William Football Club is on the verge of crashing out of the league after a recent plea for new directors to come forward fell on deaf ears.

The current six-strong board of directors announced last month they would all be standing down at the end of this season, saying it was time for new faces to take on the challenge of keeping the Claggan Park outfit going.

But more than a month later and the board says there has been ‘virtually no serious response whatsoever’ from anyone prepared to become a director.

Director Ronnie Maclean told the Lochaber Times: ‘It is bitterly disappointing that it appears no-one is interested in bringing new blood with fresh ideas and impetus to the club to keep Fort William in the Highland League. It is unthinkable that Fort William and Lochaber will not have a senior team in the Highland League after the end of this season, which will happen without people to take it forward.’

But Mr Houston says that is exactly what will happen if no new directors are found and soon.

‘There is a real sense of urgency about this because we are starting to look at structures and arrangements for next season,’ he said.

‘There is a real sense of sadness that the community in Fort William does not seem interested in having a football club in the Highland League.’

Mr Houston stressed the league was not in the business Claggan Park, home of Fort William FC, situated under the world-famous Ben Nevis, may not be hosting Highland League football

next season unless new directors come forward to take over the club. of throwing clubs out or telling ‘When you look at the efforts club did not remain in the them what they should do, but made by the current group of league.’ In a new statement this warned that time was running directors to keep Fort William week, another member of the out for Fort William and a decision FC going as a Highland League Fort William board said the on the club’s league future club, these have been nothing Highland League was now making could not be put off indefinitely. short of heroic. it crystal clear a deadline on

‘The local community needs to ‘And given that Fort William the club’s future was looming. get its act together and decide if has one of the most respected ‘If the club wishes to retain its it wants a local club in the Highland youth set-ups in the league, it place in the Highland League, League or not,’ he said. would be very sad if the senior we need a response from the public almost immediately with proposals for the future,’ they told the Lochaber Times.

And the board added a plea: ‘There must be enough people out there who care enough to keep the club going.

Please don’t let Fort William Football Club go out of existence.’