Fort William Football Club found themselves in the unusual situation of having the chance to reflect on an up and down season so far as the weather saw their fixture against Tain St Duthus washed out this weekend, writes Peter Newman.
Assistant manager Darren Duncan said: “It’s been a pretty positive start to the season, mixed with frustration.
“In the games we’ve won, we’ve scored a lot of goals, played some excellent football on the way and put in impressive performances.
“We try and play football at a high intensity and get the ball down and attack teams, which we have done. This came to fruition against Invergordon, where we played some excellent stuff in the first half and found ourselves with a deserved 3 goal lead against one of the stronger teams in the league.
“However, that’s where the frustration comes in as we went on to lose that game, giving away sloppy goals.
“The other game we dropped points was a draw at home to Clachnacudden where we really should have taken the three points, but were too wasteful in front of goal.
“It’s frustrating as I feel we should be sitting at the top of the table with maximum points but due to our own mistakes we’re not.
“The positives are there with the performances and we have a great group of lads that love training and are willing to learn and work hard so hopefully as a team we’ll learn from the mistakes and push on to try and have a successful season in the league.”
New chairman Rob Coull agreed with his manager.
He said: “I’ve been impressed with the attitude of the players and managerial team.
“They’re striving for success on the park. Sitting second at this stage of the season with an excellent goal difference is a testament to the hard work put in on the training park.
“Off the park, the club is making positive steps in the community and forging new relationships with the council and local businesses as we look towards our 50th anniversary next year.”
“Manager Alan Gray added: “Having inherited a talented squad last season, we were unfortunate to lose so many players in the summer window. With that, we made a concerted effort to build the right type of squad for the 23/24 season.
“This not only meant adding players of quality but also with the right personalities and attitudes. The return of players such as Lewis Campbell and Farquhar MacRae meant a lot to the fans and community, but also the opportunity for youngsters from the reserve squad to be part of the first team pool.
“Recruitment was good and it means a lot to the town to have plenty local faces taking to the park on a Saturday, supplemented by quality from outwith.
“Off the park, we have built community engagement, with camps for primary school children, and looked into how best we can support youth development.
“We have a squad of fantastic coaches at all ages and are delighted to see the under 16s girls come on board as part of the Fort William Football Club family.
“The most important thing for Darren and I is that we are competitive on the park and a club firmly rooted within the community. Thank you to everyone who has come along and supported the club.”
Featured image: Fort William Football Club’s management team Alan Gray, left, and Darren Duncan. Photograph: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos. NO_F41_FortFC_AlanGray_DavyDuncan
Extra pic (September 2023): NO_F36_FortWilliamFC_Robert-Coull-02