FC Bishopmill make Forres and Nairn welfare league debut, led by 18-year-old manager and three ex-Highland League campaigners in their ranks

A football club with a teenage manager has recruited Highland League experience in their debut year.

FC Bishopmill were formed last year with the purpose of bringing football back to the north of Elgin, and the club has quickly set out lofty ambitions.

They have signed a trio of vastly experienced players including a Highland League champion, and have set their sights on bringing junior football back to Bishopmill one day.

The area was once home to north junior champions Bishopmill United, who shared Elgin City’s Borough Briggs ground and kick-started the career of numerous talented Moray players.

When ‘Bish’ went out of business in 2013, Elgin has been short of a club on the north side of the railway line, and budding football coach Lee Stewart decided to do something about it.

Stewart, who is also assistant manager for Elgin City women’s team, recruited fellow Elgin Sports Community Trust coach Dominic Barstow to start their own team, and the concept has evolved into a debut season in the Forres and Nairn welfare league.

Barstow, who doubles up as Elgin City’s community football co-ordinator, was appointed as FC Bishopmill’s first-ever manager at the tender age of 18, with Stewart acting as his assistant as well as club chairman.

Last month they pulled off a transfer coup by persuading Buckie Thistle player assistant Hamish Munro to play for them during the summer, ahead of his pre-season return to Jags.

A second big signing was current Islavale manager Michael Dunn, a former Elgin City, Lossiemouth, Rothes, Huntly and Deveronvale centre back who now bosses in the juniors and has elected to play welfare football.

Ex-Rothes and Lossiemouth attacker Grant Milne is a third signing with Highland League experience, while young signing Cameron Leil is another who has played Highland League for Lossie and has now joined the Bish team.

Stewart explained: “Myself and Dominic were running ESCT’s B team and it sparked a conversation one day that we would like to set up our own club.”

Being a Bishopmill boy himself, Stewart was eager to create a club from his own community to play games at the Gleaner Arena, situated just a stone’s throw away from Bishopmill Brae.

“We designed a badge first, and because Bishopmill doesn’t really have any landmarks, we put Spynie Palace on it - and the whole thing has just snowballed from there.”

The pair gradually recruited players to play, initially in the winter Community Cup competition then entering into the welfare set-up.

“Over the last six months there's hardly anyone left from that original team, maybe four or five boys,” Stewart added. “The lads who have come in have been brilliant.

“I think we're one of only three welfare teams that actually train in our league. We got sponsorship from Budgens and Stag Accountancy and then we've got Craig Oman who's also put in some money as well.”

They reached the semi-finals of the non-welfare-affiliated Community Cup over the winter, and took their competitive bow in the Forres and Nairn league.

Their very first match was a Calum Riddell Cup tie against Elgin Albion, with Neil Stewart scoring their history-making first goal as the game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes, and Bish triumphed 9-8 in a marathon penalty shoot-out.

The new team exited the cup at Nairn outfit Riverside Thistle, also on penalties, then took on their first-ever league match against Elgin Thistle in April, winning 2-1.

Since then they have picked up another three victories to take them into the top three in their debut season.

One of those wins was a 3-0 success over a strong Kinloss Sappers team, when their experienced trio of Munro (39), Dunn (35) and Milne (45) played for the first time.

Club captain is another veteran of welfare and junior football, midfielder David Christie.

Munro, whose short spell with the club is expected to end soon with another Buckie season looming, scored his first goal for the club in the recent 4-3 success over fellow Elgin side The Vikings.

Young right-sided player Damien Matheson’s performances have caught the eye of assistant boss Stewart, who singled him out for praise.

The successful Bish start is a feather in the cap of their 18-year-old manager, who Stewart said has taken to the job of bossing experienced players like a duck to water.

“You wouldn't think an 18-year-old would command respect from a lot of guys but you've got guys like Dunner (Michael Dunn) who's probably worked under some decent managers who will sit and listen to Dominic - because Dominic knows what he's speaking about.

“There's no denying that he's a total student of the game and he's a student that's actually learned very well. He doesn't just waffle on, he actually knows what he's speaking about when he's coaching and setting up teams and giving team talks.”

So the future looks bright for Elgin’s newest club, but what are their ambitions for the future?

Stewart says there is an ultimate goal to develop his club in a way that can see Bishopmill have a junior football club once again.

“Ideally I'd like to say in five years time, there’s going to be a junior application going in - but that's a pipe dream just now,” Stewart said.

“Initially for this season, the top half of the league and building a solid team for the next two seasons is the target.

“Then we maybe start thinking a bit more about financially and pushing up a bit, but just now it's about getting the bases in, getting the players and the right people in.

“I've got a nine-strong committee, who do a hell of a lot and that’s something that I don't think a lot of welfare teams have got.

“The guys have all got their training kit to turn up in and I would say we treat ourselves like a junior club, even though we're not.

Stewart has in the past worked with Elgin City’s head of youth development Darren Main, and hopes there is potential for young Borough Briggs talent to be farmed out to FC Bishopmill.

The same applies for Moray neighbours Forres Mechanics, with one of their board members, Greg Christie currently coaching at the club and speaking to Mechanics head of youth development Allan Frisken about the possibility of young Cans being farmed out to Bish in the future.