Former Forres Mechanics stars line up for FC Thistle pub team in this season's Forres and Nairn welfare league, which begins this week
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A Forres pub will be represented by a team of all-stars in this season's Forres and Nairn welfare league.
FC Thistle have entered a side for the first time in a quarter of a century.
Striker Scotty Moore founded the team with fellow Forres Mechanics team-mates Mattie Davidson and Ross Macpherson, and ex-Forres Thistle player Craig Short.
Moore said: "We'd spoken for years about getting a team together for the welfare once we were all finished with Mechanics and Thistle to keep us playing together for as long as we can.
"Most of the boys have kids now and aren't able to commit to training and playing on Saturdays so it's the right time to finally do it.
The team will be managed by Barry Stables, who has not been able to play for years due to injuries.
Once plans were put in place to form a team, the founding players got i touch with the owners of the Thistle Bar.
"They were delighted to get involved and admitted they haven't had a team in the league since 1988," Moore said.
"We hand-picked a squad then asked each player to join - they were all eager to be part of it."
The squad also includes former Cans players Lee Davidson, Simon Allan and Tony Ross.
Highland League stalwarts like Martin McMullan, Ross Duncan and Sean McIntosh have also been signed up by Thistle.
"We've played a number of friendlies already," said Moore. "So far, we've beat the likes of Hopeman, Fochabers and Culloden, as well as teams from our own league - Riverside Thistle, ESCT Academy and The Vikings."
FC Thistle play their first competitive game on Friday, away to The Vikings in the quarter-final of the Calum Riddell Cup.
They make their league debut on the following Tuesday against Riverside Thistle at Roysvale.
"With the squad we have assembled we are setting the bar high in terms of what we would like to achieve, and will be aiming to win each competition," Moore added.
"A clean sweep of the league and three cups would be a very successful debut season."
