Forres Mechanics manager Charlie Rowley hopes Highland League season will start in October as planned
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FORRES Mechanics boss Charlie Rowley hopes the Aberdeen coronavirus cluster doesn’t further delay the start of this year’s Highland League season.
It is understood that the league is keen to start on Saturday, October 17, the same date as the lower leagues in the SPFL.
No dates have been confirmed and the league will act on Scottish Government advice before drawing up a fixture schedule.
Forres have not kicked a ball since March 11, beating Fort William 2-1 just two days before sport went into lockdown. The season ended that day with leaders Brora Rangers awarded the title.
“We are obviously waiting with bated breath for possible start dates,” said Rowley. “They are hopeful of October but I’m not sure to be honest, especially with this Aberdeen carry on.
“Imagine the amount of Highland League players who come out of Aberdeen.”
Mechanics made their first steps towards a return to football this week by issuing their players with a light fitness programme. The squad will do running work three times a week which will be monitored on a fitness app.
All going well, squad training could resume within a month.
The Highland League season will have to run in a shortened format, with clubs playing each other once instead of twice and a possible league split with an extra seven or eight games.
“I wouldn’t mind the 16-game league to play everybody once and then whatever comes of it with a split or whatever,” Rowley said.
“It would add something different to the norm and it’s not the norm just now so it might just give everybody a wee lift.
"We do need to understand that you might be hit with so many league games on a Wednesday night, which isn’t conducive to bigger crowds or hospitality.”
