Ross Amateur League plans are not dead despite Inverness and District summer season being saved
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FOOTBALL clubs in Ross-shire will revisit talks later this year about forming a breakaway Ross Amateur League next season despite the Inverness and District Football Association (IDFA) being saved for the 2022 campaign.
The IDFA held an emergency meeting last Sunday when they managed to establish a committee to allow this season to go ahead which will start on Monday, April 11.
A total of 28 teams will play across three divisions this season, including eight teams based in Ross-shire.
Eight Ross-shire clubs held a meeting in Invergordon last week to discuss forming a Ross Amateur League over fears the IDFA season would not take place this season.
However, it was decided to put those plans on hold until it was clarified if the IDFA season would go ahead.
But Ross clubs plan to meet again in the Autumn to discuss establishing a Ross Amateur League for 2023.
Robert Mitchell, who is manager of IDFA First Division outfit Invergordon Social Club, says despite the plans being on hold, there is an appetite to create a Ross-shire league next year.
“The meeting came about after the IDFA originally failed to form a committee and everything was up in the air,” he said.
“The Ross clubs were worried we weren’t going to get any football this summer so we held our own meeting.
“We wanted to figure out if we could get something going if the IDFA could not go ahead.
“Eight teams were involved in the talks and there is an appetite for a Ross League.
“But we wanted to give the IDFA a chance to get going rather than eight teams bailing out of the league.
“However, a Ross League is something that could happen next year.
“It will be talked about again at the back end of the IDFA season.
“We will go over it again and see if it is something that that teams want to go ahead withm as we will have a better timescale to consider plans.”
