Summer amateur football in Inverness and Ross-shire faces being scrapped as association can't fill key roles
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SUMMER amateur football in Inverness and Ross-shire could be scrapped as it is feared not enough people are willing to come forward to organise the 2022 season.
The Inverness and District Football Association (IDFA) face cancelling this year’s competition after it was revealed it has failed to fill five key positions on its committee.
A total of 29 teams from Inverness and Ross-shire, with a reported 900 registered players, had signed up to play in three divisions, with the season due to start on Monday, April 11.
But with only five weeks until the amateur football season is due to start, five key roles on the IDFA committee have not been filled and are required to do so before the season can be played.
The positions include league secretary, minute secretary, match secretary, registration secretary and treasurer.
League spokesman and Maryburgh secretary Donnie Stuart says after the failure to fill key roles at a meeting on Sunday, there is a real danger there will be no amateur football played in Inverness or Ross-shire this summer.
He says if that happens, it will leave almost 1000 players on the sidelines.
“All the clubs that entered the league attended the meeting,” he said.
“But when it came to filling the main positions, that didn’t happen.
“It was like silent night for 45 minutes and they were warned three weeks ago that existing committee members were standing down.
“But there was a lack of interest and I said to the clubs do you realise you will put 900 people out of football?”
He added: “We are not talking about one position, we are talking about five or six positions.
“We need people to step forward, but I have a feeling it won’t happen.
“If the positions aren’t filled, there is a severe chance there will not be an Inverness District Football Association.
“I would hate to see the IDFA close down, it would be horrendous for football here.”
Stuart says it is planned to hold another meeting on Sunday to try and find new people to take over the positions.
But he doesn’t hold out much hope.
“They were talking about this Sunday about having another meeting,” he said.
“But my opinion is how will one meeting make a difference? If they weren’t going to do it previously, why would they change their mind at the next meeting?
“Unless they get these positions filled, there will be no amateur football.”
If the IDFA is forced to close down, no Inverness or Ross-shire teams would be eligible to enter the Highland Amateur Cup.
Stuart says that would be disastrous for the competition.
He said: “Twenty-five of the 29 teams in the IDFA have applied to play in the Highland Amateur Cup this year. But if those teams aren’t affiliated to a league association, then they will not be able to compete in the Highland Amateur Cup.”
