Sutherland amateur champions Tain Thistle take a year out following manager exit
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The reigning champions of a Sutherland amateur football league will relinquish their title without kicking a ball this summer.
Easter Ross side Tain Thistle will hand back the North West Sutherland League trophy after it was decided that the team will take a year out.
The decision was taken by the club's committee after they were unsuccessful in finding someone to manage the team.
Having won the Ross-shire Welfare League in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Jags made a switch to the amateur code in 2018.
In their first season they won the North West Sutherland Amateur League, retaining the title in 2019 also.
Their run of five successful league titles was halted by the pandemic with amateur football across the north placed on hold in 2020 and 2021.
The decision to withdraw from the 2022 season follows confirmation from the club's manager, Tony Farquhar, that he would be stepping down.
Club secretary Niall Harkiss said: "A lot has changed over the course of the pandemic, and there are several people important in the running of the club who can no longer can spare the time needed to do it justice.
"The team has been inactive since we won the league in 2019 due to Covid, so another season of waiting to resume playing hopefully won't have too much of an impact on our future.
"The news that a Ross-shire league could be formed in 2023 could provide the club with some fresh impetus to get something arranged for next year, but we will meet again nearer the time to discuss that."
