Fort William ineligible for promotion back to Highland League
Fort William are ineligible to earn promotion back to the Highland League after their application for an SFA licence was rejected.
The Lochaber club’s bid for a Scottish Football Association entry level licence was turned down by the governing body. Fort have appealed against the decision.
They were relegated from the Highland League in 2022, dropping into the North Caledonian League.
Fort say their application was rejected as a result of their Claggan Park floodlights no longer working due to weather damage. They are looking to meet the cost of repairing them and hope to win their appeal, which is due to be heard in December.
The Highland League confirmed any team wishing to enter the division must hold an SFA entry level licence.
In 2022, a relegation/promotion play-off was introduced between the team that finished bottom of the Highland League and the winners of the North Caledonian League, North Region Premiership and Midlands League.
However, only teams that hold an entry level licence are eligible to take part in the play-offs, regardless of whether they win their league.
At present, only three teams below the Highland League meet the requirements. They are Golspie Sutherland in the North Caledonian League along with Lochee United and Tayport in the Midlands League.
Fort William were relegated in 2022 after they were unable to field a team in the play-offs, with Banks O’ Dee granted automatic promotion after winning the North Region Premiership.
No play-off match has ever taken place, with none of the winners of the three divisions eligible for promotion to the Highland League in the past two seasons.
Fort William secretary Robert Coull confirmed they have appealed and are hopeful they can get their entry level licence back.
“With the storms and the winds we had in early January, it made the floodlights at Claggan Park unsafe,” he said.
“They were hanging down and became a public hazard, so the council said they had to come down. You need floodlights at the ground for an entry level licence.
“We have appealed the decision and have asked for leniency as we are working with Highland Council and SportScotland on an application for funding to get the floodlights replaced.
“It went to a pre-appeal looked over by three sheriffs who say we have grounds for a full appeal hearing at some point in December.
“We are also working with Highland Council on the lease of terms for Claggan Park.”
The SFA confirmed Fort William’s application for an entry level licence was rejected in November.
A spokesman said: “Fort William’s licence application for this year has been refused by the licensing committee as they failed to meet all the criteria required in their application.
“As there is currently an appeal process ongoing, I cannot provide any more information at this time.”
Highland League secretary John Campbell confirmed that an entry level licence is required by all the current 18 clubs.
He said any club outside the Highland League that does not have an SFA entry level licence will not be considered for promotion.
“Any team looking to get access to the Highland League must have an entry level licence,” Mr Campbell said.
“We have not been formally informed about the situation at Fort William. But we are aware they are not on the list of clubs who have an entry level licence.
“Any club who hold an entry level licence have to win their respective league and they would go into a play-off against a team that finishes bottom of the Highland League.”
Fort William are out of title contention in the North Caledonian League this season as they find themselves in eighth place in the 12-team division.
Mr Coull says Fort are trying to build a local identity with the town again. They hope they will be in a position to be in contention for promotion back to the Highland League in the future.
He said: “We are very much a team that is rebuilding. We have now got 90 per cent local boys and a young squad promoted from the reserve system and the under-18s.
“We have four players from the Grantown and Aviemore areas, but we are a team that is looking to get back into the community.
“We want to have that local identity again and we feel the right thing is to get the club back to its roots. There is a chain of fresh talent coming through every year.
“We hope to get back to the Highland League. I don’t know how long that will take, or if we will achieve it. But certainly, under my stewardship, I want that to be our ultimate goal.”
