Highland League to begin shortened season on October 17
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THE Highland League football season is to start on Saturday, October 17, subject to Scottish Government approval.
Following a meeting of the league's management committee on Saturday, a format has also been unveiled for the planned campaign.
The 17 clubs will play each other only once in the shortened season, meaning eight home and eight away league fixtures for every team.
Play is scheduled to begin on October 17 on the same date that the SPFL Championship, League 1 and League 2 get under way.
A new format has also been launched for the Highland League Cup, which will be played in group stages and contested early in the season.
Meanwhile, the finishing positions for last season's curtailed campaign have been finalised by the Highland League, based on average points gained per match.
The revised standings mean that Wick Academy leapfrog Keith into to ninth place. The Scorries still had six home games to play when the league was brought to a halt on March 21.
Academy's last outing of 2019/20 was the 4-1 derby defeat at Brora on March 7. After that game, the Harmsworth Park side had played all but one of their away fixtures.
Brora were awarded the title soon after the season was locked down. The points ratio system means Fraserburgh rise to second place and Rothes are third, with Inverurie Locos – who were in second spot when football was halted – dropping to fifth, behind Buckie Thistle.
Lossiemouth are confirmed as the league's bottom-placed team. They were above Fort William when the league was stopped but the Lochaber side had games in hand.
