McKenna happy to use his experience to benefit Castletown in new county league season
Former Wick Academy manager Tom McKenna is relishing the chance to pass on some of his experience to players at county league level after taking charge of Castletown ahead of the new Caithness AFA season.
Summer football was scrapped in 2020 because of the pandemic but will return next week with a shortened format involving 14 clubs split into East and West divisions.
Castletown are one of six sides in action on the opening night as they travel to take on Pentland United on Wednesday.
McKenna – who is also a key member of Thurso's coaching team in the North Caledonian League – says he is looking forward to the challenge with Castletown after pre-season training over the past five weeks.
“It’s a good thing for everyone involved from a social aspect," said McKenna (51), who is being assisted at Back Park by Gavin Henderson player/coach role.
"It has been a long time without football and for the young lads who can play at this level it gets them out and about, it gets them back to their training and back mixing with their friends and colleagues at the football club and they can start focusing on things in a positive way on the park.
“I think it’s a massive positive that the Caithness governing body has put this in place for everyone."
McKenna turned out for clubs such as Rochdale, Airdrie and Stenhousemuir during his playing career as well as having a spell in South Africa’s premier league with AmaZulu. He was head of youth at Clyde before moving to Caithness.
He parted company with Wick Academy in February last year after almost two-and-a-half years at the Highland League club.
“I just love football, and for me to be able to pass a wee bit of experience and a wee bit of my knowledge on to people who are receptive to it, and want to come on board and want to try and better themselves, that’s what I’m about at the moment," McKenna said. "Just to be involved in football, going out there coaching people and trying to enhance whatever they’ve got to empower them and try to make them better individuals and football players.
“Opportunities are few and far between and it’s just being involved in football again and trying to pass across the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained throughout the years – that’s what it’s all about.
“Every town and every wee village has its own football club so there is an affiliation there from the local communities. People who love their football enjoy seeing their local teams playing and are going to gravitate there."
The East league teams are John O’Groats, Keiss, Lybster, Staxigoe United, Watten, Wick Groats and Wick Thistle. West league clubs are Castletown, Halkirk, High Ormlie Hotspur, Pentland United, Thurso Acks, Thurso Pentland and Top Joes.
Teams will play each other once within their league before being split into four groups based on their standings.