Wick Groats through to Highland Amateur Cup semi-finals as Shetland opponents pull out
Wick Groats have been handed a place in the semi-finals of the Highland Amateur Cup after their scheduled opponents Lerwick Celtic withdrew from the competition.
The teams had been due to meet at Wick's Upper Bignold Park on the rearranged date of Saturday, July 29, but the Shetland side have said they will be unable to field a team for the quarter-final because of an inter-county match against Orkney on the same date.
Two last-eight ties are taking place this Saturday, with one on July 22.
A spokesman for the Highland Amateur Cup organisers said: "Because of the biennial NatWest International Island Games [in Guernsey] this year it was agreed at the annual general meeting that any island teams reaching the quarter-final stage of the competition were to be given dispensation to play on an alternative date to July 15.
"Due to Lerwick Celtic and Wick Groats being unable to agree to a suitable date, the executive committee considered submissions from both clubs and concluded that July 29 was the most suitable date.
"Lerwick Celtic subsequently decided that due to some of their teams representing Shetland in an inter-county challenge match with Orkney they would be unable to field a team and would unfortunately have to withdraw from the competition.
"Having exhausted all other possibilities, and given the restricted time restraints of the competition, the committee has reluctantly accepted their decision."
It is understood that Wick Groats offered a choice of dates – July 1 or July 8, as well as July 29 – but couldn't accept Lerwick Celtic's request for July 22 because of two weddings taking place that day, the groom being a current Groats player in one case and a former player in the other.
Groats, who have won the Highland Amateur Cup four times in the last decade, knocked out Fortrose and Rosemarkie Union from the Inverness and district league in the last round.