‘Captain only’ policy being trialled in new Caithness amateur season
Amateur football teams in Caithness will have to get used to the “captain only” policy that has been adopted at other levels of the game when the new county league season kicks off later this month.
Murray Coghill, president of Caithness Amateur Football Association (CAFA), explained: “We’re just trialling it this year but it’ll be in for real next year.
“Only the captain is going to be allowed to dispute referees’ decisions or ask him for an explanation.
“It’s in at senior level now, and I’m hoping that in this first season they’ll get used to it.
“It’ll take time to bed in. The referees have got to use a bit of common sense as well.”
The policy is seen by football authorities as a way to avoid referees being mobbed by groups of players taking issue with decisions.
Referees’ match fees have risen by £5 to £50 for CAFA clubs this season, while player registration is now being handled through the Comet system.
Mr Coghill expects Pentland United and Wick Groats, champions and runners-up in Division One last year, to again be battling it out for the main honours. Of the other teams, he reckons High Ormlie Hotspur could be the best equipped to mount a challenge.
Pentland United begin their title defence on Wednesday, April 16, when they welcome Castletown to Ham Park for the Dunnet Bay derby.
The Stabbies held off the challenge of Wick Groats in 2024 to take the county league trophy back to Dunnet for the second time in three seasons.
Keiss are back in the top flight for the first time in 17 years and they start at home to Lybster, also on April 16.
The first two Division One encounters, on Tuesday, April 15, will see John O’Groats welcoming Wick Groats to Folke Park while Staxigoe United and High Ormlie Hotspur – who finished fourth and third respectively last summer – will meet in Wick.
Division Two gets under way that same evening as Watten play host to last year’s Steven Cup winners, Acks.
The following night will see last season’s second division runners-up, Swifts, take on newly relegated Wick Thistle, while Halkirk are at home to Thurso Pentland.
Top Joe’s will have to wait until the following week for their opening game, at home to Watten.
The first league meeting between the “big two” in the top flight, Pentland United and Wick Groats, will be at Ham Park on Wednesday, April 30. The Stabbies and Wick Groats will also meet in the first round of the Eain Mackintosh Cup in the last week of May.
The week commencing April 28 sees the start of the Stannergill Cup, a new knockout competition replacing the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup.
The Stannergill Cup is being sponsored by Dunnet Bay Distillers, the company set up by husband-and-wife duo Martin and Claire Murray. The firm will produce its own Stannergill whisky from the renovated Castletown Mill.
The final will be played at Castletown’s Back Park, as the Colin Macleod Memorial Cup was every year after being inaugurated in 2011.
Pentland United won the last Colin Macleod Memorial Cup final, edging out Wick Groats 2-1, before going on to become league champions. They set the seal on a memorable campaign when they lifted the Highland Amateur Cup for a record-extending ninth time.
The Stabbies didn’t have it all their own way last year, though, with each of the CAFA knockout competitions being won by a different club.
High Ormlie Hotspur retained the Eain Mackintosh Cup with a 2-0 victory over Staxigoe United in the final in Halkirk.
Staxigoe made up for that disappointment by lifting the David Allan Shield, beating Wick Groats 2-1 after extra time in the final at the Dammies.
Fixtures for the opening four weeks:
Tuesday, April 15 – Division One: John O’Groats v Wick Groats; Staxigoe United v High Ormlie Hotspur (6.30pm). Division Two: Watten v Acks (6.30pm).
Wednesday, April 16 – Division One: Keiss v Lybster; Pentland United v Castletown (6.30pm). Division Two: Halkirk v Thurso Pentland; Swifts v Wick Thistle (6.30pm).
Saturday, April 19 – Highland Amateur Cup, north section, preliminary round (ties involving Caithness clubs): Golspie Stafford v John O’Groats; High Ormlie Hotspur v Castletown; Staxigoe United v Keiss; Thurso Swifts v Inver (3pm).
Tuesday, April 22 – Division One: Castletown v Keiss; Lybster v High Ormlie Hotspur; Wick Groats v Staxigoe United (6.45pm). Division Two: Acks v Swifts (6.45pm).
Wednesday, April 23 – Division One: John O’Groats v Pentland United (6.45pm). Division Two: Top Joe’s v Watten; Wick Thistle v Halkirk (6.45pm).
Friday, April 25 – Division One: Staxigoe United v Lybster (6.45pm).
Monday, April 28 – Stannergill Cup, first round: Keiss v Castletown; Swifts v Lybster; Wick Groats v Watten (6.30pm).
Tuesday, April 29 – Stannergill Cup, first round: Thurso Pentland v Halkirk; Top Joe’s v High Ormlie Hotspur; Wick Thistle v John O’Groats (6.30pm).
Wednesday, April 30 – Stannergill Cup, first round: Staxigoe United v Acks (6.30pm). Division One: Pentland United v Wick Groats (7pm).
Friday, May 2 – Division One: High Ormlie Hotspur v Castletown; John O’Groats v Keiss (7pm).
Tuesday, May 6 – Division One: Castletown v Staxigoe United; Wick Groats v Lybster (7pm). Division Two: Halkirk v Acks; Swifts v Top Joe’s (7pm).
Wednesday, May 7 – Division One: John O’Groats v High Ormlie Hotspur; Pentland United v Keiss (7pm). Division Two: Thurso Pentland v Wick Thistle (7pm).
Saturday, May 10 – Highland Amateur Cup, north section, first round: Embo or Helmsdale United v Wick Groats; Golspie Stafford or John O’Groats v High Ormlie Hotspur or Castletown; Halkirk v Lochbroom; Pentland United v Top Joe’s; Staxigoe United or Keiss v Brora Wanderers; Thurso Acks v Lochinver; Thurso Swifts or Inver v Dornoch City; Watten v Thurso Pentland; Wick Thistle v Lybster (3pm).
CAFA final league standings from 2024 – Division One (after 14 fixtures each): 1 Pentland United (36 points); 2 Wick Groats (32); 3 High Ormlie Hotspur (27); 4 Staxigoe United (20); 5 Castletown (19); 6 Lybster (12); 7 John O’Groats (6); 8 Wick Thistle (4).
Division Two (after 12 fixtures each): 1 Keiss (27 points); 2 Swifts (25); 3 Acks (24); 4 Halkirk (22); 5 Watten (15); 6 Top Joe’s (8); 7 Thurso Pentland (1).