Support the Fort (FC

SUPPORT ‘THE FORT’

Iain Ferguson Thanks to the generosity of several local businesses and individuals, work to restore Claggan Park to its former glory and excellent paying surface may now be under way, but Fort William Football Club will still need ongoing support to keep going.

Even those with no interest in football with be aware that Fort William FC has had its share of ups and downs for quite some time. However the club survives and the fighting spirit of committee, management, players and fans goes on. The Fort’ also has a thriving and very successful junior section who need Claggan Park for their training and fixtures.

Over the years the home ground has, among other things, succumbed to the constant battering of Lochaber weather and the current playing surface is now so bad the Highland League decided no matches could be played on it. However two very experienced professional groundsmen visited the park and gave the opinion that it may not be as bad as it looked and with sufficient funds (around £20,000) it could be brought back into use in just over a month.

When this news broke, offers of immediate support came in from representatives of several local companies as well as individuals, raising more than this amount in just a few hours.

At the moment the first team is being allowed to continue in the Highland League with all home matches being played at their opponent’s grounds.

Although this means many extra hours of travelling for players, in an act of tremendous solidarity and compassion, every other Highland League team offered to help by contributing to Fort’s travelling costs.

Even with the many generous offers of help, the club still needs the support of the community as they undertake fundraising ventures for the upkeep of the park and keep them going.

Social media will play an important part in this and club merchandise is on sale along with various ‘go fund me’ option on the club Facebook page.

Even as all his happens, new first team manager Ashley Hollyer is positively addressing the need for strong players at different positions with a large number of new signings. Once they have had time to meld as a team this should see the Fort become worthy and challenging opponents for all comers. Even more reason to ‘Support the Fort’.