Clachnacuddin FC’s history brought to book by Billy Corbett who has a lifelong association with the Inverness club
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Billy Corbett is well-known in Inverness for his lifelong association with Clachnacuddin FC and has now published a new book on the club’s history.
‘136 Years Of History Of Clachnacuddin Football Club (1885/86-2021)’ began during lockdown and will be available at five local outlets.
The project began with Mr Corbett simply sharing items from his own club archive online where he quickly found himself overwhelmed by the response, receiving so much information in return he reckons he already has enough material for a second volume.
The 66-year-old former painter and decorator, who lives in Kessock Road, South Kessock, said the idea of compiling a book took shape gradually, adding: “I was putting things up on social media, the likes of Facebook, through boredom really, to do with the Clach.
“There were old Clach photos and things from my long association with the Clach and looking back on things, the good days and the bad days – there is even mention of the time of liquidation and things like that.
“I got so much, I had a great response from so many people saying ‘you should write a book’ and I just laughed at it at the time.
“I thought about it afterwards and I said to myself ‘we are in lockdown so let’s put something together and see how it turns out’. That is basically how it came about.”
The book is published by R Burkitt Publications, based in the city’s Grant Street, with an initial print run of around 300 – and possible further copies if it proves popular enough.
Mr Corbett said Richard Burkett, originally of the For The Right Reasons charity before starting his new venture, was taken aback with the book, adding: “He was amazed at how much history the club had.”
Mr Corbett started the book quite some time into lockdown and he said: “It must have been a few months ago I decided to put things together because it was such a great response.”
He already has a number of pre-orders, including from four former Clach players, from as far away as South Africa and Australia.
Mr Corbett received numerous items from the public, including scrapbooks, and he said there was so much information he could not include everything. “You never know, there might be a volume two with the interest that has been shown,” he said.
