PICTURES: Nairn County make rally cry for volunteers to make this best season ever for football fans
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NAIRN County Football Club is hoping to boost its team of volunteers to ensure matches run smoothly and spectators enjoy the best experience possible this season.
Head groundsman and club committee member Derek Steel said it relies on its supporters to keep the club ticking over, not just financially but by their support in kind preparing the pitch, terracing and stands so they are kept in top order for every match.
“It’s very much a labour of love,” said Derek, who joined the committee five years ago.
“I’m lucky I have a small but dedicated team of volunteers who help. But we could always do with more for pitch repairs and on match days.”
The club has advertised for anyone who can assist for home games when there are a range of roles they can fulfil from selling raffle tickets to stewarding and helping at the turnstiles.
A retired banker, Derek said he had no experience of grass maintenance before taking the role.
“I just learned on the job and get lots of support from our secretary Ian Finlayson, fundraiser Alex Mackintosh and manager Ronnie Sharp, and one of our biggest fans Alan Watson.
“Our past chairman Donald Matheson is a plumber so he keeps that side of the ground in order and a very good friend, Graeme Couttie, is a great help – together we can turn our hand to a lot of jobs needing done such as maintaining our grass-cutting equipment and other assets.”
The club is also looking for volunteers to lead on community projects or any aspiring young journalists who would like to try their hand at reporting matches for social media.
“It would be great to get someone who can film and edit highlights from our home games,” Derek said.
“Away games would be optional but there would be a space on the team bus with your name on it if you want to give it a go.”
He added: “We are very fortunate having two championship golf courses in Nairn and their experts provide invaluable advice which enables us to invest properly in maintaining the pitch which we are very proud of and would be the envy of many full-time professional clubs.
“But it’s not just the playing surface. The old wooden stand which was built in 1937 and renovated in 2013 but still requires a lot of TLC and the Davy Johnston enclosure which was largely funded by our supporters has to be swept regularly so it’s in pristine condition to give the best visitor experience possible for fans.
“We now have a team of ladies led by another board member, Cindy Milne, who is the manager at the Classroom in Nairn. The ladies have taken over the running of our tea hut and hospitality.
“Some of them, including my wife, hadn’t really been involved in football before. But now they look forward to their Saturdays at Station Park. New kitchen units have been installed and we are carrying out changes to increase matchday capacity in both in the stand and in the boardroom so we can enhance the experience of our valued corporate guests which is essential to the financial stability of the club.
“We are also putting the finishing touches to a new memorial garden to remember former fans and players and I suppose that could be a first for any ground in Scotland. It was funded by the family of Bobby McPherson who passed away in 2020 and was a die-hard Nairn fan.
“We have a new main sponsor on board, Murray Travel, and we are also well supported by businesses who take out ground advertising.
“The club cannot compete with the wages being paid by some teams in the league but any player coming to Nairn knows they will get the best of equipment and best playing surface in the league.
“We are in a good place at the moment but are short of a few bodies and any help would be appreciated.”
If you feel you can help, email info@nairncountyfc.co.uk
