Northern Counties Cricket Club confirm no merger will happen with Inverness rivals Highland despite temporary move as a result of £5 million Meeting Park upgrades
When renovation work begins soon on the Northern Meeting Park, it will render one of the oldest sports clubs in Inverness temporarily homeless.
More than £5 million was allocated to the project from The Levelling Up Fund, with plans in place to replace the community pavilion, replace the toilet facilities, provide storage for the disability cycle group and BID staff, and install "grass-crete" on the area closest to Glenurquhart Road to make it more durable for staging and heavy vehicles.
The work is expected to take up to a year – meaning for Northern Counties Cricket Club, a new home needed to be found for 2024.
Northern Counties has been using the Meeting Park continuously since 1865, when the park was first established.
With uncertainty around what next year held for them, though, there was speculation and talks around a possible merger with city rivals Highland, who are based at Fraser Park.
However, Counties has now confirmed that will not be happening. Instead, the two clubs will share Fraser Park for training and matches in 2024, with Counties also using artificial pitches at Bught Park for junior training.
Then in 2025 the intention is to return to the Meeting Park and make further cricket-specific improvements – like moving the club's practice nets and restoring a grass wicket on a reduced square.
"This year has seen a growing club membership at Senior and Junior levels," club president Jon Ford wrote on social media.
"The 2022 and 2023 seasons have been the most successful in recent years, with the Senior League won and being in the finals for the Senior T20 Cup and League Cup.
"We also competed in the Cricket Scotland Challenge Cup (a national competition) and in 2022 we reached the the quarter finals. Our Junior set up has gone from strength to strength with our Bobcats and Wildcats growing in number and ability.
"Two or three of our juniors are now looking to progress on to hardball cricket and, perhaps, playing in the newly formed Development League.
"We want to continue this growth and will need your help. Every club needs its volunteers to thrive and the more we have the more we can spread the load.
"From coaching to catering on match days, maintenance to fund raising – if you want to help in any way please contact the club secretary.
"This is a lot of change and it’s essential that we work together as a club to make it work for everyone."
