Dingwall teenager follows in father’s footsteps as he signs for Clachnacuddin
CRAIG Lawrie is following in his father’s footsteps by signing for Highland League club Clachnacuddin.
The 17-year-old midfielder has signed a deal to play with the Lilywhites this season after impressing in the reserves.
The Dingwall Academy pupil’s dad Blair Lawrie, spent almost two decades playing for Clachnacuddin.
Blair spent 17 years, and almost his entire playing career at Grant Street Park, before retiring at the end of the 2022/23 season. He is now a first team coach at Clachnacuddin.
Craig and his family would spend their weekends watching his dad playing home and away with Clachnacuddin in the Highland League.
Now he is looking forward to the family watching him play for the club as he hopes he can make an impression at the Merkinch outfit.
“I grew up watching my Dad playing for Clachnacuddin, probably since I was a baby,” said Lawrie.
“I would always go to games with my grandad and brother, both home and away, to watch him play.
“Now he is going to be watching me play for Clachnacuddin.”
Lawrie played with the youth set ups at both Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle before spending a year at Dingwall Juniors.
He trained in the reserve set-up at Clachnacuddin when he caught the attention of manager Conor Gethins, who wanted him to be part of the first team squad.
Lawrie said: “I started training with the reserves team once a week, waiting for my Dad at the end of training, and ended up joining the first team for training.
“I obviously impressed Conor and Robbie Duncanson and ended up signing a deal to play for the first team squad.
“Conor has asked me to do what I do in training and take things from there.”
Lawrie could be in the Clachnacuddin first team squad to face Huntly at Christie Park on Saturday.
He hopes he can impress in his first season at the club and continue to progress as a player as his career goes on.
He says while the club have brought in experienced players this season, says the fact they give youth a chance is what appealed to him to sign for the club.
“I will just look to keep doing what I am doing and see where it goes from there,” he said.
“There are a lot more experienced players in the team compared to last season. I can’t wait to kick on and learn from those players.
“But the amount of boys who come through the youth system to play for the first team is quite a lot.”
Read: Clachnacuddin scoop up goalkeeper who also runs gelato business in Inverness.
