Family ties matter as Clach chief Alex Chisholm looks ahead to new season
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ALEX Chisholm described the pride he has of being chairman of Clach on the day the new Highland League season kicks off.
The Inverness club get their campaign underway at Buckie this afternoon (Saturday), aiming to get off to a winning start in their bid to improve on their lowly 14th place finish last season.
In May, Chisholm (53) was asked by the board to be the man to take over the chairmanship of the Merkinch club after Dennis Bridgeford stepped down, mainly due to his hectic work schedule as a Portmahomack farmer.
He explained to the Courier that, with family links stretching back more than 80 years, the chance to try and lead the club from the boardroom required little thinking time.
"Dennis decided to step down mainly due to work reasons and I was asked to take over," said Chisholm. "It was a really quick turnaround and I found myself as the chairman. I was on the board last season but I have also played for the club and coached the second 11, so I come into the role with a degree of footballing background.
"When I was asked to take over as chairman, with my family history, I was honoured and humbled and I just can’t wait for the football to start on Saturday. I have been involved with the club for as long as I can remember.
"My cousin, George, runs the Rodgers Newsagent on Grant Street, so the family connection in Merkinch continues. If you look outside the shop, there are the badges of Clach and Chelsea and that stems back to my grandfather George Rodgers after he moved here from Chelsea.
"Both my uncles also played for Clach, George and Dougie Rodgers. My dad, Ally Chisholm, also played for the club more than 600 times. He was what you could call a midfield destroyer, hard, but fair, so there are lots of family links to club. For me now to be the chairman is very humbling indeed."
In terms of the club’s youth development, a pathway exists to the first-team through the under-20 squad who compete in the North FA League, a great step forward according to Chisholm.
"I should also say a massive thanks to Alan Savage (chairman) of the Orion Group) for supporting the club on many levels including our youth development, which has 100 youngsters participating, and they are the future of the club," added Chisholm.
"Just one example would be first-team player Fraser Robertson, who has come through the ranks here. We have a few under-20s training with the first-team and that helps develop them for the future, so we are moving in the right direction.
"There are obviously clubs out there with more money and resources, but if we look after ourselves we will be fine.
"The supporters’ trust own the football club and, having just paid off the mortgage, they effectively own the (Grant Street Park) building.
"We are also proud to have links with the Orion Group and Merkinch Partnership, which has an ongoing ground maintenance programme for two guys, Sean Evans and Ryan Graham, to have supervised work in and around the park, which is a great initiative."
Manager Iain Polworth has not lost any key players this summer and has added James Beeston, a talented 19-year-old midfielder from Ross County.
He also has made former player and coach Brian Macleod his assistant and been boosted by the return from lengthy injury of former Caley Jags defender Struan Scott-Woodhouse.
*** Clach have also confirmed one-year deals for former Lilywhites players, midfielder Duncan Jones and left-sided defender Paul Smith.
